Russian Geographical Society Council decided in 1850 to prepare a translation into Russian of the fundamental work of the European geographical scientist Carl Ritter ‘Asian Earth Sciences’.
The work on the translation was given to a young scientist Peter Semyonov, who joined the Geographical Society in 1849. But he decided not to limit himself to just a formal translation. Since the first publication of this work in 1832, geographical science had gained quite a lot of knowledge that Ritter was ignorant about. It was necessary to make many additions and to process the expedition materials of Russian scientists and the European travelers’ publications. Thus, “Asian Earth Sciences” was published together with additional editions in the form of full volumes, on which Pyotr Semyonov worked.
This work continued for many decades. The scientist started the translation in 1851, and the first volume was published in 1856. The last, the sixth book, appeared in 1895. At the same time, the second and third volumes, published in 1859 and 1860, did not have extensive additions like the first edition.
Subsequently, Semyonov involved many scientists in compiling the supplements. For example, in the fourth volume, published in 1877, he wrote a large new section together with the geographer Grigory Potanin. The fifth volume dedicated to Eastern Siberia was published In 1879. New materials for it were created by the researcher Ivan Chersky and the geologist Herman Petz.
Pyotr Semyonov believed that it was very important to express scientific ideas in a language accessible to every reader. He writes about this in the introduction to the first volume of the translation of “Asian Earth Sciences”. In the translation he also had to give Russian names to many phenomena and objects that previously had no designations in the Russian language. To make the content of this work understandable to a wide range of readers, Semyonov introduced into the Russian literary language the terms “plateau”, “highland”, “mountain or alpine country”, “foothills”, “basin”, “river area”, “reservoir” and a number of other words that we use to this day.
The work on the translation was given to a young scientist Peter Semyonov, who joined the Geographical Society in 1849. But he decided not to limit himself to just a formal translation. Since the first publication of this work in 1832, geographical science had gained quite a lot of knowledge that Ritter was ignorant about. It was necessary to make many additions and to process the expedition materials of Russian scientists and the European travelers’ publications. Thus, “Asian Earth Sciences” was published together with additional editions in the form of full volumes, on which Pyotr Semyonov worked.
This work continued for many decades. The scientist started the translation in 1851, and the first volume was published in 1856. The last, the sixth book, appeared in 1895. At the same time, the second and third volumes, published in 1859 and 1860, did not have extensive additions like the first edition.
Subsequently, Semyonov involved many scientists in compiling the supplements. For example, in the fourth volume, published in 1877, he wrote a large new section together with the geographer Grigory Potanin. The fifth volume dedicated to Eastern Siberia was published In 1879. New materials for it were created by the researcher Ivan Chersky and the geologist Herman Petz.
Pyotr Semyonov believed that it was very important to express scientific ideas in a language accessible to every reader. He writes about this in the introduction to the first volume of the translation of “Asian Earth Sciences”. In the translation he also had to give Russian names to many phenomena and objects that previously had no designations in the Russian language. To make the content of this work understandable to a wide range of readers, Semyonov introduced into the Russian literary language the terms “plateau”, “highland”, “mountain or alpine country”, “foothills”, “basin”, “river area”, “reservoir” and a number of other words that we use to this day.
