In the course of some general discussion, the idea of dividing the Chamber into British and Russian Sections respectively was generally approved, and also that four Honorary Presidents should be appointed, two being Russian and two British.

The Chairman suggested that it would be desirable to issue a Circular inviting persons, firms and Companies to join the Chamber"

The excerpt above, taken from the minutes of the first meeting of the Chamber's organising committee, held at the Imperial Russian Consulate in London on June 21st, 1916, marks the creation of today's RBCC. The Chamber was envisaged from the very first as a bilateral organisation, working to develop trade and cooperation on behalf of both its British and Russian members, a tradition which is upheld to this day.

Since its inception, the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce has seen many changes, and faced many challenges. In the first issue of the RBCC Journal, published in February 1919, our then editor - one Captain A.H. Mitford, addressed his readers with gloomy news:

"Shortly after the commencement of the year 1918, trade with Russia entirely ceased, and the useful activities of this Chamber were consequently very much limited"

However, Capt. Mitford went on to stress, all was not lost: it had become apparent later in the year that trade would nevertheless continue, albeit restricted at first to Siberia only. The decision was therefore taken by the Chamber's Executive Council to launch the Journal - which of course would go on to become the RBCC Bulletin - on a positive note.

There was certainly no shortage of advertisers in the first issue - Daimler, Vickers, Great Eastern Railways and, of course, Moscow Narodny Bank, now VTB Europe were all keen to promote their products and services in this unique publication. By the release of the third issue, the Editor's Note was already more upbeat, and was also appearing in both English and Russian, as it still does today. The RBCC Bulletin quickly became one of the key sources of information and news for businessmen in both countries who wanted to keep up to date with events affecting Russo-British trade, and a very effective way for companies to promote their products and services to a new business audience.

Throughout the remainder of a century marked by further conflict and destruction, alliances and suspicion, the creation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the division of Europe, the collapse of the British Empire, the establishment of the Soviet Union as a military and industrial superpower, the fall of Communism and most recently the transition of Russia to a market economy, the business world has had to adapt to an ever-changing trading environment. The RBCC has remained a constant presence in this environment, and understands like few others the features unique to both markets.

The Chamber's sense of timing has not always been the best - after an absence of several years, the RBCC re-opened its Moscow office on the very day of the 1998 crash - but the Chamber has remained steadfast in its belief in the future of trade between Russia and the UK, and the increasing investment flow between our two countries over recent years shows that our belief is not misplaced. In 2004, the RBCC opened its St. Petersburg office, reflecting the confidence of British and international business in the potential of Russia's second capital, and North West Russia as a whole.

Today, as the only truly independent, bilateral organisation developing trade and cooperation between Russia and the UK, the RBCC is increasingly becoming one of the main channels by which Russian companies can make initial contact with reliable partners in the City of London. Equally, UK companies wanting to invest in some of Russia's most dynamic sectors, such as conumer retail, natural resources and real estate, can use the Chamber's substantial experience and wide contact-base to make sure that their efforts are directed in the most efficient way. Russia and the UK are both complex places to do business, and the RBCC's unique cultural memory, borne of almost a century's constant activity in these very markets, allows us to give the right advice to our members and partners, some of whom are working in these markets for the very first time.

The success stories, and there are many, go far beyond high-profile oil and gas investments in western Siberia and headline-making flotations on the London Stock Exchange: RBCC members in both countries are drawn from all industry sectors, from telecoms to hotels, property management to graphic design, and new opportunities are constantly emerging for fruitful cooperation.

Whether you are an international corporation or a sole trader, RBCC services are designed for a wide spectrum of companies - we are equally well placed to assist companies long established in Russia and those entering the market for the first time. With offices in London, Moscow and St. Petersburg, bilingual, commercially experienced staff, and long-standing contacts in with government and business in both countries, the Chamber is strongly placed to represent its member' interests.

Download Chamber History pdf file

The Soviet trading textile delegation in London, October 1930

The Soviet delegation in London, 1960

British-Soviet Chamber of Commerce delegation’s departure for the first annual meeting in Moscow, 1983

Secret telegram from the correspondence of Russian Ambassador to Britain Benkendorf, from the Russian Imperial Foreign Policy archive, historical documents section of the Russian Federation Foreign Ministry
The letter of King George with approval of activity of Chamber, 1916