Important dates in the history of the Navigation and Topographic service of the Armed Forces
I period
1711 - introduction of quartermaster officer posts in the staff of the combined-arms headquarters, whose duty was to provide the troops with information about the terrain.
1716 - “Military Statute”of Peter I defined the duties of the quartermaster-general.
1763 - groups of officer-surveyors were established under the General Staff.
1797 - the Depot of Maps was established.
II period
1812 г. - the Depot of Maps was renamed the Military Topographical Depot
1822 - the Corps of Topographers was established at the General Staff. On 22 October, the Topographers’ School was established.
1854 - a geodesic department was opened at the Nicholas Academy of the General Staff.
1877 - The Corps of Topographers was renamed the Corps of Military Topographers.
III period
1918 г. - The Corps of Military Topographers was renamed the Corps of Military Topographers of the Red Army.
1919 - the geodesic department of the General Staff Academy was transferred to the Military Engineering Academy.
1921 - the geodesic department of the Military Engineering Academy was transformed into the Geodesic Faculty.
1923 - The name “Corps of Military Topographers” was replaced by “Military Topographic Service”. The Military Topographic Department was established under the Staff of the Red Army.
1935 - The Staff of the Red Army was reorganised into the General Staff. The Military Topographic Department became a Department of the General Staff.
1941 - the General Staff Department was renamed the Military Topographic Department of the General Staff.
IV period
1992 - the Topographic Service of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus was established on the basis of the topographic service of the Belarusian Red Banner Military District.
2001 - the Topographic Service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces was reorganised into the Topographic Support and Ground Navigation Directorate of the General Staff, and the Topographic Service of the Armed Forces into the Topographic Support and Ground Navigation Service of the Armed Forces.
2004 - the Department of topographic, geodetic Support and Ground Navigation of the General Staff of the Armed Forces was renamed the Navigation and Topographic Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the Service of topographic, geodetic and Ground Navigation of the Armed Forces was renamed the Navigation and Topographic Service of the Armed Forces.
2014 - Order No. 211 of the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Belarus of 6 March 2014 established the date of the annual holiday of the Navigation and Topographic Service of the Armed Forces — 8 May