Igor Baskakov - vice-president of the center of underwater photographers in Russia, participant of the world championship for underwater photography. Organizer of the exhibition "Gold Dolphin"
"The festival takes place the third time. 120 works of best photographers from Russia and from abroad are presented at the exhibition "Gold Dolphin".
It's perfect that very many women take part in the contest, and even some of them are among winners (Polovinina Natalya got Grand-prix of the festival), so men should become thoughtful. It's pleasant that we receive photos for the contest from France, Italy, and Nederland and I think next year a number of foreign authors will increase."

A representative of TV project "Secrets of sunken ships".
"At the exhibition we have presented 3 independent multimedia stands: the first one tells about the Vyborg fight - the greatest fight on Baltic; the second one is an interactive picture of the sunken objects on Baltic; and the most interesting one is the third stand, where a reconstruction of the frigate "Oleg" - the biggest ship, sunken in the Finnish Gulf, is presented.
Only during last year we found 23 ships in the Finnish Gulf. 4 objects are the most interesting ones, which we mapped, done a marking, raised and did a conservation together with a laboratory of the Institute of History and Material Culture. One of the ships proved to be the oldest one, found in Russian waters, the ship "Archangel Rafail"."

Mikhail Safonov - general director of the companies' group "Underwater world" and president of underwater association "Underwater expeditions".
"I think that it's perfect and right that in Russia, at last, a specialized exhibition has appeared. It's not just a part of some tourist's or sport exhibition. This is a specialized festival, which gathers all who live with diving, who work in diving and who rest, going in for diving.
This exhibition is both for amateurs and professionals. It's very pleasant, that this year diving in Russia is presented wider in contrast with last year. I do not mean diving teaching in Russia and equipment sale, but very underwater swimming in Russian waters."

Leonid Kiryakov.
"Diving - is my second life, I have been doing it already about 10 years, I like diving in the north seas.
I was surprised by a number of new amateurs of diving at the second festival.
I liked the exhibition of underwater photographers, the quality of photos improved much as compared with last year. And I also was proud of the contest of underwater films. Films, sent this year, are of higher quality."

Irina Berestova - director of PADI Center in Russia.
"PADI - is the most powerful association for amateurs and professionals of diving. All projects, in any event, are aimed at development and popularization of diving. PADI has got very many different projects, both commercial and noncommercial ones. Today, PADI is the only association, which prepares materials for Russians in the native language. I'm sure, that a number of visitors will be increasing every year. And it's not far off the time when, as it was in America, the diving-festival will be visited by hundreds of thousands or, probably, millions people."

Balashova Natalya - president of the festival of underwater pictures "Silver shark", general director of research-and-production enterprise "Katran".
"This exhibition was held on very good level. There were more visitors there; the level of the exhibition was much higher in comparison with last year.
I think, the festival of underwater films "Black Pearl" has a great future."

Vladimir Gudzev - vice-president of the Russian Underwater Center of Photographers, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Neptun".
"Our magazine "Neptun" is a magazine, telling about trips under the water, about hunters, photo and video shooting."


A representative of the magazine "Octopus".
"Beginning from this year there was a renovation in magazine's design, and I hope it became more interesting for our readers. In spite of some changes in design, we will continue to acquaint our readers with novelties in equipment, tell about interesting trips and the animal's world."

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Inauguration of the festival
Press Conference of the festival
Interviews with participants of the festival
Interviews with visitors of the festival
Award Ceremony of the photo festival "Gold Dolphin"
Award Ceremony of the video festival "Black Pearl"
Photogallery of the festival
Results of the Second International Festival of underwater films "Black Pearl"
Results of the Third Open Festival of Underwater Photography