And f Middendorf that opened. Biography

Alexander Fedorovich Middendorf (Him. Alexander Theodor Von Middendorff; August 8, 1815 - January 24, 1894) - Russian traveler, geogram, zoologist, nerve and naturalist, academician and indispensable secretary of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, secret adviser. The founder of the feet.

Born in the Estland province Russian Empire (According to other data, in St. Petersburg).

Education received at the Medical Faculty of Derpt University (1832-1837), which he graduated from the doctor's rank.

Two years worked in Austria and Germany, where he specialized in the field of zoology, ethnography, anthropology.

In 1839, he was appointed adjunct at the Department of Zoology at the University of St. Vladimir (Kiev).

In 1840, Middendorf participated in the Lapland Expedition K. M. Baer, \u200b\u200bcollected materials on ornithology, malacology and geology of Lapland.

In 1842, the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences on the recommendation of K. M. Bair instructed Middondorf to organize an expedition to North and Eastern Siberia. During the preparation of the expedition, Middendorf was a Taimyr card using the works of S. I. Chelyuskin and X. P. Laptev.

During his expedition to the Northern Siberia and the Far East in 1842-1845, the Pouotnian reserved Plateau, became the first researcher of the Taimyr Peninsula, North-Siberian Lowland, the Amur Zeysky Plain, the Range, the bottom of the Amur basin, the southern coast Sea Okhotsk, Usko-Tugur inching, Shartar Islands. The report of Middendorf about the expedition was for its time the most complete natural historical description of Siberia.

Among the scientific achievements of Alexander Middendorf - the first ethnographic description of a number of Siberian peoples and the first scientific characteristic of the climate of Siberia, the definition of the southern border of the distribution of many years of ("perpetual") permafrost, the definition of vegetation zonality, the wording of the so-called "law of Middaddorf" explaining the causes of the reasons of the northern border of forests .

The report of Middendorf provides many environmental observations over mammals, the monographic descriptions of the brown bear and lemming are given.

In 1852, Alexander Middendorf was elected by the ordinary academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, and in 1855 - an indispensable secretary of the Academy.

In 1867, he was accompanied by the Justice of the Grand Prince Alexey Alexandrovich, in 1869 - the Grand Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich.

In 1870, accompanying Alexey Alexandrovich on a journey through the White Sea and to a new land, made important observations regarding Golf Stream east of North Court, opened the Nordskap the current in the Barents Sea.

In 1870 he explored the Barabinist steppe, in the 1878th Fergana Valley.

He took an active part in the "works of the Imperial Film Economic Society" and consisted of the president of free economic society from 1859 to 1860, when the disease was forced to abandon this title.

Engaged in agriculture, took great part in the device of agricultural exhibitions; Mostly, he was interested in replacing in the Baltic region of local little milk livestock more favorable breed. Of the many studied practically, European cattle breeds Middendorf stopped at the wilderness of Holstein and on crossing it with local cattle.

The Ministry of State Protection was delivered by Middendorf at the head of a special expedition (1883), whose task was to explore the current state of cattle breeding in Russia. Middondorf for the second year of the expedition to ill and could not more continue his useful activities.

Of practical activity Middendorf in agriculture can also be indicated that it, in addition to the improvement of two of his extensive estates near Yuryeva (Sovr. Tartu) and Pernova (Sovr. Pärnu), many years held at the head of the extensive farm in the famous Karlovka of the Poltava province owned by the Grand Princess Elena Pavlovna.

Middendorf is not less known as a hippologist, why in the 1850s he was charged with the closer to introduce himself to horse breeding both cavalrymen and artilleryrs. He participated in the device of Russian state equestrian plants. In the "Connection Journal", Middondorf owns articles on horse breeding: "On the issue of determining the purestroy of the Oryol Horse" (1865), "On the selection of manufacturers" (1866) and many others. In 1869, he tried to attract attention russian government For possible benefits from mortifying and breeding moose.

Upset during the Siberian Expedition Health made Middendorf for the last ten years of life to spend in Estonia in his estate Gellenorm (now Valgamaa County).

Middondorf Alexander Fedorovich (1815-1894), Russian naturalist and traveler, academician (1850), honorary member (1865) of the St. Petersburg An. Investigated (1842-45) and amounted to naturally historical description. and east. Siberia and the Far East. Pointed to the zonality of vegetation and the presence of permafrost in Siberia. Led breeding work on horse breeding and cattle breeding.

Middendorf Alexander Fedorovich is a Russian naturalist and traveler, academician (1850), an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1865). He studied and compiled a description of Northern and Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

Middendorf was born in South Estonia. In 1832 he entered the medical faculty of the Derptsky (now Tartu) university and in 1837 he graduated from him by receiving the title of a doctor. Having worked on two years in Germany and Austria, Middendorf returned to his homeland by a specialist in the field of zoology, ethnography, anthropology.

An important event In the life of Middendorf, an acquaintance with the scientist and traveler - K. M. Barom. In 1840, Middendorf participated in the Lapland Expedition of Bair.

On the recommendation of Baer in 1842, the Academy of Sciences commissioned Middendorf to organize an expedition to Northern and Eastern Siberia. Preparing for the journey, Middondorf amounted to the works of S. I. Chelyuskin and X. Lapteva map of Taimyr. Subsequently, focusing on it, he gave the extension to the detachment so accurate instructions that they called it "Great Shaman."

On November 14, 1842, Middendorf left St. Petersburg. Two problems were delivered to him: the study of the organic life of the Taimyr Peninsula and the study eternal Merzlota. The expedition among others entered the military topograph of V. V. Vaganov. In early 1843, the expedition drove from Krasnoyarsk to Turukhansk. From Turukhansk in April, Middondorf passed on dogs on the ice of Yenisei to the mouth of the Dudinka River; From here, moving to the northeast through the lake of Tileyno on the River Dudipte on deer, he reached the low-level river rivers (Khatanga system). On this way, he had seen all the time in the east and southeast of "Sommma Range", cool to Norilsk Lakes (Pouotnian Plateau); In the north-west, it stops at Lake Phacino, which, with the lakes joining him, surrounded by the Dorikomantic rocky ridges - Norilskaya stones ... Through them struck the road Norilskaya River ... ". These were the first information about Norilsk district.

Having passed "along the high lower tundra" to the north, they reached the River of the Upper Taimyr in July, that is, crossed from the south to north north-Siberian lowland. Middendorf opened a chain of heights stretched in the northeast direction and limited from the south of the River Taimyr region; He called them "Shaitan" (on our cards Stone-Harbei, and separate nameless elevations).

Almost all July, Middendorf spent on the core along the upper Taimier to Lake Taimyr for the study of the river and transportation of equipment; At the same time, he found that the left bank of the Taimyr Valley from the north is limited to the rocky mountains. Middendorf called their graters. Going on the boat along the river to Lake Taimyr, Middendorf crossed him and reached the source of Lower Tamaime. Hence the gorge in the Mountains of the Graduation, he passed along the river to the Taimyr Guba of the Kara Sea (at the end of August 1843). On the lower Taimyr, he discovered the mammoth skeleton. The same way, the expedition returned to Lake Taimyr, which is already beginning to be covered with ice. Middaddorf's companions went to find "delicate tuncuses", and he himself due to the inability to walk alone spent eighteen days on the shore of the Lake Taimyr. This event can be considered unparalleled in the chronicles of travel. Middaddorf saved returned with the help of Vaganov.

I barely recovering (in the Native-Filippovsky) from the consequences of the disease and exhaustion, Middendorf is started in the opposite way through the 10th and Tourukhansk to Krasnoyarsk.

On February 18, 1844, the expedition arrived in Yakutsk. Here Middendorf some time studied permafrost in wells and wells, thereby laying the foundations of murdered science.

At the same time, he was preparing for the campaign to the shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk. The route was agreed with the Academy. It was assumed that swimming in the Okhotsk Sea along the coast and to the Chartarka Islands, he would be made on the Sea Nelbote, which he had to provide in Okhotsk, but did not provide. Middondorf decided to change the route and go to the Okhotsk not one of the northern trail, but south. In addition to regular satellites - Brandt, Vaganova and Furman - he included in a detachment of several Cossacks from Yakutsk and two Yakuts. Yakuts, experienced people, should have helped to build Baidar.

To Sloboda Ambinos (from Yakutsk to Amgi - 180 kilometers) equipment was carried on sledes harvested by bulls. Here Middendorf, by booking, the Shurfs made an observation over "always with frozen" layers of the Earth. But from AMGA to the east, only riding trails. For caravan Middendorf took 72 horses.

From Amgia, the caravan was touched on April 11, 1844. There were few people on the way. Basically it was Yakuts and Tongs (Evenks). In his work, it is especially interesting to describe the "Ice Valley" of Selenda. The origins of the Selenda River protrude on the surface from under a climbing cliff, being an underground flow of lake Marqueel. From under the cliff flows up to fifty streams (except for the main flow), and all of them merge into one channel, called the Selenda. Selenda's water is surrounded by fancy rocks from red sandstone.

Following the flow of the Selenda, the traveler saw that the river was no longer in non-ferrous sandstones, but on the Ice Valley. The riverbed ran into a solid layered ice. Right coniferous trees grow straight from the ice field. A similar phenomenon called Siberia "boil" is characteristic of Siberian Taiga Debreys.

On June 1, 1844, Middondorf detachment passed the edge of the ridge and approached the pool on the dude river. Here travelers built Baidar. Wooden cozles covered the skin and attached six couples of cheerful. On her travelers descended to the sea. But immediately went out into the sea. They failed - near the mouth of the river, the Okhotsk Sea turned out to be (in July!) Ice clogged. In anticipation of the "Weather" travelers took up the collection of zoological collections.

Middendorf special attention attracted the formation of the giant flares of the fin, layers of sand, stones, clay, in the thickness of which were stuck with whole carcasses of marine animals - whales and seals. Here Middendorf realized how "was buried" Mammoth's carcass found by him on Taimyr.

On August 4, travelers got to the island of Great Chatestant. Middendorf reached the utmost point of his journey - the Okhotsk coast and Shartar Islands. Hence he had to go back to the way back. But Middendorf entered otherwise. All collected collections - geological and zoological, herbaria, travel records - he sent to Yakutsk for further forwarding to St. Petersburg. He himself chose to return to the West unknown path.

They made a small boot from IV's rods and spare whiskers, and in this "shell" went through the Sea of \u200b\u200bthe Sea.

Travelers sailed along the coast, to the south, collecting scientific material.

On September 1, 1844, Middendorf and Vaganov were near the mouth of Tougur. Ottud riding on deer They performed in a winter campaign to the west. The route was held in Tugur, Nemileu, Kerby through the Bureinsky ridge in the Valley of Burey. Hence, on her influx of Nimani and further on Kebeli Middendorf and Vaganov got to the yoke of Incan. From the apkan's yoke for three weeks they went to Zea. On January 12, 1845, the caravan went down on the "Blizzard of the Amur himself". From here, on horseback, Middendorf and Vaganov got to the arrow located on the merger of Arguni and Shilka. All this way was reflected in the Atlas maps attached to the "Siberian journey" Middendorf. This journey lasted 841 days. During this time, he and his companions have passed - on horseback, on dogs, on deer (in harness and riding), on boats and on foot - about 30,000 kilometers.

What is the result of this hard journey? New data on Amur and Amur region, revived interest in this edge.

Middendorf remained in the capital as an adjunct of the Academy of Sciences and engaged in processing materials and preparation of a multi-volume "report" about Siberian journey.

Middendorf made many scientific trips and swimming pools. In 1867, he walked around the Black, Mediterranean seas, the Atlantic Ocean to the Azores and Islands of Green Cape. In 1870 - to Iceland and Barents Sea to New Earth. Observations conducted by Midddorf in the Barents Sea confirmed Peterman's hypothesis about the presence in the north warm currentMiddendorf called Northskapsky. It was a major discovery in the field of northern seas hydrography.

The last expedition under the leadership of Middendorf was the expedition of 1883 in the Northern province: Perm, Vyatka, Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Yaroslavl, Kostroma and Vladimirskaya. In 1888, Middendorf was awarded the highest award of zoologists in Russia - the Golden Medal of Bair. Middondorf was the founder of a number of scientific disciplines (permafrost, zoogeography).

For the past ten years, Middendorf spent in Estonia in his estate Hellenurme. Middondorf died at the end of January 1894.

Reprinted from the site

An important event in the life of Middendorf was acquainted with the scientist and traveler - K. M. Bar. In 1840, Middendorf participated in the Lapland Expedition of Bair.

On November 14, 1842, Middendorf left St. Petersburg. Two problems were delivered to him: the study of the organic life of the Taimyr Peninsula and the study of permafrost. The expedition among others entered the military topograph of V. V. Vaganov. In early 1843, the expedition drove from Krasnoyarsk to Turukhansk. From Turukhansk in April, Middondorf passed on dogs on the ice of Yenisei to the mouth of the Dudinka River; From here, moving to the northeast through the lake of Tileyno on the River Dudipte on deer, he reached the low-level river rivers (Khatanga system). On this way, he had seen all the time in the east and southeast of "Sommma Range", cool to Norilsk Lakes (Pouotnian Plateau); In the north-west, it stops at Lake Phacino, which, with the lakes joining him, surrounded by the Dorikomantic rocky ridges - Norilskaya stones ... Through them struck the road Norilskaya River ... ". These were the first information about Norilsk district.

I barely recovering (in the Native-Filippovsky) from the consequences of the disease and exhaustion, Middendorf is started in the opposite way through the 10th and Tourukhansk to Krasnoyarsk.

On February 18, 1844, the expedition arrived in Yakutsk. Here Middendorf some time studied permafrost in wells and wells, thereby laying the foundations of murdered science.

They made a small boot from IV's rods and spare whiskers, and in this "shell" went through the Sea of \u200b\u200bthe Sea.

Travelers sailed along the coast, to the south, collecting scientific material.

What is the result of this hard journey? New data on Amur and Amur region, revived interest in this edge.

Middendorf remained in the capital as an adjunct of the Academy of Sciences and engaged in processing materials and preparation of a multi-volume "report" about Siberian journey.

Middendorf made many scientific trips and swimming pools. In 1867, he walked around the Black, Mediterranean seas, the Atlantic Ocean to the Azores and Islands of Green Cape. In 1870 - to Iceland and Barents Sea to New Earth. Observations conducted by Middendorf in the Barents Sea confirmed the hypothesis of Peter's presence in the north of the warm current, which Middendorf called Nordskapsky. It was a major discovery in the field of northern seas hydrography.

For the past ten years, Middendorf spent in Estonia in his estate Hellenurme. Middondorf died at the end of January 1894.

Reprinted from the site

Born in the Estland province of the Russian Empire (according to other data, in St. Petersburg).

Education received at the Medical Faculty of Derpt University (1832-1837), which he graduated from the doctor's rank.

Two years worked in Austria and Germany, where he specialized in the field of zoology, ethnography, anthropology.

In 1839, he was appointed adjunct at the Department of Zoology at the University of St. Vladimir (Kiev).

In 1840, Middendorf participated in the Lapland Expedition K. M. Baer, \u200b\u200bcollected materials on ornithology, malacology and geology of Lapland.

In 1842, the Academy of Sciences on the recommendation of K. M. Bair instructed Middendorf to organize an expedition to North and Eastern Siberia. During the preparation of the expedition, Middendorf was a Taimyr card using the works of S. I. Chelyuskin and X. P. Laptev.

In the period of his expedition to Northern Siberia and the Far East in 1842-1845 opened the Puratorna Plateau, became the first researcher of the Peninsula Taimyr, North-Siberian lowland, the Amur-Zea Plain, the Range, the lower part of the Amur basin, the southern coast of the Okhotsk Sea, Usko Tugursky peeing, Shartar Islands. The report of Middendorf about the expedition was for its time the most complete natural historical description of Siberia.

Among the scientific achievements of Alexander Middendorf, the first ethnographic description of a number of Siberian peoples and the first scientific characteristic of the Siberia climate, the definition of the southern border of the distribution of many years ("eternal") permafrost, determination of the zonality of vegetation, the wording of the T.N. "Middendorf Law, explaining the causes of the reasons of the northern border of forests.

In 1852, Alexander Middendorf was elected by the ordinary academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, and in 1855 - an indispensable secretary of the Academy.

In 1867, Middendorf was accompanied by the Grand Prince Alexey Alexandrovich in Russia, in 1869, Great Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich.

In 1870, accompanying Alexey Alexandrovich on a journey through the White Sea and to a new land, made important observations regarding Golf Stream east of North Court, opened the Nordskap the current in the Barents Sea.

In 1870 he explored the Barabinist steppe, in the 1878th Fergana Valley.

Middendorf took an active part in the "works of the Imperial Film Economic Society" and consisted of the VEO President from 1859 to 1860, when the disease was forced to abandon this title.

Middendorf was the vice-president of the Russian Geographical Society.

Middendorf was engaged in agriculture, took great part in the device of agricultural exhibitions; Predestly, he was interested in replacing in the Baltic region of local little milk livestock more favorable breed. Of the many studied practically, European cattle breeds Middendorf stopped at the wilderness of Holstein and on crossing it with local cattle.

The Ministry of State Protection was delivered by Middendorf at the head of a special expedition (1883), whose task was to explore the current state of cattle breeding in Russia. Middondorf for the second year of the expedition to ill and could not more continue his useful activities.

From the practical activity of Middendorf in agriculture, it is also indicated that it, in addition to the improvement of two of his extensive estates near Yuryev (Sovr. Tartu) and Pernova (Sovr. Pärnu), many years held at the head of the extensive farm in the famous Karlovka of Poltava province, Pavlovna belonged to the Great Princess.

Middendorf is not less known as a hippologist, why in the 1850s he was charged with the closer to introduce himself to horse breeding both cavalrymen and artilleryrs. He participated in the device of Russian state equestrian plants. In the "Connection Journal", Middondorf owns articles on horse breeding: "On the issue of determining the purestroy of the Oryol Horse" (1865), "On the selection of manufacturers" (1866) and many others. In 1869, he tried to attract the attention of the Russian government to the possible benefits from the domestication and breeding of moose.

Upset during the Siberian Expedition Health made Middaddorf for the last ten years of life to spend in Estonia in his estate Hellenurme (now the county of Valgamaa).

Prints:

Bericht Uber Die Ornithologischen Ergebnisse Der Naturhist. Reisen in Lappland Wahrend d. Sommers 1840 (Baer und Helmersen. Beitrage Z. Kenntniss Des Russischen Reiches, BD. VIII);
Middendorf A. F. Travel to North and East Siberia: North and East of Siberia in natural historical terms. SPB: Typography of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. - Part 1, Depth. 1: Geography and hydrography. - 1860; Part 1, Dep. 2: Orography and geogenous. - 1861; Part 1, Dep. 3: Climate Siberia. - 1862; Part 1, Dep. 4: The vegetation of Siberia. - 1867; Part 2, Dep. 5: Siberian fauna. - 1869; Part 2, Dep. 5: Siberian fauna (ending). Home and harness, wagon, ships, fisheries and hunting. - 1877; Part 2. Depth. 6: Indigenous residents of Siberia. (End of all writings). - 1878.
Beitrage Zu Einer Malacozoologia Rossica, 1848-1849.
Die isepiptesen russlands. - 1855.
Middendorf A. F. Operations of the writings of the city of Seversow under the title: "Periodic phenomena in the life of animals, birds and reptiles of the Voronezh province", compiled by Academician A. Middendorf // 25th award of established by P. N. Demidov awards. - St. Petersburg., 1856. - P. 191-212.
Middondorf A. F. About Siberian Mammoths // Bulletin natural Sciences. - 1860. - № 26-27. - P. 1-28.
Middendorf A. F. Golf Stream in the east of Northskap // Notes of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. 1871. - T. 19, KN. 1. - C. 1-29.
Die Baraba // "Memoires De L'Academie Imperiale des Sciencees de St.-Petersbourge", 1870.
EinBlicke in Das Ferghana Thal // "Memoires de L'Academie Imperiale des Sciencees de St.-Petersbourge", VII Serie, T. XXIX, No. 1, 1881.

Russian naturalist and traveler, researcher of Asia. Born in St. Petersburg on August 18, 1815, died in Helllenorm (Liflandia) on January 28, 1894, studies conducted mainly in Northern Siberia. From 1845 - Adjunct, from 1850 - extraordinary, and from 1852 - an ordinary academician; From 1865 - Honorary Member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1837 he graduated from Derpt University. From Kiev, where he from 1839 he worked at the University of Zoology, Middondorf in 1840, together with a naturalist, took his first journey to the Arctic Ocean, along the Kola Peninsula and in Lapland mainly to explore the birds of the Far North.

In 1843-1845 On behalf of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, he made a large land journey to the north and east of Siberia. From Turukhansk, Middendorf drove along the Taimyr Peninsula between Yeniseem and Khatanga to Arctic OceanIn the area, in which no researcher was introduced from the time of the Bering expedition. I got to the mouth of r. Taimyr (crossed the Taimyr Peninsula), and then from Krasnoyarsk through Yakutsk to Chartarka Islands. Wood on the coastal area of \u200b\u200bthe Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk, Amur region and almost an unknown area r. Shill. Report A. F. Middondorf was for its time the most complete natural historical description of Siberia. Along with numerous research on the geography of plants, zoology, geology and earthly magnetism, he carried out the first detailed studies of permafrost in the north and east of Siberia and determined its southern border. In 1845, A. Middendorf returned to St. Petersburg.

After a new short stay in Siberia in 1860, he in 1869 traveled a lot in South and Central Siberia. Gave a picture of the ecological-faunistic zoning of Northern and Eastern Siberia. The extensive ethnographic description of the population of Taimyr, the District of Yenisei, the Amur region, and others. Middendorf also conducted research on new land and in Iceland. A number of valuable oceanographic observations were performed in the Barents Sea, and he showed the effect of Golf Stream into these areas, discovering the Nordcap the current.

In 1870, A. F. Middendorf explored the Barabinist Steppe, and in 1878 - the Fergana Valley. Middendorf's activities, who, during his long-range travel, got acquainted with a significant part of the Russian state, was of great importance for further research, especially in Siberia. He was a member (from 1845) and an honorary member (from 1883) of the Russian geographical society. Middendorf wrote works: "Travel to North and East Siberia", part 1-2. St. Petersburg, I860-1878; "Baraba", St. Petersburg, 1871; "Essays of the Fergana Valley." St. Petersburg, 1882, etc.

A. F. Middendorf is the largest Russian physicograinter in the broadest sense of the word, a valid member of the Academy of Sciences. Middendorf's special fame received in connection with its research of the North and East Siberia. Many of the hard-to-reach areas of Siberia and the Far East, which presented white spots were first studied and described by Midddorf in generalographic relations. It is especially great to his merit in the characteristics of the nature of the Taimyr, Chartarka Islands, Usko-Tugury and Amur.

The main specialty of Middendorf was bio-and, in particular, zogeography. Biogeography Middondorf dedicated most of his creative activity. He gave a truly brilliant description and ancogo-geographical analysis of the Fauna of Siberia, which is set and detailed a number of commocological issues: the concept of the form, causes of modifications, adaptive features of the organization and adaptive forms of animal behavior, the main patterns of their distribution and a number of others. Middondorf also studied Siberia's vegetation cover, paying great attention to the geographical distribution and ecology of tree species. He also attached the meaning of stationary observations.

Along with this, Middendorf made a lot for the development of a number of other branches of knowledge. Not being an expert cartographer, he first gave shooting material on the inner parts of the Taimyr Peninsula and extensive cartographic material for the area located between the Yakut and the Okhotsk Sea. He first found in the archives "Great Drawing of Siberia" Remezov.

Midddorf and in the field of geology. He first brought information about the Silurian and Perm sediments in the Taimyr region. His Yakut collection gave confidence in the existence of Triass and Yura on Olekeuk. He opened Paleozoa at the East East of Siberia, brought a collection of tertiary fossils from Transbaikalia, pointed to coal deposits on the Burea and the spread of the newest erupted rocks in Eastern Siberia.

Middendorf also worked on the issues of permafrost, studying the seasonal and permafrost in Turukhansk, on Hatang and Yakutsk, by setting the Shurfs. He paid a lot of attention to the general studies of the Barabinsk steppe and Fergana. In the works on these areas, he, with his characteristic latitude of the approach, describes the orography, climate, the nature of soils, their fertility, agriculture and the general issues of the future economic device. In the last period of its activities, Middendorf was engaged in a lot of cattle breeding and, in particular, horse breeding. It can be considered one of the founders of scientific horse breeding. If in conclusion, to point out Middendorf in the field of hydrology and oceanography, it will become apparent, how many versatile was the scientific activity of this wonderful scientist.

Alexander Fedorovich Middendorf was born on August 6, 1815 in St. Petersburg. His father was the director of the Chief Pedagogical Institute. Middondorf's secondary education received in the 3rd St. Petersburg gymnasium and in the Pedagogical Institute. Already in the orphanage, he manifested his passion for nature and traveling. "Only for me only for ten years," Middendorf writes, "as I received from my father, an excellent teacher, a gun, and since then with one senior comrade often spent the days and nights in the swamps and lakes of Liflandia."

After the end of the secondary education, Middendorf served for some time in the Department of Manufactory and Domestic Trade, and in 1832 he entered the Derptic [Yuryevsky, Tartuski] University, which graduated from 1837 with a degree of doctor of medicine.

In 1839, Middendorf was appointed Adjunct Professor Kiev University According to the Department of Zoology, but pedagogical activity did not attract a young scientist. Having stayed at all eight months at the department, he gladly accepted the invitation to K. M. Baer to participate in the expedition to Murman. In a simple boat, he together with K. Bar traveled all the northern shore Kola Peninsula And committed several excursions in the depths of the country.

Upon his return from the expedition, Middendorf was appointed an extraordinary professor at the University in Kiev, however, an increasingly developed desire for journey forced him to be secondary (and this time it is finally) to leave the department and stop facing professorship. This decisive in the life of Middendorf step was made by him in connection with the proposal of the Academy of Sciences to accept the exploitation of an expedition, equipped in Northern Siberia.

Before the expedition, a task was made to comprehensively explore the most northernmost plot of mainland land sushi - Taimyr Peninsula. The expeditions were also instructed to conduct a study of permafrost, using a well for this, embedded in Yakutsk merchant SocHyn. For his part, Middendorf, the striking spaces of Siberia, which suggested to leave the observer in Yakutsk, while the main part of the expedition to take the second (after Taimyr) route to the coast of the Okhotsk Sea and Shartar Islands. This plan was adopted by the Academy, and the Siberian journey Middondorf turned essentially two more or less independent expeditions.

The expedition left St. Petersburg on November 14, 1842 to its composition, except for Middendorf himself, included: Foressing Brant, Furmanov Preparator and joined Vaganov Topographer. After driving Yeniseem to Dudinka, Middendorf turned to the east and went to with. Khatangsky at the mouth of the same river. The base of the expedition was organized in p. Native-Filippovsky, located in the tundra on the river Boganide (on the road Dudinka - Khatanga). Returning from the Khatanga to the base, Middendorf in May 1843, accompanied by Topographer Vaganov, the two Cossacks and the translator went on deers to the north, to the river Upper Taimyr.

Together with the expedition to the north and hunters of Samoyed (Nenets). In July, on a homemade boat, the expedition descended down the river to the Taimyr Lake and from there by the Layer Taimyr arising from the lake - to the Kara Sea, which the expedition reached on August 13. Ice did not allow to examine the sea coast, and Middendorf decided to come back to the south, to the Taimyr Lake. The way back in a bad homemade boat was very difficult. Food stocks dried up. Frosts come; For Lake, the expedition was released only on August 23. By this time, Middendorf left the strength, and on August 30 he could not move further. The expeditionary boat sank, and Chelny was crushed by ice. Sharing the residue of edible supplies, Middendorf sent his companions to seek the Nenets, waiting for an expedition to south, and he left alone in the dead tundra, under 75 ° C. sh., patient, almost without a provision and even without a tent.

Twenty days spent Middendorf alone, struggling with the boat, hunger and illness, while his companions were looking for Nentez in Tundra. Finally, on October 9, the patient Middendorf was brought to the Expedition base. Filippovsky on the rodnote.

The first expedition, the first half of the Siberian journey was completed.

Although Middendorf's health was still bad, he did not postpone the trip to the east, to the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk.

Returning to Krasnoyarsk, Middendorf, along with his unchanged satellites - Vaganov, Brand and Furmanov - went to Irkutsk and further to Yakutsk, where he according to the instructions of the Academy should have been observed over the earth's temperature in the Schgin mine. The power of the marble layer could not be determined. From Yakutsk, the expedition went across the Aldan River (April 27) and the edge of the Range (June 1) to the southwestern shores of the Okhotsk Sea. June 9 reached the Ude Ostrog on the Ude River.

Since the government categorically refused to supply Middendorf in the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk by a boat, then travelers built a leather Bidar and on July 9, went down to the sea. It turned out to be clogged by floating ice, and an attempt to twist on Shandock islands almost cost live travelers. The strongest oncoming flows in the straits filled with ice did this enterprise practically hopeless.

Only on May 30 managed to reach the sea and start examining the Shartar Islands. After 13-day work, the expedition returned to the mainland. Until September 1, Middendorf examined the Tugur Bay, then together with Vaganov 1 went up the Tuguer, through the Burein Mountains to Amuru and then through Nerchinsk to Irkutsk. On March 5, 1845, Middendorf returned safely to Petersburg. Thus, his wonderful trip, which covered the most northern regions of Eurasia and the huge spaces of Eastern Siberia to the coast of the Okhotsk Sea, continued 841 days.

The processing of a huge and diverse material collected on the expedition took 13 years. In addition to Middendorf himself, many prominent scientists took part. Thus, magnetic observations were treated by E. Lenz, geological - Gelmersen, Paleotanic materials - Gepp, Botanical - Trautfetter and Mayer, fossil mollusks - Kaiserling, fossil fish - Muller. Research results are set forth on german language In four volumes and in Russian - not completely in two volumes.

After the edition of Middendorf's compositions, Russian geographical literature has been enriched with remarkable hardness, abundance of material and truly unprecedented in the breadth of the geographical description of a huge and to that time of the nearly unknown country. It is enough to bring selectively list of partitions of Middondorf: cartography, orography, geology, hydrology and hydrography, climatology, general geography, geobotanic and ecology of plants, zogeography, animal ecology, ethnography, hunting and fisheries. This Labor Middaddorf is truly the Encyclopedia of Siberia Geography - written on an unusually high scientific level for that time.

In all these areas of knowledge, Middendorf reduced and critically summarized significant literary material. For example, he considered in detail the history of the Cartography of Russia, and Siberia in particular, at the same time, at the same time, a lot of attention of the history and the importance of the outstanding cartographic document - the "Siberian drawing" of Remezov. Middondorf paid special attention to Siberia biogeography. Unlike many predecessors and contemporaries, Middondorf relatively little space took a systematic description of plant and animal species. General issues of ecology, in particular, the features of adaptations to the harsh conditions of the North, the patterns of settlement and geographical distribution are sections that have particularly attracted his attention.

Related by communal provisions, in particular the concept of zoological form, Middendorf performed with broad geographic positions and resolutely rebelled against the "vidodrobutors". He pointed out that "that the nomenclature of systematic zoology could be subjected to such a terrible crushing because it was missed by one of the main goals of each systematics, distribution and a general review; It was missed by zoological geography. "

Middendorf is one of the largest Russian scientists who laid the foundations of ecology; The problem of evolution of species, their occurrence and settlement, he considered as the result of the relationship between organisms and the medium. So, by analyzing the significance of the conditions of existence, he wrote that the material for each modification, of course, should be produced from external influences, otherwise this modification is just as impossible as life is impossible at all without help facilitating.

Using the example of the Siberian fauna, Middondorf gave a wonderful ecological and geographical classification of animals, which put not only the characteristics of their distribution, but also the nature of the relationship with the conditions of existence. In this case, he paid the power facilities. In this regard, Middondorf details the causes and types of animal species movements.

In the botanical part of its work on the nature of Northern and Eastern Siberia, Middendorf gave a lot of valuable information and generalizations on the ecology of plants and in phytogeography. It contains original considerations of the causes that determine the ranges of many plant species, in particular, the value for the propagation of plants of climatic and soil conditions, about the polar limits of wood vegetation and the upper limits of the forest in mountainous countries, on the borders of agriculture, etc.

Shortly after returning from Siberian travel, August 2, 1845, Middendorf was elected an adjunct of the Academy of Sciences on the Department of Zoology; On March 2, 1850, he was elected an extraordinary academician, and on May 1, 1852 - an ordinary academician; Finally, in 1855, Middondorf was elected an indispensable secretary of the Academy. but administrative activities was not my soul Middendorf; In addition, she distracted him from the main task - scientific processing of a huge material collected by him during the Siberian expedition. In 1857, he had comprehended the title of indispensable secretary of the Academy, and in 1865, due to a noticeable deterioration in the health expedition, an academician was declined and was elected (in the same 1865) with an honorary member of the Academy. Back in 1860, Middendorf left Petersburg and moved to his estate in the Baltic States.

The scientific activity of Middendorf carried out not only at the Academy. In 1845, Russian geographical Society He chose him by his actual member, and in 1846 he was approved by the assistant manager of the separation of the ethnography of this society. Since 1857, he consisted of a valid member of the Volga Economic Society, and from 1859 to 1860 he was his president.

Calm work on the expeditionary material lasted long. In 1867, Middendorf was instructed to accompany the Grand Duke Alexei in his journey Mediterranean Sea. and the Atlantic Ocean, and next, 1868 - to Western Siberia. During the last journey, Middondorf led a variety of observations, the results of which were published by them in writing under the name "Barab". In him, Middendorf gave a general geographical description Barabinsk forest-steppe, its soils, features of their fertility, lake modes, etc.

In 1870, Middendorf accompanied the Grand Duke Alexei when swimming in the White Sea, to the New Earth and to the West Banks of Iceland. On Corway "Varyag", where Middendorf was located, systematic meteorological and hydrothermal observations were organized. They for the first time allowed to establish the spread of the northern branch of the Golfstrum east to the new land. Water areas with temperatures up to 10 ° were found. In the article "Gulf Stream in the East of Norbada", Middendorf cites not only scientific hydrological material, he persistently emphasizes that a great importance that can have a detected distribution detected to them warmwater Atlantic flow for the development of fisheries in the north of Russia.

Further scientific activity Middendorf unfolded in the region agriculture. In 1877, he received an invitation from the Turkestan General Governor Kaufman to examine the Fergana Valley, recently affiliated with Russia. Traveling it took about half of 1878. In the reporting work, Middendorf conducts a general geographical characteristic of Fergana, describes its nature, climate, soil and economy (irrigation of fields, processing conditions, cultivated plants, cattle breeding, forestry) and along with this - the geography of Fergana's population , ethnography, colonization story, general economic and political conditions of the region. As can be seen, and during this relatively small journey, Middendorf managed to cover the whole complex of geographic phenomena of the area being studied. For two months of stay in Fergana Middendorf managed to collect a huge actual material, the treatment of which also demanded several years of enhanced labor.

Final stage scientific activity Middondorf is associated with the study of cattle breeding in the central and eastern provinces of European Russia. Middendorf led several special expeditions and himself directly made a trip to some provinces. However, old age and the disease that began with him, apparently, still during the Siberian journey, broke the forces of this tireless researcher. He returned to his estate in Liflaland, and here in the village of Rustic Tishi passed the last years of his life.

He was an outstanding geographer of his time. Russian Geographical Society highly appreciated Middaddorf's works, and in 1861 he was awarded higher award Societies - Konstantinovskaya Medal. The success of the scientific activity of Middendorf was due to an amazingly happy combination of a number of his qualities: good scientific training, exceptional endurance, perseverance along with modesty - here are some of his properties that allowed him to make such a huge contribution to geographic science. To the traveler (as well as himself), he imposed high demands and on this point pointed out: "It is necessary to be able to feed themselves with hunting or fishing, and even better than any nomadic need to have flexible readiness and skill, then driving sails, then handle dogs, deer Or horses, then be a row, then a tireless pedestrian, so or another to do something over ordinary opportunity. "

Middendorf believed that all these qualities are best combined from the Russian people. On this occasion, he pointed out: "I can't refuse to the Russian person in the most decisive confirmation of the testimony, which was rewarded more than once. In all of the world, there is hardly another who could have erected with him in the most flexible in all resources, especially with the Russian, grew in the deserted deserts of the deep north. " So wrote an outstanding Russian scientist, all his life dedicated to the study of his fatherland.

Bibliography

Biographical dictionary of figures of natural science and technology. T. 2. - Moscow: State. Scientific publishing soviet Encyclopedia", 1959. - 468 p.
Naumov S. P. Alexander Fedorovich Middendorf / S. P. Naumov // Domestic physico-geographers and travelers. - Moscow: State Educational and Pedagogical Publishment of Min-Wa of the Education of the RSFSR, 1959. - P. 323-331.
300 travelers and researchers. Biographical dictionary. - Moscow: Thought, 1966. - 271 p.