History of the Development of the Hydrometeorological Service of Belarus

Throughout all ages, humanity has demonstrated a deep interest in nature, its extreme weather conditions, and phenomena. Information about the most remarkable climatic events in the past on the territory of Belarus can be gleaned from Old Russian and Belarusian-Lithuanian chronicles.

Note. For example: the Nikon and Laurentian Chronicles – in Minsk, during the historically famous Battle on the Nemiga River in 1067 (1066) on March 3, there was "a great snow, a severe winter and terrible cold"; the Hypatian Chronicle – in 1190, "during the winter in Pinsk it was warm, the snow melted"; the South Russian Chronicle – in 1694 on August 3, "near Vitebsk there was a great hailstorm that destroyed all the crops in the fields"; in 1698, "there was a strong storm in Vitebsk."
19th Century. Meteorological observations were organized in Mogilev in 1808, in Vitebsk in 1810, in Brest in 1834, in Bobruisk and Svisloch in 1836, in Grodno in 1837, in Gorki in 1841, and in Minsk in 1849.
On April 1, 1849, by decree of Nicholas I, the Main Physical Observatory (MPO) was established in St. Petersburg on the initiative of Academician Adolph Theodor Kupffer. The eight meteorological stations opened in the aforementioned locations became part of the MPO's reference network. After the organization of the observatory, the meteorological network began to develop more actively. The year 1886 marked a sharp growth of the meteorological network on the territory of the Belarusian provinces – 45 meteorological observation points belonging to various departments were in operation.

Meteorological observation materials, starting from 1850, were published in the "Compendium of MPO Observations," and from 1865 to 1910, they were regularly included in the "Annals of the MPO." In 1895, these annals contained observational materials from 17 stations, and in 1897, data from 21 stations located on Belarusian territory were published. Including third-class stations, weather observations were carried out at nearly 100 points across the Belarusian provinces that year. In 1906, the number of stations published in the GPO Annals increased even further – to 43 (of which 38 were within the modern borders of Belarus).
The first hydrological studies of Belarusian rivers began in the early 18th century, when waterways began to be developed and navigable canals were being constructed. More systematic studies of Belarusian rivers began with the establishment of the Main Administration of Water Communications of Russia. Observations of river ice breakup and freeze-up were first organized in Belarus at the beginning of the 19th century (1808). The first stationary hydrological posts were opened on major rivers of Belarus for navigation purposes in 1876. The study of the rivers of Belarusian Polesia was carried out for an extended period (1873–1898) by the "Western Expedition for Drainage of Swamps" under the leadership of I.I. Zhilinsky. The first official publication to present the results of observations at hydrological posts in Belarus was the "Information on Water Level Conditions on Rivers and Lakes of European Russia Based on Observations at 80 Water Gauge Posts" (1881). Subsequently, from 1881 to 1910, observational materials from the hydrological network, organized by decade, were published in the issues of "Information on Water Levels on Inland Waterways of Russia."
20th century. By 1914, there were 27 meteorological stations, 65 rain gauge posts, and 63 water gauge posts operating in Belarus, belonging to various departments.
Note. This number includes only observation points located within the territory corresponding to the modern Republic of Belarus; the remaining points remained outside the country after the territorial divisions. In total, for example, the meteorological network of the Belarusian provinces included 44 second-class stations and 76 third-class stations. During the period of the First World War and the Civil War, the geography of the hydrometeorological network on the territory of Belarus changed significantly: many meteorological stations and posts ceased operations, were destroyed, and hydrological observations stopped.
Note. Interesting facts.
The Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in 1914–1916 was located near Baranovichi in specially equipped trains. The Headquarters received complete climatic information, as well as information on weather and hydrological conditions in the front-line areas. A meteorological station operated near the Konstantinovsky Headquarters in the Izabellino-Pruzhany area. Meteorological and hydrological departments worked in Minsk at the Headquarters of the Western Front.

Issues related to the establishment of a new hydrometeorological service began to be addressed from the first days after the October Revolution. On June 21, 1921, the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR issued a decree "On the Organization of the Meteorological Service in the RSFSR," signed by V.I. Lenin, which clearly defined the tasks of the Russian hydrometeorological service. Similar work was carried out in all republics that became part of the union state from 1922 onward, including Belarus. In 1919, only 7 stations, belonging to various departments, were operating in Belarus. In 1921, the operation of 8 water gauge and 2 rain gauge posts was resumed. At that time, hydrometeorological observation points were primarily subordinate to the People's Commissariat of Agriculture (Narkomzem or NKZ) and the People's Commissariat of Railways (Narkomput or NKPS). The meteorological stations in Gorki, Vasilevichi, Maryina Gorka, and Novoye Korolevo remained under the jurisdiction of the GPO. On June 2, 1923, a decision was made regarding the need to organize Belarus's own network of meteorological observations. The newly created network was planned to include the existing network of meteorological stations and posts belonging to the People's Commissariat of Railways – 7 second-class stations and 2 third-class stations.
On July 1, 1924, the Meteorological Bureau under the Experimental Department of Narkomzem began its work. The primary task of the Meteorological Bureau was to provide management and ensure the normal functioning of the existing own and departmental hydrometeorological units of the BSSR, to collect and process the obtained materials, to disseminate necessary hydrometeorological information to interested departments and organizations, and to develop a scientifically based network of stations and posts. Professor N.P. Myshkin was appointed head of the Meteorological Bureau.

Myshkin Nikolay Pavlovich (1864–1936)

July 1, 1924, can be considered the date of the establishment of the Hydrometeorological Service of Belarus. At the very beginning of its operations, the Meteorological Bureau began processing observations from the meteorological network, and materials in the format of the MPO Annals began to be published in 1925. In April 1925, the first Belarusian Weather Bulletin was issued. In July 1926, the first pilot balloon was launched in Minsk. Starting in 1926, agrometeorological observations began, and research work on hail damage was initiated. In early 1927, the Meteorological Bureau was attached to the Belarusian Research Institute of Agriculture and Forestry under the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR and became part of the Belarusian Geophysical Service organized by the Institute. In 1928, it was transformed into the Department of the Meteorological Station Network of Belgeofiz, which verified and processed observational data from 80 meteorological stations of the republic, compiled monthly weather reviews and assessments of its impact on the condition of crops and grasses, among other tasks.
Note. According to data from the Meteorological Bureau as of February 1, 1927, the following existed on the territory of the BSSR:
20 second-class stations, of which four were maintained by the Main Physical Observatory, seven by the People's Commissariat of Railways of the USSR, and nine by the People's Commissariat of Agriculture of the BSSR;
two aerological (pilot balloon) stations (Minsk and Gorki);
37 rain and snow gauge posts, of which 5 belonged to the MPO, 2 to the People's Commissariat of Railways of the USSR, and 30 to the People's Commissariat of Agriculture of the BSSR;
40 water and rain gauge posts belonging to the Land Management and Reclamation Department of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture of the BSSR;
15 snow gauge posts of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture of the BSSR;
7 water gauge points.
From 1928, the supervision of hydrological work in the republic was entrusted to the hydrological division of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture. That same year, all meteorological stations maintained by the MPO came under the authority of the Meteorological Bureau of the BSSR. The issue of uniting the entire network under a single state body arose.
1930. The Belarusian Hydrometeorological Institute as part of the Hydrometeorological Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR.
The resolution of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR of August 7, 1929, No. 468 "On the Unification of the Hydrological and Meteorological Services and the Creation of a Unified Service in the Country with the Governing Body – the Hydrometeorological Committee of the USSR" was very timely. In Belarus, in accordance with the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR, a republican Hydrometeorological Committee was established, and a regulation was approved for organizing a unified hydrometeorological service on the territory of the BSSR and ensuring its optimal support for all sectors of the national economy and defense (dated March 23, No. 120).
Under the Hydrometeorological Committee, by Resolution No. 170 of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR of July 3, 1930, it was decided to create the Belarusian Hydrometeorological Institute, which included: the Belarusian Geophysical Service of the Research Institute of Agriculture and Forestry with its network of meteorological stations; the network of meteorological stations of the People's Commissariat of Railways and experimental stations; the hydrological division of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture with its network of water gauge and rain gauge posts, and later the network of water posts of the Dnipro River Transport and other institutions. To facilitate the operation of the new institute, P.N. Adamov was invited.