Radde Gustav

Radde Gustav (1831-1903), Russian naturalist and ethnographer of German origin. Corresponding Member of the Petersburg Academy of Science. He was born in Danzig (presentday Gdansk, Poland). As of 1852 he lived in Russia. In 1863 he arrived in Tbilisi, where he lived till the end of his life. Initially he served in Georgia as an employee of an observatory. Starting from1864, by order of Russian Viceroy, he initiated exploration of the Caucasus. He conducted botanical and zoological explorations throughout all parts of the South Caucasus, as well as the regions of the North Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. In 1867 the Museum of the Caucasus was re-inaugurated (the museum was set up in 1852 in Tbilisi on the initiative of writer V. Sologub; the museum was closed down in 1864). It was the first ethnographic museum in the Russian Empire. Till his death G. Radde headed the said museum, which served as a breeding ground of science and culture in Georgia as well as in the South Caucasus. G. Radde played an important role in turning Tbilisi into the scientific center of the Caucasus. He rendered an invaluable service to the field of physical-geographic discoveries of the Caucasus.

G. Radde died in Tbilisi.