Mikhail Vasilievich
Pevtsov
1843-1902
The achievements of Russian explorers, scientists and geographers are inestimable. Many streets in Moscow are named after them, including Mikhail Pevtsov Street.
Mikhail Vasilievich Pevtsov (1843-1902) was a Russian traveller, explorer of Middle and Central Asia, member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (from 1867). He was born in the Novgorod governorate on June 2, 1843. He graduated from the First St. Petersburg Gymnasium as a free student. He studied at the Junkers’ School in Voronezh. He completed his education at Nicholas Academy of the General Staff. During his studies at the Academy he showed special interest in such sciences as geodesy, astronomy and geography. In June 1860 he entered the military service. From 1872 he was assistant to the chief adjutant of the staff of the West Siberian Military District. After about 15 years of service in Omsk, he became one of the founders of the West Siberian Section of the Russian Geographical Society, established in 1877, and from 1882 he was chairman of its administrative committee. In 1876-1883 under the leadership of M.V. Pevtsov there were large expeditions to Dzungaria, Mongolia, Gobi, Kashgaria. But the fame and reputation of one of the greatest experts of Central Asia M.V. Pevtsov gained thanks to the expedition to the present territory of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, during which M.V. Pevtsov managed to collect unique collections of botany and zoology, which included about 7000 species of plants, about 200 species of mammals, 1200 birds, 100 fish, 800 amphibians and reptiles and about 200 species of insects. One of the most important journeys in the life of M.V. Pevtsov was the Tibetan expedition. It was organised by N.M. Przhevalsky. However, the famous explorer of Asia was not destined to complete his campaign: shortly before the expedition left Karakol, Przhevalsky contracted typhoid fever and died in the autumn of 1888. In January, 1889, the Ministry of War, on the recommendation of P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, Vice-Chairman of the IRGO, appointed Colonel M.V. Pevtsov to lead the expedition. Later he was awarded the highest honour of the Russian Geographical Society – the Konstantinovsky Medal for this expedition. The great merit of M.V. Pevtsov lies in the complex study of the north-western regions of Mongolia. Today, a glacier in the Altai at the source of the Kanas River in Xinjiang and a street in Omsk bear Mikhail Pevtsov’s name. In memory of the scientist, the Omsk regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society has established a prize in his name. In addition, on the initiative of the society, in February, 2018, the projected passage № 6645 in the area of Vernadsky Avenue in Moscow became Mikhail Pevtsov Street.
Address: Moscow, Mikhail Pevtsov str.
