Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky’s birthday
In 1856 Semenov carried out his first expedition followed by his second one the next year. He collected a lot of samples of known and new species and gave the name of Zaili Alatau to a mountain range. The expedition was a success, however it failed to achieve its main goal to prove the volcanic origin of Tyan-Shan. 50 years later, in 1906, when exploration of this mountainous region began in earnest Pyotr Petrovich Semenov received an honorary second surname of Tyan-Shansky. Semenov-Tyan-Shanky chaired the Russian Geographic Society between 1873 and 1914. A number of geographical places were named after the great explorer in Middle and Central Asia, the Caucasus, Alaska and Spitsbergen as well as a hundred new species of plants and animals. A Semenov Tyan-Shansky Gold Medal is awarded for geographical discoveries.