Viktor Lyagushkin – National Geographic photographer,

Nikon Ambassador (2013-2023), Subal Pro Team member, head of the PHOTOTEAM.PRO, winner of international photo contests. Viktor was born in Moscow to a family of military men and spent his childhood and school time in Czechoslovakia. Then he returned to Moscow, after school he graduated from the St. Petersburg Theatre Academy as an artist-decorator. He worked in magazines as a layout person, designer, and art director. A professional photographer since 1998. In 2003, Viktor took an underwater camera, and soon, underwater shooting became his main hobby and favorite work.
Author of the book Orda Cave. Awareness Project, Being a Dolphin, 100 Facts About Dolphins, laureate of the National Underwater World Prize. His solo exhibitions have been successfully exhibited all over the world. Viktor is the main organizer for the PHOTOTEAM.PRO, generator of ideas, energy, and, of course, a photographer.

Bogdana (SnowKitty) Vashchenko, MSc, writer, National Geographic Explorer

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1977, Bogdana Vashchenko earned a Master of Science degree in theoretical physics from Kyiv National University in 1999. During a challenging period for post-Soviet republics, she made the difficult decision to shift her focus from physics to a diverse career, where she took on various roles, including selling greens in a subway underpass, cleaning horse stalls, sewing women’s leather bags and belts, designing websites, serving as a webmaster for an online kite and windsurfing store, and writing articles for a diving magazine. 

These varied experiences have equipped Bogdana to tackle even the most unusual problems. Her education and her passion for writing have established her as a skilled non-fiction author. Bogdana is a native Ukrainian and Russian speaker, fluent in English, and has a basic knowledge of Georgian. She is the author of four popular science books: *Orda Cave Awareness Project*, *Being a Dolphin*, *100 Facts About Dolphins*, a magical realism book *White Sea Bestiary*. Additionally, and a biographical book *Natalie Avseenko: Journey to the Depth*. 

Bogdana has contributed 17 articles to National Geographic (Russia) Magazine and seven feature stories to National Geographic (Georgia) Magazine. In 2022, she was awarded the title of National Geographic Explorer. Inspired by the courageous little mongoose from Rudyard Kipling’s story *Rikki-Tikki-Tavi*, she embraces the motto, “Run, find out, and tell people!”