Maria Cherkasova Of Russia

In 1986 local authorities and the Ministry of Energy in the Soviet Union decided to build a huge, 200 metre high dam on the Katrun River in the Altar Mountains.

They hadn’t counted on Maria Cherkasova, a biologist and journalist. When she realised that the dam would flood a beautiful historic wilderness, destroy wildlife, erode fertile land and, by leaching mercury and other toxic substances out of the rocks, pollute the drinking water for millions of people, she spread the word, and small action committees for the Salvation of the Katun River were created in six cities. They soon won the support of thousands of citizens who started protest marches, signed mass petitions, and organised meetings and letter-writing campaigns – and construction on the dam was stopped.

Other consequences of the campaign are just as important. It raised nationwide Soviet consciousness about environmental issues. It also taught those involved a lot about environmental activism and led to the creation of an umbrella organisation of 200 Soviet environmental groups, the Socio-Ecological Union, under Maria Cherkasova’s leadership. The Union established contacts with international organisations and has gone on to lead a wide range of successful environmental campaigns and activities.

[Due to the recent difficult economic climate the goverment of the Altai Republic is reviving its plans to build a hydropower dam on the Katun River to generate energy and to encourage investment in industrial development.]

Source: Adapted from Rees, P. (1992) Women’s success in environmental management, Our Planet, 4 (1), pp. 16-17.