Jan Czerski… Ivan Chersky… – I have heard this name for the first time in one of the radio programs when I was a kid and was reading, often a couple times in a row, books like Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, and Dick Sand, A Captain at Fifteen. At that time I searched in libraries for a book about the explorer of Siberia and Northland Chersky, but, unfortunately, none of them had anything like that.
Only now, when I got to the city of Chersky [a small settlement in Yakutia. – Ed.], I was able to find a lot of different books about restless researcher of this northern land and finally catch up with what I couldn’t do in my childhood.
In one of the encyclopedias I read the following: “Ivan Chersky is an outstanding Russian geologist, geographer, and paleontologist, the greatest explorer of Siberia in the last third of the 19th century. He wrote monographs on geology and geography of Baikal region, Sayan, and Yakutia. For outstanding research Chersky was awarded a silver and golden medal of the Russian Geography Society.”
It all began when in 1890 the Russian Academy of Sciences organized a long-term geological expedition to the territory of north-eastern Yakutia led by Chersky. The unique scientific data he collected provided a new perspective on the vast areas of north-eastern Siberia: Verkhoyansk-Kolyma mountain range with its geographical and geological peculiarities and natural resources. For this and other research mountain system in Yakutia and Magadan region and mountain range in Transbaikalia were called his name.
However, his real name was not Ivan, as it was written in the Soviet and current Russian encyclopedias and reference books, but Jan. Czerski, a Pole by nationality, took part in the Polish uprising in 1863 through 1864 against Russian autocracy and was arrested, condemned and sent to lifelong exile in Siberia for soldier’s service. That’s where Czerski (former student of Vilnius Nobel Institute) began his scientific research after in 1869 due to his illness he was released from military service.
But let’s get back to the last research expedition to the territory of Yakutia led by Czerski. His wife Mavra and twelve year old son Alexander also took part in that expedition.
After a very difficult and dangerous riding transitions from Yakutsk through Yana River basin to the settlement of Oimiakon (on the bank of Indigirka) and then up to the village of Verkhnekolymsk the expedition led by Czerski made such geological and geographical discoveries that will later have the global value. After his research trip to the vast north-eastern territory of Yakutia another “white spot” disappeared from the map of the planet Earth.
While wintering in Verkhnekolymsk Czerki worked on the collected research material and wrote a detailed report to the Russian Academy of Sciences adding detailed maps with river and mountain systems marked on them. They had hard preparations for the next phase of long-term expedition – drift on karbasses down the Kolyma River to the coast of the Arctic Ocean.
But these plans were frustrated by a grave illness – tuberculosis or lung cancer. The scientist found it increasingly difficult to get out of bed in the morning. “It is very good that discouragement has nothing to do with me!” he noted during this period.
But the disease was unstoppable. Czerski then wrote: “In the case of my death, wherever I meet it, an expedition headed by Mavra Czerski must reach Nizhnekolymsk this summer at any cost, doing primarily zoological and botanical collections and solving the geological problems that are accessible to my wife. Otherwise, i.e., if the 1892 expedition were to fall through due to my illness, the academy would incur great financial losses and its scientific output would be seriously damaged. The entire burden of the failure would then rest on me or, more exactly, on my name which has never been stained by anything. Only after the expedition has returned to Srednekolymsk, it should be considered completed. Only then should the remainder of its budget and accoutrements be turned in.”
Late in winter, Czerski’s condition sharply deteriorated. He wrote in his diary: “In the best of conditions I hope to last for another three weeks but hardly much longer.”
After ice started drifting on the Kolyma River, the severely ill Czerski was moved from the house to a karbass on May 31, 1892, and the rapid waters took the boats down the river to the Arctic Ocean.
Czerski was worse with each passing day. “I am not scared of death,” he said with irony in his voice to his fellow travelers referring to the dramatic situation. “I can only rejoice that I am dying in these lands – after many-many years some geologist may find my corpse and send it to a museum for some reason and thus will immortalize me…”
A while later, Czerski could no longer rise to his feet, but he ordered his wife to continue the expedition anyway: “I issued an instruction to have myself dragged ahead even at the moment when I am departing.”
This line is the quintessence of the character of this exceedingly persistent researcher of our planet.
After June 20, 1892, Czerski could no longer keep his diary and gave it to his wife.
June 24. Among scientific notes in the diary stands just one line filled with despair: “I am afraid – will my husband live to see tomorrow’s day? My goodness, what will happen next?”
June 25, morning. The diary entry reads: “My husband could not sleep the entire night for strong spasms.”
The death throes began that same day. Exhausted by a sleepless night, Czerski was trying to eat and then find sleep. But even this last hope died. He said quietly: “No, nothing is working anymore. My time has come today, it appears.”
The powerful Kolyma carried them further downstream to the Arctic Ocean, and his wife meticulously noted the descriptions of its banks in the diary.
In this way, piece by piece, in small strokes and small steps, scientists studied the colossal surface of our planet, exhibiting conscientiousness, persistence and commitment, taking risks and even putting their lives on the line.
The day of June 25, 1892, was the last one in the life of Jan Czerski.
His wife noted in the diary: “We made a stop due to strong waves on the river […] My husband’s body was placed in an empty boat and covered with bark. It’s raining…”
The wooden boat became the casket for the courageous explorer.
The expedition was halted for days by strong rain and wind, while on the third day after Czerski’s death karbasses took course on the Kolyma settlement and there, in what is now Yakutia, the outstanding explorer of Siberia was buried.
Mikhail Zagoskin, one of the leaders of the Russian Geographical Society, wrote about Czerski: “His entire life was perennial labor and altruistic labor at that.” What a pithy description!
During my trip to Yakutia, I was fortunate to reach from a town named after him, Chersky, to the Kolymskoye settlement where he found his rest. His grave is located near the school in the center: a silvery obelisk topped with a metal globe with meridians and parallels. The inscription reads: “To an outstanding explorer of Kolyma, Indigirka and Yana, geologist and geographer Ivan Chersky (1845-92).”
On the other side of the obelisk is a bronze plaque with an eagle and Polish text: “Jan Czerski.”
The side of the obelisk that bathes in spring sunrays is warm, while the other side is in the shadow and cold as ice.
