Krasnov, Andrei

Krasnov, Andrei [Краснов, Андрей], b 8 November 1862 in Saint Petersburg, d 1 January 1915 in Tbilisi. Russian botanist and geographer. A graduate of Saint Petersburg University (1885), Krasnov was a professor at Kharkiv University (1889–1911). He organized expeditions to carry out research on the soils and flora of southeastern Ukraine (the Katerynoslav, Kryvyi Rih, and Donetsk regions) and the Caucasus Mountains. He also led many scientific expeditions to Central Asia, the Far East, and the Indian subcontinent. Krasnov’s works were devoted to the problems of natural zones and the origin of soils, forests, and the steppe. He also wrote several textbooks. In 1912 he established the Batumi Botanical Garden in Georgia for the purpose of acclimatizing tropical plants (eg, tea) in the Russian Empire.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 2 (1988).]