Alexander von Middendorff and his expedition to Siberia (1842–1845)

Alexander Theodor von Middendorff's name is closely associated with the exploration of Siberia and research on the natural history of the Russian Arctic. Yet it is surprising that, in the extensive literature in Russian and German on the environment of those regions, there are no specific analyses of Middendorff's important contribution to these areas of research. He is barely mentioned in English language studies on the history of exploration and science in Siberia and there are very few accounts of his life and work. The present paper is largely based on a number of newly discovered archival documents and contemporary literary sources and is an attempt to fill this lacuna. In this account, all dates are given according to the new style calendar.