Lesson 23. Main Discoveries of Russian Scientists in the Far East

In the 19th –20th Centuries

1. Study the key vocabulary:

policy plan -план деятельности

vicinity – окрестности

specimen –образец, экземпляр

sturgeon - oсетр

to recount -излагать подробно

permafrost - вечная мерзлота

memoirs - воспоминания

topographical survey - топографическая съемка

pass - перевал горного хребта

2. Match the following columns:

policy plan vicinity specimen sturgeon to recount permafrost memoir topographical survey pass

to go to melt city plant to go strategic to write to go occurrence to carry out occurrence

3. Circle the word similar to the meaning of the key word or key combination:

•policy plan

a) tactics b) strategy c)development

•vicinity

a) neighbourhood b) environment c) the suburbs

•specimen

a) type b) example c) model

•to recount

a) tell b) to say c) to describe

•permafrost

a) glacier b) multiyear ice c) frozen land

•memoir

a) recollection b) memory c) biography

4. Write the sentences with the key vocabulary.

5. Scan the text.

Activity of the Priamurskiy Department of the Imperial Russian Geographic Society

In the history of the Far East there were a lot of people who took an active part in its development.

Governors-General fulfilled administrative, civil and military duties. Merchants developed the economy of the region and helped to construct cultural and public-service institutions, educational and medical foundations, and religious establishments.

But this vast territory was not researched well yet. The authorities did not have enough information about the natural recourses of this land.

Scientists were the other important group of people who made an important contribution to the development of the Far Eastern region. Among them were: B. K. Arsenev, M. I. Venukov, R. K. Maack, C. I. Maximovich, A. F. Middendorf and a lot of others.

Their activity laid a basis to the birth of the Priamurskiy department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (PDIRGS) in Khabarovsk in 1894. The founder of this organization was N. I. Grodekov (Lesson 21). He worked up the policy plan of the PDIRGS and initiated the construction of buildings for it.

It had a very important role in the scientific and cognitive development of the region. At the beginning in 1894 there were 54 members, after a half of a year their number increased to 180 people. Their work and contribution made grounds of the collection and the materials for the regional museum. Buildings of the museum and library appeared simultaneously.

In 1894 there were 400 volumes of books, in three years there were 45,000 ones. Members of this organization made and supported the research of the territory, organized scientific expeditions, published scientific reports and articles, conducted different exhibitions and public lectures.

Expeditions of V.K. Arsenev played an important role in the activity of this organization. In 1917 it was renamed in the Priamurie department of the Russian Geigraphis Society and works tody.