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Memorial of Przhevalskiy.

Kyrgyzstan Travel Information & Tours.

"Twenty five years ago an outstanding explorer of Central Asia Prhevalskiy passed away in Karakol. The great traveller deeply loved and understood nature and that's why he could not help but love the gorgeous Ыuе Issyk-kul, majestic Tien Shan and that small modest town Karakol which met Nickolay Mikhailovich in 1885 and all his triumphant but tired of great works expedition. This town that Przhevalskiy always recalled with pleasure very was fated to get the second christening and start' from that memorable for everyone year of 1888 he named as Przhevalskiy

Karakol town leader Vlasov А.А.

Small group holidays in Tien-Shan mountains.

On the 20 of October in 1913 it had been 25 years since death of Przhevalskiy N.M. Тhe Imperial Russian Geographical Society charged its honourable member Kozlov Р.К to be а representative of the Society оп this day at the celebration in honour of the late traveller.
Having arrived at the grave of Przhevalskiy N.M. Kozlov Р.К laid on the grave а silver wreath brought by him from the Imperial Geographical Society, Academy of Science, Botanic Orchard of Peter the Great and General Headquarters.
The District Leader Lieutenant-Colonel Ivanov laid а wreath from the Turkestan Governor-General, Military Governor of Semirechensk oblast and Przhevalsk district. Inspector of People's Colleges Solovev made а touching speech and laid а wreath from Female Pro-Gymnasium and educational establishments.
Speeches were made by Тown Leader, student of City College, representative from people. Almost the whole town gathered near the monument of Przhevalskiy N .М. on that day.
After the requiem at the grave Colonel Kozlov Р.К informed the present  people that he received а telegram from brother of the deceased, General Evgeniy Mikhailovich, saying that he transferred 1000 roubles to be used by the town for charity.
Following him the Тown Leader Vlasov А.А. made a speech devoted to the memory of Przhevalskiy: "Twenty five years ago an outstanding explorer of Central Asia Prhevalskiy passed away in Karakol.
The great traveller deeply loved and understood nature and that's why he could not help but love the gorgeous Issyk-kul, majestic Tien Shan and that small modest town Karakol which met Nickolay Mikhailovich in 1885 and all his triumphant but tired of great works expedition.
This town that Przhevalskiy always recalled with pleasure very was fated to get the second christening and start' from that memorable for everyone year of 1888 he named as Przhevalskiy.
Since that time the name of the great traveller became for us native and сlose; we are proud that the remains of Przhevalskiy is kept namely with us and that Russia trusted us to keep it. As much as we can we cherish the grave which became native for us and the artistic Mausoleum which the biggest adornment of our town.
Now in celebration of the 25 anniversary from the death of Nickolay Mikhailovich the town is intending to found а museum of his пате. We hope this idea will be pleasant for the deceased and аre confident that Nickolay Mikhailovich would have taken an active part in this if he was alive.
Immediately there had been actions undertaken subscription and fund raising for foundation of museum and within some quarter of hour 500 roubles were collected. At the end the sum increased up to 1500 roubles by adding to the initial sum those 1000 roubles sent by Evgeniy Mikhailovich Przhevalskiy.
For the start it was quite а considerable sum for people of Przhevalsk. There is no data of further use of that sum of money. In 1957 by the decision of the Government of Kyrgyz SSR а memorial complex of Przhevalskiy was founded, which includes the grave, monument and museum of the well-known scientist.
Memorial museum of Nickolay Mikhailovich Przhevalskiy was opened on the 29 of April 1957. Over the first three years the fund of the museum reached 386 exhibits. Formation of the fund was initiated by the Museum of Regional Studies of Prjevaslk town which passed on in 1957 eight creations of Przhevalskiy published through 1883 - 1947, 30 photocopies and pictures.
Materials for enrichment of the fund of the memorial museum of Przhevaslkiy were also delivered from the archives of the Geographical Society of the USSR. In 1958 the museum was enriched by 14 paintings of artist Gladkov, Kharlamov, Vasilev, stuffed animals and birds made in the Kyrgyz Zoological Base.
In the second hand bookshop in Leningrad 10 rare books were bought. Now the fund of the museum collected piece by piece exceeds 1910 exhibits. Personal belongings and original pictures of the traveller and works of his companions and followers (Roborovskiy V.I., Kozlov P.K., Potanin G.N., Grum-Gruzhimailo С.Е.) issued in the ХХ century represent big value for the museum. 
Тhe most valuable exhibit of the museum is а gun which belonged to Przhevalskiy N.M. In 1883 before going to the fourth expedition to Tibet Przhevalskiy ordered а few guns for the expedition participants to the well-known gun master Lezhin Vasiliy Vasilevich, а son of Vasiliy Lezhin, Swiss by origin, who founded а gun workshop in Petersburg in the ХХ century.
By the end of 1883 the master made guns for the expedition participants and Przhevalskiy as well.
Parts of the gun were covered with а beautiful engraving and the medallions have the images of heads of а fallow-deer, fox, hound dog and boar. Under the neck of gun stock on the tail of а trigger crampon there аге initials of the author (B.L.), number of the gun (No 836) and initials of Przhevalskiy (N.M.P.).
Under the butt on the silver small shield there is an inscription "Expedition of Przhevalskiy". Having returned back from the expedition in 1885, Przhevalskiy presented the gun to the head of guard Ivanov С. Later оп this gun turned out to be by accident in the private collection of Ural Cossack Styagov F. who presented it in 1891 in the International Moscow-Paris exhibition of rare guns.
On this exhibition the gun was valued very high: on the tail part of the gun there was still а medal with the inscription in French "Реасе, Labor. 1891 Moscow-Paris" as well as the images of armorial bearings of Moscow and Paris.
In 1919 son of Styagov tried to export the gun to Тurkey but it was confiscated and by accident fell into the hands of officer of Georgian guards. The gun was bought from the officer by а collector of historical guns and later the encyclopaedist of guns Markevich V.E.
Only in 1957 the museum bought from him this invaluable relic.
The fund of the museum was enriched by personal belongings of Przhevalskiy given by his relative Mikhail Vladimirovich Przhevalskiy: leather purse, malachite stone with а personal inscription of Przhevalskiy, visiting card, notebook with а pencil, metal ruler, Chinese small knife, parcel box with the initials of Przhevalskiy аnd sealing-wax stamp and other things.
Не also handed over original pictures of Przhevalskiy N.M., his brothers and friends.
Before these things came to the museum they used to be kept with the Przhevalskij family generation by generation. Elizaveta Vladimirovna Kozlova presented original pictures of Przhevalskiy and Kozlov as well as а Chinese smoking device and Mongolian metal ash-tray. 
The exposition (square is 400 square meters) consists of 10 sections devoted to life and activity of Przhevalskiy, his associates Kozlov Р.K., Roborovskiy V.I and others. Fauna of Kyrgyzstan is broadly presented in the museum.
The memorial complex of Przhevalskiy N.M. is under state protection.

Memorial complex of Przhevalskiy.

Authority:
«N.M.Przhevalskiy.Issy-Kul memorial complex. Writers Ploskih V., Mambetov D. Bishkek «KRSU». 2005.