About us
The main idea of the founders of the Society is to attract all the best forces of the Russian land to the study of their native land and the people living there.
The Russian Geographical Society was founded by the highest order of Nicholas I in 1845. Over the years, the Society was led by representatives of the Russian Imperial House, scientists and statesmen.
The highest order of Nicholas I on the establishment of the Russian Geographical Society
Among the honorary members of the Society are government, scientific and public figures: P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, S.Yu. Witte, N.I. Vavilov, V.I. Vernadsky, F.P. Wrangel, A.M. Gorchakov, V.I. Dahl, V.A. Obruchev, famous foreigners - Belgian King Leopold II, Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid, King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, King Oscar II of Norway, Shah of Persia Nasser al-din Shah Qajar, Baron Ferdinand Richthofen, Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen, Thor Heyerdahl.
The Russian Geographical Society has made a significant 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. The society laid the foundations for the national conservation business.
You can read more about the history of the Russian Geographical Society in the "History" section.
One of the oldest geographical societies in the world brings together specialists in the field of geography and related sciences, as well as enthusiastic travelers, ecologists, public figures - everyone who seeks to learn new things about Russia, who are ready to help preserve its natural resources.
Repin I.E. A ceremonial meeting of the State Council on May 7, 1901 in honor of the centenary of its establishment. Among those present, many are members of the IRGO (Emperor Nicholas II, Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov, Nikolai Obruchev and others)
On November 9, 2009, an extraordinary congress of the Russian Geographical Society took place, as a result of which the Society’s Board of Trustees was created, headed by Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Domestic and foreign philanthropists, educators and public figures became members of the Council. Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu was elected president of the Russian Geographical Society.
In recent years, the Society has implemented a number of large-scale projects: the photo competition "The Most Beautiful Country", the international Geographical Dictation, the archaeological and geographical expedition "Kyzyl-Kuragino", the complex expedition "Gogland", the expedition to clean up the Arctic and many others. The Russian Geographical Society is actively working to study and protect rare animals and birds. Among them are the Amur tiger, beluga toothed whale, and polar bear. The Society publishes over 200 scientific publications a year, provides grants and information support for the production of films about the cultural and natural heritage of Russia.
Volunteers participate in almost all projects of the Russian Geographical Society. A Youth Club has been organized for active and caring young people. Within its framework, a Summer School and geographical shifts are held annually in the federal children's centers "Artek", "Orlyonok", "Smena" and "Ocean".
Drawing by Pavel Mikhailovich Kosharov, expedition artist P.P. Semenov-Tian-Shansky from the album for a trip to the Tien Shan, 1857 (from the archives of the Russian Geographical Society)
In 2016, the Russian Geographical Society opened its own Film Portal. Here are presented all the films of the Society, created with the participation of famous Russian geographers, biologists, ethnographers, ecologists, paleontologists and travelers. A Phenological Portal has been created for researchers and nature lovers. In addition, there is a Geoportal that brings together collections of historical, topographical and special cartographic materials from the funds of the Society and partner organizations of the Russian Geographical Society.
The headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg houses the largest geographical library in Europe. Its collection includes publications in Russian and foreign languages on all sections of geographical sciences and related disciplines, starting from the 16th century. One of the priority tasks of the Society is the formation of an electronic catalog of the library, digitization of funds and the creation of a Full-text electronic library of the Russian Geographical Society.
Today the Russian Geographical Society has more than 27,800 members in Russia and abroad. Regional branches of the Society are open in all 89 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.