Olga Fedchenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Olga Fedchenko
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Ol'ga Aleksandrovna Armfeld
30 October 1845 Moscow, Moskovsky Uyezd, Moscow Governorate, Russian Empire
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| Died | 24 April 1921 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Other names | Olga Fedtschenko |
| Education | University of Moscow |
| Spouse(s) | Alexei Pavlovich Fedchenko |
| Children | 1 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | O.Fedtsch. |
Olga Aleksandrovna Fedchenko (born Armfeld; 1845–1921) was an important Russian botanist. She studied plants and helped explore new regions. A type of rose, called Rosa fedtschenkoana, was named after her. This special rose is found in Asia.
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Early Life and Learning
Olga Armfeld was born in Moscow in 1845. Her father, Alexandre Armfeldt, was a professor at the University of Moscow. Olga was taught at home until she was eleven years old. After that, she went to school. She quickly became very interested in botany, which is the study of plants.
Around 1861, Olga started collecting plants. She used her skills in art and languages to help with her studies. She translated scientific descriptions from English, French, and German naturalists. She also drew illustrations and talked with scientists from other countries. She even visited the University's Zoological Museum. Olga worked on these projects for several years. Later, she met a geologist named Alexei Pavlovich Fedchenko.
Exploring Turkestan with Her Husband
Olga married Alexei Fedchenko on July 2, 1867. He had just finished his geology studies at Moscow University. They worked together on many projects. In 1868, Alexei was asked to go on a difficult trip to Russian Turkestan. This area had recently become part of the Russian Empire. Olga joined him as a full member of the team, even though she was not paid.
The trip was risky because Turkestan was still changing. The first Governor-General of Turkestan, Konstantin von Kaufman, had asked Alexei to explore this new region. Kaufman was a military leader who was still expanding the Russian Empire's borders. He wanted to learn more about this "new and barely explored region." The team included the Fedchenkos, the war artist Vasily Vereshchagin, and later, the teacher Nikolai Ostroumov.
Before going to Turkestan, the Fedchenkos traveled to Italy, France, and Sweden. They studied plant collections there. Olga also visited Russian museums on her own. During all these travels, she took notes and gathered items for their research.
Discovering New Plants
Olga and Alexei went on many plant-finding trips together. They explored places like the Caucasus, Crimea, Kyrgyzstan, and the Pamir mountains. Between 1868 and 1872, they made three big expeditions. Governor-General Kaufman wanted their discoveries to be shared widely. Their scientific findings were published in the local newspaper. Kaufman also planned to show their Turkestan research and items at the 1872 Moscow All-Russian Technical Exhibition.
In 1872, Olga gave birth to their son, Boris Fedtschenko. Sadly, Alexei died in 1873 at age 29. He had a climbing accident on Mont Blanc while studying glaciers. Olga buried her husband and then returned to Moscow.
Continuing Her Work as a Naturalist
After Alexei's death, Olga was asked to finish publishing their research. This was a huge job because she had collected over 1,500 plant samples. She organized all their collections. Then, she continued her own plant explorations.
In 1878, a botanist named Eduard August von Regel named the rose Rosa fedtschenkoana after her. Olga's son, Boris, also became interested in botany. Together, Olga and Boris described 43 types of buttercup plants found only in Russian Turkestan. They published their findings in the Memoirs of the Kazan Society of Naturalists.
In 1901, Olga and Boris visited the Pamir mountains together. When they returned, they published a book called Flora of the Pamirs. Later, in 1913, they published another book together, Conspectus Florae Turkestanicae. Olga also wrote for Gardeners' Chronicle in 1905, describing a plant called Eremurus turkestanicus. She published other works, including one about Draba korshinskyi in 1914.
Olga described three types of Juno irises: Iris baldshuanica, Iris degerensis, and Iris narynensis. In 1906, she became the second woman to be a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. She also named a plant called Fritillaria seravschanica, but she never officially published the name. Later, another botanist, Alexei Vvedensky, formally described it as Fritillaria olgae in her son Boris's book, Flora Turkmenistan.
Later Years and Legacy
Olga Fedchenko passed away on April 24, 1921, at the age of 75. She died in Petrograd, which is now called Saint Petersburg.
In 1922, a botanist named Modest Mikhaĭlovich Iljin named a group of plants from Central Asia Olgaea in her honor. This was a way to remember her important contributions to botany.
See also
In Spanish: Olga Fédchenko para niños
