The name’s return. G.A. Fritsche the founder of meteorological stations in Siberia

The article is devoted to an understudied theme of meteorology development in Siberia, primarily to its start-up period, specifically to the Academy of Science and the Beijing Magnetic-Meteorological observatory’s role in foundation of number of meteorological stations. The research is based on archival data from St. Petersburg branch of the Academy of Science’s archive, the Russian State Historical archive, and also on the works of Chinese authors. The article’s methodological base is objectivity concept, systematicity of scientific analysis, complex using of different sources. Weather observations were always of great interest among scientists. By the end of the 19th century in Russia a network of meteorological observatories and stations had been opened. It provided getting constant and adequate data. The territory extension, lack of transport development, adverse environment made this process very difficult. However, thanks to the work of scientists, separate stations were combined into a functioning network. It extended from Helsinki to Beijing, where in 1848 a magnetic-meteorological observatory was built. The Observatory’s last director G.A. Fritsche contributed much to meteorology development in Siberia and the Far East. In 1874 a director of the Main Geophysics observatory in Saint-Petersburg, H. Wild, suggested to the Russian Imperial Academy of sciences a project of foundation of several meteorological stations in Siberia. The project was supported by the Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Education. The realization of the plan was delegated to the Beijing Magnetic-Meteorological observatory’s director - G.A. Fritsche. In the same, 1874, year G.A. Fritsche during his journey from St. Petersburg to Beijing founded several meteorological stations in such cities as: Ishim, Kainsk, Omsk, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk. He chose places for stations and observers, installed and checked instruments, taught the staff. Time synchronization of observations was according to clocks, located on telegraph stations. The staff also had to send regularly reports and synoptic tables of temperature, pressure and humidity to the Main Physical observatory in Saint-Petersburg. All the instruments on new stations were installed according to the director’s new “Instruction”, published in 1869. Due to this instruction there were set new rules of instruments’ location, their maximum isolation from environmental conditions, regularity and constant observation, universal coordinated time of observations (7 a.m., 01 p.m. and 09.p.m.). Thus, G.A. Fritsche’s activity on organization of new meteorological stations in Siberia led to foundation of functional line of stations, which provided taking a quantum leap in professional observations.

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