That’s how the teacher of Geography from the rural school of the village Lugovoy of the Pechora district Elena Albertovna Romanyuk called her author’s educational program. The program, developed within the framework of the “Forest village” project, is devoted to familiarization of the high-school children with the basics of economic literacy. A seminar-presentation of this program was carried out at the beginning of November in the Udora district.

It was attended by the teachers of Geography from several schools of the district, as well as teachers of supplementary education. The seminar was opened by Tatiana Nikolaevna Bykova, Head of the Curriculum Office of the Department of Education of the municipal entity of the municipal district “Udorsky”.

Prior to the presentation of her educational program, E. A. Romanyuk, who had arrived specially for holding a seminar, talked about the fact that under present circumstances it is small business which can become a survival, transformation and further development model for the rural settlements left “on the sidelines” during the last decades. However, experience shows that very few villagers are ready to start an independent business, become entrepreneurs. They have to be trained, they have to be taught.

In addition to the economic competence formation among the rural children, the program of E.A. Romanyuk is aimed at the dynamic personality formation in the modern rural society, socialization of the pupils, fostering a love for the small motherland. One of the practical tasks of this program is to make rural pupils interested in the entrepreneurial activity based on their introduction to the fundamentals of economics and business, their familiarization with the practical possibilities for entrepreneurial activity in this specific village, in their own district.

Judging by the reaction of the seminar participants to the initiative of the teacher from Pechora, there is a hope that Udora rural teachers will turn their attention to this program, adapt it to the local conditions and try to implement it in their villages – within the frameworks of the class hours or as extracurricular activities. The materials for the lessons prepared and submitted by the author of the program including theoretical knowledge and practical creative works, business games, and excursions will be of great help for this activity. Besides, in the future an exchange of experience in adaptation and implementation of this educational relevant for the village program in the Udora will be organized within the frameworks of the “Model river Mezen” project.

Translated by Irina Sokolova

About thirty participants from different regions of the Komi Republic took part in the workshop “Rural tourism and territory development: proposals, problems, and the first experience”, which was held on the 18^th of March in Syktyvkar.

The workshop was organized by Silver Taiga Foundation jointly with the regional public movement “Indigenous women of the Komi Republic” for the villagers who decided to try hand in the rural tours organization, to share the first experience in the new activity. They also got the chance to define some general problems of the rural tourism and to carry out a joint search for the ways forward. Alongside with the villagers and the workshop organizers the meeting was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Komi Republic, and interregional public movement “Komi voytyr”.

The participants of the workshop became convinced that many residents of the Komi rural regions are ready to suggest interesting and various tours for the townspeople and guests of the republic already today. These tours range from the simple rest in the village to the informative nature, local lore and ethnocultural tours, as well as event tourism …

Read more

Irina Andriyevskaya, the head of Voldino settlement, took part in a civil forum “Territorial public self-administration as the basis for local growth”, which was held last week in Koryazhma, Arkhangelsk region.

Nikolai Anufriyev, the delegate from Izhma district and the part-time student of Komi Academy of Public Administration and Management, also took part in the forum together with Irina Andriyevskaya. The trip was organized within the framework of the Forest Village project to develop the recommendations that were reached at the Forests Dialogue in October 2009, Syktyvkar, devoted to self-government problem. The participants of the Dialogue mentioned that such promising and necessary form of administration as territorial public self-administration (TPSA) isn’t used in Komi at all. Meanwhile, the real improvement of village life is impossible without advanced local self-administration, first of all at the bottom-up level. Lack of self-administration, initiative, and cooperation within local community (village or small settlement) is the reason for many local problems which are not solved for

Water of Life project in Irta village

At the same time territorial public self-administration exists in other Russian regions, including the neighbouring Arkhangelsk region. Why don’t we study their experience and adapt it to our “forest villages” for not discovering the continents again?

According to Irina Andriyevskaya, such questions as “The role of TPSA in solving social problems of the territory”, “The peculiarities of TPSA development and progress in rural area”, “TPSA as means of people’s participation in territory management” urgent for the settlements of the Forest Village project were discussed during the forum in Koryazhma. The head of the settlement admitted, that these questions are also urgent for Voldino including its three villages. In one of the villages, Puzla, there is an informal public self-administration – village committee that involves the population into discussion of the most vital topics. However, the public committee in Puzla is unofficial and can’t be called TPSA because of the fact, that TPSA has no support for development in Komi.

Meanwhile, this form of self-administration is legislated in federal law №131, as well as its financing. Therefore, TPSA could help to solve many problems with village accomplishment, creating new vacancies, organization of children leisure time, etc.

Bridge (Water crossing) project in Yarenga village

This is the way it goes in Arkhangelsk region, where TPSA is supported by the government, incentive and stimulating system of TPSA is developed, and annual TPSA developing activities and social project contests are held. In 2006 56 TPSA projects took part in the contest and 35 of them were financed. This year there are 182 projects already, and 123 of them were supported by financing. The priority TPSA activities are the village accomplishment, preservation and exploitation of local historical and cultural heritage, development of domestic and incoming tourism, creation of fitness and sports grounds and facilities.

In the coming 2011-2013 years 42 million rubles from region budget will be spent on supporting TPSA in settlements and the same sum – for TPSA in urban districts. This is only for realization of people’s initiatives. Besides, the region budget will provide money for conferences between TPSA for experience interchange, training TPSA members, and stimulating TPSA activities.

As we see, it would be good to learn from our neighbours.

Conference in Koryazhma, work at sections “TPSA Legal Foundation”, “Innovation-based Development of Small Territories”, and “Organization and conduction of social project contests” provide insight into practical part of TPSA work in the settlements of Arkhangelsk region. The received information is useful for village deputies and activists of “forest villages”, and for adaptation of neighbouring region experience in Komi.

Within the framework of Forest Village project a touristic route called “Following Pitirim Sorokin” was developed. The guest house in the village Koni, which belongs to this route, is already functioning.

Read more

In the category “Publications” (under “Docs and Publications”) you can find the PDF file of the brochure “Local Self-Government in Komi: An Outward Glance” (in Russian).

Read more