IN SEARCH OF THE UNKNOWN: RUSSIAN EXPEDITIONS AND RECONNAISSANCE CAMPAIGNS IN THE PAMIR (19TH CENTURY)
Keywords:
Paul I, East Turkestan, Pamir-Hindukush, the state of Yettishar, buffer zone, “no man’s land”, A.P.Fedchenko, Haider-ShahAbstract
The article examines a unique period of Russian expeditionary and reconnaissance activities in the Pamir during the 19th century, when, following the Crimean War, Russia shifted its geopolitical priorities toward Central Asia. Russian travelers and military scouts, while traversing largely uncharted territories, refined the region’s cartography and collected unique empirical data. These expeditions combined scientific curiosity with military and political objectives, serving both as a means of applying pressure on London and as a powerful impetus for the development of geographical science. The article emphasizes how the study of the orography, climatic conditions, glaciers, and flora of the Pamir became a crucial component of the “Great Game” between Russia and Great Britain.
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