As a young researcher, Korzhinsky studied the flora of the
Volga Delta and the arid Astrakhan steppes. He graduated from
Kazan University in 1885 and served as a professor at
Tomsk University from its inception in 1888 to 1892. He became the first director of the
Siberian Botanical Garden, established at Tomsk University. He conducted several scientific expeditions in the
Baraba and
Kulunda steppes, and visited
Lake Balkhash in 1890. In 1892, he met the future
Nicholas II of Russia (who was returning to the capital from
Japan through Tomsk) and impressed him so much that Nicholas lobbied for him to be elected into the Academy of Sciences. Korzhinsky moved to Saint Petersburg to serve as a professor at the
Bestuzhev Courses. He was appointed chief botanist of the
Saint Petersburg Botanical Garden (1892) and director of the Botanical Museum (1893). A pioneer of
phytocoenology, Korzhinsky developed the theory of forest encroachment on
steppes and advanced the geographic-morphological method in
plant systematics, alongside a method of historical flora analysis. He introduced the concept of "
race" in plant taxonomy and initiated the publication of the
Herbarium of Russian Flora in 1898. In
Crimea, Korzhinsky studied 112
grape varieties, providing not only botanical descriptions but also practical evaluations, which formed the basis for the first
Ampelography of Crimea (with an atlas of illustrations), published posthumously in 1909. His son,
Dmitry Korzhinsky (1899–1985), became a prominent geologist, academician, and
Lenin Prize laureate. == References ==