Research in Central Asia


Central Asia, remained for Europeans a continuous “white spot” in the middle of the XIX century. Petr Semenov-Tian-Shansky, Nikolai Przhevalsky, Pyotr Kozlov and others made a noteworthy contribution to the study of these inaccessible areas of the continent.

The first scientific trip to the Tien Shan mountains was carried out in 1856-1857. Petr Semenov Tian-Shansky, who determined the structure of these mountains, opened a number of glaciers, described the plants and animals of this locality, and explored the amazing Issyk-Kul Lake. In the 1870-1885’s. Nikolai Przhevalsky led four expeditions to Central Asia. He first described the nature of these edges, created a valuable collection of local plants and animals. The collection of minerals and rocks collected by the traveler amazes with its wealth. The explorer discovered a wild horse, a wild camel, a Himalayan bear and a number of other animals. Przhevalsky, overcame over 33 thousand km., Visited the Gobi Desert, in Tibet, at the sources of the two great Chinese rivers Yangtze and Yellow River, on the shores of Lobnor and Kuku Nor Lakes.

Przewalski was followed by Pyotr Kozlov, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In the heart of Asia, he was lucky to find mounds of the ancient nomadic people of the Huns and ancient Mongols, including 13 generations of Genghis Khan’s descendants. When Kozlov was 60 years old, he went to excavate the ruins of the ancient city of Hara-Hoto in Mongolia. And to this day Eurasia hides many secrets, the disclosure of which is a matter of the future.


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Research in Central Asia