What made Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky famous? Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky: biography, discoveries

The outstanding Russian geographer and traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky had an amazing fate; he lived an extraordinary life, full of amazing discoveries and adventures. The future naturalist was born on March 31, 1839 in the village of Kimborovo, Smolensk province. Przhevalsky's ancestors on his father's side were Zaporozhye Cossacks. And his maternal grandfather, a landless serf, was honored during his military service for the exploits of the noble class. After retiring, he acquired an estate in Kimborovo, where Nikolai Mikhailovich was born. His father, also an officer in the Russian army, died when the boy was barely seven years old. Przhevalsky himself said that after the death of their father, their family lived modestly, he grew up as a savage, and his upbringing was Spartan. The inquisitive guy's first school was the deep Smolensk forests. With a homemade bow, with a toy gun, and from the age of twelve with a real hunting gun, Nikolai walked for days in the wilds of the forest.

From the age of eight, Przhevalsky mastered literacy and voraciously read all the books that came into his hands. At the age of ten, Nikolai was sent to the Smolensk gymnasium. Studying was easy for him, and soon he became the first student in academic performance. However, the knowledge he received at the Smolensk gymnasium was not enough for him. Przhevalsky later recalled: “Despite the fact that I graduated from the course with honors, I will say, truly, I took away very little from it. Bad teaching methods and a large number of subjects made it absolutely impossible to study anything positively even with a strong desire...”

After graduating from high school, Nikolai Przhevalsky, shocked by the heroic exploits of the defenders of Sevastopol, decided to become a military man. As a non-commissioned officer, he was sent to serve in the Ryazan Infantry Regiment. And on November 24, 1856, the seventeen-year-old youth was transferred to the twenty-eighth Polotsk Infantry Regiment, located in the district town of Bely, Smolensk province. In his free time from work, Nikolai studied nature and made long hikes through local swamps and forests. During his stay in the Polotsk regiment, he collected a herbarium of most of the plants growing in the area of the city of Bely. Soon he began to have obsessive thoughts about traveling to distant lands. They pursued him day and night. Przhevalsky repeatedly told his colleagues: “I must definitely go on an expedition.” To this end, he began to scrupulously study the works of famous scientists in geography, zoology, and botany.

Finally, Nikolai submitted a request to be transferred to Amur. The authorities' response was unique - arrest for three days. After what happened, the young man chose a different path. He decided to go to study at the General Staff School, deciding that upon graduation he could easily achieve an appointment to Siberia. Amazing memory, determination and preparation, sometimes taking up to eighteen hours a day, allowed the village boy to easily pass the entrance exams. He was among the students of the General Staff Academy in St. Petersburg.

While studying at the academy, Nikolai wrote his first literary work. Under the title “Memoirs of a Hunter,” it appeared on the pages of the magazine “Hunting and Horse Breeding.” In parallel with military sciences, Nikolai Mikhailovich continued to study zoology, botany and geography. When I entered my second year, I chose the Amur region as the topic of my essay. In his work, he used both the works of famous researchers of the Amur region and books on general geography. At the conclusion of the report, Przhevalsky expressed interesting thoughts about the geographical location and features of this region. Vladimir Bezobrazov, a well-known academician, economist and publicist at that time, presented Przhevalsky’s “Military Statistical Review of the Primorsky Territory” to the Russian Geographical Society. After studying this work, on February 5, 1864, Nikolai Mikhailovich was enrolled as a full member of the society.

After graduating from the Academy, Przhevalsky was appointed adjutant to the commander of the Polotsk infantry regiment. Soon he was one of the volunteers who went to Poland to suppress the uprising. And at the end of 1864 he was transferred to teach geography at the cadet school in Warsaw. Here the military officer met the famous ornithologist Vladislav Kazimirovich Tachanovsky, who taught him how to perfectly stuff and dissect birds. And especially for the cadets, Nikolai Przhevalsky wrote a textbook on general geography, which for a long time served as a guide not only for domestic educational institutions, but also for many foreign countries.

In 1866, Przhevalsky submitted a report on transfer to Siberia. While waiting, he carefully prepared for the future journey. Finally a positive response was received. At the end of January 1867, Przhevalsky stopped in St. Petersburg and addressed the Council of the Geographical Society with a request for help in organizing the expedition. However, he was refused. Pyotr Petrovich Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, who was at that time the chairman of the Department of Physical Geography, explained the reason for this as follows: “Nikolai Przhevalsky was still a little-known figure in the scientific world. We did not dare to give him an allowance for the enterprise, moreover, to organize an entire expedition under his leadership.” Nevertheless, the traveler was promised that if he was able to make any research or discoveries in Siberia at his own expense, then upon his return he could hope for the support of the Society and even the organization of an expedition to Central Asia under his leadership.

In May 1867, Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky was sent on his first trip to Ussuri. He took as his assistant the topographer of the headquarters Yagunov, the sixteen-year-old son of an exiled villager. He taught the young man to dry plants, remove and dissect animal skins, and perform all the many duties of travelers. On May 26, they left Irkutsk and went to the Amur through Transbaikalia. Przhevalsky set himself the task of exploring and describing the Ussuri region as completely as possible. At the same time, he also had specific instructions from the military headquarters, according to which he had to collect information about the aborigines living along the Ussuri River and study the routes leading to the borders of Korea and Manchuria.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. 1876

The road to Blagoveshchensk took about two months. In Khabarovsk, Przhevalsky bought a boat and in every Cossack village he came across along the way, he took rowers in shifts. He himself, together with Yagunov, moved along the river bank, collecting plants and shooting birds. He visited the camps of the aborigines of this region, watched how they fished with the help of a spear, and hunted wild goats when they crossed the rivers. The traveler diligently wrote down all the necessary notes in his travel diary. The hard work of the “master” officer surprised the Cossacks. Przhevalsky covered the distance from Khabarovsk to the village of Busse on foot in twenty-three days. From Busse, Nikolai Mikhailovich moved to Lake Khanka, whose watery expanses made a great impression on him. Throughout August, the researcher lived on the banks of the reservoir: he hunted, collected plants, and carried out meteorological observations three times a day. In mid-September he went south to the shores of the Sea of Japan. On the shores of Posiet Bay, he met Koreans who had escaped from their masters and found refuge in neighboring Russia. In order to get to know the life of this people better, Przhevalsky, together with a translator and three oarsmen, arrived in the Korean border settlement of Kygen-Pu. However, the head of the town refused to talk about his country and ordered the travelers to return back to Russia. Seeing the pointlessness of further conversations, the detachment returned to the Novgorod post in the Bay of Posiet.

After this, Przhevalsky decided to explore the deep regions of the Ussuri region. Taking two soldiers and the faithful Yagunov, he set out on a path that no European had previously taken. By that time frosts had begun. We often had to sleep right in the snow. In order to make entries in the diary, the ink had to be heated over a fire. The detachment celebrated the New Year among deep snowdrifts in the taiga. On that day, Przhevalsky wrote: “In many places they will remember me today. But no fortune telling can tell where I am now. Perhaps the devil himself does not know the places where I wandered.” The winter transition ended on January 7, 1868. The expedition, passing along the shore of the Sea of Japan and along the Tadush River, crossed the Sikhote-Alin and reached the Ussuri River near the village of Busse. The distance traveled along the pack trail was about 1,100 kilometers. Nikolai Przhevalsky spent the spring of 1868 on Lake Khanka, where he observed mass migrations of birds, lotus blossoms and love games of red-crowned cranes. However, Przhevalsky's research was interrupted by an attack on southern Primorye by a gang of Honghuz. They killed civilians, burned three Russian villages and two posts. Przhevalsky, a military officer and a skilled shooter, took an active part in the destruction of bandits, for which he was promoted to the rank of captain. And soon he was transferred to Nikolaevsk-on-Amur and appointed senior adjutant of the headquarters of the troops of the Amur region. Here, in his free time, the naturalist processed the materials collected by the expedition. Only in February 1869 did he receive permission to return to his research. He again spent the spring and summer on his beloved Lake Khanka, studying the rivers flowing into it. And at the end of the year I went to the Northern capital.

At the Russian Geographical Society, Nikolai Mikhailovich was greeted as a research scientist who made a significant contribution to the study of nature, climate, flora and fauna of the Ussuri region, as well as the activities and life of the local population. In two years, as a passionate hunter, he collected a collection of 310 stuffed birds. In total, Przhevalsky counted 224 species of birds, of which 36 had not previously been recorded in these areas, and some were completely unknown to science. On Ussuri, Nikolai Mikhailovich was the first to see and describe a black hare and a rare plant - a dimorphant or white walnut. Together with him to St. Petersburg, he brought more than 300 species of plants (two thousand specimens), 42 types of bird eggs (550 in total), 83 types of various seeds and more than a dozen mammal skins. Przhevalsky passed two years of hiking, a kind of “exam for a traveler,” brilliantly. His lectures usually ended with applause. And for his report on the population of Primorye, the naturalist was awarded a Small Silver Medal. In August 1870, his first book, “Travel to the Ussuri Region,” was published, which brought Przhevalsky fame beyond the narrow circle of geographers.

In 1870, with the support of the Russian Geographical Society, the traveler set off on his first expedition to Central Asia. On November 17, his detachment on camels left the city of Kyakhta. Przhevalsky’s first assistant was Second Lieutenant Pyltsoy; in addition to him, the Buryat Dondok Irinchinov and the Cossack Panfil Chebaev took part in the campaign. Their path passed through the city of Urgu (now Ulaanbaatar) and the endless Gobi Desert to distant Beijing. And from there, through Alashan, Gobi and the heights of Nan Shan, the expedition reached the upper reaches of the Yellow River and Yangtze and ended up in Tibet. The travelers then crossed the Gobi again, the central part of Mongolia, and returned to Kyakhta. When crossing the deserts, travelers lacked water and food, and ran out of money. Pyltsov fell ill with typhus, but continued the hike. Meeting the year 1873, Nikolai Mikhailovich wrote in his diary: “We are experiencing terrible hardships that must be endured in the name of a great goal. Do we have enough will and strength to complete this glorious work?

All members of the expedition had enough skill and strength. The hike lasted almost three years, during which time twelve thousand kilometers were covered, and most of the way the travelers walked. Przhevalsky left a note about his comrades: “Far from our homeland, we lived like brothers. We shared work and danger, grief and joy together. I will keep to the grave grateful memories of my companions, whose immeasurable courage and dedication to the cause determined the entire success of the enterprise.” As a result of this campaign, significant changes occurred on the map of Central Asia - 23 new ridges, 7 large and 17 small lakes appeared. In addition, the heights of many passes were determined, the exact locations of villages were determined, and collections of mammals, birds, fish, insects (more than 3,000 specimens), plants (about 4,000 specimens), and rock samples were collected. The friendly attitude of the researchers towards the local population should be especially emphasized. The travelers won the hearts of the residents with their responsive attitude and help with medicines. For the successful cure of malaria patients, the Dungans called Przhevalsky the “Great Doctor.” The Russian Geographical Society awarded Nikolai Mikhailovich a gold medal. He outlined the results of his first expedition in the essay “Mongolia and the Country of the Tanguts.” The book was translated into different languages of the world, and many foreign geographical societies sent Przhevalsky their medals and certificates, recognizing the merits of the Russian naturalist.

Meanwhile, the scientist himself was preparing for his second campaign in Central Asia. On August 12, 1876, together with nine companions, he set off. Their route ran from the city of Gulja up along the banks of the Ili River, and then through the Tien Shan to the mysterious Lake Lob-nor. This expedition was also very difficult; Nikolai Mikhailovich’s health deteriorated. The travelers planned to get to Tibet in Lhasa. However, the scientist’s illness, lack of water and, most importantly, complications in Russian-Chinese relations led to the fact that the participants in the campaign jointly decided to return to Gulja. Despite the failure, the expedition still did a great job. 1,200 kilometers of the route were photographed using visual surveys, and the most valuable collections of birds and animals were collected. Skins were brought from four camels previously known only from the records of Marco Polo. Information about the inhabitants of this area was of great importance. Przhevalsky described the details of the journey in the book “From Kuldzha beyond the Tien Shan and to Lob-nor.” Nikolai Mikhailovich was elected an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The London Geographical Society awarded the naturalist the Royal Medal, and the Berlin Geographical Society awarded the Great Humboldt Gold Medal. All this meant his worldwide recognition as an outstanding scientist and traveler.

Illnesses forced Nikolai Mikhailovich to stay in Russia until the spring of 1879. He devoted this time to preparing for his trip to Tibet. The detachment, consisting of thirteen people, left the Zaisan post on March 21. This time 35 camels, loaded with food and water, went with the people. The expedition moved through the deserts and steppes of Dzungaria. Here the scientist discovered a wild horse, which would later be called Przewalski's horse. Further, the detachment’s path passed through Nan Shan. In its western part, two high snow-capped ridges were discovered, which were given the names of the Ritter and Humboldt ridges. The difficulties of this campaign were expressed in the fact that the Chinese authorities refused to sell provisions to the wanderers and did not allow them to take guides. However, the expedition successfully reached the great Tibetan road leading to Lhasa. Along the way, the travelers discovered another hitherto unknown ridge, named in honor of Marco Polo. The detachment climbed to the pass of the Tangla ridge along icy paths. Here they were suddenly attacked by the nomadic North Tibetan tribe of Agrays, who were plundering passing caravans. However, the Russian travelers were too tough for the local mountaineers. Both this and all subsequent raids were repulsed. It seemed that the path to the heart of Tibet was open. But 250 kilometers from Lhasa, the detachment was met by the ambassadors of the Dalai Lama, who conveyed a written order prohibiting them from visiting the city because they belonged to a different faith. “At that moment, when all the hardships of the long journey were overcome, and the likelihood of achieving the goal of the expedition turned into the certainty of success,” Nikolai Przhevalsky wrote with disappointment, “we were never able to get to Lhasa: human barbarity and ignorance set up insurmountable barriers!” The caravan moved in the opposite direction. However, now the people were discouraged and tired, the horses and camels were also exhausted and exhausted. On January 31, 1880, the detachment returned to Dzun; out of 35 camels, only 13 completed the transition.

Having rested, Przhevalsky moved to the Yellow River and explored it for three months. Then he reached Lake Kukunor and mapped its outlines and dimensions and determined that twenty-five rivers flow into it. Then the travelers returned to Kyakhta through Alashan and Gobi. In total, they covered about 7,200 kilometers, found the road to Lhasa, determined the location of twenty-three geographical points, discovered 5 lakes, new species of animals and plants. A ceremonial meeting awaited the expedition members in St. Petersburg. Moscow University elected Przhevalsky as an honorary doctor of zoology, the Russian Geographical Society as an honorary member, and the cities of St. Petersburg and Smolensk as an honorary citizen. He was also elected an honorary member of the Dresden, Italian and Vienna Geographical Societies. Having received a huge number of grateful reviews and degrees after the trip, Nikolai Mikhailovich, due to his natural modesty, retired to the village, where he processed the collected material. He outlined the results of the campaign in his next book, “From Zaisan through Hami to Tibet and to the upper reaches of the Yellow River.”
However, unexplored lands still attracted the famous traveler and his companions. On October 21, 1883, Przhevalsky set off from Kyakhta on his fourth trip to Asia. His goal was unknown Tibet. This time the path ran through the steppes of Mongolia, the Gobi and Alashan deserts, and the North Tetung Range. Again, despite the obstacles of the Chinese bureaucrats, Przhevalsky reached the source of the Yellow River and discovered two lakes: Dzharin-Nur and Orin-Nur. Next, the travelers turned to Lake Lob-Nor, the path to which was blocked by the Altyntag ridge. After a long search, the hikers found a passage through the mountains. Residents of Lop-Nor greeted the expedition very warmly. From here Przhevalsky turned to the southwest and discovered unknown ridges, which were named Russian and Kary. Two years later, in 1885, the work was completed. The expedition covered about eight thousand kilometers. In honor of Przhevalsky, by decision of the Academy of Sciences, a gold medal was struck with the inscription: “To the first explorer of the nature of Central Asia.” By this time, Nikolai Mikhailovich had already held the rank of major general, was the owner of 8 gold medals, and an honorary member of 24 scientific communities. After his expeditions, the blank spots on the maps of Central Asia disappeared one after another.

The infirmary where Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky died. 1890

Posthumous photograph of N.M. Przhevalsky. November 8, 1888

Przhevalsky's grave on the shore of the Karakol Bay Przhevalsk. 1890

For those who personally knew the outstanding scientist, there was nothing strange in the fact that, at less than 50 years old, he began to prepare for his fifth campaign in Central Asia. The goal of this expedition was the “promised” city of Lhasa. This time an official pass was obtained to visit him. At the end of 1888, preparations were finally completed. Karakol was chosen as the gathering place for the participants. However, the trip was not destined to take place. On the way to this Kyrgyz city in the valley of the Kara-Balta river, Nikolai Mikhailovich decided to go hunting. Having a slight cold, he drank river water and contracted typhoid fever. Upon arrival in Karakol, the traveler fell ill. Suffering from illness, he did not lose heart, he behaved courageously, consciously saying that he was not afraid of death, since he had been face to face with it more than once. On October 20, 1888, the great scientist, patriot and traveler died in the arms of his friends.

Before his death, Przhevalsky asked to be buried on the banks of Issyk-Kul in his camp clothes. The will of the deceased was carried out. On the eastern shore of the lake, twelve kilometers from the city, a grave was dug in two days (due to the hardness of the soil). The coffin with the body was delivered on the carriage of a field gun. Mourners walked around on foot, and soldiers were lined up near the grave. A large black cross with a plaque was erected over the grave, on which, at the request of Nikolai Mikhailovich himself, a simple inscription was made: “Traveller Przhevalsky.” A few years later a monument was erected on this site. On a granite block stands a bronze eagle, ready to fly, holding an olive branch in its beak, as a symbol of the greatness and glory of a brave explorer, always inexorably moving forward towards his dream.

Nikolai Przhevalsky became an example for many generations of travelers and scientists around the world. It is still very difficult to explain how this man, with very serious work that required time and labor, and with all the difficulties that he encountered in Asia at every step, could so brilliantly fulfill the tasks of a naturalist. In any conditions, every day Przhevalsky kept a diary, which formed the basis of all his books. In adulthood, Nikolai Mikhailovich was absolutely indifferent to titles, ranks and awards, preferring the lonely life of a wanderer to all the benefits of civilization. He owns the wonderful words: “The world is beautiful because you can travel.”

Based on materials from the book by M.A. Engelhardt “Nikolai Przhevalsky. His life and travels"

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Even an inveterate loser remembers that there is a horse named after Przhevalsky. But Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky is famous not only for the discovery of this wild horse. What is he famous for?

An honorary member of the Geographical Society of Russia, he conducted several expeditions to Central Asia, revealing previously unknown lands with their population, nature and fauna to the Russian and European scientific world.

Many species of birds, fish, mammals and lizards that were discovered during his travels are named in his honor. He was a true ascetic, which, according to his contemporaries, was so lacking at that time. He is placed on the same level as Marco Polo and Cook. His legacy still enjoys prestige in scientific circles.

Representative of the noble family

The scientist’s ancestor, the Cossack Kornilo Parovalsky, arrived to serve in Poland and changed his surname to Przhevalsky. Being a successful warrior, he received lands, a title and a coat of arms as a reward for winning battles. Descendants adopted the Catholic faith. But not everyone did this.

Kazimir Przhevalsky fled and converted to Orthodoxy. In Russia he was named Kuzma. His son Mikhail served in the Russian army and pacified the rebellious Poles in 1832. Four years later, due to poor health, he left the service and resigned. Mikhail moved to his father in the Smolensk region. Here he met a neighbor’s girl, Elena, from the wealthy Karetnikov family. Mikhail was not handsome, and besides, he had no money, but they had a mutual passion. The girl’s parents did not immediately agree to the marriage. Soon they had a son, Nikolai Przhevalsky (life: 1839-1888), a future traveler and explorer. It was in childhood that his love for travel began.

Childhood and youth

The first years of Nikolai Przhevalsky’s life were spent in Otradnoye, his mother’s estate. His surroundings did not seem to contribute in any way to spiritual development. Parents were conservative landowners and did not delve into the scientific trends of those times.

The father died early, and the mother, being of a strong nature, took control of the household into her own hands and ruled according to the old way of life. The second person after her on the estate was the nanny, Makarievna, kind to the “panic” and grumpy to the serfs. The latter were 105 souls, who provided a poor but well-fed life for the whole family.

Nikolai Przhevalsky grew up a real tomboy, for which his mother’s rods often ran through him. From the age of five, his uncle Pavel Alekseevich took over his education, who, having squandered his estate, received shelter from his sister. He instilled in Nikolai a love of hunting and nature, which later grew into a fiery passion.

From the age of eight, teachers from the seminary came to Nikolai. Mother wanted to send her son to the cadet corps, but she failed and had to go to the second grade of the gymnasium in the city of Smolensk. He graduated from high school at the age of sixteen. After a whole summer of hunting and fishing, in the fall, he was supposed to join the Polotsk regiment. During the service, the young man kept himself to himself. He devoted all his free time to studying zoology and botany and dreamed of traveling.

Preparing for the expedition

Przhevalsky's great desire to travel around Central Asia was not enough to convince the Geographical Society of Russia to help organize the expedition. Unfortunately, Nikolai Mikhailovich at that time did not yet have weight in scientific circles, and it was naive to count on the approval of the Society's Council.

Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, as follows from Przhevalsky’s biography, advised him to go to the Ussuri region. Upon return, the discoverer will have a much better chance of convincing the Council to assemble an expedition. Which is exactly what happened. The result of the Ussuri trip was several works and discoveries in the field of botany and ornithology. All this elevated Przhevalsky in the eyes of scientists. Which they eloquently supported with an award - a silver medal of the Russian Geographical Society. Of course, the real recognition for Nikolai Mikhailovich was a trip to Central Asia.

First trip

The expedition, led by the Russian naturalist Przhevalsky, could not be easy. Beginning in 1870, it lasted three years. During this time, its participants covered at least eleven thousand kilometers. Later this expedition would be called the Mongolian expedition.

The following were explored: Lake Dalai-Nur, the Suma-Khodi and Yin-Shan ridges. The naturalist managed to refute the data of old Chinese sources, which claimed that the Yellow River has branches. The expedition members waited out the winter in Kalgan.

At the beginning of March 1872, from Kalgan we walked through the Alashan desert and, having reached the Nanshan ridges, moved to Lake Kukunar. Afterwards, Nikolai Mikhailovich walked along the Tsaidam Basin, crossed the Kunlun and reached the Yangtze River.

In the summer of the last year of the first expedition, having made his way through the Middle Gobi, Przhevalsky arrived in Urga (now the capital of Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar). At the beginning of autumn he returned from there to Kyakhta.

The results of the expedition included more than four thousand discovered plants, and many species of animals and reptiles were named in his honor. In addition, the Geographical Society awarded the traveler a gold medal, and he became a world celebrity.

Second trip

Having gained experience on his first trip, Nikolai Przhevalsky is planning a second expedition to Central Asia, on a larger scale. It was supposed to cover Tibet and Lhasa. Adjustments to shortening the route were made by Nikolai Mikhailovich’s failing health, as well as the worsening political relations with China.

The start of Nikolai Przhevalsky's expedition began in Kulja. Having crossed the mountain ranges of the Tien Shan, passing through the Tarim depression, he reaches the reed Przhevalsky writes in his writings that the length of the lake-swamp is one hundred kilometers and the width is about twenty kilometers. He is the second white explorer here after Marco Polo. In addition to geographical research, ethnographic research was also carried out. In particular, the life and beliefs of the Lobnor people were studied.

Third journey

Przhevalsky made his third - Tibetan - journey in 1879-1880. His detachment of thirteen people crossed the Khamiya desert, starting from the Nan Shan ridge.

The discoveries of Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky amazed the geographical community. The participants discovered two ridges called Humboldt and Ritter, which they explored in the northern part of Tibet. Several animals were discovered, including the Dzungarian horse, known to everyone from school textbooks, named after Przhevalsky. Although the scientist’s notes indicate that these horses had a local name. The Kirghiz called it kartag, and the Mongols called it tak.

Upon his return, Przhevalsky was awarded various honorary titles, awards and degrees. And then he retires from the bustle of the city in the village, where he begins to work on the materials collected during the expedition and presents the results in a book.

Fourth journey

Tibet again. The tireless explorer embarked on his fourth journey in 1883, which lasted until 1885. Here new adventures awaited him. He explored lakes Orin-Nur and Dzharin-Nur, the sources of the Yellow River, and the Tibetan ridges of Moscow, Columba and Russian. The collection of unknown species of fish, birds, reptiles, animals and plants has been expanded. Przhevalsky’s work biography was outlined in another book, which he wrote on the Sloboda estate.

Fifth journey

It would be foolish to be surprised that at almost fifty years old Nikolai Mikhailovich is embarking on a new expedition to Central Asia. Unfortunately, this is where Przhevalsky’s adventure-filled biography ends. On his last journey, he sailed along the Volga and Caspian Sea. Arriving in Krasnovodsk, he goes to Samarkand and Pishpek (Bishkek). From there - to Alma-Ata.

Death by negligence

In the fall of 1888, Nikolai Mikhailovich and his entire detachment arrived in Pishpek. Camels were recruited here. With his friend Roborovsky, they notice that there are a lot of pheasants in the area. The friends could not deny themselves the pleasure of stocking up on bird meat before departure. While hunting in the valley, he, already having a cold, drinks water from the river. And all winter in these places, the Kyrgyz suffered from typhus in droves. When preparing for the trip, Przhevalsky did not pay attention to changes in his health, saying that he had caught a cold before, and it would go away on its own.

Soon the temperature rose. On the night from the 15th to the 16th, he slept restlessly, and the next morning, as described in Przhevalsky’s biography, he was still able to leave the yurt in which he slept and shoot a vulture.

The Kirghiz grumbled, believing that this was a sacred bird. The next day the scientist did not get out of bed. The doctor who arrived from Karagol pronounced a verdict - typhoid fever. And on his deathbed, Przhevalsky showed unprecedented fortitude. He admitted to friends and fellow travelers that he was not afraid to die, since he had met the “bony one” more than once.

The last request was to bury him on the shore of Issyk-Kul. On October 20, 1888, Nikolai Mikhailovich’s life was cut short. A year later, a monument was erected at his grave: an eight-meter rock, composed of twenty-one stones, according to the number of years devoted to the traveler’s research and scientific activities, above which a bronze eagle rises.

Merits in science

Nikolai Przhevalsky's books describe his research into the geographical and natural history of the following objects:

Kun-Lun - mountain system;
ridges of Northern Tibet;
the sources of the Yellow River;
basins of Lob-Nor, Kuku-Nor.

The naturalist discovered many animals for the world, among which are the wild camel and the horse. All the botanical and zoological collections that the traveler collected were described by specialists. They contained many new forms of flora and fauna.

Nikolai Mikhailovich’s discoveries were valued not only in his homeland, their significance was recognized by academies and scientists all over the world. He is also considered one of the significant climatologists of the nineteenth century.

Researcher name in science

The name of the traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky was preserved not only in his works. Natural objects, a city, a village, streets, a gymnasium in Smolensk, and a museum are named after him.

Also, many representatives of flora and fauna bear his name:

horse;
pied - a sandy animal of the hamster family;
nuthatch - bird;
buzulnik is a herbaceous perennial plant of the aster family;
sage;
zhuzgun;
skull cap

In memory of the traveler, monuments and busts were erected, medals and commemorative coins were established, and a film was made.

With his own life, he proved that a dream is worth striving for. Faith in your goals, hard work and perseverance can overcome many obstacles on the way to your desired goal. Such a distant place opened up its vastness to the Russian naturalist.

Nikolai Przhevalsky and the subspecies of wild horse he discovered

April 12 (old style - March 31) marks the 178th anniversary of the birth of the famous traveler, explorer, geographer Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. What most people know about him is that he led expeditions to Central Asia, and that a subspecies of wild horse was named in his honor. However, his biography contained much more interesting facts. For example, the fact that he won money for the first expedition playing cards, and another purpose of the travel was military intelligence. Polish journalists even suggested that he was Stalin's real father.

On the left is Nikolai Przhevalsky hunting in the vicinity of the Otradnoe estate. On the right – Nikolai Przhevalsky, 1876

At one time, Nikolai Przhevalsky was fond of playing cards. A good visual memory often brought him success in the game, in addition, he had his own rules: never carry more than 500 rubles with you and always leave the table having won more than 1000. This is exactly what the “golden pheasant” (as the players called him) for legendary luck) and received money for the first expedition to Central Asia - he was a newcomer to the Geographical Society, and it was not possible to obtain funds in any other way. The winnings were big - 12,000. Przhevalsky knew how to stop in time and promised himself to never play for money again. Since then he hasn't even touched cards.

On this expedition in 1870-1873. Przhevalsky explored Mongolia, China and Tibet and found out that the Gobi is not a hill, as previously thought, but a depression with hilly terrain, and Nanshan is not a ridge, but a mountain system, and also discovered 7 large lakes and the Beishan Highlands. This expedition brought him world fame.

Central Asian researcher Nikolai Przhevalsky

At the age of 30, Przhevalsky was already a famous scientist and an enviable groom, but he called the marriage bond a “voluntary loop” and believed that in the desert “with absolute freedom and a job to your liking” one would be “a hundred times happier than in the gilded salons that can be purchased.” marry by boy." The great traveler remained a bachelor until the end of his days.

Przewalski's horse

In addition to scientific research tasks, Przhevalsky's expeditions allegedly had the purpose of military intelligence. And although science always remained in the foreground for the traveler himself, he was still an officer in the Russian army. Recently, many studies have appeared proving the fact that Przhevalsky was an intelligence officer and collected information not only for science, but also for the General Staff.

Przewalski's horse

Przhevalsky spent 11 years of his life on expeditions, covering 31 thousand km. The new subspecies of wild horses is not the only discovery of Przhevalsky, but it became the most famous due to the fact that it was named after the traveler. In addition, he discovered dozens of new animal species, including the wild camel and the Tibetan bear (the researcher called it a “pisch-eater”), and also found 7 new genera and 218 plant species.

Tibetan bear discovered by Przhevalsky

The most incredible legend associated with the name of Nikolai Przhevalsky was born in 1939, when a publication appeared in a Polish newspaper that the famous traveler was actually Stalin’s father. Allegedly, in 1878, Przhevalsky was in Georgia, where he met 22-year-old Ekaterina Dzhugashvili, and soon her son Joseph was born. Biographers immediately refuted these facts: at that time the researcher was in China. Nevertheless, this version had supporters who confirmed their guesses by the fact that during the reign of Stalin the glorification of the traveler began, a film was made about him and a medal was established in his name. But these facts cannot serve even as indirect confirmation of the truth of the guesses of Polish journalists.

Polish journalists called Przhevalsky the father of Stalin, primarily on the basis of external resemblance

In 1888, Przhevalsky assembled the largest expedition, which was supposed to last 2 years. But after two weeks of serious illness, the traveler died suddenly. Until recently, the cause of death in all sources was called typhoid fever, but modern experts have established a different diagnosis - lymphogranulomatosis.

Famous traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky

His last refuge was Karakol, a city named after Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky

Portrait of Miklouho-Maclay by K. Makovsky. Kept in the Kunstkamera.

Exactly 130 years ago, on April 14, 1888, the famous Russian ethnographer, biologist, anthropologist and traveler Nikolai Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay, who devoted most of his life to studying the indigenous populations of Australia, Oceania and Southeast Asia, including the North Papuans, passed away. the eastern coast of New Guinea, today called the Maclay Coast.

His research was highly appreciated during his lifetime. Taking into account his merits, Miklouho-Maclay’s birthday on July 17 is unofficially celebrated in Russia as a professional holiday - Ethnographer’s Day.

Nikolai Nikolaevich Miklukho-Maclay was born on July 17, 1846 (July 5, old style) in the village of Rozhdestvenskoye (today it is Yazykovo-Rozhdestvenskoye, Okulovsky municipal district, Novgorod region) in the family of an engineer. His father Nikolai Ilyich Miklukha was a railway worker. The future ethnographer's mother's name was Ekaterina Semyonovna Bekker, she was the daughter of a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. Contrary to a fairly common misconception, Miklouho-Maclay did not have any significant foreign roots. The widespread legend about the Scottish mercenary Michael Maclay, who, having taken root in Russia, became the founder of the family, was only a legend. The traveler himself came from the humble Cossack family of Miklukh. If we talk about the second part of the surname, he first used it in 1868, signing the first scientific publication in German “Rudiment of the swim bladder in Selachians.” At the same time, historians have not been able to come to a consensus on why this double surname Miklouho-Maclay arose. Discussing his nationality, in his dying autobiography the ethnographer pointed out that he was a mixture of elements: Russian, German and Polish.

Photo of Nikolai Miklukha - student (before 1866).

Surprisingly, the future ethnographer studied rather poorly at school, often missing classes. As he admitted 20 years later, at the gymnasium he missed classes not only due to ill health, but also simply from an unwillingness to study. He spent two years in the 4th grade of the Second Petersburg Gymnasium, and in the 1860/61 academic year he attended classes very rarely, missing a total of 414 lessons. Miklukha’s only grade was “good” in French; in German he received “satisfactory”; in other subjects, “poor” and “mediocre”. While still a high school student, Miklouho-Maclay was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress; he was sent there along with his brother for participating in a student demonstration, which was caused by the socio-political upsurge of 1861 and was associated with the abolition of serfdom in the country.

Ernst Haeckel and Miklouho-Maclay.

In Soviet times, the ethnographer’s biography indicated that Miklouho-Maclay was expelled from the gymnasium and then from the university for participating in political activities. But this is not true. The future famous traveler left the gymnasium of his own free will, and they simply could not expel him from the university, since he was there as a volunteer student. He did not finish his studies in St. Petersburg, leaving for Germany. In 1864, the future ethnographer studied at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Heidelberg, and in 1865 at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Leipzig. And in 1866 he moved to Jena (a university city in Germany), where he studied the comparative anatomy of animals at the Faculty of Medicine. As an assistant to the German naturalist Ernst Haeckel, he visited Morocco and the Canary Islands. In 1868, Miklouho-Maclay completed his studies at the University of Jena. During his first expedition to the Canary Islands, the future explorer studied sea sponges, eventually discovering a new species of calcareous sponge, calling it Guancha blanca in honor of the indigenous inhabitants of these islands. It is curious that from 1864 to 1869, from 1870 to 1882 and from 1883 to 1886, Miklouho-Maclay lived outside of Russia, never staying in his homeland for more than one year.

In 1869, he traveled to the Red Sea coast, the purpose of the trip was to study the local marine fauna. That same year he returned back to Russia. The ethnographer's first scientific studies were devoted to the comparative anatomy of sea sponges, the brain of sharks, as well as other issues of zoology.

Drawings and notes by Miklouho-Maclay.

But during his travels, Miklouho-Maclay also made valuable geographical observations. Nikolai was inclined to believe that the cultural and racial characteristics of the peoples of the world are formed under the influence of the social and natural environment. In order to substantiate this theory, Miklouho-Maclay decided to take a long journey to the Pacific Islands, here he was going to study the “Papuan race”.

Corvette "Vityaz" under sail.

At the end of October 1870, with the assistance of the Russian Geographical Society, the traveler got the opportunity to travel to New Guinea. He went here on board the military ship Vityaz. His expedition was designed to last several years.

Miklouho-Maclay with Papuan Akhmat. Malacca, 1874 or 1875.

On September 20, 1871, the Vityaz landed Maclay on the northeastern coast of New Guinea. In the future, this coastal area will be called the Maclay Coast. Contrary to erroneous beliefs, he did not travel alone, but accompanied by two servants - a young man from the island of Niue named Boy and a Swedish sailor Olsen.

Drawing by Miklouho-Maclay.

At the same time, with the help of the Vityaz crew members, a hut was built, which became not only housing for Miklouho-Maclay, but also a suitable laboratory. He lived among the local Papuans for 15 months in 1871-1872, and with his tactful behavior and friendliness he managed to win their love and trust.

Illustration for the diary of Miklouho-Maclay.

But initially Miklouho-Maclay was considered among the Papuans not to be a god, as is commonly believed, but quite the opposite, an evil spirit. The reason for this attitude towards him was an episode on the first day of our acquaintance. Seeing the ship and the white people, the islanders thought that it was Rotei, their great ancestor, who had returned. A large number of Papuans went on their boats to the ship in order to present gifts to the arrival. On board the Viking they were also well received and given gifts, but already on the way back, a cannon shot suddenly rang out from the side of the ship, as the crew saluted in honor of their arrival. However, out of fear, the islanders literally jumped out of their boats, threw gifts and swam to the shore, deciding that it was not Rotei who had come to them, but the evil spirit of Buk.

Tui from the village of Gorendu. Drawing by Miklouho-Maclay.

A Papuan named Tui, who was bolder than the other islanders and managed to make friends with the traveler, helped change the situation in the future. When Miklouho-Maclay managed to cure Tui from a serious injury, the Papuans accepted him into their society as an equal, including him in the local society. Tui remained for a long time the ethnographer’s translator and mediator in his relations with other Papuans.

In 1873, Miklouho-Maclay visited the Philippines and Indonesia, and the following year he visited the southwestern coast of New Guinea. In 1874-1875, he again traveled twice to the Malacca Peninsula, studying the local Sakai and Semang tribes. In 1876, he traveled to Western Micronesia (the islands of Oceania), as well as Northern Melanesia (visiting various island groups in the Pacific Ocean). In 1876 and 1877 he again visited the Maclay Coast. From here he wanted to return back to Russia, but due to a serious illness the traveler was forced to settle in Sydney, Australia, where he lived until 1882. Not far from Sydney, Nikolai founded Australia's first biological station. During the same period of his life, he toured the islands of Melanesia (1879), and also examined the southern coast of New Guinea (1880), and a year later, in 1881, he visited the southern coast of New Guinea for the second time.

Drawing by Miklouho-Maclay.

It is interesting that Miklouho-Maclay was involved in preparing a Russian protectorate over the Papuans. He carried out expeditions to New Guinea several times, drawing up the so-called “project for the development of the Maclay Coast”. His project provided for the preservation of the way of life of the Papuans, but at the same time declared the achievement of a higher level of self-government based on existing local customs. At the same time, the Maclay Coast, according to his plans, was to receive the protectorate of the Russian Empire, also becoming one of the basing points of the Russian fleet. But his project turned out to be impossible. By the time of his third trip to New Guinea, most of his Papuan friends, including Tui, had already died, at the same time the villagers were mired in internecine conflicts, and Russian naval officers who had studied local conditions concluded that the local coast was not suitable for placement of warships. And already in 1885, New Guinea was divided between Great Britain and Germany. Thus, the question of the possibility of implementing a Russian protectorate over this territory was finally closed.

Miklouho-Maclay returned to his homeland after a long absence in 1882. After returning to Russia, he read a number of public reports on his travels to members of the Geographical Society. For his research, the Society of Lovers of Natural History, Anthropology and Ethnography awarded Nikolai a gold medal. Having then visited European capitals - Berlin, London and Paris, he introduced the public to the results of his trips and research. Then he again went to Australia, visiting the Maclay Coast for the third time along the way, this happened in 1883.

From 1884 to 1886, the traveler lived in Sydney, and in 1886 he returned to his homeland again. All this time he was seriously ill, but at the same time he continued to prepare for the publication of his scientific materials and diaries. In the same 1886, he transferred to the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg all the ethnographic collections he collected from 1870 to 1885. Today these collections can be seen in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in St. Petersburg.

The traveler who returned to St. Petersburg has changed a lot. As people who knew him noted, the 40-year-old still young scientist sharply became decrepit, weakened, and his hair turned gray. Pain in the jaw reappeared, which intensified in February 1887, and a tumor appeared. Doctors could not diagnose him and could not determine the cause of the disease. Only in the second half of the 20th century were doctors able to lift the veil of secrecy from this issue. The ethnographer was killed by cancer localized in the region of the right mandibular canal. Exactly 130 years ago, on April 14, 1888 (April 2, old style), Nikolai Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay died; he was only 41 years old. The traveler was buried at the Volkovsky cemetery in St. Petersburg.

Drawing by Miklouho-Maclay.

The most important scientific merit of the scientist was that he raised the question of species unity and kinship of existing human races. It was also he who first gave a detailed description of the Melanesian anthropological type and proved that it is very widespread on the islands of Southeast Asia and Western Oceania. For ethnography, his descriptions of the material culture, economy and life of the Papuans and other peoples inhabiting the numerous islands of Oceania and Southeast Asia are of great importance. Many of the traveler's observations, distinguished by a high level of accuracy, still remain practically the only materials on the ethnography of some islands of Oceania.

Grave of N. N. Miklouho-Maclay (St. Petersburg).

During Nikolai Nikolaevich’s lifetime, more than 100 of his scientific works on anthropology, ethnography, geography, zoology and other sciences were published, and in total he wrote more than 160 such works. At the same time, not a single major work of his was published during the scientist’s lifetime; all of them appeared only after his death. Thus, in 1923, the Travel Diaries of Miklouho-Maclay were first published, and even later, in 1950-1954, a collected works in five volumes.

Papua New Guinea.

The memory of the researcher and ethnographer is widely preserved not only in Russia, but throughout the world. His bust can be found today in Sydney, and in New Guinea a mountain and a river are named in his honor, without taking into account the section of the north-eastern coast, which is called the Maclay Coast. In 1947, the name of Miklouho-Maclay was given to the Institute of Ethnography of the USSR Academy of Sciences (RAN). And relatively recently, in 2014, the Russian Geographical Society established a special Gold Medal named after Nikolai Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay as the society’s highest award for ethnographic research and travel. The world recognition of this researcher is also evidenced by the fact that in honor of his 150th anniversary, 1996 was proclaimed by UNESCO as the year of Miklouho-Maclay, at the same time he was named Citizen of the World.

N.M. Przhevalsky (1839-1888)

Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich- Russian traveler, explorer of Central Asia; honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1878), major general (1886). He led an expedition to the Ussuri region (1867-1869) and four expeditions to Central Asia (1870-1885). For the first time he described the nature of many regions of Central Asia; discovered a number of ridges, basins and lakes in Kunlun, Nanshan and the Tibetan Plateau. Collected valuable collections of plants and animals; first described a wild camel, a wild horse (Przewalski's horse), a pika-eater bear or a Tibetan bear, etc.

Przhevalsky was born in the village of Kimbory, Smolensk province, on April 12 (March 31, Old Style), 1839. My father, a retired lieutenant, died early. The boy grew up under the supervision of his mother on the Otradnoe estate. In 1855, Przhevalsky graduated from the Smolensk gymnasium and became a non-commissioned officer in the Ryazan infantry regiment in Moscow; and having received an officer rank, he transferred to the Polotsk regiment. Przhevalsky, avoiding revelry, spent all his time hunting, collecting a herbarium, and took up ornithology.

After five years of service, Przhevalsky entered the Academy of the General Staff. In addition to the main subjects, he studies the works of geographers Ritter, Humboldt, Richthofen and, of course, Semyonov. There he also prepared a course work “Military Statistical Review of the Amur Region”, on the basis of which in 1864 he was elected a full member of the Geographical Society.

Occupying the position of teacher of history and geography at the Warsaw Junker School, Przewalski diligently studied the epic of African travels and discoveries, became acquainted with zoology and botany, and compiled a geography textbook.

Travel route in the Ussuri region

Soon he achieved a transfer to Eastern Siberia. In 1867, with the help of Semenov, Przhevalsky received a two-year service business trip to the Ussuri region, and the Siberian Department of the Geographical Society ordered him to study the flora and fauna of the region.

Along the Ussuri he reached the village of Busse, then to Lake Khanka, which is a station for migratory birds. Here he conducted ornithological observations. In winter, he explored the South Ussuri region, covering 1060 versts in three months. In the spring of 1868, he again went to Lake Khanka, then pacified Chinese robbers in Manchuria, for which he was appointed senior adjutant of the headquarters of the troops of the Amur region. The results of his first trip were the essays “On the foreign population in the southern part of the Amur region” and “Travel in the Ussuri region”. About 300 species of plants were collected, more than 300 stuffed birds were made, and many plants and birds were discovered for the first time in Ussuri.

First trip to Central Asia. In 1870, the Russian Geographical Society organized an expedition to Central Asia. Przhevalsky was appointed its head. Second Lieutenant Mikhail Aleksandrovich Pyltsov took part in the expedition with him. Their path lay through Moscow and Irkutsk to Kyakhta, where they arrived in early November 1870, and further to Beijing, where Przhevalsky received permission to travel from the Chinese government.

On February 25, 1871, Przhevalsky moved from Beijing north to Lake Dalai-Nur, then, after resting in Kalgan, he explored the Suma-Khodi and Yin-Shan ridges, as well as the course of the Yellow River (Huang He), showing that it does not have branches like thought before on the basis of Chinese sources; Having passed through the Alashan desert and the Alashan Mountains, he returned to Kalgan, having covered 3,500 versts in 10 months.

Route of the First Journey in Central Asia

On March 5, 1872, the expedition again set out from Kalgan and moved through the Alashan desert to the Nanshan ridges and further to Lake Kukunar. Then Przhevalsky crossed the Tsaidam Basin, overcame the Kunlun ridges and reached the upper reaches of the Blue River (Yangtze) in Tibet.

In the summer of 1873, Przhevalsky, having replenished his equipment, went to Urga (Ulaanbaatar), through the Middle Gobi, and from Urga in September 1873 he returned to Kyakhta. Przhevalsky walked more than 11,800 kilometers through the deserts and mountains of Mongolia and China and mapped (on a scale of 10 versts to 1 inch) about 5,700 kilometers.

The scientific results of this expedition amazed contemporaries. Przhevalsky was the first European to penetrate into the deep region of Northern Tibet, to the upper reaches of the Yellow River and Yangtze (Ulan-Muren). And he determined that Bayan-Khara-Ula is the watershed between these river systems. Przhevalsky gave detailed descriptions of the Gobi, Ordos and Alashani deserts, the high mountainous regions of Northern Tibet and the Tsaidam basin he discovered, and for the first time mapped more than 20 ridges, seven large and a number of small lakes on the map of Central Asia. Przhevalsky's map was not very accurate, since due to very difficult travel conditions he could not make astronomical determinations of longitudes. This significant shortcoming was later corrected by himself and other Russian travelers. He collected collections of plants, insects, reptiles, fish, and mammals. At the same time, new species were discovered that received his name: Przewalski's foot-and-mouth disease, Przewalski's cleft-tail, Przewalski's rhododendron... The two-volume work “Mongolia and the Country of the Tanguts” brought the author world fame and was translated into a number of European languages.

Route of the Second Journey in Central Asia

The Russian Geographical Society awarded Przhevalsky a large gold medal and the “highest” awards - the rank of lieutenant colonel, a lifelong pension of 600 rubles annually. He received the Gold Medal of the Paris Geographical Society. His name was placed next to Semenov Tian-Shansky, Krusenstern and Bellingshausen, Livingston and Stanley...

Second trip to Central Asia. In January 1876, Przhevalsky submitted a plan for a new expedition to the Russian Geographical Society. He intended to explore the Eastern Tien Shan, reach Lhasa, and explore the mysterious Lake Lop Nor. In addition, Przhevalsky hoped to find and describe the wild camel that lived there, according to Marco Polo.

On August 12, 1876, the expedition set out from Kulja. Having overcome the Tien Shan ridges and the Tarim Basin, Przhevalsky reached the huge reed swamp-Lake Lop Nor in February 1877. According to his description, the lake was 100 kilometers long and 20 to 22 kilometers wide.

On the shores of the mysterious Lop Nor, in the “land of Lop”, Przhevalsky was second... after Marco Polo! The lake, however, became the subject of a dispute between Przhevalsky and Richthofen. Judging by Chinese maps of the early 18th century, Lop Nor was not located at all where Przhevalsky discovered it. In addition, contrary to popular belief, the lake turned out to be fresh and not salty. Richthofen believed that the Russian expedition discovered some other lake, and the true Lop Nor lay to the north.

Akato Peak (6048) in the Altyntag ridge. Photo by E.Potapov

Only half a century later the mystery of Lop Nor was finally solved. Lob in Tibetan means “muddy”, nor means “lake” in Mongolian. It turned out that this swamp-lake changes its location from time to time. On Chinese maps it was depicted in the northern part of the desert, drainless Lob depression. But then the Tarim and Konchedarya rivers rushed south. Ancient Lop Nor gradually disappeared, and in its place only salt marshes and saucers of small lakes remained. And in the south of the depression a new lake was formed, which was discovered and described by Przhevalsky.

At the beginning of July 1877, the expedition returned to Gulja. Przhevalsky was pleased: he studied Lop Nor, discovered the Altyntag ridge to the south of the lake, described a wild camel, even obtained its skins, collected collections of flora and fauna.

Here, in Gulja, letters and a telegram were waiting for him, in which he was ordered to continue the expedition without fail.

During his trip in 1876-1877, Przhevalsky walked through Central Asia a little more than four thousand kilometers - he was prevented by the war in Western China, the aggravation of relations between China and Russia, and his illness: unbearable itching all over his body. And yet, this journey was marked by two major geographical discoveries - the lower reaches of the Tarim with a group of lakes and the Altyntag ridge. The illness forced him to return to Russia for a while, where he published his work “From Kuldzha to the Tien Shan and to Lob-Nor.”

Route of the Third Journey in Central Asia

Third trip to Central Asia. Having rested, Przhevalsky in March 1879, with a detachment of 13 people, began a journey that he called the “First Tibetan”. From Zaisan he headed southeast, past Lake Ulyungur and along the Urungu River to its headwaters. In the area of Lake Barkul and the village of Khami, Przhevalsky crossed the easternmost part of the Tien Shan. He then proceeded through the Gobi Desert and reached the Nanshan ridges and the Tsaidam Basin.

On this journey, Przhevalsky aimed to cross Kunlun and Tibet and reach Lhasa. But the Tibetan government did not want to let Przhevalsky into Lhasa, and the local population was so excited that Przhevalsky, having crossed the Tan-La pass and being 250 miles from Lhasa, was forced to retreat and through Nanshan and the Gobi Desert in the fall of 1880 he returned to Urga (Ulaanbaatar).

During this journey, he traveled about eight thousand kilometers and filmed more than four thousand kilometers of the route through the regions of Central Asia. For the first time, he explored the upper reaches of the Yellow River (Huang He) for more than 250 kilometers; discovered the Semenov and Ugutu-Ula ridges. He described two new species of animals - the Przewalski's horse and the pika-eater bear or Tibetan bear. His assistant, Vsevolod Ivanovich Roborovsky, collected a huge botanical collection: about 12 thousand plant specimens - 1500 species. Przhevalsky outlined his observations and research results in the book “From Zaisan through Hami to Tibet and the upper reaches of the Yellow River.” The result of his three expeditions were fundamentally new maps of Central Asia.

Soon he submits a project to the Russian Geographical Society to study the origins of the Yellow River.

Fourth trip to Central Asia. In 1883, Przhevalsky undertook his fourth journey, leading a detachment of 21 people. This time he is accompanied by Pyotr Kuzmich Kozlov, for whom this expedition will be his first trip to Central Asia.

From Kyakhta, Przhevalsky moved through Urga along his return route from the third expedition - he crossed the Gobi Desert and reached Nanshan. South of Nanshan, he entered the easternmost part of Kunlun, where he explored the sources of the Yellow River (Huang He) and the watershed between the Yellow River and the Blue River (Yangtze), and from there passed through the Tsaidam Basin to the Altyntag Range. Then he walked along the Kunlun to the Khotan oasis, turned north, crossed the Taklamakan desert and returned through the Tien Shan to Karakol. The journey ended only in 1886.

In three years, a huge distance was covered - 7815 kilometers, almost completely without roads. On the northern border of Tibet, the entire mountainous country of Kunlun with majestic ridges was discovered - nothing was known about them in Europe. The sources of the Yellow River have been explored, large lakes - Russian and Expedition - have been discovered and described. New species of birds, mammals and reptiles, as well as fish appeared in the collection, and new plant species appeared in the herbarium. In 1888, Przhevalsky’s last work, “From Kyakhta to the Sources of the Yellow River,” was published.

Route of the Fourth Journey in Central Asia

The Academy of Sciences and scientific societies around the world welcomed Przhevalsky's discoveries. The Mysterious ridge discovered by him is called the Przhevalsky ridge. His greatest achievements are the geographical and natural-historical study of the Kuenlun mountain system, the ridges of Northern Tibet, the Lop Nor and Kukunar basins and the sources of the Yellow River. In addition, he discovered a number of new forms of animals: the wild camel, Przewalski's horse, the Tibetan bear or the pika-eating bear, a number of new species of other mammals, and also collected huge zoological and botanical collections, containing many new forms, later described by specialists. Being a well-educated naturalist, Przhevalsky was at the same time a born traveler-wanderer, who preferred the lonely steppe life to all the benefits of civilization. Thanks to his persistent, decisive character, he overcame the opposition of the Chinese government and the resistance of local residents, which sometimes reached the point of open attack.

Having completed the processing of the fourth trip, Przhevalsky was preparing for the fifth. In 1888, he moved through Samarkand to the Russian-Chinese border, where, while hunting in the valley of the Kara-Balta River, after drinking river water, he became infected with typhoid fever. Even on the way to Karakol, Przhevalsky felt unwell, and upon arrival in Karakol he fell completely ill. A few days later, on November 1 (October 20, Old Style), 1888, he died - according to the official version, from typhoid fever. He was buried on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.

A monument was erected at Przhevalsky’s grave based on a drawing by A. A. Bilderling. A modest inscription is inscribed on the monument: “Traveller N. M. Przhevalsky.” So he bequeathed.

Another monument, also based on Bilderling’s design, was erected by the Geographical Society in the Alexander Garden in St. Petersburg.

In 1889, Karakol was renamed Przhevalsk. In Soviet times, a museum dedicated to the life of Przhevalsky was organized not far from the grave.

Przhevalsky used his right of discoverer only in very rare cases, preserving local names almost everywhere. As an exception, “Russkoe Lake”, “Expedition Lake”, “Monomakh Cap Mountain”, “Russian Ridge”, “Tsar Liberator Mountain” appeared on the map.

Literature

1. N.M. Przhevalsky. Trips. M., Detgiz, 1958

2. N.M. Przhevalsky. Travel in the Ussuri region 1867-1869