History and current state of phenology in Russia
Phenology is the science of seasonal rhythm in nature, which is related to several fields of geography and biology and other natural sciences. In Russia, phenological monitoring has been being carried out since XVIII century. Since 1848, the activities of volunteer phenologists are coordinated by the Russian Geographical Society. In 1955 a special Phenological Division of RGS was organized to manage the phenological network and research and to promote phenological education. Since the early 2000-ies, Russia is involved in international phenological projects including those related to climatic changes. Projects of using phenological records, which are filed in RGS archives, in current economy and further studies have been put forward. At present, phenology in Russia is in plight and deserves more attention of the scientific community.