Citizen journalist, Viktor Pinchuk — gives travel presentation in Sevastapol

Monday, May 20, 2024

Russian Wikinews attended Russian travel writer Viktor Pinchuk's presentation last month, at the Library of Romance and Adventure in Sevastopol, Russia. The presentation centered on his micro-textbook, Cultural Travel, featured on the website, Wikibooks offered in two language versions — Russian & English.

The author began the lecture by mentioning that the concept is practically unknown in the vastness of the Russian Federation, as well as beyond its borders, providing as evidence and for comparison the data pages “Cultural Tourism” and “Cultural Travel”, where the first (contrary to the erroneously common belief, is not a synonym for the second) has been translated into dozens of languages, and the second has only three language versions, which are stubs.

The speech part of the event was supplemented by photographs and videos filmed by the author during his travels and long solo expeditions; all questions from the audience were answered in detail. The only drawback of the creative meeting was the low attendance.

In addition to the usual criteria for a “Cultural Travel”, described in the Wikipedia article, the creator of the textbook added that he is interested in ethnic music, being an experienced philophonist — collector and showed those present four copies of music CDs brought from Indonesia, Lesotho, Mongolia and Mexico.

	Not everyone is given the opportunity to achieve that degree of enlightenment when, through the dissipated fog of everyday life, which obscures the gaze of walking along the path of existence, the contours of awareness of what is happening slowly begin to appear. A cultural travel, the subject of which temporarily forgets about his ego, reincarnating as an aboriginal, adopting his traditions and customs — one of the steps on the ladder leading to the true perception of objective reality, each move along which sweeps away the small and insignificant, which seems important to us in the bustle of life that slips away day after day.
— Viktor Pinchuk

Before the beginning
Philophonist collector's ID card
In progress...

Controversy
Three autographed brochures as a gift to the library
CD (from the collection), from left to right:
Syarif M. & Nur Alam «Idi’mi Anri’ Upoji» (Makassar, Indonesia)
Leshoabe le Mthokoa «Senola Morena» (Lesotho)
Монгол ардын уртын дуу/Монгол ардын дуу (Mongolia)
Marimba Juchiman «La Cosecha de Mujeres» (Mexico)

The author talks about the meaning of the concept of “cultural travel”

Video material from the presentation

Mehmunsaray. (Afghanistan, 2008) — a traveler sleeps on the floor: this is what Pashtuns do
Newborn chickens deep fried. (Philippines, 2019) — The traveler eats the same food as the natives
Visiting a native (Brunei, 2013) — The traveler, whenever possible, tries to settle down with the natives in order to better know their way of life

Photo material from the presentation

School in a small village (Indonesia, West Sumatra, 2013) — If there is an opportunity to test himself as an English teacher, the traveler takes it
In Khartoum (Sudan, 2011) — A cultural travel practitioner wears native clothes
Breakfast with an Aboriginal (Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, 2019) — If you have the opportunity to live as a guest of an Aboriginal, eating like him, these are two advantages at once.

Cockroaches, very tasty (Cambodia, 2013) — Tasting strange (from a European point of view) dishes is an important component of cultural travel
Intercity "bus" (Uganda, 2007) — The traveler uses the same transport as the natives
Just yesterday they were barking (Cambodia, 2013) — Tasting strange (from a European point of view) dishes is an important component of cultural travel