THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY ON THE SCHOLAR PROGRESS OF RUSSIAN GEOGRAPHY IN ASIAN RUSSIA IN THE 1850S - 1860S

This publication examines the assessment of the scientifi c and expeditionary activities of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (IRGS) in Asian Russia taken by the President of the Royal Geographical Society, Roderick Murchison. Following the establishment of the Russian Geographical Society in 1845, Russian geographers began a systematic study of the Urals, Siberia, and Central Asia. The successful results of scientifi c expeditions to the Urals and Siberia in the 1850s and 1860s drew the attention of European geographical societies monitoring the progress of Russian geography. The published source is a translated excerpt from the annual address of the President of the British Royal Geographical Society, Roderick Murchison, published in Russian in the journal “ Russkiy Vestnik” in 1864. It highlights the successes of IRGO’s geographical expeditions in studying the physical geography of the Asian part of the Russian Empire. The preface to this publication demonstrates that Murchison’s speech not only acknowledged the international recognition of IRGO’s scientifi c achievements but also refl ected his personal scholarly interest in the latest research conducted by Russian geographers. Murchison’s speech signaled a growing interest in the Urals and Siberia as promising regions for study by geographers, geologists, botanists, ornithologists, and other scientists. The preface to the source publication indicates that by the early 1860s favorable conditions had emerged for British members of the Royal Geographical Society to visit and explore Asian Russia. This period lasted just over fi fty years, leading to numerous fruitful journeys and scientifi c expeditions by members of the London society, including Alexander Michie, Charles Grant, Henry Seebohm, and Joseph Wiggins.