in Paris, there was the Society of Russian Military Antiquities Enthusiasts, which published 50 issues of the Military Historical Bulletin. Thus, the traditions of the Imperial Russian Military Historical Society and other military scientific associations of the tsarist Russia became an important part of the corporate culture of the Russian military emigration, its scientific and publishing heritage, and found their continuation in the activities of modern Russian historical and cultural organizations like the RMHS and the Russian Historical Society.
Numerous members of the pre-revolutionary Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society also found themselves in exile after 1917. In particular, the grandfather of Nikita Lobanov-Rostovsky, the Deputy Chairman of the International Council of Russian Compatriots (ICRC), was Treasurer of the Society before the revolution. At the same time, the Palestinian society continued to exist as a research orientalist structure within the system of the USSR Academy of Sciences. (In 1992, it was returned the former name and functions of the manager of pilgrimage trips of Russians to the Holy Land).
Accordingly, the management and the members of these organizations hold dear both their own, corporate historical tradition, and the very idea of preserving historical memory, including the objective interpretation of documentary evidence of the past, recovering the memory of forgotten names and dates, the protection of national history from accidental distortion and intentional falsification.
The acknowledgment of the Russia Abroad by the public as an integral part of Russian history and an important component of cultural and scientific life in modern Russia has become one of the tasks of the Russian Historical Society is a. In the summer of 2012, ITAR-TASS circulated a statement by the State Duma Speaker Sergey Naryshkin about the upcoming revival of the RHS:
Creating, or rather recreating, the Russian Historical a decision long overdue. We must do everything to ensure that events under its auspices are not diurnal, but a basis for sustainable traditions. The same was once attempted by our predecessors from the Imperial Russian Historical Society.
Sergey Naryshkin also stressed that the emigrant period in the history of RHS deserves special attention and respect, because “even in those difficult circumstances, members of the Society did a lot to preserve our historical memory.” This message was posted on the Russkiy Mir portal and in the Russian-speaking foreign media.[21]
On June 20, 2012, the Reception House of the Government of the Russian Federation held the first meeting of the Russian Historical Society, with T1 leading Russian educational, scientific and cultural institutions, research funds, and mass media as its founders. The meeting was attended by heads of federal executive bodies, members of the Council of Federation, members of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, representatives of public organizations and the scientific and expert community. The Speaker of the State Duma Sergey Naryshkin, elected Chairman of the RHS, noted that an important task for the Historical Society will be ‘strengthening ties with compatriots abroad. Among other things, to preserve the memory of those who found themselves abroad in the aftermath of the revolution and civil war. And also – to return relics and documents directly related to landmark historical events back to our country.’[22] In his speech, Sergey Naryshkin also emphasized the importance of updating the experience of the past decades and its relevance in the process of modern development of Russia and the Russian world.
The main activity of the RHS as the largest and most reputable association of intellectual elites is to support the most significant educational and scientific projects, including those concerned with the development of international cultural dialogue within the Russian world. Since its creation, the RHS and, personally, its Chairman Sergey Naryshkin, have taken an active part in developing cultural dialogue with the world of Russian compatriots abroad, such as holding international conferences and round tables, preparing for historical, documentary, and art exhibitions related to the topic of Russian emigration in 19th-20th centuries and today’s Russian community abroad.
With the support of the RHS, international-level projects involving representatives of the Russian community abroad are being implemented in various cities of Russia, for instance the Franco-Russian workshop “France-Russia, 1914–1918: from alliance to cooperation” held in 2014 in Yaroslavl. On October 20, 2015, a self-titled collection of the workshop outcomes was presented in the residence of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Paris.
Scientific and information work of the RHS involves publication of new books on historical subjects, including studies in the held of history of the Russian community abroad, as well as reprints of masterpieces of science and social thought of the Russian emigration of 19th and 20th centuries. So, for example, the RHS website regularly posts information about the books by Kuchkovo Pole Publishing released under its auspices.
The fact that a topic related to the Russian community abroad has so much importance for the RHS is due not only to the conceptual framework for its work, but also to the presence of organizations and establishments directly connected with the world of Russian compatriots living abroad that are among its founders, such as Russkiy Mir Foundation, the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, the Russian Historical Society Abroad etc. The list of legal entities that are members of the RHS includes the Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lomonosov Moscow State University and Russian State University for the Humanities which have centres for studies on Russian history and culture of Russian community abroad. The members of the Russian Historical Society are Alexander Solzhenitsyn House of Russia Abroad, the Russian Book Union and a number of other organizations engaged in dissemination of Russian books and other cultural and educational activities abroad. Besides, there are plans under way to establish the RHS structures in the Near and Far Abroad. In June 2015, during a meeting of Russian and Belarusian historians at Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, a proposal was made to set up a representative office of the Russian Historical Society at the University of Grodno. The idea was supported by the Chairman of the RHS Sergey Naryshkin, State Secretary of the Union State Grigory Rapota and the entire scientific and historical community. The activities of the RHS branch in Belarus that are to be managed by the Faculty of History, Communication and Tourism of Yanka Kupala State University and the Russian State University for the Humanities will certainly play a positive role in expanding the involvement of Russian compatriots living in Belarus in historical and cultural events and in spreading historical knowledge.
The Decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin No.1710 of December 29, 2012 established the Russian Military Historical Society (RMHS). It inherited the most important functions and activities of the Imperial Russian Military Historical Society that existed before the Russian Revolution. According to the RMHS Charter, its objectives are “to consolidate the forces of State and society in studying Russia’s military and historical past, to promote the study of Russian military history, to counter attempts to distort it, to ensure the popularization of achievements in military and historical science, to foster patriotism, to improve the status of military service and to preserve the objects of military and historical cultural heritage.” The Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky was elected Chairman of the RMHS at the Founding Congress held on March 14, 2013 in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill. Among the members of the Council of the RMHS are the Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu, the Minister of the Interior Vladimir Kolokoltsev, heads of several other ministries and departments, as well as representatives of large businesses known for their charity in the held of culture and art: Renova Group CEO Viktor Vekselberg, JSFC Sistema major shareholder Vladimir Yevtushenkov, Chairman of the Management Board of JSC Transneft Nikolay Tokarev, St Andrew the First-Called Foundation Chairman Vladimir Yakunin et al.
In his address to the participants of the RMHS Founding Congress, President Vladimir Putin said, inter alia:
It is very nice that today, the work of similar organizations is being revived. As you know, we already have active Orthodox Palestinian Society, Russian Geographical Society, Russian Historical Society, and now we have Russian Military Historical Society as well. Many of you worked actively in these areas even before this Society was revived, and up to this day. Now, I will have the pleasure of fulfilling my honourable duty as head of state in presenting many of you