Since several years Tyumen Research Centre of Siberian branch of Russian Academy of Science (SB RAS) has been working on creation of an extraordinary research and information project named “Way to Siberia”. Its main objective is to reconstruct the first itineraries of Siberia development and to carry out integrated study of its cultural and historical heritage. Collected facts, illustrations and research results are placed on the web site of the project created for popularization of history and cultural of the towns, which played an important role in the process of Siberia development.

Besides cultural and historical significance, the itineraries presented in the project had an important influence on development of natural sciences. The process of development of this severe area merged into the kingdom of permafrost and rich in unique natural resources had served as a source of research studies and discoveries unprecedented by their scale. The history of the Russian Academy of Science is also closely connected with this process. A whole constellation of distinguished Russian and European scientists followed “the way to Siberia” including teams of researchers headed by V. Bering, G.F. Miller and I.G. Gmelin. The investigations carried out in the Urals and in Siberia by Petr Pallas, Alexander von Gumbolt and many other scientists of the XVIII–XIX centuries made an inestimable contribution into development of the Earth science.

Short-terms plans of “Way to Siberia” project development include collection, presentation and integrated study of new data on historical and cultural heritage of the Russian North. Special place is reserved for integration of knowledge on academic branches aimed at the study of relevant natural-science and humanitarian problems of the northern territories.

Vladimir P. Melnikov,
The academician of the Russian Academy of Science