Invitation of Russian scientists to participate in French expedition to Spitsbergen and Russian Lapland in 1840

The history of the invitation extended to the Russian Academy of Sciences to participate in the French expedition to Spitsbergen and to Russian Lapland in 1840 is analyzed. The main attention of the author is drawn to the history of the Arctic scientific study. Episodic research of the Artic was initiated in the early XVIII century. A need for a deeper, structured, and comprehensive scientific study of these areas was realized by the scientific community at the end of the XIX century. Early in the XIX century France begins to operate the world’s first expedition, which set a goal of the long-term study of the northern regions inclusive of Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, and others. The St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences was invited to participate in this project. This expedition didn’t take place due to financial and organizational problems. Though close research of the preparation process and multiple stages it involved could be very helpful in understanding of the existed international coordination between the Russian Academy of Science and other foreign organizations.