Activity of the Priamurskiy Department of the Imperial Russian Geographic Society

In the history of the Far East there were a lot of people who took an active part in its development.

Governors-General fulfilled administrative, civil and military duties. Merchants developed the economy of the region and helped to construct cultural and public-service institutions, educational and medical foundations, and religious establishments.

But this vast territory was not researched well yet. The authorities did not have enough information about the natural recourses of this land.

Scientists were the other important group of people who made the important contribution to the development of the Far Eastern region. Among them were: B. K. Arsenev, M. I. Venukov, R. K. Maack, C. I. Maximovich, A. F. Middendorfand a lot of others.

Their activity laid a basis to the birth of the Priamurskiy department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (PDIRGS) in Khabarovsk in 1894. The founder of this organization was N. I. Grodekov (Lesson 21). He worked up the policy plan of the PDIRGS and initiated the construction of buildings for it.

It had a very important role in the scientific and cognitive development of the region. At the beginning in 1894 there were 54 members, after a half of a year their number increased to 180 people. Their work and contribution made grounds of the collection and the materials for the regional museum. Buildings of the museum and library appeared simultaneously.

In 1894 there were only 400 volumes of books, in three years there were 45,000 ones. Members of this organization made and supported the research of the territory, organized scientific expeditions, published scientific reports and articles, conducted different exhibitions and public lectures.

Expeditions of V.K. Arsenev played an important role in the activity of this organization. In 1917 it was renamed in the Priamurie department of the Russian Geigraphis Society and works tody.

6. Answer the following questions:

•What groups of people took an active part in the development of the Russian Far East?

•What activities did these groups fulfill?

•What was the role of scientists in the process of development?

•Which scientists do you know?

•What was the result of their researches?

• Who initiated PDIRGS?

•Why was the number of the PDIRGS members rapidly increasing?

•What were the purposes of the PDIRGS?

•Does this organization still exist?

7. Translate into English.