Scientific Volunteering. Making Science Together

Until 2020, in Russia — with rare exceptions — citizen science was an exotic curiosity, a dream or even a mirage. The dream became a reality in the project "People of Science", which advanced citizen science onto the pages of... "Forbes" and into the program "Decade of Science and Technology in the Russian Federation". Now there is a community of citizen science enthusiasts in Russia: scientists and volunteers, theorists and practitioners, researchers and educators. It is this community that has prepared a book about its activities. Economists' calculations show that the contribution of scientific volunteers to the economy of science amounts to billions annually, although for the volunteers themselves it is just a pastime! No one is surprised if someone engages in sports or music as a hobby. Thus, science can also become a part of life and an enriching experience for everyone.