S.B. Lavrov
Yu.P. Seliverstov
There are few organizations in the world, the mere mention of which makes almost every person feel warmer in their soul. Of course, these include Geographical Societies.
As soon as the reader sees these two words, an amazing mixture appears in his memory, from the heroes of the novels of Jules Verne, National Geographic magazine, Columbus, Przhevalsky, Miklouho-Maclay, stormy oceans, hot deserts...
The Russian Geographical Society is something ancient, romantic, non-commercial - of course, it makes your soul feel better.
One of the oldest and most honored geographical societies in the world - Russian - lives and works in our country.
The Russian Geographical Society was founded in St. Petersburg by the Highest order of Emperor Nicholas I, who on August 18, 1845 approved the proposal of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia L.A. Perovsky.
The society was established under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which emphasized its state status.
In the first half of the 19th century, Geographical Societies were created in a number of countries; our Society became the fourth oldest in Europe.
By this time, Russia already had considerable experience in geographical research. Expeditions were organized to study Siberia, the Trans-Caspian region, and the remote eastern and northern outskirts of the country.
Events such as the Second Kamchatka Expedition of 1733-1742. and Academic expeditions of 1768-1774, had no equal in scale in the history of geographical research of the 18th century.
World fame for Russia and its science was brought by circumnavigation of the world at the beginning of the 19th century, during one of which, under the leadership of F.F. Bellingshausen and M.K. Lazarev in 1820-1821, an outstanding success was achieved - a new continent was discovered, the first section of Antarctic land.
For the first decades XIX century, many expeditions were organized on the territory of Russia itself, among them the expedition of A.F., remarkable in its scientific results. Middendorf (1843-1844) to Eastern Siberia.
The development of capitalist relations in vast territories of European Russia stimulated interest in collecting detailed information about natural resources, about the state of the population, crafts, agriculture, trade, etc. Some steps in this direction were taken by government agencies.
And yet, for such a huge country, all this was negligible, which was perfectly understood not only by the most far-sighted scientists, but also by other progressive, liberal-minded intellectuals, who realized the need for reforms and saw that without serious comprehensive knowledge of their country (for which a special organization coordinating such work) economic progress is unlikely to be achieved.
In 1843, under the leadership of P.I. Keppen, an encyclopedist, an outstanding statistician and ethnographer, a circle of statisticians and travelers began to meet regularly to discuss pressing issues of the state of the economy in the country and compile its statistical description.
Later, the famous naturalist and traveler K.M. Baer, a scientist with an extraordinary breadth of scientific interests, and the famous navigator Admiral F.P. joined the circle. Litke, explorer of Novaya Zemlya, leader of the round-the-world expedition of 1826-1829.
The main “organizational preparation” was undertaken by K.M. Baer, F.P. Litke and F.P. Wrangel, head of the Kolyma expedition of 1820-1824. and the round-the-world expedition of 1825-1827. F.P. Litke prepared a draft Charter, which was signed by the founding members.
Among them, in addition to those mentioned above, I.F. Krusenstern, V.I.Dal, V.Ya.Struve, G.P. Gelmersen, F.F. Berg, M.P. Vronchenko, M.N. Muravyov, K.I. Arsenyev, P.A. Chikhachev, V.A. Perovsky, V.F. Odoevsky are names that are still known today.
The Highest command was followed by the first meeting of the founders on October 1, 1845, at which the first full members of the Russian Geographical Society were elected.
Building of the Russian Geographical Society was built in 1908 in Demidovsky Lane in St. Petersburg (now Grivtsova Lane, 10).
Societies (51 people). October 19, 1845 in the conference room Imperial Academy Sciences and Arts, the first general meeting of full members of the Russian Geographical Society took place, which elected the Council of the Society. Opening this meeting, F.P. Litke defined the main task of the Russian Geographical Society as “cultivating the geography of Russia.”
When the Society was created, 4 Departments were envisaged: general geography, Russian geography, Russian statistics and Russian ethnography. According to the permanent Charter of 1849, the list of departments became different: departments of physical geography, mathematical geography, statistics and ethnography.
In the early 50s of the 19th century, the first regional departments appeared in the Society - Caucasian (in Tiflis) and Siberian (in Irkutsk). Then the Orenburg and North-Western (in Vilna, South-Western (in Kyiv), West Siberian (in Omsk), Amur (in Khabarovsk), Turkestan (in Tashkent) departments were opened, with great energy who took up the study of their regions.
The first Chairman of the Society was Grand Duke Konstantin (1821-1892), the second son of Nicholas I. His teacher was F.P. Litke. Konstantin Nikolaevich was one of the most educated people of that era, therefore he took an active part in carrying out the peasant reform.
After his death, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, the Society was headed by Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich, and, starting in 1917, chairmen (later presidents) began to be elected.
The first actual leader of the Russian Geographical Society was its vice-chairman F.P. Litke - from 1845 to 1850. Then he was replaced for 7 years by Senator M.N. Muravyov, and from 1857 to 1873 the Society was again managed by F.P. Litke. After the death of the famous admiral, the Society was headed by P.P. Semenov, who later received the addition of Tian-Shansky to his surname and led the company 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 occupied a prominent place in the scientific and social life of the country.
Travel is one of the oldest methods of knowledge
The surrounding world.
For geography in the past, it was, in fact, the most important, when only the testimony of eyewitnesses who had visited certain countries could provide reliable information about the peoples, economy and physical appearance of the Earth.
Scientific expeditions, which gained great scope in the 18th and 19th centuries, were, in the apt expression of N.M. Przhevalsky, essentially “scientific reconnaissance”, since they could meet the needs of descriptive regional studies and satisfy the needs 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... One Przhevalsky or one Stanley is worth a dozen educational institutions and hundreds of good books. Their ideological spirit, noble ambition, which is based on the honor of their homeland and science, their persistent, no matter the hardships, dangers and temptations of personal happiness, invincible desire for a once-set goal, the wealth of their knowledge and hard work..., make them in the eyes of the people ascetics, personifying the highest moral strength."
Over time, the stationary method of research came to the aid of the expeditionary method, but expeditions were and remain the “golden fund” of the Society. Many of them are worthy of being mentioned here, but the scope of this review article does not allow us to talk about them all.
And yet it is impossible not to name at least the main objects of expeditionary research of the Russian Geographical Society.
European part of Russia and the Urals. Here it should be noted the First Expedition of the Russian Geographical Society under the leadership of Professor E.K. Hoffman, which studied the Northern Polar Urals in 1848-1850. and became extremely fruitful.
The ethnographic studies of P.P. were significant. Chubinsky in the Carpathian region and archaeological research in Crimea K.S. Merezhkovsky. Much attention was paid to collecting the lexical wealth of different peoples inhabiting the European part of Russia, especially the northern ones, where the language, folklore, and way of life of the population are characterized by many archaic features that have survived to this day.
Caucasus. The most notable here were the studies of plant geography by B.I. Masalsky, N.I. Kuznetsova, G.I. Radde, A.N. Krasnova.
Siberia and the Far East. By the middle of the last century, vast areas of Siberia and Far East were poorly known, certain areas generally stood out as “blank spots”, and it is not surprising that here the Society’s expeditions received the greatest scope.
Vilyui expedition, travel in the Ussuri region - the first expedition of N.M. Przhevalsky, studies of Siberia by P.A. Kropotkina, B.I. Dybovsky, A.A. Chekanovsky, I.D. Chersky, N.M. Yadrintseva, a large ethnographic expedition that covered vast expanses with its routes Eastern Siberia(which was financed by the wealthy Lena gold miner A.M. Sibiryakov and was named Sibiryakovskaya) under the leadership of D.A. Clemenza, research by V.A. Obruchev, travels around Kamchatka V.L. Komarov - the main “milestones” of the study of this huge region.
middle Asia and Kazakhstan. The first person who, on behalf of the Society, began researching these vast territories was P.P. Semenov. His work was continued by N.A. Severtsov, A.A. Tillo, I.V. Mushketov, B.A. Obruchev, V.V. Bartold, L.S. Berg.
Asia outside of Russia. The study of the nature and peoples of Asian countries adjacent to Russia is one of the brightest pages in the history of the Russian Geographical Society. This applies most of all to studies of Central Asia, the results of which have become known throughout the world. Here, in Mongolia and China, scientists worked whose names are not forgotten today: N.M. Przhevalsky, M.V. Pevtsov, K.I. Bogdanovich, G.N. Potanin, G.E. Grumm-Grzhimailo, P.K. Kozlov, V.A. Obruchev are all active figures of the Russian Geographical Society.
Africa and Oceania. The travels and research of N.S. Gumilyov, E.P. Kovalevsky, V.V. Junker, E.N. Pavlovsky made a significant contribution to the study of the African continent, and the travels of N.N. Miklouho-Maclay to the Pacific Islands is perhaps the most remarkable event of the Russian Geographical Society.
It is always useful to look at the past with an open mind, especially at critical periods when the question was whether our science would even survive during the years of revolution, civil war, famine and deprivation?
The life of the Russian Geographical Society was not interrupted even in the most difficult and hungry years - 1918, 1919, 1920... In the consolidated issue of Izvestia of the Russian Geographical Society for 1919-1923. can be read: “The Russian Geographical Society for three quarters of a century of its existence has always set as its constant task strictly scientific work in a chosen area for the benefit of our country, for the geographical study of which it has done so much... without interrupting its studies for an hour, without moving away from the assigned scientific tasks and without changing the strictly scientific nature of its work for the state, placing it at the disposal of the Government every time , when required, the results of their scientific work and experience.”
And nothing is embellished here, everything here is true. In the difficult year of 1918, the Society held three General Meetings with scientific reports, in 1919 - two such meetings. It is also surprising that in 1918, 44 people joined the Society, in 1919 - 60 people, in 1920 - 75. Perhaps these are small numbers in modern times, but it should be remembered that according to the last pre-revolutionary list, the number of members of the Society was only 1318 , but the real number was much less.
In 1918, Yu.M. Shokalsky was re-elected to the position of Chairman of the Society. Under his leadership, the Russian Geographical Society was able to very accurately determine the general directions of research.
In 1920, the Committee of the North was created under the Society, chaired by Yu.M. Shokalsky, approved by the Government of the RSFSR a year later. The committee united almost all organizations related to the development of the North.
Research into Central Asia continued. In 1923, P.K. Kozlov’s wonderful work “Mongolia and Amdo and dead city Khara-Khoto." That same year the Council People's Commissars approved the organization of a new Mongol-Tibetan expedition “with the necessary funds allocated 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-Statistical Dictionary of the USSR, which was supposed to replace the one published in 1863-1885. dictionary compiled by P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, 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.
Thus, in 1922, the Society protested against the proposal of the Royal Geographical Society of London to remove names in Tibet associated with the names of Russian travelers.
In 1923, the Council of the Russian Geographical Society protested against the Norwegian renames on the map of Novaya Zemlya.
Since 1923, through the efforts of Yu.M. Shokalsky and V.L. Komarov, the international relations of the Society have been gradually restored.
The scientific blockade of the young state did not last long; it became impossible to ignore Russian science any longer. Of course, there were also great losses - some of the Russian scientists who did not accept the revolution were sent abroad. That is why, say, Eurasianism, which arose in Sofia and Prague, became a “concept of Russian emigration”, and was not born in Russia itself.
Soon after the revolution, the Society felt the increasing dominance of power, but more in the form of editorials in its Izvestia than in the form of real instructions. Praises to the leader, who was even called the “great geographer,” became an indispensable attribute of the magazine only in the late 30s and 40s. The party composition of the Society’s leadership in the mid-30s is curious: of its 22 members, only four were members of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) - academician N.P. Gorbunov, associate professor Bogdanchikov, I.K. Luppol and N.V. Krylenko - former People's Commissar of Justice, later executed.
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 geographers, which was attended by 803 delegates - a record figure for today. Many reports at the congress (by 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. As L.S. Berg later noted, “the basis of the Society’s activities consists of all possible assistance to the needs of the national economy and the promotion of geographical knowledge.” Today this is called “serving totalitarianism.”
As an independent public organization The Geographical Society existed until 1938, supervised and partly financed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and then by the People's Commissariat of Education. At the same time, it always had close scientific contacts with the Academy of Sciences, which especially increased during the years of Soviet power, when the leaders of the Society were members of the Academy.
In 1938, the Society was included in the list of institutions of the Academy of Sciences, which L.S. Berg considered an act of “positive assessment of the Society’s activities.” The Society itself did not make any decisions on this matter. Archival materials indicate that the transfer was forced and outwardly did not pursue any special goals.
Minutes No. 3 of the meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 16, 1938 reports on the “reorganization of the apparatus of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR”, it states: “To liquidate the Committee for the Management of Scientific and Educational Institutions under the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, transferring the scientific and educational institutions subordinate to it to the following organizations :
Academy of Sciences under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR:
f) All-Union Geographical Society in Leningrad.”
From that moment on, the Society began to be called the All-Union.
In the 30s, Leningrad lost a number of institutes, many scientific personnel, cultural and art workers who were transferred to Moscow. We lost our city and the Academy of Sciences. Probably, the same fate was in store for the Geographical Society; an organizing committee was even formed in Moscow to create the All-Union Geographical Society. But the idea failed thanks to the active pro-Leningrad activities of the Society’s outstanding leaders, and, above all, N.I. Vavilov, which was not in vain for him.
A separate study and narrative requires one of the most terrible and painful topics in the history of geographical science - the repressions of the 30-40s, the victims of which were the long-time president of the Geographical Society, the great Russian scientist, academician N.I. Vavilov, Ya.S. Edelstein, the famous Eurasianist, L.N. Gumilyov and many other scientists. Here we just think about what forces “enlightened” the repressive bodies regarding what can be called “counter-revolutionary activities of the Hettnerians and centrographs”, what is “disguised geopolitics” and what is “fascist influence”. The brilliant words of L.N. Gumilev - “scientists imprisoned scientists” - most accurately characterize that period.
Of course, the work of the Geographical Society during the Great Patriotic War is worthy of a separate story. Dozens of geographers died either on its fronts or from hunger, saving the life of the Society itself in besieged Leningrad.
The most interesting period in the Society’s activities is the time between its first and ninth congresses, in fact the time between the “great Patriotic War and the collapse of the USSR. During these years, the work of the Society was inextricably linked with the names of its presidents, academicians L.S. Berg, E.N. Pavlovsky, S.V. Kalesnik, A.F. Treshnikova.
On March 21, 1992, the Scientific Council of the Society made a historic decision: “In connection with the liquidation of union structures and the need to rename, return the Geographical Society of the USSR to its original historical name and henceforth, until the congress, be called "Russian Geographical Society". This decision emphasized that we are the same Society created in 1845.
The rejection of the word “Russian,” which was proposed by some members of the Society, can be explained simply: this word would immediately cut off the former union republics, now independent states. Many geographers living there remained full members of the Russian G Geographical Society.
The tenth anniversary congress of the Society, held in St. Petersburg in 1995, approved this name. At this congress, the largest Russian scientist, economic geographer, professor S.B. was elected president of the Society. Lavrov, whose main merits were the preservation of the Society in unusually economically difficult times and the restoration of its name.
Today the Russian Geographical Society is an all-Russian public organization uniting 27 thousand members in all regions Russian Federation and abroad and has regional and local branches, as well as branches and representative offices throughout Russia. The largest branches of the Society are Primorskoye and Moscow.
According to the law of the Russian Federation “On Public Associations”, the Russian Geographical Society was registered after the tenth congress with the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation as an independent public organization. This does not at all mean a break with the Academy of Sciences. Interaction with the Russian Academy of Sciences is discussed in the new Charter of the Russian Geographical Society. At the same time, the de jure independence of the Society, which it lost in 1938 against its own will, has been restored.
The central organization of the Russian Geographical Society is located in St. Petersburg, in own home in Grivtsova Lane, built in 1908 with money from members of the Society, largely thanks to the efforts of P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky.
Today, members of various branches and commissions of the Central Organization (there are more than 35 of them) gather daily in the halls of the Society to discuss modern problems geography and related disciplines. The building houses the Scientific Archive, Museum, Library, Central Lecture Hall named after. Yu.M. Shokalsky, Editorial and Publishing Department, Printing House.
The main activities of the Society's archive are the preservation of funds, their replenishment and use. It houses 136 personal funds of geographers and travelers, 115 collections on the ethnography of the peoples of Russia.
Recently, the Archive was replenished with the personal collection of the President of the Geographical Society of the USSR, Academician A.F. Treshnikov.
It should also be noted that it came from Tunisia. The keeper of all documentation related to the epic of the last squadron of the Russian fleet in 1920-1924, A.A. Shirinskaya-Manstein agreed to transfer a significant part of the documents only to the Archive of the Russian Geographical Society, refusing even to the Central Archive of the Navy.
Unfortunately, our Archive today is more popular among foreign researchers than among domestic ones, although the number of the latter has begun to grow. After a long break, our documents also interested the city authorities: the Governor of St. Petersburg V.A. Yakovlev invited the Archive to participate in the exhibition “St. Petersburg - 300 years”.
The Museum of History of the Russian Geographical Society is included in the list of academic museums. More than 600 people visit it annually, including scientists from England, France, Sweden, Norway, Holland, USA, Germany, Hungary, Brazil and China.
The Archive and the Museum make a serious contribution to the promotion of geographical knowledge and geographical education. The latter, by the way, is one of priority tasks Society, written in its Charter. Thus, in the second article of the Charter, among the goals and objectives of the Society, the following are listed: dissemination of geographical knowledge, promotion of the achievements of domestic and world geography, education of geographical and ecological culture; assistance in improving the quality of geographical and environmental education among various age and professional groups of the population; promoting the improvement of geography teaching in secondary and higher schools.
Such work is most fully carried out within the framework of the Central Lecture Hall named after Yu.M. Shokalsky, where geography consistently returns to the main place in the system of environmental sciences, which it does not occupy today due to a misunderstanding. Basically, events in the Central Lecture Hall, especially regional lectures, cycles dedicated to St. Petersburg, history Russian statehood, attract adult and youth audiences equally. And if the older generation is quite satisfied with the lecture form of acquiring geographical knowledge, then young people often lack their own geographical research work.
That is why in 1970, a club of students “Planet” was created at the Russian Geographical Society, later transformed into the geographical society of students “Planet”, where schoolchildren and students who love geography united. “Planet” and its numerous branches across the country have completed dozens of complex expeditions, all-Union and all-Russian conferences, seminars and symposia, and even serious scientific research. Many “planet dwellers” subsequently became scientists, defended dissertations, and continue to work successfully in geography. During the “perestroika” years, the activities of “Planet” weakened, but at the XI Congress of the Russian Geographical Society, which took place in August 2000 in Arkhangelsk, on the initiative of young geographers, measures were taken to completely restore the work of the geographical society of students.
Other youth associations also actively work in the Society, for example, the ecological club “Ekosha” at the Department of Nature Conservation, the Young Ethnographer circle at the Department of Ethnography, the Russian Geographical Society of Students, etc.
One of the main ways to gain geographical knowledge is to work in the Library. The largest geographical Library in Europe (about 500 thousand volumes) continues to serve readers, most of whom, having appeared here once, then do not part with this treasury of knowledge throughout their lives.
Propaganda and dissemination of geographical knowledge are widely carried out during numerous all-Russian and international meetings and conferences held annually by the Society in St. Petersburg and other cities, as well as at the Society’s congresses, which once every five years, sum up the development of geographical science and determine its path further development. The importance of geographical education in the activities of the Russian Geographical Society is evidenced by the following fact: at the last congress of the Society in Arkhangelsk, the work of the first section was devoted to the interaction of geographical science and education.
Expeditionary activities are also being revived in the Society. Active members of the Society have always participated and are participating in expeditions, regardless of their departmental affiliation. One can name the annual trips to the North Pole of the Chairman of the Polar Commission of the Russian Geographical Society Viktor Boyarsky, ascents of climbers - members of the Society to the highest peaks of the world (just remember the conqueror of Everest Vladimir Balyberdin), although these events were not prepared by the Society.
The Russian Geographical Society continues to work for the benefit of the people of our country, offering its great scientific potential to both the state and individual constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Many branches of the Society conduct independent expeditions in their regions, mainly with a local history and environmental focus.
The central organization of the Russian Geographical Society conducts joint environmental expeditions around Russia with the Earthwatch Foundation.
Thus, by order of the Committee on Federation Affairs and Regional Policy State Duma The society carried out work to develop a general concept of regional policy in Russia.
The Russian Geographical Society has developed a project for a large historical and geographical Atlas of St. Petersburg, which has found support in the city Administration. We hope that the creation of the Atlas will be included in the plan of events in preparation for the 300th anniversary of the city.
By order of the Administration of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, work has begun to study the life support resources of the regions of Russia, taking into account morals, traditions, education, culture, science, life, and economy.
Under an agreement with the Administration of the Arkhangelsk Region, members of the Society are developing a strategy for the development of its transport complex.
The Department of Medical Geography of the Russian Geographical Society is working to create a medical and environmental Atlas of the Leningrad Region.
An underwater search archaeological expedition operates on Ladoga every year. For many years, the popular science expedition “Neva” was carried out along the route from the Varangians to the Greeks. Since 1996, the Integrated Northern Search Expedition (KSPE) has been actively working, studying the natural, cultural and historical heritage North-West, the results of its work on the “Secrets of the Russian North” project are regularly covered by the media.
In 2009, the Scientific Tourism Commission of the Russian Geographical Society began implementing a new project to compile a tourist atlas, “The Sacred Geography of the Peoples of Russia.” It can definitely be said that the expeditionary activities of the Russian Geographical Society will develop noticeably in the coming years.
However, the times when the mayor of St. Petersburg wrote to P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky: “Be kind, accept 10 thousand rubles in silver for the needs of the Society,” - they have not returned yet.
The main problem in the activities of the Russian Geographical Society, as, apparently, of scientific and cultural institutions in general, 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.
From the day the Russian Geographical Society was founded, the state understood the need to financially support the Society and did so until the early 1990s. Help was addressed to the Society different ways- through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the People's Commissariat for Education, through the Academy of Sciences, and no difficulties ever arose. Today, high government officials, at the request of a full member of the Society, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma A.N. Chilingarov's help to the pride of Russian and world geographical science is met with a cold refusal, citing 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, but during the tsarist and Soviet time the laws could hardly have been more lenient.
They won’t let us die, and, I want to believe, they won’t let us. Well, if the Russian Geographical Society lives, then it will still do a lot for Russia, St. Petersburg and the most wonderful science in the world - geography.
Thanks to the St. Petersburg authorities, Russian Academy sciences, which have been helping us for several years, thanks to other organizations supporting the Society.
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TASS DOSSIER. On April 24, a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society will be held in St. Petersburg with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian Geographical Society (RGS) is an all-Russian public organization. It unites specialists in the field of geography and related sciences (geology, biology, history, archeology, ethnography), as well as enthusiastic travelers, ecologists, public figures, etc. The main idea of the society was formulated at the end of the 19th century by the Russian geographer and statesman Pyotr Semyonov- Tien-Shansky - “To attract all the best forces of the Russian land to the study of the native land and its people.”
Story
The Russian Geographical Society was founded on August 18 (August 6, old style) 1845 in St. Petersburg. On this day, Emperor Nicholas I approved the first temporary charter of the Society presented by the founders. Among the founders of the Russian Geographical Society were navigators and admirals of the Russian fleet Fyodor Litke, Ivan Krusenstern, Ferdinand Wrangel; members of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (now the Russian Academy of Sciences) naturalist Karl Baer, astronomer Vasily Struve; Quartermaster General Fedor Berg; Senator Mikhail Muravyov; linguist Vladimir Dal; Prince Vladimir Odoevsky and others - a total of 17 people (they received honorary titles of members - founders of the Society).
The first chairman of the Russian Geographical Society was appointed the son of Nicholas I - Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, who at that time was 17 years old.
During its existence, the Society changed its name several times. In 1849, the permanent charter of the organization was adopted and it was renamed the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. In 1917, it lost the name "Imperial", from 1925 it was called the State Russian Geographical Society of the RSFSR, from 1932 - the State Geographical Society (GGO) of the RSFSR. In 1938, it was renamed the Geographical Society of the USSR (or the All-Union Geographical Society) and became part of the system of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
With the assistance of the Russian Geographical Society, the first nature reserves in Russia were created, and the world's first higher education institution was founded. educational institution geographical profile - Geographical Institute (1918). The North Committee, created under the Russian Geographical Society in 1920, coordinated work on the development of the North and the Northern Sea Route (later ceased to exist, its functions were transferred to the Arctic Institute and the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route).
On March 21, 1992, by decision of the organization's academic council, its historical name was returned to it - the Russian Geographical Society. The Russian Geographical Society was registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on February 10, 2003 as a non-profit organization.
Activity
The main activities of the Russian Geographical Society are the collection and dissemination of geographical information about Russia, the organization of practical field research, expeditions to different parts of the Russian Federation and the world, education and awareness, and nature conservation.
From 1849 to 2015, the Society conducted over 3 thousand expeditions in Russia (as well as the USSR) and in more than 30 countries of the world. Among them are expeditions to explore and develop the Arctic (Chukotka, Yakutsk, Kola), the Urals (to the Northern Polar Urals), Siberia and the Far East (Vilyuiskaya, Sibiryakovskaya), Central and Central Asia (Mongol-Tibetan), and the World Ocean.
The Russian Geographical Society was one of the organizers of the first International Polar Year (2007/2008) and International Forum on problems related to the conservation of tigers on Earth (2010). Since 2010, the Russian Geographical Society has been holding the International Arctic Forum "The Arctic - Territory of Dialogue." The Russian Geographical Society is one of the organizers of the International Geographical Olympiad and All-Russian Olympiad in geography, All-Russian geographical dictation(since 2015), All-Russian Congress of Geography Teachers (since 2011).
The Russian Geographical Society participated in the publication of the Great Atlas of the World (since 1934), the Marine Atlas (1944-1946), the Atlas of Antarctica (1972), the monograph "Geography of the World Ocean" in six volumes (1980-1987), the Atlas of Snow and Ice Resources of the World ( 1997), Atlas of Birds of the Russian Arctic (2012), etc.
Since 2015, the Russian Geographical Society has been holding a photo competition “The Most Beautiful Country”.
Controls, structure
The highest governing body of the Society is the congress, which is convened every six years (until 2014 - once every five years; extraordinary ones can be held as necessary). A total of 16 congresses took place. In 1933, the All-Union Congress of Geographers was convened in Leningrad. However, numbers began to be assigned to congresses in 1947, when they received the status of the highest governing body of the Society. The First Congress (the second actually) was held in 1947, also in Leningrad. At the XV Congress on November 7, 2014 in Moscow, the current version of the charter of the Russian Geographical Society was approved.
During the period between congresses, the Society's governing council (a permanent elected collegial governing body) operates; it includes the president (sole executive body; elected by the congress for a term of six years), honorary president, and executive director. The governing bodies also include the executive directorate, the academic council, audit committee, Council of Elders (formed in 2012), Council of Regions (2013).
There are regional branches of the Russian Geographical Society in all 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The largest is in the Republic of Bashkortostan, with a network of 65 local branches. In total, at the end of 2016, there were 137 local branches, which operate under 20 regional branches.
Managers
In 1945-1917 At the head of the Russian Geographical Society were the chairmen: Grand Dukes Konstantin Nikolaevich (1845-1892) and Nikolai Mikhailovich (1892-1917). The actual leadership was carried out by the vice-chairmen: Fyodor Litke (1845-1850; 1856-1873), Mikhail Muravyov (1850-1856), Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky (1873-1914), Yuliy Shokalsky (1914-1917). Beginning in 1918, the head of the Society began to be elected. The first elected chairman was Shokalsky (1918-1931).
Since 1931, the post of president was introduced, it was held by Nikolai Vavilov (1931-1940), Lev Berg (1940-1950), Evgeny Pavlovsky (1952-1964), Stanislav Kalesnik (1964-1977), Alexey Treshnikov (1977-1991) , Sergey Lavrov (1991-2000), Yuri Seliverstov (2000-2002), Anatoly Komaritsyn (2002-2009).
Honorary Presidents
The honorary presidents of the Society were: Yuliy Shokalsky (in 1931-1940), members of the USSR Academy of Sciences Vladimir Komarov (1940-1945), Vladimir Obruchev (1947-1956). In 2000, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Kotlyakov became honorary president.
Membership
Members of the Society on a voluntary basis can be adults of various nationalities, religions and places of residence - citizens of the Russian Federation, foreigners and stateless persons, as well as public associations. The entrance fee for individuals is 1 thousand rubles, the annual membership fee is 300 rubles.
At the end of 2016, 20 thousand 457 people were members of the Russian Geographical Society, of which 3 thousand 441 joined in 2016.
The Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society, created in 2010, operates on a voluntary basis. It is headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The council includes the President of the Society Sergei Shoigu, the ruling Prince of Monaco Albert II, the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the party " United Russia"Boris Gryzlov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow State University rector Viktor Sadovnichy, entrepreneurs Vagit Alekperov, Viktor Vekselberg, Oleg Deripaska, Alexey Miller, Vladimir Potanin, Mikhail Prokhorov and others.
Council meetings are held as needed, but at least once a year. The first took place on April 15, 2011 in Moscow. A total of seven meetings were held: two in Moscow, four in St. Petersburg and one on-site on the island of Valaam in Lake Ladoga in Karelia (August 6, 2012). The previous meeting took place on April 29, 2016 in St. Petersburg.
In addition, there are 38 regional boards of trustees operating at the branches of the Russian Geographical Society in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation (at the end of 2016).
Divisions, publications
The scientific archive of the Russian Geographical Society, located in St. Petersburg, is the oldest and only specialized one in Russia geographical archive(formed simultaneously with the Society in 1845). It has 63.2 thousand storage units: documents, ethnographic collections(more than 13 thousand items), photo archive (more than 3 thousand), 144 personal collections of geographers and travelers, etc.
The library collections of St. Petersburg and Moscow contain 480.7 thousand domestic and foreign publications on geography and related sciences. Cartographic funds number 40.7 thousand storage units. The Museum of the History of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg (opened in 1986) is included in the list of academic museums.
The Russian Geographical Society is one of the founders of the scientific publication "News of the Russian Geographical Society" (published since 1865). In 2012, the magazine “Around the World” (founded in 1861) received the status of the Society’s publication.
Grants from the Russian Geographical Society
Since 2010, the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society has been organizing the issuance of grants to research, environmental and expedition projects on a competitive basis. Money for them is allocated by patrons. In addition, since 2013, the Russian Geographical Society and the Russian Foundation basic research(RFBR) award joint grants.
In total, from 2010 to 2015, the Company allocated 604 grants (including 66 jointly with the Russian Foundation for Basic Research) for a total amount of 1 billion 28 million 140 thousand rubles. In 2016, the Russian Geographical Society directly supported 105 projects, to which 170 million 705 thousand rubles were allocated. grant funds.
Support was received by the projects “Baikal through the prism of sustainable development”, “Ecological rating and ecological map of Russia”, the expedition “Kyzyl - Kuragino” (2011-2015), “Gogland” (since 2013), the multimedia ethnographic project “Faces of Russia”, cycles of documentary films about the history of the Turks in Russia, “Reserved Russia” (2011-2013), international non-fiction film festival “Arctic”, etc.
The Russian Geographical Society supports programs to clean up the Arctic (since 2010) and to preserve rare animal species: since 2010 - the Amur tiger, snow leopard, beluga whale, polar bear, since 2011 - Far Eastern leopard, Przewalski's horse, since 2012 - lynx, since 2013 - manula, walrus.
Headquarters
The society has two headquarters. The main (historical) one is located in St. Petersburg. Since 1862, it was located in the house of the Ministry of Public Education on Fontanka; in 1907-1908, the Russian Geographical Society's own building was built according to the design of the architect Gavriil Baranovsky in Demidov Lane (now Grivtsova Lane).
In January 2013, the headquarters was opened in Moscow in a building on Novaya Square, where in the 19th century. there was the Apartment House of the Moscow Merchant Society (in the 1920s - a dormitory for the ethnological faculty of Moscow State University).
Financing
From the moment of its formation, the Russian Geographical Society was part of the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Initially, at the direction of Nicholas I, 10 thousand rubles were allocated for his maintenance. silver per year. By 1896, the state benefit had increased to 30 thousand rubles, and since 1909, an additional 10 thousand rubles were allocated annually. for the maintenance of the RGS house. Until 1917 government subsidies accounted for 50% of the Company's financing. In addition, funds came from private donations (20%), targeted contributions (10%), membership fees (10%), etc.
During Soviet times, the organization was funded by the state. In the 1990s. The Russian Geographical Society lost most of its state support, and employees were often not paid. The main source of funds was membership fees - mainly from organizations. The formation of the Society's Board of Trustees made it possible to fully support the activities of the Russian Geographical Society at the expense of extrabudgetary funds. Currently, the Russian Geographical Society does not receive government funding.
Society Awards
The society has its own awards - medals, prizes, honorary diplomas and certificates, personal scholarships, which are awarded for special merits and achievements in the field of geography and related sciences, environmental activities, and contribution to the popularization of the natural, historical and cultural heritage of Russia.
The first and main award of the Russian Geographical Society is the Konstantinov Medal, awarded to members of the Society for great merits in geographical science and exceptional contribution to the activities of the organization. It was established in 1846-1847. the first chairman of the Society. Awarded from 1949 to 1929 (in 1924-1929 it was called the “Highest Award of Society”). The awarding of this medal resumed in 2010. The second most important is the Great Gold Medal for scientific works. Awarded since 1947 for scientific expeditions, outstanding research in the theory of geography and long-term work in the field of geographical sciences.
The number of personalized medals includes gold medals named after F. P. Litke (established in 1873), P. P. Semenov (1899), N. M. Przhevalsky (1895; received gold medal status in 1946), gold and silver medal named after P. P. Semenov (1899, in memory of the services of the vice-chairman of the Society Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky; the awarding was discontinued after 1930, resumed after 1946), etc.
In total, from 1849 to 2015, the Society awarded 1 thousand 736 gold and silver medals of various denominations.
IN Russian Empire the prize was awarded to them. N. M. Przhevalsky and the Tillo Prize. In the Soviet period and now - the prize named after. S. I. Dezhneva. In 2014, the Prize of the Russian Geographical Society was established, which received international status.
The Russian Geographical Society (RGS) is one of the oldest geographical societies in the world. The most important task Russian Geographical Society - to unite people who are not indifferent to the nature of the Motherland.
The society was founded in St. Petersburg by order of Emperor Nicholas I, who on August 18 (August 6, old style), 1845, approved the proposal of the Russian Minister of Internal Affairs, Lev Perovsky. The society was established under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which emphasized its state status.
The idea of creating the Society belonged to Admiral Fyodor Litka. The main task new organization was to gather and direct the best young forces of Russia to a comprehensive study of their native land.
Among the founders of the Russian Geographical Society were famous navigators - admirals Fyodor Litke, Ivan Krusenstern, Ferdinand Wrangel, Peter Ricord; members of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences - naturalist Karl Baer, astronomer Vasily Struve, geologist Grigory Helmersen, statistician Peter Keppen; prominent military figures (former and current officers of the General Staff) - Quartermaster General Fyodor Berg, surveyor Mikhail Vronchenko, statesman Mikhail Muravyov; representatives of the Russian intelligentsia - linguist Vladimir Dal, philanthropist Prince Vladimir Odoevsky.
On October 19 (October 7, old style), 1845, the first general meeting full members of the Russian Geographical Society, who elected the Society's Council. Opening this meeting, Fyodor Litke defined the main task of the Russian Geographical Society as “cultivating the geography of Russia.”
When the Society was created, four departments were envisaged: general geography, geography of Russia, statistics of Russia and ethnography of Russia. According to the permanent Charter of 1849, the list of branches became different: branches physical geography, mathematical geography, statistics and ethnography.
In the early 1850s, the first regional departments appeared in the Society - Caucasian (in Tiflis) and Siberian (in Irkutsk). Then the Orenburg and North-Western (in Vilna), South-Western (in Kyiv), West Siberian (in Omsk), Amur (in Khabarovsk), Turkestan (in Tashkent) departments were opened. By 1917, the Russian Geographical Society consisted of 11 departments (including the headquarters in St. Petersburg), two subdivisions and four divisions.
The first chairman of the society was Grand Duke Konstantin (1821-1892), the second son of Nicholas I. After his death, the society was headed by Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich, and starting in 1917, chairmen (later presidents) began to be elected.
The first de facto leader of the Russian Geographical Society was its vice-chairman, Russian navigator Fyodor Litke. Later, the Society was led by famous travelers, explorers and statesmen.
Since its founding, the Russian Geographical Society has not ceased its activities, but the name of the organization has changed several times: its modern name it was worn in 1845-1850, 1917-1926 and from 1992 to the present.
It was called Imperial from 1850 to 1917. In Soviet times, it was called the State Geographical Society (1926-1938) and the Geographical Society of the USSR (or All-Union Geographical Society) (1938-1992).
Already in the first decades of activity, the society united advanced and educated people of Russia, who were close to the acute socio-economic problems of the era. The Russian Geographical Society has occupied a prominent place in the scientific and social life of the country.
From the first years of its existence, the Geographical Society launched extensive expeditionary, publishing and educational activities.
It made a major scientific contribution to the study of European Russia, the Urals, Siberia, the Far East, Middle and Central Asia, the Caucasus, Iran, India, New Guinea, polar countries and other territories. These studies are associated with the names of famous travelers such as Nikolai Severtsov, Ivan Mushketov, Nikolai Przhevalsky, Grigory Potanin, Mikhail Pevtsov, Grigory and Mikhail Grumm-Grzhimailo, Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, Vladimir Obruchev, Pyotr Kozlov, Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay, Alexander Voeikov, Lev Berg and many others. At this time, the Russian Geographical Society laid the foundations of the domestic conservation business.
With the assistance of the Russian Geographical Society, in 1918, the world's first higher educational institution of a geographical profile was created - the Geographical Institute. And in 1919, one of the most famous members of the Society, Veniamin Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, founded the first geographical museum in Russia.
During Soviet times, the Russian Geographical Society focused on relatively small but deep and comprehensive regional studies, as well as large theoretical generalizations. The geography of regional branches has expanded significantly: as of 1989-1992, the Geographical Society of the USSR had a Central Branch (in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg) and 14 republican branches. In the RSFSR there were 18 branches, two bureaus and 78 departments.
Today, the Russian Geographical Society is an all-Russian public organization that unites specialists in the field of geography and related sciences, as well as enthusiastic travelers, ecologists, public figures and everyone who seeks to learn new things about Russia and who is ready to help preserve its natural resources. The organization has about 13 thousand members in Russia and abroad. There are regional branches in all 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
The Company has two headquarters - one in St. Petersburg, the other in Moscow. In St. Petersburg, it is located on Grivtsova Lane in its own house, built in 1908 with money from members of the Society. The headquarters of the society was not closed for a single day even during the years of the blockade. Today the building houses a museum, a unique library, as well as a scientific archive and a lecture hall named after. Yu.M. Shokalsky.
In 2013 there was Grand opening headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in Moscow on Novaya Square.
It is located in the building where in the 19th century there was apartment building Moscow merchant society. The headquarters in Moscow houses a library, media studio, lecture hall, and exhibition hall.
In its activities, the society is guided by its own Charter. The highest body of society is the congress, convened every six years. The Congress elects the Governing Council, the Academic Council and the President of the Society for a period of six years. The Governing Council is the permanent elected collegial governing body of the Society between congresses. The Scientific Council facilitates the implementation of scientific research, educational and outreach activities by the Society, and the conduct of scientific examinations.
The President of the Society is Sergei Shoigu (since November 2012, Russian Minister of Defense).
In 2010, the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society was created, headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Council revived the long-standing traditions of philanthropy and established Society grants.
The Russian Geographical Society is a non-profit organization and does not receive government funding.
The main activities of the Society are expeditions and research, education and enlightenment, nature conservation, publishing books and working with youth.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the intensity of research and expeditionary work of the Russian Geographical Society is now comparable to the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the most fruitful period of the Russian Geographical Society.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Celebrated its 170th anniversary. Founded in the first half of the century before last, it is a unique phenomenon, since it has never ceased its functions during all this time. Thus, it is a kind of connecting link between Tsarist Russia, Soviet Union and modern Russia.
Mission of the Society
Since its founding in 1845, the Russian Geographical Society, which, by the way, anyone can join, has had as its task “to gather and direct the best young forces of the country to a comprehensive study of their native land.” Therefore, any adult person who has such an aspiration as the goal of his life can join the ranks of this worthy organization. We’ll talk about the conditions for entry in the article, but a little later.
Story
First, let's take a look at the historical perspective that led the Society to its milestone anniversary. Immediately at the base it launched a stormy research activities throughout our territory vast country. This was accompanied by numerous expeditions to the most remote corners of the Russian Empire, a vast educational activities, since its members were the very same of that time. Among them are such pillars as Przhevalsky, Semenov-Tien-Shansky, Obruchev, Miklouho-Maclay, Berg and many others.
Another important part of the Society’s activities was cooperation with the Russian Navy. By the way, it included many famous admirals of that time. Not to mention such creators as Aivazovsky and Vereshchagin. As a result, the Society began to have divisions in many remote regions, for example, the Caucasus, Siberian, Amur, Northwestern and many others were formed. Each of them was active in their assigned regions. This is how the Russian Geographical Society steadily developed and grew.
Festival
It is impossible not to say a few words about interesting phenomenon, related to the fact that in 2014 the Russian Geographical Society festival was held in Moscow. His main task was to show all facets of the Society’s activities. Considering that there are branches of the Russian Geographical Society in eighty-five constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and each of them is engaged in various projects dedicated to the preservation of the cultural and natural heritage of the regions in which it is represented, it should be said that there was plenty of information presented at the festival. Modern technologies have made it possible to show the public such interesting aspects of work as a trip to the North Pole, diving to the bottom of the famous Lake Baikal, studying the remains of mammoths and many other areas of activity for which the Russian Geographical Society is responsible. In the end, the festival was a great success.
And finally, let's return to the question raised by the title of the article. Obviously, it is not necessary to be a professional traveler or geographer if someone is thinking about how to join the Russian Geographical Society.
How to join
In fact, as already mentioned, you don't have to be anything out of the ordinary to do this. must be 18 years of age and may be a citizen of any country, regardless of nationality or religion. The most important thing is to study and recognize its charter, as well as contribute to the implementation of its objectives. This, in fact, is all that the Russian Geographical Society requires. How to join, by the way, is described in detail in the corresponding section of the Russian Geographical Society website.
Entry procedure
Let's consider the procedure for joining general outline. After familiarizing yourself with the charter and regulations of the Society, you should select a regional branch, contact its chairman or the person who represents the Russian Geographical Society. How to join it? You can also get answers to questions related to this by calling the all-Russian number 8-800-700-1845.
Next, you need to fill out an application, to which you should attach a color photo 3 by 4 centimeters. It is submitted to the selected regional office. After which the future member of the Society becomes a candidate. Now you need to wait six months to receive confirmation of admission. Finally, when a person is admitted to the Society, he must pay a membership fee in the amount of one thousand rubles, for which he is issued a ticket of the established form.
Subsequently, it must be extended by paying three hundred rubles per year. This procedure is proposed by the Russian Geographical Society. We figured out how to join. At this point, our acquaintance with the Russian Geographical Society can be considered complete. Next, apparently, you should think about how you can express yourself as a member of this unusual and long-existing community. We wish success in this, dear readers!
The Russian Geographical Society is one of the oldest societies in the world and the only continuously operating public organization in Russia. The Russian Geographical Society was founded in 1845 by the highest order of Emperor Nicholas I. The idea of creation belonged to the great admiral F.P. Litka, and the first President of the society was his student, the son of the emperor, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. The main task of the new organization was to gather and direct the best young forces of Russia to a comprehensive study of their native land.
The founders and first members of the society were world-famous officers, scientists, travelers, researchers - F.P. Litke, F.P. Wrangel, I.F. Kruzenshtern, V.P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, N.M. Przhevalsky, N.N. Miklukho-Maclay, G.I. Nevelskoy, Russian geologists, naturalists, surveyors, linguists and philanthropists.
Since its founding, the Russian Geographical Society has not stopped its work, and over the years it has been called differently - Imperial, State, All-Union, and since 1992 it has had its original name - the Russian Geographical Society.
Under his auspices, monumental studies of European Russia, the Urals, Siberia, the Far East, Middle and Central Asia, the Caucasus, Iran, India, New Guinea, and the polar countries were organized. Also, the tradition of the society has always been a connection with the Russian fleet and sea expeditions, and the famous Russian explorers-navigators (P.F. Anzhu, V.S. Zavoiko, P. Yu. Lisyansky, L.A. Zagoskin, F.F. Matyushkin, K.N. Posyet, G.I. Nevelskoy, S.O. Makarov).
In 1851, the first two regional departments of the Russian Geographical Society were opened: Caucasian in Tiflis and Siberian in Irkutsk. Then new departments were created: Orenburg, North-Western in Vilna, South-Western in Kyiv, West Siberian in Omsk, Amur in Khabarovsk, Turkestan in Tashkent. They conducted extensive research in their regions and organized expeditionary and educational projects. By 1917, the Imperial Russian Geographical Society already had 11 departments (including the headquarters in St. Petersburg), two subdivisions and four divisions.
The Russian Geographical Society laid the foundations of the domestic nature reserve business, and within the framework of the Permanent Environmental Commission, the ideas for the first Russian specially protected natural areas were born.
The work of the Standing Commission of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society for the Study of the Arctic resulted in the world-famous Chukotka, Yakutsk and Kola expeditions, the organization of the first International Polar Year, during which autonomous polar stations were created at the mouth of the Lena and on Novaya Zemlya.
With the assistance of the Russian Geographical Society, in 1918, the world's first higher educational institution of a geographical profile was created - the Geographical Institute. And in 1919, the first geographical museum in Russia was founded, the collections of which occupied third place in Russia after the Hermitage and the Russian Museum.
In Soviet times, the work of the society changed: it was focused on small regional studies and large theoretical generalizations, the promotion of geographical knowledge actively developed - the famous lecture hall named after Yu.M. Shokalsky.
And yet, until the beginning of the 2000s, there was a long period of stagnation in the history of the Russian Geographical Society. In November 2009, Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu was elected President of the Russian Geographical Society, and a Board of Trustees was formed from among the most significant persons in Russia (A.B. Usmanov, S.S. Sobyanin, V.Yu. Alekperov, A.B. Miller). The Chairmanship was assumed by Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The period of revival of the glorious traditions of the 19th century has arrived. At the same time, the vector of work has changed significantly. If before the revolution the main task of the Russian Geographical Society was to open, annex and study new territories, now priorities have shifted towards the development of domestic tourism and instilling love for the Fatherland. The main activities of the Russian Geographical Society are expeditions and research, education and enlightenment, nature conservation, publishing books and working with youth.
Today the Russian Geographical Society has about 13,000 members in Russia and abroad. There are regional branches in all 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
The regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society in the Republic of Bashkortostan was created in 1954, but in last decades existed rather nominally and was considered an outsider.
In September 2014, the Bashkir branch of the Russian Geographical Society was headed by Kamil Farukhshinovich Ziganshin - writer, traveler, honored cultural worker of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Today, among the few regional branches, the Bashkir branch has the status legal entity. The regional branch has more than 120 full members, more than 180 candidate members of the Russian Geographical Society, and active work is underway in all areas of activity.
In 2015, the RO RGS received two grants:
1. Research expedition “From Ik to Yaik”. Schoolchildren from the Tuymazy gymnasium with their leader I. Danilko walked tens of kilometers, organizing various events and research.
2. A tourist route“Ural-Batyr Paths” on the territory of the Iremel Natural Park, 30 km long, equipped with images and symbols of the Ural-Batyr epic.
In 2016, the RO RGS received three grants:
1. “Ecogeography for the blind.”
2. “Preservation and development of the unique natural craft of the Bashkirs - on-board beekeeping, as the basis of a new type of tourism - honey tours” in the territory National Park"Bashkiria".
3. Media grant for the filming of a popular science film “the cradle of art - the Shulgan-Tash Cave (Kapova Cave).” The film will reflect the discovery of 150 new drawings, the maximum age of which is 36 thousand years, and will become a video argument for adding the cave to the list World Heritage UNESCO.