Russian Geographical Society in Soviet times. Russian Geographical Society

Novosibirsk Branch of the Russian Geographical Society (RGO)

Our site was created by a group of members of the Novosibirsk branch of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS), more than 400 authors. The Novosibirsk branch is located in Siberia, and this determines its goals and objectives: bringing together all geographers, scientists, teachers, professionals and just nature lovers, studying and solving urgent problems of the environment, the interaction of society and nature. Description of the most beautiful and interesting places, assistance in organizing tourism.

The Russian Geographical Society is one of the oldest in the world.

The Russian Geographical Society is a public organization, one of the oldest geographical societies in the world. On August 18, 1845, by the highest command of Emperor Nicholas I, the proposal of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia, Count L.A. Perovsky, was approved on the creation of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg (later the Imperial Russian Geographical Society).

The main goal of the founders of the Society was: to study "the native land and the people who inhabit it", that is, to collect and disseminate geographical, statistical and ethnographic information about Russia itself.

Among the founders of the Russian Geographical Society: Admirals I. F. Kruzenshtern and P. I. Rikord, Vice Admiral F. P. Litke, Rear Admiral F. P. Wrangel, Academicians K. I. Arseniev, K. M. Baer, P. I. Keppen, V. Ya. Struve, military geographer, surveyor and writer M. P. Vronchenko and others. the son of Nicholas I - Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich agreed to become its first chairman.

The main task of the Russian Geographical Society is the collection and dissemination of reliable geographical information. Expeditions of the Russian Geographical Society played a big role in the development of Siberia, the Far East, Middle and Central Asia, the World Ocean, in the development of navigation, the discovery and study of new lands, in the development of meteorology and climatology. Since 1956, the Russian Geographical Society has been a member of the International Geographical Union.

The Novosibirsk branch of the Russian Geographical Society is headed by the Academic Council and the Presidium elected by it.

Currently, the NO RGS has about 200 full members.

The Novosibirsk branch of the Russian Geographical Society holds seminars and conferences, photo exhibitions.

Field research, expeditions, travels in different regions of the world are organized.

The first in Russia was organized in Novosibirsk forwarding center, which allows to carry out large-scale, complex expeditions in any region of Asia

Website The Novosibirsk branch of the Russian Geographical Society is the largest in Russia, it contains more than 5,000 articles and materials. The site unites travelers and scientists, photographers and people who want to know about the world around them.

We invite everyone to take part in the work of the Geographical Society.

We will be happy to place on our website information about your travels, expeditions, unusual phenomena.

We are ready to place your information if it is interesting and meets the objectives of the Russian Geographical Society.

For members of the Russian Geographical Society, we are ready to help create their own section on our website.

Contact: Vitaly Komarov

Russian Geographical Society Novosibirsk branch

All-Russian Public Organization "Russian Geographical Society"(abbreviated VOO "RGO") is a geographical public organization of Russia, founded on August 18, 1845. One of the oldest geographical societies in the world after Paris (1821), Berlin (1828) and London (1830).

The main task of the Russian Geographical Society is the collection and dissemination of reliable geographical information. The expeditions of the Russian Geographical Society played a big role in the development of Siberia, the Far East, Central and Central Asia, the World Ocean, in the development of navigation, the discovery and study of new lands, in the development of meteorology and climatology. Since 1956, the Russian Geographical Society has been a member of the International Geographical Union.

Official names

During its existence, the society changed its name several times:

Story

Society establishment

Among the founding members of the Society were also geographer and statistician K. I. Arseniev, director of the Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Internal Affairs A. I. Levshin, traveler P. A. Chikhachev, linguist, ethnographer, personal secretary and official at large of the Minister of Internal Affairs V. I. Dal, Orenburg Governor-General V. A. Perovsky, writer and philanthropist Prince V. F. Odoevsky.

Start of activity

The Russian Geographical Society was conceived as a geographic and statistical society, under the Ministry of the Interior, but by order of the emperor it was called the Geographical Society. The initial financing of the Society was state-owned and amounted to 10 thousand rubles a year, later patrons made a significant contribution to the financing of enterprises of the Russian Geographical Society.

The society quickly covered all of Russia with its divisions. In 1851, the first two regional departments were opened - Caucasian in Tiflis and Siberian in Irkutsk, then departments were created: Orenburg, North-West in Vilna, South-West in Kyiv, West Siberian in Omsk, Amur in Khabarovsk, Turkestan in Tashkent. They conducted extensive surveys of their regions.

During the imperial period of its activity, the Society served as a platform for an informal dialogue between departments that carried out cartographic, statistical and research work: “In its (Society’s) environment, the heads of various state institutions involved in cartography of Russia converged to discuss the subjects of their studies.”

Structure

• Department of Physical Geography
• Department of Mathematical Geography
• Department of Statistics
• Department of Ethnography
• Political and Economic Committee
• Commission for the Study of the Arctic
• Seismic Commission

The creation of a permanent commission of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (IRGS) for the study of the Arctic made it possible to systematize expeditionary activities and summarize the unique information received about the nature, geology and ethnography of the Far North. The world-famous Chukotka, Yakutsk and Kola expeditions were carried out. The report on one of the Arctic expeditions of the society interested the great scientist D. I. Mendeleev, who developed several projects for the development and exploration of the Arctic.

The Russian Geographical Society became one of the organizers and participants of the First International Polar Year, during which the Society created autonomous polar stations at the mouth of the Lena and on Novaya Zemlya.

The Seismic Commission of the Russian Geographical Society was established in 1887 after a strong earthquake in the city of Verny (Alma-Ata). The commission was created on the initiative and with the active participation of IV Mushketov.

On March 5, 1912, the Council of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society approved the regulation on the Permanent Environmental Commission.

Honorary members of the Society

During the imperial period, members of foreign royal families were elected honorary members of the society (for example, a personal friend of P. P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, the Belgian King Leopold I, the Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the British Prince Albert), famous foreign explorers and geographers (Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen, Roald Amudsen, Fridtjof Nansen and others).

In addition to the immediate leaders of the Russian Empire and members of the royal family, more than 100 ministers, governors, members of the State Council and the Senate were active members of the Geographical Society in different years. It was fruitful work in the Geographical Society that helped many of them to achieve such high results: D. A. Milyutin, who restored the prestige of the Russian army after the defeat in the Crimean War, Ya. V. Khanykov, who received the post of Orenburg governor thanks to outstanding Asian studies, senator and academician V. P. Bezobrazov and many others. others

The public opinion of those years was shaped by members of the Russian Geographical Society Metropolitan of Moscow Philaret and Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod Jacob, book publishers Alfred Devrien and Adolf Marx, editors of major Russian and foreign newspapers E. E. Ukhtomsky and Mackenzie Wallace (Donald Mackenzie Wallace).

Benefactors of the Society

The Russian Geographical Society also laid the foundations of the national nature reserve business, the ideas of the first Russian specially protected natural areas (PAs) were born within the framework of the Permanent Environmental Commission of the IRGS, the creator of which was Academician I. P. Borodin.

With the assistance of the Russian Geographical Society in 1918, the world's first higher educational institution of a geographical profile, the Geographic Institute, was established.

In 1919, one of the most famous members of the Society, V.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, founded the first geographical museum in Russia.

In the Soviet period, the Society actively developed new areas of activity related to the promotion of geographical knowledge: a commission of the corresponding direction was established, an Advisory Bureau was opened under the leadership of L. S. Berg, the famous lecture hall named after. Yu. M. Shokalsky.

In the post-war period, a rapid growth in the membership of the Society was recorded, if in 1940 it consisted of 745 people, then in 1987 the number of members reached 30 thousand, that is, it increased almost 40 times.

Patrons and Trustees of the Society

Charter of the society

The Russian Geographical Society is the only public organization in Russia that has continuously existed since its inception in 1845. The statutes of the Russian Geographical Society convincingly demonstrate the legally impeccable succession of the society throughout its 170-year history. The first charter of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society was approved by Nicholas I on December 28, 1849.

The current charter, in accordance with which the Russian Geographical Society received the status of an “All-Russian public organization”, was approved by the XIV Congress of the All-Russian public organization “Russian Geographical Society”, protocol dated December 11, 2010.

Society Management

Over the years, the Russian Geographical Society was led by representatives of the Russian Imperial House, famous travelers, explorers and statesmen.

Chairmen and Presidents

From 1845 to the present, 12 leaders of the society have changed:

№	Years of leadership	FULL NAME.	Position
1.	1845-1892	Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich	Chairman
2.	1892-1917	Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich	Chairman
3.	1917-1931	Shokalsky, Yuliy Mikhailovich	Chairman
4.	1931-1940	Vavilov, Nikolai Ivanovich	The president
5.	1940-1950	Berg, Leo Semyonovich	The president
6.	1952-1964	Pavlovsky, Evgeniy Nikanorovich	The president
7.	1964-1977	Kalesnik, Stanislav Vikentievich	The president
8.	1977-1991	Treshnikov, Alexei Fyodorovich	The president
9.	1991-2000	Lavrov, Sergey Borisovich	The president
10.	2000-2002	Seliverstov, Yury Petrovich	The president
11.	2002-2009	Komaritsyn, Anatoly Alexandrovich	The president
12.	2009-present in.	Shoigu, Sergey Kuzhugetovich	The president

Honorary Presidents

• 1931-1940 - Yu. M. Shokalsky
• 1940-1945 - V. L. Komarov
• 2000- present in. - V. M. Kotlyakov

Vice Chairs (Vice Presidents)

• 1850-1856 - M. N. Muravyov (vice-chairman)
• 1857-1873 - F.P. Litke (vice-chairman)
• 1873-1914 - P.P. Semyonov (vice-chairman)
• 1914-1917 - Yu. M. Shokalsky (vice-chairman)
• 1917-1920 - N. D. Artamonov (vice-chairman)
• 1920-1931 - G. E. Grumm-Grzhimailo (Vice Chairman)
• 1931-1932 - N. Ya. Marr (since 1931, deputy heads began to be called vice presidents)
• 1932-1938 - position remained vacant
• 1938-1945 - I. Yu. Krachkovsky
• 1942-19?? - Z. Yu. Shokalskaya (acting vice-president)
• 19??-1952
• 1952-1964 - S. V. Kalesnik
• 1964-1977 - A. F. Tryoshnikov
• 1977-1992 - S. B. Lavrov
• 1992-2000 - Yu. P. Seliverstov
• 2000-2002 - A. A. Komaritsyn
• 2002-2005 - ?
• 2005-2009 - ?
• 2009-2010 - ?
• 2010- present in. - A. N. Chilingarov (First Vice-President); N. S. Kasimov (First Vice-President); A. A. Chibilev; P. Ya. Baklanov; K. V. Chistyakov;

Heads of staff

Chiefs of staff (assistants to the chairman, academic secretaries, executive directors)

Governing Bodies

According to the current Charter (section 5), the structure of the governing bodies of the Society includes: the Congress, the Board of Trustees, the Media Council, the Governing Council, the Academic Council, the Council of Elders, the Council of Regions, the President of the Society, the Executive Directorate and the Audit Commission.

Headquarters operate in Moscow and St. Petersburg

Society Congresses Media Council

In 2010, the My Planet TV channel became the winner of the Golden Luch award in the Best Educational TV Channel of the Year nomination.

There is a program of the Russian Geographical Society on Radio Mayak.

Governing Council Academic Council Council of Elders Council of Regions Executive Directorate Audit Commission

Regional branches

The first "peripheral departments" of the society were created in:

• 1850 - Caucasian in Tiflis
• 1851 - Siberian in Irkutsk

Other branches of the society were established in Vilnius (1867), Orenburg (1867), Kyiv (1873), Omsk (1877), Khabarovsk (1894), Tashkent (1897) and other cities. Some organizations were completely autonomous - such as, for example, the Society for the Study of the Amur Territory, established in Vladivostok in 1884 and only formally included in the IRGO in 1894. In 1876 the departments in Vilnius and Kyiv stopped their activity.

Awards of the Russian Geographical Society

The system of awards of the Russian Geographical Society includes a number of medals of various denominations (large gold medals, nominal gold medals, small gold, silver and bronze medals); various awards; honorable mentions and diplomas. No awards were made between 1930 and 1945.

• Big gold medals
  • Konstantinovskaya medal, existed as the highest award of the Russian Geographical Society until 1929 (from 1924 to 1929 it was called the "Highest Award of the Society"). In 2010 and 2011, remakes of the medal were awarded without the status of an award, as a commemorative medal.
  • Big Gold Medal of the Geographical Society of the USSR (1946-1998), Big Gold Medal of the Russian Geographical Society (since 1998).
  • Large gold medal of the departments of ethnography and statistics (1879-1930).
• Named gold medals
  • Gold medal named after P. P. Semenov (1899-1930, since 1946).
  • Medal named after Count F. P. Litke (1873-1930, since 1946).
  • Gold medal named after N. M. Przhevalsky (since 1946).
• Small gold and equivalent medals
  • Small gold medal (1858-1930, since 1998) - awarded for useful geographical research that does not fit the conditions of the Konstantinovsky medal (S. V. Maksimov in 1861; B. Ya. Schweitzer; N. A. Korguev; A. N. Afanasiev; P. N. Rybnikov; P. O. Bobrovsky)
  • Medal named after N. M. Przhevalsky (silver, 1895-1930).
• Unnumbered small medals
  • Small Silver Medal (1858-1930, since 2012).
  • Small bronze medal (1858-1930).
• Prizes
  • N. M. Przhevalsky Prize
  • Tillo Award
  • Honorary reviews and diplomas

Library of the Russian Geographical Society

In 1845, simultaneously with the Russian Geographical Society, its library was also created. The beginning of the book collection was laid by books donated by members of the Society and personally sent by the authors. The acquisition of the fund included the purchase of books and the exchange of publications with Russian and foreign scientific institutions. The creation and operation of such a library is of great cultural significance for Russia. Realizing this, 4 years after its founding, the leadership of the Society entrusts the first work to put the library in order to Petr Semenov (later - Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, the most famous Russian geographer and statesman).

The Library Fund of the Russian Geographical Society (490,000 copies) includes publications on the entire spectrum of geographical sciences and related disciplines - from physical geography to medical geography and geography of art. Foreign publications make up a significant part of the fund, which emphasizes the scientific nature of the library.

As part of the collection of rare books of the XVI-XVIII centuries. there are publications Rossica(messages from foreigners about Russia), publications of the era of Peter I, classic descriptions of travels and discoveries.

The cartographic collection, numbering 42,000 copies, contains rare and single copies of handwritten maps and atlases.

The richest reference fund is represented by encyclopedias, dictionaries, guides, bibliographic publications.

The Publications Fund of the Russian Geographical Society contained copies of all publications published under the heading "Russian Geographical Society". Unfortunately, the lack of funding from the regional offices in the 1990s broke this tradition. Today, the fund of publications of the Russian Geographical Society can no longer be characterized by maximum completeness.

The fund includes books from the personal libraries of the members of the Russian Geographical Society who stood at its origins - Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky and other prominent Russian geographers - Shokalsky, Pavlovsky, Shnitnikov, Kondratiev.

From 1938 to the present day, the Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences (BAS) has been participating in the acquisition of publications for the Library of the Russian Geographical Society. Since the middle of the 20th century, the library of the Russian Geographical Society has been a department of the BAN.

The history of the Library of the Russian Geographical Society is inseparable from the history of Russia. During the years of the Civil War, the Library of the Society was a kind of "club" of geographers of Petrograd. During the Great Patriotic War, the library was not intended for evacuation from besieged Leningrad, providing its funds to soldiers and commanders of the Soviet Army even at night, when time was freed up for studying literature. Materials on the hydrometeorological regime of Lake Ladoga were used for laying the Road of Life.

The uniqueness of the RGS Library fund is emphasized by books signed by famous travelers and researchers of the 2nd half of the 20th century - T. Heyerdahl, Yu. Senkevich, Soviet cosmonauts, L. Gumilyov.

The constant task of the Library is to provide information support for the professional and social activities of members of the Russian Geographical Society and employees of academic institutions in Russia.

Library leaders

Publications of the Russian Geographical Society

• Izvestia of the Russian Geographical Society is the oldest Russian geographical scientific journal published by the Society since 1865. It comes out in a very small circulation (about 130 copies), known mainly to specialists. Editorial office in St. Petersburg.
• Questions of geography - a series of scientific thematic collections on geography, published since 1946. By 2016, more than 140 collections have been published in all branches of geographical science.
• Ice and snow is a scientific journal covering the issues of glaciology and cryolithology.

At present, among the publications of the Russian Geographical Society is the popular science magazine "Around the World", published since 1861, editorial office in Moscow.

Scientific archive of the Russian Geographical Society

Simultaneously with the founding of the Society (1845), the Scientific Archive began to form - the oldest and only specially geographical archive in the country. The first manuscripts received by the archive were private donations. Somewhat later, the archive began to be systematically replenished with personal funds of members of the Russian Geographical Society.

Especially many manuscripts were received from members of the Society, lovers of geography from the broad masses of the rural intelligentsia: teachers, doctors, clergy, in response to the ethnographic program of the Society, published in 1848 and sent out in the amount of seven thousand copies to all corners of Russia. The program included six sections: on appearance, on language, on domestic life, on the peculiarities of social life, on mental and moral abilities and education, on folk traditions and monuments.

Of the large number of programs developed by the Department of Ethnography, some should be pointed out that had a noticeable impact on the replenishment of the manuscripts of the archive, these are: “The program for collecting information on folk superstitions and beliefs in South Russia” (1866), “The program for collecting folk legal customs "(1877)," A program for collecting information about wedding ceremonies from the Great Russians and foreigners of Eastern Russia "(1858). Manuscripts are distributed by provinces. The collections of the Caucasus, Central Asian Russia, Siberia, the Baltic region, Belarus, Poland, and Finland are highlighted. Manuscripts of entire groups of nationalities - Slavs (eastern, western, southern), nationalities of Central Asian Russia, Siberia, European Russia have been identified. Materials related to foreign countries are systematized by parts of the world: Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia and Oceania.

In total, there are 115 ethnographic collections in the archive - this is more than 13,000 items of storage.

Among the documentary materials of the archive, the fund of the office of the Russian Geographical Society stands out for its richness and diversity, numbering more than 5,000 items. These are manuscripts on organization and creation. Societies, materials on scientific and organizational activities, materials on the organization of numerous expeditions equipped by the Society, correspondence on the international relations of the Society, and so on.

A unique collection of documents are the personal funds of the great Russian geographers and travelers: P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, N. M. Przhevalsky, N. N. Miklukho-Maclay, P. K. Kozlov, G. E. A. I. Voeikov, L. S. Berg, V. L. Komarov, V. A. Obruchev, N. I. Vavilov, Yu. M. Shokalsky, B. A. Vilkitsky and others. Being great scientists and travelers, they left the most interesting descriptions of the natural conditions, economy, life, and folk art of the places they visited. For example, the personal fund of N. M. Przhevalsky - 766 items, including manuscripts and field diaries of all five trips to Central Asia.

At present, there are 144 personal funds in the archive of the Society - this is more than 50,000 items of storage.

The photo archive is rich and varied, with more than 3,000 items.

These are photographs from expeditionary research, photographic landscapes, types of population, everyday scenes, views of cities and villages, and so on. Photos of the Resettlement Administration.

The collection of drawings is especially highlighted - 227 storage units.

As historical relics, medals are stored in the archive - these are 120 items of storage.

The archive contains 98 objects of historical value - these are objects of Buddhist worship, unique vases made of bronze and porcelain of Japanese and Chinese work, and so on.

The archive of the Russian Geographical Society is a scientific department where representatives of various specialties study its materials.

The Society's archive participates in various international exhibitions and is engaged in publishing activities. Archive employees consult and select documents for documentaries and feature films and so on.

Heads of the scientific archive

A significant contribution to the development of the scientific archive of the Geographical Society was made by E. I. Gleiber, who was in charge of it from 1936 to 1942. During the blockade of Leningrad, on January 14, 1942, he died of exhaustion in the archive room.

• After the death of E. I. Gleiber, B. A. Valskaya was appointed head of the archive.
• After B. A. Valskaya, the archive was headed by T. P. Matveeva for several decades.
• 1995 - present - Maria Fedorovna Matveeva.

Museum of the Russian Geographical Society

In 1860, Academician K. M. Baer headed a commission for the scientific selection of exhibits that were to be included in the fund of the museum of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. But only 100 years later, in 1970, the V Congress of the USSR Civil Defense adopted a Resolution on the organization of the museum, approved and funded by the Museum Council under the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The Museum of the Geographical Society of the USSR was included in the list of museums of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

The museum was opened on December 9, 1986 in the mansion of the Society, built in 1907-1908 according to the project of the architect G. V. Baranovsky, where the rich and vibrant history of the RGS was reflected.

The exposition of the museum clearly showed authentic documents and exhibits, paintings and ancient folios, which arouse the sincere interest of visitors to this chamber and very cozy corner of the building.

During the construction of the house of the Russian Geographical Society, there were no rooms for the museum, but the interiors of the building itself - the lobby, stairs, library, archive, offices and assembly halls - are museum premises, one of which houses the Museum.

Small in area, but voluminous in terms of documentary content, the museum did not become an exhibition of documents or an "iconostasis" of portraits. Planar material in showcases is decorated with artistic techniques, not monotonously, but lively and interesting. After all, back in 1891, the IRGS transferred large exhibits to the museums of St. Petersburg: the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, the Botanical and Zoological Museums, the Museum of the Mining Institute (due to lack of space for their placement in the IRGS).

The exposition contains many historical photographs, letters and maps of famous explorers-travelers: A. I. Voeikov, N. M. Knipovich, R. E. Kols, G. Ya. Sedov, I. V. Mushketov, S. S. Neustruev, V. K. Arseniev, B. P. Orlov, Yu. M. Shokalsky, I. D. Papanin, S. V. Kalesnik, A. F. Treshnikov. But there are also big things. Among the materials of V. A. Obruchev are nice little things from a field first-aid kit, an old preparation, and a smoking pipe. Next to the diary kept during the expedition to the Pamirs in 1885-1886, written in the amazing handwriting of G. E. Grumm-Grzhimailo, a barometer and a box for pens; well-preserved drawings of butterflies, which he collected together with Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich (later chairman of the IRGO). There is also a “correspondence” of these entomologically interested researchers. And next to it is the “visiting card” of Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich Romanov, the chairman of the IRGS, with his request to remove the powers of the chairman of the IRGS in connection with the change of power in the country.

History reference

The Russian Geographical Society was founded in St. Petersburg by the highest order of Emperor Nicholas I in 1845 under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which emphasized its state status.

The idea of ​​creating a community of scientists for a comprehensive study of the nature of the native country, its population, economy, literally "was in the air" after the greatest geographical research and discoveries of the 18th and first half of the 19th centuries.

Such expeditions as the Second Kamchatka expedition of 1733-1742, academic expeditions of 1768 - 1774, the discovery of the first section of the Antarctic land. F.F. Bellingshausen and M.K. Lazarev in 1820 - 1821, the expedition of A.F. Middendorf (1843 - 1844) to Eastern Siberia did not know equal in scale in the history of geographical research.

And yet, for such a huge country, all this was negligible, which was perfectly understood by the most far-sighted scientists, who realized the need for serious comprehensive knowledge of their country, and to achieve this, a special organization was needed to coordinate such work.

In 1843, under the leadership of P.I. Koeppen, an encyclopedic scientist, an outstanding statistician and ethnographer, a circle of statisticians and travelers began to meet regularly. Later, the well-known naturalist and traveler K.M. Baer, ​​a scientist with an extraordinary breadth of scientific interests, and the famous navigator Admiral F.P. This meeting can be considered the forerunner of the Geographical Society.

The first meeting of the founders took place on October 1, 1845. It elected full members of the Society (51 people). On October 19, 1845, the first general meeting of full members of the Russian Geographical Society took place in the conference hall of the Imperial Academy of Sciences and Arts, which elected the Council of the Society. Opening this collection, F.P. Litke defined the main task of the Russian Geographical Society as "cultivating the geography of Russia." physical, geography, mathematical, statistics and ethnography.

In 1851, the first two regional departments were opened - Caucasian (in Tiflis) and Siberian (in Irkutsk).

The first actual head of the Russian Geographical Society was its vice-chairman F.P. Litke - until 1873. He was replaced by P.P. Semenov, who later received the addition of Tyan-Shansky to his surname and led the society for 41 years until his death in 1914.

Already in the first decades of its activity, the Society united the most advanced and educated people of Russia, who were close to the acute socio-economic problems of the era. The Russian Geographical Society has taken a prominent place in the scientific and social life of the country.

Travel is one of the oldest methods of learning about the world around us. For geography in the past, it was, in fact, the most important, when only the testimony of eyewitnesses who visited certain countries could provide reliable information about the peoples, economy and physical appearance of the Earth. Scientific expeditions, which gained a large scale in the 18th and 19th centuries. were, according to the apt expression of N.M. Przhevalsky, essentially "scientific reconnaissance", as they could meet the needs of descriptive regional studies and satisfy the demands of primary and general acquaintance with the essential features of a particular country. Numerous expeditions organized by the Russian Geographical Society contributed to his fame and recognition of his merits.

A.P. Chekhov wrote about travelers of the last century: "Constituting the most poetic and cheerful element of society, they excite, console and ennoble." And in the same place: “One Przhevalsky or one Stanley is worth a dozen educational institutions and hundreds of good books.

The most notable expeditions of the Russian Geographical Society in the Caucasus were the studies of plant geography by V.I.Masalsky, N.Kuznetsov, G.I.Radde, A.N.Krasnov.

The Russian Geographical Society paid the greatest attention to the white spots of the Northern Urals, Siberia and the Far East. The Vilyui expedition, N.M. Przhevalsky’s travels in the Ussuri region, the exploration of Siberia by P.A. Kropotkin, B.I. Dybovsky, A.L. Chekanovsky, I.D. Chersky, N.M. Yadrintsev, a large ethnographic expedition that covered the expanses of Eastern Siberia with its routes (which was financed by the wealthy Lena gold miner A.M. Sibiryakov) under the leadership of D.A. Klements, studies by V.A.Obruchev, travels in Kamchatka by V.L.Komarov.

Central Asia and Kazakhstan were not forgotten. P.P. Semenov was the first person who, on behalf of the Society, began researching these vast territories. His work was continued by N.A.Severtsov, A.A.Tillo, I.V.Mushketov, V.A.Obruchev, V.V.Bartold, L.S.Berg.

The work was carried out outside of Russia. Scientists worked in Mongolia and China, whose names are not forgotten even today: N.M. Przhevalsky, M.V. Pevtsov, K.I. Bogdanovich, G.N. Potanin, G.E. .Kozlov, V.A.Obruchev - all active figures of the Russian Geographical Society.

In Africa and Oceania, the travels and researches of N.S. Gumilyov, E.P. Kovalevsky, V.V. Junker, E.N. oceans have become perhaps the most remarkable events of the Russian Geographical Society.

The life of the RGS was not interrupted even in the most difficult and hungry years - 1918, 1919, 1920... In the most difficult year of 1918, the Society held three General Meetings with scientific reports, in 1919 - two meetings. It is also surprising that in 1918 44 people joined the Society, in 1919 - 60 people, in 1920 - 75.

In 1923, PK Kozlov's remarkable work "Mongolia and Amdo, and the dead city of Khara-Khoto" was published. In the same year, the Council of People's Commissars approved the organization of a new Mongol-Tibetan expedition "with the release of the necessary funds for this expedition."

One of the scientific directions of the Society's work that was important for the state was the compilation of the Geographical and Statistical Dictionary of the USSR, which was supposed to replace the dictionary published in 1863-1885. the dictionary compiled by P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky is outdated in many parts.

Post-revolutionary Russia found the strength to defend its national interests, and this was done on the initiative of the Russian Geographical Society. So, in 1922, the Society protested against the proposal of the Royal Geographical Society of London to remove the names in Tibet associated with the names of Russian travelers. In 1923, the Council of the Russian Geographical Society protested against the Norwegian renaming on the Novaya Zemlya map. Since 1923, the international relations of the Society have been gradually restored, thanks to the efforts of Yu.M. Shokalsky and V.L. Komarov. The scientific blockade of the young state did not last long; it became impossible to ignore Russian science further. Of course, there were also big losses - some of the Russian scientists who did not accept the revolution were sent abroad.

The 30s were a period of expansion and consolidation of everything done after the revolution, years of strengthening the Society itself, the growth of its branches and departments. Since 1931, N.I. Vavilov became the President of the Society. In 1933, the First All-Union Congress of Geographers gathered in Leningrad, which was attended by 803 delegates - a record figure even today. Many reports at the congress (A.A. Grigoriev, R.L. Samoilovich, O.Yu. Schmidt) were, as it were, final, noting the gigantic growth of geographical research in our country and the responsible role of the State Geographical Society in the new conditions.

On March 21, 1992, the Scientific Council of the Society made a historic decision - "In connection with the liquidation of the union structures and the need to rename, return to the Geographical Society of the USSR its original historical name -" Russian Geographical Society ".

Today, the Russian Geographical Society is an all-Russian public organization that unites 27,000 members on the territory of all constituent entities of the Russian Federation and abroad and has regional and local branches, as well as branches and representative offices throughout Russia. The largest branches are Primorskoe and Moscow.

The central organization of the Russian Geographical Society is located in St. Petersburg, in a house on Grivtsova Lane, built in 1908 with the money of members of the Society, largely thanks to the efforts of P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky. Today, members of various departments and commissions of the Central Organization (there are 33 of them) gather daily in the halls of the Society to discuss modern problems of geography and related disciplines. The building houses the Scientific Archive, Museum, Library, Central Lecture Hall. Yu.M.Shokalsky, printing house.

The Russian Geographical Society still continues to work for the benefit of the people of our country, offering its great scientific potential to both the state and individual subjects of the Russian Federation. Thus, the Society tries to work and even earn. But ... The main problem in the activities of the Russian Geographical Society, as, apparently, in general, institutions of science and culture, remains financial. It seems that today everyone has already understood that if an institution of science and culture becomes "self-sustaining", then it turns into a commercial enterprise. However, the times when the mayor wrote to P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky: "Be kind, accept 10 thousand silver rubles" (for the needs of the Society) have not yet returned.

Since the founding of the Russian Geographical Society, the state understood the need to financially support the Society and did so until the early 1990s. Today, high government officials at the request of a full member of the Society, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma A.N. Chilingarov to help the pride of Russian and world geographical science, respond with a cold refusal, referring to new laws that do not make it possible to finance the activities of public organizations from the state budget. By the way, the new laws do not prohibit doing this, and in the tsarist and Soviet times, the laws were hardly softer.

Science develops only when scientists can communicate, share the results of their research. To this end, the Russian Geographical Society regularly holds congresses.

In 1974, local branches of the Russian Geographical Society were organized in Kislovodsk and Pyatigorsk. Kislovodsk branch now has 26 people. They annually hold scientific conferences, at which reports on the results of their expeditions have repeatedly been made by the deputy director of the Regional Museum named after A.I. Prozritelev-Prave, chief archaeologist of the Stavropol Territory Savenko Sergey Nikolaevich, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, astrophysicist Vladimir Ivanovich Chernyshov, geologists and local historians of the cities of Kavminvod, including the author of this article.

Since 2007, efforts have been made to revive the Pyatigorsk branch of the Russian Geographical Society. Expeditions are carried out through the Department of Scientific Tourism of the Russian Geographical Society. Reports about them are published and exposed on the Internet.

Full member of the Russian Geographical Society V.D. Stasenko

The official website of the Russian Geographical Society is a modern web edition of the society founded in 1845.

History and modernity, an opportunity to get acquainted with all the great, outstanding travelers who played an important role in the life of the country. High-profile discoveries, all the climatic diversity of the Earth, many other questions will allow you to find the answer on the official website of the Russian Geographical Society.

For many admirers of geography, explorers, researchers and adventurers seeking to understand all the wisdom and secrets of Planet Earth, the Russian Geographical Society becomes an opportunity to discover riddles and secrets, to know everything that is hidden from human eyes. The website of the society has become a source of knowledge and communication, offering the most interesting materials of history and modern geography.

The availability of information and news, the opportunity to use the materials of the library, to become one of the honorary members is offered on the website of the Geographical Society. The materials offered by the official website can be used in scientific research, for self-study.

The Road of Discovery project is a joint project of the Russian Geographical Society and the Russian Railways (), dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the completion of the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Projects, lecture halls, archives and library

If school students are interested in the online dictation offered on the site, which is designed for the 2017 curriculum, then students can use the archives, library and scientific materials to write term papers and theses. For all those interested in the materials of the Geographical Society, access is open simply online.

The site is of particular importance for those who are really fond of geography. The information of the official site becomes a real source of knowledge and detailed study. Any information is of scientific interest and can be used for further study.

Geography is a science that remains one of the most sought after. The number of geographers and those simply interested in science is constantly growing. To get the opportunity to use unique materials, just go to the official website, where all the information is open and available.

Website of the Russian Geographical Society for everyone

Those who want to know how the photo contest went, or visit interesting lectures, find out at what stage interesting projects are, or join members of the geographical society, the official website offers.

A detailed study of the site is simply captivating. This is a world for those who wish to know the deepest secrets of the Earth.
The Geographic Society website suggests:

Interesting and exciting information.
Scientific research and development.
Detailed study of each region of the country.
Scientific grants and awards.
The richest library of the society.
Youth educational club.
You can register and join the members of the Russian society.

How to use the materials of the site www.rgo.ru/ru, each visitor can decide for himself. Acquaintance or detailed study, using the material to write your own work, or just a journey into the world of geography.
Only reliable information and only the best materials are offered by the official website of the Russian Geographical Society for all visitors and permanent members of the unique club.