“With a high probability we can say that neither a year earlier nor a year later the study of Lop Nor would have been possible. Previously, Yakub Beg, who was not yet afraid of the Chinese and, as a result, did not curry favor with the Russians, would hardly have agreed to let us go further than the Tien Shan. Now there is no point in thinking about such a journey given the turmoil that<…>began to worry the whole of Eastern Turkestan” (diary of N. M. Przhevalsky. Entry dated August 18, 1877).
In 1888, the great Russian traveler Przhevalsky was preparing for his next, already fifth, trip to Central Asia. The main goal of the expedition was Lhasa, the heart of Tibet. In October, participants in the campaign gathered in the city of Karakol, east of Lake Issyk-Kul. However, a few days before the performance, Przhevalsky suddenly fell ill and died on October 20, 1888. The official cause of his death was typhoid fever.
Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky (his Polish surname is correctly rendered as Pshewalski) was born in 1839 in the village of Kimborovo, Smolensk province, into the family of an impoverished Belarusian landowner. In 1855, after graduating from high school, Nikolai entered military service. In 1863 he graduated from the Academy of the General Staff. Then, for several years, Przhevalsky taught geography and history at the Warsaw Junker School. In 1866, he was assigned to the General Staff and assigned to the Siberian Military District.
In May 1867, the headquarters of the troops of the Amur region sent Lieutenant Przhevalsky on his first trip - to the Ussuri River - with instructions to explore the routes to the borders of Manchuria and Korea, as well as collect information about the indigenous inhabitants of the region. During the expedition, Przhevalsky had to participate in the defeat of an armed gang of Honghuz, for which he was promoted to captain and appointed adjutant of the military headquarters. The results of the expedition, despite its small number, exceeded all expectations. Przhevalsky was the first to study and map the Russian shores of Lake Khanka, crossed the Sikhote-Alin ridge twice, mapped significant areas along the Amur and Ussuri, and published materials about the nature of the region and its peoples.
In November 1870, Nikolai Mikhailovich went on an expedition to Central Asia. He left Kyakhta and moved south. The path ran through Urga (now Ulaanbaatar) and the Gobi Desert to Beijing, where Przhevalsky received permission to travel to Tibet. From there, through the Ordos sandstone plateau, the Alashan desert, the Nanshan Mountains and the Tsaidama Basin, the detachment went to the upper reaches of the Yellow River and Yangtze, and then to Tibet. After this, the expedition once again crossed the Gobi, Central Mongolia and returned to Kyakhta. In almost three years, the detachment covered 11,900 km. As a result, 23 ridges, 7 large and a dozen small lakes were put on the map of Asia, huge collections were collected, and Przhevalsky received a large gold medal from the Imperial Russian Geographical Society and a gold medal from the Paris Geographical Society. In addition, he was promoted to colonel.
In the last decades of the 19th century. on the southern and eastern borders Russian Empire it was restless. The Russians continued to move further south into Central Asia, the British advanced towards them from India, and both of them explained their actions by the need to respond to the activity of the opposite side. The diplomatic and intelligence services of both empires worked hard, confusing the enemy, setting him ingenious traps. To strengthen their flanks, Russia and Britain sought to seize the initiative from each other in the Caucasus and Central Asia. This confrontation, which was very reminiscent of a chess game, was called by Rudyard Kipling “the great game.”
A special role in this game was assigned to Central Asia - a huge mountainous desert region, including the territories of modern Mongolia and Northwestern China (now the Xinjiang Uyghur and Tibet Autonomous Regions of the People's Republic of China). In the second half of the 19th century. this area was still a "blank spot" on the map. Both Tibet and Xinjiang formally belonged to China, but in reality they were largely uncontrolled by the decrepit Qing dynasty. Relations between local peoples and the Chinese were tense, and uprisings often broke out. It was the territory of a “geopolitical vacuum,” and nature and politics abhor a vacuum. For all its isolation, Tibet occupies an extremely important strategic position between India and China, so it should never have been neglected. Xinjiang was directly adjacent to Russia.
In 1866-1867 first in East Turkestan, and then in almost all of Xinjiang, the power of the Qing dynasty was overthrown, and the Tajik Yakub Beg proclaimed the creation of an independent state of Jetyshaar (“Seven Cities”). The British supported Yakub Beg in order to create a powerful Muslim state near Russia. Already at the end of the 1860s. unrest among the Uyghurs and Dungans began to seriously affect the Kazakh and Kyrgyz nomadic populations of Russia. Trade between Russia and China was almost paralyzed: the western trade route through Xinjiang was immediately blocked, and in 1869 another one, from Kyakhta to Beijing, was also threatened, now as a result of an uprising in Western Mongolia.
All this, but mainly the clear threat to Russia’s Central Asian possessions, forced the latter to take active action in the Ili region. By mid-June 1871, Russian troops launched military operations against the Uighurs and soon occupied Gulja almost without a fight. The presence of Russian troops in the Ili region was considered temporary. According to the plan of the Russian Foreign Ministry, they were supposed to leave the territory immediately after the restoration of power by the Qing administration. However, these actions of Russia in China were perceived ambiguously.
Three of Przhevalsky's four Central Asian expeditions occurred during the “Ili crisis” - the same decade when Russian troops annexed part of Xinjiang. The expeditions had several goals, including scientific ones, namely the study of the nature of Central Asia. However, the main task was to obtain intelligence data (about the state of the Chinese army, about the penetration of intelligence officers from other countries into this region, about passes in the mountains, water supply conditions, the nature of the local population, their attitude towards China and Russia) and to map the area.
In 1876, Przhevalsky drew up a plan for a new expedition, which was to go from Gulja to Lhasa, and also explore Lake Lop Nor. In February 1877, Przhevalsky reached this mysterious lake through the Tarim Valley, which at that time reached 100 km in length and 20-22 km in width. The traveler found it not where the old Chinese maps showed it. In addition, the lake turned out to be fresh, and not salty, as was then believed. The German geographer F. Richthofen suggested that the Russians discovered not Lop Nor, but another lake. Only half a century later the mystery was solved. It turned out that Lop Nor is nomadic, changing its position depending on the direction of flow of two rivers - the Tarim and the Konchedarya. In addition, along the way, the Altyntag mountain range (up to 6161 m high) was discovered, which is the northern ledge of the Tibetan Plateau. In July the expedition returned to Gulja. During this journey, Przhevalsky traveled more than 4 thousand km across Central Asia. The expedition failed to make the planned trip to Lhasa due to the sharp deterioration in Russian-Chinese relations.
In March 1879, Przhevalsky set off on a journey that he called the First Tibetan. A small detachment left Zaisan, moved southeast past Lake Ulyungur and up the Urungu River, crossed the Dzungarian Plain and reached the Sa-Zheu oasis. After this, having crossed Nanshan, in the western part of which two snow ridges were discovered, Humboldt (Ulan-Daban) and Ritter (Daken-Daban), Przhevalsky reached the village of Dzun on the Tsaidam Plain. Having overcome the chains of Kunlun and discovered the Marco Polo Ridge (Bokaliktag), the detachment approached Tibet itself. Already within its borders, Przhevalsky discovered the Tangla ridge, which is the watershed between the Salween and the Yangtze. On the way to Lhasa, the detachment was attacked by nomads, but since excellent marksmen were selected for it, both this and subsequent attacks were repulsed. When about 300 km remained to Lhasa, the expedition was met by envoys of the Dalai Lama, who gave Przhevalsky a written ban on visiting the capital of Buddhism: a rumor spread in Lhasa that the Russians were going to kidnap the Dalai Lama.
The detachment had to turn back. After resting in Dzun, Przhevalsky went to Lake Kukunor, and then explored the upper reaches of the Yellow River for more than 250 km. Here he discovered several ridges. After this, the detachment again entered Dzun, and from there, through the Alashan and Gobi deserts, returned to Kyakhta, covering 7,700 km. The scientific results of the expedition are impressive: in addition to clarifying internal structure Nanshan and Kunlun, the discovery of several ridges and small lakes, exploration of the upper reaches of the Yellow River, she discovered new species plants and animals, including the famous wild horse, later called Przewalski's horse.
In the fall of 1883, Przhevalsky's Second Tibetan Journey began. From Kyakhta, following a well-studied route through Urga and Dzun, he went to the Tibetan Plateau, explored the sources of the Yellow River in the Odontala basin, the watershed between the Yellow River and the Yangtze (Bayan-Khara-Ula ridge). East of Odontala, he discovered lakes Dzharin-Nur and Orin-Nur, through which the Yellow River flows. Having passed the Tsaidam Plain to the west, Przhevalsky crossed the Altyntag ridge, then followed the southern edge of the Lake Lop Nor basin and along southern border the Taklamakan desert to Khotan, and from there he reached Karakol. In two years, the detachment covered almost 8 thousand km, discovered previously unknown ridges in the Kunlun system - Moscow, Columba, Mysterious (later Przhevalsky) and Russian, large lakes - Russian and Expeditions. The traveler received the rank of major general. In total, he was awarded eight gold medals and was an honorary member of 24 scientific institutions around 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 prepared coursework"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 the Gobi, Ordos and Alashani deserts, the highlands of Northern Tibet and the Tsaidam basin discovered by him, 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. According to Chinese maps early XVIII century, Lop Nor was not 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 most eastern part 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 it was published last work Przhevalsky "From Kyakhta to the sources of the Yellow River".
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 time Not far from the grave, a museum dedicated to the life of Przhevalsky was organized.
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.
1. N.M. Przhevalsky. Trips. M., Detgiz, 1958
2. N.M. Przhevalsky. Travel in the Ussuri region 1867-1869
journey Przhevalsky discovery
Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich - Russian traveler, explorer of Central Asia, honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1878), major general (1886).
Nikolai Mikhailovich led an expedition to the Ussuri region (1867-1869) and four expeditions to Central Asia (1870-1885).
Przhevalsky's greatest achievements are the geographical and natural-historical study of the Kuen-Lun mountain system, the ridges of Northern Tibet, the Lob-Nor and Kuku-Nor basins and the sources of the Yellow River. In addition, he discovered many new forms of animals: wild camel, Przewalski's horse, Tibetan bear, new species of other mammals, and also collected huge zoological and botanical collections, which were later described by specialists. Przhevalsky's works are highly appreciated; the Gold and Silver medals of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) were established in his honor.
IN world history Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky entered the discoveries as one of the greatest travelers. The total length of its working routes in Central Asia exceeds 31.5 thousand kilometers. The Russian explorer discovered a huge number of previously unknown ridges, basins and lakes in this region. His contribution to science is priceless.
The purpose of the course work is to study the research of Central Mountain Asia and prove the true significance of the works of N.M. Przhevalsky.
I will need this work in the future to develop new tourist routes.
The subject of the course work is the study of Central Asia by Przhevalsky N.M.
The object of the course work is Przhevalsky's travels.
The objectives of the course work are:
Studying the biography of Przhevalsky;
Study of Przhevalsky's travels to Central Asia;
Analysis of the scientific contribution of Przhevalsky's discoveries.
Research methods. The method of work of Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky became a powerful impetus for steel scientists, one might even say that this served as the foundation for the creation of new methods
research.
“This technique was the foundation on which other studies that glorified Russian science, pushing it forward in world geography, relied - Przhevalsky, Roborovsky, Kozlov, Potanin, Pevtsov and others,” emphasized in the Preface to his Memoirs “Travel to Tien Shan 1856-1857." This quote belongs to P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky - the creator of the new technique
geographical discoveries.
I decided that this chapter will be devoted to the biography of Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, as this will give some understanding of him not only as a traveler, but also as a person in general.
The future explorer of Asia, Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, was born on May 31, 1839 on the Karetnikovs' estate, Kimborov, Smolensk province. In the fifth year, Nikolai’s uncle Pavel Alekseevich began to teach and become his teacher. He was a carefree man and a passionate hunter, he had beneficial influence on their pets (Nikolai Mikhailovchia and his brother Vladimir), teaching them not only literacy and French, but also shooting and hunting. Under his influence, a love for nature awakened in the boy, making him a traveler-naturalist.
Nikolai was a good friend, but had no close friends. His peers succumbed to his influence: he was the horse breeder of his class. He always stood up for the weak and newcomers - this trait testifies not only to generosity, but also to an independent character.
Learning was easy for him: he had an amazing memory. His least favorite subject was mathematics, but even here his memory came to the rescue: “He always had a clear picture of the page of the book where the answer to the question was questions asked, and what font it is printed in, and what letters are on the geometric drawing, and the formulas themselves with all their letters and signs.”
During the holidays, Przhevalsky often spent his time with his uncle. They were housed in an outbuilding, where they came only at night, and spent the whole day hunting and fishing. This was undoubtedly the most useful part in the education of the future traveler. Under the influence of life in the forest, in the air, health was tempered and strengthened; Energy, tirelessness, endurance developed, observation became more sophisticated, love for nature grew and strengthened, which later influenced the traveler’s entire life.
Gymnasium education ended in 1855, when Przhevalsky was only 16 years old. In the fall, he went to Moscow and became a non-commissioned officer in the Ryazan infantry regiment, but was soon transferred as an ensign to the Polotsk infantry regiment, stationed in the city of Bely, Smolensk province.
He soon became disillusioned with military life. He longed for something reasonable and fruitful, but where to find this work? Where to put your strength? Sex life did not provide an answer to such questions.
“Having served five years in the army, having been dragged through guard posts, through various guardhouses, and into shooting with a platoon, I finally clearly realized the need to change this way of life and choose a broader field of activity where labor and time could be spent for a reasonable purpose.”
Przhevalky asked his superiors for a transfer to the Amur, but instead of answering, he was put under arrest for three days.
Then he decided to enter the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff. To do this, it was necessary to pass an exam in military science, and Przhevalky zealously set to work on books, sitting over them for sixteen hours a day, and to relax he went hunting. An excellent memory helped him cope with subjects that he had no idea about. After sitting over books for about a year, he went to St. Petersburg to try his luck.
Despite strong competition (180 people), he was one of the first to be accepted. In 1863, at the beginning Polish uprising, it was announced to senior officers of the Academy that anyone who wishes to go to Poland will be released on preferential terms. Among those interested was
Przhevalsky. In July 1863, he was promoted to lieutenant and appointed regimental adjutant to his former Polotsk regiment.
In Poland he took part in quelling the rebellion, but seems to have been more interested in hunting and books.
Having learned that a cadet school was opening in Warsaw, he decided that he needed to transfer and in 1864 he was appointed there as a platoon officer and at the same time as a teacher of history and geography.
Arriving in Warsaw, Przhevalsky zealously began his new duties. His lectures were a huge success: cadets from other sections of the class gathered to listen to his speech.
During his stay in Warsaw, Przhevalsky compiled a textbook on geography, which, according to the reviews of people knowledgeable in this matter, is of great merit, and studied a lot of history, zoology and botany.
He studied the Central Russian flora very thoroughly: he compiled a herbarium of plants from the Smolensk, Radom and Warsaw provinces, visited the zoological museum and botanical sal, used the instructions of the famous ornithologist Tachanovsky and botanist Aleksandrovich. Dreaming of traveling to Asia, he carefully studied the geography of this part of the world. Humboldt and Ritter (contributed to the formation of the theoretical foundations
geography of the 19th century) were his reference books. Immersed in his studies, he rarely went to visit, and by his nature he did not like balls, parties and other things. A man of action, he hated vanity and crowds, a spontaneous and sincere person, he had a kind of hatred for everything that smacked of conventionality, artificiality and falsehood.
Meanwhile, time passed, and the thought of traveling to Asia haunted Przhevalsky more and more persistently. But how to implement it? Poverty and uncertainty were strong obstacles.
Finally, he managed to achieve inclusion in the General Staff and transfer to the East Siberian District.
In January 1867, Przhevalsky left Warsaw.
While passing through St. Petersburg, Przhevalsky met P.P. Semenov, at that time chairman of the section physical geography Imperial Geographical Society, and, having explained the travel plan to him, asked for support from the Society.
This, however, turned out to be impossible. The Geographical Society equipped expeditions from people who had proven themselves through scientific work, and could not trust a person completely unknown.
At the end of March 1867, Przhevalsky came to Irkutsk, and at the beginning of May he received a business trip to the Ussuri region. The Siberian Geographical Society assisted him by issuing a topographical document.
tools and a small amount of money, which was useful given the meager means of the traveler.
The enthusiastic mood he was in was reflected in the following letter: “In 3 days, that is, May 26, I am going to the Amur, then to the Ussuri River, Lake Khanka and to the shore of the Great Ocean to the borders of Korea.
Overall the expedition was great. I'm crazy happy!
The main thing is that I am alone and can freely dispose of my time, location and activities. Yes, I had the enviable lot and difficult duty of exploring areas, most of which had not yet been trodden by a European.”
Thus began the first journey of Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. There were four trips in total that made a definite contribution to science.
Unfortunately, Nikolai Mikhailovich died on October 20, 1888. Having caught a cold while hunting on October 4, he nevertheless continued to go hunting, choose camels, pack his things, and on October 8 he went to
Karakol, where the next journey was to begin. The next day, Nikolai Mikhailovich quickly pulled himself together and said a phrase that seemed strange to his friends: “Yes, brothers!” Today I saw myself in the mirror so bad, old, scary that I just got scared and shaved quickly.”
The companions began to notice that Przhevalsky was not at ease. He didn’t like any of the apartments: sometimes it was damp and dark, sometimes the walls and ceiling were oppressive; Finally he moved outside the city and settled down in a yurt, camp-style.
On October 16, he felt so bad that he agreed to send for a doctor. The patient complained of pain in the pit of the stomach, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, pain in the legs and back of the head, and heaviness in the head. The doctor examined him and prescribed medications, although they did not really help the patient, because already on October 19, Przhevalsky already realized that his career was over. He gave the last orders, asked not to reassure him with false hopes and, noticing the tears in the eyes of those around him, called them women.
“Bury me,” he said, “on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, in my hiking clothes. The inscription is simple: “The traveler Przhevalsky.”
And by 8 a.m. on October 20, the agony began. He was delirious, from time to time he came to his senses and lay there, covering his face with his hand. Then he stood up to his full height, looked around at those present and said: “Well, now I’ll lie down...”
“We helped him lie down,” says V.I. Roborovsky, - and several deep, strong sighs took away forever the priceless life of a man who was dearer to us than all people. The doctor rushed to rub his chest cold water; I put a towel with snow there, but it was too late: my face and hands began to turn yellow...
No one could control themselves; what happened to us - I won’t even dare to write to you. The doctor could not bear this picture - the picture of terrible grief; Everyone was sobbing loudly, and the doctor was sobbing too...
Regarding the traveler’s personal life, we can say that until the end of his life he remained single, leaving no offspring behind. However, a woman was present in his life - a certain Tasya Nuromskaya. This stately and beautiful girl I met Przhevalsky when I was a student, and both of them, despite the age difference, became interested in each other. According to legend, before Nikolai Mikhailovich’s last trip, she cut off her luxurious braid and gave it to her lover as a parting gift. Soon Tasya unexpectedly died from sunstroke while swimming. Przhevalsky did not survive her for long.
The conclusion to this chapter states that Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky was a man of action, striving to achieve his goals no matter what. He was not afraid to change his direction in order to fulfill
dreams are to travel and discover something new for the world and science. Even love for a girl could not resist love for nature.
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, opening up Russian and European scientific world previously unknown lands with their population, nature and fauna.
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.
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 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 girl, Elena from rich family Karetnikov. 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.
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 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.
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.
Peter 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.
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 summer last year The first expedition, having made its way through the Middle Gobi, Przhevalsky arrives in Urga (now the capital of Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar). At the beginning of autumn he returned from there to Kyakhta.
The results of the expedition were more than four thousand open 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.
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 towards shortening the route were made by the failing health of Nikolai Mikhailovich, as well as the aggravation of 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Nikolai Przhevalsky's books describe his research into the geographical and natural history of the following objects:
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.
The name of the traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky was preserved not only in his works. Named after him natural objects, city, village, streets, gymnasium in Smolensk, museum.
Also, many representatives of flora and fauna bear his name:
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.
Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich (1839-1888) - Russian military figure, Major General (1886), geographer, explorer of Central Asia, honorary member of the St. Petersburg Lyon (1878).
In military service since 1855. In 1864-1867. - teacher of geography and history, librarian at the Warsaw cadet school. In 1866 he was assigned to the General Staff and assigned to the Siberian Military District.
In 1867-1885. made four expeditions, covering more than 30 thousand km: on Far East- to the Ussuri region; to the Center Asia - to Mongolia, China and Tibet. He died at the beginning of his fifth trip near the lake. Issyk-Kul.
The scientific results of the expeditions were summarized in a number of books, giving a vivid picture of nature and characteristics of the relief, climate, rivers, lakes, vegetation and fauna in Asia. Installed main direction ovny mountain ranges Center. Asia and opened a number of new ones; clarified the boundaries of the Tibetan Plateau; collected extensive mineralogical and zoological collections; discovered and described the wild camel and the wild horse (Przewalski's horse).
Orlov A.S., Georgieva N.G., Georgiev V.A. Historical Dictionary. 2nd ed. M., 2012, p. 408.
Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich (1839, the village of Kimborovo, Smolensk province - 1888, the city of Karakol on Lake Issyk-Kul) - traveler. Genus. in a noble family. Since childhood I dreamed of traveling. In 1855 he graduated from the Smolensk gymnasium. At the height of the Sevastopol defense he entered the army as a volunteer, but he did not have to fight. After 5 years of being unloved by Przhevalsky military service received a refusal to transfer him to Amur for research work. In 1861 he entered the Academy of the General Staff, where he completed his first geographical work, “Military Geographical Survey of the Amur Region,” for which Rus. the geographical society elected him as a member. In 1863 he completed his academic course and volunteered to go to Poland to suppress the uprising. He served in Warsaw as a teacher of history and geography at a cadet school, where he seriously engaged in self-education, preparing to become a professional researcher of little-studied countries. In 1866 he received an appointment to the East. Siberia, which I dreamed of. With the support of Rus. Geographical Society, in 1867 - 1869 made a trip, the result of which was the book. "Travel in the Ussuri region" and rich collections for the geographical society. After this, in 1870 - 1885, Przhevalsky made four trips to little-known areas of Central Asia; He photographed more than 30 thousand km of the path he traveled, discovered unknown mountain ranges and lakes, a wild camel, a Tibetan bear, and a wild horse named after him. He talked about his travels in books, giving a vivid description of Central Asia: its flora, fauna, climate, peoples who lived in it; collected unique collections, becoming a generally recognized classic of geographical science. He died of typhoid fever while preparing to make his fifth expedition to Central Asia.
Book materials used: Shikman A.P. Figures national history. Biographical reference book. Moscow, 1997
Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich, Russian geographer, famous researcher Center. Asia, Major General (1888), honorary member. Petersburg AN (1878). Graduated from the General Staff Academy (1863). In the army since 1855; in 1856 he was promoted to officer and served in the Ryazan and Polotsk infantry. shelves. In 1864-67, military teacher. geography and history at the Warsaw Junker School. Then P. was assigned to the General Staff and assigned to the Siberian Military. district This is where his many years of fruitful research work began. expeditions, actively supported by P. P. Semenov (Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky) and other scientists Rus. geographical about-va. Ch. P.'s merit - geography, natural history research Center. Asia, where he established the direction of the main. ridges and opened a number of new ones, clarified the sowing. borders of the Tibetan Plateau. Military A scientist-geographer, P. laid out all his routes on the map, while the topography and surveys were carried out with exceptional accuracy. Along with this, P. conducted meteorology, observations, collected collections on zoology, botany, geology, and information on ethnography. P. successively conducted expeditions: to the Ussuri region (1867-69), to Mongolia, China, Tibet (1870-73), to lake. Lop Nor and to Dzungaria (1876-77), to the Center. Asia - the first Tibetan (1879-80) and the second Tibetan (1883-85). They were unprecedented in spatial scope and routes (during all five of P.’s expeditions, more than 30 thousand km were covered). P.’s scientific works covering the progress and results of these expeditions, in a short time gained worldwide fame and were published in many editions. countries. P.'s research marked the beginning of a systematic study of the Center. Asia. In 1891 in honor of P. Rus. geography, the society established a silver medal and an award named after him. In 1946, a gold medal was established. H. M. Przhevalsky, awarded by Geography, Society of the USSR. Named after P. are: a city, a ridge in the Kunlun system, a glacier in Altai, other geography, objects, as well as a number of species of animals (Przewalski's horse) and plants discovered by him during his travels. P. monuments were erected near Przhevalsk, not far from the lake. Issyk-Kul, where his grave and museum are located, as well as in Leningrad.
Materials from the Soviet Military Encyclopedia in 8 volumes, volume 6 were used.
Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich - Russian traveler, researcher 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 on the Tibetan Plateau. Collected valuable collections of plants and animals; for the first time described a wild camel, a wild horse (Przewalski's horse), a food-eating bear, etc.
Przhevalsky was born in the village of Kimbory, Smolensk province, on April 12, 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 volunteered for military service. 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.
Soon he achieved a transfer to Eastern Siberia. With the help of Semenov, Przhevalsky received a two-year 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.
Przhevalsky spent two and a half years in the Far East. Thousands of kilometers have been covered, 1600 kilometers have been covered with route surveys. The Ussuri basin, Lake Khanka, the coast of the Sea of Japan... A large article “Foreign population of the Ussuri region” has been prepared for publication. 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. He begins to write the book "Travel in the Ussuri region."
In 1870, the Russian Geographical Society organized an expedition to Central Asia. Przhevalsky was appointed its head. Second Lieutenant M.A. rode with him. Pollen Their path lay through Moscow and Irkutsk and further - through Kyakhta to Beijing, where Przhevalsky received permission to travel from the Chinese government. He was heading to Tibet.
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. He returned to Kyakhta in September 1873, without ever reaching the capital of Tibet, Lhasa.
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 gave detailed descriptions of the Gobi, Ordos and Alashani deserts, the high mountainous regions of Northern Tibet and the Tsaidam Basin (discovered by him), 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 - Przhevalsky's foot-and-mouth disease, Przhevalsky's cleft-tailed plant, Przhevalsky's rhododendron... The two-volume work "Mongolia and the Country of the Tanguts" (1875-1876) brought the author world fame and was translated into a number of European languages.
The Russian Geographical Society awarded him the Great Gold Medal and the “highest” awards - the rank of lieutenant colonel, a lifelong pension of 600 rubles annually. He receives the Gold Medal of the Paris Geographical Society. His name is now placed next to Semenov-Tian-Shansky, Kruzenshtern and Bellingshausen, Livingston and Stanley...
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.
In February 1877, Przhevalsky reached the huge reed swamp-Lake Lop Nor. 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. 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, the expedition returned to Gulja. Przhevalsky was pleased: he studied Lop Nor, discovered Altyntag, 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.
Having rested, Przhevalsky began a journey in March 1879, which he called the “First Tibetan”. From Zaisan he headed southeast, past Lake Ulyungur and along the Urungu River to its headwaters, crossed the Dzungarian Gobi - “a vast undulating plain” - and determined its dimensions.
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. His assistant, 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” (1883). 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.
In November 1883, Przhevalsky’s next, already fourth, journey began.
In two years, a huge distance was covered - 7815 kilometers, almost completely without roads. On the northern border of Tibet, an entire mountainous country 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. In the same year, Przhevalsky organized a new expedition to Central Asia. They reached the village of Karakol, near the eastern shore of Issyk-Kul. Here Przhevalsky fell ill with typhoid fever. He died on November 1, 1888.
On the gravestone there is a modest inscription: “Traveller N. M. Przhevalsky.” So he bequeathed. In 1889, Karakol was renamed Przhevalsk.
Przhevalsky used his right of discoverer only in very rare cases, preserving local names almost everywhere. As an exception, “Lake Russkoe”, “Lake Expedition”, “Mount Monomakh Hat” appeared on the map.
Materials used from the site http://100top.ru/encyclopedia/
PRZHEVALSKY Nikolai Mikhailovich (1839-1888). Russian traveler, honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1878). Major General. In 1870-1885 - participant of four expeditions to Central Asia. They claim that Stalin looks like Przhevalsky, that Przhevalsky spent two years before Stalin’s birth in Gori, that Przhevalsky had an illegitimate son whom he helped financially... Probably, numerous rumors are connected with this that N.M. Przhevalsky is the father of I. Dzhugashvili (Stalin). Commenting on these rumors, G.A. Egnatashvili, who knew Stalin’s family well, says: “Incredible stupidity. I recently read about this somewhere too. They say that Ekaterina Georgievna worked in the hotel where Przhevalsky lived, then for money he married her to Vissarin Dzhugashvili in order to save her from shame... But she did not work in any hotel! She washed, served and helped my grandfather with housework. For as long as I can remember, legends have been going around Stalin one after another - whose son is he? So what, two, one and a half years before Stalin’s birth, Przhevalsky lived in Gori?... So, he is his father?! Utter nonsense. You know that in Georgia everything is very serious and strict in this regard. And you can’t hide sin among the people, they are full of long-livers, and then we had so many Mensheviks and even these fragments of nobles, and they would not have missed the opportunity to gloat!.. After all, these are all enemies of Stalin, and they would have inflated such an ideology around this fact that oh-oh-oh!..” (Loginov V. My Stalin // Spy. 1993. No. 2. P. 39-40).
According to I. Nodiy, even when life of Stalin, “when people disappeared for any word said about him, they freely said that he was the illegitimate son of the great Przhevalsky. These unprovable stories could only appear with the highest approval... This was not only Stalin’s hatred of his drunkard father, but also state interest. He had already become the Tsar of All Rus' and instead of an illiterate Georgian drunkard he wanted to have a noble Russian father.”
In fact, there is no reliable evidence that N.M. Przhevalsky was in Georgia or even in the Caucasus at the right time.1 In this sense, another general, A.M., could have been much more suitable for the role of I. Dzhugashvili’s father. Przhevalsky ( brother scientist), who actually visited the Caucasus, and in 1917 commanded the Caucasian Front in the First World War.
1 E. Radzinsky claims that N.M. Przhevalsky came to Gori, however, he does not say when, and does not provide a source of information (Radzinsky E. Stalin. M., 1997. P. 27). However, it is known that in 1876-1878. Przhevalsky participated in the second expedition to Central Asia (Lobnork and Dzungarian travel), and in 1879-1880. - led the first Tibetan expedition.
Book materials used: Torchinov V.A., Leontyuk A.M. Around Stalin. Historical and biographical reference book. St. Petersburg, 2000
Mongolia and the country of the Tanguts. Three-year journey to the East. mountainous Asia. M., 1946;
Travel in the Ussuri region 1867-1869. M., 1947;
From Kulja beyond the Tien Shan and to Lop Nor. M., 1947;
From Zaisan through Hami to Tibet and the upper reaches of the Yellow River. M., 1948;
From Kyakhta to the sources of the Yellow River. Northern research the outskirts of Tibet and the path through Lop Nor along the Tarim basin. M., 1948.
Gavrilenko V. M. Russian traveler N. M. Przhevalsky. M., 1974;
Myrzaev E. M. N. M. Przhevalsky. Ed. 2nd. M., 1953.
Yusov B.V. N.M. Przhevalsky. M., 1985.
