The scientific and expert seminar "The Volga-Caspian Macroregion: Natural Systems and Sustainable Development," dedicated to discussing the relationship between the Volga and the Caspian Sea and the consequences of modern environmental changes, was held on February 18, 2026, at the Central Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in Moscow. The key event of the seminar was the presentation of two fundamental encyclopedic publications—the three-volume "Volga: An Educational Encyclopedia" and the four-volume "Caspian Region: An Encyclopedia."

The presented encyclopedias, the result of many years of interdisciplinary research, offer a comprehensive description of the Volga-Caspian space within the "river-sea-region" framework. The three-volume "Volga: An Educational Encyclopedia" reveals the Volga as the natural, historical, cultural, and socioeconomic axis of the country, while "The Caspian Region: An Encyclopedia" (4 volumes) expands the discussion to include coastal areas, the international dimension, and key processes in the Caspian Basin.

It was the encyclopedic format that became the central "assembly point" of the seminar: it allowed to connect a fundamental scientific agenda with the tasks of education, expert dialogue and practical solutions for the sustainable development of the macro region.