The Russian land has always been rich in people who sought to understand and study well the nature and the world around us. One of the most outstanding naturalists and travelers of Russia for several centuries has been Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich, a brief biography of which will be given in this article.
basic information
The future scientist was born on April 12, 1839 in the Smolensk province, the village of Kimborovo. His father, Mikhail Kuzmich, was a retired lieutenant, and his mother, Elena Alekseevna, ran a household. Nowadays, in the village where Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky was born, a brief biography of which interests many people, a memorial sign is installed.
It is also worth noting that the hero of the article was a hereditary nobleman. His ancestors selflessly fought with the army of Stefan Batory and received the right to bear their personal emblem for this.
Education and Service
Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich (a short biography of him can serve as an example to follow) in 1855 he completed his studies at the Smolensk Gymnasium, after which he was assigned the rank of non-commissioned officer in the infantry unit in Ryazan. After that, the military became an officer and soon found himself in the 28th Polotsk Infantry Regiment. But even this energetic young man did not stop, and he became a cadet of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff.
Increase
It was during his life in Nikolaev that he wrote his first creations, among which are “Memoirs of a Hunter” and others. Thanks to these works, Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich (biography, photos are given in this article) ended up in the ranks of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. Released from the walls of the Academy, an educated husband went voluntarily to Poland, where he suppressed the uprising that arose there. In the summer of 1863, the military was given the rank of lieutenant.
Research and travel
In 1867, Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich, whose brief biography and discoveries to this day provide valuable information for his followers, was seconded to the harsh Ussuri region. Together with two Cossacks and a mediator named Nikolay Yagunov, he reached the Cossack village of Busse, located on the Ussuri River. After that, the travelers ended up on Lake Khanka, a place where many migratory birds gathered. Here Przhevalsky was able to get a lot of materials for ornithological research. In winter, a retired military traveled about 1, 100 kilometers and simultaneously explored the South Ussuri region.
What else did Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich do? His biography says that at the beginning of 1868 he advanced to the lake under the name of Khanka, and a little later in Manchuria he severely pacified the robbers from China, for which he was granted the post of senior adjutant of the headquarters of the Amur region. The first trip gave the soldier the opportunity to write essays about what he saw and heard.
The year 1870 was marked for Nikolai Mikhailovich by his first trip to the Central Asian region. In early November, he ended up in Kyakhta, and from there he moved to Beijing. From the capital of China, Przhevalsky went to the northern shore of the Dalai Nur Lake, where he stopped for a vacation. After that, the naturalist conducted research on the Yin Shan and Suma Hody ranges. The military also proved that the Yellow River has no branches, as previously thought. And then he walked through the Ala-Shan desert and Alshan mountains. The final destination was again Kalgan. In total, over a ten-month journey, a brave man covered about 3, 700 kilometers.
In the period from 1872 to 1875, Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich (a short biography of the geographer is stored in many archives) walked along the coast of Lake Kuku-Nor, the Tsaidam desert and the upper reaches of Mur-Usu. For three years, the scientist covered almost 12 thousand kilometers and wrote an essay entitled “Mongolia and the country of the Tanguts”.
In 1876, Nikolai Mikhailovich went for the second time from Kuldzhi to the Ili River. In 1877, he ended up in Lob Nore, where he observed migratory birds and performed other ornithological studies. Due to illness, Przhevalsky was forced to stay in Russia longer.
The third journey of the energetic explorer began in 1879. His detachment of 13 people left the city of Zaysan, proceeded along the river Urung, the Sa-Jeu desert and the mountain ranges of Tibet. As a result, the team ended up in the Blue River Valley. The Tibetan rulers did not want to let Przewalski into Lhasa. The scientist was forced to return to Urga. The group returned home in 1881. It was during the third journey that the naturalist discovered a new kind of horse, which was named in his honor.
From 1883 to 1886, Nikolai Mikhailovich stayed on his fourth trip, during which he studied the watershed between the Blue and Yellow rivers.
Death
Przhevalsky Nikolai Mikhailovich, whose brief biography will be of particular interest to children, in 1888 left for the Russian-Chinese border through the city of Samarkand. On the way, the scientist was engaged in hunting and, contrary to his own instructions, drank water from the river. As a result, he contracted typhoid fever. Due to the disease, the naturalist died and was interred on one of the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. The traveler was buried in accordance with his requirements. They dug his grave for two days - the soil was so hard. The body of the deceased was placed in a double coffin.
