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What condition did the Russian government place on Alexander von Humboldt's expedition to Russia?
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Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt, oil on canvas by Julius Schrader, 1859; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
When Alexander von Humboldt was invited to visit Russia and Siberia in 1829 to advise the government on mining techniques and organization, the Russian authorities placed a specific condition on his expedition. Humboldt was required to pledge that he would refrain from commenting on the political situation of the country, a nation whose despotism he personally abhorred.1