- A
- A
- A
- ABC
- ABC
- ABC
- А
- А
- А
- А
- А
‘When HSE People Unite, They Can Conquer Any Force of Nature’
© Maxim Kovalevich
In the middle of June, the water festival Catch the Wave with HSE took place in Krylatskoye. Despite the unpredictable weather, the sports festival turned out to be heartwarmingly warm. More than 500 participants came to the Rowing Canal—students, staff, and alumni—with their families and friends. They tried their hand at different types of rowing, competed on dragon boats and Viking boats, participated in team swimming and running races, or just relaxed and enjoyed the day.
The festival was organised by the Sports Community Support Centre of the Corporate Academy under the leadership of its director, Olympic rowing champion Sergey Fedorovtsev, and the HSE Office for Alumni Relations and Career Development.
The day started with an easy run by the HSE Running Club and open water swimming events of various distances by the HSE Swimming Club. After the official opening, guests, guided by experienced instructors, were introduced to rowing, rafting, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. They took part in races using dragon and Viking boats, played pickleball and ultimate, joined activities arranged by the student organisation LIFESTART, and spent time in the recreation and children’s animation area.
The event’s partners—Avito, VTB, Sber, and VK—helped to create a festive atmosphere. Special recreation and activity areas were open to guests throughout the day, where they could receive souvenirs and gifts, as well as enjoy drinks and treats.
How the idea of the festival came about
The Catch the Wave with HSE festival is a continuation of the Sails of Moscow water sports festival, which took place in 2025. This new format allowed us to develop the idea of uniting people associated with HSE University through sports. Our large-scale sports festival offered not a professional competition, but an opportunity to discover new sports as accessible and exciting activities for any age and ability.
Tested by weather
On the eve of the festival, the organising team arrived at the site to mount equipment and prepare the area. It was raining heavily, which raised doubts about the event. However, no one thought about cancelling the preparations: the organisers joked that if participants from HSE University had registered for the festival, a small sun-shower would not stop them.
As the next day showed, they had made the right decision. The rain was off and on, but the festive atmosphere remained unchanged: guests arrived at the festival, participated in activities, swam, and supported the teams during the competition.
United by sports
Dragon and Viking boat competitions were among the most spectacular events of the festival.
The Lambda team, assembled by Denis Derkach, Head of the Laboratory of Methods for Big Data Analysis at the AI and Digital Science Institute of the Faculty of Computer Science, was named the winner of the Viking boat competition.
‘Our team consists of laboratory colleagues, students, doctoral students, and graduates. We usually work on science together and discuss teaching. Sports events let us see each other in a new light. In rowing, just like in science, one’s position or division does not matter—there is only a common goal, a team, and a final result. It seems to me that these moments are what create a real university community,’ Denis Derkach said.
Teams of the festival’s partners also took part in the competition. Sber’s team won the dragon boat race, having shown a high level of training, excellent synchronicity, and real teamwork from the very beginning.
The competition turned out to be quite serious, so HSE participants now have more incentive to train and prepare for new races.
A festival for the HSE University family
The festival participants spent the day at the Rowing Canal with their families, friends, and colleagues, combining sports, recreation and socialising.
University employee Elena Nekrasova brought her husband and three sons to the festival. ‘Our whole family arrived at the very beginning of the event and immediately joined in,’ she said. ‘We started by running with the Running Club, then moved on to different grounds. One of my sons went with his dad to try out the single boats and SUP boards, while I participated in workshops with the younger children. Participation in the boat competitions was an unforgettable experience: we finished with good results together with a team of employees and students. In everyday life, it is not easy to find time for both sports and family, but we managed to combine it all in one place here. I’m grateful to the organisers for such a warm weekend!’
Anna Kuzmina, a Faculty of Economics alumna, enjoyed an opportunity to try different types of water sports under professional guidance. ‘I liked the Dragon boat races the most for the excitement and genuine team spirit,’ Anna said. ‘People who hardly knew each other joined forces for a common goal. Our efforts were not in vain: as a result, our team won second place. HSE University, thanks for such a vibrant sports celebration.’
On the same wavelength
The sports event has become a venue for communication between people from different divisions, faculties, and generations of the university. The organisers plan to further develop the format of major sports festivals that unite the HSE community around sports, an active lifestyle, and shared recreation.
The festival is already becoming a great tradition, HSE Vice Rector Irina Martusevich emphasised. ‘When HSE people unite as teams, they can conquer any force of nature. Apart from the sports results, the key outcome of the event was the incredible energy of unity that dominated the venue,’ Irina Martusevich noted. ‘The festival provides an opportunity for friends and colleagues to meet in an informal setting, exchange ideas, and feel like a part of a whole. The participation of university alumni is especially valuable. By staying in touch with their alma mater, sharing their experience, and becoming a part of well-coordinated teams, alumni confirm that HSE University is not just a period of study but a community for life.’
