The first Russian trip around the world I. Kruzenshtern and Yu.F.

215 years ago, the first round-the-world voyage in the history of the Russian fleet began. The expedition on the ships Nadezhda and Neva, commanded by Ivan Krusenstern and Yuri Lisyansky, lasted three years. According to experts, the circumnavigation of the world became a marker of the maturity of the Russian fleet and opened a new era in its history. The expedition made it possible to make a number of geographical discoveries and gave a start in life to such people as the discoverer of Antarctica Thaddeus Bellingshausen and the Pacific Ocean explorer Otto Kotzebue. About the glorious page in the history of the Russian fleet - in the RT material.

Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky became friends within the walls of the Naval Cadet Corps, which was located in Kronstadt at that time. Ivan came from a Russified German noble family, a descendant of the German diplomat Philip Krusenstern. He was born in 1770 into the family of a judge and spent his youth in Estonia. Yuri was three years younger than his friend. He came to study in Kronstadt from Little Russia - he was the son of the archpriest of the Church of John the Evangelist in the city of Nezhin. The young people easily found a common language and together dreamed of distant travels.

“The first Russian round-the-world expedition led by Grigory Mulovsky was supposed to take place back in 1788. But its start was prevented by the war with Sweden,” St. Petersburg State University professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences Kirill Nazarenko told RT.

Krusenstern and Lisyansky dreamed of participating in the journey under the leadership of Mulovsky, but fate decreed otherwise. Because of the war, young people were released early from the Naval Corps and sent to the active fleet. 17-year-old midshipman Kruzenshtern still came under the command of Mulovsky, but not on the expedition, but on the ship “Mstislav”, which participated in the war with the Swedes. Ivan distinguished himself in battles and was noted by his commander. However, Mulovsky died in the battle near the island of Öland, and the first round-the-world voyage of Russian sailors was postponed indefinitely.

After participating in the battles of 1790, Krusenstern was promoted to lieutenant. In 1793, he was sent to study in the Royal Navy of Great Britain. Ivan took part in hostilities against French ships off the coast of North America, and then reached India and China through South Africa. The British did not want to take foreigners on ships going to Asia, and Krusenstern had to go to India on a frigate that could barely float, on which English sailors were afraid to hire.

“From the perspective of the 21st century, we, of course, see the geographical mission as the main one, but in those days everything was not so simple. It is impossible to say with certainty what was more important then - putting Russian names on the map or organizing trade in seal skins with China,” the expert emphasized.

Before the start of the voyage, Alexander I personally inspected the ships and was pleased with them. The maintenance of one of them was undertaken by the imperial treasury, and the other by the Russian-American company. Both sloops officially flew the flag of war.

Experts emphasize that the identity of the expedition leader was the result of a balanced decision by the Russian authorities. “Despite Krusenstern’s initial initiative, St. Petersburg hypothetically had hundreds of other candidates. The head of the expedition had to be at the same time a good naval officer, an excellent organizer, a business executive, and a diplomat. In the end, they decided that it was Kruzenshtern that had the optimal balance of all these qualities,” Konstantin Strelbitsky, chairman of the Moscow Fleet History Club, told RT.

Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky selected officers for their teams according to themselves. Among them were the future discoverer of Antarctica Thaddeus Bellingshausen and the Pacific Ocean explorer Otto Kotzebue. Sailors were recruited exclusively from among volunteers, offering them a very significant salary for that time - 120 rubles a year. Krusenstern was offered to involve British sailors in the team, but he rejected this idea.

The candidacies of some of the expedition participants turned out to be “brought down from above” - we are talking, in particular, about the envoy Rezanov with his retinue, several scientists and “well-bred” young people from among the representatives of St. Petersburg secular society. And while Kruzenshtern easily found a common language with the scientists, serious problems arose with the others.

Firstly, among the representatives of the “secular society” was the adventurer and guard duelist Lieutenant Count Fyodor Tolstoy, who decided to escape from Russia for a while in order to avoid punishment for another offense. On the ship, Tolstoy behaved defiantly. One day he showed his tame monkey how to smear paper with ink and launched it into Krusenstern’s cabin, as a result of which some of the expedition leader’s notes were completely lost. Another time he got the ship's priest drunk and glued his beard to the deck. In a close team, such behavior was fraught with big problems, so in Kamchatka Kruzenshtern put Tolstoy ashore.

Secondly, already during the voyage, it became clear from secret instructions that envoy Rezanov, who constrained the sailors with his large retinue, was also endowed with extremely broad powers. As a result, Kruzenshtern and Rezanov constantly quarreled and eventually stopped talking, exchanging notes instead.

The team supported their boss. Rezanov was furious at the obstinacy of the military and promised to judge the crew and personally execute Kruzenshtern. The head of the expedition reacted to this calmly and stated that he would go to trial directly in Kamchatka, even before leaving for Japan, which would automatically disrupt the envoy’s mission. The ruler of the Kamchatka region, Pavel Koshelev, reconciled them with great difficulty. At the same time, Rezanov wrote in his memoirs that the entire crew apologized to him, but all the other eyewitnesses claimed that it was Rezanov who had to apologize to Krusenstern.

Closed Japan

The expedition left Kronstadt on August 7, 1803. The ships called at a number of European ports and on the island of Tenerife, and on November 26 crossed the equator. For the first time in history, the Russian flag was raised in the Southern Hemisphere. On December 18, the ships approached the shores of South America and made a stop in Brazil. When they again headed south, Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky agreed that if bad weather separated the ships in the Cape Horn area, they would meet either at Easter Island or Nukagiwa Island. And so it happened. Having lost each other in the fog, “Nadezhda” and “Neva” again united into one group only off the coast of Nukagiwa, where the Russian sailors were greeted kindly by the Polynesians. After Nukagiwa, the expedition reached the Hawaiian Islands and split: Kruzenshtern moved to Kamchatka, and Lisyansky to Alaska.

In Petropavlovsk, the head of the expedition, having resolved the problem with Tolstoy, sorted out relations with Rezanov and replenished food supplies, set a course for Japan. There they were not greeted very warmly. The state adhered to a strict isolationist policy and among the Europeans - with a number of reservations - maintained trade relations only with the Dutch.

On September 26, 1804, the Nadezhda arrived in Nagasaki. Russian sailors were not allowed to go into the city, providing only a fenced area on the shore for rest. Rezanov was given a comfortable house, but was not allowed to leave it. After a long wait, an imperial official arrived to see the Russian envoy. Rezanov was forced to fulfill the rather humiliating requirements of Japanese etiquette - he spoke to the emperor's representative while standing and without shoes.

However, all these unpleasant procedures did not lead to any results. The Japanese emperor returned the gifts from the Russian Tsar and refused to establish economic relations. At the end of the negotiations, Rezanov could only relieve his soul by being rude to Japanese officials. And Kruzenshtern was glad that he had the opportunity to explore the western shores of the Japanese islands, which were forbidden to approach. He was no longer afraid of ruining non-existent diplomatic relations.

After a failed mission, Rezanov left as an inspector for Alaska, where he acquired the ships “Juno” and “Avos” and went to California to resolve issues of supplying Russian America with provisions. There, the 42-year-old diplomat met the 15-year-old daughter of the local Spanish governor, Concepcion Arguello, and proposed marriage to her. The girl agreed and the engagement took place. Rezanov immediately went to Russia to obtain permission from the Pope through the emperor to marry a Catholic, but in Siberia he caught a cold, fell off his horse in a fever and broke his head. He died in Krasnoyarsk. Having learned about the fate of the groom, the beautiful Spaniard remained faithful to him and ended her days in the monastery.

While Kruzenshtern visited Kamchatka and Japan, Lisyansky arrived in Alaska. At this time, a war provoked, according to one version, by American merchants between the Russian-American Company and its allies, on the one hand, and the union of the Tlingit Indian tribes, on the other, just began there. “Neva” in this situation turned out to be a very formidable military force and contributed to the Russian victory, which led to a truce. Having loaded up with furs in Alaska, Lisyansky headed for China. Krusenstern, who had already visited Hokkaido and Sakhalin, was already waiting for him there.

The friends managed to sell the furs quite profitably and load the holds of the ships with Chinese goods. After this, “Nadezhda” and “Neva” went home. In the Indian Ocean, the ships again lost each other and returned to Kronstadt within a few days of each other in August 1806.

Another high-quality level of the Russian fleet

During the expedition, the coasts of Japan, Sakhalin and Alaska were explored, an island named after Lisyansky as part of the Hawaiian archipelago was discovered, and a reef named after Kruzenshtern was discovered south of Midway Atoll. In addition, Russian sailors refuted myths about the existence of several islands in the North Pacific Ocean, invented by European sailors. All officers participating in the expedition received new ranks, orders and large cash bonuses. Lower ranks - medals, right to retirement and pension.

Krusenstern was engaged in science and served in the Naval Cadet Corps, which he eventually headed in 1827. In addition, he served on the governing councils of a number of government bodies and was an honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Lisyansky retired in 1809 and took up literary activity.

According to Konstantin Strelbitsky, the moment to send the first round-the-world expedition was chosen very well. “It was at this time that the fleet did not take part in active hostilities and was in allied or neutral relations with most of the main fleets of the world. The expedition members did an excellent job of exploring new sea routes. The Russian fleet has moved to another qualitative level. It became clear that Russian sailors are capable of withstanding many years of voyage and successfully operating as part of a group,” he noted.

Kirill Nazarenko also considers the expedition of Krusenstern and Lisyansky an important milestone in the history of the Russian fleet. “The circumnavigation in itself has become an important marker of changes in the quality and maturity of the Russian fleet. But it also marked the beginning of a new era of Russian discoveries. Before this, our research was connected with the North, Siberia, Alaska, and in 1803 Russian geographical science entered the World Ocean,” the expert emphasized.

According to him, the choice of Krusenstern as the leader of the expedition was successful. “His name stands today on a par with such outstanding navigators as Cook and La Perouse. Moreover, it should be emphasized that Kruzenshtern was much more educated than Cook,” Nazarenko noted.

According to Konstantin Strelbitsky, the first round-the-world expedition brought invaluable experience to the Russian fleet, which needed to be passed on to new generations of sailors. “Therefore, the name Kruzenshtern has become a real brand for the Naval Corps,” Strelbitsky summed up.

Domestic navigators - explorers of the seas and oceans Nikolai Nikolaevich Zubov

2. Circumnavigation of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky on the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva” (1803–1806)

2. Circumnavigation of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky on the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva”

The main objectives of the first Russian round-the-world expedition, Krusenstern-Lisyansky, were: delivery of cargo from the Russian-American Company to the Far East and sale of furs from this company in China, delivery of an embassy to Japan, which aimed to establish trade relations with Japan, and the production of associated geographical discoveries and research.

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

The crews of both ships, both officers and sailors, were military and recruited from volunteers. Kruzenshtern was advised to take several foreign sailors for his first circumnavigation of the world. “But,” writes Kruzenshtern, “I, knowing the superior properties of Russian ones, which I even prefer to English ones, did not agree to follow this advice.” Kruzenshtern never repented of this. On the contrary, after crossing the equator, he noted the remarkable property of the Russian person - he can equally easily endure both the severest cold and the searing heat.

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

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

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

Unexpectedly, just before setting sail, Kruzenshtern received the task of taking Ambassador Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov, one of the main shareholders of the Russian-American Company, to Japan, who was supposed to try to establish trade relations with Japan. Rezanov and his retinue boarded the Nadezhda. This task forced us to reconsider the expedition’s work plan and, as we will see later, resulted in a loss of time for the Nadezhda’s voyage to the shores of Japan and stopover in Nagasaki.

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

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

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

During the stay in Copenhagen (August 5–27) and in another Danish port, Helsingor (August 27–September 3), cargo was carefully shifted on the Nadezhda and Neva and the chronometers were checked. The scientists invited to the expedition, Horner, Tilesius and Langsdorf, arrived in Copenhagen. On the way to Falmouth (southwestern England), during a storm, the ships separated and the Neva arrived there on September 14, and Nadezhda on September 16.

“Nadezhda” and “Neva” left Falmouth on September 26 and on October 8 anchored in Santa Cruz Bay on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands), where they remained until October 15.

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

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

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

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

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

From the island of Nuku Hiva the ships went north and on May 27 approached the Hawaiian Islands. Krusenstern’s plans to purchase fresh provisions from local residents were unsuccessful. Kruzenshtern stayed off the Hawaiian Islands under sail on May 27 and 28 and then, in order not to delay the completion of his task - visiting Nagasaki, he went straight to Petropavlovsk, where he arrived on July 3. Lisyansky, anchored off the island of Hawaii from May 31 to June 3, set off according to plan to Kodiak Island.

From Petropavlovsk, Kruzenshtern set sail on August 27, sailed south along the eastern coast of Japan and then through the Van Diemen Strait (south of Kyushu Island) from the Pacific Ocean to the East China Sea. On September 26, Nadezhda anchored in Nagasaki.

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

On April 5, 1805, Kruzenshtern, finally leaving Nagasaki, passed through the Korea Strait, ascended the Sea of ​​Japan, then almost unknown to Europeans, and put on the map many notable points on the western coast of Japan. The position of some points was determined astronomically.

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

Circumnavigation of Krusenstern and Lisyansky on the Nadezhda and Neva (1803–1806).

On September 23, 1805, “Nadezhda”, after reloading the holds and replenishing provisions, left Petropavlovsk for the return voyage to Kronstadt. She proceeded through the Bashi Strait into the South China Sea and dropped anchor in Macau on 8 November.

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

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

On October 3, on the way to Canton, in the northern subtropical part of the Pacific Ocean, many birds were seen. Assuming that some unknown land was nearby, they took proper precautions. However, in the evening the Neva still ran aground on a coral shoal. At dawn we saw that the Neva was near a small island. Soon it was possible to refloat, but an oncoming squall caused the Neva to hit the rocks again. The refloating and raising of the cannons, thrown with floats into the sea to lighten the ship, detained the Neva in the area until October 7. The island was named Lisyansky Island in honor of the ship’s commander, and the reef on which the Neva sat was called the Neva Reef.

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

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

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

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

As Kruzenshtern writes, “on April 26th (April 14th, Art.-N. 3.) we saw two ships, one on NW, and the other on NO. We recognized the first one as “Neva”, but as “Nadezhda” sailed worse, “Neva” soon went out of sight again, and we no longer saw her until our arrival in Kronstadt.”

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

"Neva" after separation from "Nadezhda" did not go to St. Helena Island, but went straight to Portsmouth, where it stayed from June 16 to July 1. Having stopped for a short time at the Downs roadstead and in Helsingor, the Neva arrived in Kronstadt on July 22, 1806, having been away for 1090 days, of which 462 days were under sail. The longest journey was from Macau to Portsmouth, it lasted 142 days. No other Russian ship has made such a long journey under sail.

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

The first Russian circumnavigation of the world was marked by significant geographical results. Both ships, both in a joint voyage and in a separate one, always tried to position their courses either in such a way as to go along still “untrodden” paths, or so as to go to the dubious islands shown on ancient maps.

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

The Nadezhda and Neva had sextants and chronometers. In addition, relatively shortly before their voyage, a method was developed for determining longitude on ships based on the angular distances of the Moon from the Sun (otherwise known as the “lunar distance method”). This made it much easier to determine latitudes and longitudes at sea. Both the Nadezhda and the Neva did not miss a single opportunity to determine their coordinates. Thus, during the voyage of Nadezhda in the Seas of Japan and Okhotsk, the number of points determined astronomically was more than a hundred. Frequent determinations of the geographic coordinates of points visited or seen by expedition members are a great contribution to geographical science.

Thanks to the accuracy of their dead reckoning, based on frequent and accurate determinations of latitudes and longitudes, both ships were able to determine the directions and speeds of sea currents in many areas of their voyage from the difference between the dead reckoning and observed places.

The precision of dead reckoning on the Nadezhda and Neva allowed them to “remove from the map” many non-existent islands. So, upon leaving Petropavlovsk for Canton, Kruzenshtern set up his courses with the expectation of following the paths of the English captains Clerk and Gore and inspecting the space between 33 and 37 ° N. w. along the 146° eastern meridian. Near this meridian, their maps and some others showed several dubious islands.

Lisyansky, upon leaving Kodiak for Canton, arranged his courses so as to cross the then almost unknown spaces of the Pacific Ocean and pass through the area in which the English captain Portlock noticed signs of land in 1786 and where he himself, on the way from the Hawaiian Islands to Kodiak, saw the sea otter As we have seen, Lisyansky eventually succeeded, although much further south, in discovering Lisyansky Island and the Krusenstern Reef.

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

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

The glow of the sea was also noted, which at that time was not yet sufficiently explained. This phenomenon was investigated on the Nadezhda as follows: “... they took a cup, put several wooden sawdust in it, covered it with a white thin, double-folded scarf, onto which they immediately poured water drawn from the sea, and it turned out that many dots that glowed when the handkerchief was shaken; the strained water did not produce the slightest light... Doctor Langsdorff, who tested these small luminous bodies through a microscope... discovered that many... were real animals..."

It is now known that the glow is created by the smallest organisms and is divided into constant, voluntary and forced (under the influence of irritation). The latter is what we are talking about in the description of Krusenstern.

The descriptions of the nature and life of the population of the areas visited by Krusenstern and Lisyansky are very interesting. Of particular value are the descriptions of the Nukukhites, Hawaiians, Japanese, Aleuts, American Indians and inhabitants of the northern part of Sakhalin.

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

Kruzenshtern, during his voyage in foreign waters, described: the southern coast of the island of Nuku Hiva, the southern coast of the island of Kyushu and Van Diemen's Strait, the islands of Tsushima and Goto and a number of other islands adjacent to Japan, the northwestern coast of Honshu, the entrance to the Sangar Strait, and also the west coast of Hokkaido.

Lisyansky, while sailing in the Pacific Ocean, described Easter Island, discovered and mapped Lisyansky Island and the reefs of the Neva and Krusenstern.

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

In 1809–1812 Kruzenshtern’s work “Journey around the world in 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1806 on the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva” in three volumes with an appendix of an album of drawings and an atlas of maps” was published.

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

It should be emphasized once again that the voyages of “Nadezhda” and “Neva” pursued purely practical goals - scientific observations were made only along the way. Nevertheless, the observations of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky would have been a credit to many purely scientific expeditions.

It is necessary to say a few words about some problems that, unfortunately, partly overshadow, from a purely maritime point of view, the brilliant first voyage of Russian sailors around the world.

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

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

During a storm off Cape Horn, the Nadezhda and Neva separated. Kruzenshtern did not go to the prearranged meeting place in case of separation - Easter Island, but went straight to the second agreed meeting place - the Marquesas Islands, where the ships met and went on together to the Hawaiian Islands. The ships departed from the Hawaiian Islands again separately, performing various tasks. The ships met again only in Macau, from where they sailed together to the Indian Ocean. Not far from Africa, the ships again lost sight of each other during a storm. In such a case, the meeting place was set at St. Helena Island, where “Nadezhda” went. Lisyansky, carried away by the record for the duration of sailing, went straight to England. Kruzenshtern was wrong in not going to Easter Island, as was stipulated. Lisyansky was also wrong in not going to St. Helena Island. References to separations due to storms are not very convincing. Storms and fogs off the coast of Antarctica are no less frequent and strong than in the Indian Ocean, and yet the ships of Bellingshausen and Lazarev, as we will see later, were never separated while rounding Antarctica.

From the book Pirates of the British Crown by Francis Drake and William Dampier author Malakhovsky Kim Vladimirovich

Chapter Five The Last Voyage Around the World Enter into a share with Goldney, who contributed about 4 thousand pounds. Art. into the new enterprise, there were many willing people from the most famous families of Bristol. Among them were merchants, lawyers, and the alderman of Bristol himself, Batchelor. I contributed my share and

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

6. Golovnin’s circumnavigation of the world on the sloop “Kamchatka” (1817–1819) In 1816, it was decided to send a military ship to the Far East with the following tasks: 1) deliver various materials and supplies to the ports of Petropavlovsk and Okhotsk, 2) survey the state of affairs of the Russian- American company

From the book Three Trips Around the World author Lazarev Mikhail Petrovich

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

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

13. Kotzebue's circumnavigation of the world on the sloop "Enterprise" (1823–1826) The sloop "Enterprise" under the command of Lieutenant Commander Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue was entrusted with the delivery of cargo to Kamchatka and cruising to protect Russian settlements in the Aleutian Islands. At the same time he

From the book Notes of a Sailor. 1803–1819 author Unkovsky Semyon Yakovlevich

14. Wrangel’s circumnavigation of the world on the transport “Meek” (1825–1827) The military transport “Meek” (90 feet long) specially built for the upcoming voyage under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel, who had already completed a circumnavigation of the world

From the author's book

15. Stanyukovich’s circumnavigation of the world on the sloop “Moller” (1826–1829) Following the example of previous circumnavigations, in 1826 it was decided to send two warships from Kronstadt to protect the fisheries in Russian America and to deliver goods to the port of Petropavlovsk. But so

From the author's book

16. Litke’s circumnavigation of the world on the sloop “Senyavin” (1826–1829) The commander of the sloop “Senyavin”, which went on a joint circumnavigation with the sloop “Moller”, captain-lieutenant Fyodor Petrovich Litke circumnavigated the world as a midshipman on the “Kamchatka” in 1817–1819 years. Then

From the author's book

17. Hagemeister’s circumnavigation of the world on the transport “Meek” (1828–1830) The military transport “Krotky”, which returned from a circumnavigation of the world in 1827, was again sent in 1828 with cargo for Petropavlovsk and Novo-Arkhangelsk. Its commander was appointed captain-lieutenant

From the author's book

19. Shants’ circumnavigation of the world on the transport “America” (1834–1836) The military transport “America”, which returned from a circumnavigation around the world in 1833 and was somewhat redesigned, on August 5, 1834, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Ivan Ivanovich Shants, again left Kronstadt with loads

From the author's book

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

From the author's book

2. Kruzenshtern's voyage on the ship "Nadezhda" in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk (1805) The ship of the Russian-American company - "Nadezhda" under the command of Lieutenant Commander Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern arrived in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on July 3, 1804. Reloading and replenishing supplies

From the author's book

3. Lisyansky’s voyage on the ship “Neva” in the waters of Russian America (1804–1805) The ship of the Russian-American company “Neva” under the command of Lieutenant Commander Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky, leaving together with the “Nadezhda” from Kronstadt on July 26, 1803, arrived to Pavlovskaya harbor island

From the author's book

M. P. LAZAREV’S CIRCUMSTANCE ON THE SUVOROV SHIP

From the author's book

From the author's book

A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD IN 1803, 1804, 1805 AND 1806 ON THE SHIPS “NADEZHDA” AND “NEVA” Pre-Notice I. Both in the trip itself and in the tables attached to it, the Gregorian reckoning of time is adopted, for the reason that the calculation of all sightings were made according to

By the beginning of the 19th century. Russian possessions in the north-west of America occupied vast areas of Alaska. Russian settlements on the western coast of the mainland reached the place where San Francisco is now located.

The journey overland from the center of Russia to its Far Eastern outskirts and especially to Russian America was long and difficult. All necessary cargo was then sent along rivers and by horse-drawn cart through the vast expanses of Siberia to Okhotsk, and then by sea on ships. Transporting goods was very expensive. Suffice it to say that a pound of rye flour, which cost 40-50 kopecks in the European part of Russia, brought to Alaska, was valued at 8 rubles.

The difficulty of communication also complicated the management of these territories. It happened that a government order reached Kamchatka or Alaska when it had already lost its force and was canceled in the center as outdated.

There was an urgent need to establish regular flights of Russian ships from the Baltic ports to Russian ports on the Pacific Ocean. And so, in 1802, the Naval Ministry accepted the proposal of the captain-lieutenant of the Russian fleet, Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, to organize the first Russian round-the-world expedition.

Kruzenshtern's whole life was connected with the sea and naval service. He studied at the Naval Cadet Corps. During the Russian-Swedish war, the young man was assigned “as a midshipman” to the ship “Mstislav”. Soon Krusenstern was promoted to midshipman, and then to lieutenant for his courage in taking an enemy ship. In 1793, the capable officer was sent to England among the “excellent young officers.”

During his long voyages on English ships, Ivan Fedorovich visited the coast of North America, India and China.

Appointed head of the round-the-world expedition, Kruzenshtern took as his assistant an old friend with whom he studied in the Naval Corps, Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky.

He was also an experienced and educated naval officer. He began studying in early childhood in the Naval Cadet Corps. Lisyansky participated in all the main battles with the Swedish fleet and was promoted to lieutenant. Like Krusenstern, Lisyansky was sent to England to serve in the navy. He sailed on English ships off the coasts of Africa, Asia and America. Lisyansky returned to his homeland four years later.

For the round-the-world expedition, two small ships with a displacement of 450 and 370 tons were purchased. The larger of them, which was led by Kruzenshtern himself, was called “Nadezhda”, and the smaller one, commanded by Lisyansky, was called “Neva”.

The Maritime Ministry advised Krusenstern to recruit a crew for such a long and responsible voyage from experienced foreign sailors. But Ivan Fedorovich, highly appreciating the Russian sailors, rejected this proposal.

The youngest participants in the voyage were midshipman F.F. Bellingshausen, who later became famous for the discovery of Antarctica, and O.E. Kotzebue, the future circumnavigator.

The Russian ambassador N.P. Rezanov was sent to Japan on the Nadezhda to establish diplomatic ties with this country.

The expedition had important scientific tasks: to explore the Far Eastern coast of Russia, check and clarify sea maps, and conduct oceanographic observations along the way (measurement of sea depths, water temperature, etc.).

In August 1803, Nadezhda and Neva left Kronstadt. The expedition was accompanied by all residents of the city and the crews of Russian and foreign ships stationed in the roadstead. Such a solemn farewell was not accidental: Russian sailors were setting off on a trip around the world for the first time.

Ten days later the ships reached Copenhagen. Here, foreign scientists were accepted into the expedition: an astronomer, two naturalists and a doctor of medicine.

On their way to England, Nadezhda and Neva encountered a severe storm, during which several foreign ships were lost. But the Russian sailors endured this baptism of fire with honor.

Russian ships, having visited England, entered the vast Atlantic Ocean.

The transition to the Southern Hemisphere was celebrated by raising the flag and firing a cannon salute. The entire crew put on full dress uniform. The sailors staged a performance: the mythical sea king Neptune greeted the sailors who arrived in his domain. Sailor Pavel Kurganov, tying a beard of tow, with a crown on his head and a trident in his hands, portrayed a sea king. He ordered that those who crossed the equator for the first time be subjected to sea baptism. With cheerful laughter and jokes, the sailors bathed all participants in the voyage, except for the captains - Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky, who had previously sailed in the Southern Hemisphere.

This maritime holiday has become traditional in the Russian fleet since the voyage of the Nadezhda and Neva.

Approaching the shores of Brazil, Russian sailors updated the map.

At the end of December 1803, “Nadezhda” and “Neva” entered the harbor of St. Catherine Island. This small island is separated from the mainland of South America by a narrow strait.

Russian sailors saw a lot of unusual things. The island was covered with luxurious tropical vegetation. Here January is the hottest month.

In the forest, sailors caught unprecedented colorful parrots, monkeys, and once even brought an alligator onto the ship Neva. Naturalists collected rich zoological and botanical collections in the tropical forests.

The ships remained in the harbor for six weeks: two damaged masts were replaced on the Neva.

The expedition then headed to the tip of South America, rounded Cape Horn and entered the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The weather was cloudy. A strong wind was blowing. It was raining lightly. There were often thick fogs over the sea. Soon the ships lost sight of each other.

"Neva", as agreed earlier, went to Easter Island, and "Nadezhda", changing the route, went to the group of Marquesas Islands.

In mid-May, Nadezhda approached Nukuhiva Island. It was a fertile corner of the earth, covered with coconut palms; Breadfruit grew in the forests.

Three days later, the Neva arrived at the island. Lisyansky told Kruzenshtern that during a three-day stay at Easter Island, he clarified the coordinates of this island and drew up a map of it.

The expedition stayed at Nukuhiva Island for ten days. The most friendly relations were established with the local residents. The islanders helped Russian sailors stock up on fresh water and various products. Krusenstern and Lisyansky made the first geographical description of the island.

Lisyansky compiled a short dictionary of the language of the islanders. He was helped in this by the Englishman Roberts and the Frenchman Carby, shipwrecked sailors; Having lived on the island for many years, they knew perfectly well the customs, life and language of the local residents.

Naturalists collected rich collections, which included many new plants unknown to European scientists. Members of the expedition made sketches of the area, and one of them recorded songs of the island's inhabitants.

At the end of May, the ships crossed the equator for the second time - this time from south to north.

“Nadezhda” went from the Hawaiian Islands to the shores of Kamchatka, and “Neva” - to Alaska.

In mid-July, Nadezhda anchored off Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The ship remained in this harbor for six weeks. During this time, goods were unloaded, provisions were replenished and the ship was put in order.

Fulfilling the task of the Russian government to visit Japan, the ship headed south. The voyage took place in difficult conditions: there was fog and heavy rain. Not far from Japan, the Nadezhda was caught in a terrible typhoon.

“You must have the gift of poetry in order to vividly describe its fury,” Kruzenshtern later wrote.

And in the hour of great danger, when, in the words of the head of the expedition, “the ship was left without sails at the mercy of the fierce waves, which, as it seemed, threatened to engulf it every minute,” the entire crew courageously helped to lead the ship out of the area where the hurricane was raging.

In October, Nadezhda arrived at the Japanese port of Nagasaki. Local authorities did not greet the Russian sailors in a friendly manner. First of all, they invited the sailors to surrender their cannons and, in general, all firearms and gunpowder. Only when this condition was met was the ship allowed to enter the harbor. I had to stay here for more than six months. The Japanese forbade sailors not only to go ashore, but even to travel around the bay. The Russian ship was surrounded by patrol boats.

During this period, Japan lived in isolation, isolated from the whole world and did not want to have any relations with other states. She traded only with China and a group of Dutch merchants. The Russian envoy failed to reach an agreement with the Japanese government on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

From the Japanese Emperor, the Russian envoy Rezanov was given a letter stating that Russian ships were forbidden to even approach the shores of Japan.

Returning from Nagasaki to Kamchatka, Kruzenshtern navigated the ship through the Sea of ​​Japan, then little known to Europeans. On the way, he explored and described the island of Tsushima, as well as the strait between this island and Japan. In addition, navigators explored the entire coastline of Hokkaido, which was shown as a dotted line on maps of that time.

The identification of astronomical points and cartographic work of Russian sailors off the western coast of Japan made it possible to create a map of these unknown places.

In the Kuril Islands group, Kruzenshtern discovered four rocks, near which the ship almost died. He called them "Rock Traps."

From the Kuril Islands "Nadezhda" went to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Having replenished the supply of water and provisions, Kruzenshtern also made a scientific voyage to the shores of Sakhalin. He described the eastern coast of Sakhalin and for the first time accurately mapped it.

When trying to pass between Sakhalin and the mainland, Kruzenshtern encountered an extensive shoal on the way. Here he came to the erroneous conclusion that Sakhalin is a peninsula and is connected to the mainland by an isthmus.

Only 44 years later this mistake was corrected by another Russian traveler - G.I. Nevelskoy.

In late autumn, Nadezhda arrived in Macau, a Portuguese colony near Canton (Guangzhou). The Neva arrived there at the beginning of December, which spent almost a year and a half - about seventeen months - on its independent voyage.

During this time, Lisyansky explored the nature of the Havana Islands, became acquainted with the way of life of the islanders, and visited the coast of Alaska and Kodiak Bay. With great joy and triumph, the Russian people in Alaska greeted the first ship from their homeland that had traveled such a long sea route from Kronstadt.

Just these days, on Sitkha Island (Baranova Island), the Indians, incited by the Americans and the British, attacked the Russian settlement. Lisyansky, together with the entire crew, had to come to the defense of his compatriots.

For more than a year, the Neva was off the coast of Alaska and performed security duty. Lisyansky, without wasting time, explored the islands of Sitkha, Kodiak and the American coast. He made a map of these bridges.

In September 1805, the Neva, loaded with valuable furs, departed from the shores of Russian America and headed for China.

To the west of the Hawaiian Islands, sailors began to notice floating algae, fish and birds appeared here - signs of nearby land, which at these latitudes was not listed on the map.

Lisyansky carefully steered the ship, and yet the Neva unexpectedly ran aground near an unknown island. It turned out to be uninhabited. There were many seals and birds on it, which were not at all afraid of people. At the insistence of the Neva’s crew, the island was named after the ship’s commander, Lisyansky, and the shoal on which the ship ran aground was named Nevskaya. The ship was safely refloated and arrived in China.

In February 1806, Nadezhda and Neva, loaded with various Chinese goods - tea, silk fabrics, porcelain, etc., left Canton (Guangzhou) on their way back.

The ships traveled together to the coast of South Africa. At the Cape of Good Hope, during the fog, they lost sight of each other.

Kruzenshtern rounded the Cape of Good Hope and arrived at St. Helena Island. Here he learned that Russia, in alliance with England and Austria, was at war with France. Fearing a meeting with French military vessels, Kruzenshtern took the ship away from the shores of Europe.

In August 1806, Nadezhda dropped anchor in the Kronstadt port. The Russian voyage around the world, which lasted three years and twelve days, ended successfully. Lisyansky was the first to greet the sailors on the Nadezhda ship: he brought the Neva to Kronstadt two weeks earlier.

The first circumnavigation of Russian sailors was a new page in the history of geographical science. Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky clarified the world map, added new islands to it and removed the non-existent lands marked there from the old maps. The collections collected by the expedition were of great scientific value.

During the voyage, observations were made of the temperature and density of water at different depths (up to 400 m), sea currents, etc. As a result of the journey, the sea route from Kronstadt to the shores of Russian America was mastered.

In honor of the first Russian circumnavigation, a medal was struck with the inscription: “For a trip around the world. 1803-1806".

Kruzenshtern wrote a book about the expedition - “Journey around the world in 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1806 on the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva”, with an atlas on 104 sheets. In addition, I. F. Krusenstern compiled an atlas of maps of the southern seas, which was the most accurate and complete at that time; it was used by sailors and geographers all over the world.

Lisyansky also described his voyage - in the book “Journey around the world in 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1806 on the ship “Neva”. Both books were translated into foreign languages ​​and published abroad. They are still read with interest.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

The first Russian round-the-world expedition aimed to connect Russian America with the Baltic ports by sea. The path from European Russia to Okhotsk, leading through the vast expanse of Siberia, was extremely long and inconvenient. “The great distance,” wrote Kruzenshtern, “and the extreme difficulties in transporting some things, which required more than 4,000 horses annually, raised prices for everything, even in Okhotsk, to the extreme. So, for example: a pound of rye flour cost there even during the time of cheapness, when in eastern European Russia it was sold for 40 or 50 kopecks, 8 rubles, a bottle of hot wine was 20, and often 40 and 50 rubles. It often happened that after transporting them across a great distance, they were plundered on the road and only a small part reached Okhotsk. Transporting anchors and ropes seemed completely impossible, but the need for them forced them to resort to means that often caused harmful consequences.

The ropes were cut into pieces of 7-8 fathoms and upon delivery to Okhotsk they were again connected and fastened. Anchors were also transported in pieces, which were then chained together. No matter how difficult and expensive the transportation was to Okhotsk, it was just as little convenient and safe from there to the [Aleutian] Islands and America. The extremely poor construction of the ships, the lack of knowledge of most of those who managed them, and the dangerous navigation in such a state on the stormy eastern ocean were the main reasons that ships with the most necessary and now so expensive cargo were lost almost every year. So, in order to carry out this trade with greater profit and in order to subsequently strengthen it, necessity required sending ships from the Baltic Sea near Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope to the northwestern coast of America. In 1803, the first experiment with such intention was made.”

However, this “intention” first appeared long before 1803. Back in 1732, the President of the Admiralty Collegium N.F. Golovin and Admiral Sanders proposed to supply the Second Kamchatka Expedition with ships that would sail from the Baltic to Okhotsk around Cape Horn. In 1764, a plan was developed to send two ships into the waters of the Aleutian Islands along the same route. In 1785, it was planned to send four warships under the command of G.I. to the shores of northwestern America. Mulovsky. However, this plan was thwarted by the Russian-Swedish war, in one of the battles of which G.I. died. Mulovsky.

In the 80s and 90s of the 18th century. The sphere of Russian penetration into the Pacific Ocean began to rapidly expand and covered the shores of the Gulf of Alaska and the islands of the Alexander Archipelago. In 1799, a permanent settlement was founded on the island of Sitkha, which soon became the main base of the Russian-American Company, established in the same year. Direct maritime communication between the Baltic and the northwestern shores of North America became much more necessary than two or three decades ago, and in 1803 an expedition under the command of Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern was sent to the waters of the “Eastern Ocean”.

Kruzenshtern was born on September 8, 1770 near Revel (Tallinn), graduated from the Naval Corps in Kronstadt and at the age of eighteen took part in naval battles with the Swedes. Krusenstern served as a midshipman on the ship G.I. Mulovsky and from him I learned about the project of a round-the-world expedition, which was not carried out due to the Russian-Swedish war. In 1793, Krusenstern was sent to England, then visited Canada, the West Indies, India and China. Returning to Russia in 1799, Kruzenshtern submitted two notes to Paul I in which he developed plans for maritime relations with Kamchatka and Russian America. These notes were shelved, and only after the accession of Alexander I the matter was set in motion. Two ships were equipped: “Nadezhda” and “Neva” with a displacement of 450 and 375 tons, respectively. The commander of the “Neva” was Kruzenshtern’s friend and peer Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky, who participated in the Russian-Swedish war and, like Kruzenshtern, went through an excellent practical school in England. The expedition included naturalists I.K. Gorner, G.I. Langsdorf and V.G. Tilesius.

On August 7, 1803, the ships left Kronstadt and headed to Cape Horn, which they rounded in February 1804. Having entered the Pacific Ocean, Nadezhda and Neva headed separate routes to the Marquesas Islands. On the way, Lisyansky stopped at Easter Island, where the Neva crew was received extremely warmly by the islanders.

Left: I.F. Krusenstern; right: Yu.F. Lisyansky

Krusenstern and Lisyansky then met at a parking lot near the island of Nukuhiva. Both navigators explored the entire northern part of the Marquesas archipelago, discovered in 1791 by Ingraham. Kruzenshtern put these islands on his map under the name of the Washington Islands, noting that “although it is true that the fewer different names there are on maps and the more islands known under the same name, the better order and convenience is maintained in land description, but is it really Doesn’t the name of Washington, which should decorate every map, deserve exclusion?”

Lisyansky and Kruzenshtern described the island of Nukuhiva and its inhabitants in great detail. They paid much attention to the family life of the islanders, their customs, buildings, clothing, weapons, types of food and seaworthy means.

From the Marquesas Islands, the expedition headed to Hawaii, where it arrived on June 8, 1804. Krusenstern and Lisyansky visited the Hawaiian Islands at a time when they were already involved in the sphere of colonial expansion, and in those years when Kamehameha united the entire archipelago under his rule, crushing disobedient leaders. Russian sailors did not see this Hawaiian Peter the Great with their own eyes. They had to be satisfied with a meeting with the Hawaiian Lefort - the Englishman John Young, the richest colonist and chief adviser to King Kamehameha. In Kealakekua Bay, where Cook died, the Russian guests toured the royal “palace” - six large huts on stone platforms, the royal “goddess” - a temple surrounded by a palisade, in front of which stood idols and an altar, “very similar,” as Lisyansky writes, “to fish dryer." After visiting the main island of Hawaii, the ships went to the island of Kauai, where Chief Kaumualii, an enemy of King Kamehameha, ruled. From the shores of the island of Kauai, Krusenstern went to Petropavlovsk, and Lisyansky headed to Novo-Arkhangelsk, a city founded by Baranov on the island of Sitkha.

Having visited Russian America, in the fall of 1805 Lisyansky headed to Aomyn (Macau) - the place of meeting with Kruzenshtern. Along the way, on October 15, 1805, he discovered 26°2"48""N latitude and 173°42"30""W longitude. an uninhabited island surrounded by reefs, which was named Lisyansky Island. The birds nesting on the shores of the island and numerous seals did not pay any attention to the people. The island was completely waterless, and nothing grew on it except grass. But on the shore, Lisyansky found ten large logs - driftwood brought from a distant land, most likely from the shores of America.

Kruzenshtern, having visited Kamchatka, went to Nagasaki, where he was supposed to deliver the Russian ambassador Rezanov. The Japanese, however, did not accept Rezanov, and Kruzenshtern took him to Petropavlovsk, along the way examining the western entrance to the Sangarsky Strait, the western coast of Hokkaido Island and the waters of Southern Sakhalin. In the summer of 1805, Kruzenshtern mapped the northern and eastern shores of Sakhalin, which he, like La Perouse, considered a peninsula. Returning to Petropavlovsk again, Kruzenshtern headed to the Baltic in the fall of 1805. Along the way, he visited Macau and Guangzhou and, together with Lisyansky, arrived in Kronstadt on August 5, 1806.

The historiographers of the first Russian circumnavigation were its leaders I.F. Krusenstern and Yu.F. Lisyansky. The first editions of their works were published in 1809-1812. The first Russian round-the-world expedition made a great contribution to the study of the islands and seas of Oceania. Oceanographic work carried out in the Pacific Ocean was of great importance. The expedition conducted systematic observations of currents, salinity and density of water, ebbs and flows. Using Six's maximum-minimum thermometer, the expedition members collected valuable data on the distribution of temperatures in the upper layers of the World Ocean. It was found that the waters of the Atlantic Ocean have higher salinity than the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and that in subequatorial latitudes surface waters contain more salts than waters of low latitudes. After returning from a circumnavigation of the world, I.F. For many years, Kruzenshtern conducted a tireless search in the seas of the Pacific Ocean, without leaving St. Petersburg. He collected absolutely all the data on old and new Pacific expeditions, and the fruit of these studies was the truly wonderful “Atlas of the South Sea,” published by him in 1823-1826. To this atlas, Kruzenshtern attached a two-volume explanatory note (“Collected works serving as an analysis of ... the Atlas of the South Sea”), in which he critically assessed all the sources known at that time on the history of discoveries in the Pacific Ocean. In 1836, Krusenstern published an equally valuable addition to this work. Reports on the history of Pacific discoveries were published before these works by Kruzenshtern, and the names of Dalrymple, Barney, and Arrowsmith were well known to all geographers, but in terms of the completeness of coverage of the material, Kruzenshtern’s work left behind all the works of English hydrographers and cartographers. Krusenstern did a tremendous amount of work when compiling the atlas. The source data he used was very inaccurate and confusing. After all, before Cook, not a single navigator used a chronometer, and errors in determining the longitude of newly discovered lands excluded the possibility of accurately linking them to a map. At the same time, in such island “galaxies” as the Tuamotu archipelago or the Caroline and Marshall Islands, there are a great many atolls of similar appearance scattered, and it was possible to establish which one was discovered by one or another navigator only after a painstaking cross-study of data of different ages and different characteristics. Kruzenshtern's Atlas was awarded the full Demidov Prize and received extremely flattering reviews from the most prominent Russian geographers and navigators of the 19th century. - Academician K.M. Bera, F.P. Litke, F.P. Wrangel.

The idea of ​​circumnavigating the world in Russia has been floating around for quite some time. However, the first project for a trip around the world was developed and prepared only towards the end of the 18th century. The team of four ships was to be led by Captain G.I. Mulovsky, however, due to the war with Sweden, Russia canceled this expedition. In addition, its potential leader died in battle.

It is noteworthy that on the battleship Mstislav, whose commander was Mulovsky, young Ivan Kruzenshtern served as a midshipman. It was he, who became the leader of the implementation of the idea of ​​Russian circumnavigation, who would later lead the first Russian circumnavigation. At the same time as Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky, his classmate, sailed on another battleship, which also took part in naval battles. Both sailed in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. Having fought on the side of the British against the French and returning to their homeland, both received the rank of lieutenant commander.

Kruzenshtern presented his project for a circumnavigation of the world to Paul I. The main goal of the project was to organize fur trade between Russia and China. However, this idea did not evoke the response that the captain had hoped for.

In 1799, the Russian-American Company was founded, the goal of which was to develop Russian America and the Kuril Islands and establish regular communications with overseas colonies.

The relevance of circumnavigation was due to the urgent need to maintain Russian colonies on the North American continent. Supplying food and goods to the colonists, providing settlers with weapons (the problem of frequent raids by the indigenous population (Indians), as well as potential threats from other powers) - these were pressing issues facing the Russian state. It was important to establish regular communication with the Russian colonists for their normal life. By this time it became clear that passage through the polar seas was postponed for an indefinite future. The journey by land, through all of Siberia and the Far East off-road, and then across the Pacific Ocean, is a very expensive and time-consuming “pleasure.”

From the beginning of the reign of Paul I's son Alexander, the Russian-American Company began to be under the patronage of the royal house. (It is noteworthy that the first director of the Russian-American Company was Ustyug resident Mikhail Matveevich Buldakov, who actively supported the idea of ​​circumnavigation financially and organizationally).

In turn, Emperor Alexander I supported Kruzenshtern in his desire to explore the possibilities of communication between Russia and North America, appointing him head of the first Russian round-the-world expedition.

Captains Kruzentshtern and Lisyansky, having received two sloops under their command: “Nadezhda” and “Neva”, carefully approached the preparation of the expedition, purchasing a large amount of medicines and anti-scorbutic drugs, staffing the crews with the best Russian military sailors. It is interesting that all the cargo on the Neva ship was managed by another Ustyug resident (here it is - the continuity of generations of Russian explorers) Nikolai Ivanovich Korobitsyn. The expedition was well equipped with various modern measuring instruments, since its tasks included scientific purposes (the expedition included astronomers, naturalists, and an artist).

At the beginning of August 1803, with a large crowd of people, Kruzenshtern's expedition left Kronstadt on two sailing sloops - Nadezhda and Neva. On board the Nadezhda there was a mission to Japan led by Nikolai Rezanov. The main purpose of the voyage was to explore the mouth of the Amur and neighboring territories to identify convenient places and routes for supplying goods to the Russian Pacific Fleet. After a long stay near the island of Santa Catarina (the coast of Brazil), when two masts had to be replaced on the Neva, the ships crossed the equator for the first time in the history of the Russian fleet and headed south. On March 3, they rounded Cape Horn and separated three weeks later in the Pacific Ocean. From the island of Nuku Hiva (Marquesas Islands), the sloops proceeded together to the Hawaiian Islands, where they separated again.

On July 1, 1804, the Neva arrived at Kodiak Island and remained off the coast of North America for more than a year. The sailors helped the inhabitants of Russian America defend their settlements from the attack of the Tlingit Indian tribes, participated in the construction of the Novo-Arkhangelsk (Sitka) fortress, and carried out scientific observations and hydrographic work.

At the same time, “Nadezhda” arrived in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in July 1804. Then Krusenstern took Rezanov to Nagasaki and back, describing the northern and eastern shores of Terpeniya Bay along the way.

In the summer of 1805, Kruzenshtern for the first time photographed about 1000 km of the coast of Sakhalin, tried to pass in the south between the island and the mainland, but could not and mistakenly decided that Sakhalin was not an island and was connected to the mainland by an isthmus.

In August 1805, Lisyansky sailed on the Neva with a cargo of furs to China, and in November arrived at the port of Macau, where he again connected with Kruzenshtern and Nadezhda. But as soon as the ships left the port, they lost each other again in the fog. Following independently, Lisyansky, for the first time in the history of world navigation, sailed a ship without calling at ports or stops from the coast of China to Portsmouth in England. On July 22, 1806, his Neva was the first to return to Kronstadt.

Lisyansky and his crew became the first Russian circumnavigators. Only two weeks later the Nadezhda arrived here safely. But the fame of the circumnavigator mainly went to Krusenstern, who was the first to publish a description of the trip. His three-volume book “A Journey Around the World...” and “Atlas for a Journey” was published three years earlier than the works of Lisyansky, who considered his duties to be more important than the publication of a report for the Geographical Society. And Kruzenshtern himself saw in his friend and colleague, first of all, “an impartial, obedient person, zealous for the common good,” extremely modest. True, Lisyansky’s merits were nevertheless noted: he received the rank of captain of the 2nd rank, the Order of St. Vladimir of the 3rd degree, a cash bonus and a lifelong pension. For him, the main gift was the gratitude of the officers and sailors of the sloop, who endured the hardships of the voyage with him and gave him as a souvenir a golden sword with the inscription: “Gratitude of the crew of the ship “Neva.”

Participants in the first Russian round-the-world expedition made a significant contribution to geographical science by erasing a number of non-existent islands from the map and clarifying the position of existing ones. They discovered inter-trade countercurrents in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, measured water temperature at depths of up to 400 m and determined its specific gravity, transparency and color; found out the reason for the glow of the sea, collected numerous data on atmospheric pressure, ebbs and flows in a number of areas of the World Ocean.

During his travels, Lisyansky collected an extensive natural and ethnographic collection, which later became the property of the Russian Geographical Society (one of the initiators of which was Kruzenshtern).

Three times in his life Lisyansky was the first: the first to travel around the world under the Russian flag, the first to pave the way from Russian America to Kronstadt, the first to discover an uninhabited island in the central Pacific Ocean.

The first Russian round-the-world trip by Kruzenshtern-Lisyansky turned out to be practically a standard in terms of its organization, support and execution. At the same time, the expedition proved the possibility of communication with Russian America.

The enthusiasm after the return of the Nadezhda and Neva to Kronstadt was so great that in the first half of the 19th century, more than 20 circumnavigations were organized and completed, which is more than France and England combined.

Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern became the inspirer and organizer of subsequent expeditions, the leaders of which were, among other things, members of the crew of his sloop Nadezhda.

Midshipman Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen traveled on the Nadezhda, who would later discover Antarctica in 1821 on a circumnavigation of the world in high southern latitudes.

Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue sailed on the same sloop as a volunteer, under whose leadership 2 circumnavigations were carried out.

In 1815-18, Kotzebue led a round-the-world research expedition on the brig Rurik. At Cape Horn, during a storm (January 1816), a wave washed him overboard; he saved himself by grabbing a rope. After an unsuccessful search for the fantastic “Davis Land” west of the coast of Chile, at 27° S. latitude. in April-May 1816 he discovered the inhabited island of Tikei, the atolls of Takapoto, Arutua and Tikehau (all in the Tuamotu archipelago), and in the Ratak chain of the Marshall Islands - the atolls of Utirik and Taka. At the end of July - mid-August, Kotzebue described the coast of Alaska for almost 600 km, discovered Shishmarev Bay, Sarychev Island and the vast Kotzebue Bay, and in it - the Bay of Good Hope (now Goodhope) and Eschscholtz with the Khoris Peninsula and Shamisso Island (all names are given in honor of the participants in the voyage). Thus, he completed the identification of the Seward Peninsula, begun by Mikhail Gvozdyov in 1732. To the northeast of the bay, he noted high mountains (spurs of the Brooks Range).

Together with the naturalists of Rurik, for the first time in America, Kotzebue discovered fossil ice with a mammoth tusk and gave the first ethnographic description of the North American Eskimos. In January-March 1817, he again explored the Marshall Islands and discovered seven inhabited atolls in the Ratak chain: Medjit, Votje, Erikub, Maloelap, Aur, Ailuk and Bikar. He also mapped a number of atolls whose coordinates his predecessors had identified incorrectly and “closed” several non-existent islands.

In 1823-26, commanding the sloop Enterprise, Kotzebue completed his third circumnavigation of the world. In March 1824 he discovered the inhabited atoll of Fangahina (in the Tuamotu archipelago) and the island of Motu-One (in the Society archipelago), and in October 1825 - the Rongelap and Bikini atolls (in the Ralik chain, Marshall Islands). Together with naturalists on both voyages, Kotzebue made numerous determinations of the specific gravity, salinity, temperature and transparency of sea water in temperate and hot zones. They were the first to establish four features of near-surface (up to a depth of 200 m) oceanic waters: their salinity is zonal; the waters of the temperate zone are less salty than those of the hot zone; water temperature depends on the latitude of the place; Seasonal temperature fluctuations appear up to a certain limit, below which they do not occur. For the first time in the history of ocean exploration, Kotzebue and his companions made observations of the relative transparency of water and its density.

Another famous navigator was Vasily Mikhailovich Golovnin, who, having traveled around the world on the sloop "Diana", in 1817 led an expedition on the sloop "Kamachtka". Many members of the ship's crew in the future became the colors of the Russian fleet: midshipman Fyodor Petrovich Litke (later captain of the circumnavigation), volunteer Fyodor Matyushin (later admiral and senator), junior watch officer Ferdinand Wrangel (admiral and Arctic explorer) and others. In two years, "Kamchatka" passed the Atlantic Ocean from north to south, rounded Cape Horn, visited Russian America, visited all significant groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean, then passed the Indian Ocean and the Cape of Good Hope, and returned to Kronstadt through the Atlantic Ocean.

Fyodor Litke two years later was appointed head of the polar expedition on the ship Novaya Zemlya. For four years, Litke explored the Arctic, summarizing rich expeditionary materials, and published the book “Four-time voyages to the Arctic Ocean on the military brig “Novaya Zemlya” in 1821-1824.” The work was translated into many languages ​​and received scientific recognition; sailors used the maps of the expedition for a century.

In 1826, when Fyodor Litka was not even 29 years old, he led an expedition around the world on the new ship Senyavin. The Senyavin was accompanied by the sloop Moller under the command of Mikhail Stanyukovich. The ships turned out to be different in their running characteristics (“Moller” is much faster than “Senyavin”) and almost throughout the entire length the ships sailed alone, meeting only at anchorages in ports. The expedition, which lasted three years, turned out to be one of the most successful and rich in scientific discoveries of travel, not only Russian, but also foreign. The Asian coast of the Bering Strait was explored, islands were discovered, materials on ethnography and oceanography were collected, and numerous maps were compiled. During the trip, Litke was engaged in scientific research in the field of physics; experiments with a pendulum allowed the scientist to determine the magnitude of the Earth's polar compression and make a number of other important discoveries. After the end of the expedition, Litke published “A Voyage Around the World on the Sloop of War “Senyavin” in 1826-1829”, gaining recognition as a scientist, and was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences.

Litke became one of the founders of the Russian Geographical Society, and for many years was its vice-chairman. In 1873, the society established the Great Gold Medal named after. F. P. Litke, awarded for outstanding geographical discoveries.

The names of brave travelers, heroes of Russian round-the-world expeditions are immortalized on maps of the globe:

A bay, a peninsula, a strait, a river and a cape on the coast of North America in the area of ​​the Alexandra Archipelago, one of the islands of the Hawaiian archipelago, an underwater island in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and a peninsula on the northern coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are named after Lisyansky.

A number of straits, islands, capes in the Pacific Ocean, a mountain in the Kuril Islands are named after Krusenstern.

The following are named in honor of Litke: a cape, a peninsula, a mountain and a bay on Novaya Zemlya; islands: in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, Baydaratskaya Bay, Nordenskiöld archipelago; strait between Kamchatka and Karaginsky Island.

During circumnavigation of the world in the 19th century, expedition participants showed their best qualities: Russian navigators, military men and scientists, many of whom became the color of the Russian fleet, as well as domestic science. They forever inscribed their names in the glorious chronicle of “Russian civilization.”



Did you like the article? Share with your friends!