Mem. S.A.It. Vol. 82, 248c© SAIt 2011 Memorie della

Some remarks on preparations for GiovanniVirginio Schiaparelli’s journey to Russia

V. K. Abalakin

Pulkovo Observatory, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, e-mail: victor.abalakin@gmail.com

Abstract. The present paper deals with the outline of some circumstances of the visit ofGiovanni Virginio Schiaparelli to the Nicolai Central Astronomical Observatory at Pulkovo,Russia. There are some scan-copies of official letters displayed which belong to the collec-tion from the diplomatic correspondence between the Imperial Academy of Sciences ofRussia, and the Diplomatic Service of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The correspondence hadbeen triggered by the application of Schiaparelli for his trip to the Pulkovo Observatorywith the aim of perfection in Astronomy and Geodesy. The corresponding facsimile as wellas its English translation is given

1. Introduction

Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli (Fig. 1), theyoung Italian engineer who was strongly in-terested in Astronomy, after having spenttwo years at the Berliner Sternwarte withProfessor Wilhelm Julius Foerster (outstand-ing German astronomer, assistent astronomerat the Observatory in Berlin since 1855,he directed it from 1865 to 1904) had ex-pressed his desire to go to the Nicolai CentralAstronomical Observatory at Pulkovo nearSaint-Petersburg, Russia, for perfecting his as-tronomical and geodetical knowledges (fig. 2).

His personal petition had been given aproper consideration by Professor FrancescoCarlini, director of the “Osservatorio di Brera”in 1832 – 1862, who supported Schiaparelli’sapplication to the Royal Government ofSardinia for this trip.

In January 1859 Mr. Oldoini, the charged’affaires of the King of Sardinia, had sentvia Count Dimitry Tolstoyi, a Russian states-man, the corresponding diplomatic note to the

Ministry for the People’s Education of theRussian Empire, containing the request to con-sider that petition. After some consultationsby correspondence with Russian high-rank of-ficials, and with Academician Otto Struve1

vice-director of Pulkovo Observatory, as well,the visit of Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli toPulkovo had been approved.

2. Preparation for Schiaparelli’sjourney to Russia

In the following the English translations ofsome relevant official letters (one original isgiven in Fig 3) are given for a better insight

1 Otto von Struve (1819 – 1904) was the famousRussian astronomer, son of Wilhelm von Struve.In 1858 he had been appointed vice-director ofPulkovo Observatory, and in 1862 – 1889 he wasthe director of the Observatory. It was Otto v.Struve who, together with Giovanni Schiaparelli,had edited the observations of double stars made byErcole Dembowski at Gallarate, and published bythe Accademia dei Lincei in 1883 – 1884.

Abalakin: Journey to Russia 249

Fig. 1. Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli in 1880, painted by Maestro G. Landriani, at the requestof Schiaparelli himself and Otto Struve. The portait hangs in the Round Hall of the PulkovoObservatory along with many other outstanding astronomers.

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Fig. 2. The Pulkovo Observatory at the time of Schiaparelli’s visit

into the circumstances of the preparation ofSchiaparelli’s visit to the Pulkovo Observatory,and the “mechanics” of the paper-work in theofficial Russia of that time, as well. As it is seenfrom the letter by Otto Struve, the very factthat some western scientists wished to visit thePulkovo Observatory, having deserved by thattime the fame of the “Astronomical Metropoleof the World” as expressed by the Americanastronomer Benjamin Gould, had justified theendeavours of Academician Wilhelm Struve2

directed towards the founding a new astro-nomical observatory which became the NicolaiCentral Astronomical Observatory of Russia.

Otto Struve had written as follows: “Thedesire of the Government of Sardinia tosend the Piemont engineer Schiaparelli to theNicolai Central Observatory for perfectinghimself in the Practical Astronomy serves asa new evidence that our endeavours on thelearned field have not been left without somerecognition in foreign countries, too. This de-

2 Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (1793– 1864) was the famous Russian astronomer,who in 1839 had founded the Nicolai CentralAstronomical Observatory in Pulkovo near Saint-Petersburg, Russia

sire, therefore, may be accepted from our partwith just the feeling of pleasure, and thus theNicolai Central Observatory, relying upon theconsent of His Excellency Mr. President of theImperial Academy of Sciences, will not refuse,to be sure, to the young Sardinian scientist inassisting him, as far as it would depend onits own powers, in achievement of his goalthrough guidance in theoretical and practicalstudies of the subject, through provision forhis participation in the Observatory’s researchwork, and for all learned appliances, being atits disposal, and by assigning him the livingquarters in the Observatory’s building as well,the way it has already been done repeatably forother scientists, having been sent here by theirgovernments.”3

Strangely enough, no traces of recordsconcerning the sojourn and work of GiovanniVirginio Schiaparelli at the PulkovoObservatory could be found among thearchive documents in Saint-Petersburg.

3 The documents are kept at the Saint-Petersburgbranch of the Archives of the Russian Academy ofSciences, as Stock 2, Inventory 1 – 1859, No. 25.

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Fig. 3. Letter addressed by E. Kovalevsky to Count Dimitry Nykolayevich Bludov

As the Russian astronomer Vsevolod V.Stratonov4 has recollected in his still un-published manuscript “On waves of Life”,Giovanni Schiaparelli had lived in one of theObservatory’s guest rooms called the “cuck-oos” situated directly under the western domeof the Observatory; here he had jockingly writ-ten with ink onto the wooden window-sillpainted white an inscription in German, sayingsomething like“here dwelled a modest young man who hasfought temptations of this world and not beenrecognized as a compatriot of Calliostro, oth-erwise he would . . . ”.Since then this room had got the name“Schiaparelli’s room”, and the inscription had

4 Vsevolod V. Stratonov (1869 – 1938) was aRussian astronomer who worked at the PulkovoObservatory as a probationer in 1893 – 1894, hav-ing worked then in Tashkent and Moscow. In 1922,for his political views, Stratonov had been expelledamong other Russian scientists by the Soviet gov-ernment to Berlin, Germany, and in 1924 came toPrague, then Republic of Czecho-Slovakia.

been preserved for several decades: even dur-ing the repeated time and again renewals it hadnever been painted over. Regretfully, Stratonovcouldn’t decipher the inscription, faded andpartly deteriorated by then, and later this in-teresting live evidence had gone by the totaldestruction of the Observatory in 1941, duringthe siege of Leningrad.

It is also in the book “Three Cities inRussia” written by Charles Piazzi Smyth, theAstronomer Royal for Scotland, that one finds,in Volume I, page 81, the description of themultinational “foreigner” community in thePulkovo Observatory, and among it GiovanniSchiaparelli as “the young Sardinian savant. . . ” is mentioned.

Acknowledgements. It is my pleasant duty to ex-press my cordial gratitude to people who havehelped me compose this article, and among them,in the first line, to Dr. Irina V. Tunkina, director ofthe Saint-Petersburg branch of the Archives of theRussian Academy of Sciences, to Mrs. Nathalie S.Prokhorenko, Mrs. Elena N. Grouzdeva, and Mrs.Irina M. Shchedrova, collaborators of the Saint-Petersburg branch of the Archives of the Russian

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Academy of Sciences, for their assistance in thesearch of the documentary historic sources, and toDr. Vitaly B. Kaptsyug for his valuable advices.

Translation of the original lettersLetterhead:MINISTRYOF PEOPLE’S EDUCATIONDEPARTMENTSection 1Table 1.1859 February 18No. 1278

Gracious MonseigneurCount Dimitry Nikolayevich.

Mr. Adjoint Minister of Foreign Affairshas given me the notice that an EngineerSchiaparelli, born in Piemont, who graduatedfrom the University of Torino in MathematicalSciences is contemplating to arrive on thecoming Spring in Russia for perfecting him-self in Astronomy through studies at theNicolai Observatory, and that the Governmentof Sardinia is interceding for rendering thisyoung scientist the protection and assistanceto the successful achievement of the goal of hisjourney.

Informing Your Excellency about theabove-stated and dispatching hereby a copy ofthe note of the Charge d’Affaires of Sardinia onthe present matter, I have the honour of submis-sively requesting you, Gracious Monseigneur,to let me know about the orders which youwould like to make for satisfaction of the inter-cession of the Government of Sardinia for theEngineer Schiaparelli.

Respectfully yours,E. Kovalevsky5

To His ExcellencyCount D. N. Bludov6

5 Eugraph P. Kovalevsky, Jr. (1795 – 1865) wasthe Russian statesman who in 1858 was appointedthe Minister of the People’s Education.

6 Count Dimitrij N. Bludov (1785 – 1864) wasthe Russian statesman, and writer. In 1855 – 1864

Bludov was the President of the Imperial Academyof Sciences of Russia.

No. 2Copie d’une note adressee a Mr le Senateur deTolstoy par Mr le Mquis d’Oldoini, en date deSt Petersbourg, le 24 Janvier/5 Fevrier 1859.

Un jeune ingenieur Piemontais Mr

Schiapparelli, qui a fait des etudes brillantesen mathematiques a l’Universite de Turin, aete designe par le Gouvernement du Roi etpensionne, pour suivre les cours superieursd’astronomie et de geodesie a Berlin, ou ila trouve toutes les facilites pour s’appliquerpendant ces deux dernieres annees aux sci-ences dans lequelles il promet de se distinguer.Son intention serait maintenant de venirce printemps en Russie pour completer sesetudes au celebre et grandiose observatoirede Pulkowa pres de St Petersbourg, et d’apresquelques demarches qu’il aurait faites en voieprivee, Mr Schiapparelli a recu l’assurancequ’il pourra y etre admis pendant quelquetems.

A cette occasion et par suite des ordresrecu de Turin je m’empresse de m’adressera l’obligeance accoutumee de V. E. pourobtenir a ce jeune savant Piemontais un bi-enveillant accueil aupres des autorites Russeset particulierement aupres des hommes, ajuste titre celebres, places a la direction del’Observatoire precite.

Les faveurs accordees en tout tems par leGouvernement Imperial aux savants etrangersvenus dans l’Empire pour s’occuper des sci-ences, me font esperer qu’Il voudra bien ac-cueillir favorablement la recommandation queje suis charge de Lui adresser de la part duGouvernement du Roi, et que Mr Schiapparelliobtiendra par l’entremise de V. E. la protectionet l’appui qu’il desire en cette circonstance.J’ai l’honneur, etc.Pour copie conforme :Le Chef du Section B. Posnansky