Biography

Russian geographer and explorer who travelled extensively in Central and Eastern Asia. Born in Smolensk into a Polish family of noble descent, after his schooling Nikolai Przewalski entered the military academy at St. Petersburg. After graduating he taught geography at the military school in Warsaw (from 1864). In three years' time he embarked on his first expedition, having gained the support of the Russian Geographical Society to undertake exploration in Irkutsk and eastern Siberia. He described this two-year venture in Travels in the Ussuri Region, 1867-1869.

Between 1870 and 1885 Przewalski made four journeys in Central Asia. These covered the Gobi Desert, Beijing, the upper Yangtze and Tibet (1870-1873); eastern Turkestan and the Tian Shan mountains (1876-1877); Hami, the Qaidam Basin and Lake Koko Nor (1879-1880); and finally, once more the Gobi and the Tian Shan range, Khotan and Lake Issyk Kul (1883-1885).

Przewalski collected 5,000 plants on his 1870-1873 expedition, as well as 3,000 insects, 1,000 birds and 200 other animals and animal skins. He brought reports of wild Bactrian Camels, Przewalski's Horse and Przewalski's Gazelle (named after him). In recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of these parts of Asia and their flora and fauna, he was awarded the Constantine Medal of the Imperial Geographical Society and received many other honours, such as the Order of St. Vladimir, fourth class.

Two of Przewalski's travelogues were translated into English: Mongolia, the Tangut Country (1875) and From Kulja, Across the Tian Shan to Lon-Nor (1879). He died of typhoid at Karakol (in present day Kyrgyzstan), before starting what would have been his fifth major journey. The city was renamed Przhevalsk in his honour in 1888, but reverted to its original name in 1921. Stalin renamed it Przhevalsk in 1936, but it once more reverted to Karakol in 1991. The surname Przewalski is spelt variously as Prschewalsky, Prjevalsky and Prshewalski.

Sources:
Anon., 1888, The Auk, 6(1): 80-81
J.H. Barnhart, 1965, Biographical Notes Upon Botanists, 3: 114
E. Bretschneider, 1898, History of European Botanical Discoveries In China: 959
F.V. Herder, 1888, Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie, 9: 445-446.