From August 16 to 20, Belgrade (Serbia) served as host city for the International Junior Geography Olympiad (IJGO). The event welcomed talented schoolchildren from the CIS countries and the Balkan Peninsula. The participants were young geographers under 15 who demonstrated a high level of training, deep knowledge and the ability to apply it in non-standard conditions. Belarus was represented by a strong team that managed to win five awards and it is a new bright evidence of the high level of geographical education in our country.
International success
Belarusian schoolchildren took part in the IJGO for the first time and immediately achieved outstanding results. Among the winners were five students from different parts of Belarus:
*Arseniy Turovich, a student at the O.I. Solomova Gymnasium No. 3 in Grodno, won a silver medal, becoming one of the best at the international arena.
Bronze medals were awarded to:
*Anastasia Sharomet (Secondary School No. 37, Mogilev),
*Maria Baran (Gymnasium No. 1, Novopolotsk),
*Yaroslav Satkevich (Secondary School No. 3, Smarhon),
*Dmitry Pushkar (Secondary School No. 14, Novopolotsk).
For all participants, this was the first international appearance which makes their achievement especially impressive. The guys demonstrated not only deep knowledge of physical and socio-economic geography, but also skills in analyzing cartographic materials, solving problems on the ground, and the ability to work in a highly competitive environment.
High-quality support and professional training
Belarusian team was led by teachers of the Faculty of Geography and Geoinformatics of the Belarusian State University - Deputy Dean for Ideological and Educational Work Dmitry Vorobyov and Head of the Department of Physical Geography of the World and Educational Technologies Alexander Karpichenko. Under their mentorship and under the guidance of the Dean of the Faculty Elena Kolmakova and the First Vice-Rector of BSU Dmitry Kurlovich, targeted and systematic training of the team was organized.
The team was trained at BSU where schoolchildren received access to modern educational resources, participated in intensive trainings and practical classes that simulated real Olympiad conditions.
International recognition
Belarusian team was congratulated on its victory by Pavel Mironov, Advisor to the Embassy of Belarus in Serbia. He noted the high level of training of the participants and emphasized that such achievements strengthen the international authority of Belarusian education.
Year of records for Belarusian geography
2025 was a truly triumphant year for young geographers from Belarus. In total, they won 22 medals at international Olympiads:
* 4 gold,
* 7 silver,
* 11 bronze.
These awards were won at four prestigious competitions:
6 medals at the Open International Geography Olympiad OpenGeo (Russia),
9 medals at the International Geography Olympiad in IESO (China),
5 medals at the International Junior Geography Olympiad IJGO (Serbia),
2 medals at the International Geography Olympiad IGEO (Thailand), including the absolute world championship.
These results confirm that Belarus is one of the leading countries in training young geographers who are capable of competing at the global level.
Inspiring the Future
The success of Belarusian schoolchildren at IJGO in Belgrade is not only a personal victory for each participant, but also the result of the systematic work of teachers, universities and educational institutions of the country. Such achievements inspire young people to go into science, develop an interest in geography, ecology and sustainable development.
We congratulate Arseny, Anastasia, Maria, Yaroslav and Dmitry on their well-deserved awards and wish them further success in their studies and scientific activities! Belarus feels proud for its talented schoolchildren!