Merab Harbedia, a third-year student of the Institute of Printing Arts (Quality Management in Printmedia) of Moscow Polytech became a winner of the project “Ecosophia” of the presidential platform “Russia - the Land of Opportunities” and joined the pool of EcoLeaders of Russia. The grand final of the project ended in Nizhny Novgorod. At the closing ceremony, the names of EcoLeaders and prizewinners were announced - they will represent their regions in the environmental agenda on a national scale. “Ecosophia” is part of the federal project "Social elevators for everyone" of the national project "Education".
Merab Harbedia performed in the nomination "This is how I live". He told that his path to ecologically friendly life-style started in his childhood, though at that time he did not even know about it.
At home, he turned off the water, while brushing teeth, switched off the light when not using it. A conscious approach to an ecological life-style began in high school, when Merab joined the Russian schoolchildren movement. Together with students from parallel classes, the young man established a volunteer squad “Eco Patrol” that arranged regular “subbotniks” (cleanup days), organized a competition on collecting caps and waste paper.
Merab took an active part in the “Clean Games” project, collected garbage on the shore of the Caspian Sea. In 2020, he participated in the “Big Change” competition at the semifinal of which, jointly with the team, elaborated an ecological project for kids; and in 2021, he went on an environmental excursion to Karelia within the program “More Than Trip”.
“I have the best impressions of the “Ecosophia” project of the presidential platform “Russia - the Land of Opportunities”, and especially of the grand final. Here I came to know many environmentally friendly participants, and I hope that the project will involve more people, sharing these values. This is the first time I have come across the project similar to “Ecosophia” in Russia. It is great from the logo and the website up to the content of the stages that I underwent. Thanks to the project, I am moving towards my goal – to live environmentally in all things. Moreover, I want to solve the issues of improving the environment of my native land – Dagestan”, said Merab Harbedia.
The award ceremony was attended by Vyacheslav Fetisov, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Chairman of the All-Russian Society for Nature Conservation.
