Evgeniy Pugin

Born in the village of Kozmodemyanskoe, Karagai district of the Perm region.

Studied at Perm College of Culture and Arts on the orchestral department, graduated from Perm State Pedagogical University with a degree in Applied Informatics in Economics.

Quotes

• We can not influence the world globally, but we can make it kinder around us.
• The world is now stuck on money. It is necessary to make simple values, such as kindness, love, friendship, not disappear under the pressure of money.
• Over and over I hear from Moscow friends: you still live here, and we practically don't.
• The best rest is when your dearest are near you when nothing chases you, and it doesn't even matter where you are.

My story

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a musician, at the age of five I learned to play the guitar. My first guitar was from grandmother's spinning wheel, I nailed the studs, pulled the wire. Parents saw that I was drawn to this, and they presented me with a real guitar on my birthday.

Before «Zelenyi veter» there was a different business and work, but at some point, I realized that I want to do what I like. This coincided with a trip with friends to India for three months, and on return, I began to get out my desires and interests. I love nature, traveling, visiting new places. And the idea was born to create a company that will deal with tourism in the Perm region.

I came up with the name «Zelenyi veter» (meaning «Green wind» — ed.) together with my wife. It was a provisional title, but in the end, it became valid. At the same time, the idea to clean the rivers appeared, so the word «ecological» appeared in the company name.

When we began to develop domestic tourism and people went to the rivers, it was painful to look at the mountains of garbage. So we thought, why don't we gather volunteers and remove it all, and my friends from several volunteer organizations supported the idea. In the first trip, we decided to clean the Usva River, there were twice as many people who wanted to accommodate the bus, we even had to refuse people. We understood that it is crucial not only for us. It turned out that transportation, food, and tools don't require so much money, and people are ready to work for 7-8 hours a day, to deal with the consequences of outdoor activities of careless tourists.

In 2010-2012, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Perm Territory, we wrote a program, submitted an application and received financial support as part of a special program. In September-October 2012, almost all the most visited natural monuments and the rivers of the Kama region were cleared of garbage. We tried not only to clean but also to create an informational occasion. All our activity was filmed, we made videos, published on the website and on social networks.

At that time, we were equipping the tourist stations with tables, but by the end of the season of 10 tables, at best, there were 3-4. Unfortunately, today the environmental consciousness in the country is not very developed, it is difficult to remake the adult generation, we need to work more with young people. Although the authorities are not financing us at the moment, we continue to carry our ideas and do our best. I am glad that the situation is changing, for ten years it has become cleaner on rivers, people don't bring a glass with them, more often they take their garbage away. We hope that the trend will continue.

I would like for Perm to be known differently and for everyone to know that very kind, positive and open people live here. We started a new tradition with our friends: we take our children on trips, every year to a new place, gradually increasing the difficulty of the routes. During school, they will see a lot of things. Children will communicate with each other and with their parents.

Once we gathered with a friend, took our wives and flew to Istanbul for a concert as part of the U2 world tour (in Moscow there was sold-out already), and then we took a car and drove around Turkey to travel. It was an exciting time.

I compose poems and write songs about life, about relationships, about love, about friendship, such a tourist rouge songs. And, perhaps, I will release an album soon.

In the last 5-7 years, I have been organizing filming in the Perm region. My friend Edward Gorbenko, the director of the film'The Geographer Drank His Globe away,» once called me and said: «We will make a movie and want to come to you. Can you read the novel and pick up some places for filming?» My friend and I quickly read, picked up everything, he arrived a week later, and as a result, 70 % of what was suggested turned out to be in the picture and had hit the spot. Everything turned out well, we completed this project and became friends with everyone, we still keep terms with the crew. And after we became highly recommendable in the cinema environment: «If you need a gorgeous nature, then it is in Perm.» And other filming happened: «Time of the First,» «Paternal Bank.»

For me personally, the current big project «Heart of Parma» based on the novel by Alexey Ivanov is essential, I really want it to turn out. It's great that part of the film will be shot in the Perm region because this is our story.

Every day you wake up and feel that you are alive, and this is already great. Everything else is a put-on, it is possible to find it or lose it, but to live is already happiness itself.