Freediving in Baikal: Our Piece in National Geographic (Russia)

My and Viktor’s article about Alexei Molchanov’s record, which he set for the Guinness Book this spring on Lake Baikal. The goal of the record was to draw attention to the ecological problems of the lake.

The entire May issue of National Geographic (Russia) is dedicated to the seas and oceans, and it’s great that we succeeded to become a part of it.

Text by Bogdana Vashchenko, photo by Viktor Lyagushkin.

The piece can be reached also at NAtGeo (Russia) website here.

Viktor Lyagushkin & Seventeen Strobes

October 4, Moscow hosted the presentation of the sixth issue of Yevgeny Feldman’s slick magazine  Svoy, which was completely dedicated to Viktor Lyagushkin’s art. Photos and stories “from caves and seas” on the pages of the new issue, and even more remarkable stories by Viktor during the presentation captivated the audience.

Photos from the presentation by Tatyana Mordvinova.

Viktor’s Photos at Pristine Russia Exhibition 2018

V Pristine Russia exhibition will be held from 26 January till 25 February in the Central House of Artists (Moscow, Russia). The exhibition is a part of the Pristine Russia Festival dedicated to Russian nature and wild life.

This year Moscow citizens will have possibility to see a special guest of the Festival – Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition.

Among hundreds of other works visitors may found there 3 photos by Viktor Lyagushkin from Baikal Lake.

Scuba Diver OCEAN PLANET Features White Sea and Baikal Lake With Viktor’s Photography

Scuba Diving Through The Lens Magazine“Coming this January 2017, we bring you the most inspiring images from some of the industry’s greatest photographers.” – the Editors say. And we are proud to be part of this wonderful edition with Baikal and White Sea images by Viktor Lyagushkin under the magazine cover with outstanding image by Paul Nicklen.

 

 

All-Russian Contest “Window Into The Nature”

LYG_1939A couple of weeks ago me and Viktor Lyagushkin became winners of the All-Russian Contest “Window Into The Nature” with the feature story for GEO (Russia) Sept 2016 dedicated to the Baikal issues.

Many thanks to our friends from Baikal Limnological Institute for opportunity to join their circum-Baikal expedition 2016, on the results of which the feature had been written, and to GEO editorials for the engagement and help in the creation of the story.

To Stay Alive – Feature Story in GEO Magazine

48_61_Baikal

Well, it’s another reason for our collective pride. A feature story in the popular science magazine GEO (Russia) about environmental problems of Baikal. Unusual and ancient animals, Baikalian sponges are responsible for the purity of Baikal water. But something happened, and the epidemic broke out in the sponges. What happens at the bottom of Baikal, what do scientists do, and how to find the cause of the disease – in this piece for GEO, September 2016.

Green Slime Threatens Baikal

Green Slime Invades World's Deepest LakeProblems of Lake Baikal are not just concern of Russia, it is an issue of all mankind. Baikal is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, and today its unique ecosystem is at risk. The article at the National Geographic site, illustrated with photos by Viktor Lyagushkin, is devoted to the problems of the lake.

Baikal piece at the NG site

 

Aliens in Baikal Lake

Чужие на БайкалеMy piece in National Geographic (Россия) Magazine (Nov 2015) dedicated to ecological situation in Baikal Lake.

In the autumn of 2013 near the town of Severobaikalsk storms washed ashore about a half thousand tons of tangled thread-like algae; the green mass laid rotting on the shore and spreading an unpleasant smell. Accumulations of stinking slime appeared near other settlements around Baikal. Local people were worried. Then jittery news began to appear, that the Spirogyra – so the name of alien had been heard for the very first time – kills Baikal.

In 2015 Baikal Limnological Institute announced the situation was caused by anthropological influence and urgent measures are needed.

The Lake is on the edge of ecological catastrophe. We did media coverage of the development of the situation; the results are published in the different magazines and documentary at My Planet Channel. Are Russian authorities going to change the situation? We have a hope that pressure of public (both Russian and International) opinion would have influence. The PHOTOTEAM.PRO is going to come back and complete the reportage about threat of death of the biggest fresh water reservoir of our planet and its unique biological ecosystem.

UPD: The article online is here

Baikal Expedition

The TV channel “My Planet” took 10 documentaries about the top 10 Nikon photographers within the project “Russia through the Nikon lens”. One of them is a story of our National Geographic expedition to the Baikal Lake in June 2015.

We are very grateful to scientists from Baikal Limnology Institute Igor Khanayev and Professor Dmitry Shcherbakov, the Nikon company, and all persons who lend a helping hand.

And here’s the movie: