Nepal and Russia Agree to Expand Cooperation in Mountain Tourism, International Mountain Museum in Pokhara a Priority
Dragon Media Correspondent
Russian Ambassador to Nepal A.V. Surovtsev and the leadership of the Nepal Mountaineering Association have discussed expanding Nepal–Russia cooperation in mountain tourism and mountaineering.
Ambassador Surovtsev met NMA President Phur Gelje Sherpa, General Secretary Rakesh Bahadur Lama, and members of the association’s administrative body and board of directors. During the meeting, both sides agreed to promote cooperation in mountain tourism and explore new joint initiatives in the sector.
The International Mountain Museum in Pokhara has been identified as one of the priority areas for cooperation. The two sides discussed possibilities for using the museum to promote greater exchange of knowledge about the mountain geography, mountaineering history and high-altitude cultures of Nepal and Russia.
Earlier last week, A.V. Khokhlova, Counsellor at the Russian Embassy and head of the Rossotrudnichestvo representative office in Nepal, visited the International Mountain Museum together with representatives of the Nepal–Russia Friendship Society.
The delegation met the museum’s Executive Director N. Neupane and discussed prospects for promoting knowledge about Russia’s mountain systems among Nepali and international visitors.
A proposal has also been discussed to establish a thematic Russian information stand or exhibition section at the museum in cooperation with the Russian Geographical Society. The proposed section would feature Russia’s mountain regions, geography, mountaineering history and related cultural and scientific information.
NMA President Sherpa requested the Russian Ambassador’s support in developing a dedicated Russian segment at the museum. He also asked for a portrait of Vladimir Balyberdin, the first Soviet mountaineer to reach the summit of Mount Everest, to be provided for display in the proposed section.
Ambassador Surovtsev expressed readiness to support the initiative.
Balyberdin became the first Soviet climber to reach the summit of Everest during the 1982 Soviet Himalayan expedition, an achievement that holds an important place in the history of Soviet mountaineering.
During the meeting, the Nepal Mountaineering Association also presented the Russian Embassy with photo albums published by the NMA featuring Himalayan climbing works by Russian mountaineer and photographer Yuri Rodichev.
Nepal and Russia have a long history of engagement in mountaineering and Himalayan exploration, and recent efforts are seeking to connect that legacy with more structured cooperation in tourism, research and cultural exchange.
If the proposed cooperation centered on the International Mountain Museum moves forward, it could create new opportunities for comparative study of the Himalayas and Russian mountain systems, joint exhibitions, cultural exchange and the promotion of mountain tourism between the two countries.
