Alexander von Middendorff belongs to the record of exploration as a figure whose journeys changed what was known.
The record lists Alexander von Middendorff as Baltic German explorer and scientist (1815-1894).
Alexander von Middendorff was born at Saint Petersburg in 1815. His recorded nationality is Russian Empire.
Enlightenment expeditions carried naturalists and instruments; the Pacific was charted with chronometers and the intention of measuring, not merely claiming.
He is recorded as explorer, zoologist and ornithologist.
Exploration was always as much logistics as courage, and the logistics are what decided outcomes.
Recognition followed: Patron’s Medal, Order of Saint Anna, 1st class, Order of Saint Anna, 2nd class and Order of Saint Stanislaus, 1st class.
Alexander von Middendorff died in 1894, aged 79. The routes and charts outlived the journey, which is how exploration is actually measured.
Achievements
- Patron’s Medal
- Order of Saint Anna, 1st class
- Order of Saint Anna, 2nd class
- Order of Saint Stanislaus, 1st class
- Recorded as explorer, zoologist and ornithologist


