Pochinkovsky district of the Smolensk region. There is a memorial sign here.

Przhevalsky belonged to the gentry family, coat of arms Luk: “Silver Bow and Arrow turned up on the Red Field”, bestowed for military exploits in the battle with Russian troops during the capture of Polotsk by the army of Stefan Batory.

The distant ancestor of Nikolai Mikhailovich was a warrior of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Karnil Anisimovich Perevalsky - a Cossack who distinguished himself in the Livonian War.

In any conditions, daily N. M. Przhevalsky led personal diary which formed the basis of his books. N. M. Przhevalsky had a bright writing gift, which he developed through hard and systematic work.

N. M. Przhevalsky studied the territories of China, Mongolia and Tibet.

Scientific merit

Przhevalsky's greatest merits are geographical and natural-historical research. mountain system Kun-Lun, the ranges of Northern Tibet, the Lop-Nor and Kuku-Nor basins and the sources of the Yellow River. In addition, he discovered a number of new forms of animals: wild camel, Przewalski's horse, a number of new species of other mammals, as well as huge zoological and botanical collections containing many new forms, further described by specialists. The Academy of Sciences and learned societies around the world welcomed Przewalski's discoveries. The British Royal Geographical Society called Nikolai Przhevalsky "the most outstanding traveler in the world." The St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences awarded Przhevalsky with a medal with the inscription: "To the first researcher of the nature of Central Asia."

Addresses in Karakol

• House of Karizhensky - Dzerzhinsky (Dzhamansarieva) street, 156.

Awards

• Order of St. Stanislaus 3rd class (1866)
• Order of St. Vladimir 3rd class (1881)
• Austrian Order of Leopold, Knight's Cross (1874)
• Large gold Konstantinovsky medal - the highest award of the Imperial (1868)
• Small silver medal of the Russian Geographical Society for an article on the population of Primorye
• Honorary Diploma of the International Geographical Congress in Paris
• Gold Medal of the Paris Geographical Society (1876)
• Order of Academic Palms (France)
• Large Alexander Humboldt Gold Medal (1878)
• Royal Medal of the London Geographical Society (1879)
• Vega Medal of the Stockholm Geographical Society
• Grand Gold Medal of the Italian Geographical Society
• Gold nominal medal with the inscription: "To the first researcher of the nature of Central Asia" of the Academy of Sciences of Russia

honorary titles

• Honorary citizen of Smolensk (1881)
• Corresponding Member of the Berlin Geographical Society
• honorary member of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1878) and the Botanical Garden
• honorary member of St. Petersburg University
• honorary member of the St. Petersburg Society of Naturalists
• honorary member of the Ural Society of Natural Science Lovers
• honorary member of the Russian Geographical Society
• Honorary Doctor of Zoology, Moscow University
• honorary member of the Vienna Geographical Society
• honorary member of the Italian Geographical Society
• honorary member of the Dresden Geographical Society
• honorary member of the Moscow Society of Lovers of Natural Science, Anthropology and Ethnography

Memory

In memory of the researcher are named:

• 1887 - Przhevalsky Ridge, discovered by him; glacier in Altai
• Przewalski Mountains in Primorsky Krai
• A cave near the city of Nakhodka and a rock mass in the Partizanskaya river basin
• The city of Przhevalsk in - (The highest command of the Sovereign Emperor of March 11: Government Bulletin, 1889, No. 5) and - gg.
• The village of Przhevalskoye in the Smolensk region, in which the traveler's estate was located;
• Przewalski Street in Moscow, Minsk, Irkutsk, Smolensk and other cities
• Local Lore Museum named after N. M. Przhevalsky (Przhevalsk)
• Types of animals:
  • Przewalski's horse ( Equus ferus przewalskii)
  • pied Przewalski ( Eolagurus przewalskii)
  • Przewalski's nuthatch ( Sitta przewalskii)
  • satyr butterfly ( Hyponephene przewalskyi) Dubatolov, Sergeev et Zhdanko, 1994
• Plant types:
  • buzulnik Przewalski (Ligularia przewalskii (Maxim.) Diels)
  • Zhuzgun of Przewalski ( Calligonum przewalskii Losinsk.)
  • cattail of Przewalski ( Typha przewalskii Skvortsov)
  • Przewalski's sage ( Salvia przewalskii Maxim.)
  • Przewalski's skullcap ( Scutellaria przewalskii Juz.)
• Passenger motor ship project 860 of the Amur River Shipping Company

In honor of N. M. Przhevalsky:

• A memorial sign was erected at the place of his birth
• A monument was erected on his grave in Pristan-Przhevalsk according to the drawing by A. A. Bilderling. A museum of the life and work of N. M. Przhevalsky was organized nearby
• A monument was erected in 1892 from the Russian Geographical Society, according to the project of A. A. Bilderling, in the Alexander Garden in St. Petersburg. Sculptor of both monuments I. N. Schroeder
• A bust was installed in the in-line auditorium 2109 of the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University.
• - established the N. M. Przewalski Medal and the Przewalski Prize
• - the Przhevalsky gold medal was established
• - the historical and biographical film "Przhevalsky" was shot
• - a series of Russian commemorative coins dedicated to N. M. Przhevalsky and his expeditions.

• Postage stamps, coins, badges

Stamp of USSR 1113.jpg

Postage stamp of the USSR, 1947

Quotes

• "In essence, a traveler must be born."
• "The traveler has no memory" (about the need to keep a diary).
• "Traveling would lose half of its charm if it were not for them to be told."
• “And the world is beautiful because you can travel.”

Bibliography

• Przhevalsky N. M.
• Przhevalsky N. M."Mongolia and the country of the Tanguts"

see also

Write a review on the article "Przhevalsky, Nikolai Mikhailovich"

Notes

Literature

• In memory of Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. St. Petersburg: RGO, 1889. 64 p.
• List of generals by seniority. Corrected on September 1, 1888 - St. Petersburg. , 1888. - S. 761.
• Dubrovin N. F. Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. Biographical sketch. - St. Petersburg, 1890.
• Engelhard M. N. N. M. Przhevalsky. His life and travels. - St. Petersburg, 1891.
• Zelenin A.V. Travels of N. M. Przhevalsky. - St. Petersburg, 1900.
• Kozlov P.K. Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, the first researcher of the nature of Central Asia. - St. Petersburg, 1913.
• Khmelnitsky S.I. Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, 1839-1888. - L., 1950. (Life of wonderful people).
• Murzaev E. M. N. M. Przhevalsky. - M .: Geografgiz, 1953. - 56 p. - (Wonderful geographers and travelers). - 100,000 copies.(reg.)
• Gavrilenkov V. M. Russian traveler N. M. Przhevalsky / Artist D. Orlov. - M .: Moskovsky worker, 1974. - 144 p. - 50,000 copies.(reg.)
• Yusov B.V. N. M. Przhevalsky. - M .: Education, 1985. - 96 p. - (People of science). - 250,000 copies.(reg.)
• Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky // Baskhanov M.K. Russian military orientalists before 1917: Bio-bibliographical dictionary. M.: Eastern Literature, 2005. S. 193-196.
• Gavrilenkova E. P. Unknown pages of N.M. Przhevalsky. - Ed. 2nd, add. - Smolensk: Scroll, 2012. - 216 p. - 1000 copies.(reg.)
• Baskhanov M.K.“The road to the depths of Asia was not laid for us with a carpet”: a phenomenon of the era of Russian geographical generals // Russian study of Central Asia: historical and modern aspects. - St. Petersburg: Politekhnika-service, 2014. - S. 297-318.

• Reifield Donald. The Dream of Lhasa. The Life of Nikolai Przhevalsky, 1839-88, Explorer of Central Asia. London, Paul Elek, 1976.

Links

• Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich- article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
• No. 8 (2563) | August 1987 Heading "Historical Search"

An excerpt characterizing Przhevalsky, Nikolai Mikhailovich

Prince Andrei, saying this, was even less like than before, that Bolkonsky, who was sitting lounging in Anna Pavlovna's armchairs and squinting through his teeth, uttering French phrases. His dry face kept trembling with the nervous animation of every muscle; eyes, in which the fire of life had previously seemed extinguished, now shone with a radiant, bright brilliance. It was evident that the more lifeless he seemed at ordinary times, the more energetic he was in those moments of almost painful irritation.
“You don’t understand why I say this,” he continued. “It's a whole life story. You say Bonaparte and his career,” he said, although Pierre did not talk about Bonaparte. – You are talking to Bonaparte; but Bonaparte, when he worked, went step by step towards the goal, he was free, he had nothing but his goal - and he reached it. But bind yourself to a woman, and like a chained convict, you lose all freedom. And everything that is in you of hope and strength, everything only weighs you down and torments you with repentance. Drawing rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, insignificance - this is a vicious circle from which I cannot get out. I'm off to war now the greatest war, which only happened, but I don’t know anything and I’m not good for anything. Je suis tres aimable et tres caustique, [I am very sweet and very eater,] continued Prince Andrei, “and Anna Pavlovna is listening to me. And this stupid society, without which my wife cannot live, and these women ... If only you could know what it is toutes les femmes distinguees [all these women of good society] and women in general! My father is right. Selfishness, vanity, stupidity, insignificance in everything - these are women when everything is shown as they are. You look at them in the light, it seems that there is something, but nothing, nothing, nothing! Yes, don’t marry, my soul, don’t marry, ”Prince Andrei finished.
“It’s funny to me,” said Pierre, “that you yourself, you consider yourself incapable, your life a spoiled life. You have everything, everything is ahead. And you…
He did not say that you were, but his tone already showed how highly he appreciated his friend and how much he expected from him in the future.
"How can he say that!" thought Pierre. Pierre considered Prince Andrei a model of all perfection precisely because Prince Andrei combined to the highest degree all those qualities that Pierre did not have and which can be most closely expressed by the concept of willpower. Pierre was always amazed at Prince Andrei's ability to calmly deal with all kinds of people, his extraordinary memory, erudition (he read everything, knew everything, had an idea about everything), and most of all his ability to work and study. If Pierre was often struck by the lack of the ability of dreamy philosophizing in Andrei (which Pierre was especially prone to), then he saw this not as a drawback, but as a strength.
In the best, friendly, and simple relations, flattery or praise is necessary, as grease is necessary for wheels to keep them moving.
- Je suis un homme fini, [I am a finished man,] - said Prince Andrei. - What to say about me? Let's talk about you," he said after a pause and smiled at his comforting thoughts.
This smile was immediately reflected on Pierre's face.
- And what to say about me? - said Pierre, spreading his mouth into a carefree, cheerful smile. – What am I? Je suis un batard [I am an illegitimate son!] - And he suddenly blushed crimson. It was evident that he made a great effort to say this. - Sans nom, sans fortune ... [No name, no fortune ...] And well, right ... - But he did not say that he was right. - I'm free for now, and I'm fine. I just don't know what to start with. I wanted to seriously consult with you.
Prince Andrew looked at him with kind eyes. But in his look, friendly, affectionate, all the same, the consciousness of his superiority was expressed.
“You are dear to me, especially because you are the only living person among our entire world. You feel good. Choose what you want; it does not matter. You will be good everywhere, but one thing: stop going to these Kuragins, to lead this life. So it doesn’t suit you: all these revels, and hussars, and that’s all ...
“Que voulez vous, mon cher,” said Pierre, shrugging his shoulders, “les femmes, mon cher, les femmes!” [What do you want, my dear, women, my dear, women!]
“I don’t understand,” Andrei answered. - Les femmes comme il faut, [Decent women,] is another matter; but les femmes Kuragin, les femmes et le vin, [Kuragin's women, women and wine,] I don't understand!
Pierre lived with Prince Vasily Kuragin and participated in the wild life of his son Anatole, the same one who was going to be married to the sister of Prince Andrei for correction.
“You know what,” said Pierre, as if he had an unexpectedly happy thought, “seriously, I have been thinking about this for a long time. With this life, I can neither decide nor think about anything. Headache, no money. Today he called me, I will not go.
“Give me your word of honor that you won’t ride?”
- Honestly!

It was already two o'clock in the morning when Pierre went out from his friend. The night was a June, Petersburg, duskless night. Pierre got into a cab with the intention of driving home. But the closer he drove, the more he felt the impossibility of falling asleep that night, which was more like evening or morning. Far away it was visible along the empty streets. Dear Pierre remembered that Anatole Kuragin was supposed to meet the usual gambling society that evening, after which there was usually a drinking bout, ending in one of Pierre's favorite amusements.
"It would be nice to go to Kuragin," he thought.
But at once he remembered his word of honor given to Prince Andrei not to visit Kuragin. But immediately, as happens with people who are called spineless, he so passionately wanted to once again experience this dissolute life so familiar to him that he decided to go. And immediately the thought occurred to him that this word meant nothing, because even before Prince Andrei, he also gave Prince Anatole the word to be with him; finally, he thought that all these words of honor were such conditional things, having no definite meaning, especially if one realized that perhaps tomorrow either he would die or something so unusual would happen to him that there would no longer be any honest , nor dishonorable. This kind of reasoning, destroying all his decisions and assumptions, often came to Pierre. He went to Kuragin.
Pulling up to the porch big house at the horse guard barracks in which Anatole lived, he went up to the illuminated porch, onto the stairs, and entered the open door. There was no one in the hall; there were empty bottles, raincoats, galoshes; there was a smell of wine, a distant voice and a cry could be heard.
The game and dinner were already over, but the guests had not yet left. Pierre threw off his cloak and entered the first room, where there were the remnants of dinner and one footman, thinking that no one could see him, was secretly finishing his unfinished glasses. From the third room came fuss, laughter, cries of familiar voices and the roar of a bear.
About eight young people crowded preoccupiedly near the open window. Three were busy with a young bear, which one dragged on a chain, scaring the other with it.
“I hold a hundred for Stevens!” one shouted.
– Look not to support! shouted another.
- I'm for Dolokhov! shouted a third. - Take it apart, Kuragin.
- Well, drop Mishka, there's a bet.
- In one spirit, otherwise it is lost, - shouted the fourth.
- Yakov, give me a bottle, Yakov! - Shouted the owner himself, a tall handsome man, standing in the middle of the crowd in one thin shirt, open in the middle of his chest. - Stop, gentlemen. Here he is Petrusha, dear friend, - he turned to Pierre.
Another voice of a short man, with clear blue eyes, which was especially striking among all these drunken voices with its sober expression, shouted from the window: "Come here - break the bet!" It was Dolokhov, a Semyonov officer, a well-known gambler and swindler, who lived with Anatole. Pierre smiled, looking cheerfully around him.
- I don't understand anything. What's the matter?
Wait, he's not drunk. Give me a bottle, - said Anatole and, taking a glass from the table, went up to Pierre.
- First of all, drink.
Pierre began to drink glass after glass, scowling at the drunken guests, who again crowded at the window, and listening to their conversation. Anatole poured him wine and said that Dolokhov was betting with the Englishman Stevens, a sailor who was here, that he, Dolokhov, would drink a bottle of rum, sitting on the third floor window with his legs down.
- Well, drink it all! - said Anatole, giving the last glass to Pierre, - otherwise I won’t let him in!
“No, I don’t want to,” said Pierre, pushing Anatole away, and went to the window.
Dolokhov held the Englishman's hand and clearly, distinctly pronounces the terms of the bet, addressing primarily to Anatole and Pierre.
Dolokhov was a man of medium height, with curly hair and light blue eyes. He was twenty-five years old. He did not wear a mustache, like all infantry officers, and his mouth, the most striking feature of his face, was completely visible. The lines of this mouth were remarkably finely curved. In the middle, the upper lip fell energetically onto the strong lower lip in a sharp wedge, and something like two smiles constantly formed in the corners, one on each side; and all together, and especially in combination with a firm, insolent, intelligent look, made such an impression that it was impossible not to notice this face. Dolokhov was a poor man, without any connections. And despite the fact that Anatole lived in tens of thousands, Dolokhov lived with him and managed to put himself in such a way that Anatole and everyone who knew them respected Dolokhov more than Anatole. Dolokhov played all the games and almost always won. No matter how much he drank, he never lost his head. Both Kuragin and Dolokhov at that time were celebrities in the world of rake and revelers in St. Petersburg.
A bottle of rum was brought; the frame, which did not allow one to sit on the outer slope of the window, was broken down by two lackeys, apparently in a hurry and timid from the advice and cries of the surrounding gentlemen.
Anatole, with his victorious air, went up to the window. He wanted to break something. He pushed the footmen away and pulled the frame, but the frame did not give up. He broke the glass.
“Well, come on, strong man,” he turned to Pierre.
Pierre took hold of the crossbars, pulled, and with a crack turned the oak frame inside out.
- All out, otherwise they will think that I am holding on, - said Dolokhov.
“The Englishman is boasting… huh?… good?…” said Anatole.
“Good,” said Pierre, looking at Dolokhov, who, taking a bottle of rum in his hands, went up to the window, from which he could see the light of the sky and the morning and evening dawns merging on it.
Dolokhov, with a bottle of rum in his hand, jumped up to the window. "Listen!"
he shouted, standing on the windowsill and turning into the room. Everyone fell silent.
- I bet (he spoke French so that an Englishman could understand him, and he did not speak this language very well). I bet fifty imperials, want a hundred? he added, turning to the Englishman.
“No, fifty,” said the Englishman.
- Well, for fifty imperials - that I will drink the whole bottle of rum without taking it from my mouth, I will drink it, sitting outside the window, right here (he bent down and showed a sloping ledge of the wall outside the window) and not holding on to anything ... So? …
“Very well,” said the Englishman.
Anatole turned to the Englishman and, taking him by the button of his tailcoat and looking at him from above (the Englishman was short), began to repeat the terms of the bet in English.
- Wait! Dolokhov shouted, banging the bottle on the window to draw attention to himself. - Wait, Kuragin; listen. If anyone does the same, then I pay a hundred imperials. Do you understand?
The Englishman nodded his head, giving no indication as to whether or not he intended to accept this new wager. Anatole did not let go of the Englishman, and despite the fact that he, nodding, let it be known that he understood everything, Anatole translated Dolokhov's words into English for him. A young, thin boy, a life hussar who lost that evening, climbed to the window, leaned out and looked down.
“U!… u!… u!…” he said, looking out the window at the pavement stone.
- Attention! Dolokhov shouted and pulled the officer off the window, who, tangled in his spurs, awkwardly jumped into the room.
Putting the bottle on the windowsill so that it would be convenient to get it, Dolokhov cautiously and quietly climbed out the window. Lowering his legs and bracing himself with both hands on the edge of the window, he tried on, sat down, lowered his arms, moved to the right, to the left, and took out a bottle. Anatole brought two candles and put them on the windowsill, although it was already quite light. Dolokhov's back in a white shirt and his curly head were illuminated from both sides. Everyone crowded at the window. The Englishman stood in front. Pierre smiled and said nothing. One of those present, older than the others, with a frightened and angry face, suddenly moved forward and wanted to grab Dolokhov by the shirt.
- Gentlemen, this is nonsense; he will kill himself to death,” said the more sensible man.
Anatole stopped him:
Don't touch it, you'll scare him, he'll kill himself. Huh?… What then?… Huh?…
Dolokhov turned around, straightening himself and again spreading his arms.
“If anyone else meddles with me,” he said, rarely passing words through clenched and thin lips, “I’ll let him down right here.” Well!…
Saying "well!", he turned again, let go of his hands, took the bottle and raised it to his mouth, threw back his head and threw up his free hand for an advantage. One of the footmen, who had begun to pick up the glass, stopped in a bent position, without taking his eyes off the window and Dolokhov's back. Anatole stood straight, his eyes open. The Englishman, pursing his lips forward, looked sideways. The one who stopped him ran to the corner of the room and lay down on the sofa facing the wall. Pierre covered his face, and a faint smile, forgotten, remained on his face, although it now expressed horror and fear. Everyone was silent. Pierre took his hands away from his eyes: Dolokhov was still sitting in the same position, only his head was bent back, so that the curly hair of the back of his head touched the collar of his shirt, and the hand with the bottle rose higher and higher, shuddering and making an effort. The bottle apparently emptied and at the same time rose, bending its head. "Why is it taking so long?" thought Pierre. It seemed to him that more than half an hour had passed. Suddenly Dolokhov made a backward movement with his back, and his hand trembled nervously; this shudder was enough to move the whole body, sitting on the sloping slope. He moved all over, and his hand and head trembled even more, making an effort. One hand went up to grab the window sill, but went down again. Pierre closed his eyes again and told himself that he would never open them again. Suddenly, he felt everything around him move. He looked: Dolokhov was standing on the windowsill, his face was pale and cheerful.
- Empty!
He tossed the bottle to the Englishman, who deftly caught it. Dolokhov jumped from the window. He smelled strongly of rum.
- Excellent! Well done! That's the bet! Damn you completely! shouted from all directions.
The Englishman took out his purse and counted out the money. Dolokhov frowned and remained silent. Pierre jumped to the window.
Lord! Who wants to bet with me? I will do the same,” he suddenly shouted. “And you don’t have to bet, that’s what. Tell me to give you a bottle. I'll do... tell me to give.
- Let it go, let it go! Dolokhov said smiling.
- What you? crazy? Who will let you in? Your head is spinning even on the stairs, - they started talking from different sides.
- I'll drink, give me a bottle of rum! Pierre shouted, striking the table with a decisive and drunken gesture, and climbed out the window.
They seized him by the arms; but he was so strong that he pushed far away the one who approached him.
“No, you can’t convince him like that for anything,” Anatole said, “wait, I’ll deceive him.” Listen, I'm betting with you, but tomorrow, and now we're all going to ***.
“Let's go,” Pierre shouted, “let's go! ... And we take Mishka with us ...
And he grabbed the bear, and, embracing and lifting him, began to circle with him around the room.

Prince Vasily fulfilled the promise given at the evening at Anna Pavlovna's to Princess Drubetskaya, who asked him about her only son Boris. He was reported to the sovereign, and, unlike others, he was transferred to the guards of the Semenovsky regiment as an ensign. But Boris was never appointed adjutant or under Kutuzov, despite all the troubles and intrigues of Anna Mikhailovna. Shortly after Anna Pavlovna's evening, Anna Mikhailovna returned to Moscow, directly to her wealthy relatives, the Rostovs, with whom she stayed in Moscow and with whom her adored Borenka, who had just been promoted to the army and immediately transferred to the guards warrant officers, was brought up and lived for years. The guards had already left Petersburg on August 10, and the son, who had remained in Moscow for uniforms, was supposed to catch up with her on the road to Radzivilov.
The Rostovs had Natalia's birthday girl, mother and younger daughter. In the morning, without ceasing, trains drove up and drove off, bringing congratulators to the large, well-known house of Countess Rostova on Povarskaya, all over Moscow. The countess with her beautiful eldest daughter and the guests, who did not cease to replace one another, were sitting in the drawing room.
The countess was a woman with an oriental type of thin face, about forty-five years old, apparently exhausted by her children, of whom she had twelve people. The slowness of her movements and speech, which came from the weakness of her strength, gave her a significant air that inspired respect. Princess Anna Mikhailovna Drubetskaya, like a domestic person, was sitting right there, helping in the matter of receiving and engaging in conversation with the guests. The youth were in the back rooms, not finding it necessary to participate in receiving visits. The count met and saw off the guests, inviting everyone to dinner.
“I am very, very grateful to you, ma chere or mon cher [my dear or my dear] (ma chere or mon cher he spoke to everyone without exception, without the slightest nuance, both above and below him to people standing) for himself and for dear birthday girls . Look, come and have dinner. You offend me, mon cher. I sincerely ask you on behalf of the whole family, ma chere. These words from the same expression on a full, cheerful and clean-shaven face, and with an equally firm handshake and repeated short bows, he spoke to everyone without exception or change. After seeing off one guest, the count returned to the one or the other who were still in the drawing room; pulling up chairs and with the air of a man who loves and knows how to live, with his legs valiantly apart and his hands on his knees, he swayed significantly, offered guesses about the weather, consulted about health, sometimes in Russian, sometimes in very bad, but self-confident French, and again with the air of a tired but firm man in the performance of his duties, he went to see him off, straightening his sparse gray hair on his bald head, and again called for dinner. Sometimes, returning from the hall, he would go through the flower room and the waiter's room into a large marble hall, where a table was set for eighty couverts, and, looking at the waiters, who wore silver and porcelain, arranged tables and unfolded damask tablecloths, called Dmitry Vasilyevich, a nobleman, to him, engaged in all his affairs, and said: “Well, well, Mitenka, see that everything is fine. So, so, - he said, looking with pleasure at the huge spreading table. - The main thing is serving. That's it ... ”And he left, sighing smugly, again into the living room.
- Marya Lvovna Karagina with her daughter! the huge countess, the outgoing footman, reported in a bass voice as he entered the drawing-room door.
The Countess thought for a moment and sniffed from a golden snuffbox with a portrait of her husband.
“These visits tortured me,” she said. - Well, I'll take her last. Very stiff. Ask, - she said to the footman in a sad voice, as if saying: "well, finish it off!"
A tall, stout, proud-looking lady with a chubby, smiling daughter, rustling her dresses, entered the living room.
“Chere comtesse, il y a si longtemps… elle a ete alitee la pauvre enfant… au bal des Razoumowsky… et la comtesse Apraksine… j"ai ete si heureuse…” [Dear Countess, how long ago… she should have been in bed, poor a child... at the Razumovskys' ball... and Countess Apraksina... was so happy...] animated female voices were heard, interrupting one another and merging with the noise of dresses and moving chairs. , say: "Je suis bien charmee; la sante de maman ... et la comtesse Apraksine" [I am in awe; mother's health ... and Countess Apraksina] and, again making noise with dresses, go into the hall, put on a fur coat or cloak and leave. The conversation turned about the main city news of that time - about the illness of the famous rich man and handsome man of Catherine's time, the old Count Bezukhy and about his illegitimate son Pierre, who behaved so indecently at the evening at Anna Pavlovna Scherer.
“I am very sorry for the poor count,” said the guest, “his health is already so bad, and now this chagrin from his son, this will kill him!”
- What? the countess asked, as if not knowing what the guest was talking about, although she had already heard the reason for Count Bezukhy's grief fifteen times already.
- That's the current upbringing! While still abroad,” the guest said, “this young man was left to his own devices, and now in St. Petersburg, they say, he has done such horrors that he and the police have been expelled from there.
- Tell! said the Countess.
“He chose his acquaintances badly,” intervened Princess Anna Mikhailovna. - The son of Prince Vasily, he and one Dolokhov, they say, God knows what they were doing. And both were hurt. Dolokhov was demoted to the soldiers, and Bezukhoy's son was sent to Moscow. Anatol Kuragin - that father somehow hushed up. But they were sent out from St. Petersburg.
“What the hell did they do?” the countess asked.
“These are perfect robbers, especially Dolokhov,” said the guest. - He is the son of Marya Ivanovna Dolokhova, such a respectable lady, and what? You can imagine: the three of them got a bear somewhere, put it in a carriage with them and took it to the actresses. The police came to take them down. They caught the guard and tied him back to back to the bear and let the bear into the Moika; the bear swims, and the quarter on it.
- Good, ma chere, the figure of the quarterly, - the count shouted, dying with laughter.
- Oh, what a horror! What's there to laugh at, Count?
But the ladies involuntarily laughed themselves.
“They rescued this unfortunate man by force,” continued the guest. - And this is the son of Count Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov, who is so cleverly amused! she added. - And they said that he was so well educated and smart. That's all the upbringing abroad has brought. I hope that no one will accept him here, despite his wealth. I wanted to introduce him. I resolutely refused: I have daughters.
Why do you say this young man is so rich? asked the countess, bending down from the girls, who immediately pretended not to listen. “He only has illegitimate children. It seems ... and Pierre is illegal.
The guest waved her hand.
“He has twenty illegal ones, I think.
Princess Anna Mikhailovna intervened in the conversation, apparently wishing to show her connections and her knowledge of all secular circumstances.
"Here's the thing," she said significantly, and also in a whisper. - The reputation of Count Kirill Vladimirovich is known ... He lost count of his children, but this Pierre was his favorite.
“How good the old man was,” said the countess, “even last year!” I have never seen a more beautiful man.
“Now he has changed a lot,” said Anna Mikhailovna. “So I wanted to say,” she continued, “by his wife, the direct heir to the entire estate, Prince Vasily, but Pierre was very fond of his father, was engaged in his upbringing and wrote to the sovereign ... so no one knows if he dies (he is so bad that they expect it every minute, and Lorrain came from St. Petersburg), who will get this huge fortune, Pierre or Prince Vasily. Forty thousand souls and millions. I know this very well, because Prince Vasily himself told me this. Yes, and Kirill Vladimirovich is my maternal second cousin. It was he who baptized Borya, ”she added, as if not attributing any significance to this circumstance.

Introduction

travel 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).

The greatest merits of Przhevalsky are the geographical and natural-historical study of the Kuen-Lun mountain system, the ranges of Northern Tibet, the Lop-Nor and Kuku-Nor basins and the sources of the Yellow River. In addition, he discovered many new forms of animals: a wild camel, Przewalski's horse, a Tibetan bear, new species of other mammals, and also collected huge zoological and botanical collections, further described by specialists. The works of Przhevalsky are highly appreciated, the Gold and Silver medals of the Russian Geographical Society (Russian Geographical Society) are established in his honor.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky entered the world history of 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 invaluable.

aim term paper is to study the studies of Central mountainous Asia and prove the true significance of the works of N.M. Przhevalsky.

I will need this work in the future for the development of 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 Przewalski's travels.

The objectives of the course work are:

Studying the biography of Przhevalsky;

Study of Przewalski's journey to Central Asia;

Analysis of the scientific contribution of Przewalski'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 relied, putting it forward in world geography - Przhevalsky, Roborovsky, Kozlov, Potanin, Pevtsov and others,” emphasized in the Preface to his Memoirs “Journey to the Tien Shan 1856-1857". This quote belongs to P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky - the creator of a new technique

geographical discoveries.

Biography of Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky

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 in the Kimborov Karetnikov estate, Smolensk province. In the fifth year, Nikolai began to be taught and taught by his uncle Pavel Alekseevich. He was a carefree and passionate hunter, he had a beneficial effect on his pets (Nikolai Mikhailovchia and his brother Vladimir), teaching them not only to read and write and French, but also to shoot and hunt. Under his influence, a love for nature awakened in the boy, which made him a traveler-naturalist.

Nikolai was a good comrade, but had no close friends. Peers succumbed to his influence: he was the groom of his class. He always stood up for the weak and newcomers - this trait, which testifies not only to generosity, but also to an independent character.

Teaching was easy for him: he had an amazing memory. Mathematics was his unloved subject, but even here memory helped out: “He always clearly imagined the page of the book, where there was an answer to questions asked, and in what font it is printed, 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 placed in an outbuilding, where they came only at night, and all day were on hunting and fishing. It 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, indefatigability, endurance developed, observation was refined, love for nature grew and strengthened, which later influenced the entire life of the traveler.

Gymnasium education ended in 1855, when Przhevalsky was only 16 years old. In the autumn he went to Moscow and entered as 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 work, reasonable and fruitful, but where to find this work? Where to apply your strength? Sex life did not answer such questions.

“After serving five years in the army, dragging myself on guard, through all kinds of guardhouses, shooting with a platoon, I finally clearly realized the need to change this way of life and choose a more extensive field of activity where one could spend labor and time for a reasonable purpose.”

Przhevalky asked the authorities to 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 sciences, and Przhevalsky zealously set to work on books, sitting over them for sixteen hours a day, and went hunting for rest. An excellent memory helped him cope with subjects that he had no idea about. After spending about a year on the books, 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 of the Polish uprising, senior officers of the Academy were told that those who wished to go to Poland would be released on preferential terms. Among the applicants 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 the suppression of the rebellion, but it seems that he was more interested in hunting and books.

Upon learning that a cadet school was opening in Warsaw, he decided that he needed to be transferred, 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 took up his new duties. His lectures were a huge success: the cadets from other departments of the class were going to listen to his speech.

During his stay in Warsaw, Przhevalsky compiled a geography textbook, which, according to people who are knowledgeable in this matter, is of great merit, and did a lot of history, zoology and botany.

He studied the Central Russian flora very thoroughly: he compiled a herbarium from plants of the Smolensk, Radom and Warsaw provinces, visited the zoological museum and the botanical sal, used the instructions of the famous ornithologist Tachanovsky and botanist Alexandrovich 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 the hustle and bustle, a direct and sincere man, 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. But how to implement it? Poverty and uncertainty were strong hindrances.

Finally, he managed to achieve reckoning to the General Staff and transfer to East Siberian district.

In January 1867, Przewalski left Warsaw.

On his way to St. Petersburg, Przhevalsky met P.P. Semenov, at that time the chairman of the section of physical geography of the Imperial Geographical Society, and, having explained the travel plan to him, asked for support from the Society.

This, however, proved to be impossible. The Geographical Society equipped expeditions from persons who had proven themselves by scientific work, and could not trust a completely unknown person.

At the end of March 1867, Przhevalsky appeared in Irkutsk, and at the beginning of May he received a business trip to the Ussuri Territory. The Siberian gave the Geographical Society assisted him by issuing a topographic

tools and a small amount of money, which came in handy with the traveler's meager means.

The enthusiastic mood in which he was reflected in the following letter: “In 3 days, that is, on 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.

In general, the expedition is 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 an enviable share and a difficult duty - to explore areas in most of which the foot of a European has not yet set foot.

Thus began the first journey of Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. In total, there were absolutely four trips that made their definite contribution to science.

Unfortunately, Nikolai Mikhailovich died on October 20, 1888. Having caught a cold on the hunt on October 4, nevertheless, he continued to go hunting, choose camels, pack things, and on October 8 he went to

Caracol, from where the next journey was to begin. The next day, Nikolai Mikhailovich quickly got ready and said a phrase that seemed strange to his friends: “Yes, brothers! I saw myself today in the mirror so nasty, old, scary that I just got scared and shaved as soon as possible.

The satellite began to notice that Przhevalsky was uneasy. He did not like a single apartment: it was damp and dark, then the walls and ceiling crushed; finally he moved out of town and settled down in a yurt, like a camper.

On October 16, he felt so ill 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 neck, heaviness in the head. The doctor examined him and prescribed medication, although they did not really help the patient, because already on October 19, Przhevalsky was already aware that his career was over. He gave his last orders, asked not to be comforted by false hopes, and noticing the tears in the eyes of those around him, he called them women.

“Bury me,” he said, “on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, in my marching clothes. The inscription is simple: "Traveler Przhevalsky."

And by 8 o'clock in the morning on October 20, the agony began. He was delirious, at times he came to his senses and lay with his face covered with his hand. Then he stood up to his full height, looked around at those present and said: “Well, now I will lie down ...”

We helped him lie down, - says V.I. Roborovsky, - and a few deep, strong, sighs forever carried away 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 already too late: my face and hands began to turn yellow ...

Nobody could control himself; what was done with us - I do not undertake to write to you. The Doctor could not stand this picture - a picture of terrible grief; everyone sobbed aloud, sobbed the doctor ...

With regard to the personal life of the traveler, we can say that until the end of his life he remained single, leaving no offspring. However, a woman was present in his life - a certain Tasya Nuromskaya. This stately and beautiful girl met Przhevalsky when she was a student, and both of them, despite the difference in age, were carried away by each other. According to legend, before the last trip of Nikolai Mikhailovich, she cut off her luxurious braid and gave it to her lover as a farewell gift. Soon Tasya died unexpectedly from sunstroke while swimming. Przhevalsky did not long survive her.

The conclusion to this chapter says that Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky was a man of action, striving to fulfill his goals no matter what. He was not afraid to change his direction of activity in order to fulfill

dreams - to travel and discover something new for the world and science. Even the love of the girl could not resist the love of nature.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky (March 31, 1839, Kimborovo village, Smolensk province - October 20, 1888, Karakol) - Russian traveler and naturalist. Undertook several expeditions to Central Asia. In 1878 he was elected an honorary member of the Academy of Sciences. Major General (since 1886).

Becoming a future researcher

Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky was born on April 12, 1839 in the village of Kimborovo, Smolensk province, into a poor family. He lost his father at the age of six. He was raised by his mother, a smart and strict woman. She gave her son wide freedom, allowed him to leave the house in any weather, wander through the forest and swamps. Her influence on her son was very great. To her, as well as to the nanny Olga Makarievna, Nikolai Mikhailovich forever retained a tender affection.

From childhood, N. M. Przhevalsky became addicted to hunting. He retained this passion for the rest of his life. Hunting hardened his already healthy body, developed in him a love for nature, observation, patience and endurance. His favorite books were descriptions of travels, stories about the customs of animals and birds, and various geographical books. He read a lot and memorized everything he read to the smallest detail. Often, comrades, testing his memory, took a book familiar to him, read one or two lines on any page, and then Przhevalsky spoke whole pages by heart.

After graduating from the Smolensk gymnasium, a sixteen-year-old boy during Crimean War joined the army as a private. In 1861, he began to study at the Military Academy, after which he was sent back to the Polotsk regiment, where he served earlier. At the Academy, N. M. Przhevalsky compiled the “Military Statistical Review of the Amur Territory”, which was highly appreciated in the Russian Geographical Society and served as the basis for his election in 1864 as a member of the Society. All his life and activities were later connected with this Society.

From an early age, N. M. Przhevalsky dreamed of traveling. When he managed to escape from the regiment in Big city- Warsaw and become a teacher at a military school, he used all his strength and means to prepare for travel. For himself, he set the most strict regime: he worked a lot in the university zoological museum, the botanical garden and in the library. His desk books at that time were: the works of K. Ritter about Asia, "Pictures of Nature" by A. Humboldt, various descriptions of Russian travelers in Asia, publications of the Russian Geographical Society, books on zoology, especially on ornithology (about birds).

N. M. Przhevalsky took his teaching duties very seriously, prepared thoroughly for classes, and presented the subject in an interesting and exciting way. He wrote a textbook on general geography. His book, scientifically and vividly written, at one time enjoyed great success in military and civilian educational institutions and was published in several editions.

Ussuri expedition

At the beginning of 1867, N. M. Przhevalsky moved from Warsaw to St. Petersburg and presented his travel plan to Central Asia to the Russian Geographical Society. The plan did not receive support. He was given only letters of recommendation to the authorities of Eastern Siberia. Here he managed to get a business trip to the Ussuri region, which was annexed to Russia shortly before. In the instructions, N. M. Przhevalsky was instructed to inspect the location of the troops, collect information on the number and condition of Russian, Manchurian and Korean settlements, explore the paths leading to the borders, correct and supplement the route map. In addition, it was allowed to "make any kind of scientific research." Going on this expedition in the spring of 1867, he wrote to his friend: “... I am going to the Amur, from there to the river. Ussuri, Lake Khanka and on the shores of the Great Ocean, to the borders of Korea. Yes! An enviable share and a difficult duty fell on me - to explore areas in most of which the foot of an educated European had not yet set foot. Moreover, this will be my first statement about myself to the scientific world, therefore, you need to work hard.”

As a result of his Ussuri expedition, N. M. Przhevalsky gave good geographical description the edges. In the economy of Primorye, he emphasized the discrepancy between the richest natural resources and their insignificant use. He was especially attracted by the Khanka steppes with their fertile soils, vast pastures and a huge wealth of fish and poultry.

N. M. Przhevalsky colorfully, in all its charm and originality, showed the geographical features of the Ussuri region. He remarked, among other things, feature nature of the Far East: "junction" of southern and northern plant and animal forms. N. M. Przhevalsky writes: “It is somehow strange for an unusual eye to see such a mixture of forms of north and south that collide here both in the plant and animal worlds. Particularly striking is the sight of a spruce entwined with grapes, or a cork tree and a walnut growing next to a cedar and a fir. A hunting dog looks for you a bear or a sable, but right next to it you can meet a tiger that is not inferior in size and strength to the inhabitant of the Bengal jungle.

N. M. Przhevalsky considered the Ussuri journey as a preliminary reconnaissance before his difficult expeditions to Central Asia. It cemented his reputation as an experienced traveler-explorer. Soon after that, he began to petition for permission to travel to the northern outskirts of China and to the eastern parts of southern Mongolia.

In the spring of 1868, he again went to Khanka Lake, then pacified the 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 Territory". About 300 species of plants were collected, more than 300 stuffed birds were made, and many plants and birds were discovered in Ussuri for the first time.

First trip to Central Asia

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

On February 25, 1871, Przhevalsky moved from Beijing north to Dalai-Nur Lake, 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 a branching, as thought before on the basis of Chinese sources; having passed through the Alashan desert and the Alashan mountains, he returned to Kalgan, having made 3,500 versts in 10 months.

On March 5, 1872, the expedition set out again from Kalgan and moved through the Alashan desert to the Nanshan ranges and further to Lake Kukunor. Then Przhevalsky crossed the Tsaidam basin, overcame the Kunlun ranges 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 (Ulan Bator), through the Middle Gobi, and from Urga in September 1873 he returned to Kyakhta. Przhevalsky traveled more than 11,800 kilometers through the deserts and mountains of Mongolia and China and mapped (on a scale of 10 versts in 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 Huang He and Yangtze (Ulan Muren). And he determined that Bayan-Khara-Ula is the watershed between these river systems. Przhevalsky gave detailed descriptions the deserts of the Gobi, Ordos and Alashani, 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 accurate, because due to very difficult travel conditions, he could not make astronomical determinations of longitudes. This significant defect 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 splittail, Przewalski's rhododendron... world fame, has been translated into several European languages.

The Russian Geographical Society awarded Przhevalsky the Big Gold Medal and the "highest" awards - the rank of lieutenant colonel, a lifetime pension of 600 rubles annually. He received the Gold Medal of the Paris Geographical Society. His name was put next to Semyonov Tyan-Shansky, Krusenstern and Bellingshausen, Livingston and Stanley.

Second expedition

My second Central Asian trip Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky starts in 1876. It was conceived on a very large scale, it was supposed to explore Tibet and Lhasa, but due to the complication of the political situation (the conflict with China) and the illness of Przhevalsky himself, the route had to be shortened.

Starting your journey with Kulja, overcoming Tien Shan ranges and the Tarim Basin Przhevalsky reached in February 1877 a huge reed swamp-Lake Lobnor. According to his description, the lake was 100 kilometers long and 20 to 22 kilometers wide. On the banks of the mysterious Lop Nor, in the "land of Lop", Przhevalsky was the second ... after Marco Polo!

No obstacles prevented the researchers from making their discoveries: the lower reaches of the Tarim with a group of lakes and the Altyn-tag ridge were described, and materials were collected on the ethnography of the Lobnors (Karakurchins). After some time, an entry appears in Nikolai Mikhailovich’s diary: “A year will pass, misunderstandings with China will be settled, my health will improve, and then I will again take the wanderer’s staff and again head to the Asian deserts” 2

Third expedition

In March 1879, Przhevalsky began his third journey through Central Asia, which he called the "First Tibetan". He proceeded through the Dzungarian Gobi - "a vast undulating plain" - and quite correctly determined its dimensions. Having passed Lake Barkel, Przhevalsky went to the Hami oasis. Further, he crossed the eastern outskirts of the Gashunskaya Gobi and reached the lower reaches of the Danhe River, and to the south of it he discovered the “huge ever-snowy” Humboldt Range. Through the pass (3670 m) - at the junction of Altyntag and Humboldt - Przhevalsky went south and, having crossed three short ridges, descended to the village of Dzun. From there, Przhevalsky moved to the southwest and found out that the Kunlun here stretches in a latitudinal direction and consists of two, sometimes three parallel chains (64 to 96 km wide), which have different names in their various parts. According to the nomenclature adopted for maps of the late 20th century, Przhevalsky identified the western part of Burkhan-Buddha, somewhat to the south - Bokalyktag, which he called the Marco Polo ridge (with a peak of 5851 m), and south of Kukushili - the Bungbura-Ula ridge, which stretches along left bank of Ulan Muren (upper Yangtze). Further south, Tibet itself stretched out before the traveler. Beyond the 33rd parallel, Przhevalsky discovered the watershed of the Yangtze and Salween - almost the latitudinal Tangla ridge (with peaks up to 6621 m). From a gently sloping, barely noticeable pass, Przhevalsky saw the eastern part of the Nyenchentanglha ridge. He found his way to the forbidden Lhasa and was about 300 km from it, but was forced to turn back: a rumor spread in Lhasa that a Russian detachment was coming to kidnap the Dalai Lama. Przhevalsky followed the same route to the upper reaches of the Yangtze and somewhat to the west of the former route to the Dzung. An attempt to penetrate to the sources of the Huang He was unsuccessful due to the impossibility of crossing the river.

Fourth expedition

Despite the painful illness, Przhevalsky went on the fourth (second Tibetan) expedition of 1883-1885, during which he discovered a number of new lakes and ridges in the Kunlun, having traveled 1800 km, delineated the Tsaidam basin, almost 60 years before the discovery of Pobeda Peak (7439 m ) indicated its existence by first describing it. In 1888, going on a new journey, he wept bitterly, as if saying goodbye forever, upon arrival in Karakol he felt ill and died a few days later - according to the official version, from typhoid fever. Already today, three medical experts have come to the conclusion that Hodgkin's disease was the cause of his death.

Personality

The personal qualities of N. M. Przhevalsky ensured the success of his expedition. He selected his employees from simple, inexhaustible, enterprising people and treated people of the “noble breed” with great distrust. He himself did not shy away from any menial work. Discipline during the expedition was severe, without pomp and nobility. His assistants - V. I. Roborovsky and P. K. Kozlov - later became famous independent travelers. Many satellites participated in two or three expeditions, and the Buryats Dondok Irinchinov conducted four expeditions together with N. M. Przhevalsky.

In adulthood, N. M. Przhevalsky was absolutely indifferent to ranks, titles and awards, and just as indifferent to live research work. The traveler's passion was hunting, he himself was a brilliant shooter.

Being a well-educated naturalist, Przhevalsky was at the same time a born wanderer who preferred a lonely steppe life to all the benefits of civilization. Thanks to his persistent, resolute nature, he overcame the opposition of Chinese officials and the resistance of local residents, sometimes reaching open attacks and skirmishes.

Scientific significance of the activity

The scientific results of N. M. Przhevalsky's travels are enormous and versatile. With his travels, he covered vast areas, collected rich scientific collections, made extensive research and geographical discoveries, processed the results and summed up. He handed over the various scientific collections he had collected to the scientific institutions of Russia: the ornithological and zoological collections - to the Academy of Sciences, the botanical - to the Botanical Garden.

Fascinating descriptions of the travels of N. M. Przhevalsky are at the same time strictly scientific. His books are among the best geographical writings. These are the brilliant results of the great traveler. His works contain subtle artistic descriptions of many birds and wild animals, plants, landscapes and natural phenomena of Asia. These descriptions became classics and were included in special works on zoology, botany, and geography.

Drawing up a detailed report on the expedition carried out by N. M. Przhevalsky considered the most important thing. Returning from the expedition, he used every opportunity to work on the report, even at random stops. N. M. Przhevalsky began a new expedition only after the publication of a book about the previous one. He wrote over two thousand printed pages about his travels. All his works, upon their publication in Russian, immediately appeared in translations into foreign languages Abroad. It happened that editions of N. M. Przhevalsky's works abroad diverged faster than in Russia.

N. M. Przhevalsky had no rivals in enterprise, energy, determination, resourcefulness. He literally yearned for unknown countries. Central Asia attracted him with its lack of exploration. No difficulties frightened him. According to the general results of his work, N. M. Przhevalsky took one of the most honorable places among the famous travelers of all times and peoples. His activity is an exceptional example of a steady pursuit of his goal and the talented fulfillment of his task. Fearlessness, selfless love for science, fortitude, purposefulness and organization of Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky make him related to the people of our era.

(1839-1888)

The famous Russian traveler Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky was the first explorer of the nature of Central Asia. He possessed an amazing ability to observe, was able to collect a large and diverse geographical and natural scientific material and linked it together using the comparative method. He was the largest representative of comparative physical geography, which originated in the first half of the 19th century.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky was born on April 12, 1839 in the village of Kimborovo, Smolensk province, into a poor family. He lost his father at the age of six. He was raised by his mother, a smart and strict woman. She gave her son wide freedom, allowed him to leave the house in any weather, wander through the forest and swamps. Her influence on her son was very great. To her, as well as to the nanny Olga Makarievna, Nikolai Mikhailovich forever retained a tender affection.

From childhood, N. M. Przhevalsky became addicted to hunting. He retained this passion for the rest of his life. Hunting hardened his already healthy body, developed in him a love for nature, observation, patience and endurance. His favorite books were descriptions of travels, stories about the customs of animals and birds, and various geographical books. He read a lot and memorized everything he read to the smallest detail. Often, comrades, testing his memory, took a book familiar to him, read one or two lines to any page, and then Przhevalsky already recited entire pages by heart.

After graduating from the Smolensk gymnasium, a sixteen-year-old youth entered the army during the Crimean War. In 1861, he began to study at the Military Academy, after which he was sent back to the Polotsk regiment, where he served earlier. At the Academy, N. M. Przhevalsky compiled the “Military Statistical Review of the Amur Territory”, highly appreciated in the Russian Geographical Society and served as the basis for his election in 1864 as a member of the Society. All his life and activities were later connected with this Society.

From an early age, N. M. Przhevalsky dreamed of traveling. When he became a teacher at a military school in Warsaw, he used all his strength and means to prepare for travel. For himself, he set the most strict regime: he worked a lot in the university zoological museum, the botanical garden and in the library. His desk books at that time were: the works of K. Ritter about Asia, "Pictures of Nature" by A. Humboldt, various descriptions of Russian travelers in Asia, publications of the Russian Geographical Society, books on zoology, especially on ornithology.

N. M. Przhevalsky took his teaching duties very seriously, prepared thoroughly for classes, and presented the subject in an interesting and fascinating way. He wrote a textbook on general geography. His book, scientifically and vividly written, at one time enjoyed great success in military and civilian educational institutions and was published in several editions.

At the beginning of 1867, N. M. Przhevalsky moved from Warsaw to St. Petersburg and presented his travel plan to Central Asia to the Russian Geographical Society. The plan did not receive support. He was given only letters of recommendation to the authorities of Eastern Siberia. Here he managed to get a business trip to the Ussuri region, shortly before annexed to Russia. In the instructions, N. M. Przhevalsky was instructed to inspect the location of the troops, collect information on the number and condition of Russian, Manchurian and Korean settlements, explore the paths leading to the borders, correct and supplement the route map. In addition, it was allowed to "make any kind of scientific research." Going on this expedition in the spring of 1867, he wrote to his friend: “... I am going to the Amur, from there to the river. Ussuri, Lake Khanka and on the shores of the Great Ocean, to the borders of Korea. Yes! An enviable share and a difficult duty fell on me - to explore areas in most of which the foot of an educated European had not yet set foot. Moreover, this will be my first statement about myself to the scientific world, therefore, you need to work hard.”

As a result of his Ussuri expedition, N. M. Przhevalsky gave a good geographical description of the region. In the economy of Primorye, he emphasized the discrepancy between the richest natural resources and their insignificant use. He was especially attracted by the Khanki steppes with their fertile soils, extensive pastures and the enormous wealth of fish and poultry.

N. M. Przhevalsky colorfully, in all charm and originality, showed the geographical features of the Ussuri region. He noticed, among other things, a characteristic feature of the nature of the Far East: the "junction" of southern and northern plant and animal forms. N M. Przhevalsky writes:

“It is somehow strange for an unaccustomed eye to see such a mixture of forms of north and south, which collide here both in the plant and in the animal world. Particularly striking is the sight of a spruce entwined with grapes, or a cork tree and a walnut growing next to a cedar and a fir. A hunting dog looks for you a bear or a sable, but right next to it you can meet a tiger that is not inferior in size and strength to the inhabitant of the Bengal jungle.

N. M. Przhevalsky considered the Ussuri journey as a preliminary reconnaissance before his difficult expeditions to Central Asia. It cemented his reputation as an experienced traveler-explorer. Soon after that, he began to petition for permission to travel to the northern outskirts of China and to the eastern parts of southern Mongolia.

N. M. Przhevalsky himself defined the main tasks of his first trip through China - to Mongolia and the country of the Tanguts as follows: “Physical-geographical, as well as special zoological studies on mammals and birds were the main subject of our studies; ethnographic research was carried out as far as possible. During this expedition (1870-1873) 11,800 kilometers were covered. Based on the visual survey of the distance traveled, a map was compiled on 22 sheets at a scale of 1: 420,000. Meteorological and magnetic observations were made daily, rich zoological and botanical collections were collected. The diary of N. M. Przhevalsky contained valuable records of physical-geographical and ethnographic observations. Science for the first time received accurate information about the hydrographic system of Kuku-nor, the northern heights of the Tibetan Plateau. Based on the materials of N. M. Przhevalsky, it was possible to significantly refine the map of Asia.

At the end of the expedition, the famous traveler wrote:

“Our journey is over! His success surpassed even those hopes that we had ... Being poor in terms of material means, we only ensured the success of our business by a series of constant successes. Many times it hung in the balance, but a happy fate rescued us and made it possible to make a feasible study of the least known and most inaccessible countries of inner Asia.

This expedition strengthened the fame of N. M. Przhevalsky as a first-class researcher. The entire scientific world quickly got acquainted with the Russian, English and German editions of the book "Mongolia and the country of the Tanguts", and this work was highly appreciated.

Long before the completion of processing the materials of the Mongolian journey, N. M. Przhevalsky began to prepare for a new expedition. In May 1876, he left Moscow to go to Gulja, and from there to the Tien Shan, to Lake Lobnor and further to the Himalayas. Having reached the Tarim River, the expedition consisting of 9 people headed down its course to Lop Nor. South of Lobnor, N. M. Przhevalsky discovered the huge Altyn-Tag ridge and explored it under difficult conditions. He notes that the discovery of this ridge sheds light on many historical events, since the ancient road from Khotan to China went “along the wells” to Lop Nor. During a long stop at Lop Nor, astronomical determinations of the main points and a topographical survey of the lake were made. In addition, ornithological observations were made. The discovery of Altyn-Tag by N. M. Przhevalsky was recognized by all geographers of the world as the largest geographical discovery. It established exactly the northern border of the Tibetan Plateau: Tibet turned out to be 300 kilometers further north than previously thought.

The expedition failed to get into Tibet. This was prevented by the illness of the leader and a number of members of the expedition, and especially by the aggravation of Russian-Chinese relations.

About his second trip to Central Asia, N. M. Przhevalsky compiled a very brief report. Part of the materials of this expedition was subsequently included in the description of the fourth trip.

At the beginning of 1879, N. M. Przhevalsky set off on a new, third journey to Central Asia. The expedition went from Zaisan to the Khami oasis. From here, through the inhospitable desert and the ridges of the Nan Shan, which lay along the way, the travelers climbed the Tibetan plateau. Nikolai Mikhailovich described his first impressions as follows: “We were entering, as it were, into another world, in which, first of all, we were struck by the abundance of large animals that had little or almost no fear of man. Not far from our camp, herds of kulans grazed, wild yaks lay and paced alone, orongo males stood in a graceful pose; like rubber balls, jumped little antelopes - hells. After the most difficult transitions, in November 1879, the travelers reached the pass through the Tan-la ridge. 250 kilometers from the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, near the village of Naichu, travelers were detained by Tibetan officials. Despite lengthy negotiations with representatives of the Tibetan authorities, N. M. Przhevalsky had to turn back. After that, the expedition until July 1880 explored the upper reaches of the Yellow River, Lake. Kukunor and eastern Nan Shan.

“The success of my three previous travels in Central Asia, the vast areas that remained unknown there, the desire to continue, as far as I could, my cherished task, and finally, the temptation of a free wandering life - all this pushed me, at the end of the report on my third expedition, to embark on a new journey,” writes N. M. Przhevalsky in a book about the fourth journey through Central Asia.

This expedition was more crowded and equipped better than all the previous ones. The expedition explored the sources of the Huang He and the watershed between the Huang He and the Yangtze. These areas, from a geographical point of view, were not at all known at that time, not only in Europe, but also in China, and were indicated on maps only approximately. The achievement and study of the origins of the Huang He N. M. Przhevalsky rightly considered the solution of an "important geographical problem." Then N. M. Przhevalsky discovered some ranges unknown to Europeans and not having local names. He gave them names: Columbus Ridge, Moscow Ridge, Russian Ridge. N. M. Przhevalsky gave the name “Kremlin” to the top of the Moskovsky ridge. To the south of the Columbus and Russian ridges, N. M. Przhevalsky noticed a “vast snow ridge” and called it “Mysterious”. Subsequently, this ridge was named after N. M. Przhevalsky by the decision of the Council of the Russian Geographical Society.

Having explored the northern part of the Tibetan plateau, the expedition came to Lop Nor and Tarim. Then the travelers went to Cherchen and further to Keriya, from here through Khotan and Aksu to Karakol to Lake Issyk-Kul. Geographically, this was Przhevalsky's most fruitful journey.

Neither honors, nor fame, nor well-known material security could keep the passionate traveler in place. In March 1888 he completed the description of the fourth trip, and the next month he already had permission and money for a new expedition to Lhasa. In October he arrived in Karakol. Here the entire composition of the expedition was completed and the caravan was prepared for the journey.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky demanded from his employees not to spare "neither strength, nor health, nor life itself, if necessary, in order to fulfill ... a high-profile task and serve both for science and for the glory of the dear fatherland." He himself has always served as an example of selfless devotion to duty. Before his death, Nikolai Mikhailovich said: “I ask you not to forget about one thing, so that they will certainly bury me on the shore of Issyk-Kul, in a marching expedition uniform ...”.

His companions chose for the grave an even beautiful place on the shore of Issyk-Kul, on a cliff, with a view of the lake and the surrounding area. A monument was later erected on the grave from large blocks of local marble with the inscription: “Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, born on March 31, 1839, died on October 20, 1888. The first explorer of the nature of Central Asia” [dates are indicated according to the old style].

The results of Przewalski's travels

The space of Central Asia, in which N. M. Przhevalsky traveled, is located between 32 and 48 ° north latitude and 78 and 117 ° east longitude. It stretches more than 1000 kilometers from north to south and about 4000 kilometers from west to east. The directions of the routes of the expedition of N. M. Przhevalsky in this vast space constitute a real network. His caravans traveled over 30,000 km.

N. M. Przhevalsky considered the most important part of the program of all his travels to be physical and geographical descriptions and route-eye survey. He paved and mapped many thousands of kilometers of new, unknown routes to anyone before him. To do this, he surveyed, determined astronomically 63 points, made several hundred determinations of heights above sea level.

Shooting N. M. Przhevalsky produced himself. He always rode in front of the caravan with a small notebook in his hands, where he entered everything that interested him. Upon arrival at the bivouac, N. M. Przhevalsky transferred what he had written down to a blank tablet. He had a rare ability to accurately describe the terrain he passed.

Thanks to N. M. Przhevalsky, the map of Central Asia has changed significantly in all its parts. Science has been enriched with concepts about the orography of Mongolia, northern Tibet, the region of the sources of the Yellow River, East Turkestan. After the hypsometric observations of N. M. Przhevalsky, the relief of the vast country began to emerge. New mountain ranges have appeared on the map to replace the many mythical mountains marked on ancient Chinese maps.

N. M. Przhevalsky in three places crossed the northern border of Tibet - Kun-Lun. Before him, these mountains were drawn on the maps in a straight line. He showed that they are divided into a number of separate ridges. On the maps of Asia before the travels of N. M. Przhevalsky, there were no mountains that make up the southern "fence" of Tsaidam. These mountains were first explored by N. M. Przhevalsky. The names he gave to individual ridges (for example, the Marco Polo ridge, the Columbus ridge) appear on all modern maps Asia. In the western part of Tibet, he discovered and named individual ranges of the Nan Shan mountain system (Humboldt Range, Ritter Range). Geographic map firmly keeps the names associated with the activities of the first scientific researcher of Central Azin.

Before N. M. Przhevalsky's travels to Central Asia, absolutely nothing was known about its climate. He was the first to give life to vivid description seasons and general characteristics of the climate of the countries visited. Day after day, carefully, for many years he made systematic meteorological observations. They provided the most valuable material for judging the spread of the humid, rainy monsoon of Asia to the north and west and the border of its two main regions - Indian and Chinese, or East Asian. Based on the observations of N. M. Przhevalsky, for the first time, it was possible to establish general average temperatures for Central Asia. They turned out to be 17.5º lower than previously thought.

N. M. Przhevalsky carried out his scientific research, starting with the first Ussuri and including the subsequent four large trips to Central Asia, according to a single program. “In the foreground,” he writes, “of course, there should be purely geographical research, then natural history and ethnographic research. The latter ... it is very difficult to collect in passing ... In addition, there was too much work for us in other branches of scientific research, so that ethnographic observations could not be carried out with the desired completeness for this reason.

Academician V. L. Komarov, the greatest connoisseur of vegetation in Asia, emphasized that there is no such branch of natural science to which the studies of N. M. Przhevalsky would not have made an outstanding contribution. His expeditions opened completely new world animals and plants.

All the works of N. M. Przhevalsky bear the seal of exceptional scientific conscientiousness. He writes only about what he saw himself. His travel diaries are striking in their pedantry and accuracy of entries. On a fresh memory, regularly, according to a certain system, he writes down everything he sees. The travel diary of N. M. Przhevalsky includes: a general diary, meteorological observations, lists of collected birds, mammal eggs, mollusks, plants, rocks, etc., general notes, ethnographic, zoological and astronomical observations. The thoroughness and accuracy of the travel records made it possible for their author to complete the complete processing of the materials in a short time.

The merits of N. M. Przhevalsky were recognized during his lifetime in Russia and abroad. Twenty-four scientific institutions in Russia and Western Europe elected him as an honorary member. N. M. Przhevalsky was an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow University awarded him an honorary doctorate in zoology. The city of Smolensk elected him an honorary citizen. Foreign geographical societies awarded N. M. Przhevalsky their awards: Swedish - the highest award - the Vega medal, Berlin - the Humboldt medal, Paris and London - gold medals, and the French Ministry of Education - the "Palm of the Academy". The London Geographical Society, awarding him its highest award in 1879, noted that his journey surpasses everything that has taken place since the time of Marco Polo (XIII century). At the same time, it was noted that N. M. Przhevalsky was motivated to difficult and dangerous travels by his passion for nature, and to this passion he managed to add all the virtues of a scientist-geographer and a brave explorer. N. M. Przhevalsky walked tens of thousands of kilometers in difficult conditions, did not undress or wash for weeks, and his life was repeatedly in direct danger. But all this never shook his vigorous state and efficiency. Persistently and persistently he went to his goal.

The personal qualities of N. M. Przhevalsky ensured the success of his expeditions. He selected his employees from simple, inexhaustible, enterprising people and treated people of the “noble breed” with great distrust. He himself did not shy away from any menial work. Discipline during the expedition was severe, without pomp and nobility. His assistants V. I. Roborovsky and P. K. Kozlov subsequently became famous travelers themselves. Many satellites participated in two or three expeditions, and the Buryat Dondok Irinchinov was together with N. M. Przhevalsky in four expeditions.

The scientific results of N. M. Przhevalsky's travels are enormous and versatile. With his travels, he covered vast areas, collected rich scientific collections, made extensive research and geographical discoveries, processed the results and summed up.

He handed over the various scientific collections he had collected to the scientific institutions of Russia: the ornithological and zoological collections - to the Academy of Sciences, the botanical - to the Botanical Garden.

Fascinating descriptions of the travels of N. M. Przhevalsky are at the same time strictly scientific. His books are among the best geographical writings. These are the brilliant results of the great traveler. His works contain subtle, artistic descriptions of many birds and wild animals, plants, landscapes and natural phenomena of Asia. These descriptions became classics and were included in special works on zoology, botany, and geography.

N. M. Przhevalsky considered the compilation of a detailed report on the expedition carried out to be the most important thing. Returning from the expedition, he took every opportunity to work on the report, even at random stops. N. M. Przhevalsky began a new expedition only after the publication of a book about the previous one. He wrote over two thousand printed pages about his travels. All his works, upon their publication in Russian, immediately appeared in translations into foreign languages.

N. M. Przhevalsky had no rivals in enterprise, energy, determination, resourcefulness. He literally yearned for unknown countries. Central Asia attracted him with its unexplored nature. No difficulties frightened him. According to the general results of his work, N. M. Przhevalsky took one of the most honorable places among the famous travelers of all times and peoples. His work is an exceptional example of a steady pursuit of his goal and the talented fulfillment of his task.

Bibliography

1. Kadek M. G. Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky / M. G. Kadek // People of Russian Science. Essays on outstanding figures of natural science and technology. Geology and geography. - Moscow: State publishing house of physical and mathematical literature, 1962. - P. 479-487.

Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich - famous Russian explorer Central Asia, was born on March 31, 1839 in the Kimborov estate, Smolensk region. His father was a descendant of the Cossack Kornila Parovalsky, who moved in the second half of the sixteenth century to serve him and took the surname Przhevalsky. After graduating from the military academy, Przhevalsky was sent to suppress the uprising in, where, after the suppression of the rebellion, he taught history at the school.

During his stay in Przhevalsky, a geography textbook was compiled, which earned full approval from specialists. In addition, he studied the Central Russian flora; compiled herbariums from plants of the Smolensk, Radom and Warsaw provinces, visited the botanical garden and museum, using the instructions of the famous ornithologist Tachanovsky and botanist Alexandrovich, and also carefully studied the geography of Asia according to Humboldt and Ritger.

Przhevalsky sought a transfer to Siberia for a long time to study its immense nature. At the end of March 1867, Przhevalsky arrived in Irkutsk, where, while awaiting his appointment, he worked hard in the library of the Siberian Department of the Geographical Society, studying the Ussuri region in detail.

Seeing a serious attitude towards, the Chief of Staff, Major General Kukol, took an ardent part in it, who, together with the Siberian Department of the Geographical Society, arranged for Przhevalsky on a business trip to the Ussuri Territory. The business trip took place already in April 1867; its official purpose was statistical research, but this made it possible for Przhevalsky to simultaneously study the nature and people of a new, little explored region. The prospect for the traveler was the most enviable; he went to, then to Ussuri, Lake Khanka and to the shores of the Great Ocean to the borders of Korea.

The journey along the Ussuri in this order lasted 23 days, since Przhevalsky walked more along the coast, collecting plants and shooting birds. Having reached the village of Busse, Przhevalsky went to Lake Khanka, which was of great interest in botanical, and especially in zoological terms, since it served as a station for migratory birds and insects. Then he went to the coast, and from there, already in winter, he undertook a difficult expedition to the still unknown part of the South Ussuri Territory. Wandering along unknown paths, spending the night in the cold, the travelers endured many hardships and, despite this, they covered 1,060 km within three months. On January 7, 1868, the travelers returned to the village of Busse.

In the spring of 1868, Przhevalsky again went to Lake Khanka in order to study its ornithological fauna and observe the passage of birds - and achieved excellent results in this regard. Having replenished his research with new excursions during the spring and summer of 1869, the researcher went to Irkutsk, where he lectured on the Ussuri region, and from there to St. Petersburg, where he arrived in January 1870. The results of the journey were a major contribution to the available information about the nature of Asia, enriched the collections of plants and gave the Geographical Society a unique ornithological collection, to which, due to its completeness, later research could not add much. Przhevalsky delivered a lot interesting information about the life and customs of animals and birds, about the local population, Russian and foreign, explored the course of the Ussuri, the Khanka basin and the eastern slope of the Sikhote-Alin ridge, and finally collected thorough and detailed data on the Ussuri region.

Here he published his first Journey in the Ussuri Territory. The book was a huge success with the public and scientists, especially since it was accompanied by: tables of meteorological observations, statistical tables of the Cossack population on the banks of the Ussuri, the same table of the peasant population in the South Ussuri Territory, the same table of 3 Korean settlements in South Ussuri Territory, a list of 223 species of birds in the Ussuri Territory (of which many were first discovered by Przhevalsky), a table of spring migration of birds on Lake Khanka for two springs, a map of the Ussuri Territory by the author. In addition, Przhevalsky brought 310 specimens of different birds, 10 skins of mammals, several hundred eggs, 300 species different plants in the amount of 2,000 copies, 80 types of seeds.

On July 20, 1870, the Highest order was issued to send Przhevalsky and Pyltsov to Northern Tibet for three years and, and on October 10 he was already in Irkutsk, then arrived in Kyakhta, and from there on November 17 he went on an expedition. Through the Eastern part of the great Przhevalsky went to Beijing, where he had to stock up on a passport from the Chinese government and on January 2, 1871 arrived in the capital of the Heavenly Empire.

During the two months spent on this expedition, 100 versts were covered, the entire area was mapped, the latitudes were determined: Kalgan, Dolon-Nor and Dalai-Nor lakes; the heights of the traversed path were measured and significant zoological collections were collected. Having rested in Kalgan for several days, she set off on her way to the West.

This time the purpose of the expedition was to visit the capital of the Dalai Lama - Lhasa, where no European had yet penetrated. Przhevalsky outlined a path for himself through Kuku-Khoto to Ordos and further to Lake Kuku-Nor. On February 25, 1871, a small expedition set out from, and exactly a month later, the travelers arrived on the shores of Lake Dalai-Nor. The expedition moved slowly, making transitions of 20 - 25 kilometers, but the lack of reliable guides greatly hampered the matter.

The area explored by the expedition was so rich in botanical and zoological material that Przhevalsky stopped in some places for several days, such as, for example, in Suma-Khoda, Yin-Shan, which were first explored. However, most of the way ran through the waterless desert of the southern outskirts of the Gobi, where no European had yet set foot, and where travelers endured unbearable torment from the scorching heat.
The study of the Yin Shan ridge finally destroyed the previous hypothesis about the connection of this ridge with, about which there were many disputes between scientists - Przhevalsky resolved this issue. For 430 kilometers, Przhevalsky explored the Yellow River, meandering among the hot sands of the Ordos, and determined that the Yellow River () does not represent branches, as the Europeans used to think about it.

On the way back, the expedition captured a vast unexplored area along the right bank of the Yellow River, partly went the old way; but now the cold pursued the travelers. On the eve of the new year, Przhevalsky arrived in Kalgan, and then went to Beijing. The ten-month journey was completed, and the result of it was the study of almost completely unknown places in the Ordos desert, Ala Shan, the Southern Gobi, the In Shan and Ala Shan ridges, the determination of the latitudes of many points, the collection of the richest collections of plants and animals, and abundant meteorological material. .Having written a report on the expedition, Przhevalsky left Beijing and already on March 5, 1872, set out in the same composition from Kalgan with the intention of making his way to Tibet and reaching Lhasa.

At the end of May, the expedition again arrived in Dyn-Yuan-In. The travelers spent more than two months in the mountainous area of ​​Gan-su. Mountain ranges and peaks, still unknown to geographers, many new species of animals, birds and plants were identified by Przhevalsky. The rich vegetation of the surrounding mountains aroused in Przhevalsky a desire to get to know this area better, and he alone went to the Cheibsen shrine, where he arrived in the first days of July and stayed there until the 10th. Here he made a new botanical discovery - a red birch was found.

On October 12, the expedition reached Lake Kuku-Nora, on the shore of which they pitched their tents. Having explored the lake and its environs, Przhevalsky moved to Tibet. Having crossed several mountain ranges and passed through the eastern part of Tsaidam, a vast plateau abounding in salt lakes, the expedition entered Northern Tibet. Two and a half months (from November 23, 1872 to February 10, 1873) spent in this harsh desert were the most difficult period of travel. On January 10, 1873, the expedition reached the Blue River (), further than which this time Przhevalsky did not penetrate into Asia.

The results of this expedition, one of the most remarkable in recent times, both in idea and in its implementation in practice, were colossal. Within three years (from November 17, 1870 to September 19, 1873) 11,000 kilometers were covered; collected 238 species of birds in the amount of 1,000 specimens; 42 species of mammals, including 130 skins, and many different types of fish, reptiles, insects and plants. In addition, the hydrography of the Kukunor basin, the ranges in the vicinity of this lake, the heights of the Tibetan plateau, and the least accessible parts of the Gobi were studied. At various points the magnetic declination and the tension of terrestrial magnetism are determined; meteorological observations, made four times a day, brought the most curious data about the climate of these remarkable areas.

In 1876-1877, during the Second Central Asian Expedition, Przhevalsky discovered the Altyn-Tag Range, proved that Lake Lobnor was fresh and not salty (as was previously believed), and made new observations of birds. In 1879-1880 Przhevalsky led the Third Central Asian Expedition. Together with a detachment of 13 people, he went down the Urungu River, passed through the Khali oasis, passed the Nan Shan ranges, went to Tibet and from there to the Mur-Usu valley.

Central Asia, opened new ones, clarified the boundaries of the Tibetan Plateau. The extensive zoological, botanical and mineralogical collections he collected are the pride of many museums in Russia.