Semenov-Tian-Shansky Petr Petrovich 
(02(14).01.1827-26.02(11.03).1914)

An outstanding Russian geographer, zoologist, statistician, public and statesman, one of the greatest travelers of the mid-XIX - early XX centuries. 
Born the village of Urusovo, near Ryazan, in the family of a retired captain, a member of the Battle of Borodino. Up to 15 years he was brought up in the village, developing independently, with the help of the books of the family library. His interest in geography in his childhood was aroused by a game with the names of countries, continents, rivers, cities. Very attracted his plant world. A rich collection of books on gardening helped him independently understand the systematics of plants, of which there was a lot of home greenhouse. He invented his names to them and tried to learn as much as possible, making excursions outside the estate and the nearest forest. 
His first educational institution was the school of Guards Sub-ensigns and Junkers, after which he entered as a volunteer at St. Petersburg University in the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics in the Department of Natural Sciences 
Having completed his studies at the university in 1848, Semenov decided to study science. In 1853, he began to lecture on geography and geology at the University of Berlin. Here he had the idea of the Tien Shan study, suggested by A. Humboldt. 
For two years, Semenov visited Altai, Tarbagatay, Semirechensky and Zailiysky Alatau, Issyk-Kul Lake, the first European traveler to penetrate Tien Shan and the first to visit the highest mountain group of Khan-Tengri. At that time he collected rich collections on the country's natural history and geology. And in 1906, the prefix Tian-Shansky was made for his services in the discovery and first study of the mountainous country Tian-Shan.

From 1873 to 1914, Semenov was vice-president of the Russian Geographical Society, making a huge contribution to the organization of scientific expeditions of Przhevalsky, Potanin, Kozlov, Roborovsky, Velikhanov, Mushketov, Obruchev. From his pen came capital works on geography, he collected a unique collection of insects (about 700 thousand copies), as well as a rich collection of paintings by Dutch artists, who later transferred to the Hermitage. 
In 1897, Semenov organized the First General Census of the Russian Population. He completed his journey by a world famous scientist. More than 60 academies of Europe and Russia elected Semenov-Tien-Shansky as their honorary member.

The merits of Semenov are marked by the orders of St. Andrew the First-Called, St. Vladimir of the 1, 2, 3 and 4 degrees, St. Alexander of Nevsky, the White Eagle, St. Anna of the 1 degree,  St.Stanislav 1 degree, Crown of Bukhara, Diamond signs to the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and numerous medals. 
He died of accidental pneumonia in Petersburg, buried in the Smolensk Orthodox cemetery. 
Glacier in the west of the Bolshevik island of the Northern Land archipelago. Named in the 1950s by polar geologists.

Mountain on the island of Edge, Svalbard. Coordinates 78° 06.5'N    22° 33'E.

Bay in Chekina Bay on the east coast of the northern island of New Earth. Named in 1902 by A.A. Borisov. 
Strait in Middendorf Bay on the coast of Khariton Laptev on Taimyr. Named by the Russian Polar Expedition of E.V. Toll in 1900.