Mikhail Venyukov (June 23, 1832 – July 16, 1901) was a Russian geographer and Major General.
Biography
Mikhail Venyukov was born in the village of Nikitino Pronsky district of Ryazan province (now Korablin district of the Ryazan region). At the age of thirteen, he was accepted into the Cadet Corps; in 1850 he graduated with the rank of artillery ensign in the Nobility Regiment. Venyukov attended St. Petersburg University, entered the Academy of the General Staff, graduating in 1856.
In early May 1857 lieutenant Venyukov as a senior adjutant arrived at the headquarters of the troops of Eastern Siberia. Governor-General N. N. Muraviev invited Venyukov to go with him to the
Amur
The Amur River () or Heilong River ( zh, s=黑龙江) is a perennial river in Northeast Asia, forming the natural border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China (historically the Outer Manchuria, Outer and Inner Manchuria). The Amur ...
. In his diary Veniukov wrote: "My dream to be on the Cupid, which at that time represented a major political interest, was coming true." Venyukov was entrusted with compiling topographic maps and analyzing military statistics to fully assess the political situation in the Far East with a view to its further settlement.
In St. Petersburg, he met with GI Nevelskim. On the instructions of Governor-General Veniukov, there was a land expedition along the Ussuri River. In connection with this, Nevelskoy provided the future traveler with valuable information about the Lower Amur and Ussuri regions.
In February 1858, MI Venyukov, then in
Irkutsk
Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and , ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 587,891 Irkutsk is the List of cities and towns in Russ ...
, began preparations for his first expedition: through Ussuri, and through the Sikhote-Alin to the ocean. And on June 1, 1858, MI Venyukov and his companions—the hundredth Peshkov, the translator Maslennikov, the sergeant-officer Karmanov, the orderly and the eleven Cossacks, began their journey from Kazakevichevo, which is located next to the recently founded Khabarovka.
The 26-year-old officer walked more than 700 km from the mouth of the Ussuri to the pass through the Sikhote-Alin. Arriving at the sea, Veniukov intended to continue his journey to the Vladimir post, but he had to return along his previous route, because the Chinese living near the mouth of the Zerkalnaya River (formerly known as Tadushu) had with threats blocked the way of the expedition. During the trip he wrote an expeditionary report "Description of the Ussuri River and the lands east of it to the sea". The report gives the physical geography of the newly discovered region, presents the life of its extremely rare population and possible prospects for settlement and development. Personal circumstances forced Mikhail Ivanovich to leave Siberia.
In March 1859 Veniukov spoke in St. Petersburg at the Russian Geographical Society with a report on his trip to Ussuri . The information presented to them was highly appreciated by the audience, and in particular by the vice-president of the Petr Petrovich Semenov-Tyan-Shansky Society.
All his further work was devoted to travel with scientific purposes. In the years 1857–1863. Venyukov traveled to Amur, Ussuri, Transbaikalia, Issyk-Kul, Tien-Shan, Altai and the Caucasus. In 1861 he was promoted to the rank of Major. He then served in Poland as chairman of the commission on peasant affairs. In the years 1868–1869, he undertook a round-the-world trip, with particular attention to China and Japan.
Venyukov spent 1874 in Asiatic Turkey, and in 1876 was promoted to the rank of Major-General.
In 1877, Venyukov filed a petition for resignation from military service and was dismissed "Major-Major with uniform". In the same year he left for
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. He lived in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, and was elected a member of the geographical societies of these countries. Veniukov traveled extensively in
North Africa
North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
,
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
,
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...
,
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
and
Central America
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, and
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. These trips produced numerous printed works of a geographical and military-geographical nature. His scientific works were published by the
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences (, ) is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French Scientific method, scientific research. It was at the forefron ...
.
In 1878, Venyukov published an article in the Stock Exchange Gazette (1878, No. 92), in which he sharply criticized Vesin's work "On the Road to India" (Golos, 1878, No. 81). As a supporter of Justice Pyotr Pashino in the newspaper "Russian World" (1878, number 94) Venyukov delivered a letter against the article Venyukova, and refuting all the arguments on which it is based, called the act of the author of the article "indecent towards society".Пашино, Петр Иванович //
Русский биографический словарь
The ''Russian Biographical Dictionary'' (''RBD''; ) is a Russian-language biographical dictionary published by the Imperial Russian Historical Society and edited by a collective with Alexander Polovtsov as the editor-in-chief
An editor-in-ch ...
: в 25 томах. — Санкт-Петербург—Москва, 1896—1918.
The permanent secret correspondent of the "Bell" journal of AI Herzen, Vanyukov published in it letters about Siberia, the Caucasus, China, some of which were later published in a separate illegal collection.''Венюков М. И.' Марсельеза /ref>
In his will, Venyukov left his scientific library of over 1200 volumes and all his manuscripts to "the village of Khabarovka", his monetary estate to the Russian Geographical Society, the village of Nikitinsky, where he was born, and the village of Venyukovo in Ussuri, expressing the desire that these funds should be spent on educational needs.
Mikhail Ivanovich Venyukov died in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
on July 17, 1901, and was buried, according to the will, next to the grave of
Alexander Herzen
Alexander Ivanovich Herzen (; ) was a Russian writer and thinker known as the precursor of Russian socialism and one of the main precursors of agrarian populism (being an ideological ancestor of the Narodniki, Socialist-Revolutionaries, Trudo ...
in
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionVenyukovka River in the Terneysky District is likewise named in his honour.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, 1895–1901.
praga-1878-1880 Historical essays of Russia from the time of the Crimean War to the conclusion of the Berlin Treaty. 1855-1878. - Leipzig; Prague, 1878–1880. - 6 tons.
* A short essay on English possessions in Asia. - SPb .: Type. V. Bezobrazov and Co., 1875.
* Materials for military geography of the southern outskirts of the Aral-Caspian lowland. - St. Petersburg., 1874.
* Review of the Japanese archipelago in its present state. Issue. 1–2. - St. Petersburg, 1871.
* Experience of military description of Russian borders in Asia. 2 issues. - St. Petersburg, 1873–1876.
* Essay on old and new treaties between Russia and China. - SPb .: Type. V. Bezobrazov and Co., 1861.
* Essays of modern China. - SPb .: Type. V. Bezobrazova and Co., 1874.
* Essays on Japan. - SPb .: Type. Imp. Acad. Sciences, 1869.
* Progressive movement of Russia in Central Asia. - SPb .: Type. V. Bezobrazova and Co., 1877.
* Travel around the outskirts of Russian Asia and notes about them. - SPb .: Type. Imp. Acad. Sciences, 1868.
* Travel through the Amur, China and Japan. / Ed., Preface. and note. A. A. Stepanova. - Khabarovsk: Khabarovsk Prince. publishing house, 1970.
* Reformed Russians. A novel in verse, but without a denouement, which is in prose. -
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
, 1889.
* Russia and the East. Collection of geographical and political articles. - SPb .: Type. V. Bezobrazova and Co., 1877.
* Physiography. Book. 1–2. - SPb .: Type. Imp. Acad. Sciences, 1865.
Sources
* ''Glynoytsky NP'' Historical sketch of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff. - SPb .: Type. Headquarters of the Russian Guards of the Guard and military. okr., 1882.
*
*
* '' Veniukov MI ' Traveling to the Amur, China and Japan