Press Release, 31.10.2024

The 8th All-Russian Conference “Yablokov Readings” in memory of Acad. Alexei Yablokov, scientist, politician and founder of the Yabloko Green Russia faction, was held in St. Petersburg. Reports were delivered by scientists, journalists, leaders and activists of environmental non-governmental organisations, and leaders and activists of the Yabloko party.

Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergei Inge-Vechtomov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Danilov-Danilyan, and Olga Tsepilova, head of the research group of social ecology and leader of the Green Russia faction of the Yabloko party, discussed the scientific and political legacy of Academician Yablokov in the first section of the conference.

Reports on pressing environmental issues were given at a special session. It was led by the well-known environmental activist Askhat Kayumov. Particular attention was drawn to the report of environmetalist Yevgeny Vitishko “Lago-Naki: a Symphony of Untouched Nature or a Dying World Heritage?”.

Issues related to climate change were also of special interest to the participants. Reports on this topic were made by climatologists Alexei Kokorin (a Nobel Prize winner), Alexei Yekaikin, and Olga Senova.

In addition, reports were made within the framework of the “parliamentary” session and the “Green Solutions” session.

Chairman of the Yabloko party Nikolai Rybakov presented a collection of materials from the conference “Yablokov Day” held in 2023 and dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Alexei Yablokov.

The Yabloko party leader emphasised an important connection between the day of the conference, 30 October – the day of remembrance of the victims of political repression, and the topic that was discussed at the present “Yablokov Readings” – environmental protection.

“The form of neglect and disrespect for human life and health can take completely different forms. A person can be destroyed for political reasons as undesirable, as a dissenter, or simply because the government poisons its own citizens with industrial toxic emissions. Failure to recognise the highest value of human life and disrespect for human life lies at the heart of both of these problems,” Nikolai Rybakov said.

“In today’s realities, our event is one of the few possible cases of consolidation of the environmental direction of civil society on an all-Russia scale. I express my deep gratitude for this unique work to all the participants of the “Yablokov Readings” who came to St. Petersburg from different regions of our country and participated in the conference,” Olga Tsepilova, the leader of the Green Russia faction of the Yabloko party and the Chairperson of the St. Petersburg branch of Yabloko, said.

Traditionally, in conclusion, the participants listened to a speech by Dilbar Klado, the head of the Yablokov Fund, the widow of Academician Yablokov.