On 12 February 1833, Aleksander Czekanowski was born in Krzemieniec in Volhynia. He trained as a geologist but was not given the freedom to pursue his career as he was sent to Siberia at the age of 30 for taking part in the January Uprising.

Sent initially to Zabaikal, he was later transferred to the western shore of Lake Baikal. Despite having to function in an environment that was completely alien to him, he continued to pursue his geological passion. Every day, after hard physical work, he explored the ice-covered Siberian soil. At first, he used equipment he had constructed himself (e.g. a magnifying glass made from a broken decanter) for this purpose; it was only after some time, with the help of Friedrich Schmidt, who was fascinated by his research, that he later obtained the professional equipment and the necessary books and materials.

Through Schmidt’s intercession, Czekanowski obtained an exemption from his assigned work and in 1868 became active in the Siberian Branch of the Russian Geographical Society. Initially, he conducted research in the Irkutsk Governorate; later, together with Benedykt Dybowski and Wiktor Godlewski, he explored Lake Khubsugul in Mongolia. His geological curiosity remained insatiable, so he continued to travel and explore: in Lower Tunguska, for example, he discovered deposits of graphite and coal. The maps he drew up during his work changed previous knowledge of the geological structure of Siberia, and the name of the Polish explorer was commemorated, among other things, in the names of peaks, mountain ranges, and numerous species of flora and fauna.