Johann Peter Falk (1727-1774) Beyträge zur topographischen Kenntniss des Russischen Reichs. St. Petersburg: gedruckt bey der Kayserl. Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1785-1786. 3 vols. Linnæana C525

Johann Peter Falk (1727-1774) Beyträge zur topographischen Kenntniss des Russischen Reichs. St. Petersburg: gedruckt bey der Kayserl. Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1785-1786. 3 vols. Linnæana C525

Hunting the White Siberian Taiga... The "Academic Expeditions," so-called, had been organized between 1768 and 1774 by the tsardom and would demonstrate the high standards of the Academy of Sciences. The Empress Catherine II, however, wanted prestige as well and to this end had explorers assigned to three main groups that would survey and describe geographically different parts of the country. Johann Peter Falk, a pupil of the great Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, was one of the leaders, with Pallas, of the most important, the Orenburg Expedition. The task was to make a record of observations on mineralogy, botany (the plants are arranged according to the Linnaean sexual system of classification), zoology, history, ethnology, agriculture and animal husbandry, illnesses, both human and animal, trading and fishing industry, commerce, customs and traditions, archaeology, and more. Reports were sent back to Petersburg and published as soon as received. Unfortunately the stresses of these expeditions were great and many of the participants came to a sad end; some were imprisoned or murdered in places far from home (with no embassies!) Falk himself, completely exhausted and distraught, committed suicide.

Linnaeana C525