Noise

Here, SHUMI sets the rules for newcomers. Like the little prince from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s parable, he cares for his «SHUM Planet» and its visitors. SHUMI is the first to greet excited participants as soon as they set foot on the unexplored «planet, ” helping them find their bearings and introducing them to campus guidelines. No major event goes by without him: he sets the tone at grand openings and shares in the sadness of farewells at program closings. Over time, SHUMI has acquired little assistants—mini-SHUMIs. There are only six of them. Each is linked to one of the types of SHUM: educational, maritime, team, volunteer, digital, and creative. Together, they form a small team that discreetly supports the main character of the „SHUM Planet“ and everyone who lives and learns here. Unlike SHUMI, whom participants meet at general events, his little versions must be discovered independently. The figures are not highlighted as separate attractions nor are they marked on the map of the area. Mini-SHUMIs prefer to remain unnoticed. They are hidden in various spots across the grounds. You might pass them by while rushing to a class, or you might accidentally spot one of the little heroes during a walk. The key is to look around. Even so, you don’t need to search for them specifically. One mini-SHUMI might come across your path toward the educational tent, perhaps peeking out from the grass as you hurry to a lecture. Another might be nestled on a cozy path among the pines. A third waits by the sea, near the stones where people usually sit to listen to the waves. They are not immediately conspicuous. You catch them in your peripheral vision: a small figure, a subtle silhouette, a kind smile. Such details gradually reveal the „SHUM Planet“ to those who walk through it.

Each of these encounters is unscheduled. The Mini-SHUMIs do not appear according to a timetable. They simply materialize when a person briefly steps outside the collective rhythm: in the morning, while the sea is still shrouded in mist; in the afternoon, when you want to take a different path after a lecture; in the evening, when the noise subsides and only the wind remains. Some will smile and walk on. Some will stop, pull out their phones, and capture the shot. Some will simply remember. These small pauses are the essence of the «Shum Planet”—not just the schedule, tents, and events, but the ability to notice details. The Mini-SHUMIs don’t demand attention. They are a reminder that attention is something you can choose to grant yourself.

For attentive participants, meeting the figurines can turn into a small quest. If you manage to photograph all six Mini-SHUMIs, you can receive „Shum Planet“ merchandise and, along with your travel souvenirs, take away a new skill: the ability to notice the small things. Furthermore, there is no need to rush and try to find them all in one day; photos can be collected throughout the entire program.

Maxim was just walking around the grounds when he noticed two guys examining something. «What is it?» he asked, walking closer. A small figure was standing on the edge of a bench. «Is this SHUMI?» «Mini-SHUMI, ” one of the guys corrected. „Marine.“ „Is that because it’s on the shore?“ „Yeah, ” they laughed. Maxim stood nearby for a while longer and took a picture. Everyone does it for some reason, right? A few minutes later, he noticed a similar photo in the group chat. Someone captioned it: „Found another one.“ „Are there several of them?“ „Six, ” they replied. „And why are they looking for them?“ „To get the special merchandise, of course—you didn’t know?“ Maxim smiled. At first, he hadn’t intended to look for anything. But he liked the merchandise, and six figures sounded like a completely achievable task. Especially since he already had one photo. He looked up some information and learned that each mini-SHUMI had its own focus: educational, marine, team, volunteer, digital, and creative.

First, he went looking for the educational figure. The «Movement» session was just wrapping up. People were leaving the tent—some discussing the lecture, others rushing on. Maxim peeked inside, walked around the exterior, but the figure was nowhere to be found. Later, Maxim went to «Competencies,» but found nothing there either. Along the way, he saw the «SHUMI» sign and decided to ask him. Who better than him to know where those little assistants were? —SHUMI, where is the educational figure? He offered a list of nearby events and reminded Maxim about a class he had completely forgotten. He had already missed one because of his search for the figures, and now he felt ashamed. Maxim sighed and headed to the class. The lecture turned out to be interesting; for a while, he even forgot about the figures. Afterward, as he left the hall, he accidentally noticed a mini-SHUMI nestled among a stack of books. —There you are! —A smile spread across the young man’s face. If things continued like this, he would finish this task quickly. He reached out his hand—and for a second, it seemed to him that the figure was standing slightly further away than before. He blinked. No, it was in the same spot. Maxim found the third mini-SHUMI at the Volunteer House. Although, not right away. Inside, someone was sorting items; there were so many boxes that he didn’t immediately realize how many people were there. Maxim asked about the figure, but instead of an answer, he was given a box. —Since you’re here, help carry a couple of things. He set down the box they told him to take, returned for another, and then for a third… With a sigh, after setting down the last one, Maxim spotted the mini-SHUMI.

«Are you hiding it on purpose?» he asked, pointing at the miniature figure. «No. It’s sitting here by itself, ” they replied. Maxim didn’t know what to say. He took a picture and left, feeling the gaze of the small figure on him. The digital mini-SHUMI, Maxim decided, needed to be searched for closer to the server room. He was just about to go in when he met a sad guy with his phone in hand. „Hey, do you happen to have a charger?“ he asked. Maxim gave him a power bank and a cable. While they waited for the phone to gain even a little charge, they started talking. The guy introduced himself as Dania and admitted that he initially wanted to look for the figures too, but then he lost interest. Maxim leaned against a tree, waited for Dania to sort out his work, and accidentally noticed the small figure. „Wow, not only did you manage to send all the necessary documents, but you even found the mini-SHUMI! Although I thought I saw a photo of it somewhere else, ” the new acquaintance said, smiling. Maxim just nodded and remained silent. He clearly remembered someone in the group chat writing that they had been looking for the digital figure for three days without success. And here it was—sitting there as if it were waiting. The Command team. Maxim was sure he would find it near the sports field or the stage. But no matter how many times he went there, the figure wasn’t there. He circled the benches, looked under the steps, and asked acquaintances. Some assured him they saw it in the morning. Others said it was definitely there yesterday. „The Command team isn’t for loners, ” a girl said as she walked by. He thinks he saw her in the volunteer tent. On the second day, Maxim was tired. He circled the sports field again, looked under the benches, and even asked that acquaintance if she had seen the mini-SHUMI. „It was definitely somewhere. But I won’t tell you, ” she said. „Why?“ „It wouldn’t be interesting.“ Maxim sighed and decided to postpone his search until evening. On his way, he stopped by the media center. He wanted to see photos from the recent events that had already appeared in the group chat. Someone was sorting through pictures at one of the desks, with cameras, memory cards, and a stack of prints lying nearby.

«What is this?» Maxim asked, noticing a small figurine on the edge of the table. The young woman raised her head. The name Dasha was neatly printed on her badge. «Mini-Shumi, can’t you see?» she smiled kindly. «Artistic?» «Yep.» «I didn’t expect to look for it here.» «Why? In my view, this is the most creative place. Isn’t photography art?» «It is art, of course. Sorry, I didn’t think…» «As an apology, why don’t you help us sort all this out?» «No problem!» Maxim said. «But could you give me instructions so I don’t mess anything up?» «There’s nothing complicated here; I’ll explain now,» Dasha said, starting to show him what to do with what. «Do you know why you found it?» «The figurine? Because I’m good at searching!» «Because you truly know that photography is art. Do you think I would have forgiven you so quickly otherwise?» Maxim wanted to ask what she meant, but the girl had already turned back to the monitor. The figurine, which had seemed to be on the table just a moment ago, was gone. He didn’t even notice when it disappeared. Now, only the team remained. After dinner, Maxim returned to the sports field. This time, there were many people. Some were playing, some were just sitting in the stands, and a reasonably large group had gathered near the stage. «Maxim, come here!» Dania called out. «Well, did you find the last one?» «No. I’ve been looking for several days now.» «I don’t have time. I haven’t checked everywhere yet.» Dania pulled Maxim’s arm, and he sat down next to him. His protests were ignored.

The new friend was right. It was time to forget about these figures, even if only for a little while. The evening turned out to be unexpectedly long. Some people shared stories about how they got there; others showed photos of their hometowns. They went to the sea, singing songs to a guitar that someone had brought from somewhere unknown. For the first time in several days, he wasn’t thinking about the figures at all. And it was then, by the sea, that he felt a small figure flicker among the reflections on the water. He turned around—no one there. Just laughter, the guitar, and dark water. The next day, the group met at the media center. They were filming a video about their time at «SHUM Planet.» Maxim took up the camera—it was more natural for him. He captured funny moments, asked for successful takes to be repeated, and made sure no one was left out of the frame. «You’re needed here too, ” Dania said. „I’m filming.“ „Put your phone down. We can’t constantly be in the frame without you.“ Maxim set the phone on a tripod and stood next to the others. Nothing worked right the first time: someone spoke too early, someone laughed, and Dania actually wandered out of the shot. It wasn’t until the third take that everyone finally gathered correctly. After filming, they settled by the stage to watch the recording. Dania paused the video on one frame and squinted. „Wait. What is that behind us?“ A small figure was visible on the edge of the bench. Maxim zoomed in. It was a mini-SHUMI. A team figure. He jumped up and turned around. The figure was indeed standing on the bench—the spot where he had looked for it several times yesterday. Or had he been in the wrong place? Maxim couldn’t remember anymore. Maxim took a picture and put away his phone. He had finally found all six of them, but no one planned on leaving—the guys were discussing what else they could accomplish before the trip ended. A guy with a backpack approached the group. He had just arrived and had been keeping to the side. „Hi. Listen, where should I look for the mini-SHUMIs? I was told there are six of them.“ „It depends on where you end up, ” Dania replied. „What do you mean?“ Maxim looked at the newcomer. Just a couple of days ago, he himself had asked everyone this question, demanded precise locations, and returned to the same spot if someone said they saw a figure. „Let’s go, I’ll show you where I found the first one, ” he offered.

They headed toward the shore. Maxim talked about his search, about the media center and the volunteers, about the little figurines that appeared in photographs in one place and then turned up in another. The newcomer kept stopping along the way to examine something. «Did you find them all yourself?» he asked. «All of them.» «And do you know where they are now?» Maxim wanted to answer but couldn’t recall a single spot he was certain about. He just shrugged. «No one knows.» They approached the bench by the shore. The newcomer suddenly stopped and pointed to the edge. «Look!» There stood a miniature sea SHUMI. The very one Maxim had started looking for. On the first day, the figurine was by the shore; then it was spotted near the stage, and now it had reappeared here. Maxim took out his phone, but the newcomer was already photographing the find. «Found the first one!» he said and sent the photo to the group chat. A minute later, a reply came from one of the participants: «I saw it somewhere completely different today.» Maxim read the message and laughed. «So, where next?» the newcomer asked. «Let’s see what else is here first.» They walked along the shore, and the phone in Maxim’s pocket vibrated again. Someone had found another mini-SHUMI.