NMRRC TEAM EXPLORES THE NATURE AND HISTORY OF THE MOSCOW REGION

Last weekend, colleagues from the thoracoabdominal department of the P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute – branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of the “National Medical Research Radiological Centre” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation went on a journey through the surroundings of Zvenigorod, a city founded in 1152 by Yuri Dolgoruky. The final destination was the village of Dunino with a museum dedicated to the Russian writer Fyodor Prishvin and archaeological excavations of Iron Age (1st millennium BC).

The participants had to switch between three modes of transport: a commuter train to Tuchkovo station, 45 km by bicycle to Zvenigorod, and finally, a raft down the Moscow River to Dunino in inflatable boats. Singing by the campfire, camping in tents, and a tour through the history of one of the best naturalist writers – all this took place over two unforgettable days in the “Moscow Switzerland”. The dense scents of overripe summer grasses, the sky and fields merging on the horizon, bringing clouds closer and giving a slight sense of weightlessness. “At times, it seemed we had managed to break free from the orbit of city life,” participants remember. “Here, you can enjoy nature, test your strength, and remember our history.”

In 1941, the village of Dunino was the site of fierce battles with German invaders, and travelers from P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute paid tribute to the heroes at the local memorial. The trip was not without adventures. “The river sometimes reminded us who’s the boss here, changing its calm surface to sharp turns, testing the resilience of the rafting enthusiasts,” said the participants.

“In the 19th century, a famous doctor and naturalist in Russia Fyodor Gebler lived there,” said Andrey Ryabov, deputy general director for surgery and the initiator of weekend trips. “He believed that traveling, observing nature is what it means to live! We all went home carrying a piece of it in our souls, making us undoubtedly richer.”