Prezhevalsky
Przevalsky, Nikolai Mikhailovich, the Russian traveler and natural scientist was born on 12 April 1839 in a small village near Smolensk city in Western Russia. From his early childhood he was enthusiastic about far off countries and dreamt of travelling. His father was an army officer, retired in the age of 32. Young Nikolai followed the family tradition and became a military man. Though he never enjoyed a military life he thought that the career in the army would give him a chance “to start new way” and see the world.
Przevalsky managed to persuade the Russian Geographic Society and its high-ranking bureaucrats to finance an expedition to the Usuri river region in the Far East in 1867-1869. In spite of the awful conditions, Przevalsky managed to collect many species of plants and send them to the botanic gardens of St. Petersburg. The results were so successful that the Russian Geographic Society agreed to finance the future expeditions of the scientist.
The major part of the Przevalsky’s studies was devoted to Central Asia. For the period of 15 years he visited Central Asia with expeditions four times, the results of which were described in his books. During his travelling he covered 32000 km in Central Asia and mapped 7,000,000 sq.km including several main chains of the Tien Shan mountains and Lake Lop Nor, the Taklamakan desert and northern Pyongyang. He reached the territory of modern Pyongyang through the Kazakh-Chinese border and was surprised when he saw that he was not the first Russian to visit these places. In 1861 a group of “Old Ritualists” arrived there in hope to find the “Promised Land”, but due to the nature conditions they had to move to Siberia soon.
During his expedition he also found that the Lop Nor saline, as per ancient legends moved 100 miles from its original place of its formation. His information generated hot debates, but in 1928 Przevalsky managed to prove that the lake had actually moved, and this phenomenon might happen again.
In 1879-1880 Przevalsky travelled in Mongolia and China, but the final point of destination of his expedition was Tibet. Only few travelers received permission to visit Tibet. Unfortunately the Tibetan authorities refused Przevalsky, and he had to return home. Though the expedition was not a success, Przevalsky, still managed to make a discovery. It was this expedition during which he discovered a small steppe horse breed, which is now named as Przevalsky’s horse. Nowadays this breed is entered as endangered species into the Red Book.
In 1883-1885 Przevalsky was traveling in Mongolia and China again, he was also studying the Taklamakan desert and Tien Shan. Przevalsky strived to go to Tibet again. But again, he did not manage to visit the ancient “Lama Country”. The expedition turned to the North and arrived to Kyrgyzstan through the Bedel pass. The last point of destination was Karakol city at the Issyk-Kul lakeside. And from there Przevalsky returned to Moscow.
Przevalsky began preparation for his third expedition to Tibet in 1886. In 1888 he returned to Pishpek to prepare to his most grandiose travelling. But during his tiger-hunting near the Kara-Bolta river, Przevalsky caught typhoid fever, after drinking water from the river. He was sent to Lake Issyk-Kul for treatment and rest; but it was very obvious that would never get recovered. According to his will Przevalsky, Nikolai Mikhailovich was buried in the eastern part of Lake Issyk Kul.
