Opisanie zemli Kamchatki (Russian: ÃÂÿøÃÂðýøõ ÷õüûø ÃÂðüÃÂðÃÂúø; Description of the Land of Kamchatka) is an early fundamental text on Siberia of the Russian geographer and explorer Stepan Krasheninnikov (1711âÂÂ1755) who gave in it the first full description of Kamchatka in the early 18th century. The author was elected to the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1745. He was Professor of Botany and Natural History at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.
The author Krasheninnikov was the son of a soldier, he was selected for scientific training to participate in the Second Kamchatka Expedition due to his outstanding academic achievements. The expedition set out in August 1733. After four years of extremely arduous travel, the members of the âÂÂacademic delegationâ refused to continue the journey, citing health problems, and reported back to St. Petersburg that the student Krasheninnikov could carry out the exploration of Kamchatka on his own, what he did. Over ten years (1733âÂÂ1743), he traveled 25,773 versts (more than half the circumference of the earth) through Siberia and Kamchatka, undertaking numerous research trips to Lake Baikal, along the Lena River, and into Yakutia â but most importantly, he explored, studied, and described the land of Kamchatka in its full breadth and depth: its borders, terrain, climate, flora and fauna, volcanoes and geysers, and its native population. He collected extensive scientific specimens, conducted meteorological observations, recorded tides, and compiled a small dictionary of the Koryak language.
His work contains detailed accounts of the zoology, geography and botany of this Siberian region as well as on the language and culture of the Itelmen and Koryak peoples. The English translation of James Grieve was published under the title The history of Kamtschatka and the Kurilski Islands with the countries adjacent. A new edition of the work is contained in the Russian book series Great Russian travelers (ÃÂõûøúøõ ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂúøõ ÿÃÂÃÂõÃÂõÃÂÃÂòõýýøúø). The Krasheninnikov Volcano on Kamchatka is named in his honour.
âÂÂDescription of the Land of Kamchatkaâ was published only after the authorâÂÂs death (1755). This two-volume work was translated into English (1764), German (1766), French (1767), and Dutch (1770). For a longer time, this publication was not only an encyclopedia of the region but also the only work about Kamchatka in European literature.
The printing of the first edition, based on various earlier manuscript versions, was completed in February 1755 (the second edition appeared in 1786; the third in the Complete Collection of Scientific Travels through Russia (ÃÂþûýþõ ÃÂþñÃÂðýøõ ÃÂÃÂõýÃÂàÿÃÂÃÂõÃÂõÃÂÃÂòøù ÿþ àþÃÂÃÂøø), published on the initiative of Sergei Uvarov, President of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg; Vol. IâÂÂII, 1818âÂÂ1819).
This work marked the beginning of a new genre of scientific travel literature in Russia. It contains exceptionally interesting and insightful material and is written in excellent literary language based on spoken Russian. It consistently enjoyed great popularity among a wide readership. Alongside the works of M. V. Lomonosov, A. P. Sumarokov, and G. R. Derzhavin, it also served as a source for the compilation of the Dictionary of the Russian Academy ().
From the preface to the 1st edition of Description of the Land of Kamchatka (1755): <blockquote> ÃÂý ñÃÂû ø÷ ÃÂøÃÂûð ÃÂõà, úþø ýø ÷ýðÃÂýþàÿÃÂøÃÂþôþàýø ÃÂþÃÂÃÂÃÂýàñûðóþôõÃÂýøõü ýõ ÿÃÂõôÿþÃÂÃÂõýÃÂ, ýþ ÃÂðüø ÃÂþñþÃÂ, ÃÂòþøüø úðÃÂõÃÂÃÂòðüø ø ÃÂûÃÂöñþÃÂ, ÿÃÂþø÷þÃÂûø ò ûÃÂôø, úþø ýøÃÂõóþ ýõ ÷ðøüÃÂÃÂòÃÂÃÂàþàÃÂòþøàÿÃÂõôúþò ø ÃÂðüø ôþÃÂÃÂþùýàýð÷ÃÂòðÃÂÃÂÃÂàýðÃÂðûÃÂýøúðüø ÃÂòþõóþ ñûðóþÿþûÃÂÃÂøÃÂ.
He was from among those who were not favored by noble nature or fortune, but by themselves, by their own qualities and service, came to be men who borrow nothing from their ancestors and are themselves worthy to be called the rulers of their well-being. </blockquote>
A. M. Karamyshev <small></small>: <blockquote> Ingenio et scientia ornatus indefessa opera legit Sibiricas gazas, multumque utilitatis, dignus Patriae civis in posterum praestitisset, si fata tam cito eum non abstulissent⦠â Endowed with intellect and knowledge, he gathered the treasures of Siberia with the greatest difficulty; a worthy citizen of his homeland, he would have brought much benefit to posterity, had fate not taken him so early.</blockquote>
V. I. Vernadsky: <blockquote> Like Gmelin and Steller, Krasheninnikov was not a genius scientist, but he was an accurate observer whose works have withstood the passage of time. The names of Gmelin, Steller, and Krasheninnikov â scientists of the first half of the 18th century â have retained their significance for us; at the same time, their works are historical documents, as they scientifically and precisely described the nature of Russia under conditions that have already vanished and will never return. </blockquote> <blockquote> With the emergence of Krasheninnikov and Lomonosov, the preparatory period in the history of scientific creativity of the Russian people came to an end. Russia finally entered the ranks of the educated world as an equal cultural force, and a new era of its cultural life began.</blockquote>
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