6 9 7 ▁and ▁ 1 6 9 8 , ▁he ▁tra ve led ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁European ▁nations , ▁and ▁became ▁ent h used ▁at ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁scientific ▁a cademy ▁in ▁Russia . ▁In ▁ 1 7 2 3 / 2 4 , ▁he ▁drew ▁foreign ▁sch ol ars ▁to ▁St . ▁Petersburg , ▁hoping ▁to ▁rep licate ▁the ▁scientific ▁culture ▁of ▁Europe ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁land ▁and ▁to ▁educ ate ▁native ▁sch ol ars . ▁▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 7 2 5 , ▁the ▁institution ▁was ▁inaugur ated ▁with ▁celebr ations . ▁Young , ▁mostly ▁German - spe aking ▁sch ol ars ▁formed ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁the ▁Academy ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁dec ades . ▁One ▁of ▁their ▁tasks ▁was ▁to ▁organ ize ▁and ▁eventually ▁accomp any ▁scientific ▁exped itions ▁to ▁then - un expl ored ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁During ▁Peter ’ s ▁lifetime , ▁the ▁German ▁doctor ▁Daniel ▁Gott lie b ▁Mess ersch midt ▁( 1 6 8 5 – 1 7 3 5 ) ▁tra ve led ▁from ▁ 1 7 2 0 ▁to ▁ 1 7 2 7 ▁to ▁western ▁and ▁central ▁Si ber ia . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁investigation ▁in ▁ge ography , ▁min eral ogy , ▁bot any , ▁zo ology , ▁eth n ography , ▁and ▁phil ology ▁there , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁an ▁opening - up ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁to ▁trade . ▁Mess ersch midt ' s ▁Ex ped ition ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁in ▁a ▁long