Russian navigators, along with European ones, are the most famous pioneers who discovered new continents, sections of mountain ranges and vast water areas.
They became the discoverers of significant geographical objects, took the first steps in the development of hard-to-reach territories, and traveled around the world. So who are they - the conquerors of the seas, and what exactly did the world learn about thanks to them?
Afanasy Nikitin - the very first Russian traveler
Afanasy Nikitin is rightfully considered the first Russian traveler who managed to visit India and Persia (1468-1474, according to other sources 1466-1472). On the way back he visited Somalia, Turkey, Muscat. On the basis of his travels, Athanasius compiled the notes "Journey Beyond the Three Seas", which became popular and unique historical and literary aids. These records became the first book in the history of Russia, made not in the format of a story about a pilgrimage, but describing the political, economic and cultural features of the territories.
Afanasy Nikitin
He was able to prove that even as a member of a poor peasant family, one can become a famous explorer and traveler. Streets, embankments in several Russian cities, a motor ship, a passenger train and an aircraft are named after him.
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Semyon Dezhnev, who founded the Anadyr prison
Cossack chieftain Semyon Dezhnev was an Arctic navigator who became the discoverer of a number of geographical objects. Wherever Semyon Ivanovich served, everywhere he sought to study the new and previously unknown. He was even able to cross the East Siberian Sea on a makeshift koch, going from Indigirka to Alazeya.
In 1643, as part of a detachment of explorers, Semyon Ivanovich discovered Kolyma, where he founded the city of Srednekolymsk with his associates. A year later, Semyon Dezhnev continued his expedition, walked along the Bering Strait (which did not yet have this name) and discovered the easternmost point of the mainland, later named Cape Dezhnev. An island, a peninsula, a bay, a village also bear his name.
Semyon Dezhnev
In 1648, Dezhnev set off again. His ship was wrecked in the waters located in the southern part of the Anadyr River. Having reached on skis, the sailors went up the river and stayed there for the winter. Subsequently, this place appeared on geographical maps and was called the Anadyr prison. As a result of the expedition, the traveler was able to make detailed descriptions, draw up a map of those places.
Vitus Jonassen Bering, who organized expeditions to Kamchatka
Two Kamchatka expeditions inscribed the names of Vitus Bering and his associate Alexei Chirikov in the history of marine discoveries. During the first trip, the navigators conducted research and were able to supplement the geographical atlas with objects located in Northeast Asia and on the Pacific coast of Kamchatka.
The discovery of the Kamchatka and Ozerny peninsulas, the bays of Kamchatsky, Krest, Karaginsky, the Bay of Conduct, the island of St. Lawrence is also the merit of Bering and Chirikov. At the same time, another strait was found and described, which later became known as the Bering Strait.
Vitus Bering
The second expedition was undertaken by them in order to find a way to North America and explore the Pacific Islands. On this journey, Bering and Chirikov founded the Peter and Paul prison. It got its name from the combined names of their ships ("Saint Peter" and "Saint Paul") and subsequently became the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
On the approach to the shores of America, the ships of like-minded people lost sight of each other, heavy fog affected. "Saint Peter", driven by Bering, sailed to the west coast of America, but got into a severe storm on the way back - the ship was thrown onto an island. The last minutes of Vitus Bering's life passed on it, and the island subsequently began to bear his name. Chirikov also reached America on his ship, but successfully completed his voyage, finding several islands of the Aleutian ridge on the way back.
Khariton and Dmitry Laptev and their “named” sea
Cousins Khariton and Dmitry Laptev were like-minded and assistants of Vitus Bering. It was he who appointed Dmitry the commander of the Irkutsk ship, and Khariton led his double-boat Yakutsk. They took part in the Great Northern Expedition, the purpose of which was to study and accurately describe and map the Russian shores of the ocean, from Yugorsky Shar to Kamchatka.
Each of the brothers made a significant contribution to the development of new territories. Dmitry became the first navigator to survey the coast from the mouth of the Lena to the mouth of the Kolyma. He made detailed maps of these places, based on mathematical calculations and astronomical data.
Khariton and Dmitry Laptev
Khariton Laptev and his associates conducted research on the northernmost section of the coast of Siberia. It was he who determined the size and shape of the huge Taimyr Peninsula - he surveyed its eastern coast, and was able to identify the exact coordinates of the coastal islands. The expedition took place in difficult conditions - a large amount of ice, snowstorms, scurvy, ice captivity - the team of Khariton Laptev had to endure a lot. But they continued the work they had begun. On this expedition, Laptev's assistant Chelyuskin discovered the cape, which was later named after him.
Noting the great contribution of the Laptevs to the development of new territories, members of the Russian Geographical Society decided to name one of the largest seas in the Arctic after them. Also, the strait between the mainland and Bolshoi Lyakhovsky Island is named after Dmitry, and the western coast of Taimyr Island bears the name of Khariton.
Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky - the organizers of the first Russian circumnavigation of the world
Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky are the first Russian navigators to circumnavigate the world. Their expedition lasted three years (started in 1803 and ended in 1806). They set off with their teams on two ships, which bore the names "Nadezhda" and "Neva". Travelers passed through the Atlantic Ocean, entered the waters of the Pacific Ocean. On them, sailors sailed to the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka and Sakhalin.
Ivan KruzenshternThis journey allowed us to collect important information. Based on the data obtained by the navigators, a detailed map of the Pacific Ocean was compiled. Another important result of the first Russian round-the-world expedition was the data obtained on the flora and fauna of the Kuriles and Kamchatka, local residents, their customs and cultural traditions.
During their journey, the sailors crossed the equator and, according to maritime traditions, could not leave this event without a well-known ritual - a sailor dressed as Neptune greeted Kruzenshtern and asked why his ship arrived where the Russian flag had never been. To which he received the answer that they are here solely for the glory and development of national science.
Vasily Golovnin - the first navigator who was rescued from Japanese captivity
Russian navigator Vasily Golovnin led two round-the-world expeditions. In 1806, being in the rank of lieutenant, he received a new appointment and became the commander of the sloop "Diana". Interestingly, this is the only case in the history of the Russian fleet when a lieutenant was entrusted with the management of a ship.
The leadership set the goal of the round-the-world expedition to study the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, with special attention to that part of it that is within the native country. The path of "Diana" was not easy. The sloop passed the island of Tristan da Cunha, passed the Cape of Hope and entered the port, which belonged to the British. Here the ship was detained by the authorities. The British informed Golovnin about the outbreak of war between the two countries. The Russian ship was not declared captured, but the crew was not allowed to leave the bay either. After spending more than a year in this position, in mid-May 1809, the Diana, led by Golovnin, tried to escape, which the sailors succeeded in successfully - the ship arrived in Kamchatka.
Vasily Golovin The next important task Golovnin received in 1811 - he had to draw up descriptions of the Shantar and Kuril Islands, the shores of the Tatar Strait. During his journey, he was accused of not adhering to the principles of sakoku and was captured by the Japanese for more than 2 years. It was possible to rescue the crew from captivity only thanks to the good relations of one of the Russian naval officers and an influential Japanese merchant, who was able to convince his government of the harmless intentions of the Russians. It is worth noting that no one in history has ever returned from Japanese captivity before.
In 1817-1819, Vasily Mikhailovich made another round-the-world trip on the Kamchatka ship specially built for this.
Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev - discoverers of Antarctica
Captain of the second rank Thaddeus Bellingshausen was determined to find the truth about the existence of the sixth continent. In 1819, he went to the open sea, having carefully prepared two sloops - Mirny and Vostok. The latter was commanded by his associate Mikhail Lazarev. The first round-the-world Antarctic expedition set itself other tasks. In addition to finding irrefutable facts confirming or refuting the existence of Antarctica, the travelers were going to explore the waters of three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian.
Thaddeus Bellingshausen The results of this expedition exceeded all expectations. During the 751 days that it lasted, Bellingshausen and Lazarev were able to make several significant geographical discoveries. Of course, the most important of them is the existence of Antarctica, this historical event took place on January 28, 1820. Also during the trip, about two dozen islands were found and mapped, sketches were created with views of Antarctica, images of representatives of the Antarctic fauna.
Mikhail Lazarev
Interestingly, attempts to discover Antarctica were made more than once, but none of them were successful. European navigators believed that either it did not exist, or it was located in places that simply could not be reached by sea. But the Russian travelers had enough perseverance and determination, so the names of Bellingshausen and Lazarev are included in the lists of the world's greatest navigators.
Yakov Sannikov
Yakov Sannikov (circa 1780, Ust-Yansk, Russian Empire - after 1811) - Russian merchant from Yakutsk, miner of arctic fox, mammoth tusks and explorer of the New Siberian Islands.
Known as the discoverer of the ghost island "Sannikov Land", which he saw from the New Siberian Islands. He discovered and described the islands of Stolbovoy (1800) and Faddeevsky (1805).
In 1808-1810, he participated in the expedition of the exiled Riga Swede M. M. Gedenstrom. In 1810 he crossed the island of New Siberia, in 1811 he bypassed the island of Faddeevsky.
Sannikov expressed an opinion about the existence to the north of the New Siberian Islands, in particular from Kotelny Island, of a vast land called "Sannikov Land".
After 1811, traces of Yakov Sannikov are lost. Neither further occupation nor the year of death are known. In 1935, pilot Gratsiansky, who was flying in the lower reaches of the Lena River, near Kyusyur discovered a tombstone with the inscription "Yakov Sannikov". The strait is named after him, along which a section of the Northern Sea Route passes today. It was opened in 1773 by the Yakut industrialist Ivan Lyakhov. Initially, the strait was named after the expedition doctor E.V. Tolya V.N. Katina-Yartseva F.A. Mathisen. The current name is given to K.A. Vollosovich on his map, and in 1935 approved by the government of the USSR.
Grigory Shelikhov
Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov (Shelekhov; 1747, Rylsk - July 20, 1795, Irkutsk) - Russian explorer, navigator, industrialist and merchant from the Shelekhov family, from 1775 engaged in the arrangement of commercial merchant shipping between the Kuril and Aleutian island ridges. In 1783-1786 he led an expedition to Russian America, during which the first Russian settlements in North America were founded. He organized several trading and fishing companies, including those in Kamchatka. Grigory Ivanovich explored new lands for the Russian Empire, was the initiator of the Russian-American Company. Founder of the North East Company.
The bay was named after him. Shelikhov Bay (Kamchatka region, Russia) is located between the Asian coast and the base of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Refers to the water area of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Ferdinand Wrangel
Wrangel showed himself from the best side, and he, tested in a difficult circumnavigation, is assigned to lead an expedition to the extreme north-east of Siberia, to the mouths of the Yana and Kolyma, in order to map the coast of the Arctic Ocean up to the Bering Strait, and in addition to test the hypothesis about the existence of an undiscovered land connecting Asia with America.
Wrangel spends three years in ice and tundra with his companions, among whom his main assistant was Fedor Matyushkin, a lyceum comrade A.S. Pushkin.
In between campaigns to the North, under the leadership of Wrangel and Matyushkin, a topographic survey of the vast coast was made, covering 35 degrees in longitude. On the territory of the recently white spot, 115 astronomical points were identified. For the first time, studies of the influence of climate on the existence and development of sea ice were carried out, and the first meteorological station in this region was organized in Nizhnekolymsk. Thanks to the meteorological observations of this station, it was established that in the interfluve of the Yana and Kolyma there is a "pole of cold" of the Northern Hemisphere.
Ferdinand Wrangel described the expedition and its scientific results in detail in a book that was first published in 1839 and was a huge success. The famous Swedish polar explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld called it "one of the masterpieces among the writings on the Arctic".
The expedition in the Chukotka-Kolyma Territory put Wrangel on a par with the largest explorers of the harsh Arctic. Subsequently, becoming one of the founders of the Russian Geographical Society, he thought over the project of an expedition to the North Pole. He proposes to go to the Pole on a ship, which should be wintering off the northern coast of Greenland, to prepare food warehouses along the route of the polar party in the fall, and in March people go exactly in the direction of the meridian on ten sleds with dogs. Interestingly, the plan to reach the pole, drawn up by Robert Peary, who entered the pole 64 years later, repeated the old Wrangel project in the smallest detail. An island in the Arctic Ocean, a mountain and a cape in Alaska are named after Wrangel. Having learned about the sale of Alaska by the Russian government in 1867, Ferdinand Petrovich reacted very negatively to this.
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Italian traveler Marco Polo (1254-1324). In 1271-75 he traveled to China, where he lived approx. 17 years. In 1292-95 he returned to Italy by sea. The “Book” (1298) written from his words is one of the first sources of European knowledge about the countries of Central, East. and Yuzh. Asia.
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This is a period in human history that began in the 15th century and lasted until the 17th century, during which Europeans discovered new lands and sea routes to Africa, America, Asia and Oceania in search of new trading partners and sources of goods that were in great demand in Europe. Historians usually relate the "Great Discoveries" to the pioneering long-distance sea voyages of Portuguese and Spanish travelers in search of alternative trade routes to the "India" for gold, silver and spices.
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He was the first truly known traveler to cross the Atlantic Ocean and sail in the Caribbean. He marked the beginning of the discovery of the mainland of South America. He discovered all the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, etc.), Lesser Antilles and about. Trinidad. In his first expedition, he equipped 3 ships: “Santa Maria”, “Pinta”, “Nina”. In total, Columbus made 4 voyages to America. In honor of Columbus are named: State in South America - Colombia Mount Cristobal Colon in Colombia. District of Columbia in the USA. Columbia River in the USA and Canada. Cities in USA Columbus and Columbia. Streets in Volgograd and Astrakhan, squares in New York and Zelenogad. thin John Vanderline. Landing of Columbus in America.
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Columbus can be called the discoverer of America with reservations. Even in the Middle Ages, the Icelandic Vikings visited North America, but nothing was known about this outside of Scandinavia. It was the expeditions of Columbus that made information about America public domain. The first island from the Bahamas was discovered on October 12, 1492. Map of the four expeditions of Columbus. Queen Isabella of Castile and Columbus Columbus Monument in Bremerhaven, Germany Replica of the Santa Maria ship.
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Florentine traveler. There is an opinion that he received this nickname or named himself in honor of the already named continent. As a navigator, he took part in expeditions to new lands in 1499 using the maps of Columbus, and gave them the name Venezuela - Little Venice, discovered the Amazon delta and also mapped 22 objects. In 1500-1504 he made two more trips from Portugal to the lands of the new continent. From 1505 he served as helmsman in the Spanish service for travels to India. According to legend, Christopher Columbus believed until the end of his days that he had discovered a new route to India. But the opinion soon spread that it was not India that was discovered, but a new continent. One of the first supporters of this version was Amerigo Vespucci, whose name the new part of the world acquired. It is believed that the term “new world” itself could have been proposed in 1503 by the same Vespucci, but this opinion is disputed.
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Participated in equipping the second and third expeditions of Columbus, maintained friendly relations with him. According to the stories of his contemporaries, Amerigo was an exceptionally fair, intelligent and observant person. He had the talent of a writer, quite often exaggerated, talking about the nature and people of new lands, but never talk about the leaders of the expeditions and about your role in these expeditions. In honor of Amerigo Vespucci was named: Three-deck training frigate, launched in February 1931 in Naples. Airport in the Italian city of Florence. Main street in the city of Lima, the capital of Chile. Bridge thrown over the Arno River in the Italian city of Florence. Section of the embankment of the Arno River in Florence. AMERICUS VESPUCHIUS
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Portuguese navigator, known as the first European who made a sea voyage to India. On July 8, 1497, 4 ships left Lisbon: 2 large three-masted ships “San Gabriel” (flagship) and “San Rafael”, a light caravel “Berriu” and a transport ship for transporting supplies. The harness was the best maps and navigational instruments. A Brazilian football club is named after a city in Goa The longest bridge in Europe in Lisbon is named. The Adidas soccer sword model is named after the ship's logbook. Monument to Vasco da Gamma in front of the church in Sines.
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Only 5 years before his death, da Gamma received land holdings and the title of count. Only 2 ships returned after the expedition in September 1499. Nevertheless, from a financial point of view, the expedition was unusually successful - the proceeds of goods brought from India 60 times exceeded the costs of the expedition. Padran - a stone pillar with the image of the royal coat of arms of Portugal and an inscription - was placed as a sign of the transition of the territory under the control of Portugal. Padran at the Cape of Good Hope.
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English naval officer, explorer, cartographer, Fellow of the Royal Society. He led three expeditions to explore the oceans, all were around the world. He explored and mapped the east coast of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. February 14, 1779 was killed by the inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands. After the military operation, some parts of Kuku's body were returned by the natives and buried at sea. 1st expedition - ship "Endeavour" 2nd expedition - 2 ships "Resolution" and "Adventure" 3rd expedition - 2 ships "Resolution" and "Discovery" In honor of Cook named: Strait between the islands of New Zealand. Islands in the Pacific. Mountain on the islands of New Zealand. Cooktown in Australia. Bay off the coast of Alaska. The Apollo 12 spacecraft module was named after Endeavor.
Travel has always attracted people, but before they were not only interesting, but also extremely difficult. The territories were not explored, and, setting off on a journey, everyone became an explorer. Which travelers are the most famous and what exactly did each of them discover?
James Cook
The famous Englishman was one of the best cartographers of the eighteenth century. He was born in the north of England and by the age of thirteen he began to work with his father. But the boy was unable to trade, so he decided to take up navigation. In those days, all the famous travelers of the world went to distant countries on ships. James became interested in maritime affairs and moved up the career ladder so quickly that he was offered to become a captain. He refused and went to the Royal Navy. Already in 1757, the talented Cook began to manage the ship himself. His first achievement was the compilation of the fairway of the river. He discovered the talent of a navigator and cartographer. In the 1760s he explored Newfoundland, which attracted the attention of the Royal Society and the Admiralty. He was assigned to travel across the Pacific Ocean, where he reached the shores of New Zealand. In 1770, he did something that other famous travelers had not achieved before - he discovered a new continent. In 1771, Cook returned to England as the famous pioneer of Australia. His last journey was an expedition in search of a passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Today, even schoolchildren know the sad fate of Cook, who was killed by cannibal natives.
Christopher Columbus
Famous travelers and their discoveries have always had a significant impact on the course of history, but few have been as famous as this man. Columbus became a national hero of Spain, decisively expanding the map of the country. Christopher was born in 1451. The boy quickly achieved success because he was diligent and studied well. Already at the age of 14 he went to sea. In 1479, he met his love and began life in Portugal, but after the tragic death of his wife, he went with his son to Spain. Having received the support of the Spanish king, he went on an expedition, the purpose of which was to find a way to Asia. Three ships sailed from the coast of Spain to the west. In October 1492 they reached the Bahamas. This is how America was discovered. Christopher mistakenly decided to call the locals Indians, believing that he had reached India. His report changed history: two new continents and many islands, discovered by Columbus, became the main travel destination of the colonialists in the next few centuries.
Vasco da Gama
Portugal's most famous traveler was born in Sines on September 29, 1460. From a young age, he worked in the Navy and became famous as a confident and fearless captain. In 1495, King Manuel came to power in Portugal, who dreamed of developing trade with India. For this, a sea route was needed, in search of which Vasco da Gama had to go. There were also more famous sailors and travelers in the country, but for some reason the king chose him. In 1497, four ships sailed south, rounded and sailed to Mozambique. I had to stay there for a month - half of the team had scurvy by that time. After a break, Vasco da Gama reached Calcutta. In India, he established trade relations for three months, and a year later he returned to Portugal, where he became a national hero. The opening of the sea route, which made it possible to get to Calcutta past the east coast of Africa, was his main achievement.
Nikolay Miklukho-Maclay
Famous Russian travelers also made many important discoveries. For example, the same Nikolai Mikhlukho-Maclay, who was born in 1864 in the Novgorod province. He could not graduate from St. Petersburg University, as he was expelled for participating in student demonstrations. To continue his education, Nikolai went to Germany, where he met Haeckel, a naturalist who invited Miklouho-Maclay to his scientific expedition. Thus, the world of wanderings opened up for him. His whole life was devoted to travel and scientific work. Nikolai lived in Sicily, in Australia, studied New Guinea, implementing the project of the Russian Geographical Society, visited Indonesia, the Philippines, the Malay Peninsula and Oceania. In 1886, the naturalist returned to Russia and proposed to the emperor to establish a Russian colony across the ocean. But the project with New Guinea did not receive royal support, and Miklouho-Maclay fell seriously ill and soon died, without completing his work on a travel book.
Ferdinand Magellan
Many famous navigators and travelers lived in the era of the Great Magellan is no exception. In 1480 he was born in Portugal, in the city of Sabrosa. Having gone to serve at court (at that time he was only 12 years old), he learned about the confrontation between his native country and Spain, about traveling to the East Indies and trade routes. So he first became interested in the sea. In 1505, Fernand got on a ship. Seven years after that, he plied the sea, participated in expeditions to India and Africa. In 1513, Magellan went to Morocco, where he was wounded in battle. But this did not curb the craving for travel - he planned an expedition for spices. The king rejected his request, and Magellan went to Spain, where he received all the necessary support. Thus began his world tour. Fernand thought that from the west the route to India might be shorter. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean, reached South America and discovered the strait, which would later be named after him. became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. On it, he reached the Philippines and almost reached the goal - the Moluccas, but died in battle with local tribes, wounded by a poisonous arrow. However, his journey opened up a new ocean for Europe and the realization that the planet is much larger than scientists had previously thought.
Roald Amundsen
The Norwegian was born at the very end of an era in which many famous travelers became famous. Amundsen was the last of the navigators who tried to find undiscovered lands. From childhood, he was distinguished by perseverance and self-confidence, which allowed him to conquer the South Geographic Pole. The beginning of the journey is connected with 1893, when the boy left the university and got a job as a sailor. In 1896 he became a navigator, and the following year he went on his first expedition to Antarctica. The ship was lost in the ice, the crew suffered from scurvy, but Amundsen did not give up. He took command, cured the people, remembering his medical background, and brought the ship back to Europe. After becoming a captain, in 1903 he went in search of the Northwest Passage off Canada. Famous travelers before him had never done anything like this - in two years the team covered the path from the east of the American mainland to its west. Amundsen became known to the whole world. The next expedition was a two-month trip to the South Plus, and the last venture was the search for Nobile, during which he went missing.
David Livingston
Many famous travelers are connected with seafaring. he became a land explorer, namely the African continent. The famous Scot was born in March 1813. At the age of 20, he decided to become a missionary, met Robert Moffett and wished to go to African villages. In 1841, he came to Kuruman, where he taught local people how to farm, served as a doctor, and taught literacy. There he learned the Bechuan language, which helped him in his travels in Africa. Livingston studied in detail the life and customs of the locals, wrote several books about them and went on an expedition in search of the sources of the Nile, in which he fell ill and died of a fever.
Amerigo Vespucci
The most famous travelers in the world were most often from Spain or Portugal. Amerigo Vespucci was born in Italy and became one of the famous Florentines. He received a good education and trained as a financier. From 1490 he worked in Seville, in the Medici trade mission. His life was connected with sea travel, for example, he sponsored the second expedition of Columbus. Christopher inspired him with the idea of trying himself as a traveler, and already in 1499 Vespucci went to Suriname. The purpose of the voyage was to study the coastline. There he opened a settlement called Venezuela - little Venice. In 1500 he returned home with 200 slaves. In 1501 and 1503 Amerigo repeated his travels, acting not only as a navigator, but also as a cartographer. He discovered the bay of Rio de Janeiro, the name of which he gave himself. Since 1505, he served the king of Castile and did not participate in campaigns, only equipped other people's expeditions.
Francis Drake
Many famous travelers and their discoveries have benefited mankind. But among them there are those who left behind a bad memory, since their names were associated with rather cruel events. An English Protestant, who had sailed on a ship from the age of twelve, was no exception. He captured local residents in the Caribbean, selling them into slavery to the Spaniards, attacked ships and fought with Catholics. Perhaps no one could equal Drake in terms of the number of captured foreign ships. His campaigns were sponsored by the Queen of England. In 1577 he went to South America to defeat the Spanish settlements. During the journey, he found Tierra del Fuego and the strait, which was later named after him. Rounding Argentina, Drake plundered the port of Valparaiso and two Spanish ships. When he reached California, he met the natives, who presented the British with gifts of tobacco and bird feathers. Drake crossed the Indian Ocean and returned to Plymouth, becoming the first British citizen to circumnavigate the world. He was admitted to the House of Commons and awarded the title of Sir. In 1595 he died in the last campaign in the Caribbean.
Afanasy Nikitin
Few famous travelers in Russia have achieved the same heights as this native of Tver. Afanasy Nikitin became the first European to visit India. He traveled to the Portuguese colonizers and wrote "Journey Beyond the Three Seas" - the most valuable literary and historical monument. The success of the expedition was ensured by the merchant's career: Athanasius knew several languages and knew how to negotiate with people. On his journey, he visited Baku, lived in Persia for about two years and reached India by ship. After visiting several cities in an exotic country, he went to Parvat, where he stayed for a year and a half. After the province of Raichur, he headed to Russia, paving the route through the Arabian and Somali Peninsulas. However, Afanasy Nikitin never made it home, because he fell ill and died near Smolensk, but his notes survived and provided the merchant with world fame.
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Great geographical travelers and their discoveries Completed by: Ilya Moshkin Pupil of the 6th grade of school No. 9, Divnogorsk
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Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506) The navigator was born in Genoa. Appointed commander of the fleet in Spain. In 1492-1493 he led a Spanish expedition to find the shortest route to India. He returned to his homeland, but poverty and uncertainty awaited him there.
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Christopher Columbus On 3 caravels (Santa Maria, Pinta and Nina) crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached about. San Selvador (official date of discovery of America October 12, 1492) An educated, well-read person. I mistakenly assumed that I had reached India.
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Significance of the expedition of Columbus Discovered America Sargasso Sea Bahamas Cuba Haiti Antilles Caribbean Sea
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Vasco da Gama (1469-1524) Portuguese navigator. In 1497-1499 he sailed from Lisbon to India, rounding Africa, and back, for the first time paving the sea route from Europe to South Asia. In 1524 he was appointed Viceroy of India. He died in India during the 3rd voyage. His ashes were transported to Portugal in 1538.
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Significance of Vasco da Gama's expedition Sailed from Lisbon to India Rounded Africa Paved the sea route from Europe to South Asia (India)
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Ferdinand Magellan (1480 - 1521) Portuguese warrior. He was forced to look for a service in a foreign land, in Spain. In a foreign country, he achieved the rank of commander of a flotilla. September 20, 1519 went on an expedition to the Spice Islands (India) from the west through the strait, which was about to open.
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The expedition left a flotilla of five ships with a crew of 265 people. The journey took three years. Magellan died in battle, intervening in an intertribal war, on April 27, 1521. Only the ship "Victoria" under the command of El Cano, rounding Africa, returned to Spain on September 6, 1522.
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Significance of F. Magellan's Expedition The expedition went around the earth and confirmed its sphericity. For the first time, Europeans passed the "South Sea", which Magellan called the Pacific Ocean. Evidence has been obtained that the mainland of South America in the south has the shape of a wedge.
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James Cook (1728 - 79) English navigator who made 3 round-the-world expeditions. Born in the family of a day laborer, from the age of 7 he began to work with his father, at 13 he began to attend school. In June 1755 he enlisted in the British navy as a sailor. In 1762-1767, already in command of a ship, he surveyed the coast of Newfoundland.
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James Cook More than 20 geographical features are named after him, including three bays, two groups of islands and two straits. Cook's first circumnavigation lasted a little over 3 years; he was awarded the rank of captain of the 1st rank. Killed and eaten by the Hawaiians.
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Significance of the expedition of James Cook Discovered many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Clarified the basic position of New Zealand. Discovered the Great Barrier Reef and the main position of Australia. Discovered the Hawaiian Islands and part of the coast of Alaska.
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Mikhail Lazarev (1788 -1851) Russian naval commander, admiral. He made 3 round-the-world expeditions, with F.F. Bellingshausen discovered Antarctica. In 1800 he was assigned to the Naval Cadet Corps. Participated in the battle of Trafalgar and in the war with Sweden
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Significance of Lazarev's expedition With Bellingshausen, he discovered Antarctica Sailed in the Atlantic, off the Antilles and in the Indian Ocean Participated in the Battle of Trafalgar and in the war with Sweden
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Thaddeus Bellingshausen (1778-1852) Russian navigator, admiral. Member of the 1st Russian round-the-world trip. Led the 1st Antarctic Expedition on the boats "Vostok" and "Mirny".
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Significance of Bellingshausen's expedition Discovered Antarctica in January 1820 Discovered several islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
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Nikolai Przhevalsky (1839-1888) Russian traveler, geographer, naturalist, explorer. In 1856 he entered the Academy of the General Staff. In 1867 he came to St. Petersburg, where he met with P.P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, who helped organize the Przhevalsky expedition
On August 18, we celebrate the birthday of the Russian Geographical Society - one of the oldest Russian public organizations, and the only one that has continuously existed since its inception in 1845.
Just think about it: neither wars, nor revolutions, nor periods of devastation, timelessness, and the collapse of the country did not stop its existence! There have always been daredevils, scientists, mad researchers who, both in prosperous and in the most difficult times, took any risk for the sake of science. And even now, at the moment, new full members of the Russian Geographical Society are on their way. "MIR 24" tells only about some of the great travelers who glorified the Russian Geographical Society.
Ivan Krusenstern (1770 - 1846)
Photo: unknown artist, 1838.
Russian navigator, admiral, one of the initiators of the creation of the Russian Geographical Society. He led the first Russian round-the-world expedition.
Even in his youth, fellow students in the Naval Cadet Corps noted the unbending, "sea" character of the future Russian admiral. His faithful colleague, friend and rival Yuri Lisyansky, who became the commander of the second ship in their legendary circumnavigation, noted that the main qualities of cadet Kruzenshtern were "reliability, commitment and lack of interest in everyday life."
It was then, during the years of study, that his dreams were born to explore distant lands and oceans. However, they did not come true soon, only in 1803. The first Russian round-the-world expedition included the ships "Nadezhda" and "Neva".
During this expedition, a new route was established to the Russian possessions in Kamchatka and Alaska. The western coast of Japan, the southern and eastern parts of Sakhalin were plotted on the map, and part of the Kuril ridge was comprehensively studied.
Photo: "I. F. Kruzenshtern in Avacha Bay, Friedrich Georg Veich, 1806
During his round-the-world trip, measurements of current speed, temperature at different depths, determination of salinity and specific gravity of water, and much more were carried out. Thus, Ivan Kruzenshtern became one of the founders of Russian oceanology.
Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (1827 - 1914)
Photo: Alexandre Quinet, 1870
Vice-chairman of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society and its leading scientist - but not an armchair. He was a brave and stubborn pioneer. He explored Altai, Tarbagatai, Semirechensky and Zailiysky Alatau, Lake Issyk-Kul. Only mountaineers will be able to appreciate the way the brave traveler traveled through the hard-to-reach mountains of the Central Tien Shan, where Europeans have not yet been able to reach. He discovered and for the first time conquered the peak of Khan Tengri with glaciers on its slopes and proved that the opinion of the international scientific world that a range of volcanoes erupts in these places is erroneous. The scientist also found out where the sources of the Naryn, Sarydzhaz and Chu rivers come from, penetrated into the upper reaches of the Syr Darya, which had not been traveled before.
Semenov-Tyan-Shansky became the actual creator of the new Russian geographical school, offering the international scientific world a fundamentally new way of knowledge. Being at the same time a geologist, botanist and zoologist, he first began to consider natural systems in their unity. And he compared the geological structure of the mountains with the mountainous relief and revealed patterns on which the entire scientific world later began to rely.
Nikolai Miklukho-Maclay (1846-1888)
Photo: ITAR-TASS, 1963
The famous Russian traveler, anthropologist, explorer, who made a number of expeditions to the previously unexplored New Guinea and other Pacific islands. Accompanied by only two servants, he lived among the Papuans for a long time, collected the richest materials about primitive peoples, made friends with them, and helped them.
Here is what his biographers write about the scientist: “The most characteristic of Miklouho-Maclay is an amazing combination of traits of a brave traveler, tireless enthusiastic researcher, widely erudite scientist, progressive humanist thinker, energetic public figure, fighter for the rights of the oppressed colonial peoples. Such qualities separately are not particularly rare, but the combination of all of them in one person is a completely exceptional phenomenon.In his travels, Miklouho-Maclay also collected a lot of information about the peoples of Indonesia and Malaya, the Philippines, Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and western Polynesia. He was ahead of his time. His work was not sufficiently appreciated in the 19th century, but anthropological researchers of the 20th and 21st centuries consider his contribution to science to be a real scientific feat.
Nikolai Przhevalsky (1839-1888)
Photo: ITAR-TASS, 1948
Russian military figure, major general, one of the greatest Russian geographers and travelers, who consciously prepared himself for travel since the gymnasium.
Przhevalsky devoted 11 years of his life to long expeditions. First, he led a two-year expedition to the Ussuri region (1867-1869), and after that, in 1870-1885, he made four trips to the little-known regions of Central Asia.
The first expedition in the region of Central Asia was devoted to the study of Mongolia, China and Tibet. Przhevalsky collected scientific evidence that the Gobi is not a plateau, and the Nanshan mountains are not a ridge, but a mountain system. The explorer owns the discovery of a whole series of mountains, ranges, and lakes.
During the second expedition, the scientist discovered new Altyntag mountains, and for the first time described two rivers and a lake. And the border of the Tibet highlands, thanks to his research, had to be moved more than 300 km to the north on the maps.
In the third expedition, Przhevalsky singled out several ranges in Nanshan, Kunlun and Tibet, described Lake Kukunor, as well as the upper reaches of the great rivers of China, the Huang He and Yangtze. Despite his illness, the discoverer also organized the fourth expedition to Tibet in 1883-1885, during which he discovered a number of new lakes and ridges.
He described more than 30 thousand kilometers of the path he traveled, collected unique collections. He discovered not only mountains and rivers, but also hitherto unknown representatives of the animal world: a wild camel, a Tibetan bear, a wild horse.
Like many prominent geographers of that time, Przhevalsky was the owner of a good and lively literary language. He wrote several books about his travels, in which he gave a vivid description of Asia: its flora, fauna, climate and the peoples inhabiting it.
Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky (1863-1944)
Photo: Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky, 1912
Ancestor of the era of color photography in Russia. He was the first to capture in color nature, cities and people's lives on a vast stretch from the Baltic Sea to the East of Russia.
He created a system of color reproduction for photography: from the recipe of the emulsion that is applied to glass plates for photography, to the drawings of special equipment for color photography and the projection of the resulting color images.
Since 1903, he has been constantly on trips: with the obsession of a real traveler, he takes pictures of the natural beauties of Russia, its inhabitants, cities, architectural monuments - all the true sights of the Russian Empire.
In December 1906-January 1907 Prokudin-Gorsky traveled to Turkestan with an expedition of the Russian Geographical Society to photograph the solar eclipse. It was not possible to capture the eclipse in color, but the ancient monuments of Bukhara and Samarkand, colorful local types of people and much more were filmed.
In the autumn of 1908, Nicholas II himself provided Prokudin-Gorsky with the necessary vehicles and gave permission to shoot in any place, so that the photographer could capture “in natural colors” all the main sights of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. In total, it is planned to take 10 thousand pictures in 10 years.
A few days after meeting with the tsar, the photographer sets off along the Mariinsky waterway from St. Petersburg almost to the Volga itself. For three and a half years he has been constantly moving and taking pictures. First, he takes pictures of the northern part of the industrial Urals. Then he makes two trips along the Volga, capturing it from its very source to Nizhny Novgorod. In between, he shoots the southern part of the Urals. And then - numerous monuments of antiquity in Kostroma and the Yaroslavl province. In the spring and autumn of 1911, the photographer manages to visit the Trans-Caspian region and Turkestan twice more, where he tried color filming for the first time in history.
This is followed by two photo expeditions to the Caucasus, where he photographs the Mugan steppe, undertakes a grandiose trip along the planned Kama-Tobolsk waterway, conducts extensive surveys of areas associated with the memory of the Patriotic War of 1812 - from Maloyaroslavets to Lithuanian Vilna, photographs Ryazan, Suzdal, construction of the Kuzminskaya and Beloomutovskaya dams on the Oka.
Then financial difficulties begin, the financing of expeditions is interrupted. In 1913-1914. Prokudin-Gorsky is engaged in the creation of the first color cinema. But the First World War prevented the further development of this new project. None of Prokudin-Gorsky's experimental color films has yet been found.
Artur Chilingarov (born 1939)
Photo: Lev Fedoseev/ITAR-TASS
Famous polar explorer, Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Russian Federation, prominent Russian scientist, author of a number of scientific papers on the development of the North and the Arctic. Lives and works in Moscow.
Since 1963, he has been studying the Arctic Ocean and the oceanic atmosphere at the Arctic Research Observatory in the village of Tiksi. In 1969, he headed the North Pole-19 station, created on drifting ice, since 1971 he worked as the head of the Bellingshausen station, and since 1973 - the head of the North Pole-22 station. In 1985, he led an operation to rescue the expedition ship Mikhail Somov, which was covered in Antarctic ice. The icebreaker "Vladivostok" broke the ice around the diesel-electric ship and freed its crew from the blockade, which lasted as much as 133 days.
In 1987, Chilingarov led the team of the nuclear-powered icebreaker Sibir, which reached the geographic North Pole in free navigation. In January 2002, the traveler proved the possibility of operating light aircraft in Antarctica: he reached the South Pole on a single-engine An-ZT aircraft.
Photo: Roman Denisov/ITAR-TASS
In the summer of 2007, the famous polar explorer led an Arctic expedition aboard the Akademik Fedorov, which proved that the Arctic Ocean shelf is a continuation of the Siberian continental platform. The Mir-1 and Mir-2 vehicles were submerged to the bottom of the ocean, one of which was carrying Chilingarov himself. He also set a kind of record as the first person in the world to visit both the South and North Poles within six months.
Nikolai Litau (born 1955)
Photo: from the archive
Honored Master of Sports, Russian yachtsman, who made three round-the-world trips on the Apostol Andrey yacht built under his leadership. Awarded with the Order of Courage. During three round-the-world trips, Apostol Andrew left 110,000 nautical miles astern, visited all the continents of the planet, passed all the oceans and set five world records.
Here is what Nikolai Litau told a MIR 24 correspondent: “I made three round-the-world voyages on the Apostle Andrey. The first is around the Eastern Hemisphere through the Northern Sea Route, the second is around the Western Hemisphere, through the straits of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and the third is the Antarctic: in 2005-06 we circled Antarctica, all the time being above 60 degrees of latitude, the invisible border of Antarctica. The latter has not yet been repeated by anyone. The fourth global voyage, in which I happened to take part, took place in 2012-13. It was an international round-the-world trip, its route passed mainly through warm and comfortable tropical latitudes. I was the captain-mentor on the Russian yacht Royal Leopard and covered half the distance. During this voyage, I crossed my jubilee - the tenth equator. In recent years, we have been engaged in memorial trips on the yacht "Apostol Andrei" in the Russian Arctic. We recall the names of outstanding Russian sailors: Vladimir Rusanov, Georgy Sedov, Boris Vilkitsky, Georgy Brusilov and others.”
Photo: from the archive
Exactly one year ago, Nikolai Litau traveled to the Arctic for the eleventh time on the yacht Apostol Andrey. The route of this journey passed through the White, Barents and Kara Seas, the islands of the Arctic Institute in the Kara Sea were explored. Ahead - new expeditions.
