On March 24, 2006, a round table entitled “Literature on Ecology and the Ecology of Literature” was held in the conference hall of the National Library. The reason for this meeting with readers within the walls of the National Library was a significant one. The Bulletin of Green Salvation is now ten years old, and the organization itself, fifteen.

To the meeting came writers, illustrators, photographers, volunteers, all of whom have taken part in the creation of Green Salvation’s print and video productions. A fascinating conversation was held, covering topics suggested by the guests. The materials from the round table will be published in a future issue of the Bulletin, entitled “The Environmentalization of Consciousness”.

An exhibit of photographs, drawings, and other materials related to the history of Green Salvations publication activities and filmmaking was displayed in the foyer of the conference hall through the end of April 2006.

Gulnara Khalykova, director of the National Library’s center for cultural programs:  

“This organization has taken on itself a very important burden, because it teaches us to live in harmony with nature.”

During all these years, the non-governmental Ecological Society “Green Salvation” has defended the human right to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature, and together with this, has fought for the purity of literary language.

The first issue of the humanitarian popular-science journal Bulletin of Green Salvation (in Russian, Vestnik “Zelenoe spasenie”) appeared in the spring of 1995, with a print run of 200 copies.

Sergey Kuratov, chairman of Green Salvation:

“We speak out against market extremism, against the planting of the idea of a consumer relationship with regard to nature and man.”

Nadezhda Berkova, Green Salvation:

“Theis publication is already 10 years old. The forms of our work are diverse. These include not only the Bulletin, supplements to it, brochures, flyers… They also include the video program and practical activities.”

Since then, 17 issues have been published, devoted to a variety of problems: “The Rights of Man and Nature”, “The Environmentalization of Consciousness”, “Summer Environmental School”, “World Heritage”, “Children’s Environmental Club”… With time, their print run has risen to 1000 copies.

Since 2000, with the assistance of our American colleagues, a supplement to the Bulletin, the Herald of Green Salvation, has been published in English.

The themes of certain issues proved to be particularly timely, and were developed further in separate publications. These include “Oil, Business, and Politics”, “Toward the Second Meeting of Parties to the Aarhus Convention”, and “Green Objective”.

Olga Burabaeva, director of the School of Entrepreneurs:

“I like the fact that you try to show how beautiful the earth is. I would like for people to care for it like loving children, and not out of fear of a universal catastrophe.”

Natalia Kovalenko, deputy head for library work at the Zhambyl State Children’s Library:

“The small collective of the Bulletin of Green Salvation has done tremendous work in popularizing environmental culture.”

The textbook Sustainable Development, by Green Salvation member Ludmila Semyonova, candidate of historical sciences, was one of the first devoted to the new paradigm of eco-economic development for humanity.

In all, the Ecological Society “Green Salvation” has produced more than 25 print publications in Russian, Kazakh, and English.

Elana Kudinova, artist.
Took part in the creation of Bulletin No. 17 and “Green Objective.”

Marat Sembin, historian; has taken part in the production of Green Salvation’s films:

“We once dreamed that we would have a society for harmony between humanity and nature, but unfortunately these dreams have not yet been realized.”

The editorial staff collaborates with an international collective of authors: leading scientists – Emil Shukurov, Nadir Mamilov, Shamil Mamilov, Richard Steiner, Richard Feinberg; specialists – Yuri Eidinov, Valery Krylov, Valery Nestorenko, Marat Mailibaev, Glenn Kempf; teachers and NGO activists – Tamara Pfaff, Ludmila Vorobyova, Elena Melnikova, Evgeniya Zatoka; and others.

The publication editors are Sergey Kuratov, Nadezhda Berkova, Naltalia Medvedeva, and Sergey Solyanik. Proofreaders are Inga Tretyakova and Natalia Budarina.

Vera Baryshnikova, department head at the Begalin Republican Children’s Library:

“We don’t have enough literature of just this kind, published in Kazakhstan and close and understandable to our readers.”
 

Alexander Zhdanko, entomologist and photographer.

Took part in the creation of “Green Objective.”

The illustrators of the Bulletin include Natalia Kulshina, Andrei Poltoratskikh, Elana Kudinova, Ivan Medvedev, Anastasia Kuratova, and Anton Dyakov.

For the layout of Green Salvation’s publications, the photographers Vladimir Abdulov, Alexander Zhdanko, Viktor Gorbunov, Evgeny Soldatkin, Oleg Belyalov, Vladimir Starygin, and others have provided their photos.

Leonid Kuzminsky, camera operator; author of “Green Objective”:

“Unfortunately, many television stories about environmental protection lack a deep penetration of the material, a sufficient presentation of the facts…”

Anastasia Kuratova, artist.

Took part in the creation of Bulletin No. 15 and Green Salvation’s booklets.
 

Green Salvation’s publishing activities would not be possible without the sponsorship of the Humanistic Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS, the Netherlands), the Open Society Institute, and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED, USA).

All of the organization’s print publications are distributed free of charge in Kazakhstan and the countries of the near and far abroad. Regular recipients of the Bulletin include dozens of city, university, and school libraries, NGO activists, scientists…  

Marat Sembin and Alexander Zhdanko. Historians and biologists have many common interests: grass-covered steppes, wild animals, ancient burial mounds, sacred places…

Valery Korenchuk, a well-known Almaty photographer.

Acquainting himself with Green Salvation’s exhibit and publications.

Beginning in 2002, the organization’s members have been producing video films reflecting the same critical environmental problems highlighted in the pages of the Bulletin.

“The Legacy of the Nuclear Age,” “The Riches of Nature – In Whose Hands?”, “Passengers in Forgotten Way Stations”, “Canyon”, “The Earth Does Not Belong to Man…” – the films’ titles, by and large, speak for themselves. In order to expand their circle of viewers, the films have been translated into Kazakh and English.

Elena Musikhina,

department head at the Republican Institute for the Improvement of Teachers. She has collaborated actively with Green Salvation for many years.

Green Salvation members Irina Manuilenko and Svetlana Spatar prepare a photo report.

Some of them have been awarded prizes at international festivals. Assistance in producing Green Salvation’s films has been provided by camera operators Denis Kopeikin and Leonid Kuzminsky.

In producing its print publications and video films, Green Salvation’s members understand that the “environmentalization” of consciousness is impossible without a caring regard toward one’s native language, helping one to care for natural and cultural values as well.

Green Salvation member Sergey Solyanik conducts an interview.