Shchurovsky G.E.

Details

Last Updated on Wednesday, 04 January 2023 12:50

 Gregory Ephimovich Shchurovsky (1803 - 1884)

Gregory Ephimovich Shchurovsky is a distinguished Russian scientist, one of the founders of domestic geology. He left his mark in the history of studying of Ural, Altai and particularly East Kazakhstan.

He was born in Moscow on January 30th, 1803. His father was killed in the Great Patriotic War in 1812 and his mother Maria Gerassimovna had to leave her son in the orphanage because of their extreme poorness. In the orphanage they gave the boy the surname Shchurovsky – because merchant Shurov donated funds for his upbringing.
After finishing school in 1822 G.E. Shchurovsky was sent to study at the medicine faculty of the University by the board of guardians. After finishing the university he worked as a teacher of physics and natural history at the medicine faculty, read his lectures about new course of geognosy (geology) at the department of philosophy. Professor Shchurovsky agreed to read this unusual course on conditions that he would be able to make scientific expeditions. In 1838 he spent half a year in Ural. 5 years later he made a plan of his second, longer expedition to Siberia for studying Altai mountain ridge, including Kazakhstan.

On February 8th, 1844 he received a resolution with a permission of expedition. In the end of the same month Shchurovsky was already driving in a sleigh along an endless Siberian road to Barnaul and after Barnaul to the mines. During the month he visited some of the mines, including Kryukovsky, Nickolayevsky, Talovsky, Beloussovsky, Zyryanovsky, Riddersky.

Shchurovsky described in details legal aspect of receiving land lot for hardrock mining, geological structure of mines, ways of mining operations, time-frames of work. He also described living conditions, way of life, provisioning and remuneration of workers’ labour etc.

The most interesting information of scientist is history of East Kazakhstan development. “The road from Shemonaykha to Riddersk goes almost straight eastwards”, - wrote Shchurovsky. – “Firstly it goes along the Uba valley, then along the Ulba valley and gradually it goes to the river heads of these majestic rivers. Both of these valleys are huge and surrounded by granite, shale and porphyritic mountains and in these valleys there are a lot of villages, where prosperous factory peasants live. Besides doing their task works, they are busy with tillage and beekeeping”. In the Uba valley the expedition visited the villages of Vydrikha, Lossikha and Bystrukha. Forests that stretched from Cheremshanka consisted of birches, aspens and pines mixed with firs and poplar trees.

Cheremshanka is near the confluence of the rivers Cheremshanka to Ulba located in a very beautiful valley. “Between Cheremshanka and Butachikha, over a distance of 19 kilometers, the valley is fascinating”, - wrote scientist. – “Because of a flood time the river has spilled with countless branches that have interwoven and made a big net with the number of islands overgrown with cottonwoods, bird cherry trees, aspens, birches, honeysuckles, acacia and spirea. And all of these plants were flowered and filled the air with a delightful fragrance”.

Then Shchurovsky visited Turgussunsky, Ubinsky and Ulbinsky mountains, the valley of Karagay, explored the river head of Bukhtarma, White and Black Uba and went down to Irtysh. He visited Bukhtarminskaya fortress and Ust-Kamenogorsk. The wealth of natural resources and beauty of this place was extraodinary. G.E. Shchurovsky was amazed by what he saw, he wanted to familiarize the reader with this unknown land and published a book “Geological travel across Altai”.

During the next years of his life he wrote a lot of articles about scientific achievements of travelers and naturalists, about natural resources and history of the people.

Gregory Ephimovich Shchurovsky died on March 20th, 1884.