Prince Michael of Kent paid a visit to the Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society

Prince Michael of Kent gets acquainted with maps from the collection of the Russian Geographical Society.  Photo: Tatyana Nikolaeva
Prince Michael of Kent gets acquainted with maps from the collection of the Russian Geographical Society. Photo: Tatyana Nikolaeva

On November 16, the Prince Michael of Kent visited the historic Headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg. The visit took place within participation of the royal family member in the VI St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum which takes place in the Northern capital of Russia from November 16 to 18. Thousands of experts on culture from around the world attend the forum annually. Artists, directors, musicians, public figures, scientists and representatives of business circles are among them.

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Left to right: Prince Michael of Kent and Vice President of the Russian Geographical Society Kirill Chistyakov. Photo: Tatyana Nikolaeva
Left to right: Prince Michael of Kent and Vice President of the Russian Geographical Society Kirill Chistyakov. Photo: Tatyana Nikolaeva

Michael of Kent is the grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and the gradnephew of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II. The prince received his name in honor of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, the younger brother of the last Russian emperor. Michael of Kent is actively involved in charity work. In 2004, in Russia, he launched a fund that supports projects in the field of culture, education, healthcare, preservation of historical and cultural heritage.

The noble guest visited the exposition dedicated to the 170th anniversary of Pyotr Semenov-Tian-Shansky, as well as the exhibition "Smuggling. Three Centuries Under the Sea". In addition, he visited the Scientific Library of the Russian Geographical Society, where the staff presented the works of the first complex expedition to the North Urals and to the Pay-Khoy ridge from the personal library of great-great-grandfather of Michael of Kent and the first chairman of the Russian Geographical Society, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich.

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Prince Michael of Kent at the Science Library of the Russian Geographical Society. Photo: Tatyana Nikolaeva
Prince Michael of Kent at the Science Library of the Russian Geographical Society. Photo: Tatyana Nikolaeva

The prince got acquainted with other rarities from the collection of the Russian Geographical Society - Ptolemy's maps published in the middle of the 16th century, as well as maps of the discoveries of Russian navigators printed in the 18th century. Among the materials of the Scientific Archives, the Prince was especially interested in the first list of the Honorary Members of the Russian Geographical Society, among which the geologist and traveler Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, who became the Honorary Member of the Russian Geographical Society in 1846, is listed. A few years later, the geographical societies of Russia and Great Britain started their interaction.

When in Russia, the Prince of Kent tries to speak Russian, and he followed the same good habit during his visit to the Russian Geographical Society. The prince noted the long-standing relationship between the English and Russian geographers and suggested developing cooperation at a new level. 

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Prince Michael of Kent in the Scientific Archive of the Russian Geographical Society. Photo: Tatyana Nikolaeva
Prince Michael of Kent in the Scientific Archive of the Russian Geographical Society. Photo: Tatyana Nikolaeva