Famous travelers of the world. Famous travelers and their great discoveries

Russian travelers in the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th centuries. Names of discoverers, navigators and their discoveries.

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Russian travelers in the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th centuries. Names of the discoverers and their discoveries.

Russian navigators, along with European ones, are the most famous pioneers who discovered new continents, sections of mountain ranges and vast water areas.

They became the pioneers of significant geographical objects, took the first steps in the development of hard-to-reach territories, and traveled around the world. So who are they, the conquerors of the seas, and what exactly did the world learn about thanks to them?

Afanasy Nikitin - the very first Russian traveler

Afanasy Nikitin is rightfully considered the first Russian traveler who managed to visit India and Persia (1468-1474, according to other sources 1466-1472). On the way back he visited Somalia, Turkey, and Muscat. Based on his travels, Afanasy compiled the notes “Walking across the Three Seas,” which became popular and unique historical and literary aids. These notes became the first book in Russian history written not in the format of a story about a pilgrimage, but describing political, economic and cultural characteristics territories.

Afanasy Nikitin

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, passenger train and aircraft

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Semyon Dezhnev, who founded the Anadyr fortress

Cossack ataman Semyon Dezhnev was an Arctic navigator who became the discoverer of a number of geographical objects. Wherever Semyon Ivanovich served, everywhere he sought to study new and previously unknown things. He was even able to cross the East Siberian Sea on a homemade kocha, going from Indigirka to Alazeya.

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.

Semyon Dezhnev

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 Anadyrsky fort. As a result of the expedition, the traveler was able to do detailed descriptions, make a map of those places.

Vitus Jonassen Bering, who organized expeditions to Kamchatka

Two Kamchatka expeditions inscribed the names of Vitus Bering and his associate Alexei Chirikov into the history of marine discoveries. During the first voyage, the navigators conducted research and were able to supplement the geographical atlas with objects located in Northeast Asia and on the Pacific coast of Kamchatka.

The discovery of the Kamchatka and Ozerny peninsulas, the 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.

Vitus Bering

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

Cousins Khariton and Dmitry Laptev were like-minded people and assistants to Vitus Bering. It was he who appointed Dmitry as commander of the ship “Irkutsk”, and his double boat “Yakutsk” was led by Khariton. They took part in the Great Northern Expedition, the purpose of which was to study, accurately describe and map the Russian shores of the ocean, from the Yugorsky Shar to Kamchatka.

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 and Dmitry Laptev

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 Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island is named in honor of Dmitry, and Khariton is named after West Coast Taimyr Islands.

Krusenstern and Lisyansky - organizers of the first Russian circumnavigation

Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky are the first Russian navigators to complete trip around the world. Their expedition lasted three years (began in 1803 and ended in 1806). They and their teams set off on two ships, which were named “Nadezhda” and “Neva”. The travelers passed through Atlantic Ocean, entered the waters Pacific Ocean. The sailors followed them to Kuril Islands, Kamchatka and Sakhalin.

Ivan KrusensternThis trip made it possible to collect important information. Based on data obtained by seafarers, a detailed map Pacific Ocean. Another important result of the first Russian round-the-world expedition was the data obtained on 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 Kruzenshtern 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

Russian navigator Vasily Golovnin led two expeditions around the world. In 1806, he, being in the rank of lieutenant, received a new appointment and became commander of the sloop "Diana". Interestingly, this is the only case in the history of the Russian fleet when a lieutenant was entrusted with the control of a ship.

The leadership set the goal of the round-the-world expedition to study the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, with special attention to that part of it that is 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. After being in this position more than a year, in mid-May 1809, the Diana, led by Golovnin, tried to escape, but the sailors successfully succeeded - the ship arrived in Kamchatka.

Vasily Golovin 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

Captain of the second rank Thaddeus Bellingshausen was determined to find the truth in the question of the existence of the sixth continent. In 1819, he went out to the open sea, carefully preparing two sloops - Mirny and Vostok. The latter was commanded by his like-minded friend Mikhail Lazarev. The first round-the-world Antarctic expedition set itself other tasks. In addition to finding irrefutable facts confirming or refuting the existence of Antarctica, the travelers planned to explore the waters of three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen The results of this expedition exceeded all expectations. During the 751 days that it lasted, Bellingshausen and Lazarev were able to make several significant geographical discoveries. Of course, the most important of them is the existence of Antarctica, this historical event 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.

Mikhail Lazarev

Interestingly, attempts to discover Antarctica were made more than once, but none of them were successful. European navigators believed that either it did not exist, or it was located in places that 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.

Yakov Sannikov

Yakov Sannikov (circa 1780, Ust-Yansk, Russian Empire - after 1811) - Russian merchant from Yakutsk, miner of arctic fox, mammoth tusks and explorer of the New Siberian Islands.
Known as the discoverer of the ghost island “Sannikov Land”, which he saw from the New Siberian Islands. He discovered and described the islands of Stolbovaya (1800) and Faddeevsky (1805).
In 1808-1810 he participated in the expedition of the exiled Riga Swede M. M. Gedenstrom. In 1810 he crossed the island New Siberia, in 1811 bypassed Faddeevsky Island.
Sannikov expressed the opinion of the existence of a vast land north of the New Siberian Islands, in particular from Kotelny Island, called “Sannikov Land”.

After 1811, traces of Yakov Sannikov were lost. Neither his further occupation nor the year of death are known. In 1935, pilot Gratsiansky, who was flying in the lower reaches of the Lena River, near Kyusyur, discovered a tombstone with the inscription “Yakov Sannikov.” The strait through which today passes a section of the Northern Sea is named in his honor. sea route. Opened in 1773 by the Yakut industrialist Ivan Lyakhov. Initially, the strait was named after the expedition doctor E.V. Tolya V.N. Katina-Yartseva F.A. Mathisen. The current name was given by K.A. Vollosovich on his map, and in 1935 approved by the government of the USSR.

Grigory Shelikhov

Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov (Shelekhov; 1747, Rylsk - July 20, 1795, Irkutsk) - Russian explorer, navigator, industrialist and merchant from the Shelekhov family, who since 1775 has been involved in the development of commercial trade shipping between the Kuril and Aleutian island ranges. In 1783-1786 he led an expedition to Russian America, during which the first Russian settlements in North America were founded. He organized several trading and fishing companies, including in Kamchatka. Grigory Ivanovich developed new lands for the Russian Empire and was the initiator of the Russian-American company. Founder of the North-Eastern Company.

The bay was named in his honor. Shelikhov Bay (Kamchatka region, Russia) is located between the Asian coast and the base of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Refers to water area Sea of Okhotsk.

Ferdinand Wrangel

Wrangel showed himself to be at his best, and he, tested in a difficult circumnavigation, was entrusted with leading an expedition to the extreme northeast of Siberia, to the mouths of the Yana and Kolyma, in order to map the coast of the Arctic Ocean up to the Bering Strait, and in addition to test the hypothesis about the existence of an undiscovered land connecting Asia with America.
Wrangel spent three years in the ice and tundra with his companions, among whom his main assistant was Fyodor Matyushkin, a lyceum friend of A.S. Pushkin.
In between campaigns to the North, under the leadership of Wrangel and Matyushkin, a topographical survey of the huge coast was taken, covering 35 degrees in longitude. In the territory of the recent white spot, 115 astronomical points were identified. For the first time, studies were carried out on the influence of climate on the existence and development of sea ice, and in Nizhnekolymsk the first weather station in this region was organized. Thanks to meteorological observations from this station, it was established that the “pole of cold” of the Northern Hemisphere is located between the Yana and Kolyma rivers.
Ferdinand Wrangel described the expedition and its scientific results in detail in a book that was first published in 1839 and was a huge success. The famous Swedish polar explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld called it “one of the masterpieces among the works on the Arctic.”

The expedition in the Chukotka-Kolyma region put Wrangel on a par with the largest explorers of the harsh Arctic. Having subsequently become one of the founders of the Russian Geographical Society, he thought through the project of an expedition to the North Pole. He proposes to go to the Pole on a ship, which should spend the winter off the northern coast of Greenland, in the fall to prepare food warehouses along the route of the Pole party, and in March people will leave exactly in the direction of the meridian on ten sledges with dogs. It is interesting that the plan for reaching the pole, drawn up by Robert Peary, who entered the pole 64 years later, repeated Wrangel’s old project in the smallest detail. An island in the Arctic Ocean, a mountain and a cape in Alaska are named after Wrangel. Having learned about the sale of Alaska by the Russian government in 1867, Ferdinand Petrovich reacted very negatively to this.

1. FAMOUS TRAVELERS OF ANCIENT BPEMEH

Hanno (505) - Herodotus (484) - Pytheas (340) - Eudoxus (146) - Strabo (63)

Hanno of Carthage - Fortunate (Canary) Islands, Evening Horn, Southern Horn, Rio de Oro Bay - Herodotus visits Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Phenicia, Arabia, Babylonia, Persia, Media, Colchis, Caspian Sea, Scythia and Thrace - Pytheas explores the shores of Iberia and Celtish, the English Channel, the island of Albion, the Orcadian (Orkney) Islands, the land of Thule - Nearchus travels around the Asian coast from the Indus to Persian Gulf- Eudoxus gets acquainted with the western coast of Africa - Strabo travels through Inner Asia, Egypt, Greece and Italy

The first traveler mentioned in historical sources was Hanno, sent by the Carthaginian 1 (numbers - see note at the end) Senate to colonize new territories on the west coast of Africa. The account of this expedition was written in Punic 2 and translated into Greek; it is known as “Hanno’s Sea Voyage Around the World.” What era did this explorer live in? Historians have different opinions. But the most reliable version is considered to be the one according to which his visit to the African shores dates back to 505 BC 3 .

Map of the Argonauts' voyage

The Southern Horn was, without a doubt, the final point reached by the Punic expedition. Some historians claim that the Carthaginian fleet did not go further than Cape Bojador, located two degrees north of the tropics, but the first point of view seems to us more likely.

Having reached the Southern Horn, Hanno began to lack food supplies. Then he turned north and returned to Carthage, where, by his order, a marble slab with a description of the journey “around the world” was placed in the temple of Baal Moloch.

After the Carthaginian navigator, the most famous of the ancient travelers in historical times was the Greek scientist Herodotus, nicknamed "the father of history." For our purpose we will separate the traveler from the historian and follow him to the countries he visited.

Greek galley. 500 BC

Herodotus born around 484 BC 9 in the Asia Minor city of Halicarnassus. He came from a wealthy and noble family with extensive trade connections, which may have contributed to the development of the instincts of a traveler and explorer awakened in the boy.

At that time, there was no consensus regarding the shape of the Earth. The Pythagorean school had already begun to spread the doctrine that the Earth was spherical. But Herodotus did not take any part in these disputes that worried the scientists of his time. In his early youth, he left his homeland with the intention of carefully studying distant countries, about which very scanty and contradictory information was received.

In 464, at the age of twenty, he left Halicarnassus. Apparently, Herodotus first went to Egypt, where he visited the cities of Memphis, Heliopolis and Thebes. During the trip, he managed to obtain a lot of valuable information about the Nile floods. In his notes, he gives various opinions regarding the sources of this great river, which the Egyptians revered as a deity.

“When the Nile floods,” says Herodotus, “nothing is visible except cities; they appear to be built on top of water and resemble the islands of the Aegean Sea.”

Herodotus talks about the religious rites of the Egyptians, how they make sacrifices to their gods and how they solemnly celebrate holidays in honor of the goddess Isis in the city of Busiris, the ruins of which are still visible today. Herodotus also reports how the Egyptians revered wild and domestic animals, considering them sacred, and gave them funeral honors. With the precision of a true naturalist, he describes the Nile crocodile and its habits; describes the methods by which crocodiles are caught. We find out what other animals there are and what the Egyptian hippopotamus, ibis bird, and various snakes are like.

Herodotus depicts the home life of the Egyptians, their customs, games, and talks about the art of embalming the dead, which the Egyptians mastered to perfection. Next, he reports what structures were erected under Pharaoh Cheops: a labyrinth built near Lake Merisa, the remains of which were discovered in 1799; Lake Meris, created by human hands, and two pyramids that rose above the surface of its waters; Herodotus speaks with surprise about the temples erected in Memphis, about the famous colossus made of solid stone, on the transportation of which two thousand people worked for three years from Elephantine 10 to Sais.

Having carefully studied Egypt, Herodotus headed to other countries of Libya, that is, Africa, but the young traveler did not even imagine that Africa extended far to the south, beyond the Tropic of Cancer; he believed that the Phoenicians could go around this continent and return to Egypt through the Strait of Gibraltar 11.

Egyptian ship. 1600 BC

Listing the peoples living in Libya, Herodotus mentions the shepherd tribes wandering along the coast of Africa, and also names the Ammonians, who live in the interior of the country, in places abounding in wild beasts. The Ammonians built famous temple Zeus of Ammon, the ruins of which were discovered in the northeast of the Libyan Desert, 500 kilometers from the city of Cairo 12. He also describes in detail the customs and morals of the Libyans and reports what animals are found in this country: snakes of terrible size, lions, elephants, horned donkeys (probably rhinoceroses), baboon monkeys - “headless animals with eyes on their chests”, foxes , hyenas, porcupines, wild sheep, panthers, etc.

According to Herodotus, Libya is inhabited by two peoples: Libyans and Ethiopians. But did he really travel through this country? Historians doubt this. Most likely, he wrote down many of the details from the words of the Egyptians. But there is no doubt that he really sailed to the city of Tyre, in Phenicia, since here he gives quite accurate descriptions. In addition, Herodotus collected information from which he compiled short description Syria and Palestine.

Following this, Herodotus descends to the south - to Arabia, a country he calls Asian Ethiopia, that is, to that part of Southern Arabia, which he considers the last inhabited land. The Arabs living on the Arabian Peninsula, according to him, are strictly religious people. In their country valuable plants grow in abundance, from which frankincense and myrrh are obtained. The traveler provides interesting details about how fragrant substances are extracted from these plants.

Then we meet Herodotus in the countries he vaguely calls either Assyria or Babylonia. He begins the story of these countries with a careful description of Babylon, in which the kings lived since the destruction ancient capital Nineveh. The ruins of Nineveh have survived to this day, in the form of mounds scattered along both banks of the Euphrates, at a distance of 78 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. Big, fast and deep river The Euphrates then divided the city of Nineveh into two parts. In one towered a fortified royal palace, in the other - the temple of Zeus. Next, Herodotus speaks of the two queens of Babylon - Semiramis and Nitocris; then he goes on to describe crafts and agriculture, telling how wheat, barley, millet, sesame, grapes, fig trees and palm trees are cultivated in this country.

Having studied Babylon, Herodotus went to Persia and, since the purpose of his journey was to collect accurate information about the long Greco-Persian wars, he visited the places where these wars took place in order to obtain on the spot all the details he needed. Herodotus begins this part of his history with a description of the customs of the Persians. They, unlike other peoples, did not give their gods a human form, did not erect either temples or altars in their honor, content with performing religious rites on the tops of the mountains.

Next, Herodotus speaks about the life and morals of the Persians. They have an aversion to meat, a love of fruit, and a passion for wine; they show interest in foreign customs, love pleasure, value military valor, take raising children seriously, respect the right to life of everyone, even a slave; they hate lies and debts, and they despise lepers. The disease of leprosy serves as proof for them that “the unfortunate person has sinned against the Sun.”

The marriage was accompanied by nationwide publicity

Herodotus's India, according to Vivien de Saint-Martin 13 , is limited to the countries irrigated by the five tributaries of the present Panjnad, and to the territory of Afghanistan. The young traveler headed there, leaving the Persian kingdom 14. The Indians, in his opinion, are the most numerous of the known peoples. Some of them lead a sedentary lifestyle, others are constantly nomadic. The tribes living in the east of this country, as Herodotus claims, not only kill the sick and old people, but allegedly even eat them. The tribes living in the north are distinguished by their courage and skill in crafts. Their land is rich in golden sand.

Herodotus believes that India is the last inhabited country in the East. It maintains the same fertile climate at all times of the year as in Greece, located on the opposite end of the earth.

Then the indefatigable Herodotus went to Media, 15 where he compiled the history of the Medes, the first people to overthrow the yoke of the Assyrians. The Medes founded large city Ecbatana (Hamadan), which was surrounded by seven rows of walls. Having crossed the mountains that separated Media from Colchis, the Greek traveler entered the country famous for the exploits of Jason 16 and studied its customs and customs with his characteristic conscientiousness.

Athenian merchant ship. 500 BC

Herodotus, apparently, was well acquainted with the contours of the Caspian Sea. He says that "this sea is in itself, and has no communication with another." The Caspian Sea, according to him, is limited in the west Caucasus mountains, and in the east by a vast plain inhabited by the Massagetae, who probably belonged to the Scythian tribe. The Massagetae worshiped the sun and sacrificed horses to it. Herodotus also speaks of the great river Arak, which flows into the Caspian Sea.

Then the traveler ends up in Scythia. Scythians - according to Herodotus' definition - various tribes inhabiting the vast space between the Danube and Don, that is, a significant part European Russia. Herodotus calls the tribe of “princely Scythians” who occupied the banks of the Tanais (Don) river the most numerous and powerful. In addition, Herodotus mentions the tribes of Scythian nomads and Scythian farmers.

Although Herodotus lists various Scythian tribes, it is not known whether he personally visited the countries located north of Pontus Euxine 17. He describes in detail the customs of these tribes and comes into sincere delight from Pontus Euxine - this “ hospitable sea" Herodotus determines the dimensions of the Black Sea, Bosphorus, Propontis 18 and Sea of Azov, and his definitions are almost correct. He lists big rivers, flowing into the Black Sea: Ister, or Danube; Borysthenes, or Dnieper; Tanais, or Don.

The traveler conveys many myths about the origin of the Scythian people; in these myths, a large role is given to Hercules. He ends his description of Scythia with a story about the marriages of Scythians with warlike women from the Amazon tribe, which, in his opinion, can explain the Scythian custom that a girl cannot get married until she kills an enemy.

From Scythia, Herodotus arrived in Thrace. There he learned about the Hets - the most courageous people who inhabited this country 19. He then traveled to Greece, where he wanted to collect the missing information for his history. He visited areas where the main events of the Greco-Persian wars took place, including the Passage of Thermopylae, the Field of Marathon and Plataea. He then returned to Asia Minor and traveled around its coast, exploring the numerous colonies founded there by the Greeks.

Returning at the age of 28 to his homeland, Halicarnassus, the famous traveler took part in the popular movement against the tyrant Lygdamis and contributed to his overthrow. In 444 BC, Herodotus attended the Panathenaic festivals and read excerpts from the description of his travels there, arousing general enthusiasm. At the end of his life, he retired to Italy, to Turium, where he died in 426 BC, leaving behind him the fame of a famous traveler and an even more famous historian.

After Herodotus, we will step a century and a half later, mentioning a doctor by name Ctesias, a contemporary of Xenophon 20. Ctesias wrote an account of his journey through India, although there is no reliable information that he actually completed it.

In chronological order, let us now move on to Pytheas from Massilia - to a traveler, geographer and astronomer, one of the most learned men of his time. In 340 BC, Pytheas ventured to sail the Atlantic Ocean on a single ship. Instead of following the coast of Africa to the south, as his Carthaginian predecessors usually did, Pytheas went north, where he began exploring the coast of the Iberian Peninsula 21 and the coast of the Celtic country, right up to the granite Cape Finisterre. Then Pytheas entered the English Channel and landed on the island of Albion 22. He met the inhabitants of this island, who, according to him, were distinguished by good nature, honesty, moderation and ingenuity. They traded in tin, for which traders from distant countries came here.

Continuing north, Pytheas passed the Orkney Islands, located at the northern tip of Scotland, and rose to a latitude where “in summer the night did not exceed two hours.” After a six-day voyage North Sea Pytheas reached the land known since then as Ultima Thule. Apparently, this was the Scandinavian peninsula. But Pytheas was no longer able to move further north. “Further,” he says, “there was no sea, no land, no air.”

Pytheas was forced to turn back, but his journey did not end there: he sailed east and arrived at the mouth of the Rhine, where the Ostions lived, and even further the Germans. From there he sailed to the mouth big river, which he calls Thais (probably it was Elba), and then sailed back to Massilia and returned to his hometown a year after he left.

The remarkable traveler Pytheas was no less a remarkable scientist; He was the first to prove the influence of the Moon on the ebb and flow of the sea and noticed that the North Star does not occupy a point in celestial space that is located above the earth's pole, which was subsequently confirmed by science.

A few years after Pytheas, around 326 BC, another Greek traveler became famous for his research - Nearchs islands of Crete. As commander of the fleet of Alexander the Great, he was ordered to travel around the entire coast of Asia from the Indus to the Euphrates.

Nearchus sailors scare the whales

The idea of such an expedition was prompted by the need to establish communications between India and Egypt, in which Alexander was extremely interested, being at that time with his army 800 miles from the coast, in the upper reaches of the Indus. The commander equipped a fleet for Nearchus, consisting of thirty-three double-decker galleys and a large number of transport ships, which accommodated two thousand people. While Nearchus sailed with his fleet down the Indus, Alexander's army followed him on both banks. Having reached the Indian Ocean four months later, Nearchus sailed along the coast that now forms the border of Balochistan.

Nearchus set out to sea on the second of October, without waiting for the winter monsoon, which could have been favorable for his voyage. Therefore, in forty days of travel, Nearchus barely managed to swim 80 miles to the west. His first sites were made in Stura and Koreistis; these names do not correspond to any of the current villages located in those places. Then he sailed to the island of Krokala, which lies near the modern Karantian Bay. The fleet, destroyed by storms, took refuge in a natural harbor, which Nearchus was forced to strengthen “to protect against the attack of savages.”

Twenty-four days later, the naval commander of Alexander the Great again raised the sails and set off to sea. Violent storms forced him to make frequent stops at various places along the coast and defend himself from attacks by the Arabites, whom Eastern historians characterized as “a barbarian people wearing long hair, growing beards and resembling fauns or bears.”

After many adventures and skirmishes with coastal tribes, Nearchus landed on the land of the Orites, which in modern geography bears the name: Cape Moran. “In this area,” notes Nearchus, describing his journey, “the sun at noon illuminated all objects vertically, and they did not cast shadows.” But Nearchus is apparently mistaken, since at this time of year the daylight was in the southern hemisphere, on the Tropic of Capricorn, and not in the northern hemisphere; in addition, the ships of Nearchus always sailed at a distance of several degrees from the Tropic of Cancer; therefore, even in summer in these areas, the sun at noon could not illuminate objects vertically.

When the northeast monsoon set in, sailing continued under favorable conditions. Nearchus followed the coast of the country of ichthyophages, that is, “people who eat fish” - a rather pitiful tribe who, due to a lack of pasture, were forced to feed their sheep with seafood. Here Nearchus's fleet began to lack food supplies. Having rounded Cape Posmi, Nearchus took a native helmsman into his galley. Driven by coastal winds, Nearchus' ships successfully moved forward. The coast became less barren. There were trees here and there. Nearchus landed at a city of ichthyophages, the name of which he does not indicate, and, suddenly attacking the inhabitants, forcibly seized from them the supplies that his fleet so needed.

Then the ships arrived in Kanazida, in other words, the city of Churbar. The ruins of this city can still be seen near the bay of the same name. By that time, the Macedonians were already running out of bread. It was in vain that Nearchus stopped in Kanata, in Troy and in Dagazir - he was unable to obtain anything from these poor peoples. The sailors had no more meat or bread, and yet they did not dare to eat turtles, which abound in these countries.

Almost at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, the fleet encountered a large herd of whales. The frightened sailors wanted to turn the galleys back, but Nearchus boldly went forward on his ship, towards the sea monsters, which they managed to disperse.

Having reached Carmania 23, the ships diverted to the northwest. The banks here were fertile; Everywhere there were grain fields, vast pastures, and fruit trees. Nearchus dropped anchor at Badis, present-day Iask. Then, having rounded Cape Maseta or Mussendon, the navigators found themselves at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, to which Nearchus, like the Arab geographers, gives the unusual name of the Red Sea.

In the harbor of Harmosia (Ormuz), Nearchus learned that Alexander's army was five days' journey away. Having landed on the shore, he hastened to join the conqueror. Alexander, having not received any news about his fleet for twenty-one weeks, no longer hoped to see it. One can imagine the commander’s joy when Nearchus, emaciated beyond recognition, appeared before him safe and sound! To celebrate his return, Alexander ordered gymnastic games to be held and abundant sacrifices to be made to the gods. Nearchus then went again to Harmosia, where he left his fleet to sail from there to the mouth of the Euphrates.

Sailing along the Persian Gulf, the Macedonian fleet landed on many islands, and then, rounding Cape Bestion, sailed to the island of Keisho, on the border of Carmania. Then Persia began. Nearchus' ships, following along the Persian coast, stopped in different places to stock up on bread, which Alexander sent here.

After several days of sailing, Nearchus arrived at the mouth of the Endiana River, then reached the river flowing from the large, fish-infested lake Kataderbis, and finally dropped anchor near the Babylonian village of Degela, not far from the mouth of the Euphrates, thus sailing along the entire Persian coast. Here Nearchus again united with the army of Alexander the Great, who generously rewarded him and appointed him commander of his entire fleet. Alexander also wanted to explore the Arab coast of the Persian Gulf, right up to the Red Sea, and establish a sea route from Persia and Babylon to Egypt, but death prevented him from carrying out this plan.

Nearchus compiled a description of his journey, which, unfortunately, has not survived. A detailed account of his voyages is contained in the book of the Greek historian Flavius Arrian 24 “History of India”, which has come down to us in fragments.

Nearchus is believed to have been killed at the Battle of Ipsus. He left behind the glory of a skilled navigator, and his journey constitutes an important event in the history of navigation.

Now we should also mention the bold enterprise of the Greek geographer Eudoxa, who lived in the 2nd century BC. Having visited Egypt and the shores of India, this brave traveler had the intention of circumnavigating Africa, which was actually accomplished only sixteen centuries later by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama.

Eudox hired big ship and two longboats and set off across the unfamiliar waters of the Atlantic Ocean. How far did he take his ships? It's difficult to determine. Be that as it may, having met the natives, whom he mistook for Ethiopians, he returned to Mauritania, and from there crossed over to Iberia and began preparations for a new extensive journey around Africa. Was this journey made? Doubtful. It must be said that this Eudoxus, an undoubtedly brave man, does not deserve much trust. In any case, scientists do not take him seriously.

Roman galley. 110 BC

Among the ancient travelers it remains for us to mention the names of Caesar and Strabo. Julius Caesar 26, born in 100 BC, was primarily a conqueror and did not set out to explore new countries. Let us only recall that in 58 BC he began to conquer Gaul and ten years later he brought his legions to the shores of Great Britain, which was inhabited by peoples of Germanic origin.

As for , born in Cappadocia 27 around 63 AD, he is known more as a geographer than a traveler. However, he traveled through Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece, Italy and lived for a long time in Rome, where he died in last years reign of Tiberius. Strabo left a Geography divided into seventeen books, most of which have survived to this day. This work, together with the works of Ptolemy, constitutes the most important monument of ancient Greek geography.

NOTES

1Carthage was founded by the Phoenicians around 850 BC on the northern coast of Africa, in the Gulf of Tunis.

2 The Romans called the Carthaginians Punes; hence the name of the language - Punic.

3 The exact date of the expedition Hanno impossible to install. Modern scholars date it to the 5th or 6th century BC. The description of this voyage has come to us in the form of an “adventure novel,” in which reliable facts are intertwined with fictional ones. However geographical description the western coast of Africa, the story of steppe fires within the country leaves no doubt about the authenticity of the journey, which was subsequently overgrown with various fables.

Hanno was the first navigator to visit the west coast of Africa. He sailed along this coast from the Strait of Gibraltar to the south for about 4,500 kilometers. Nineteen centuries later, it took Portuguese navigators fifty years to explore the coastline that Hanno had bypassed.

4 Pillars of Hercules- two mountains on the European and African shores of the Strait of Gibraltar, allegedly erected by the mythical hero Hercules. According to the ancient Greeks, the Pillars of Hercules were the western edge of the known world.

5 Probably the Senegal River.

6 Cymbals- an ancient musical instrument in the form of copper cymbals. Tambourine- a percussion musical instrument resembling a tambourine.

7 Southern Horn- now Sherborough Bay in the state of Sierra Leone (formerly an English colony), located on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea.

8 We must assume that these were not gorillas, but chimpanzees.

9 Biographical information about Herodotus is extremely scarce. The exact years of his life are not known; he is believed to have been born around 484 BC and died in 424 or 426 BC. Herodotus is the author of the first large historical work that has come down to us - the famous “History”, in which he included rich geographical material collected during his long travels. It is impossible to say exactly which countries Herodotus visited during his travels. There is no doubt that he visited Egypt and the northern coast of the Black Sea. In the east it probably reached Babylon. Herodotus also speaks of a journey to India, but this description has no historical basis.

10 Island Elephantine(Ivory) is located on the Nile River, at the first rapids, on the border of Egypt and Sudan.

11 Here the author is referring to the story Herodotus heard in Egypt about the journey of Phoenician sailors around Africa, undertaken by order of the Egyptian pharaoh Necho around 600 BC. This enterprise has no equal in the history of geographical discoveries, so we will present in full short story Herodotus: “Libya, it turns out, is surrounded by water all around, with the exception of the part where it borders on Asia; the first to prove it, as far as we know, egyptian pharaoh Nehao. Having suspended the digging of a canal from the Nile to the Arabian Gulf [Red Sea], he sent the Phoenicians on ships to the sea with orders to sail back through the Pillars of Hercules [Strait of Gibraltar] until they entered the North [Mediterranean] Sea and arrived in Egypt.

The Phoenicians sailed from the Erythraean [Red] Sea and entered the South Sea [ Indian Ocean]. When autumn came, they landed on the shore and, no matter where they landed in Libya, sowed the land and waited for the harvest; After harvesting the grain, they sailed on. So two years passed in the voyage, and only in the third year they rounded the Pillars of Hercules and returned to Egypt.

They also said, which I don’t believe, but someone else might believe, that while sailing around Libya, the Phoenicians had the sun on the right side. This is how Libya became known for the first time.”

12 Ammon(Siwa) is an oasis in the Libyan desert.

13 Vivienne de Saint-Martin(1802–1897) - French geographer, author of the famous work “Essay on General Geography” and other works.

14 Herodotus did not travel through Afghanistan and India; He collected information about these countries in Babylon.

15 Mussel was located south of the Caspian Sea. Under the Persian king Cyrus (c. 558–529 BC) it became part of Persia. Main city- Ecbatana.

16 Jason- in Greek mythology, the leader of the Argonauts' campaign for the Golden Fleece. According to one version of the myth, he died under the wreckage of the Argo ship; according to another, he committed suicide. The myth of the Argonauts who sailed from Greece to Colchis ( East Coast Black Sea), is a reflection of the history of early Greek colonization (VIII-VII centuries BC).

17 The ancient Greeks originally called the Black Sea Pont Aksinsky(inhospitable) due to strong and frequent storms. Subsequently, when the Greeks colonized the Black Sea shores, the sea was renamed Pont Euxine (hospitable).

18 Propontis(literally: “lying in front of Pontus”) – Sea of Marmara.

19 Thrace- a country located in the north Balkan Peninsula; its shores were washed by the Black Sea from the east, and the Aegean from the south.

20 Xenophon- Greek historian of the late 5th - first half of the 4th century BC, author of “Greek History”, “Anabasis” and other works.

21 Iberia- the ancient name of Spain.

22 Albion- the ancient name of the island of Great Britain, which translated means “White Island” (the name was given by Pytheas because of the chalk cliffs towering over the English Channel).

23 Karmania– region in the south of Iran; according to the ancients, it was inhabited by nomads who fed on fish (ichthyophages).

24 Arrian Flavius(c. 95–175 AD) was a Roman-period Greek writer, historian and geographer. The main works: “Anabasis of Alexander” (History of the campaigns of Alexander the Great) and “History of India”.

25 Mauritania- an area on the northwestern coast of Africa. At the beginning of the 1st century AD it became a Roman province.

26 Caesar Julius(full name Gaius Julius Caesar) - Roman Emperor,

27 Cappadocia- the name of an area located in the southeastern part of the Asia Minor peninsula.

One of the important stages in the history of human development is the era of discoverers. Maps with the seas marked on them are refined, ships are improved, and leaders send their sailors to capture new lands.

In contact with

Feature of the era

The term “great geographical discoveries” conventionally united historical events starting from the mid-15th century and ending with the mid-17th. Europeans were actively exploring new lands.

The emergence of this era had its own prerequisites: the search for new trade routes and the development of navigation. Until the 15th century, the British already knew North America and Iceland. Many have gone down in history famous travelers, among whom were Afanasy Nikitin, Rubrik and others.

Important! Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal began the great era of geographical discoveries; this event took place at the beginning of the 15th century.

First achievements

Geographical science of that time was in serious decline. Lone sailors tried to share their discoveries with the public, but this did not produce results, and there was more fiction in their stories than truth. Data about what and who discovered at sea or on the coastal strip was lost and forgotten; no one had updated the maps for a long time. The skippers were simply afraid to go out to sea, because not everyone had navigation skills.

Henry built a citadel near Cape Sagres, created a school of navigation and sent expeditions, collecting information about the winds at sea, distant peoples and shores. The period of great geographical discoveries began with his activities.

Among the discoveries of Portuguese travelers are:

Madeira Island,
West Coast of Africa,
Cape Verde,
Cape of Good Hope,
Azores,
Congo River.

Why was it necessary to find new lands?

The list of reasons for the advent of the era of navigation includes:

active development of crafts and trade;
the growth of European cities during the 15th and 16th centuries;
depletion of known precious metals mines;
the development of maritime navigation and the appearance of the compass;
interruption of economic ties between Southern Europe and China and India after .

Important points

Significant periods that have gone down in history, times when famous travelers made their trips and expeditions:

The Age of Discovery began in 1492, when America was discovered;

1500 - exploration of the mouth of the Amazon;
1513 - Vasco de Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean;
1519-1553 – conquest of South America;
1576-1629 – Russian campaigns in Siberia;
1603-1638 - exploration of Canada;
1642-1643 – visit to Tasmania and New Zealand;
1648 – exploration of Kamchatka.

Conquest of South America

Spanish and Portuguese sailors

At the same time as the Portuguese, famous travelers in Spain began to undertake sea voyages. , having good knowledge of geography and navigation, suggested that the country's rulers reach India by another route, heading west across the Atlantic Ocean. The one who later discovered many new lands was given three caravels, on which brave sailors left the port on August 3, 1492.

By the beginning of October they arrived at the first island, which became known as San Salvador, and later they discovered Haiti and Cuba. This was Columbus's fruitful voyage, which resulted in the creation of maps. Caribbean Islands. Then there were two more, pointing the way to Central and South America.

Christopher Columbus - a mysterious person

First he visited the island of Cuba, and only then discovered America. Columbus was surprised to meet a civilized people on the island who had a rich culture and grew cotton, tobacco and potatoes. Cities were decorated large statues and large buildings.

Interesting! Everyone knows the name of Christopher Columbus. However, very little is known about his life and travels.

The birth of this legendary navigator is still debated. Several cities lay claim to being the birthplace of Columbus, but this cannot be determined for certain. He took part in cruises on ships Mediterranean Sea, and later went on major expeditions from his native Portugal.

Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan was also from Portugal. Born in 1480. Early on, he was left without parents and tried to survive on his own by working as a messenger. Since childhood, he was attracted by the sea, attracted by the thirst for travel and discovery.

At the age of 25, Ferdinand set sail for the first time. He quickly learned the maritime profession while staying off the coast of India, and soon became a captain. He wanted to return to his homeland, talking about profitable cooperation with the East, but he achieved results only with the coming to power of Charles the First.

Important! The era of great geographical discoveries began in the middle of the 15th century. Magellan forestalled its advance by circumnavigating the world.

In 1493, Magellan leads an expedition west of Spain. He has a goal: to prove that the islands there belong to his country. No one thought that the journey would become around the world, and the navigator would discover many new things along the way. The one who opened the way to the “South Sea” did not return home, but died in the Philippines. His team arrived home only in 1522.

Russian discoverers

Representatives of Russia and their discoveries joined the orderly ranks of famous European navigators. Several outstanding personalities worth knowing about made great contributions to the improvement of the world map.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen

Bellingshausen was the first who dared to lead an expedition to the uncharted shores of Antarctica, and around the world. This event took place in 1812. The navigator set out to prove or disprove the existence of a sixth continent, which was only talked about. The expedition crossed the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic. Its participants made a great contribution to the development of geography. The expedition under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Bellingshausen lasted 751 days.

Interesting! Previously, attempts were made to reach Antarctica, but they all failed; only famous Russian travelers turned out to be luckier and more persistent.

The navigator Bellingshausen went down in history as the discoverer of many species of animals and more than 20 large islands. The captain was one of the few who managed to find his own path, follow it and not destroy obstacles.

Nikolai Przhevalsky

Among the Russian travelers was the one who discovered most of Central Asia. Nikolai Przhevalsky always dreamed of visiting unknown Asia. This continent attracted him. The navigator led each of the four expeditions that explored Central Asia. Curiosity led to the discovery and study of such mountain systems, like Kun-Lun and the ranges of Northern Tibet. The sources of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, as well as Lob-nora and Kuhu-nora, were explored. Nikolai was the second explorer after Marco Polo to reach Lop Nor.

Przhevalsky, like other travelers of the era of great geographical discoveries, considered himself a happy man, because fate gave him the opportunity to explore mysterious countries Asian world. Many species of animals that he described during his travels are named after him.

The first Russian circumnavigation

Ivan Krusenstern and his colleague Yuri Lisyansky firmly inscribed their names in the history of great discoveries in geography. They led the first expedition around globe, which lasted more than three years - from 1803 to 1806. During this period, sailors on two ships crossed the Atlantic, sailed through Cape Horn, after which they arrived in Kamchatka through the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There, researchers studied the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island. Their coastline was clarified, and data on all the waters visited by the expedition was also included on the map. Krusenstern compiled an atlas of the Pacific Ocean.

The expedition under the command of the admiral became the first to cross the equator. This event was celebrated in accordance with traditions.

Exploration of the Eurasian continent

Eurasia is a huge continent, but the only person, who would open it is problematic to name.

One moment is surprising. If everything is clear with America and Antarctica, the illustrious names of the great navigators are reliably inscribed in the history of their existence, then the laurels of the man who discovered Europe never went to him, because he simply does not exist.

If we ignore the search for one navigator, we can list many names who contributed to the study of the surrounding world and took part in expeditions on the mainland and its coastal zone. Europeans are accustomed to consider themselves only explorers of Eurasia, but Asian navigators and their discoveries are no less in scale.

Historians know which of the Russian writers traveled around the world, except for the famous navigators. He was Ivan Goncharov, who took part in the expedition on a military sailing ship. His impressions of the trip resulted in a large collection of diaries describing distant countries.

The meaning of cartography

People could hardly move across the sea without good navigation. Previously, their main reference point was the starry sky at night and the sun during the day. Many maps during the period of great geographical discoveries were dependent on the sky. Since the 17th century, a map has been preserved on which the scientist plotted all the known coastal zones and continents, but Siberia and North America remained unknown, because no one knew how far they were and how far the continents themselves extended.

The most information-rich atlases were those of Gerard van Coelen. Captains and famous travelers crossing the Atlantic were grateful for the details of Iceland, Holland and Labrador being mapped.

Unusual information

Preserved in history Interesting Facts about travelers:

James Cook became the first person to visit all six continents.
Navigators and their discoveries changed the appearance of many lands, for example, James Cook brought sheep to the islands of Tahiti and New Zealand.
Before his revolutionary activities, Che Guevara was an amateur motorcycle rider; he took a 4,000-kilometer tour around South America.
Charles Darwin traveled on a ship where he wrote his greatest work on evolution. But they didn’t want to take the man on board, and it was the shape of the nose. It seemed to the captain that such a person would not be able to cope with a long load. Darwin had to be away from the team and buy his own uniform.

Age of Great Geographical Discoveries 15th - 17th centuries

Great Discoverers

Conclusion

Thanks to the heroism and determination of sailors, people received valuable information about the world. This was the impetus for many changes, contributed to the development of trade and industry, and strengthened relations with other nations. The most important thing is that it has been practically proven that it has a round shape.

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

Afanasy Nikitin is rightfully considered the first Russian traveler who managed to visit India and Persia (1468-1474, according to other sources 1466-1472). On the way back he visited Somalia, Turkey, and Muscat. Based on his travels, Afanasy compiled the notes “Walking across the Three Seas,” which became popular and unique historical and literary aids. These notes became the first book in Russian history not written in the format of a story about a pilgrimage, but describing the political, economic and cultural features of the territories.

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 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

Khariton and Dmitry Laptev and their “name” sea

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

Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky are the first Russian navigators to circumnavigate the world. Their expedition lasted three years (began in 1803 and ended in 1806). They and their teams set off on two ships, which were named “Nadezhda” and “Neva”. The travelers passed through the Atlantic Ocean and entered the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The sailors used them to reach the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka and Sakhalin.

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.

There are also modern travelers. One of them .

Pyotr Beketov (1600 - after 1661) - Russian explorer of the 17th century, explorer of Siberia.

One of the most exemplary “Russian conquistadors”, who honestly served his cause and did not get involved in any adventures, Beketov was the founder of several Russian cities.

Biography

Almost nothing is known about the early years of life of many prominent personalities of the 17th century; Pyotr Beketov is no exception in this sense. Information about him appears only in the 1620s, when he got a job as an archer in the government service.

After some time, in 1627, Beketov sent a petition to the tsar, in which he asked to be given the position of centurion in order to have at least some decent salary.

Vasily Poyarkov is one of the discoverers of Siberia. He made a huge contribution to the development of these lands.

In the 17th century, the Russian Empire dreamed of annexing Siberia to its lands. It was a huge and rich territory where many peoples lived.

Special expeditions were assembled to study and annex the Siberian lands. One of them was headed by Vasily Poyarkov.

Years of life

Accurate information about the years of Vasily Poyarkov’s life has not been preserved. Only documentary sources that contain information about his activities have survived to this day. They date back to 1610-1667.

Vasily Ermolaevich Bugor was an Arctic sailor and one of the pioneers of Siberia.

He explored unexplored territories, helping the Yenisei governor A. Oshanin.

Years of life

The exact years of Bugor's life are unknown, but historians believe that he was born around 1600 and died in 1668.

Biography of Bugor

Bugor did not have a noble origin. He was a Cossack foreman, participated in the construction of forts and the study of Siberia.

Mikhail Stadukhin is an explorer and polar navigator of the 17th century who explored North-Eastern Siberia, a man who was one of the first to visit the north of the Sea of Okhotsk, as well as the Kolyma, Gizhiga, Penzhina and Anadyr rivers.

The geographical discoveries of M. Stadukhin became a huge contribution to the discovery and study of the Russian coast of the Arctic and Pacific Ocean.

Years of life of Mikhail Stadukhin

Year of birth unknown, died in 1666.

Biography of Mikhail Stadukhin

It is not known for certain in what year Mikhail Stadukhin was born. Presumably, the Russian explorer was born into a family of Pomors in one of the villages on the Pinega River

The development of Siberia in the 17th century is often presented as the most important event in the history of modern Russia.

It is spoken of as the Russian analogue of the Great Geographical Discoveries of the European World and the conquest of the New World.

This is partly a fair comparison. In the context of the emergence of the all-Russian market and economic growth, the development of new trade routes is an important stage in the country’s development.

S.I. Chelyuskin is a sea traveler, researcher, participant in a long-term expedition who made serious geographical discoveries that were ignored during his lifetime.

Origin

Chelyuskin’s ancestors (according to documents of the 17th century - Chelyustkins) were at first quite successful people, occupied important positions, were well promoted, were rich

But under Peter the Great, Semyon Ivanovich’s father fell into disgrace (he was among the rebellious Moscow archers) and until the end of his life his family vegetated in the wilderness of the village, barely making ends meet.

Accurate information about where and when S.I. Chelyuskin was born has not yet been discovered, approximately 1700.

Education

In 1714, the noble ignorant Semyon Chelyuskin was admitted to a Moscow school, where boys were taught exact sciences and navigation. Here the future researcher learned the wisdom of mathematics, geography, and astronomy.

He was a smart and diligent student. In 1721, having completed his studies, he was recommended for a certificate for navigating activities.

Yu. F. Lisyansky is an outstanding Russian navigator, who together traveled around the world.

Youth

Yu. Lisyansky was born in the Little Russian city of Nezhin in a simple family of a priest in 1773. Since childhood I dreamed of the sea, so I entered the Naval Cadet Corps and successfully graduated. Assigned to serve on the frigate "Podrazislav" as part of the squadron of Admiral S. K. Greig. He took part in the Hogland and several other naval battles in the war with the Swedes, served as a volunteer in the British fleet, and took part in battles with the French on the shores North America, made voyages on Antilles and to India.

Circumnavigation

Returning to his homeland, Lisyansky was appointed commander of the sloop "Neva". This ship set off on a round-the-world expedition under the leadership of I. F. Kruzenshtern, who commanded the second sloop Nadezhda. These two Russian ships left their homeland in mid-summer 1803 from Kronstadt. In November 1804, Yu. F. Lisyansky and I. F. Krusenstern were the first in the history of the Russian fleet to cross the equator line. In February of the same year, both ships sailed around Cape Horn, entering Pacific waters. Here the ships separated.

Khariton Prokofievich Laptev is one of the largest Russian polar explorers. The future conqueror of the Arctic was born in the village of Pekarevo, located near, in 1700. In 1715, young Laptev entered the St. Petersburg Naval Academy, which three years later he successfully graduated and entered the navy as a midshipman. In 1726 he was promoted to midshipman. In 1734 he took part in the war against Stanislav Leszczynski, who had been proclaimed the Polish king a year earlier.

The frigate "Mitava", on which Laptev served, is captured during military operations by the French, who resorted to deception to achieve this. Upon returning to his homeland, Laptev, along with the rest of the Mitava officers, is sentenced to death for surrendering the ship without a fight, but the crew is promptly found innocent. After this misunderstanding, Khariton Prokofievich returns to service. In 1737, he was promoted to lieutenant and appointed commander of a detachment in the Great Northern Expedition. The purpose of the trip was to explore the Arctic coast between the Lena and Yenisei; another great Russian polar explorer, Dmitry Yakovlevich Laptev, cousin of Khariton Prokofievich, also took part in it. In the early spring of 1738, members of the expedition arrived in Yakutsk.

Dmitry Yakovlevich Laptev is a famous Russian traveler who, together with his cousin Khariton Prokofievich Laptev, became famous for their polar expeditions.

Born in 1701 into a family of small landed nobles in the village of Bolotovo. In 1715, together with his cousin, he began studying at the Maritime Academy in St. Petersburg. Upon completion of his studies in 1718, Laptev was promoted to midshipman on one of the ships of the Kronstadt squadron.

In 1721 he received the rank of midshipman, and in 1724 he became a non-commissioned lieutenant. From 1727 to 1729 he commanded the frigate "St. Jacob".

The biography of the great polar explorer Georgy Yakovlevich Sedov is unusual and tragic. He was born in 1877 in a small Azov village; today this village bears the name of the great polar explorer. George learned hard work from an early age. His father, a simple Azov fisherman, disappeared for several years. The boy had to work to feed his mother and eight brothers and sisters. He did not have time to learn to read and write, and until the age of 14 he could neither read nor write.

After his father returned home, in two years he graduated from parochial school and ran away from home. What the boy did in that life and how he made his way to his desired goal is little known. But at the age of 21, Georgy Sedov received a diploma as a long-distance navigator. At the age of 24, after successfully passing the exam, he receives the rank of lieutenant.
His first hydrographic expedition was to the Arctic Ocean. Northern ice have been attracting the young sailor for a long time. He dreamed of conquering North Pole and prove that a Russian person can do this.

It began, and the expedition to the North Pole had to be postponed. But the idea does not leave him. He writes articles in which he proves that the development of the Northern Sea Route is necessary. He worked on the Caspian Sea, on Kolyma, and explored Krestovaya Bay on Novaya Zemlya.