History of Russia: Saint-Petersburg hosted the meeting of the Council Presidium of the Russian Historical Society

On January 18, 2013 Saint-Petersburg hosted the meeting of the Council Presidium of the Russian Historical Society. 

The State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin, who is also the head of the Russian Historical Society, said at the meeting that it was necessary to discuss the possibility of opening a branch of the Russian Historical Society in St. Petersburg, where his story began.

S. Naryshkin said that in February, it is planned to summarize the results of the Russian Historical Society for the year 2012 and to plan for 2013. According to him, the main directions of the company will become the all-Russian anniversary dates, which are quite a lot.

“We have a 1150 anniversary of Slavic Literature and the 400th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, and the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad and Kursk. We will celebrate the date of contemporary history – this is the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution and the new parliament,” - he said.

Naryshkin also reported about the celebration of anniversaries in 2014, which will be prepared by the Historical Society. In particular, this is the 70th anniversary of the breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad.

“We need to address such sensitive subject as the protection of monuments, including during the siege”, - he said.

In addition, Naryshkin said that in 2014 it will be celebrated the 700th anniversary of the birth of Sergius of Radonezh, the 150th anniversary of the judicial reforms of Alexander II, as well as the centenary of the World War I. He recalled that in December 2012, the State Duma introduced on August 1, the day of the beginning of the World War I, to the list of Russian memorable dates.

In addition, the State Duma speaker said that he hoped to digitize the entire archive of the Imperial Russian Historical Society, which is located in the city on the Neva.

The Russian Historical Society was founded in St. Petersburg in 1866 on the initiative of eminent historians, military and government officials. The Society collected, processed and distributed historical documents and materials. After the revolution in 1917 it was banned. The Russian Historical Society was re-established in 2012, which has been declared the Year of Russian history.