Ilya Alexandrovich Shipilov,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of History of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Journey of D.G. Messerschmidt to Siberia in the Fate of Researcher and the History: “Great Scientist” vs “Great Loser”: – Book Review: Putevoy Zhurnal Danielya Gotliba Messershmidta. Nauchnaya ekspeditsiya po Eniseiskoy Sibiri. 1721–1725 gody [The Travel Diary of Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt. The Scientific Expedition Across the Yenisei Siberia. 1721–1725] / Translated, compiled, commented by G.F. Bykonya, I.G. Fedorov, Ya.I. Fedorov. Krasnoyarsk: RASTR, 2021. 496 p., ill.
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2022-3-17
Following the paradigm of Messerschmidtological (Messerschmidt studies) studies the author reviews the publication of the expeditionary diary of D.G. Messerschmidt, who was the leader of the first comprehensive scientific journey to Siberia (1719–1727). In the book presents translated into Russian from the German edition of 1962–1977 diary entries made in 1721–1723 and 1725 by D.G. Messerschmidt and his chief assistant Ph.J. Tabbert von Strahlenberg in the territory of the Yenisei Siberia. The published source shows that during trips through the territory of the Yeniseisk province, that is, the modern Republic of Khakassia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the leader of the expedition, his main assistant Ph.J. Tabbert, the artist K.G. von Schulmann, translator P. Kratz, quartermaster I.D. Capell and other representatives of the support and service personnel worked according to the research program developed by D.G. Messerschmidt. This program included natural science, geographical, historical, archaeological, ethnographic, philological and other research. Messerschmidt and Strahlenberg performed the entire range of work under the program, and the assistants contributed to the implementation of its individual areas. The publication is preceded by an introductory part that introduces the reader to the history and historiography of the expedition and the structure of the book. The publication contains a voluminous scientific reference apparatus and rich illustrative materials. The analysis and criticism of the publication made in the review from the standpoint of messerschmidtology showed the popular science nature of the work, the scientific component of which is the diary of D.G. Messerschmidt.
Publishing: 28/06/2022
The article has been received by the editor on 01/03/2022
How to cite: Shipilov I.A. The Journey of D.G. Messerschmidt to Siberia in the Fate of Researcher and the History: “Great Scientist” vs “Great Loser”: – Book Review: Putevoy Zhurnal Danielya Gotliba Messershmidta. Nauchnaya ekspeditsiya po Eniseiskoy Sibiri. 1721–1725 gody [The Travel Diary of Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt. The Scientific Expedition Across the Yenisei Siberia. 1721–1725] / Translated, compiled, commented by G.F. Bykonya, I.G. Fedorov, Ya.I. Fedorov. Krasnoyarsk: RASTR, 2021. 496 p., ill. // Historical Courier, 2022, No. 3 (23), pp. 238–254. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2022/ISTKURIER-2022-3-17.pdf]
Links: Issue 3 2022
Keywords: history of exploration of Siberia in the 18th century; D.G. Messerschmidt’s expedition; scientific publication of the travel diary; Messerschmidtology; Ph.J. Tabbert von Strahlenberg; support and service personnel; Yenisei Siberia