Sailing ship of the first Russian round-the-world expedition. Expeditions of Russian travelers

Domestic sailors - explorers of the seas and oceans Zubov Nikolay Nikolaevich

2. Around the world voyage of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky on the ships "Nadezhda" and "Neva" (1803-1806)

2. Around the world voyage of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky on the ships "Nadezhda" and "Neva"

The main tasks of the first Russian round-the-world expedition of Kruzenshtern - Lisyansky were: delivery of goods of the Russian-American company to the Far East and the sale of furs of this company in China, delivery to Japan of the embassy, which had the goal of establishing trade relations with Japan, and the production of accompanying geographical discoveries and research.

For the expedition, two ships were bought in England: one with a displacement of 450 tons, called "Nadezhda", and the other with a displacement of 350 tons, called "Neva". Lieutenant Commander Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern took command of the Nadezhda, Lieutenant Commander Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky took command of the Neva.

The crews of both ships, both officers and sailors, were military and recruited from volunteers. Krusenstern was advised to take several foreign sailors for the first round the world voyage. “But,” writes Kruzenshtern, “knowing the predominant properties of the Russians, which I prefer even to English, I did not agree to follow this advice.” Kruzenshtern never regretted this. On the contrary, after crossing the equator, he noted the remarkable property of the Russian person - it is equally easy to endure both the most severe cold and the searing heat.

On the "Nadezhda" 71 people went sailing and on the "Neva" 53 people. In addition, the astronomer Horner, the naturalists Tilesius and Langsdorf, and the doctor of medicine Laband took part in the expedition.

Despite the fact that "Nadezhda" and "Neva" belonged to a private Russian-American company, Alexander I allowed them to sail under the military flag.

All preparations for the expedition were carried out very carefully and lovingly. On the advice of GA Sarychev, the expedition was equipped with the most modern astronomical and navigational instruments, in particular, chronometers and sextants.

Unexpectedly, just before sailing, Kruzenshtern was ordered to take to Japan Ambassador Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov, one of the main shareholders of the Russian-American company, who was to try to establish trade relations with Japan. Rezanov and his retinue fit into the "Nadezhda". This task forced us to reconsider the work plan of the expedition and, as we will see later, entailed the loss of time for the voyage of the "Nadezhda" to the shores of Japan and anchorage in Nagasaki.

The very intention of the Russian government to establish trade relations with Japan was quite natural. After the Russians entered the Pacific Ocean, Japan became one of Russia's closest neighbors. It has already been mentioned that even Spanberg's expedition was tasked with finding sea routes to Japan, and that the ships of Spanberg and Walton were already approaching the shores of Japan and were conducting friendly exchange trade with the Japanese.

It happened further that on the Aleutian island of Amchitka about 1782 a Japanese ship was wrecked and its crew was brought to Irkutsk, where they lived for almost 10 years. Catherine II ordered the Siberian governor-general to send the detained Japanese home and use this pretext to establish trade with Japan. Lieutenant Adam Kirillovich Laksman, elected as a representative for negotiations of the Guard, on the Ekaterina transport under the command of navigator Grigory Lovtsov in 1792 set off from Okhotsk and wintered in the Nemuro harbor on the eastern tip of the island of Hokkaido. In the summer of 1793, at the request of the Japanese, Laxman moved to the port of Hakodate, from where he traveled by dry route for negotiations to Matsmai, the main city of the island of Hokkaido. During the negotiations, Laxman, thanks to his diplomatic skill, achieved success. In particular, paragraph 3 of the document received by Laxman stated:

"3. The Japanese cannot enter into negotiations on trade anywhere, except for one designated for this port of Nagasaki, and therefore now only give Laxman a written form with which one Russian ship can come to the mentioned port, where Japanese officials will be located, who must agree with the Russians on this subject ". Having received this document, Laxman returned to Okhotsk in October 1793. Why this permission was not used immediately remains unknown. In any case, "Nadezhda" together with Ambassador Rezanov was supposed to go to Nagasaki.

While staying in Copenhagen (5-27 August) and another Danish port, Helsingor (27 August-3 September), the cargoes were carefully shifted on the Nadezhda and on the Neva and the chronometers were checked. Scientists Horner, Tilesius and Langsdorf, invited to the expedition, arrived in Copenhagen. On the way to Falmouth (south-west England) during a storm the ships parted and arrived there "Neva" -14, and "Nadezhda" -16 September.

From Falmouth "Nadezhda" and "Neva" sailed on September 26 and on October 8 they anchored in Santa Cruz Bay on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands), in which they stayed until October 15.

November 14, 1803 "Nadezhda" and "Neva" for the first time in the history of the Russian fleet crossed the equator. Of all the officers and sailors, it was previously only crossed by the commanders of the ships, who had previously sailed as volunteers in the English fleet. Who would have thought then that seventeen years later, the Russian warships Vostok and Mirny, circumnavigating the world in high southern latitudes, would discover what the sailors of other nations could not manage - the sixth continent of the globe - Antarctica!

On December 9 the ships arrived at St. Catherine Island (off the coast of Brazil) and stayed here until January 23, 1804 to change foremast and main masts on the Neva.

Having rounded Cape Horn, the ships parted on March 12 during a storm. In this case, Kruzenshtern pre-appointed successive meeting places: Easter Island and the Marquesas Islands. However, on the way, Kruzenshtern changed his mind, went straight to the Marquesas Islands and on April 25 anchored off the island of Nuku-Khiva.

Lisyansky, unaware of such a change in the route, went to Easter Island, held out under sail from April 4 to April 9 and, without waiting for Kruzenshtern, went to the island of Nuku-Khiva, where he arrived on April 27.

The ships stayed near the island of Nuku-Hiva until May 7. During this time, a convenient anchorage was found and described, called the port of Chichagov, and the latitudes and longitudes of several islands and points were determined.

From the island of Nuku-Hiva, the ships went north and on May 27 approached the Hawaiian Islands. Calculations of Kruzenshtern to buy fresh provisions from local residents were not crowned with success. Kruzenshtern held out on the Hawaiian Islands under sail on May 27 and 28, and then, in order not to delay the fulfillment of his task - visiting Nagasaki, went straight to Petropavlovsk, where he arrived on July 3. Lisyansky, anchored off the island of Hawaii from May 31 to June 3, set off according to the plan to Kodiak Island.

From Petropavlovsk, Kruzenshtern went to sea on August 27, passed south along the eastern shores of Japan and then through the Vandymen Strait (south of Kyushu Island) from the Pacific Ocean to the East China Sea. On September 26, the Nadezhda anchored in Nagasaki.

Rezanov's embassy was unsuccessful. The Japanese not only did not agree to any treaty with Russia, but did not even accept the gifts intended for the Japanese emperor.

On April 5, 1805, Kruzenshtern, having finally left Nagasaki, passed through the Korea Strait, climbed the Sea of Japan, almost unknown to Europeans at that time, and put on the map many notable points of the western coast of Japan. The position of some points was determined astronomically.

On May 1, Kruzenshtern passed through the La Perouse Strait from the Sea of Japan to the Sea of Okhotsk, performed some hydrographic work here, and on May 23, 1805, returned to Petropavlovsk, where Rezanov's embassy left Nadezhda.

The circumnavigation of the world by Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky on the "Nadezhda" and "Neva" (1803-1806).

On September 23, 1805, after reloading the holds and replenishing provisions, the "Nadezhda" left Petropavlovsk on a return voyage to Kronstadt. Through the Bashi Strait, she proceeded to the South China Sea and on November 8 dropped anchor in Macau.

After anchorage at the Hawaiian Islands, the Neva set off, as already mentioned, to the Aleutian Islands. On June 26, Chirikov Island opened, and on July 1, 1804, the Neva anchored in the Pavlovsk harbor of Kodiak Island.

After completing the instructions given to him, performing some hydrographic work off the coast of Russian America and accepting the furs of the Russian-American Company, Lisyansky on August 15, 1805 left Novo-Arkhangelsk also for Macau, as it was previously agreed with Kruzenshtern. From Russian America, he took with him three Creole boys (father Russian, mother Aleut) so that they received a special education in Russia, and then returned to Russian America.

On October 3, many birds were seen on the way to Canton, in the northern subtropical Pacific Ocean. Assuming that some unknown land was nearby, proper precautions were taken. However, in the evening "Neva" still ran into a coral aground. At dawn we saw that the Neva was located near a small island. Soon they managed to get off the shallows, but the oncoming squall "Neva" again inflicted on the stones. The refloating and lifting of the cannons, thrown into the sea with floats to lighten the ship, delayed the Neva in this area until October 7th. The island was named Lisyansky Island in honor of the commander of the ship, and the reef on which the Neva sat was named the Neva reef.

On its further journey to Canton, the Neva withstood a severe typhoon, during which it received some damage. A significant number of fur products were tarnished and then thrown overboard.

On November 16, having rounded the island of Formosu from the south, the Neva entered the South China Sea and on November 21 dropped anchor in Macau, where the Nadezhda was already at that time.

The sale of furs delayed the "Nadezhda" and "Neva" and only on January 31, 1806, both ships left the Chinese waters. Subsequently, the ships passed through the Sunda Strait and entered the Indian Ocean on February 21.

On April 3, being almost at the Cape of Good Hope, the ships parted in cloudy weather with rain.

As Kruzenshtern writes, “On April 26th (April 14, St. Art. - N. 3.) we saw two ships, one at NW, and the other at NO. The first one we recognized as "Neva", but as "Nadezhda" walked worse, soon the "Neva" again went out of sight, and we did not see it before our arrival in Kronstadt. "

Kruzenshtern appointed the island of St. Helena as the meeting place in case of separation, where he arrived on April 21. Here Kruzenshtern learned about the severance of relations between Russia and France and therefore, leaving the island on April 26, in order to avoid a meeting with enemy cruisers, chose the path to the Baltic Sea not through the English Channel, but north of the British Isles. On July 18-20, the Nadezhda moored at anchor in Helsingor and on July 21-25 in Copenhagen. On August 7, 1806, after a 1108-day absence, "Nadezhda" returned to Kronstadt. During the voyage, the "Nadezhda" spent 445 days under sail. The longest trek from St. Helena to Helsingor lasted 83 days.

After parting with Nadezhda, the Neva did not go to St. Helena, but went straight to Portsmouth, where it stood from June 16 to July 1. Having stopped for a short time on the roadstead of Downs and in Helsingor, the Neva arrived in Kronstadt on July 22, 1806, having been absent for 1090 days, of which 462 days were under sail. The longest crossing was from Macau to Portsmouth, it lasted 142 days. No other Russian ship has made such a long sailing trip.

The health of the crews on both ships was excellent. During the three-year voyage on the "Nadezhda", only two people died: the envoy's cook, who suffered from tuberculosis even when he entered the ship, and Lieutenant Golovachev, who shot himself for some unknown reason while staying near St. Helena Island. On the Neva, one sailor fell into the sea and drowned, three people were killed during a military skirmish near Novo-Arkhangelsk, and two sailors died from accidental illnesses.

The first Russian circumnavigation of the world was marked by significant geographical results. Both ships, both in a joint voyage, and in a separate one, all the time tried to arrange their courses either so as to go along the "untouched" paths, or so as to go to the dubious islands shown on old maps.

There were many such islands in the Pacific Ocean at that time. They were charted by brave sailors with poor navigational tools and poor methods. It is not surprising, therefore, that one and the same island was sometimes discovered by many navigators, but was placed under different names in different places on the map. The errors in longitude were especially great, which on old ships was determined only by reckoning. This is how, for example, longitudes were determined during the Bering-Chirikov voyage.

On "Nadezhda" and "Neva" there were sextans and chronometers. In addition, relatively shortly before their voyage, a method was developed for determining longitude on ships from the angular distances of the Moon from the Sun (otherwise, the "method of lunar distances"). This greatly facilitated the determination of latitudes and longitudes at sea. Both on the "Nadezhda" and on the "Neva" they did not miss a single opportunity to determine their coordinates. So, during the voyage of the "Nadezhda" in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, the number of points determined astronomically was more than a hundred. Frequent determination of the geographical coordinates of points visited or seen by members of the expedition is a great contribution to geographical science.

Thanks to the accuracy of their reckoning, based on frequent and accurate determination of latitudes and longitudes, both ships were able to determine the directions and speeds of sea currents in many areas of their navigation by the difference in the numbered and observed places.

The accuracy of the reckoning on the "Nadezhda" and "Neva" allowed them to "remove from the map" many non-existent islands. So, upon leaving Petropavlovsk to Canton, Kruzenshtern arranged his courses with the expectation of following the paths of the English captains Clerk and Horus and inspecting the space between 33 and 37 ° N. sh. along 146 ° east meridian. Near this meridian, several questionable islands have been shown on their maps and on some others.

Lisyansky, upon leaving Kodiak for Canton, arranged his courses so as to cross the then almost unknown areas of the Pacific Ocean and pass through the area in which the English captain Portlock noticed signs of land in 1786 and where he himself, on the way from Hawaii to Kodiak, saw the sea otter. As we have seen, Lisyansky finally succeeded, although much to the south, to discover Lisyansky Island and the Kruzenshtern reef.

Both ships carried out continuous and thorough meteorological and oceanological observations. On the "Nadezhda", in addition to the usual measurements of the temperature of the surface layer of the ocean, the Six's thermometer, invented in 1782, was first used for deep-sea research, designed to measure the highest and lowest temperature. The thermometer was used to study the vertical distribution of temperatures in the ocean at seven locations. In total, deep temperatures, down to a depth of 400 m, were determined in nine places. These were the first in world practice to determine the vertical distribution of temperatures in the ocean.

Special attention was paid to observations of the state of the sea. In particular, the stripes and spots of the rough sea (rifts), created when the sea currents meet, were thoroughly described.

The glow of the sea was also noted, at that time still insufficiently explained. This phenomenon was investigated on the "Nadezhda" in the following way: dots that glowed when the shawl was shaken; the strained water did not provide the slightest light ... Dr. Langsdorf, who tested these small luminous bodies through a microscope ... discovered that many ... were real animals ... "

It is now known that luminescence is created by the smallest organisms and is divided into constant, arbitrary and forced (under the influence of irritation). The latter is discussed in the description of Kruzenshtern.

Descriptions of the nature and life of the population of the localities visited by Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky are very interesting. Descriptions of the Nukukhivs, Hawaiians, Japanese, Aleuts, American Indians and inhabitants of the northern part of Sakhalin are of particular value.

On the island of Nuku-Khiva, Kruzenshtern spent only eleven days. Of course, in such a short time, only a cursory impression could be created about the inhabitants of this island. But, fortunately, on this island Kruzenshtern met an Englishman and a Frenchman, who had lived here for several years and, by the way, were at war with each other. From them, Kruzenshtern collected a lot of information, checking the stories of an Englishman by questioning a Frenchman, and vice versa. In addition, the Frenchman left Nuku-Khiva on the "Nadezhda" and during the further voyage Kruzenshtern had the opportunity to replenish his information. All kinds of collections, sketches, maps and plans brought by both ships deserve special attention.

Kruzenshtern, during his voyage in overseas waters, described: the southern coast of Nuku Hiva Island, the southern coast of Kyushu and Vandimen Strait, Tsushima and Goto islands and a number of other islands adjacent to Japan, the northwestern coast of Honshu, the entrance to the Sangar Strait, and also the west coast of Hokkaido.

Lisyansky, while sailing in the Pacific Ocean, described Easter Island, discovered and put on the map Lisyansky Island and the reefs of the Neva and Kruzenshtern.

Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky were not only brave sailors and explorers, but also excellent writers who left us with descriptions of their voyages.

In 1809-1812. Kruzenshtern's work "Traveling around the world in 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1806 on the ships" Nadezhda "and" Neve "in three volumes with an album of drawings and an atlas of maps was published.

The books of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky were translated into foreign languages and for a long time served as navigational aids for ships sailing in the Pacific Ocean. Written on the model of Sarychev's books, in content and form, they, in turn, served as a model for all books written by Russian navigators of the subsequent time.

It should be emphasized once again that the voyages of the "Nadezhda" and "Neva" pursued purely practical goals - scientific observations were made only along the way. Nevertheless, the observations of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky would do honor to many purely scientific expeditions.

I must say a few words about some of the problems, which unfortunately partly darken from a purely maritime point of view, the brilliant maiden voyage of Russian sailors around the world.

The fact is that it is no coincidence that two ships were sent on this expedition. Just as during the organization of the sea expeditions of Bering - Chirikov and Billings - Sarychev, it was believed that ships, sailing together, can always help each other in case of need.

According to the instructions, separate voyages of the "Nadezhda" and "Neva" were allowed only during the visit of the "Nadezhda" to Japan. This was justified by the fact that Japan, according to the previous agreement, allowed only one Russian ship to enter Japan. What actually happened?

During a storm at Cape Horn, the "Nadezhda" and "Neva" parted. Kruzenshtern did not go to the meeting point agreed in advance, in case of separation, - Easter Island, but went straight to the second agreed meeting place - the Marquesas Islands, where the ships met and went on together to the Hawaiian Islands. The ships left the Hawaiian Islands again separately, carrying out various tasks. The ships met again only in Macau, from where they went together to the Indian Ocean. Not far from Africa, ships again lost sight of each other during a storm. In such a case, the place of meeting was the island of St. Helena, where "Nadezhda" entered. Lisyansky, carried away by the record for the duration of sailing, went straight to England. Kruzenshtern was wrong, not going to Easter Island, as it was stipulated. Lisyansky was also wrong, not having entered the island of St. Helena. The references to parting due to the storm are not persuasive. Storms, fogs off the coast of Antarctica are no less frequent and strong than in the Indian Ocean, and meanwhile, the ships of Bellingshausen and Lazarev, as we will see later, never parted while circling Antarctica.

This text is an introductory fragment. From the book Pirates of the British Crown Francis Drake and William Dampier the author Malakhovsky Kim Vladimirovich

Chapter Five The Last Voyage around the World Share with Goldney, who contributed about £ 4,000. Art. In the new venture, there were many interested parties from the most famous families in Bristol. Among them were merchants, lawyers, and Bristol's alderman Betchelor himself. Contributed my share and

From the book Domestic Mariners - Explorers of the Seas and Oceans the author Zubov Nikolay Nikolaevich

6. Around the world voyage of Golovnin on the sloop "Kamchatka" (1817-1819) In 1816, it was decided to send a military vessel to the Far East with the following tasks: 1) to deliver various materials and supplies to the ports of Petropavlovsk and Okhotsk; American company

From the book Three Voyages around the World the author Lazarev Mikhail Petrovich

11. Around the world voyage of M. Lazarev on the frigate "Cruiser" (1822-1825) and the voyage of Andrei Lazarev on the sloop "Ladoga" to Russian America (1822-1823) 36-gun frigate "Cruiser" under the command of the captain of the 2nd rank Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev and the 20-gun sloop "Ladoga", which

From the book The First Russian Voyage Around the World the author Kruzenshtern Ivan Fedorovich

13. Around the world voyage of Kotzebue on the sloop "Enterprise" (1823-1826) The boat "Enterprise" under the command of Lieutenant Commander Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue was entrusted with the delivery of goods to Kamchatka and cruising to protect Russian settlements on the Aleutian Islands. At the same time he

From the book Notes of a sailor. 1803-1819 the author Unkovsky Semyon Yakovlevich

14. Wrangel's voyage around the world on the "Meek" transport (1825-1827) A military transport "Meek" (90 feet long) specially built for the upcoming voyage under the command of Lieutenant Commander Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel, who has already completed a round-the-world voyage

From the author's book

15. Stanyukovich's voyage around the world on the Moller sloop (1826–1829) Following the example of the previous voyages around the world, in 1826 it was decided to send two warships from Kronstadt to guard industries in Russian America and to deliver cargo to the port of Petropavlovsk. But

From the author's book

16. Litke's voyage around the world on the Senyavin sloop (1826-1829) The commander of the Senyavin sloop, which went on a joint voyage around the world with the Moller sloop, Lieutenant-Commander Fyodor Petrovich Litke made a round-the-world voyage as a midshipman on Kamchatka in 1817-1819 years. Then

From the author's book

17. Voyage around the world of Gagemeister on the transport "Meek" (1828-1830) The military transport "Meek", which returned from a voyage around the world in 1827 in 1828, was again sent with cargo for Petropavlovsk and Novo-Arkhangelsk. Its commander was appointed Lieutenant Commander

From the author's book

19. Round-the-world voyage of Shants on transport "America" (1834-1836) The military transport "America", which returned from a round-the-world voyage in 1833 and was somewhat altered, on August 5, 1834, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Ivan Ivanovich Shants, again left Kronstadt with loads

From the author's book

20. Junker's circumnavigation in the transport "Abo" (1840-1842) The military transport "Abo" (length 128 feet, displacement of 800 tons) under the command of Lieutenant Commander Andrei Logginovich Juncker left Kronstadt on September 5, 1840. Going to Copenhagen, Helsingor, Portsmouth, on the island

From the author's book

2. Sailing of Kruzenshtern on the ship "Nadezhda" in the Sea of Okhotsk (1805) The ship of the Russian-American company - "Nadezhda" under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern came to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on July 3, 1804. Overloaded and replenished

From the author's book

3. Sailing Lisyansky on the ship "Neva" in the waters of Russian America (1804-1805) The ship of the Russian-American company "Neva" under the command of Lieutenant Commander Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky, leaving Kronstadt with the "Nadezhda" on July 26, 1803, came to the Pavlovsk harbor of the island

From the author's book

CIRCULAR NAVIGATION M. P. LAZAREVA ON THE SHIP "SUVOROV"

From the author's book

TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD IN 1803, 1804, 1805 AND 1806 ON THE SHIPS "HOPE" AND "NEVA" observations were made according to

Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern and Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky were combat Russian sailors: both in 1788-1790. participated in four battles against the Swedes. The sailing of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky is the beginning of a new era in the history of Russian navigation

The purpose of the expedition

Route and map of the Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky round-the-world expedition

Make the first round-the-world voyage in the history of the Russian fleet. Deliver and pick up goods from Russian America. Establish diplomatic contacts with Japan. Show the profitability of direct trade in furs from Russian America to China. To prove the benefits of the sea route from Russian America to St. Petersburg in comparison with the land route. Carry out various geographical observations and scientific research along the route of the expedition.

Expedition composition

The expedition started from Kronstadt on July 26 (August 7), 1803. under the leadership who was 32 years old. The expedition included:

The three-masted sloop "Nadezhda", with a displacement of 450 tons, 35 meters long. Purchased in England especially for the expedition. The ship was not new, but it endured all the difficulties of sailing around the world. The total number of the team is 65 people. Commander - Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern.
Three-masted sloop "Neva", displacement 370 tons. Bought there especially for the expedition. He endured all the difficulties of a round-the-world voyage, after which he was the first Russian ship to visit Australia in 1807. The total number of the ship's crew is 54 people. Commander - Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky.

Emperor Alexander I personally examined both sloops and allowed them to fly the military flags of the Russian Empire. The Emperor took the maintenance of one of the ships at his own expense, and the cost of operating the other was covered by the Russian-American company and one of the main inspirers of the expedition, Count N.P. Rumyantsev.

The sailors were all Russian to one - that was the condition of Kruzenshtern

Expedition results

And in July 1806, with a difference of two weeks, "Neva" and "Nadezhda" returned to the Kronstadt roadstead, having made the whole trip in 3 years 12 days... Both of these sailboats, like their captains, became famous all over the world. The first Russian round-the-world expedition was of great scientific importance on a world scale. The studies carried out by Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky had no analogues.
As a result of the expedition, many books were published, about two dozen geographical points were named after famous captains.

Left - Ivan Fyodorovich Kruzenshtern. On the right - Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky

The description of the expedition was published under the title “Travel around the world in 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1806 on the ships“ Nadezhda ”and“ Neva ”, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Kruzenshtern,” in 3 volumes, with an atlas of 104 maps and engraved paintings. and has been translated into English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian and Danish.

But the further fate of the sailing ships "Nadezhda" and "Neva" was not very successful. All that is known about the Neva is that the ship visited Australia in 1807. "Hope" perished in 1808 off the coast of Denmark. In honor of the sloop "Nadezhda" the Russian training sailing vessel - the frigate "Nadezhda" is named. And her name is truly a great captain, the legendary bark "Kruzenshtern" bears.

A film about the first round the world trip of Russians

The film "" Neva "and" Hope ". The first Russian voyage around the world ”. Channel "Russia"

Filming took place in locations associated with the expedition. These are 16 geographical points - from Alaska to Cape Horn. The viewer will have a clear opportunity to appreciate the scale of the accomplishment of Russian sailors. Filming took place on the sailing ship "Kruzenshtern". Devices, household items, maritime traditions - everyone will be able to imagine themselves as a participant in the campaign, to feel the hardships that have befallen them.
For the first time, engravings made by members of the expedition and brought to life with the help of computer graphics will be shown. Some of the scenes were filmed in specially built pavilions and are stylized as a film from the early 20th century. For the first time, the diaries of the participants in the voyage will also sound: they are read in the film by the peers of the heroes - famous actors.
The travel narrative is not limited to the genre of the historical film. The description of the voyage is interspersed with a story about the present day of the most important stopping points of the expedition.

Let us finally turn to Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern himself, the head of the first Russian round-the-world expedition. A stamp in honor of Ivan Fedorovich and his voyage was issued in Russia in 1994 in a series dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Russian fleet

The first Russian round the world trip

The first Russian trip around the world was planned back in the era of Catherine II in 1787. Five ships were equipped for the expedition under the command of Captain 1st Rank Grigory Ivanovich Mulovsky. But the expedition was canceled at the very last moment due to the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish war. Then the war with Sweden began and there was no time for long-distance travel. Mulovsky himself was killed in the battle at the island of Öland.

They returned to the idea of traveling around the world only at the beginning of the nineteenth century thanks to the energy of Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern and the money of the Russian-American Company.

Ivan Fedorovich (at birth Adam Johann) Kruzenshtern was a descendant of a Russified German family. Born on November 8 (19), 1770, lived and studied in Revel (the former name of Tallinn), then in the Naval Cadet Corps in Kronstadt. In 1788 he was promoted to warrant officer ahead of schedule and assigned to the ship "Mstislav", the captain of which was just the failed head of the round-the-world voyage Mulovsky. Naturally, conversations about the preparation of the expedition, discussion of its plans, could not but leave a deep imprint on the soul of an inquiring and brave young man. After the end of the war, Kruzenshtern served as a volunteer in the English fleet for two years, and his visits to India and China convinced the young sailor even more of the need to develop the distant frontiers of the Russian fleet, which could bring considerable benefit to commercial affairs. While serving in the English fleet, Kruzenshtern began to develop his own circumnavigation plan, which he presented upon his return to St. Petersburg. His ideas were received coldly, and only the warm support of the then minister of Admiral Mordvinov and State Chancellor Count Rumyantsev made it possible to get things off the ground.

Portrait of Admiral Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern
Unknown artist. XIX century. (from the collections of the State Hermitage)

It was at this time that the Russian-American Company (RAC), which received new rights and privileges under Alexander I, began to think about establishing sea communication with its colonies in the Far East and America. The overland route was very long, expensive, and cargo often disappeared or arrived spoiled. For these purposes, it was decided to use the Kruzenshtern plan. For the expedition they bought two small sloops from England, named "Nadezhda" and "Neva". Kruzenshtern was appointed captain of the "Nadezhda" and the leader of the entire expedition, the captain of the "Neva" was Kruzenshtern's classmate and friend, Lieutenant-Commander Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky.

The purpose of the expedition was to deliver the goods they needed to our American colonies, accept a cargo of furs there, which had to be sold or exchanged in Chinese ports for local goods, and deliver the latter to Kronstadt. To this main goal was added the production of hydrographic research at designated places and the delivery of an embassy to Japan for the establishment of trade relations with that country. Chamberlain Rezanov, one of the main shareholders of the RAC, was appointed envoy to Japan. Both ships were allowed to carry military flags.

Leaving Kronstadt at the end of June 1803, the expedition returned safely at the end of the summer of 1806, having fulfilled everything assigned to it. The expedition to the colony went past Cape Horn, and on the way back - past the Cape of Good Hope. On this voyage on the way from the Cape Verde Islands to the shores of South America, Russian ships crossed the equator for the first time on November 14, 1803. In honor of this, a volley of 11 guns was fired, toasts were raised to the health of the emperor, and one of the sailors, putting on a beard, made a welcoming speech on behalf of the sea god Neptune.

The route of the first Russian circumnavigation of the world 1803-1806.

After his return, Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern wrote a detailed report, which was published in three volumes. The books have now been digitized and are available for review by everyone on the website of the Russian State Library (links are given at the end of the post).

I.F. Kruzenshtern and Yu.F. Lisyansky. Artist P. Pavlinov

Sloops "Nadezhda" and "Neva"

The sloops "Nadezhda" and "Neva" were bought in 1801 in England, they were personally chosen by Yu.F. Lisyansky. Their original names were Leander and Thames. The purchase of both ships cost the Russian treasury £ 17,000, plus an additional £ 5,000 for repair materials. The ships arrived in Kronstadt on June 5, 1803.

"Hope" (aka "Leander") was launched in 1800. According to the classification of the ships of England at that time sloop. The maximum length along the hull is 34.2 meters, the length along the waterline is 29.2 meters. The greatest width is 8.84 meters. Displacement - 450 tons, draft - 3.86 meters, crew of 58 people. The boat was built for the merchant T. Huggins for trade between England and Africa. After returning from a voyage, in the fall of 1808, the "Nadezhda" was chartered by the merchant of the Russian-American company D. Martin to transport goods from Kronstadt to New York, and on the first voyage, in December 1808, the ship covered with ice off the coast of Denmark was lost.

"Neva" (in the past "Thames", as strange as it may sound) was launched in 1802. Like "Leander", it was a three-masted sloop, armed with 14 small carronades. Displacement - 370 tons, maximum length with bowsprit - 61 m, crew of 43 people.

The journey for the Neva was by no means calm. The Neva played a key role in the battle on the island. Sitka in 1804, when the Russians recaptured the fort of St. Archangel Michael from the Tlingits who captured it in 1802. In 1804, Alexander Baranov, general manager of the Russian-American Company, failed in his attempts to reclaim the fort. Baranov had at his disposal only 120 soldiers on four small ships and 800 Aleuts on 300 canoes (this is to the question of how many forces we had in Alaska, it was worth it or not to sell it, and Russia could keep it in case of anything, if a gang from the key fort Indians could not be knocked out for 2 years). At the end of September 1804, the Neva and three more small sailing ships undertook another siege of the fort with the support of 150 armed fur traders, as well as 400-500 Aleuts in 250 canoes. The attack ended in success, and the region returned to Russian control.

Sloop "Neva". Drawing from an engraving by I.F. Lisyansky

In June 1807 the sloop "Neva" was the first of the Russian ships to visit Australia.

In August 1812, the Neva sailed from Okhotsk with a load of furs. The transition turned out to be difficult, the ship was badly battered by storms, part of the crew died of scurvy. The crew decided to sail to Novo-Arkhangelsk, but not reaching the destination of just a few kilometers, the sloop in stormy weather on the night of January 9, 1813 swooped down on the rocks and wrecked near Kruzov Island. Only 28 people remained from the crew, who managed to swim to the coast and wait out the winter of 1813.

About the brand

As I said, the stamp was released in November 1994 in a series dedicated to Russian geographical expeditions. In total, the series consists of 4 stamps with a denomination of 250 rubles. each one. Three other stamps are dedicated to V.M. Golovnin in 1811 on the exploration of the Kuril Islands, expedition F.P. Wrangel to North America and the expeditions of F.P. Litke while exploring the islands of Novaya Zemlya in 1821-1824.

Also stamps were issued in mini sheets.

Image from the site of JSC "Marka" (www.rusmarka.ru)

Circulation of stamps - 800,000 pcs., Small sheet - 130,000 pcs. Paper - coated, intaglio printing plus intaglio printing, perforation - frame 12 x 11½.

"Neva" and "Nadezhda" on other brands

Travel stamps were issued by our neighbors, formerly fraternal republics, Estonia and Ukraine. Philately is not at all alien to politics, and as in the case of the Dane

The discoveries of Russian travelers are striking. Let us give in chronological order short descriptions of the seven most significant round-the-world travels of our compatriots.

The first Russian round-the-world trip - Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky's round-the-world expedition

Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern and Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky were military Russian sailors: both in 1788-1790. participated in four battles against the Swedes. The sailing of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky is the beginning of a new era in the history of Russian navigation.

The expedition started from Kronstadt on July 26 (August 7) 1803 under the leadership of Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, who was 32 years old. The expedition included:

Three-masted sloop "Nadezhda". The total number of the team is 65 people. Commander - Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern.
Three-masted sloop "Neva". The total number of the ship's crew is 54 people. Commander - Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky.

The sailors were all Russian to one - that was the condition of Kruzenshtern

In July 1806, with a difference of two weeks, "Neva" and "Nadezhda" returned to the Kronstadt roadstead, having made the whole trip in 3 years 12 days... Both of these sailboats, like their captains, became famous all over the world. The first Russian round-the-world expedition was of great scientific importance on a world scale.
As a result of the expedition, many books were published, about two dozen geographical points were named after famous captains.

Left - Ivan Fyodorovich Kruzenshtern. On the right - Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky

And now, answering the question: "Which Russian was the first to travel around the world?", You can easily answer.

Discovery of Antarctica - round-the-world expedition of Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev

Aivazovsky's work "Ice Mountains in Antarctica", written on the basis of the memoirs of Admiral Lazarev

In 1819, after a long and very thorough preparation from Kronstadt, a southern polar expedition set off on a long voyage, consisting of two sloops - "Vostok" and "Mirny". The first was commanded by Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen, the second - by Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev. The crew of the ships consisted of experienced, seasoned sailors. There was a long way to unknown countries. The expedition was given the task of how to fully penetrate further south in order to finally resolve the question of the existence of the southern continent.
The members of the expedition spent 751 days in the voyage, covered more than 92 thousand kilometers. 29 islands and one coral reef were discovered. The scientific materials collected by her made it possible to form the first idea of Antarctica.
Russian sailors not only discovered a huge continent located around the South Pole, but also conducted important research in the field of oceanography. This branch of spiders was in its infancy at that time. FF Bellingshausen was the first to correctly explain the reasons causing sea currents (for example, the Canary), the origin of the algae of the Sargasso Sea, as well as coral islands in tropical regions.
The discoveries of the expedition turned out to be a major achievement of Russian and world geographical science at that time.
And so on January 16 (28), 1820 it is considered - the day of the discovery of Antarctica... Bellingshausen and Lazarev, in spite of dense ice and fog, passed around Antarctica at latitudes from 60 ° to 70 ° and irrefutably proved the existence of land in the region of the South Pole.
Strikingly, proof of the existence of Antarctica was immediately recognized as an outstanding geographical discovery. However, then scientists for more than a hundred years argued over what was discovered. Was it a mainland, or just a group of islands covered with a common ice cap? Bellingshausen himself never once spoke about the discovery of the mainland. It was possible to finally confirm the continental nature of Antarctica only in the middle of the 20th century as a result of long-term studies using sophisticated technical means.

Cycling around the world

1913 On August 10, the finish of the round-the-world trip on a bicycle, which was ridden by a 25-year-old Russian athlete Onisim Petrovich Pankratov, took place in Harbin.

This journey lasted 2 years and 18 days. Pankratov chose a rather difficult route. The countries of almost all of Europe were included in it. Leaving Harbin in July 1911, the courageous cyclist arrived in St. Petersburg at the end of autumn. Then his path ran through Konigsberg, Switzerland, Italy, Serbia, Turkey, Greece and again through Turkey, Italy, France, Southern Spain, Portugal, Northern Spain and again France.
The Swiss authorities thought Pankratov was crazy. No one would dare to cycle through the rocky mountain passes covered with snow, which are accessible only to experienced climbers. Climbing the mountains for a cyclist was not a small effort. He also crossed Italy, traveled through Austria, Serbia, Greece and Turkey. He had to sleep just under the starry sky, from food he often had only water and bread, but he still did not stop the journey.

Having crossed the Pas-de-Calais by boat, the athlete crossed England on a bicycle. Then, having also got to America on the ship, he again got on a bicycle and rode the entire American continent following the route New York ─ Chicago ─ San Francisco. And from there by ship to Japan. Then he crossed Japan and China by bicycle, after which Pankratov reached the original point of his grandiose route - Harbin.

The bike covered a distance of more than 50 thousand kilometers. To make such a trip around the earth Onisim was invited by his father.

Pankratov's round-the-world trip was called great by his contemporaries. The Gritsner bicycle helped him to make a round the world, during the trip Onisim had to change 11 chains, 2 steering wheels, 53 tires, 750 spokes, etc.

Around the Earth - the first space flight

At 9 o'clock. 7 minutes Moscow time from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan the spacecraft-satellite "Vostok" took off. Having made a flight around the globe, he returned safely to Earth in 108 minutes. The pilot-cosmonaut Major was on board the ship.
The weight of the satellite spacecraft is 4,725 kilograms (excluding the last stage of the launch vehicle), the total engine power of the rocket is 20 million horsepower.

The first flight took place in automatic mode, in which the cosmonaut was, as it were, a passenger on the spacecraft. However, at any moment he could switch the ship to manual control. Throughout the flight, two-way radio communication was maintained with the cosmonaut.

In orbit, Gagarin conducted the simplest experiments: he drank, ate, took notes with a pencil. "Putting" the pencil next to him, he accidentally discovered that he immediately began to float away. From this, Gagarin concluded that it is better to tie pencils and other objects in space. He recorded all his feelings and observations on an onboard tape recorder.
After the successful completion of the intended research and the completion of the flight program at 10 o'clock. 55 minutes Moscow time, the satellite ship "Vostok" made a safe landing in a given area of the Soviet Union - near the village of Smelovka, Ternovsky district, Saratov region.

The first people who met the cosmonaut after the flight were the wife of the local forester Anna (Anikhayat) Takhtarova and her six-year-old granddaughter Rita. Soon, soldiers from the division and local collective farmers arrived at the scene. One group of military men took the descent vehicle under protection, and the other took Gagarin to the location of the unit. From there, Gagarin reported by phone to the commander of the air defense division:

I ask you to tell the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force: I completed the task, landed in the specified area, I feel well, there are no bruises or breakdowns. Gagarin

Immediately after Gagarin's landing, the burnt descent module Vostok-1 was covered with cloth and taken to Podlipki near Moscow, to the restricted area of the royal OKB-1. Later it became the main exhibit in the museum of the Energia rocket and space corporation that grew out of OKB-1. The museum was closed for a long time (it was possible to get into it, but it was quite difficult - only as part of a group, according to a preliminary letter), in May 2016 the Gagarin ship became publicly available as part of the exhibition.

The first round-the-world voyage of a submarine without surfacing

February 12, 1966 - a successful round-the-world voyage of two nuclear submarines of the Northern Fleet started. At the same time, our boats passed the entire route, the length of which exceeded the length of the equator, underwater, without surfacing even in the poorly studied regions of the Southern Hemisphere. The heroism and courage of Soviet submariners were of outstanding national importance and became a continuation of the military traditions of submariners of the Great Patriotic War.

They covered 25 thousand miles and showed the highest degree of secrecy, the duration of the voyage took 1.5 months

To participate in the campaign, two serial production submarines were allocated without any modifications. Missile boat K-116 of project 675 and the second boat K-133 of project 627A, which has torpedo armament.

In addition to its enormous political significance, it was an impressive demonstration of the scientific and technological achievements and military power of the state. The trip showed that the entire World Ocean has become a global launching pad for our nuclear submarines, armed with both cruise and ballistic missiles. At the same time, he opened up new opportunities for maneuvering forces between the Northern and Pacific fleets. More broadly, we can say that at the height of the Cold War, the historical role of our fleet was to change the strategic situation in the World Ocean, and Soviet submariners were the first to do this.

The first and only sailing in the history of solo circumnavigation of the world, performed on a pleasure sailing dinghy with a length of 5.5 meters

On July 7, 1992, Evgeny Aleksandrovich Gvozdev on the yacht "Lena" (class "micro", length only 5.5 meters) from Makhachkala set off on his first solo voyage around the world. On July 19, 1996, the trip was safely completed (it was 4 years and two weeks). This set a world record - the first and only voyage in the history of solo circumnavigation, performed on an ordinary pleasure sailing dinghy. Evgeny Gvozdev went on a long-awaited trip around the world when he was 58 years old.

Surprisingly, the ship lacked an auxiliary engine, radio, autopilot, and stove. But there was the coveted "sailor's passport", which the new Russian authorities issued to the yachtsman after a year of struggle. This document not only helped Yevgeny Gvozdev to cross the border in the direction he needed: in the future, Gvozdev traveled without money and without visas.
On his journey, our hero experienced a severe psychological shock after a collision with the treacherous Somali "partisans" who robbed him clean on the Ras Khafun Cape and almost shot him.

All his first trip around the world can be described in one word: "in spite of." The chance to survive was too scanty. Yevgeny Gvozdev himself sees the world differently: it is a world similar to a single brotherhood of good people, a world of complete disinterestedness, a world without obstacles to global conversion ...

In a hot air balloon around the Earth - Fedor Konyukhov

Fedor Konyukhov was the first in the world to fly around the Earth in a balloon (on the first try). A total of 29 attempts were made, and only three of them were successful. During the trip, Fedor Konyukhov set several world records, the main of which is the duration of the flight. The traveler managed to fly around the Earth in about 11 days, 5 hours and 31 minutes.
The balloon was a two-tier structure that combined the use of helium and solar energy. Its height is 60 meters. Below was attached a gondola, equipped with the best technical devices, from where Konyukhov piloted the ship.

I thought that I had committed so many sins that I would burn not in hell, but here

The trip took place under extreme conditions: the temperature dropped to -40 degrees, the balloon fell into a zone of strong turbulence with zero visibility, and also passed through a cyclone with hail and strong winds. Due to difficult weather conditions, the equipment broke down several times and Fedor had to manually fix the problems.

During the 11 days of the flight, Fedor hardly slept. According to him, even a moment's relaxation could lead to irreversible consequences. In moments when it was already impossible to fight sleep, he took an adjustable wrench and sat over an iron plate. As soon as the eyes closed, the hand released the key, it fell on the plate, making a noise, which made the balloonist instantly wake up. At the end of the journey, he did this procedure regularly. It nearly exploded at great altitude when, by mistake, various types of gas began to interfere. It's good that I managed to cut off the ignited balloon.
During the entire route, air traffic controllers at various airports around the world helped Konyukhov as best they could, clearing the airspace for him. So he flew the Pacific Ocean in 92 hours, crossed Chile and Argentina, circled the thunderstorm front over the Atlantic, passed the Cape of Good Hope and returned safely to Australia, from where he began his journey.

Fedor Konyukhov:

I flew around the Earth in 11 days, it is very small, it must be protected. We have no idea about it, we, people, only fight. The world is so beautiful - explore it, get to know

Russian travelers. Russia was becoming a great maritime power, and this posed new challenges for Russian geographers. V 1803-1806 was taken from Kronstadt to Alaska by ships "Hope" and "Neva"... It was headed by Admiral Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern (1770 - 1846). He was in command of the ship "Hope"... By ship "Neva" commanded by captain Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky (1773 - 1837). During the expedition, the islands of the Pacific Ocean, China, Japan, Sakhalin and Kamchatka were studied. Detailed maps of the explored sites were compiled. Lisyansky, having independently made his way from Hawaii to Alaska, collected a wealth of material about the peoples of Oceania and North America.

Map. The first Russian round-the-world expedition

The attention of researchers around the world has long been attracted by the mysterious area around the South Pole. It was assumed that there is a vast southern continent (names "Antarctica" was not in use then). English navigator J. Cook in the 70s of the 18th century. crossed the Antarctic Circle, came across impassable ice and declared that sailing further south was impossible. They believed him, and for 45 years no one undertook South Pole expeditions.

In 1819, Russia sent an expedition to the southern polar seas on two sloops led by Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen (1778 - 1852). He commanded the sloop "East"... The commander "Mirny" was Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev (1788 - 1851). Bellingshausen took part in the voyage of the Krusenstern. Lazarev later became famous as a combat admiral, who brought up a whole galaxy of Russian naval commanders (Kornilov, Nakhimov, Istomin).

"East" and "Peaceful" were not adapted to polar conditions and differed greatly among themselves in seaworthiness. "Peaceful" was stronger and "East"- faster. Only thanks to the great skill of the captains, the sloops never lost each other in stormy weather and poor visibility. Several times the ships found themselves on the brink of death.

But still Russian expedition managed to break through to the South much further than Cook. January 16, 1820 "East" and "Peaceful" almost came close to the Antarctic coast (in the area of the modern Bellingshausen ice shelf). Before them, as far as they could see, stretched a slightly hilly, icy desert. Perhaps they guessed that this was the southern continent, and not solid ice. But evidence could be obtained only by landing on the shore and making a journey far into the depths of the desert. The sailors did not have this opportunity. Therefore Bellingshausen, a very conscientious and accurate man, reported in a report that he was visible "Continent of ice"... Subsequently, geographers wrote that Bellingshausen "Saw the mainland, but did not identify it as such"... And yet this date is considered the day of the discovery of Antarctica. After that, the island of Peter I and the coast of Alexander I were discovered. In 1821 the expedition returned to its homeland, having completed a full voyage around the open continent.

Kostin V. "East and Mirny off the coast of Antarctica", 1820

In 1811, Russian sailors led by Captain Vasily Mikhailovich Golovkin (1776 - 1831) explored the Kuril Islands and were taken prisoner by the Japanese. Golovnin's notes about his three-year stay in Japan introduced Russian society to the life of this mysterious country. Golovnin's student Fyodor Petrovich Litke (1797 - 1882) explored the Arctic Ocean, the shores of Kamchatka, and South America. He founded the Russian Geographical Society, which played an important role in the development of geographical science.

Major geographical discoveries in the Russian Far East are associated with the name of Gennady Ivanovich Nevelskoy (1814-1876). Rejecting the court career that was opening before him, he achieved the appointment of commander of a military transport "Baikal"... On it he was in 1848 - 1849. sailed from Kronstadt around Cape Horn to Kamchatka, and then headed the Amur expedition. He opened the mouth of the Amur, a strait between Sakhalin and the mainland, proving that Sakhalin is an island, not a peninsula.

Amur expedition of Nevelskoy

Expeditions of Russian travelers, in addition to purely scientific results, were of great importance in the mutual knowledge of peoples. In distant countries, locals often learned about Russia for the first time from Russian travelers. In turn, the Russian people collected information about other countries and peoples.

Russian America

Russian America ... Alaska was discovered in 1741 by the expedition of V. Bering and A. Chirikov. The first Russian settlements on the Aleutian Islands and Alaska appeared in the 18th century. In 1799, Siberian merchants engaged in trades in Alaska united into the Russian-American Company, which was assigned a monopoly on the use of the natural resources of this region. The company's management was initially located in Irkutsk, and then moved to St. Petersburg. The main source of income for the company was the fur trade. For many years (until 1818), the main ruler of Russian America was A. A. Baranov, a native of the merchants of Kargopol, Olonets province.

The Russian population of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands was small (in different years from 500 to 830 people). All in all, about 10 thousand people lived in Russian America, mainly Aleuts, inhabitants of the islands and the coast of Alaska. They willingly drew close to the Russians, were baptized into the Orthodox faith, adopted various crafts and clothes. Men wore jackets and frock coats, women wore chintz dresses. The girls tied their hair with a ribbon and dreamed of marrying a Russian.

A different matter - the Indians who lived in the interior of Alaska. They were hostile to the Russians, believing that it was they who brought previously unknown diseases to their country - smallpox and measles. In 1802 the Tlingit Indians ( "Ears", as the Russians called them) attacked the Russian-Aleutian settlement on about. Sith, they all burned and killed many of the inhabitants. Only in 1804 the island was conquered. Baranov founded the fortress Novo-Arkhangelsk on it, which became the capital of Russian America. A church, a shipping yard and workshops were built in Novo-Arkhangelsk. The library has collected more than 1200 books.

After Baranov's resignation, the post of chief ruler began to be occupied by naval officers, inexperienced in commercial matters. Fur wealth was gradually depleted. The company's financial affairs were shaken, it began to receive government benefits. But geographic research has expanded. Especially - in remote areas, which were indicated on the maps with a white spot.

The expedition of L.A. Zagoskin in 1842 - 1844 was of particular importance. Lavrenty Zagoskin, a native of Penza, was the nephew of the famous writer M. Zagoskin. He described his impressions of the difficult and long expedition in the book "Pedestrian Inventory of Part of Russian Possessions in America"... Zagoskin described the basins of the main rivers of Alaska (Yukon and Kuskokwim) and collected information about the climate of these regions, their natural world, the life of the local population, with whom he managed to establish friendly relations. Written lively and talented, "Pedestrian inventory" combined scientific value and artistic merit.

I. Ye. Veniaminov spent about a quarter of a century in Russian America. Arriving in Novo-Arkhangelsk as a young missionary, he immediately took up the study of the Aleutian language, and later wrote a textbook on its grammar. On about. Unalaska, where he lived for a long time, a church was built by his efforts and care, a school and a hospital were opened. He regularly conducted meteorological and other field observations. When Benjaminov took monastic vows, he was named Innocent. Soon he became bishop of Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleutian.

In the 50s of the XIX century. the Russian government began to pay special attention to the study of the Amur region and the Ussuri region. Interest in Russian America has declined markedly. she miraculously escaped capture by the British. In fact, the distant colony was and remained unprotected. For the state treasury, devastated as a result of the war, the annual large payments of the Russian-American company became a burden. I had to make a choice between the development of the Far East (Amur and Primorye) and Russian America. The issue was discussed for a long time, and in the end an agreement was concluded with the US government to sell Alaska for $ 7.2 million. On October 6, 1867, the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag was raised in Novo-Arkhangelsk. Russia peacefully left Alaska, leaving future generations of its inhabitants the results of their labors on its study and development.

Document: From the diary of F.F. Bellingshausen

January 10 (1821). ... At noon the wind moved to the east and became fresher. Unable to go south of the solid ice we were meeting, we had to continue our journey in anticipation of a safe wind. Meanwhile, sea swallows gave us a reason to conclude that there is a coast in the vicinity of this place.

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon we saw a blackening spot. I knew at first glance through the chimney that I could see the shore. The sun's rays, coming out of the clouds, illuminated this place, and, to the general delight, everyone made sure that they could see the bank covered with snow: only talus and rocks, on which the snow could not resist, turned black.

It is impossible to express in words the joy that appeared on the faces of everyone when they exclaimed: “Shore! Shore!" This delight was not surprising after a long uniform voyage in endless perilous dangers, between ice, with snow, rain, slush and fog ... The coast we found gave us hope that there must certainly be other shores, for the existence of only one in such a vast expanse of water it seemed impossible to us.

11 January. From midnight the sky was covered with thick clouds, the air was filled with mist, the wind was fresh. We continued to follow the same course to the north, so that, turning, to lie closer to the coast. In the course of the morning, after clearing the cloudiness sweeping over the coast, when the sun's rays illuminated it, we saw a high island, stretching from N0 61 ° to S, covered with snow. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, having approached a distance of 14 miles from the coast, we met solid ice, which prevented us from approaching even closer, it is better to survey the coast and take something of curiosity and preservation worthy in the museum of the Admiralty Department. Having reached the ice with the sloop "Vostok", I brought them to another tack to drift in order to wait for the sloop "Mirny", which was behind us. As Mirny approached, we raised flags: Lieutenant Lazarev congratulated me via telegraph on the acquisition of the island; on both sloops they put people on the shrouds and shouted a mutual "hurray" three times. At this time, it was ordered to give the sailors a glass of punch. I called Lieutenant Lazarev to my place, he told me that he saw all the ends of the coast clearly and well defined their position. The island was quite clearly visible, especially the lower parts, which are made up of steep rocky cliffs.

I called this island the high name of the culprit for the existence of the military fleet in Russia - the island.