Iazykov, Petr Mikhailovich

Iazykov, Petr Mikhailovich

 

Born June 26 (July 7), 1798, in Simbirsk, now Ul’ianovsk; died June 17 (29), 1851, in the village of Undory, in what is now Ul’ianovsk Oblast. Russian geologist. Brother of N. M. Iazykov.

Iazykov graduated from the Cadet Mining Corps in St. Petersburg in 1820. He conducted geological exploration in the eastern and central parts of European Russia. He was one of the first Russian geologists to apply the paleontological method in stratigraphy; he developed a system of differentiating chalk deposits in the Volga Region. He acquired a unique collection of fossils, which after his death was turned over to the museum of the Institute of Mines. Iazykov is also noted for his collection of ancient manuscripts, songs, and fairy tales.