Hydrographic Society Russia

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HSR president N.N. Neronov organised a ‘round table’ on 18th November 2004 in Moscow, with participation of the Moscow HSR members. They discussed the question of the renewal of polar expeditions on drifting ice and the expediency of participation in these by hydrographers of the Russian Navy. The chief of the drifting station ‘North Pole – 1/32’, polar explorer V.S. Koshelev, gave an interesting report in which he showed results of the researches carried out and formulated tasks of future expeditions. During the discussion, HSR members O.F. Andrjushin and N.N. Neronov, as well as other participants of the ‘round table’, expressed deep regret concerning the loss of Russian positions in Arctic regions. They emphasised as an absolute must renewal of polar researches and the restoration of an infrastructure supporting these.

On 21st December a group of HSR members took part in a meeting on Sadovaja Street in Saint Petersburg devoted to the memory of the well-known Russian Admiral Konstantin Possuet. Ancestors of the admiral from the ancient French family of Possuet de Rossiet were once invited to Russia by Emperor Peter the First for service in the Russian fleet. Following the family tradition, Konstantin in 1836 finished Naval Academy. During his service in the Russian Navy he participated in a campaign aboard the well-known frigate Pallada in performance of hydrographic works in the Gulf of Finland, and magnetic and astronomical investigations in other seas.

In 1874, as vice-admiral he was appointed head of the Ministry of Transport of Russia. One of the first actions that the new minister supported and fully realised was the transformation of Saint Petersburg into a modern seaport. Admiral Possuet was awarded all Russian supreme government awards and honorary titles in recognition of his efforts. A bay, a cape in the Kara Sea, an island in the Barents Sea and a street in Vladivostok were all named after Possuet.

On the occasion of the 185 years since the Admiral’s birth it has been decided to establish a memorial plate on the house of ‘The Society for Water Rescue’ which was founded by the Admiral. Representatives of the Saint Petersburg government and local municipal council, the several sea organisations of Saint Petersburg, cadets of the naval school and pupils of another school took part at the meeting. The HSR president N. Neronov and member of the HSR council V. Smirnov were among those who related the life and activities of the renowned admiral. A rough sketch of the memorial plate was shown to participants of the meeting.

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Hydrographic Society Russia (HSR)
Att. Viktor Rybine
Kozhevennaja linija 41
Saint-Petersburg 199106
Russia
T/F: +7 812 350 5026