Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society
The Russian Geographical Society (RGS), founded on August 18, 1845 by the Supreme Command of Emperor Nicholas I, is one of the oldest geographical societies in the world, bringing together specialists in geography and related sciences, professional and amateur travellers and tourists, and all those interested in the study of Russia and its natural riches. The RGO has made a significant contribution to the study not only of our country, but also of some important regions of the world. These are first of all Middle and Central Asia, Iran, India, New Guinea and many other countries. Among the famous members of the RGO were such outstanding explorers and discoverers as Fyodor Litke, Nikolai Severtsov, Ivan Mushketov, Nikolai Przhevalsky, Mikhail Pevtsov, Peter Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, Vladimir Obruchev, Peter Kozlov, Nikolai Miklukho-Maclay, Lev Berg, Yuli Shokalsky, Nikolai Vavilov, Artur Chilingarov and many others. The headquarters of the RGO in Moscow are located in the building which in the XIX century housed the Public Court of the Moscow Merchants’ Society with numerous shops and offices. In the 1920s the building housed a dormitory of Moscow State University. Today it is the headquarters of the Executive Directorate of the Russian Geographical Society. Lectures and excursions are regularly held in the building. The history of the area where the RGO is located goes back several centuries. From the XV century the outer fortifications of Moscow were located here. And in the XVI century a new stone fortification complex was built, better known as the Kitaygorodskaya Wall. Ownership of the territory changed hands several times, among them merchants and aristocrats. In the 19th century the site of the complex was a busy market. In 1881 there was a fire, as a result of which the shops burned down and the area was cleared for new construction. The architect Boris Freidenberg was invited to design a new complex of buildings consisting of four blocks in Novaya Square and one block in Bolshoy Cherkassky Lane. In 2013, the Headquarters were inaugurated with the participation of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin. Putin opened the headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in Moscow.
Address: Moscow, Novaya square, 10, p. 2
