Leader of the 1st Russian circumnavigation. The first Russian trip around the world

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 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

He was able to prove that even being a member of a poor peasant family, you 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.

Semyon Dezhnev, who founded the Anadyr fortress

In 1643, as part of a detachment of explorers, Semyon Ivanovich discovered Kolyma, where he and his associates founded the city of Srednekolymsk. 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 continent, later called Cape Dezhnev. An island, a peninsula, a bay, and a village also bear his name.

In 1648, Dezhnev hit the road again. His ship was wrecked in the waters located in the southern part of the Anadyr River. Having arrived on skis, the sailors went up the river and stayed there for the winter. Subsequently, this place appeared on geographical maps and received the name Anadyr fort. As a result of the expedition, the traveler was able to make detailed descriptions and draw up a map of those places.

Vitus Jonassen Bering, who organized expeditions to Kamchatka

The discovery of the Kamchatka and Ozerny peninsulas, the Kamchatka, Krest, Karaginsky bays, Provedeniya Bay, and St. Lawrence Island 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.

The second expedition was undertaken by them to find a way to North America and study the Pacific Islands. On this journey, Bering and Chirikov founded the Peter and Paul fort. It took its name from the combined names of their ships (“St. Peter” and “St. 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, due to heavy fog. "St. Peter", controlled by Bering, sailed to the west coast of America, but was caught in 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 completed his voyage safely, having discovered several islands of the Aleutian ridge on the way back.

Khariton and Dmitry Laptev and their “name” sea

Each of the brothers made a significant contribution to the development of new territories. Dmitry became the first navigator to take photographs of the coast from the mouth of the Lena to the mouth of the Kolyma. He compiled detailed maps of these places, using mathematical calculations and astronomical data as a basis.

Khariton Laptev and his associates conducted research on the northernmost section of the Siberian coast. It was he who determined the dimensions and outlines of the huge Taimyr Peninsula - he carried out surveys of 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 - Khariton Laptev’s team had to endure a lot. But they continued the work they had started. On this expedition, Laptev's assistant Chelyuskin discovered a cape, which was later named in his honor.

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 the island of Bolshoy Lyakhovsky is named in honor of Dmitry, and the western coast of the island of Taimyr is named after Khariton.

Krusenstern and Lisyansky - organizers of the first Russian circumnavigation

This trip allowed us to collect important information. Based on the data obtained by the sailors, a detailed map of the Pacific Ocean was compiled. Another important result of the first Russian round-the-world expedition was the data obtained about the flora and fauna of the Kuril Islands 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 Krusenstern and asked why his ship had arrived where the Russian flag had never been. To which I received the answer that they are here solely for the glory and development of domestic science.

Vasily Golovnin - the first navigator who was rescued from Japanese captivity

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 located within the borders of their native country. Diana's path was not easy. The sloop passed the island of Tristan da Cunha, passed the Cape of Hope and entered a port owned by 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. Having spent more than a year in this situation, in mid-May 1809 the Diana, led by Golovnin, tried to escape, which the sailors successfully succeeded in doing - the ship arrived in Kamchatka.

Golovnin received his next important task in 1811 - he was supposed to compile 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 team from captivity only thanks to the good relations between 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 before this, no one in history had ever returned from Japanese captivity.

In 1817-1819, Vasily Mikhailovich made another trip around the world on the Kamchatka ship, specially built for this purpose.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev - discoverers of Antarctica

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 occurred on January 28, 1820. Also, during the trip, about two dozen islands were found and mapped, sketches of Antarctic views, and images of representatives of the Antarctic fauna were created.

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 were simply impossible to reach by sea. But the Russian travelers had enough perseverance and determination, so the names of Bellingshausen and Lazarev were included in the lists of the greatest navigators of the world.

There are also modern travelers. One of them .

The first Russian trip around the world under the leadership of I. F. Krusenstern and Yu. F. Lisyansky began

Their traditions will soon be continued by O. E. Kotzebue, who was one of I. F. Krusenstern’s students and participated in the first voyage as a volunteer cabin boy. O. E. Kotzebue, with the assistance of his teacher, will lead in 1815 the second Russian round-the-world voyage on the brig "Rurik", which will continue until 1818. In 1823–1826, O. E. Kotzebue will lead the next round-the-world voyage on a sloop " Company". During his voyages, he would discover many islands in the Pacific Ocean, as well as a strait southeast of the Bering Strait (later named after the navigator).

Another participant in the first circumnavigation of the world, F. F. Bellingshausen, will lead a new voyage in 1819. Together with M. P. Lazarev, a round-the-world Antarctic expedition will be made on the sloops “Vostok” and “Mirny” in 1819–1821. On July 28 (16), 1819, a new continent - Antarctica - will be discovered and the long-standing misconception that it does not exist or is impossible to reach will be overcome. Several dozen islands will also be open. This is one of the most difficult and significant trips around the world.

In 1826–1829 A circumnavigation took place under the command of M. N. Stanyukovich and F. P. Litke on the sloops “Moller” and “Senyavin”, respectively. M. N. Stanyukovich was supposed to describe the coast of western America (east of the Bering Strait) and the eastern sector of the central Pacific Ocean. F.P. Litka was commissioned to study the western sector of the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the coast of Asia (from the Bering Strait to Sakhalin). The significance of the latter's discoveries was much higher, although formally F.P. Litke was subordinate to M.N. Stanyukovich. In addition to its geographical significance, this expedition made a great contribution to the study of biology, zoology, and ethnography.

The collection, dedicated to the 215th anniversary of the first Russian circumnavigation, presents research, archival documents from the Russian Air Force and the Russian State Historical Archive, video footage and visual materials. The collection includes general studies on geography about circumnavigation of the world, works by participants of both the first expedition: I. F. Kruzenshtern, Yu. F. Lisyansky, N. P. Rezanov, F. I. Shemelin, and others: O. E. Kotzebue, F. F. Bellingshausen, F. P. Litke. Particular attention is paid to archival documents: instructions and certificates to expedition participants, materials on the history of publication of participants’ research. A separate section consists of information about the professional and scientific activities of expedition participants after the trip. The collection also includes images of monuments to I.F. Krusenstern and M.P. Lazarev.

To prepare the collection, scientific works of modern researchers and expedition members, archival and visual materials from central and regional Russian libraries (Presidential Library, Russian State Library, State Public Historical Library, Central Naval Library, Moscow Regional State Scientific Library), archives were used (Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, Russian State Historical Archive), higher educational institutions (Ural Federal University, Russian State Pedagogical University named after A.I. Herzen), scientific centers and museums (Russian Geographical Society, Children's Postcard Museum), as well as from private collections.

Science and Life No. 5 for 1940

On August 7, 1803, two ships set out on a long voyage from Kronstadt. These were the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva”, on which Russian sailors were to travel around the world. The head of the expedition was Lieutenant Commander Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, the commander of the Nadezhda. “Neva” was commanded by Lieutenant Commander Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky. Both were experienced sailors who had previously taken part in long voyages. Krusenstern improved his skills in maritime affairs in England, took part in the Anglo-French War, and was in America, India, and China.

Captain Lisyansky (1773-1837), after graduating from the Naval Corps, sailed in the Baltic Sea, took part in the war with the Swedes in 1793-1800) and served as a volunteer in the English navy. In 1803-1806. with the rank of lieutenant-commander, commanding the ship Neva*, he circumnavigated the world with Kruaenstern and founded the New Arkhangelsk port in Alaska. Translated John Clark’s “Movement of the Fleet*” into Russian (1803) and compiled “Description of a Voyage Around the World” (1812), translated by him into English.

Kruzenshtern project

During his travels, Krusenstern came up with a bold project, the implementation of which was aimed at promoting the expansion of trade relations between Russians and China. Tireless energy was needed to interest the tsarist government in the project, and Kruzenshtern achieved this.

During the Great Northern Expedition (1733-1743), conceived by Peter I and carried out under the command of Bering, vast regions in North America, called Russian America, were visited and annexed to Russia.

Russian industrialists began to visit the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands, and the fame of the fur riches of these places penetrated to St. Petersburg. However, communication with “Russian America” at that time was extremely difficult. We drove through Siberia, heading to Irkutsk, then to Yakutsk and Okhotsk. From Okhotsk they sailed to Kamchatka and, after waiting for summer, across the Bering Sea to America. The delivery of supplies and ship gear necessary for fishing was especially expensive. It was necessary to remove the long ones into pieces and ate delivery to the place to fasten them again; They did the same with prices for anchors and sails.

In 1799, the companies united to create a large fishery under the supervision of trusted clerks who lived permanently in the fishing business. The so-called Russian-American Company arose. However, the profits from the sale of furs largely went to cover travel costs.

Kruzenshtern's project was this. so that instead of a difficult and long journey by land, establish communication with the American possessions of the Russians by sea. On the other hand, Kruzenshtern suggested a closer point of sale for furs, namely China, where furs were in great demand and were very expensive. To implement the project, it was necessary to undertake a long journey and explore this new path for the Russians.

After reading Kruzenshtern’s project, Paul I muttered: “What nonsense!” - and this was enough for the bold initiative to be buried for several years in the affairs of the Naval Department. Under Alexander I, Kruzenshtern again began to achieve his goal. He was helped by the fact that Alexander himself owned shares in the Russian-American Company. The travel project was approved.

Preparations

It was necessary to purchase ships, since in Russia there were no ships suitable for long-distance voyages; the ships were purchased in London. Kruzenshtern knew that the trip would provide a lot of new things for science, so he invited several scientists and the painter Kurlyantsev to participate in the expedition.

The expedition was relatively well equipped with precision instruments for conducting various observations, and had a large collection of books, nautical charts and other aids necessary for long voyages.

Krusenstern was advised to take English sailors on the voyage, but he vigorously protested, and a Russian crew was recruited.

Krusenstern paid special attention to the preparation and equipment of the expedition. Both equipment for sailors and individual, mainly anti-scorbutic, food products were purchased by Lisyansky in England,

Having approved the expedition, the king decided to use it to send an ambassador to Japan. The embassy had to repeat the attempt to establish relations with Japan, which at that time the Russians knew almost completely: Japan traded only with Holland; all ports remained closed to other countries. In addition to gifts to the Japanese emperor, the embassy mission was supposed to take home several Japanese who accidentally ended up in Russia after a shipwreck and lived in it for quite a long time.

After much preparation, the ships set out to sea.

Sailing to Cape Horn

The first stop was in Copenhagen. At the Copenhagen Observatory, instruments were checked and supplies were also inspected.

Having departed from the coast of Denmark, the ships headed for the English port of Folmouth. While staying in England, the expedition acquired additional astronomical instruments.

From England, ships headed south along the eastern shore of the Atlantic Ocean. On October 20, “Nadezhda” and “Neva” arrived at the roadstead of the small Spanish city of Santa Cruz, located on the island of Tenerife.

The expedition stocked up on food, fresh water, and wine. The sailors, walking around the city, saw the poverty of the population and witnessed the tyranny of the Inquisition. In his notes, Kruzenshtern noted:

“It is terrible for a free-thinking person to live in a world where the evil of the Inquisition and the unlimited autocracy of the governor act in full force, spreading the life and death of every citizen.”

After leaving Tenerife, the expedition headed to the shores of South America. During the voyage, scientists studied the temperature of different layers of water. An interesting phenomenon was noticed, the so-called “sea glow”.

A member of the expedition, naturalist Tilesius, found that the light was provided by the smallest organisms, which were found in large numbers in the water. The carefully strained water stopped glowing.

On November 23, 1803, the ships crossed the equator, and on December 21, they entered the Portuguese possessions, which at that time included Brazil, and dropped anchor off Catherine Island. The mast needed to be repaired. The stop made it possible to carry out astronomical observations at the observatory installed on the shore - Kruzenshtern notes large

natural resources of the region, in particular tree species. It contains up to 80 samples of valuable wood species that could be traded.

Off the coast of Brazil, observations were made of the ebb and flow of tides, the direction of sea currents, and water temperatures at various depths.

The voyage from Catherine Island to Cape Horn lasted 4 weeks. The expedition saw many whales.

To the shores of Kamchatka and Japan

Near Cape Horn, the ships were forced to separate due to stormy weather. The meeting place was set at Easter Island or Nukagiwa Island.

Having safely rounded Cape Horn, Krusenstern headed for the island of Nukagiwa and anchored in the port of Anna Maria. The sailors met two Europeans on the island - an Englishman and a Frenchman, who lived with the islanders for several years. The islanders brought coconuts, breadfruit and bananas in exchange for old metal hoops. Russian sailors visited the island. Kruzenshtern gives a description of the appearance of the islanders, their tattoos, jewelry, homes, and dwells on the characteristics of life and social relations.

"Neva" arrived to Nukagiwa Island late, as Lisyansky was looking for "Nadezhda" near Easter Island. Lisyansky also reports a number of interesting information about the population of the Easter fort, the clothes of the inhabitants, their dwellings, and gives a description of the remarkable monuments erected on the shore, which Laperue mentioned in his notes.

After sailing from the shores of Nukagiwa, the expedition headed to the Hawaiian Islands. There Krusenstern intended to stock up on food, especially fresh meat, which the sailors had not had for a long time. However, what Kruzenshtern offered the islanders in exchange did not satisfy them, since the ships that moored the Hawaiian Islands often brought European goods here

The Hawaiian Islands were the point of the journey where the ships had to separate. From here, the Nadezhda route went to Kamchatka and then to Japan, and the Neva was supposed to follow to the northwestern shores of America. The meeting took place in China, in the small Portuguese port of Macau, where the purchased furs were to be sold. The ships parted.

On July 14, 1804, “Nadezhda” entered Avacha Bay and dropped anchor near the city of Petropavlovsk. The goods brought for Kamchatka were unloaded in Petropavlovsk. They also repaired the ship's salvages, which had become very worn out during the long journey. In Kamchatka, the main food of the expedition was fresh fish, which, however, they could not stock up on for further voyages due to the high cost and lack of the required amount of salt.

On August 30, Nadezhda left Petropavlovsk and headed for Japan. Almost a month passed at sea. On September 28, the sailors saw the shore of the island of Kiu-Siu (Kyu-Syu). Heading towards the port of Nagasaki. Kruzenshtern explored the Japanese shores, which have many bays and islands. He was able to establish that on the nautical maps of that time, in a number of cases, the coasts of Japan were marked incorrectly.

Having dropped anchor in Nagasaki, Kruzenshtern notified the local governor of the arrival of the Russian ambassador. However, the sailors did not receive permission to go ashore. The issue of receiving the ambassador had to be decided by the emperor himself, who lived in Ieddo, so he had to wait. Only 1.5 months later, the governor set aside a certain place on the shore, surrounded by a fence, where sailors could walk. Even later, after repeated appeals from Kruzenshtern, the governor set aside a house for the ambassador on the shore.

Weeks passed. Only on March 30, a representative of the emperor arrived in Nagasaki, who was tasked with negotiating with the ambassador. At the second meeting, the commissioner reported that the Japanese emperor had refused to sign a trade agreement with Russia and that Russian ships were not allowed to enter Japanese ports. The Japanese, brought to their homeland, finally had the opportunity to leave Nadezhda.

Back to Petropavlovsk

Having spent more than six months in Japan, but almost never leaving the ship, Kruzenshtern still managed to collect some information about the population of this country, almost unknown to Europeans at that time.

From Japan, Nadezhda headed back to Kamchatka. Kruzenshtern decided to return by a different route - along the western coast of Japan, which was almost unexplored by Europeans at that time. "Nadezhda" sailed along the shores of the island of Nipon (Hopsu). explored the Sangar Strait, passed the western shores of the island of Ieeso (Hokkaido). Reaching the northern tip

Yeeso. Krusenstern saw the Ainu, who also lived in the southern part of Sakhalin. In his notes, he gives a description of the physical appearance of the Ainu, their clothing, homes, and activities.

Following on. Krusenstern carefully explored the shores of Sakhalin. However, he was prevented from continuing his journey to the northern tip of Sakhalin by an accumulation of ice. Kruzenshtern decided to go to Petropavlovsk. In Petropavlovsk, the ambassador and the naturalist Langsdorf disembarked from the Nadezhda, and after some time Kruzenshtern sent them to continue exploring the shores of Sakhalin. Having reached the northern tip of the island, Nadezhda went around Sakhalin and went along its western coast. In view of the fact that the departure date for China was approaching. Kruzenshtern decided to return to Petropavlovsk in order to better prepare for this second part of the voyage.

From Petropavlovsk, Kruzenshtern sent to St. Petersburg the maps and drawings compiled during the trip so that they would not be lost in the event of an accident that could happen during the return voyage. During his stay in Kamchatka, Krusenstern compiled a description of this country, complementing the works of Krasheninnikov and Staller.

The shores of Petropavlovsk, Kruzenshtern writes casually, are covered with scattered stinking fish, over which hungry dogs squabble over the rotting remains, which is an extremely disgusting sight. Upon reaching the shore, you will look in vain for constructed roads or even for any convenient path leading to the city, about which not a single well-built house can be seen... Near it there is not a single green good plain, not a single garden, not a single decent vegetable gardens that would show traces of cultivation. We only saw 10 cows grazing between the houses.”

This was Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky back then. Kruzenshtern points out that the supply of bread and salt almost did not provide for the population. Krusenstern left the salt and cereals received as a gift in Japan for the population of Kamchatka.

The population of Kamchatka also suffered from scurvy. There was almost no medical care, and there was not enough medicine. Describing the plight of the residents of Kamchatka. Kruzenshtern pointed out the need to improve supplies and the possibility of developing agriculture there. He especially noted the extremely difficult situation of the native population - the Kamchadals, who were robbed and drunk with vodka by Russian fur buyers.

Sailing to China

Having completed the necessary work on repairing the rigging and renewing the food supply, Kruzenshtern headed to China. The weather prevented routine surveys to locate the island. In addition, Krusenstern was in a hurry to arrive in China.

On a stormy night, Nadezhda passed the strait off the island of Formosa and anchored in the port of Macau on November 20.

At a time when Kruzenshtern traveled with the ambassador to Japan and explored the shores of Japan, Sakhalin and Kamchatka. "Neva" visited the islands of Kodiak and Sithu, where the possessions of the Russian-American Company were located. Lisyansky brought the necessary supplies there and then set sail along the coast of the northwestern part of America.

Lisyansky recorded a large amount of information about the Indians and collected a whole collection of their household items. “Neva” sang off the coast of America for almost a year and a half. Lisyansky was late for the meeting date planned by Kruzenshtern, but the Neva was loaded with valuable furs that had to be transported to China.

Upon arrival in Macau, Krusenstern learned that the Neva had not yet arrived. He informed the governor about the purpose of his arrival, but before the arrival of the Neva, Nadezhda was asked to leave Macau, where military vessels were prohibited from docking. However, Kruzenshtern managed to persuade the local authorities, assuring them that the Neva would soon arrive with a valuable cargo that was of interest to Chinese trade.

The Neva arrived on December 3 with a large cargo of furs. However, it was not immediately possible to ask permission for both ships to enter the harbor near Canton, and Kruzenshtern headed there together with Lisyansky on the Neva. Only after intense efforts Kruzenshtern received this permission, promising to sell a large number of Chinese goods.

Significant difficulties were also encountered when selling furs, since the Chinese buyers did not dare to enter into trade relations with the Russians, not knowing how the Chinese government would look at it. However, Kruzenshern, through a local English trading office, managed to find a Chinese merchant who bought the imported cargo. Having shipped the furs, the Russians began loading tea and other purchased Chinese goods, but at this time their export was prohibited until permission was received from Beijing. Again, lengthy efforts were required to obtain this permission.

Homecoming.

Expedition results

Kruzenshtern's expedition made the first attempt to establish maritime trade relations with China - before that, Russian trade with China was carried out by land through Kyakhta. Kruzenshtern in his notes characterized the state of Chinese trade at that time and indicated the ways along which trade with the Russians could develop.

On February 9, 1806, “Nadezhda” and “Neva” left Canton and headed back to their homeland. This path lay across the Indian Ocean, past the Cape of Good Hope and further along a route well known to Europeans.

On August 19, 1806, Nadezhda approached Kronstadt. The Neva was already there, having arrived a little earlier. The journey, which lasted three years, was over.

The journey of Krusenstern and Lisyansky gave a lot of new knowledge to a number of areas of the globe. The research carried out enriched science, and valuable material was collected necessary for the development of navigation. During the voyage, astronomical and meteorological observations were systematically made, the temperature of different layers of water was determined, and depth measurements were taken. During the long stay in Nagasaki, observations were made of the ebb and flow of the tides.

The expedition carried out work to compile new maps and check old ones. Dr. Tilesius compiled a large atlas illustrating the nature and population of the countries visited.

The expedition's observations of the life of the inhabitants of the countries visited were extremely interesting.

Attached to Kruzenshtern's travel notes are Chukchi and Ainu dictionaries, given to him by Lieutenant Koshelev and Lieutenant Davydov.

The household items brought by the expedition from the Pacific Islands and North America are extremely interesting. These things were transferred to the Museum of Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences. The notes of Krusenstern and Lisyansky were published.

The round-the-world voyage on the Nadezhda and Neva wrote a glorious page in the history of Russian navigation.

Science and Life No. 5 for 1940

On August 7, 1803, two sloops left the port of Kronstadt. On their sides were the names “Nadezhda” and “Neva”, although more recently they bore other names - “Leander” and “Thames”. It was under new names that these ships, purchased by Emperor Alexander I in England, were destined to go down in history as the first Russian ships to circumnavigate the entire globe. The idea of ​​a round-the-world expedition belonged to Alexander I and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Nikolai Rumyantsev. It was assumed that its participants would collect as much information as possible about the countries that would be on their way - about their nature and about the life of their people. And in addition, it was planned to establish diplomatic relations with Japan, through which the travelers’ route also passed.
Yuri Lisyansky, captain of the sloop "Neva"

Conflicts on board

Reinforcements for the colonists

Triumphant return

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 trip around the world

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 journeys at all. Mulovsky himself was killed in the battle near 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 Krusenstern and the money of the Russian-American Company.

Ivan Fedorovich (born Adam Johann) Krusenstern was a descendant of a Russified German family. Born on November 8 (19), 1770, he lived and studied in Reval (the former name of Tallinn), then in the Naval Cadet Corps in Kronstadt. In 1788, he was promoted ahead of schedule to midshipman and assigned to the ship "Mstislav", the captain of which was the failed leader of the circumnavigation of the world, Mulovsky. Naturally, conversations about the preparation of the expedition, discussion of its plans, could not but leave a deep imprint in the soul of the inquisitive 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 further convinced the young sailor of the need to explore distant borders with the Russian fleet, which could bring considerable benefits to commercial affairs. While serving in the English fleet, Krusenstern began to develop his plan for a circumnavigation of the world, which he presented upon his return to St. Petersburg. His ideas were received coldly and only the enthusiastic support of the then minister, Admiral Mordvinov, and State Chancellor, Count Rumyantsev, allowed the matter to move forward.

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

The purpose of the expedition was to deliver the goods they needed to our American colonies, accept there a cargo of furs, which were to be sold or exchanged in Chinese ports for local goods and deliver the latter to Kronstadt. This main goal was also supplemented by carrying out hydrographic surveys in designated places and delivering the embassy to Japan to establish trade relations with this country. Chamberlain Rezanov, one of the main shareholders of the RAC, was appointed envoy to Japan. Both ships were allowed to have 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 journey, 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 salvo 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.

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 to everyone on the website of the Russian State Library (links are provided at the end of the post).

Sloops "Nadezhda" and "Neva"

The sloops “Nadezhda” and “Neva” were purchased 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 materials for repairs worth another £5,000. The ships arrived in Kronstadt on June 5, 1803.

"Nadezhda" (aka "Leander") was launched in 1800. According to the classification of English ships of that time, sloop. The greatest length along the hull is 34.2 meters, length along the waterline is 29.2 meters. The greatest width is 8.84 meters. Displacement - 450 tons, draft - 3.86 meters, crew 58 people. The sloop was built for the merchant T. Huggins for trade between England and Africa. After returning from the trip, 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 was lost in ice off the coast of Denmark.

The Neva (formerly the Thames, no matter how strange it may sound) was launched in 1802. Like the Leander, it was a three-masted sloop armed with 14 small carronades. Displacement - 370 tons, maximum length with bowsprit - 61 m, crew 43 people.

The journey for the Neva was by no means calm. "Neva" played a key role in the battle on the island. Sitka in 1804, when the Russians recaptured Fort St. Michael the Archangel from the Tlingit, who had captured it in 1802. In 1804, Alexander Baranov, general manager of the Russian-American Company, failed in his attempts to retake the fort. Baranov had at his disposal only 120 soldiers on four small ships and 800 Aleuts on 300 canoes (this is related to the question of how much force we had in Alaska, whether it was worth selling it or not, and could Russia keep it if something happened, if a gang from the key fort the Indians could not be knocked out for 2 years). At the end of September 1804, the Neva and three other smaller sailing ships launched another siege of the fort, supported by 150 armed fur traders, as well as 400-500 Aleuts with 250 canoes. The attack was successful and the region returned to Russian control.

In June 1807, the sloop Neva was the first Russian ship to visit Australia.

In August 1812, the Neva sailed from Okhotsk with a cargo of furs. The transition turned out to be difficult, the ship was pretty battered by storms, and part of the crew died of scurvy. The crew decided to sail to Novo-Arkhangelsk, but before reaching their destination only a few kilometers, the sloop, in stormy weather on the night of January 9, 1813, ran into the rocks and was wrecked near Kruzov Island. The crew was left with 28 people who managed to swim to the shore and wait out the winter of 1813.

About the brand

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

The stamps were also issued in small sheets.

The circulation of stamps is 800,000 pieces, small sheets are 130,000 pieces. Paper - coated, intaglio printing plus metallography, perforation - frame 12 x 11½.

"Neva" and "Nadezhda" on other stamps

Stamps commemorating the trip were issued by our neighbors, formerly sister republics, Estonia and Ukraine. Philately is not at all alien to politics, and as in the case of the Dane