Shokal’skii, Iu.M.: The Congo Free State

Title

Svobodnoe gosudarstvo Kongo. Soobshchenie v zasedanii, Sankt-Peterburg 1886

The Congo Free State

Keywords

Summary

Subtitle: Presentation by Iulii M. Shokal’skii at the Joint Meeting of the Mathematical and Physical Geography Departments of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, May 1, 1885. The author begins his report by claiming that a significant event has recently occurred, i.e., the establishment of the Congo Free State in Africa. He then provides a brief overview of the history of geographical discoveries and explorations within the Congo Basin, which date back to the early 19^th century. Notable expeditions along the eastern edge of the Congo River include those led by Captain Burton, David Livingstone, Verney Lovett Cameron, and Henry Stanley. These successful ventures culminated in the founding of the Congo Free State, with Leopold II as its ruler. Subsequently, the author delineates the boundaries and geographic features of the state. Assertions are made regarding religious freedom, and detailed descriptions are provided of the Congo River and its tributaries, as well as of the state’s seaports and cities. A few pages are devoted to the indigenous population, encompassing various African ethnic groups. Cultural nuances and the climate are discussed. Concluding remarks touch upon administrative structures and transportation infrastructure, leading the author to express optimism regarding the state’s future prospects.

Bio

Iulii Shokal’skii was a Russian oceanographer, geographer, and cartographer, an esteemed figure in academia, holding the title of honorary member of the USSR Academy of Sciences since 1939 (corresponding member since 1923). He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1880, and began his career at the Main Geophysical Observatory, later joining the Main Hydrographic Administration in 1907. He took on the presidency of the Russian Geographical Society from 1917 to 1931. His main scientific contributions were to the fields of meteorology, hydrology, and oceanography. He introduced the concept of the “World Ocean” into the scientific community and curated various general geographic maps and atlases. For The Congo Free State he was awarded the golden medal by the Geographical Society (1888).

Sources

A. Gerasimov, Iulii Mikhailovich Shokal’skii i Vsesoiuznoe geograficheskoe obshchestvo, in Pamiati Iuliia Mikhailovicha Shokal’skogo, Moskva-Leningrad 1946, p. 127-135;

Z. Shokal’skaia, Zhiznennyi put’ Iu. M. Shokal’skogo (po dannym semeinogo arkhiva i lichnym vospominaniiam), in Pamiati Iuliia Mikhailovicha Shokal’skogo, Moskva-Leningrad 1946, p. 9-108;

“Shokal’skii, Iulii Mikhailovich”, in Russkie geografy i puteshestvenniki. Fondy arkhiva Geograficheskogo obshchestva, ed. by T. Matveeva et al., Leningrad 1971, p. 139-144;

V. Artemov, “Iu. M. Shokal’skii (1856-1940)”, Geografiia, 2003, 29. Available online: https://geo.1sept.ru/index.php?year=2003&num=29

Bol’shaia russkaia enciclopediia, t. 35, Moskva 2017, p. 75.

Website of the Russian Geographical Society devoted to Iulii Shokal’skii: https://shokalsky.rgo.ru/

M.E.