The 1,000th Geographic Dictation Venue Invites You To Meet An Unusual Little Animal

1,000th Venue Registered for the 2026 Geographical Dictation: Museum of the Russian Desman in Kaluga Region

The milestone of 1,000 registered venues for the Geographical Dictation 2026 has been reached. The thousandth venue is the Museum of the Russian Desman in Kaluga Region. On 22 November the museum will offer a special festive excursion dedicated to this rare mammal, whose life is closely linked to the Zhizdra River and its floodplain lakes.

Ugra National Park has served as a venue for the Geographical Dictation for several years at different sites. This year the Museum of the Russian Desman is joining the list of natural locations for the first time. According to Natalya Dushina, methodologist of the Vorotynskoye forestry and museum guide, the venue is small, yet its unusual format was the reason it was included among the places hosting the campaign.

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The Zhizdra floodplain is home to the Russian desman. Photo: Boris Bort, provided by Ugra National Park.

“Visitors have the chance to look into the secret underwater and underground life of this unusual little animal. For example, they can learn how it has adapted to life in the water, hear the sounds it makes, and discover the peculiarities of its behaviour,” says museum guide Natalya Dushina.

The Russian desman is a relict mammal endemic to Russia and listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. Among its unusual abilities is the capacity to distinguish smells underwater. The animal’s distinctive features and its life hidden from view spark interest and surprise among visitors.

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Russian desman. Photo: Nikolay Shpilenok.

The museum is located in the village of Korchevskie Dvoriki in the Peremyshlsky District of Kaluga Region, near the floodplain lakes of the Zhizdra — one of the habitats of the desman. As Natalya notes, “everything here is connected with the special features of the Zhizdra River and its floodplain lakes.”

Unusual venues and the most remote corners of the country are joining the Geographical Dictation in growing numbers. In 2025 participants answered questions on board the museum steamship St Nicholas in Novosibirsk, in the Cheese Caves and at the 10th-century Shoana Temple in Karachay-Cherkessia, in the botanical garden in Cheboksary, and at the Sheremetev Castle in Mari El. Such locations allow people to test their geographical knowledge in settings that are themselves worth attention.

For guests of the “Kingdom of the Desman” on 22 November the organisers are preparing a festive excursion. Visitors will be greeted by the “hostess” of the museum — a desman in a full-body costume. The trip to tackle the geographical tasks can also be combined with exploring the surrounding nature and visiting the European bison that live nearby.

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After writing the Dictation, museum guests will be able to meet the bison. Photo: Boris Bort, provided by Ugra National Park.

Natalya Dushina herself took part in the Dictation last year. She says it helped her learn a great deal about the nature and geography of Russia. That is why she invites other visitors to join the campaign:

“Come and try your hand — the Dictation is challenging but interesting; you’ll have to stretch your brain and your memory!”

Registration of venues for the Geographical Dictation 2026 remains open until 13 November. The in-person event will take place on 22 November at 12:00 local time. Venues and further details can be found in the Dictation Geography section.

The project is implemented with the support of the Presidential Grants Fund.