Draft:Vitaly Ivanovich Romishevsky



Vitaly Ivanovich Romishevsky was born in 1876 and graduated from St. Petersburg University in 1902 with a degree in law. From 1918 to 1924, he served as the head of the organizational and training department at the Main Archive, and from 1924 to 1930, he was the curator of the museum funds department at the Leningrad branch of Glavnauka. From 1930 until his death, he held various senior positions within the central apparatus of the geographical society. In July 1941, Romishevsky became a member of the plenipotentiary committee of the Geographical Society, to which the authority of the presidency and council of the society were temporarily transferred during wartime. During the siege of Leningrad, Romishevsky served as a scientific secretary for the presidency, alongside Z. Y. Shokalskaya. They were the only two members of the leadership who remained in the city throughout the war years. Since March 1943, they were assisted by Professor I. D.Zhongolovich. In the autumn of 1941, V.I. Romishevsky relocated to the building of the Geographical Society, which was mostly occupied by Military Hospital No. 2010 at the time. Since then, he became an "indispensable duty officer," as he himself admitted. This circumstance significantly influenced the content of the diary he kept. The first entries date back to August 1941 and the last one -  to February 1946, covering a period of five years. The diary contained records of his daily activities related to his work and also reflected the observations, emotions, and moods of the people of Leningrad during the challenging times of the siege. Romishevsky's dedication to his duties during the siege of Leningrad significantly contributed to the continuation of the Geographical Society's activities and the preservation of its members' and employees' morale. His constant presence, attention to detail, and keeping a record of the difficulties and challenges of that time allow us to infer his high level of responsibility and dedication to his work. Romishevsky's diary entries have become a valuable resource for understanding life and work during the siege of Leningrad. On October 18, 1943, V. I. Romishevcky was awarded the Medal "For the Defense of Leningrad".