Discovering Russia: Henry Seebohm’s Scientific Expeditions to the Russian Empire

Abstract

The article examines the history of expeditions in Siberia and Pechora plain by the British ornithologist, manufacturer and traveler Henry Seebohm (1832–1895) on the basis of archival documents and his travelogues. The paper analyzes two trips made in the 1870s to the basin of Pechora River and the Yenisei Tundra in order to study the migration routes of birds going through the United Kingdom, as well as the discovery of new and previously unknown species. The obtained knowledge during the Seebohm’s travels allowed us to significantly expand our understanding of the diversity of birds and their habitats in the Russian Empire in the second half of the XIXth century. It is important to note that the results of Seebohm’s ornithological study are still relevant and have valid scientific significance for the modern scholar research. Henry Seebohm's scientific expeditions to Siberia have important historical significance in the field of nature research, especially in the context of studying various bird species in this region. In addition, Henry Seebohm's scientific expeditions are an important source for research on the environmental history of the Arctic North; the ornithologist's books contain unique descriptions of the life and customs of the indigenous peoples as well as the natural phenomena of the Russian North, which he described while traveling along the Pechora and Yenisei rivers.