3 February 19190 year
В Khabarovsk The Russian Geographical Society's nearly tragic "jubilee" expedition has concluded. It lasted 19 months. Its participants, led by Staff Captain Vladimir Arsenyev (the author of "Dersu Uzala" and other books) explored the mountainous region Sikhote-Alinh and almost died, left in the taiga without food for almost a month.
All the people fell into some kind of apathy, and it was worse than fatigue, it was complete indifference, complete disregard for their fate.
The expedition set out in 1908. Its objectives were military-geographical, statistical, natural-historical, and colonization—the sites, among other things, were rich in:
One pound of sturgeon sold for 40 rubles, and a pound of black caviar for 320. If the chum salmon run was successful, then the average family of four adults <> not only provided for itself until the next catch, but even put aside a significant amount of money for a rainy day
The territory to be explored was almost unexplored. Anyuy River (a tributary of the Amur) until then Imperial Harbor (later – Soviet). There were no maps of the area – only a river network diagram from 1889, and even that was inaccurate.
One part of the detachment, led by Arsenyev, was heading across the Sikhote-Alin ridge toward the harbor. The other, led by Staff Captain Nikolayev, was heading toward it.
Arsenyev's group's trek across the ridge was a disaster—damp, mosquitoes, steep descents, and ascents. The terrain was deserted. The boats, carved from poplars, sank along with their food and belongings. They starved for 21 days. They ate moss and mushrooms. They even ate Arsenyev's beloved dog, which had become exhausted and could no longer go on.
The weak in spirit began to talk about suicide
Arsenyev's group was rescued by the Orochi aborigines. At first, they mistook the scientists for vagabonds and fled. Then they encountered Nikolayev's group and put them on their trail. Two never recovered from their ordeal, and one became mentally ill.
Overall, the expedition was a success—the report on its completion in 1910 at the Khabarovsk Public Assembly was met with a standing ovation. It was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Amur region's annexation to Russia, and went down in the history of the Russian Geographical Society as a "jubilee" expedition.