Russian Geographical Society
A Russian learned society devoted to geography, exploration, environmental research, and the study of peoples and regions.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Russian Geographical Society (RGO) is a learned society headquartered in Saint Petersburg and one of Russia’s oldest institutions devoted to geographical research. It was founded on 6 August 1845 according to the old Russian calendar, corresponding to 18 August in the modern calendar. The initiative to establish it came from Emperor Nicholas I, who sought to encourage systematic investigation of the Russian Empire. The organization was initially known as the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. From its beginning, the society combined scientific, exploratory, statistical, ethnographic, and state-building purposes. Its early departments covered physical geography, mathematical geography, ethnography, and statistics. Regional branches were established in several imperial cities, including the Caucasus, Irkutsk, Vilnius, Orenburg, Kiev, and Omsk. Through these branches and its central organization, the society collected geographical observations, mapped remote territories, documented local economies and customs, and supported expeditions. The RGO financed or organized expeditions associated with explorers and scientists including Richard Maack, Pyotr Kropotkin, Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, Nikolai Przhevalsky, Nikolai Miklukho-Maklai, Pyotr Kozlov, Vladimir Obruchev, and Lev Berg. Its work contributed to exploration of the Northern Urals, the Amur basin, Central Asia, Mongolia, Kashgaria, Dzungaria, and the Arctic. It also supported polar research and the establishment of some of Russia’s early polar stations. Ethnographic work produced records of folklore, everyday life, and the cultural characteristics attributed by nineteenth-century researchers to the empire’s many populations. The institution changed names during the Soviet period. It became the State Geographical Society in 1926 and the Geographical Society of the USSR in 1938. Under Soviet leadership it continued publishing, organizing congresses, awarding scientific medals, and supporting geographical, geological, biological, and polar research. By 1970, it had published more than 2,000 volumes of geographical literature, including the periodicals Zapiski and Izvestiya. The society resumed the name Russian Geographical Society after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. In the contemporary period, the RGO presents itself as a broad scientific and educational organization working across geography, exploration, ecology, oceanography, ethnography, and environmental protection. It has sponsored the seasonal Camp Barneo ice base in the Arctic since 2002 and has continued expeditionary and public-education activities. Its modern institutional profile is also closely connected to the Russian state. Sergei Shoigu became president in 2009, while a board of trustees established in 2010 was chaired by Vladimir Putin. The organization has consequently received increased state support, while its leadership and institutional affiliations have drawn international attention, particularly after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The society remains active, but its public role is shaped by the overlap between scientific work, national exploration, environmental initiatives, and Russian state interests.
History
The Russian Geographical Society was founded in Saint Petersburg in 1845 by imperial order during the reign of Nicholas I. Its original purpose was to develop systematic geographical knowledge of the Russian Empire. Although it was a learned society, its work also served an imperial and national project: mapping territory, gathering information about borderlands, cataloguing natural resources, and describing the peoples and environments under Russian rule. The Imperial Russian Geographical Society organized itself into departments devoted to physical geography, mathematical geography, ethnography, and statistics. It soon developed regional branches, beginning with the Caucasus and Irkutsk and later extending to cities such as Vilnius, Orenburg, Kiev, and Omsk. These branches enabled the society to collect local observations and to coordinate research across an enormous territory. During the nineteenth century, the society supported expeditions that significantly expanded European and Russian knowledge of northern Eurasia, the Far East, Central Asia, Mongolia, and the Arctic. Research covered the Northern Urals, the Amur River, Kashgaria, Dzungaria, and other areas. Explorers and scientists associated with its expeditions included Richard Maack, Pyotr Kropotkin, Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, Nikolai Przhevalsky, Nikolai Miklukho-Maklai, Pyotr Kozlov, Vladimir Obruchev, and Lev Berg. The organization also contributed to polar stations and to studies of oceanography and Arctic geography. Ethnography was an important early field. Researchers gathered folklore and descriptions of everyday life, often presenting these materials as evidence of the distinctive character of the empire's indigenous and regional populations. The society's ethnographic activities later became more professionalized, particularly through efforts by scholars such as Dmitry Anuchin and others to distinguish academic ethnography from missionary and amateur collecting. In 1917, the society had eleven subdivisions and approximately 1,000 members. The society's highest imperial award was the Constantine Medal, a gold medal created in 1849. It recognized major geographical discoveries and notable publications in geography, ethnography, and Russian statistics. Recipients included Nikolai Przhevalsky, Fridtjof Nansen, Vladimir Obruchev, Pyotr Kozlov, Alexander Kolchak, and other explorers and scholars. The medal continued in modified form until 1929. After the 1917 Revolution, the institution survived under changing political conditions. It became the State Geographical Society in 1926 and the Geographical Society of the USSR in 1938. Its presidents included geographer Yuly Shokalsky, geneticist Nikolai Vavilov, zoologist Lev Berg, parasitologist Evgeny Pavlovsky, glaciologist Stanislav Kalesnik, and polar explorer Aleksei Treshnikov. During the Soviet period, the society continued to publish journals and books, convene congresses, and administer medals and prizes. Its publications included the annual Zapiski, issued from 1846, and Izvestiya, issued from 1865. By 1970, its output exceeded 2,000 volumes. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the organization restored the name Russian Geographical Society in 1991. In the post-Soviet period it expanded public-facing expeditionary and environmental work. Since 2002 it has sponsored the seasonal Camp Barneo ice base in the Arctic. The society also promotes geography education, scientific expeditions, nature protection, and research in areas including ecology, oceanography, ethnography, and statistics. Its contemporary governance has increased the society's visibility and its connection with the Russian state. Sergei Shoigu became president in 2009, and a board of trustees was created in 2010 with Vladimir Putin as chairman. The board included prominent political, business, and international figures, including Albert II, Prince of Monaco, according to the society's public historical account. The resulting state support helped expand activities but also made the organization part of wider debates about the relationship between Russian science, national identity, government patronage, and geopolitics. After Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Bernard Looney resigned as a trustee, and the International Geographical Union suspended Russia's formal membership. In 2023, a Current Time TV investigation alleged that individuals presenting themselves as society employees attempted to recruit a Norwegian citizen as a spy. The RGO remains an active Russian institution, but its current public profile reflects both its long scientific history and its close association with state power.
- 2010
Board of trustees established
[1]A board of trustees was created with Vladimir Putin appointed as chairman.
- 2009
Sergei Shoigu became president
[1]Russia's defence minister Sergei Shoigu was elected president of the society.
- 2002
Camp Barneo sponsorship began
[1]The society began sponsoring an annual seasonal ice base in the Arctic.
- 1991
Original Russian name restored
[1]Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the society reverted to the Russian Geographical Society name.
- 1938
Name changed to Geographical Society of the USSR
[1]The organization adopted a new Soviet-wide institutional name.
- 1926
Name changed to State Geographical Society
[1]The institution adopted the name State Geographical Society during the Soviet period.
- 1865
Izvestiya publication began
[1]The society's Izvestiya series began publication, adding to its long-running record of geographical scholarship.
- 1854
Research of the Amur region expanded
[1]The society supported exploration of the farthest reaches of the Amur River and surrounding territories between 1854 and 1863.
- 1849
Constantine Medal established
[1]The society created its leading award for important geographical discoveries and outstanding geographical, ethnographic, and statistical publications.
- 1847
Systematic exploration of the Northern Urals began
[1]The society supported a major research program in the Northern Urals that continued through 1850.
Products and positioning
A national learned society combining geographical science, exploration, environmental research, education, and state-supported public outreach.
Scientific publication · 1846
Zapiski
A long-running geographical publication of the society, issued from 1846 and used to circulate research and expedition findings.
Scientific publication · 1865
Izvestiya
A publication series established in 1865 that records geographical research and related scholarship produced through or associated with the society.
Scientific award · 1849
Constantine Medal
The society's principal imperial-era award recognized major geographical discoveries and important publications in geography, ethnography, and Russian statistics. It was awarded from 1849 to 1929, with a modified title used during part of the Soviet period.
Arctic expedition base · 2002
Camp Barneo
A seasonal Arctic ice base sponsored by the society since 2002. It supports expeditionary, logistical, and public-facing activity in a polar environment.
Controversies
2023
Alleged attempted recruitment of a Norwegian citizen as a spy
A Current Time TV investigation reported that two people claiming to be RGO employees attempted to recruit a Norwegian citizen as a spy. The allegation increased scrutiny of the society's links to Russian state and security structures.
2022
Trustee resignation and international isolation after the invasion of Ukraine
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, BP chief executive Bernard Looney resigned as a trustee of the society, while the International Geographical Union suspended Russia's formal membership.
Marketing campaigns
- 2002Camp Barneo
Arctic
The society began sponsoring an annual seasonal ice base in the Arctic, extending its historic polar and expeditionary role into the post-Soviet period.
Outcome. The base became a recurring platform for Arctic expeditions and related scientific and educational activity.
Brand decisions
2010
Created a board of trusteesStrategyBackground
The society was strengthening its contemporary public profile and relationships with Russian political and business institutions.
Action taken
It established a board of trustees chaired by Vladimir Putin.
Aftermath
The society received increased state subsidies and became more visibly connected to Russian state-supported public diplomacy and exploration.
1991
Restored the Russian Geographical Society nameStrategyBackground
The Soviet Union dissolved and the institution entered the post-Soviet period.
Action taken
The society reverted to its original Russian national name.
Aftermath
It continued operating from Saint Petersburg with an expanded emphasis on expeditions, environmental work, and public education.
1938
Adopted the Geographical Society of the USSR nameStrategyBackground
The society's institutional identity was aligned with the Soviet Union's all-Union structure.
Action taken
It changed its name to the Geographical Society of the USSR.
Aftermath
The society retained a national scientific role through the remainder of the Soviet period.
1926
Adopted the State Geographical Society nameStrategyBackground
The institution was operating within the reorganized Soviet political and scientific system.
Action taken
It changed its name from the Imperial Russian Geographical Society to the State Geographical Society.
Aftermath
The organization continued its research and publication activities under Soviet state institutions.
Sources2 sources
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