Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky

Pyotr Semyonov in the 1870s.
Portrait by Valentin Serov (1905).

Pyotr Petrovich Semyonov or Semenov (Russian: Пётр Петрович Семёнов;[1] 2 January (New style: 14 January), 1827 – 26 February (New style: 11 March), 1914) was a Russian geographer and statistician who managed the Russian Geographical Society for more than 40 years. He gained international fame for his pioneering exploration of the Tian Shan mountains. He changed his surname to "Semyonov of Tian Shan" (Семёнов-Тян-Шанский, Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky) at the age of 79.

Several of his descendants, including a son, Andrey Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, and a grandson Oleg Semenov-Tian-Shansky became scientists of note.

  1. ^ Donald Rayfield (21 February 2013). The Dream of Lhasa: The Life of Nikolay Przhevalsky (1839–1888), Explorer of Central Asia. Faber & Faber. pp. 26–. ISBN 978-0-571-30044-0.