November 13 marks 170 years since the birth of Albert I, Prince of Monaco, an honorary member of the Russian Geographical Society, a tireless researcher, whose works made a significant contribution to the development of geography, oceanography and paleontology.
Albert Honoré Charles Grimaldi was born in Paris in 1848. From an early age the young man was interested in studying the deep sea and received his nickname "Prince of the sea". As a young man, Prince Albert served in the Spanish Navy for several years. During the Franco-Prussian war, he fought on the side of the French and was awarded the Legion of Honor.
At the end of military service, the future Prince was interested in studying the oceans. It was his passion for Oceanography that allowed Albert I to leave a significant mark in the world science. He personally participated in 28 expeditions in the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea. He He went on expeditions to Spitsbergen to learn more about the local flora and fauna. On this island he would write:
"I felt genuine happiness to see once again the severe melancholy of Arctic landscapes. At this point, the body and the soul harden in the grand battle and the mind becomes serene and clear as in the years of early youth.”
During one of his travels, Albert I discovered a small shelf around the Azores archipelago, near Portugal. The place was named “Princess Alice’s shelf” after the ship that carried out the expedition.
Albert I is also known as an author and publicist. The Prince released a book on the results of his expeditions. It was published under the title “The Navigator’s path” and was very popular.
Under the direction of Albert I, the first maps of the world’s ocean depths were created. They were so precise and accurate that they served until 1944. Later maps were updated, but Prince Albert’s version was still used as a basis.
Albert wanted to share all the knowledge and discoveries he had accumulated in the 28 expeditions prior to his taking the throne. As a result, the Monaco Oceanographic Museum was opened in 1910. Up to this day it is known and recognized worldwide for its rich collections. Six months after the opening, on 23 January, 1911, the Institute of Oceanography was opened in Paris, on the initiative of Prince Albert I.
However, oceanography was not the only science that attracted the Prince’s inquisitive mind. He was also interested in anthropology and paleontology. The Anthropological Museum was thus opened in Paris in 1902. And a year later, the Institute of Human Paleontology.
All his discoveries were recognised by the world scientific community. In 1909 Prince Albert I was elected member of the British Academy of Sciences and in 1921 he received an honourary gold medal from the American Geographical Society where he was referred to as “Prince Scientist.” Moreover, Albert I is an honorary member of the Russian Geographical Society.
Today, the scientific dialogue between Russia and Monaco, started by Albert I, continues. In 2016, an agreement on cooperation was signed between the Society and the Foundation of the Prince’s great-grandson, member of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society Prince Albert II. According to the agreement, the Society and the Foundation shall cooperation on ecological, environmental and various scientific projects.