Mineralogical society established in St.-Petersburg

19 January 1817

On January 7 (19), 1817 in St. Michael’s (the Engineers) Castle of St.-Petersburg, in the apartment of an eminent researcher in the field of mineralogy and geodesy, Ph.D. collegiate councilor L.I. Pasner, took place a meeting during which it was decided to establish in St.-Petersburg a  Mineralogical society. Later it was named the Imperial Society and was under the patronage of the Imperial family members.

The Russian Mineralogical Society had united all the researchers studying minerals and rocks. Until the Geological Committee creation in 1882, it directed the researches of geological structure and mineral resources of Russia with a view to create a single geological map of Russia and practically it served the functions of the state geological service. From the end of the 19th century the society made its priority to conduct the subject researches in the field of minerals’, rocks’ and ores’ matter composition.

In the period of formation of the Mineralogical Society there was created the Mineralogical office that later transformed into the Museum of minerals and rocks. Its collections are now housed in the Mining Institute of St. Petersburg that from 1869 also houses the Society Presidium and Library.

In 1919 it was decided to rename the Imperial Mineralogical Society to the Russian one. From 1947 to 1991 it was called the All-Russian Society and was under the authority of the Academy of Science of the USSR. During this period was started the creation of the Society network. The first branches were opened in Sverdlovsk and Moscow.

At the present the Russian Mineralogical Society numbers 25 branches functioning in all major scientific centers of the country. In addition, there are 14 scientific Commissions under the Society, doing researches on various subjects of the modern mineralogy.

 

Lit.: История минералогического общества [Электронный ресурс] // Российское минералогическое общество. 1995-2016; Соловьёв С. П. Минералогическое общество // Большая советская энциклопедия. Т. 16. М., 1974; Соловьёв С. П., Доливо-Добровольский В. В. История Всесоюзного Минералогического общества и его роль в развитии геологических наук. СПб., 1992.