Description: A series of biographical essays of outstanding Russian explorers of Inner Asia of the late nineteenth - early twentieth century, focusing on their pioneer explorations of the uncharted region and their many discoveries.
Brief description:
Alexandre Andreyev, Doctor of History, is senior research fellow at the Institute for the History of Science & Technology, St Petersburg branch. He has published monographs and many articles in Russian and English on Russo-Tibetan relations, Buddhism in Russia and exploration of Inner Asia by Russian travelers, including Soviet Russia and Tibet: The Debacle of Secret Diplomacy, 1918-1930s (Brill, 2003), Tibet in the Earliest Photographs by Russian Travelers, 1900-1901 (Delhi, Studio Orientalia, 2013), and Russian Expeditions to Inner Asia: Their Organization, Observations and Collections, 1870-1920s (with T. Gnatiuk and M. Kozhevnikova) (St.Petersburg, Nestor-Istoriia, 2013).
Mikhail Baskhanov, Ph.D. (1990) is an independent researcher. He has published monographs, translations and many articles on China, Russian military history and a History of Russian Oriental Studies, including General Lavr Kornilov (London, Skiff Press, 2000), and Russian Military Orientologists before 1917. Biographical-Bibliographical Dictionary (Moscow, Vostochnaia Literatura, 2005).
Tatiana Yusupova, Doctor of History, is a senior research fellow at the Institute for the History of Science & Technology, St Petersburg branch. She has published two monographs and many articles on Soviet-Mongolian scientific cooperation and exploration of Inner Asia by P. Kozlov including The Mongolian Committee of the Academy of Sciences: The History of its Creation and Activities, 1925-1953 (St. Petersburg, Nestor-Istoriia, 2006), Travelling as a Lifestyle: The Central Asian Explorer P. Kozlov (St. Petersburg, Nestor-Istoriia, 2016), and (with A. Andreyev) the travel diaries of P. Kozlov's two expeditions of 1923-1926 (St. Petersburg, Nauka, 2003) and 1907-1909 (St. Petersburg, Nestor-Istoriia, 2016).
Review Quotes: "[...] an extremely useful introduction to the broader place of Przhevalskii's explorations [...] The Quest for Forbidden Lands admirably succeeds in its stated mission of introducing to a wider audience the influence of Przhevalskii on the expeditions of a range of scientists and geographers, while simultaneously placing his expeditions in a greater context. Seven maps of expeditions, along with countless pertinent drawings and photographs, richly enhance this volume." - Helen Hundley, Wichita State University, in: The Russian Review 78.2 (2019), p.340