Zuyev Vasily

Zuyev, Vasily [1(12). I. 1754, St. Petersburg – 7(18). I. 1794], Russian natural scientist and explorer. A full member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1787). He graduated from St. Petersburg University and pursued further studies in Leiden and Strasbourg. Upon his return to Russia, he participated in the Siberian expedition. In 1781, he was commissioned by the Academy to organize an expedition to survey the unexplored regions of the Black Sea coast. In 1787, his book Extracts from a Journey from St. Petersburg to Kherson in the Years 1781 and 1782 was published in St. Petersburg, a portion of which is entirely dedicated to Georgia. The author provides numerous significant accounts regarding various regions of Western Georgia, particularly Samegrelo. He describes flora and fauna, ethnic physical type of the Megrelians, their daily life, customs, and economy. Furthermore, he offers some information regarding the slave trade.

Literature: Берулава Г. Г., У истоков русского грузиноведения (XVIII век), Тб., 1983; Райков Б. Е., Академик Василий Зуев, его жизнь и труды, М.–Л., 1955 (ბიბლ.).