 Johann Jacob Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot. Portrait byAlexander Julius Klünder (1827) |
Johann Jacob Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot (14 October 1791 – 15 January [O.S. 3 January] 1841)[1] was aBaltic Germannaturalist, explorer, and mountaineer, who lived and worked inTartu,Estonia in what was then theGovernorate of Livonia of theRussian Empire.[2] A pioneer of Russian and Estonian scientific mountaineering, Parrot is best known for leading the first expedition to the summit ofMount Ararat in recorded history.[3][4][5]
Born inKarlsruhe, in theMargraviate of Baden, Parrot was the son ofGeorg Friedrich Parrot, the first rector of theUniversity of Tartu) and a close friend ofTsarAlexander I.[6] He studied medicine and natural science at Dorpat and, in 1811, undertook an expedition to theCrimea and theCaucasus withMoritz von Engelhardt. There he used abarometer to measure the difference in sea level between theCaspian Sea andBlack Sea. On his return he was appointed assistant doctor and, in 1815, surgeon in theImperial Russian Army. In 1816 and 1817, he visited theAlps andPyrenees. In 1821, he was professor of physiology and pathology, then in 1826 professor of physics at the University of Dorpat.[7]
After theRusso-Persian War of 1826–28, Mount Ararat came under Russian control by the terms of theTreaty of Turkmenchay. Parrot felt that the conditions were now right to reach the peak of the mountain.[8] With a team of science and medical students, Parrot left Dorpat in April 1829 and traveled south toRussian Transcaucasia andArmenia to climb Ararat. The project received full approval from TsarNicholas I, who provided the expedition with a military escort.[9]
On the way toRussian Armenia, Parrot and his team split into two parts. Most of the team traveled toMozdok, while Parrot, Maximilian Behaghel von Adlerskron, and the military escort Schütz traveled to theManych River and theKalmyk Steppe to conduct further research on the levels between the Black and Caspian Seas.[10] The two teams reunited at Mozdok and moved south, first toGeorgia, then to theArmenian Oblast. An outbreak of plague in Russian Armenia and the vicinity of Erivan (Yerevan) delayed the expedition and the team visited the eastern Georgian province ofKakheti until it subsided.[11] They then traveled from Tiflis toEtchmaidzin, where Parrot metKhachatur Abovian, the futureArmenian writer and national public figure. Parrot required a local guide and a translator for the expedition. TheArmenian Catholicos Yeprem I assigned Abovian to these tasks.[12]
Accompanied by Abovian, Parrot and his team crossed theArax River into the district ofSurmali and headed to the Armenian village of Akhuri (modernYenidoğan) situated on the northern slope of Ararat 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level. Following the advice of Harutiun Alamdarian of Tiflis, they set up base camp at theMonastery of St. Hakob some 700 metres (2,300 ft) higher, at an elevation of 1,943 metres (6,375 ft).[13] Parrot and Abovian were among the last travelers to visit Akhuri and the monastery before a disastrous earthquake completely buried both in May 1840.[14] Their first attempt to climb the mountain, using the northeast slope, failed as a result of lack of warm clothing.[14]
Six days later, on the advice of Stepan Khojiants, the village chief of Akhuri, the ascent was attempted from the northwest side. After reaching an elevation of 16,028 feet (4,885 m), they turned back because they did not reach the summit before sundown. Accompanied by Abovian, two Russian soldiers, and two Armenian villagers, Parrot reached the summit on the third attempt at 3:15 p.m. on 9 October 1829.[15] Abovian dug a hole in the ice and erected a wooden cross facing north.[16] He picked up a chunk of ice from the summit and carried it down with him in a bottle, considering the water holy. On 8 November, Parrot and Abovian climbed upLesser Ararat.[17] Parrot was impressed with Abovian's thirst for knowledge and, after the expedition, arranged for a Russian state scholarship for Abovian to study at the University of Dorpat in 1830.[18]
In 1837, Parrot went toTornio in the northern part of theGrand Duchy of Finland to observe oscillations of a pendulum and terrestrial magnetism. He invented agasometer and abaro-thermometer [de]. InLivonia, he popularised theCatalansundial, a small, cylindrical, pocket-sized instrument, approximately 8 cm in length and 1.5 cm in diameter.[citation needed]
Parrot died in Dorpat in January 1841 and was buried atRaadi cemetery. He was survived by his daughter, Anna Magaretha Parrot, who married Conrad Jacob Strauch. Their descendants now reside inAustralia. Today Parrot is regarded as a pioneer of Russian and Estonian mountaineering.[7][4] In Armenia, he is celebrated for his role in the Ararat ascent and for his friendship with Abovian.[19]
| Preceded by | Rector ofUniversity of Dorpat 1830–1834 | Succeeded by |
