The History of Calling and Holding the First Congress on the Studies of the Southern Ussuri Region Regarding Its Natural History

Abstract

Southern Ussuri Branch of the Russian Geographical Society’s Amur (Priamurye) Regional Division (Nikolsk-Ussuriуsky) was a research organization that operated in the Primorsky region of Russia in the early 20th century. It was there that an idea to call the First Congress on the Studies of the Southern Ussuri Region Regarding Its Natural History, where local specialists in regional studies – both professional and amateur – could report the results of their studies, arose in November 1921. The steering committee chaired by I. P. Tolmachev, created together with the Society for the Studies of the Amur Region (Vladivostok), developed the framework for the Congress and sent out the invitations. The first forum of regional studies researchers was held in Nikolsk-Ussuriуsky on April 18–23, 1922. Its scope included introducing the research conducted by local organizations involved in regional studies and formulating the main tasks for these studies in the region. Among the Congress participants were the representatives of educational institutions, governmental and non-governmental organizations. The sessions were held at the women’s teachers’ training college and the exhibition of the items provided by the Congress participants was organized at the women’s gymnasium. There were six sections: physical geography, geology and mining; botany; zoology; ethnography and history; teaching, and general issues. A total of 90 presentations were delivered many of which were devoted to teaching. Among the participants were the researchers who later became the renowned naturalists and scientists: V. K. Arseniev, A. A. Yemelyanov, B. A. Ivashkevich, I. P. Tolmachev, I. K. Shishkin and others. This congress was the first attempt at uniting and coordinating regional research in the Primorye region. The implementation of this idea, however, only became possible after the Far-East Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences was created.