Geological Committee established

19 (31) January 1882 by decree of Alexander III «... in view of the detailed study of the geological structure of Russia ..." as part of the Mining Department of the Ministry of State Property there was established Geological Committee (GEOLKOM), the first state geological agency in Russia.

The statute of the Geological Committee identified a wide range of its main objectives: "1) systematic study of the geological structure of Russia; 2) development of the relevant information and publication of scientific works on the subject; 3) preparation and publication of detailed geological map of the state; 4) collecting rocks and minerals and compilation of systematic collections on their basis; 5) assistance to other agencies and individuals in the scope of activity of the Committee."

According to the statute the Geological Committee included: a director, an office, senior and junior geologists and geological staff, collectors and a conservative. Director was elected by the Minister of State Property "among persons who had distinguished themselves by special knowledge in geological sciences ...".

At the time of its creation the staff of Geolkom consisted of eight people. The first director of the committee was appointed Academician G. P. Helmersen (1882), explorer of the European Russia; the committee members were elected A. P. Karpinsky, I. V. Mushketov, S. N. Nikitin, V. A. Domger, A. A. Krasnopolsky, F. N. Chernyshev, A. O. Mikhalsky.

Later the Geolkom was led by V. G. Erofeev (1882-1884), A. P. Karpinsky (1885-1903, Honorary Director in 1903-1929), F. N. Chernyshev (1903-1914), K. I. Bogdanovich (1914-1917), W. H. Weber (1917-1918), A. K. Meister (1918-1921), A. N. Ryabinin (1921-1923), N. N. Yakovlev (1923-1926), D . I. Mushketov (1926-1929).

In December 1882 was published the first issue of the "Bulletin of the Geological Committee." Main results of Geolkom’s activity were regularly published in the Bulletin of the Geological Committee in the form of annual reports.

In 1912, Nicholas II approved the law previously approved by the State Council and the State Duma "On the Statute of the Geological Committee and the staff of the committee." It essentially left unchanged the main grounds on which were built the Regulations on the Geological Committee in 1882 and 1897.

From 1918 Geolkom had been under the authority of the Supreme Economic Council (SEC). In 1929, the Geological Committee was detached from the Scientific and Technical Department of the Supreme Economic Council and transformed into the Main Geological Exploration Department (GGRU) directly subordinate to the Presidium of the Supreme Economic Council. As a result, in January 1930 Geolkom was abolished, the coordination and planning of exploration work was entrusted to the Main Geological Exploration Department in Moscow (GGRU) and the research team of geologists in Leningrad was reorganized into the Central Research Geological Exploration Institute (TsNIGRI), in addition to which there were also created 7 more scientific institutes.

In 1939 TsNIGRI was transformed into the All-Union (at present All-Russian) Research Geological Institute (VSEGEI). In 1982, the year of centenary of the Institute, it was named in honor of the President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Alexander Petrovich Karpinsky.

Today, VSEGEI is in charge of the state geological mapping of the territory of the Russian Federation, provides geological data to public authorities and subsoil users.

Lit.: Вернадский В. И. «Коренные изменения неизбежны...». Дневник 1941 года // Новый Мир. 1995. № 5; Выдающиеся отечественные геологи. Л., 1978; Выдающиеся учёные Геологического комитета – ВСЕГЕИ. Л., 1982; Клеопов И. Л. Геологический комитет, 1882-1929 гг. История геологии в России. М., 1964; Хабаков А. В. Деятельность Геологического комитета в России // Тр. института естествознания и техники АН СССР. Т. 27. М., 1959.

Всероссийский научно-исследовательский геологический институт им. А. П. Карпинского: сайт. Б. д. URL: http://www.vsegei.ru/ru/.