Who is Przewalski? He was a famous Russian forwarder. Over the years of his life, he became a pioneer explorer of the lands of Central Asia, which captivated him with his nature. Przhevalsky had a special talent to contemplate and collect various geographical and natural science facts, thereby combining them together using the method of comparison. Also, Nikolai Mikhailovich became known thanks to comparative physical geography, which, accordingly, originated in the first half of the 19th century. The scientific merits of Przhevalsky are invaluable. This man had an amazing fate, but did he suspect, as a child, that he would have such a complicated and adventurous famous life waiting for him? About the research activities of Przhevalsky we will lead the speech in the article.
Brief Biographical Information
Biography of Przhevalsky N. M. began in the spring, March 31 (April 12), 1839 in the village of Kimborovo, a municipality in the Seversky district of the Krasnodar Territory, in the family of a small landowner. In order to avoid ridicule about his date of birth, the traveler always indicated the date one day earlier. The Przhevalsky family was not rich; at the age of six, he had already lost his father. His mother was directly involved in his upbringing, she was smart and moderately strict, but at the same time she gave her son freedom: she did not forbid her son to be on the street in completely different weather, to walk in thickets and in swamps. Nikolai Mikhailovich had a favorite nanny, whose name was Olga Makaryevna. He loved her as his mother and saved her affection and tenderness.
Youth of Przhevalsky
From a very early age Przhevalsky was engaged in hunting, having a special passion for this, which he retained until the end of his life. Hunting hardened him and developed love and closeness to nature. Nikolai was observant, patient and hardy enough. He also loved to read books. Favorite works were those where there was a description about travel, nature, tales of animals and animals, information related to geography. Przhevalsky loved reading so much that he remembered literally every detail from what he read. At the age of 16, he decides to serve in the Belev army, but military affairs did not live up to his expectations. There, he saw only the constant entertainment and rampant officers. That is what changed his life and views on human society.
Education
As the biography tells, Przhevalsky N. M. graduated from the Smolensk educational institution at the age of sixteen. The Crimean War began. And as a young man, he had to go to the army as a private. At 22, he studied at the Military Academy, and at the end he was again sent to the Polotsk regiment. Even at the academy, N. M. Przhevalsky compiled a “Static Military Survey of the Amur Region”, which served as a huge change in his life. His work was appreciated in the Russian Geographical Community, which led to his selection as a member of the Society at the age of 25 years. This was only the beginning of the life that he had always dreamed of.
Start of work
From an early age, Nikolai Mikhailovich wanted to travel. As soon as the opportunity arose, and he managed to be in Warsaw, having left the regiment, he became a teacher in a military institution and sent all the money he earned to prepare for the expedition. Przhevalsky’s life was going on in a tough mode: he worked at the University Museum of Zoology, a reading room and a botanical garden.
Nikolai Mikhailovich always responsibly fulfilled his duties and strictly approached positions, and especially to teaching. He was anxiously preparing for classes, with full pleasure told his subject, which turned out to be quite entertaining and fascinating. Przewalski was also able to publish his own textbook on geography. Subsequently, his book was a success in military and civilian institutions.
In 1867, Przewalski moved from Warsaw to St. Petersburg. Only there he submitted to the All-Russian Public Organization of the Russian Geographical Society his idea of traveling to Central Asia. But, unfortunately, there was no support. In response to his plan, he was only provided with letters recommending contact with the authorities of Eastern Siberia. Nikolai Mikhailovich went on a business trip to the Ussuri Territory, which joined Russia. Przhevalsky was instructed to familiarize himself with the distribution of troops and to correct information on the number and condition of Russian settlements, including Korean ones, as well as to explore the routes that lead to the borders, to correct and expand the route map. In addition, there was permission to conduct various surveys.
First trip
Thanks to a business trip to Ussuri, Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich provided an excellent description of the region. He pictorially and in all its beauty presented the geographical advantages of the Ussuri Territory. Przhevalsky well characterized the essence of the Far East. He was interested in the exceptions of the Khankai plains due to their noble lands, wide pastures and unlimited wealth of fish and birds.
Nikolai Mikhailovich considered his first expedition an advance reconnaissance before his most difficult exits to Central Asia. This helped him make an impression of himself as a skilled explorer traveler. Literally after that, he began to take care of allowing him an expeditionary expedition to the northern part of China and the eastern regions of southern Mongolia. It was here that Przhevalsky managed to publish his first book, entitled "Expedition in the Ussuri Territory." This publication was a great sensation among the people and many prominent people, moreover, it took into account tables of meteorological observations, as well as statistics tables of the Cossack settlement in the places of Ussuri, a similar table of the settlement of peasants in the South Ussuri Territory, and a table with information from three Korean settlements. Also in this publication were presented more than 200 species of birds (of which many were discovered by Przewalski himself). In addition, Nikolai Mikhailovich collected about ten skins of mammals and more than 250 species of various plants, as well as more than 70 species of seeds.
Literally in the month of July 1870, the Big Order was held for the expedition of Przhevalsky to Mongolia for 3 years. The expedition to China in Mongolia really lasted about three years, from 1870 to 1873. During this time, more than 10,000 kilometers were covered. During the passage of this route, eye surveys were carried out, due to which a map was compiled for more than 20 sheets of small size. Magnetic and meteorological studies were carried out every day, and luxurious zoological and botanical collections were also collected. Based on the new materials of Przhevalsky, it was possible to substantially specify the map of Asia.
Second expedition
The second expedition of Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky began in 1876. Thanks to this research journey, Przhevalsky was able to well strengthen his fame as a hefty and excellent forwarder. Even before the completion of the processing of the materials of his research, Przhevalsky had already begun preparations for a new expedition. This trip was supposed to be very large-scale, as it was necessary to explore both Tibet and Lhasa. About nine people went on an expedition, but they did not succeed in getting to Tibet. This was prevented by the illness of the newsletter manager and its participants. The judgment of his second study on Central Asia Przhevalsky was rather short. But a certain fraction of the materials of this expedition was included in the description of the fourth.
Third expedition
At the age of forty, N. M. Przhevalsky went on his next trip to Central Asia. Then everyone already knew who Przhevalsky was. He described the first review of his impression as if he had fallen into another world, which is full of large animals. The crossings of travelers of 13 people were quite difficult and at the end of 1879 they finally conquered the pass through a hill called Tan-la. A few kilometers from Lhasa, forwarders tied up by Tibetan officials. After lengthy conversations, Przhevalsky was obliged to return.
After this study, Przewalski gained a large number of honest titles and titles, grateful criticism and steps. He decides to retire to the tract and proceeds to process the new material received.
Fourth journey
The fourth journey of Przhevalsky was called “The Second Tibetan Journey” and it lasted about two years. And again Przhevalsky and his expedition had to explore Tibet, make new discoveries and plunge into the next adventure. Researchers have published new species of birds, mammals, insects, fish, as well as many new plants.
After exploring the Tibetan plateau, travelers came to Lob-nor and Tarim. Then the forwarders reached Cherchen, then later to Keria, and from there they came to Karakol to Issyk-Kul Lake. This journey was the most productive in the life of Przhevalsky.
After the expedition, Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky issues a new edition called “From Kyakhta to the headwaters of the Yellow River”, where passage through the northern parts of Tibet was described with all the details.
The last years of the life of a great traveler
Nothing could hold Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky in place: neither reverence, nor fame, nor financial independence. His passion for research was the most important thing in life. Already in the spring of 1888, he completed a description of his fourth expedition, and literally in April received approval for a new exploratory trip to Lhasa. In less than 50 years, Przhevalsky sets off on his fifth journey. At the end of the year he was in Karakol, where the expedition was assembled and the group prepared for the study. But Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky did not have the opportunity to continue his expedition.
In November 1888, he died of typhus on November 1, right at the hands of his fellow researchers. Before dying, the Russian traveler Przhevalsky requested that he be buried in expeditionary form on the shore of Issyk-Kul. His companions chose for burial a picturesque place on this shore, on the steeper, where there was a beautiful view of the lake and nearby places.
A memorial was later erected directly from small pieces of local marble directly on the grave, with the inscription “Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, born on 03/31/1839, and died on 10/20/1888. The first nature researcher in Central Asia. ”
Everyone found out who Przewalski was thanks to his expeditions. He was nicknamed the great traveler. In general, he went through five expeditions, which took him about 11 years of his life. The total length of its path is approximately 32 thousand kilometers. During the expeditions, Nikolai Mikhailovich collected many exhibits of the zoological collection, discovered many species of animals, such as: wild camel, wild horse Przhevalsky, Tibetan brown bear and others.
His collection of plants is represented in 15 thousand units of plant species. Most people are still struck by his collection of minerals. He received many worthy rewards. During his life he was elected a scientist of more than one higher educational institution, and also became an honorary member of 24 scientific organizations in many countries, as well as a citizen of St. Petersburg and Smolensk.
Interesting Facts
Throughout his life, N. M. Przhevalsky made many expeditionary trips to make discoveries known to the whole world. Even anticipating the end of his fascinating life, he was still going on his last trip.
In those places where N.M. Przhevalsky was born, a memorable distinction was erected, and on the site of his grave, near the town of Karakol, a memorial was installed on the model of Bilderling's project. Also, in memory of his work, a memorial was erected in the Alexander Garden in the city of St. Petersburg.
In 1891, a Przhevalsky medal was created from silver. In 1946, a gold medal of his name was already issued.
In the days of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, no one also forgot who Przewalski is. Not far from his grave was designed, and later a museum was opened, which incorporated the history of life and the work done by N. M. Przhevalsky.
In 1999, Russian banks issued a batch of commemorative coins in honor of the famous freight forwarder, in memory of his research and discoveries.
Thanks to the discoveries of N. M. Przhevalsky, some geographical objects got their name. Of these: the Przhevalsky Upland, the Przhevalsky Ridge in Altai. Some species of animals and plants are also named after him. For example: Przhevalsky’s horse, Przhevalsky’s pestle and Przhevalsky’s buzulnik.
Another important fact is that the city of Karakol, from about 1889 to 1922. and from 1939 to 1992 it was called Przhevalsk.
In memory of Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich several streets were named in Russia, for example, in Moscow, Minsk and Smolensk. There is also an educational institution named after Przhevalsky, located in the city of Smolensk.
In the Primorsky Territory, the mountains that bear the name of the Przhevalsky Uplands are named after Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. Also, an underground passage near the city of Nakhodka and an array with rocks in a catchment called Partizansky were awarded his name.