The celebrations devoted to the 80th anniversary of the Astrological-Meteorological Observatory on Mount Pip Ivan began with the popular scientific conference in Verkhovyna.
Ukrainian and Polish high-ranking officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps, professors of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University and professors of the University of Warsaw, experts, scientists of the International Scientific Center "Observatory" had an opportunity not only to listen to a series of reports of the historical direction, but also to get acquainted with the future priority directions of the project.
The rector of the Precarpathian University , Igor Tsependa , and the director of the Center for East European Studies of Warsaw University, Jan Malicki , addressed the participants of the conference with a welcoming speech.
"This is the largest humanitarian project that plays a unique role for Ukrainian-Polish relations. It is an example of which of the ways our country should choose. I am glad that the every passing year the circle of friends and partners of the project on the creation the International Scientific Center "Observatory" increases and tomorrow you will see that more than a hundred of people intend to conquer the peak of the Mount Pip Ivan in order to participate in the main celebrations ", - said in the his introductory speech Igor Tsependa.
In his turn, Jan Malicki, Director of the Center for East European Studies of Warsaw University, congratulated the participants of the conference: "I am very touched by the fact that so many people take part in celebrations on the occasion of the anniversary of the Observatory. This once again proves that the role of this project far exceeds the usual cooperation between two universities. I am glad that this idea is implemented. "Jan Malitskiy recalled the origins of the Observatory's establishment in the 1930s and presented the audience with an interesting report by the former director of the Observatory of the University of Warsaw, Professor Jerzy Kriener.
It is also was possible for everyone to listen to the reports of famous writers Stanislav Vintsens and Peter Shekerik-Donekiv who, in their works, sang Gutsulshchyna and Hutsuls, without which it was impossible to construct this unique object at an altitude of 2028 meters.
After all, the Observatory is also called the "Hutsul Pyramid". In particular, the director of the Southeastern Scientific Institute in Przemysl, Stanisław Sttempen, reported many new facts about the life of Hutsul public and political activist, ethnographer, writer, Peter Shekerik-Donekiv.
No less interesting was the report about the Polish writer, philosopher, and translator Stanislav Vintsenz, also called Homer of Chornohory prepared by the Precarpathian University.
The highlight of historical excursions was Leshek Rimarovich’s speech, the head of the Carpathian Society. On the big screen, he demonstrated the unique archival photos of people who, 80 years ago, participated in the opening of the Observatory and told about their fate and role in the creation of the object.
In particular, in his speech he told about the initiator of the project, the engineer Leon Berbetsky, the director of the Observatory ,Vladislav Medovich, the director of the astronomical observatory of the Warsaw University ,Michał Kaminsky, and Mazeia Beliczky, a man who held the first astronomical observations and discoveries at the Observatory, the Marshal of the Polish Sejm, Alexander Pristor, who opened the unique building and many others.
An interesting report about the future of the International Research Center "Observatory", was presented by the young scientist, associate professor of the Department of Biology and Ecology of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Andriy Zamoroka . In particular, in the near future, thanks to research conducted within the Observatory, scientists will be able to provide long-term forecasts of climate change in the European continent using dendrogeochronology methods, observe meteorological, heliogeophysical and hydrological parameters, and assess trends in their short and long-term changes, monitor the greenhouse gas content.
Among the environmental research areas in the plans is the establishment in the atmosphere of the contents of key aerogenic pollutants, the study and mapping of the main streams of long-range transboundary transport of atmospheric pollutants through the Carpathian Arc and the prevention of transboundary environmental impacts, the palynoindexation of the environment for monitoring the migration of pollen and the study of its population-ecological significance in the Carpathian the region, the study of the reactions of high mountain biogeocoenoses to anthropogenic load and their adaptive capacity.
Biographies of the Precarpathian University plan on the basis of the International Scientific Center "Observatory" to carry out inventory of types of living organisms and their ecotops, to study the ways of migration of animals through the Chornohora Range, to develop scientifically grounded methods of protection and reproduction of rare species of biota and ecosystems, etc.
With full versions of all the reports of the popular science conference devoted to the 80th anniversary of the Observatory, you will be able to read it on our site.
Finally, the session and the first day of the celebrations were completed by the unsurpassed performance of the choir of the University of Warsaw.