Evgeny Timashev
Evgeny Timashev was a master Soviet mountaineer and expedition leader who pioneered high-altitude climbing in the Pamirs. On August 22, 1953, Timashev led the historic combined expedition that achieved the maiden first ascent of Peak Korzhenevskaya (7,105 metres) via the Northern Ridge.
Mountain Safety & Conditions Disclaimer: High-altitude climbing, glacial travel, and technical ascents entail severe objective risks including avalanches, serac collapses, rapid weather collapse, and altitude illness. Historical route descriptions and summit claims on Mountanity reflect documented archival sources and must not be used as live operational safety assessments. Local regulations, permits, and physical glacial topography change continuously.
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Biographical Record & Archival Chronicle
Evgeny Evgenyevich Timashev (1909–1969) was one of the foremost tacticians of Soviet high-altitude mountaineering during the post-war era. Serving as an instructor and elite leader in the Soviet trade union alpine clubs (VTsSPS), Timashev was renowned for his methodical expedition planning, emphasis on acclimatization, and exceptional alpine discipline.
In 1953, Timashev organized and led a large, highly disciplined expedition targeting Peak Korzhenevskaya, which had repelled multiple earlier reconnaissance attempts. Overcoming treacherous serac falls on the Korzhenevskaya Glacier and scaling the steep ice flanks of the Northern Ridge, Timashev and his team reached the 7,105-metre summit on August 22, 1953, completing the first ascent of one of Central Asia's most majestic 7,000-metre giants.
Notable Milestones & Ascents
- Led the historic first ascent of Peak Korzhenevskaya (7,105 m) on August 22, 1953
- Pioneered the Northern Ridge route unlocking the third-highest summit in the Pamirs
- Trained an entire generation of Soviet high-altitude mountaineers and rescue instructors
- Organized pioneering exploratory ascents across the Peter the First and Academy of Sciences ranges
Key Statistics & Topographic Figures
- Lifespan
- 1909 – 1969
- Nationality
- Soviet
- Greatest Summit
- First Ascent of Peak Korzhenevskaya (7,105 m) on August 22, 1953
- Role
- Master of Soviet Alpinism, Expedition Leader
Archival Primary Source Quotations
“Every summit won in the high Pamir is a tribute to comradeship, perseverance, and iron alpine will.”
Defined Alpine Terminology & Concepts
- VTsSPS
- All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, which organized and funded premier Soviet mountaineering expeditions and climbing camps.
Frequently Asked Questions: Evgeny Timashev
What is Evgeny Timashev famous for in mountaineering history?
Evgeny Timashev led the historic 1953 Soviet expedition that achieved the maiden first ascent of Peak Korzhenevskaya (7,105 m).
Which route did Evgeny Timashev pioneer on Peak Korzhenevskaya?
Timashev pioneered the Northern Ridge route from the Moskvina Glacier basin, conquering the peak on August 22, 1953.
Associated Summits (2)
Ismoil Somoni Peak / Peak Communism
Ismoil Somoni Peak (formerly Peak Communism and Peak Stalin) is the highest mountain in Tajikistan, the supreme apex of the Pamir Mountains, and was the highest summit in the entire Soviet Union at 7,495 metres (24,590 ft). Rising dramatically above the Fortambek and Walter glaciers in the Academy of Sciences Range, the mountain features colossal vertical relief, massive avalanche chutes, and the sprawling Pamir Plateau of Pravda perched at over 6,000 metres. Conquered in a legendary solo ascent in 1933 by Evgeny Abalakov, it remains the crowning challenge of the Snow Leopard award.
Peak Korzhenevskaya
Peak Korzhenevskaya is the third-highest summit in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan at 7,105 metres (23,310 ft) and one of the five coveted Snow Leopard peaks. Discovered in August 1910 by Russian geographer Nikolai Korzhenevsky and named in honour of his courageous wife and travel companion Evgenia Korzhenevskaya, the peak stands prominently just 13 kilometres north of Ismoil Somoni Peak across the Moskvina Glade base camp. First conquered in 1953 by Evgeny Timashev's team, its standard Tsetlin Ridge offers sustained alpine climbing over hanging glaciers.
Pioneered & Associated Routes (2)
Ismoil Somoni Borodkin Pillar & Pamir Plateau Route
The Borodkin Pillar is the classic and most aesthetically renowned route up Ismoil Somoni Peak (7,495 m). Initiated from Moskvina Base Camp across the Walter Glacier, the route scales the steep rocky and mixed Borodkin Pillar to gain the immense Pamir Plateau of Pravda at 6,000 metres, traverses under Peak Dushanbe (6,950 m), and pushes up the final exposed summit crest to 7,495 metres.
Peak Korzhenevskaya Tsetlin Ridge & South Face
The Tsetlin Ridge is the standard and most secure route to the summit of Peak Korzhenevskaya (7,105 m). Beginning at the Moskvina Base Camp (4,200 m), climbers ascend the moraines of the Moskvina Glacier, climb fixed ropes along the rocky Tsetlin Ridge to high camps at 5,800 m and 6,400 m, and negotiate steep snow gullies to reach the sharp summit ridge at 7,105 metres.
Documented Expeditions (2)
1953 Evgeny Timashev Expedition: First Ascent of Peak Korzhenevskaya
On August 22, 1953, Master of Soviet Alpinism Evgeny Timashev led an eight-man team to the maiden first ascent of Peak Korzhenevskaya (7,105 m) in the Pamir Mountains, completing the conquest of the range's great 7,000-metre triumvirate.
1968 Valentin Borodkin Expedition: Opening the Borodkin Pillar on Peak Communism
In August 1968, Soviet climber Valentin Borodkin pioneered the legendary Borodkin Pillar route up the North Face of Ismoil Somoni Peak (7,495 m), unlocking direct access to the Pamir Plateau of Pravda and establishing the modern standard route.
Associated Chronicles & Stories (2)
The Conquest of Korzhenevskaya: Evgeny Timashev's Masterclass, 1953
For forty-three years following Nikolai Korzhenevsky's 1910 discovery, Peak Korzhenevskaya (7,105 m) stood unvanquished. Multiple exploratory teams were repulse...
Scaling the Borodkin Pillar: The Route that Unlocked the Pamir Plateau, 1968
The colossal North Face of Ismoil Somoni Peak rises over 3,000 vertical metres above the Walter Glacier, guarded by the immense, sub-polar snow plateau known as...
Documented Sources & Archival Citations
- Conquered Summits 1953(Geografgiz, Moscow / Soviet Mountaineering Federation)
Supporting claim: Primary official chronicle of the 1953 first ascent of Peak Korzhenevskaya
Accessed/Documented: 1954