Khakhlov А.

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 June 2023 12:52

 Andrey Stepanovich Khakhlov (1845-1918)

Andrey Stepanovich Khakhlov, the oldest dweller of Zayssan, was born in 1845 in the Cossak’s family in Bayan-Aul stanitsa. He studied in Omsk gymnasium, where functionaries-translators were trained to communicate with native population and volost authorities. After finishing the gymnasium, at the age of 16, Khakhlov received his first rank and started his service. But he resigned soon.

Now, when he was at his own disposal, Khakhlov became an assistant of one of the owners of Steamship Company on the Volga called “Kamenskye brothers”, which also conducted trade in Semirechye.

The young man was not only a translator, but also he carried out some of the assignments, which Kamensky gave him. “They collected different things, searched for minerals, built mills on mountain rivers”.

A.S. Khakhlov settled in Zayssan right after its foundation. He tried to persuade the locals to change mattocks for plough and advised to cultivate potatoes and vegetables. He was one of the first to bring farm machinery to Zaysan and started to supply people with it. In 1882 Khakhlov started the first apiary in Zayssan and equipped it with framed beehives of different systems, which he constructed himself. The result of these experiments was a beehive, which is called Khakhlovsky” among the beekeepers, and in the literature it is called “Zayssansky”.

Andrey Stepanovich was a passionate, but wise hunter, he knew flora and fauna well and he was good at finding his bearings on the ground. He created some kind of zoological museum in his own house. He stuffed animals and collected butterflies; he decorated the walls of his rooms with the boxes made of glass, where all of the exhibits were visible to the visitors.

In 1876 an outstanding zoologist and naturalist writer A.E. Brame with his colleague Otto Finsh, a famous scientist, were travelling around Kazakhstan and West Siberia. Andrey Stepanovich was really a godsend person for them as a guide and consultant. German scientists were amazed that they met a person, who could read the great book of nature so well in such a remote place.

A.S. Khakhlov cooperated with famous Russian scientists. He regularly sent to academician P.P. Sushkin the skins of animals, supplied the University of Tomsk with missing specimens of animals living in East Kazakhstan and sent skins of local animals and birds to the museum of West Siberian department of Russian geographic society. By the beginning of 1880-s Andrey Stepanovich became a regular executor of tasks given by Russian Science Academy and Council of Russian geographic society. In 1883 A.S. Khakhlov became a full member of East Siberian department of RGS.

Famous geologist and professor of the University of Tomsk V.A. Khakhlov gave credit to his father and wrote in his book “Zayssan kettle and Tarbagatay”: “His researches of the land didn’t take any certain form, but any person, who worked there received necessary help and support from him. He was an old-resident and an expert of the land… And he made a lot for the science during his long life”.

Andrey Stepanovich died on May 2, 1918.