HSE Geography Students Share Impressions of Field Practice in Volga Territories

© HSE University

Second-year students of the HSE Bachelor's Programme 'Geography of Global Changes and Geoinformation Technology' covered 4,000 kilometres in 20 days following a classical meridional route. They travelled to Cherdyn, a city in the north of Perm Krai with only taiga and polar bears beyond it, then continued far south to the Volga Delta. Between these two extreme locations, they studied the central feature of Russia's life and history: the Volga River and its basin.

As part of their field practice, the second-year students acquired a toolbox of methods for studying geography and society. These include tools used in sociology (in-depth interview and involved observation), political science (discourse analysis), and three-dimensional economics (analysis of business locations and transportation planning). The latter methods, having both geographical and social-science aspects, can be used to investigate spatial differentiation and describe the territorial specificity of a location.

Field practice is not only about learning new methods, but also about building and refining one's geographical thinking through careful observation and mindful reflection. The students were trained to notice and analyse territorial differentiation and to see things from the perspective of territorial specificity.

 Ruslan Dokhov

'Before the [Communist] revolution, the Volga was the key feature in the lives of Russians. Everything was centred around the Volga—the country's main transport artery,' explains Ruslan Dokhov, Senior Lecturer of the HSE Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technology. 'It was the central axis of Russian life. Any geographical treatise—indeed, any major fictional novel about Russia—would either begin with the Volga or relate to it somehow. Everything revolved around it.'

The field practice consisted of two parts: stationary urban studies and route assignments. The former were conducted in larger cities where the students stopped for several days to explore the urban environment using a variety of methods. This field trip included three such stops: in Perm, Samara, and Astrakhan.

For the route assignments, the students broke into several groups, each performing continuous observations as they walked the route and taking time every ten kilometres to document the key findings on a given topic. Every student was also asked to keep a diary. Every evening, all students and faculty got together to discuss both the subject matter—findings from field observations, examples of territorial diversity or specific activities performed in the city—and the methods used, including the meaning and implications of the results. This approach helped the students learn more about each community and its impact on the environment based on local observations.

Peter Gonyukhov, 3rd-year student of the Bachelor's Programme 'Geography of Global Changes and Geoinformation Technology'

I chose the field practice in social geography because it promised such a long and varied route. During the three weeks, we covered more than 4,000 kilometres from Perm to Astrakhan. I had not travelled much in Russia before, but this field trip made me aware of how multifaceted and unique our country really is.

Each day of the field practice was really intense. Some days, we drove to a rural community to talk to the local district head, and on other days we took long walks around a big city, its centre and outskirts. As we travelled from one place to another, we observed changes to the cultural landscape. We were given diverse assignments, such as finding our way around a city without a map and later reflecting on the route we chose; noting our observations of a particular street every hour; examining the tourist infrastructure; and studying the ethnic composition of local communities. Together, this helped us form a comprehensive picture of the locations under study.

'During their field practice, students begin to understand that territory is continuous—it has no gaps or voids,' says Ruslan Dokhov. 'Every place is meaningful, with its own function, created by people, for people. Even if no people are there at the moment, it only means that people have left. Sometimes, one can experience a striking contrast just by crossing an invisible boundary that exists only on a map between two territories. They may have similar physical and geographic features, but the difference in their condition can be colossal.'

Based on their experiences and observations, the students produced a three-part report and a geographical diary that can be found on Telegram. Every day of the field trip, the participants took turns making an entry using their own materials and collecting reflections from others.

On December 3, 2022, the Bachelor's Programme 'Geography of Global Changes and Geoinformation Technology' will hold an Open Doors Day. Faculty and students will speak about the programme, how to enrol, and what to expect from the study process.