First Tibetan Expedition.

So here we have the Russian ruble, nominal - 3. The year of issue of this coin is 1999, Mint: Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Total circulation – 15.000. The coin is dedicated to the first Tibetan expedition of 1879-1880.

In March 1879, M. Przhewalsky began a journey called "The First Tibetan". From Zaysan, with a force of 13 men, he marched southeast, past Lake Ulungur and along the Urungu River to the upper reaches, and across the Haliyskiy Oasis he crossed the Dzungarian Gobi into the Sa-Zheu Oasis.

After crossing the Nan-Shan Mountains, he entered Tibet from the Mur-Sur Valley. The Tibetan government was unwilling to allow Przhewalsky into Lhasa, and the local population was so agitated that it passed the Tan-La Pass and, being only 250 versts from Lhasa, was forced to return to Urga (Ulan Bator).

During this journey he traveled about eight thousand kilometers and surveyed more than four thousand kilometers of the route through the regions of Central Asia. He first explored the upper course of the Yellow River for more than 250 kilometers. Discovered the ridges of Semenov and Ugutu-Ula. His assistant, Roborovskiy, collected a huge botanical collection: about 12,000 specimens of plants - 1,500 species.