Пётр Петрович Семёнов-Тян-Шанский

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Semenov-Tyan-Shansky

Pyotr Semenov was born into a noble family and studied in the Saint Petersburg University. Together with Dostoevsky he attended the secret meetings of the Petrashevsky Circle. In the 1850s he went to study geography and geology in Berlin under Alexander Humboldt and Karl Ritter, whose writings he translated in Russian.

On Humboldt's suggestion, Semenov decided to explore the largely unknown mountains of the Tian Shan. In 1856, he set off from Barnaul on his first expedition, passing through the Altay Mountains and visiting the Issyk Kul on his way. In 1857 he returned to the Tian Shan, exploring the deep interior of this hitherto unknown mountain range. Semenov was the first European to see the scenic panorama of the Tengri Tag, and its most beautiful peak, the colossal Khan Tengri.

One of his most interesting discoveries was to disprove Humboldt's earlier claims about Tian Shan's supposed volcanic origins. Semenov found no evidence of volcanic activity anywhere in the mountains. The following year, he published the first systematic description of the Tian Shan. The standing of this monograph was such that half a century later Nicholas II of Russia authorized him to add the epithet "Tian-Shansky" (that is, "of Tian Shan") to his last name.

Apart from geography, Semenov also became interested in statistics and did his best to advance this discipline in Russia. He served as Chairman of the Central Committee for Statistics from 1864 until 1874, when it was transformed into the Statistical Committee of the Ministry of Interior, of which he remained Chairman until 1891. It was largely due to his efforts that the first census of the Russian Empire was held in 1897. The same year, he was made a member of the State Council of Imperial Russia.

During his frequent visits to Switzerland, Italy, and France Semenov — a man of considerable fortune — amassed a collection of Old Dutch Masters, which now belongs to the Hermitage Museum. His insect collection boasted ca. 700,000 specimens, while more than a hundred new species were named after him. Semenov was a member of 53 learned societies and managed the Russian Geographical Society from 1873 until his death, using this position to encourage the exploration of inland Asia, notably by Nikolai Przhevalsky and Pyotr Kozlov.

Semenov's memoirs were published after his death in four volumes. Several of his descendants, including a son, Andrey Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, continued his work and became scientists of note.

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%91%D0%BD%D0%BE%D...

• 1908: действительный тайный советник (ЦГИА СПб, ф.19, о.127, д.2159, л.55об.-56)
• 1914: смерть 87 лет (ЦГИА СПб, ф.19, оп.127, д.3009, л.502об.-503) Андр.собор
• Википедия

Петр Петрович Семенов-Тян-Шанский (до 1906 года — Семенов; 14 января (2 января по ст. стилю) 1827 — 11 марта (26 февраля по ст. стилю) 1914 — русский географ, ботаник, статистик и общественный деятель.

Вице-председатель и глава Русского географического общества (с 1873) и Русского энтомологического общества (с 1889). Почетный член Петербургской Академии наук (1873). Член Государственного совета (1897). Член Русского горного общества (1900).

В 1856—1857 годах исследовал Тянь-Шань. Инициатор ряда экспедиций в Центральную Азию. В 1859—60 участвовал в качестве члена-эксперта в работе Редакционной комиссии по подготовке крестьянской реформы 1861. Организатор первой переписи населения России в 1897 году.

2.01.1827 – 26.02.1914

крупный ученый и государственный деятель оставил воспоминания 1906, официально получил дополнение к фамилии Тян-Шанский.

http://rgfond.ru/person/836