Nikolay Przhevalsky
Nikolay Mikhaylovich Przhevalsky (or Prjevalsky; April 12 [O.S. March 31] 1839 – November 1 [O.S. October 20] 1888) was a Russian geographer of Polish descent (he was born in a Polish noble family), and a renowned explorer of Central and East Asia.
Nikolay Przhevalsky | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nikolay Mikhaylovich Przhevalsky April 12, 1839 |
| Died | November 1, 1888 (aged 49) Karakol, Russian Empire (now Kyrgyzstan) |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation(s) | explorer, geographer |
| Known for | exploration of Central Asia |
| Awards | Vega Medal (1884) |
Although he never reached his ultimate goal, the holy city of Lhasa in Tibet, he traveled through regions then unknown to the West, such as northern Tibet (modern Tibet Autonomous Region), Amdo (now Qinghai) and Dzungaria (now northern Xinjiang). He contributed substantially to European knowledge of Central Asian geography.
He also described several species previously unknown to European science: Przewalski's horse, Przewalski's gazelle, and the wild Bactrian camel, all of which are now endangered.
He was a mentor of his follower Pyotr Kozlov.