The Centers of the Russian Geographical Society in India and Sri Lanka held festive ceremonies in honor of the 180th anniversary of the RGS. Tree planting ceremonies were timed to coincide with the holiday in the city of Guwahati in the Indian state of Assam and in the Sri Lankan city of Colombo. The events have become a symbol of strengthening friendship and contributing to the preservation of the environment.
The Russian-Indian Friendship Forest in Guwahati will become a living monument to the strong bond between the peoples of Russia and India, as well as a symbol of significant historical milestones uniting our countries. The ceremony was organized at the Assam Royal Global University with the assistance of the India-Russia Foundation, the Friendship with India Society, and the Russian Association for International Cooperation (RAIC). The honorary guests of the ceremony were Bhubaneswar Kalita, Deputy Chairman of the Upper House of the Parliament of India, President of the India-Russia Foundation, Chairman of the RGS Center in New Delhi; Sudhir Pal Sabharwal, President of the RGS Center in New Delhi; Vladimir Polozkov, Secretary General of the RAIC, Vice-President of the Friendship with India Society. The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the academic, cultural, and student circles of Assam.
The welcoming speech of the Vice-President and Executive Director of the RGS Artyom Manukyan, who noted the special significance of the ceremony for both countries, was read out at the ceremony.
«For almost two centuries of its history, the Russian Geographical Society has always paid attention to international cooperation. We are convinced that common concern for nature and cultural heritage can unite nations even more than diplomatic documents. Today’s event is the best confirmation of that,» Artem Manukyan emphasized.
Sudhir Pal Sabharwal, President of the RGS Center, in turn, stressed that the creation of the Russian-Indian Friendship Forest is an important and long-term goodwill project symbolizing deep ties between the two states. He noted that this initiative goes far beyond environmental event, turning into a solid bridge of cooperation and mutual understanding between Russia and India.
In Sri Lanka, where the RGS Center opened in the spring of 2025, the celebration of the Society’s 180th anniversary was held at the Colombo Public Library. It ended with the planting of 180 tropical tree seedlings. The ceremony was attended by Saman Weerasinghe, Chairman of the RGS Center in Sri Lanka; Buddhapriya Ramanayake, Secretary General of the RGS Center; Ranjana Senasinghe, Acting Editor-in-Chief of the Sinhala Encyclopedia and a member of the RGS Center in Sri Lanka. The guests also included Maria Popova, Head of the Russian House in Colombo; Anton Jayakodi, Deputy Minister of the Environment of Sri Lanka; Vraie Cally Balthazar, Mayor of Colombo; representatives of the Russian Embassy, the Colombo Public Library, and others.
At the same time, the Colombo Public Library officially opened the exhibition «The Most Beautiful Country», demonstrating the natural wealth of Russia.