I was 14 years old when I stood in front of a huge cartographic map that hung on the wall of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg. It was the first time I looked at my beloved city from such an angle: the bends of numerous rivers, the rough outlines of islands, and the Gulf of Finland. This place has a special place in my life: I went camping on the south coast, watched sunsets with friends in the northern part, and walked along the beach with my dog.
The Gulf of Finland, Park of St.Petersburg 300th anniversary
3 years later, I decided to enter the bachelor’s program of Foreign Regional Studies (study track: Nordic countries) at the St. Petersburg State University of Economics. In this program, I studied the Nordic countries through the lens of various disciplines, such as physical and human geography, with a particular focus on the Baltic sea region. At this time, I learned that the Gulf coast, where I loved to relax so much, was experiencing environmental problems.
Everything in nature is interconnected, so when we talk about the pollution of a separate water source, we must understand that this problem has no definite boundaries. The pollution in the Gulf of Finland is just a tiny piece of the issues of the whole Baltic region and the Baltic Sea in particular. The Baltic Sea is the main water source for the Nordic countries, the Baltic States, and other EU countries. By itself, the Baltic Sea is an inland sea. There are major European cities such as St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm, Riga, Kaliningrad, Gdansk, and Copenhagen on the coasts of the Baltic Sea. Millions of people live in these cities, hundreds of factories work, and life in the ports of the Baltic Sea never stops. To show how vulnerable the inland sea is to any human activity, a simple example can be given: a discarded beer can on the shore of the Gulf of Finland in St. Petersburg will be in the port of Tallinn in a couple of days. Therefore, the more I began to dive into the problem of the ecology of the Baltic Sea, the more clearly I realized that the solution to this problem lies in international cooperation and coordination of actions of the countries of the region.
The Gulf of Finland, Sevkabel port in St.Petersburg
With this knowledge and a bachelor’s degree in Regional Studies in my hands, I stood at the next crossroads of my life. In which direction do I need to take a step so that loud words about the problems of the Baltic Sea ecology turn into real actions? My decision was to move to the west, to Estonia! I had often traveled to this country, as buses constantly run between St. Petersburg and Tallinn. Moreover, I went to Estonia as part of the Tallinn Summer School one spring. This program involved getting acquainted with the Estonian higher education system. So we had study tours to universities (including the University of Tartu), and communicated with professors and students. Walking through the corridors of Estonian university campuses, I felt at home: such a pleasant atmosphere has been created here. This is where I wanted to gain new knowledge and bring all my wildest ideas to life. Therefore, when a link to the University of Tartu appeared on the screen of my laptop with the words: Regional Studies of the Baltic Sea region, I did not hesitate for a long time before I applied.
In addition to the student atmosphere, cozy streets, and fresh air, moving to Tartu opened up new prospects and opportunities for me to solve environmental problems. For example, there are several organizations and projects in the Baltic Sea region whose primary goal is a healthy ecological situation in the region. One of these organizations with headquarters on the other side of the sea is HELCOM (Helsinki Commission). HELCOM was formed based on the Helsinki Convention, which was signed in 1974 by the countries of the Baltic region. The main goal of the convention and the organization itself is to protect the Baltic Sea from various types of pollution (mainly from harmful activities on the coast and at sea) and preserve biodiversity. Along with this organization, there is a program called Interreg Baltic Sea Region, whose goals echo with HELCOM’S. This is an EU-funded program to implement projects on smart and sustainable solutions for regional development. A vital aspect of the program is to put innovative, water-smart, and climate-neutral solutions into practice.
Sunset on the Baltic sea coast, Svetlogorsk
The approach of these organizations and projects is close to my heart: to solve a global problem through comprehensive actions at the regional level. Therefore, after studying in Tartu, I want to dedicate my life to working on such projects. In a few years, I want to sit on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, breathe in the fresh sea air with a warm realization that I am involved in building a bright future for the Baltic Sea.