Mierzenie imperium: Tomasz Zan między Wilnem a Orenburgiem

Abstract

The geological research in the Ural mountains undertaken by Tomasz Zan on behalf of the Russian governors is a good starting point for examining his career. Polish literary scholars have mostly explored his life from a martyrological perspective. By contrast, the author of this article depicts Zan as a man of both the Enlightment and Romanticism, as the ‘land surveyor’ of the Russian Empire, equipped with both ‘feeling and faith’ as well as with ‘eye and glass’. In Zan’s life and writings, the period’s fascination with the subterrestrial and the celestial became linked with the economic and material aspects. In her discussion, the author points to the key role of Zan’s education at Vilnius University, as it proved to be not only crucial for his personal development but also a prerequisite to his ‘imperial career’. As intellectual elites were of great importance for Russia’s expansive policy, at times even the exiled students and graduates obtained an opportunity to serve in the local administration. Moreover, the author makes reference to the famed wanderer, Alexander von Humboldt, whom Zan met in 1829. Despite different character traits and dissimilar life stories, both explorers had much in common. Above all, they united rationalism and empirism with sensitive imagination, and the compassion for the oppressed with diplomatic talents. Furthermore, both of them cultivated their scientific and literary instincts and passionately believed in friendship. Finally, their interest in new continents and cultures was inspired by the legend of Christopher Columbus – a self‑educated and enduring explorer.