Hydrographic Society Russia

Only on 25th June could the HSR Council gather for its first session in its new composition. The session was devoted to the organisation of work, council functions being distributed among members. Each member was allocated a site of work. In particular, it was entrusted to the author of these lines to support communication with national hydrographic societies of other countries and international organisations.



As usual, Council considered some applications for affiliation to the Society. Then, taking into account the big help rendered the Society in connection with its sixtieth anniversary, a proposal was unanimously adopted to affiliate Admiral Anatoly Komaritsyna as Deserved HSR member. This decision was put into effect on 6th June: the anniversary of the day upon which president Neronov handed him his membership card. A congratulatory address was then given.



The following session of HSR Council took place on 15th June. On the agenda were two items: possible actions to be implemented for World Hydrog-raphy Day, and awarding of HSR honorary diplomas to graduates of the hydrographic faculty of the Saint Petersburg Naval Institute. Some difficulties connected with the fact that 21st June falls in a period when most if not all hydrographers are at sea and others on summer holiday, meant it was decided to put out and dispatch to all HSR members a special issue of the Information letter. Congratulations could hereby be sent by mail and fax to hydrographic services on fleets, to hydrographic divisions in Saint Petersburg and to other hydrographic private and governmental organisations.



As to HSR activities for this day, it was decided this year to hold an outdoor assembly close to the tombstone of General Andrey Vil’kitskiy (1858-1913) at the Smolensk memorial cemetery in Saint Petersburg. The venue was chosen because this outstanding Russian hydrographer was one of the initiators of the 1912 Second International Sea Conference on safety of navigation in Saint Petersburg, at which for the first time the idea of creation of an international organisation uniting hydrographers of different countries was proposed. Many other known Russian hydrographers are also laid to rest in the same cemetery.



Concerning the second item on the agenda, Council considered petitions from hydrographic faculty command on the award of HSR honorary diplomas to graduates. This year, two groups, a Russian and an Algerian, completed the study. Faculty command thus decided to reward with honorary diplomas both the Russian and the Algerian graduates. After discussion, it was decided to satisfy the request of the petition and to award the 'Professor A.P. Belobrov Diploma' (hydrographic specialisation) to Oleg Gorokhov (Russia) and to Mohamed Hamrat (Algeria) and the 'Professor V.A.Snezhinskij Diploma' (hydrometeorology) to Mikhail Blazhin (Russia) and to Idris Zuaui (Algeria).



Both Council decisions were successfully carried out. On 21st June a group of HSR members and some active hydrographers gathered near the monument to General Andrey Vil'kitskiy in Smolensk memorial cemetery in Saint Petersburg. HSR president Nikolay Neronov gave an address, followed by other participants. Fresh flowers were laid at the monument. A small and friendly open-air buffet was much appreciated by all participants. At the same time, they arrived at the common opinion that such a response to WDH was an appropriate one, and next year it would be necessary to provide a more useful Russian Hydrography development programme.

The traditional graduation cere-mony took place on 24th June. As in previous years, contented graduates received their honorary diplomas from HSR President Nikolay Neronov.