Faina Zakharova's interview about charity in the 90s, the Arctic and the Life Line Foundation
Faina Zakharova, President of the Life Line Foundation, a member of the Ethical Entrepreneurship Coordination Council, gave an interview to the Typichnaya Moskva online publication, talking about environmental work and Arctic expeditions. And about why people come to charity and how to get a business there.
- Why did you start your journey with nature conservation?
My mother graduated from the Department of Arctic Countries. She studied polar climatic zones and taught geography at school all her life. It was perfectly clear to me that my life would be connected with this subject. And although I had never traveled with tents before, did not participate in expeditions, everything was very calm. I entered the Faculty of Geography at the Lenin Pedagogical Institute. I had a faculty with specialized English. When international projects began, my knowledge of English helped me a lot.
It just so happens that my professional life is divided into 15-year stages. At first I worked at the Research Institute for Environmental Protection and was responsible for coordinating the activities of nature reserves and national parks. I am an infinitely happy person! There are so many nature reserves and national parks in our country, and at that time the Soviet Union, probably very few people visited. Visited, looked, lived, felt! My work consisted in the fact that I came to this or that reserve, listened, as they say now, the work of scientific workers, I saw how effective it is. I created a map of my trips, I got 53 countries and almost all regions of Russia. I was in Chukotka, I was in Kamchatka - a part of my life connected with nature was a success.
Then, in the 90s, international organizations began to come to our country. And since I was involved in an international program and program, and in particular a program related to polar bears, I spent three months on Wrangel Island in 1991. We had an international expedition of 12 people: Americans, Canadians and Russian scientists.
