Science in Faces: portrait exhibition of leading Russian scientists to open at SPIEF 2025

The opening ceremony will be attended by Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Denis Sekirinsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, and Nikita Marchenkov, Chairman of the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in the Scientific and Educational Spheres of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation for Science and Education and Head of the Kurchatov Complex for Synchrotron-Neutron Research at the Kurchatov Institute, along with the featured scientists themselves. The exhibition is supported by the Roscongress Foundation and the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in the Scientific and Educational Spheres of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation for Science and Education.

As part of the opening, a collection by the Russian high-tech clothing brand Putin Team Russia will be presented, with the Decade of Science and Technology logo. This collaboration promotes science and technology through exclusive merchandise that highlights the importance of scientific progress in Russia.

The fourth season of Science in Faces features 23 portraits of recipients of major scientific awards: the Presidential Prize for Science and Innovation for Young Scientists, the Russian Government Prize in Science and Technology for Young Scientists, the Moscow Government Prize for Young Scientists, awards from Sber and the Challenge prize, as well as participants in the Presidential meeting on the sidelines of the Congress of Young Scientists, winners of Russian Science Foundation competitions, and researchers from leading scientific institutions across the country.

“Science in Faces has become a regular project. Its heroes work in different scientific fields and live in different cities. They are unique individuals, but each has already achieved significant results. And today, these results are more relevant than ever,” said Denis Sekirinsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education.

This year’s participants come from 14 regions across Russia, including Moscow, the Moscow Region, and St. Petersburg. Other participating regions include the Belgorod, Voronezh, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Sverdlovsk, Tomsk, and Tyumen regions; the Republics of Dagestan and Tatarstan; Krasnodar Terrytory; and the Sirius Federal Territory.

Among the featured scientists are: 2024 Presidential Prize laureates Natalia Cherkashina, Elena Korochkina, Vadim Popkov, and Konstantin Titov; military field surgery and dual-use medical device expert Artem Nosov; Arctic climate researcher Irina Oberemok; research centre directors at SIBUR Ilnaz Zaripov and Ildar Salakhov; neurotechnology and sensory interface specialist Boris Sagalaev; Arctic design researcher Svetlana Kravchuk; generative AI algorithm developer Alexander Korotin; neurobiologist and ageing expert Maria Vedunova, and many others.

“The Decade of Science and Technology helps to make science increasingly popular, and shows the sectoral affiliation and the importance of research and development for economic growth. The Science in Faces project introduces people to scientific discoveries and the people behind them: us, the scientists. I am pleased to be part of such an important project this year, to have the opportunity to share what I do, and perhaps inspire someone to decide to go into science,” Elena Korochkina, participant in the exhibition, winner of the 2024 Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists, Doctor of Veterinary Sciences, and Professor at St. Petersburg State University of Veterinary Medicine, said.

For the second year in a row, SIBUR, a leader in Russia’s petrochemical industry, is a partner of the exhibition.

“Technological leadership in key sectors is a strategic goal for both the state and business. The level of technological development in industry affects all other parts of the economy, demand for Russian products, and society’s potential for progress. Major Russian companies understand their role and responsibility in working with science and government. During the Decade of Science and Technology, more and more tools are emerging to support this collaboration, and the role of science in shaping the future is growing. The protagonists of this transformation are, undoubtedly, scientists, and Science in Faces tells their stories to a wide audience,” said Daria Borisova, Member of the Management Board and Managing Director for Development and Innovation at SIBUR.

This year’s exhibition concept was developed in collaboration with its creative partner, the Snob media project.

“Snob is a media platform and creative community, which aims to reflect everything that is most progressive in modern society, and to tell the reader about the most exciting trends and innovations. Scientists in Russia have been creating innovative projects for many decades, and now we are witnessing the formation of a new scientific elite. Participating in the development of the Science in Faces concept is a way for us to help bring their discoveries to the public eye. We hope that one of them will also win the Snob: Made in Russia prize,” said Snob’s Creative Director Yulia Chernysheva.

The project photographer is Ivan Knyazev, a professional advertising photographer, art historian, and founder of the creative community Fotozhir. He is also an art director, curator, and teacher at the British Higher School of Art and Design, Moscow Film School, and Photoplay School of Contemporary Photography. Knyazev has been shortlisted for the Cannes Lions International Festival and has won awards from LensCulture, Red Dot, the Dublin Street Photography Festival, EyeShot, and others.

Over the coming year, the exhibition will appear in public spaces throughout Moscow, including VDNH, metro stations, and Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure, as well as at regional federal university campuses across Russia.

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This event is timed to coincide with visit to the SPIEF, organised by the Roscongress Foundation