Famous geographers and travelers. Famous travelers and their great discoveries Famous geographers and their discoveries

The great Russian travelers, the list of which is quite large, pushed the development of maritime trade and also raised the prestige of their country. The scientific community learned more and more information not only about geography, but also about the animal and plant world, and most importantly, about people who lived in other parts of the world and their customs. Let's follow in the footsteps of the great Russian travelers and their geographical discoveries.

Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov

The great Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov is not only a famous adventurer, but also an artist and an Honored Master of Sports. He was born in 1951. From childhood, he was able to do something that would have been quite difficult for his peers - swimming in cold water. He could easily sleep in the hayloft. Fedor was in good physical shape and could run long distances - several tens of kilometers. At the age of 15, he managed to swim across the Sea of ​​Azov using a rowing fishing boat. Fyodor was also significantly influenced by his grandfather, who wanted the young man to become a traveler, but the boy himself also strived for this. Great Russian travelers often began to prepare in advance for their campaigns and sea voyages.

Konyukhov's discoveries

Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov took part in 40 voyages, repeated Bering’s route on a yacht, and also sailed from Vladivostok to the Commander Islands, visiting Sakhalin and Kamchatka. At the age of 58, he conquered Everest, as well as 7 of the highest peaks in a team with other climbers. He visited both the North and South Poles, he has 4 round-the-world sea voyages, and crossed the Atlantic 15 times. Fyodor Filippovich reflected his impressions through drawing. Thus he painted 3 thousand paintings. The great geographical discoveries of Russian travelers were often reflected in their own literature, and Fyodor Konyukhov left behind 9 books.

Afanasy Nikitin

The great Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin (Nikitin is the merchant's patronymic, since his father's name was Nikita) lived in the 15th century, and the year of his birth is unknown. He proved that even a person from a poor family can travel so far, the main thing is to set a goal. He was an experienced merchant who, before India, visited Crimea, Constantinople, Lithuania and the Principality of Moldova and brought overseas goods to his homeland.

He himself was from Tver. Russian merchants went to Asia to establish connections with local traders. They themselves transported there mainly furs. By the will of fate, Afanasy ended up in India, where he lived for three years. Upon returning to his homeland, he was robbed and killed near Smolensk. The great Russian travelers and their discoveries will forever remain in history, because for the sake of progress, brave and brave lovers of wanderings often died in dangerous and lengthy expeditions.

Discoveries of Afanasy Nikitin

Afanasy Nikitin became the first Russian traveler to visit India and Persia; on his way back he visited Turkey and Somalia. During his travels, he made notes on “Walking across the Three Seas,” which later became a guide for studying the culture and customs of other countries. Medieval India is especially well depicted in his writings. He swam across the Volga, the Arabian and Caspian seas, and the Black Sea region. When merchants were robbed by the Tatars near Astrakhan, he did not want to return home with everyone and fall into debt, but continued his journey, heading to Derbent, then to Baku.

Nikolai Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay

Miklouho-Maclay comes from a noble family, but after the death of his father he had to learn what it was like to live in poverty. He had the nature of a rebel - at the age of 15 he was arrested for participating in a student demonstration. Because of this, he not only found himself under arrest in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he stayed for three days, but was also expelled from the gymnasium with a further ban on enrollment - so the opportunity to obtain a higher education in Russia was lost for him, which he subsequently did only in Germany.

A well-known naturalist, drew attention to the inquisitive 19-year-old young man and invited Miklouho-Maclay on an expedition, the purpose of which was to study marine fauna. Nikolai Nikolaevich died at the age of 42, and his diagnosis was “severe deterioration of the body.” He, like many other great Russian travelers, sacrificed a significant part of his life in the name of new discoveries.

Discoveries of Miklouho-Maclay

In 1869, Miklouho-Maclay, with the support of the Russian Geographical Society, left for New Guinea. The coast where he landed is now called the Maclay Coast. After spending more than a year on the expedition, he discovered new lands. The natives learned from the Russian traveler how pumpkins, corn, beans are grown, and how to care for fruit trees. He spent 3 years in Australia, visited Indonesia, the Philippines, the islands of Melanesia and Micronesia. He also convinced local residents not to interfere with anthropological research. For 17 years of his life he studied the indigenous population of the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. Thanks to Miklouho-Maclay, the assumption that the Papuans are a different species of human was refuted. As you can see, the great Russian travelers and their discoveries allowed the rest of the world not only to learn more about geographical exploration, but also about other people living in new territories.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky

Przhevalsky was favored by the emperor's family; at the end of his first trip, he had the honor of meeting Alexander II, who transferred his collection to the Russian Academy of Sciences. His son Nikolai really liked the works of Nikolai Mikhailovich, and he wanted to be his student; he also contributed to the publication of stories about the 4th expedition, donating 25 thousand rubles. The Tsarevich always looked forward to letters from the traveler and was glad even to receive short news about the expedition.

As you can see, even during his life Przhevalsky became a fairly famous person, and his works and deeds received great publicity. However, as sometimes happens when great Russian travelers and their discoveries become famous, many details from his life, as well as the circumstances of his death, are still shrouded in mystery. Nikolai Mikhailovich had no descendants, because having understood in advance what fate awaited him, he would not allow himself to doom his loved one to constant expectations and loneliness.

Przhevalsky's discoveries

Thanks to Przhevalsky's expeditions, Russian scientific prestige received a new boost. During 4 expeditions, the traveler covered about 30 thousand kilometers; he visited Central and Western Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and the southern part of the Taklamakan Desert. He discovered many ridges (Moscow, Mysterious, etc.) and described the largest rivers in Asia.

Many have heard about (subspecies, but few people know about the rich zoological collection of mammals, birds, amphibians and fish, a large number of records on plants and a herbarium collection. In addition to the animal and plant world, as well as new geographical discoveries, the great Russian traveler Przhevalsky was interested in unknown for Europeans by peoples - Dungans, northern Tibetans, Tanguts, Magins, Lobnors. He created the work “How to Travel in Central Asia", which could serve as an excellent guide for researchers and military men. The great Russian travelers, making discoveries, always provided knowledge for the development of sciences and successful organizing new expeditions.

Ivan Fedorovich Krusenstern

The Russian navigator was born in 1770. He had the opportunity to become the head of the first round-the-world expedition from Russia, he is also one of the founders of Russian oceanology, an admiral, corresponding member and honorary member of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. The great Russian traveler Krusenstern also took an active part when the Russian Geographical Society was created. In 1811 he had the opportunity to teach at the Naval Cadet Corps. Subsequently, becoming director, he organized the highest officer class. This academy then became a naval academy.

In 1812, he allocated 1/3 of his fortune for the people's militia (the Patriotic War began). Until this time, three volumes of the books “Travels Around the World” had been published, which were translated into seven European languages. In 1813, Ivan Fedorovich was included in the English, Danish, German and French scientific communities and academies. However, after 2 years he goes on indefinite leave due to a developing eye disease, the situation was complicated by a difficult relationship with the Minister of the Navy. Many famous sailors and travelers turned to Ivan Fedorovich for advice and support.

Krusenstern's discoveries

For 3 years he was the head of the Russian expedition around the world on the ships Neva and Nadezhda. During the voyage, the mouths of the Amur River were to be explored. For the first time in history, the Russian fleet crossed the equator. Thanks to this trip and Ivan Fedorovich, the eastern, northern and northwestern shores of the Sakhalin island appeared on the map for the first time. Also, due to his work, the Atlas of the South Sea, supplemented by hydrographic notes, was published. Thanks to the expedition, non-existent islands were erased from the maps, and the exact position of other geographical points was determined. Russian science learned about inter-trade countercurrents in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, water temperatures were measured (depths up to 400 m), and its specific gravity, color and transparency were determined. Finally, the reason why the sea glowed became clear. Data also appeared on atmospheric pressure, tides and tides in many areas of the World Ocean, which were used by other great Russian travelers in their expeditions.

Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnev

The great traveler was born in 1605. A sailor, explorer and merchant, he was also a Cossack chieftain. He was originally from Veliky Ustyug, and then moved to Siberia. Semyon Ivanovich was known for his diplomatic talent, courage and ability to organize and lead people. Geographical points (cape, bay, island, village, peninsula), award, icebreaker, passage, streets, etc. bear his name.

Dezhnev's discoveries

Semyon Ivanovich, 80 years before Bering, passed the Strait (called the Bering Strait) between Alaska and Chukotka (in its entirety, while Bering passed only part). He and his team discovered a sea route around the northeastern part of Asia and reached Kamchatka. No one had previously known about that part of the world where America almost converged with Asia. Dezhnev crossed the Arctic Ocean, bypassing the northern coast of Asia. He mapped the strait between the American and Asian shores, and after the ship was shipwrecked, his detachment, having only skis and sleds, took 10 weeks to get there (losing 13 out of 25 people). There is an assumption that the first settlers in Alaska were part of Dezhnev’s team, which separated from the expedition.

Thus, following in the footsteps of the great Russian travelers, one can see how the scientific community of Russia developed and rose, knowledge about the outside world was enriched, which gave a huge impetus to the development of other industries.

Without Russian discoverers, the world map would be completely different. Our compatriots - travelers and sailors - made discoveries that enriched world science. About the eight most noticeable ones - in our material.

Bellingshausen's first Antarctic expedition

In 1819, the navigator, captain of the 2nd rank, Thaddeus Bellingshausen led the first round-the-world Antarctic expedition. The purpose of the voyage was to explore the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, as well as to prove or disprove the existence of the sixth continent - Antarctica. Having equipped two sloops - "Mirny" and "Vostok" (under the command), Bellingshausen's detachment went to sea.

The expedition lasted 751 days and wrote many bright pages in the history of geographical discoveries. The main one was made on January 28, 1820.

By the way, attempts to open the white continent had been made before, but did not bring the desired success: a little luck was missing, and perhaps Russian perseverance.

Thus, the navigator James Cook, summing up the results of his second voyage around the world, wrote: “I went around the ocean of the southern hemisphere in high latitudes and rejected the possibility of the existence of a continent, which, if it could be discovered, would only be near the pole in places inaccessible to navigation.”

During Bellingshausen's Antarctic expedition, more than 20 islands were discovered and mapped, sketches of Antarctic species and the animals living there were made, and the navigator himself went down in history as a great discoverer.

“The name of Bellingshausen can be directly placed alongside the names of Columbus and Magellan, with the names of those people who did not retreat in the face of difficulties and imaginary impossibilities created by their predecessors, with the names of people who followed their own independent path, and therefore were destroyers of barriers to discovery, which designate epochs,” wrote the German geographer August Petermann.

Discoveries of Semenov Tien-Shansky

Central Asia at the beginning of the 19th century was one of the least studied areas of the globe. An undeniable contribution to the study of the “unknown land” - as geographers called Central Asia - was made by Pyotr Semenov.

In 1856, the researcher’s main dream came true - he went on an expedition to the Tien Shan.

“My work on Asian geography led me to a thorough acquaintance with everything that was known about inner Asia. I was especially attracted to the most central of the Asian mountain ranges - the Tien Shan, which had not yet been touched by a European traveler and was known only from scanty Chinese sources.

Semenov's research in Central Asia lasted two years. During this time, the sources of the Chu, Syr Darya and Sary-Jaz rivers, the peaks of Khan Tengri and others were mapped.

The traveler established the location of the Tien Shan ridges, the height of the snow line in this area and discovered the huge Tien Shan glaciers.

In 1906, by decree of the emperor, for the merits of the discoverer, the prefix began to be added to his surname - Tien Shan.

Asia Przhevalsky

In the 70−80s. XIX century Nikolai Przhevalsky led four expeditions to Central Asia. This little-studied area has always attracted the researcher, and traveling to Central Asia has been his long-time dream.

Over the years of research, mountain systems have been studied Kun-Lun , ridges of Northern Tibet, sources of the Yellow River and Yangtze, basins Kuku-nora and Lob-nora.

Przhevalsky was the second person after Marco Polo to reach lakes-swamps Lob-nora!

In addition, the traveler discovered dozens of species of plants and animals that are named after him.

“Happy fate made it possible to make a feasible exploration of the least known and most inaccessible countries of inner Asia,” Nikolai Przhevalsky wrote in his diary.

Kruzenshtern's circumnavigation

The names of Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky became known after the first Russian round-the-world expedition.

For three years, from 1803 to 1806. - that’s how long the first circumnavigation of the world lasted - the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva”, having passed through the Atlantic Ocean, rounded Cape Horn, and then through the waters of the Pacific Ocean reached Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. The expedition clarified the map of the Pacific Ocean and collected information about the nature and inhabitants of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands.

During the voyage, Russian sailors crossed the equator for the first time. This event was celebrated, according to tradition, with the participation of Neptune.

The sailor, dressed as the lord of the seas, asked Krusenstern why he came here with his ships, because the Russian flag had not been seen in these places before. To which the expedition commander replied: “For the glory of science and our fatherland!”

Nevelsky Expedition

Admiral Gennady Nevelskoy is rightfully considered one of the outstanding navigators of the 19th century. In 1849, on the transport ship “Baikal”, he went on an expedition to the Far East.

The Amur expedition lasted until 1855, during which time Nevelskoy made several major discoveries in the area of ​​the lower reaches of the Amur and the northern shores of the Sea of ​​Japan, and annexed the vast expanses of the Amur and Primorye regions to Russia.

Thanks to the navigator, it became known that Sakhalin is an island that is separated by the navigable Tatar Strait, and the mouth of the Amur is accessible for ships to enter from the sea.

In 1850, Nevelsky’s detachment founded the Nikolaev post, which today is known as Nikolaevsk-on-Amur.

“The discoveries made by Nevelsky are invaluable for Russia,” wrote Count Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky “Many previous expeditions to these regions could have achieved European glory, but none of them achieved domestic benefit, at least to the extent that Nevelskoy accomplished this.”

North of Vilkitsky

The purpose of the hydrographic expedition of the Arctic Ocean in 1910-1915. was the development of the Northern Sea Route. By chance, captain 2nd rank Boris Vilkitsky took over the duties of the voyage leader. Icebreaking steamships "Taimyr" and "Vaigach" went to sea.

Vilkitsky moved through the northern waters from east to west, and during his voyage he was able to compile a true description of the northern coast of Eastern Siberia and many islands, received the most important information about currents and climate, and also became the first to make a through voyage from Vladivostok to Arkhangelsk.

The expedition members discovered the Land of Emperor Nicholas I., known today as Novaya Zemlya - this discovery is considered the last significant one on the globe.

In addition, thanks to Vilkitsky, the islands of Maly Taimyr, Starokadomsky and Zhokhov were put on the map.

At the end of the expedition, the First World War began. The traveler Roald Amundsen, having learned about the success of Vilkitsky’s voyage, could not resist exclaiming to him:

“In peacetime, this expedition would excite the whole world!”

Kamchatka campaign of Bering and Chirikov

The second quarter of the 18th century was rich in geographical discoveries. All of them were made during the First and Second Kamchatka expeditions, which immortalized the names of Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov.

During the First Kamchatka Campaign, Bering, the leader of the expedition, and his assistant Chirikov explored and mapped the Pacific coast of Kamchatka and Northeast Asia. Two peninsulas were discovered - Kamchatsky and Ozerny, Kamchatka Bay, Karaginsky Bay, Cross Bay, Providence Bay and St. Lawrence Island, as well as the strait, which today bears the name of Vitus Bering.

Companions - Bering and Chirikov - also led the Second Kamchatka Expedition. The goal of the campaign was to find a route to North America and explore the Pacific Islands.

In Avachinskaya Bay, the expedition members founded the Petropavlovsk fort - in honor of the ships "St. Peter" and "St. Paul" - which was later renamed Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

When the ships set sail to the shores of America, by the will of an evil fate, Bering and Chirikov began to act alone - due to fog, their ships lost each other.

"St. Peter" under the command of Bering reached the west coast of America.

And on the way back, the expedition members, who had to endure many difficulties, were thrown onto a small island by a storm. This is where Vitus Bering’s life ended, and the island where the expedition members stopped for the winter was named after Bering.
Chirikov’s “Saint Paul” also reached the shores of America, but for him the voyage ended more happily - on the way back he discovered a number of islands of the Aleutian ridge and safely returned to the Peter and Paul prison.

“Unclear Earthlings” by Ivan Moskvitin

Little is known about the life of Ivan Moskvitin, but this man nevertheless went down in history, and the reason for this was the new lands he discovered.

In 1639, Moskvitin, leading a detachment of Cossacks, set sail to the Far East. The main goal of the travelers was to “find new unknown lands” and collect furs and fish. The Cossacks crossed the Aldan, Mayu and Yudoma rivers, discovered the Dzhugdzhur ridge, separating the rivers of the Lena basin from the rivers flowing into the sea, and along the Ulya River they reached the “Lamskoye”, or Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Having explored the coast, the Cossacks discovered the Taui Bay and entered the Sakhalin Bay, rounding the Shantar Islands.

One of the Cossacks reported that the rivers in the open lands “are sable, there are a lot of all kinds of animals, and fish, and the fish are big, there are no such fish in Siberia... there are so many of them - you just need to launch a net and you can’t drag them out with fish...”.

Geographic data collected by Ivan Moskvitin formed the basis of the first map of the Far East.

Everything that we know now was once discovered by people - pioneers. Some swam across the ocean for the first time and found a new land, some became space discoverers, some were the first to dive into the deepest cavity in the world in a bathyscaphe. Thanks to the ten pioneers below, today we know the world as it really is.

• Leif Eriksson/Leifur Eiriksson is the first European of Icelandic origin, who, according to some scientists, was the first to visit the continent of North America. Around the 11th century, this Scandinavian sailor lost his course and landed on some shore, which he later called “Vinland”. Of course, there is no documentary evidence of which part of North America it landed in. Some archaeologists claim that they have discovered Viking settlements in Newfoundland, Canada.

• Sacajawea, or Sakagawea/Sakakawea, Sacajawea is a girl of Indian origin, on whom Meriwether Lewis and his partner William Clark completely relied during their expedition, the path of which ran across the entire American continent. The girl walked with these researchers more than 6,473 kilometers. On top of that, the girl had a newborn baby in her arms. During this journey in 1805, Sacagawea found her lost brother. The girl is mentioned in the films "Night at the Museum" and "Night at the Museum 2".

• Christopher Columbus is a navigator of Spanish origin who discovered America, but because he and his expedition were looking for a sea route to India, Christopher believed that the lands he discovered were Indian. In 1492, his expedition discovered the Bahamas, Cuba and a number of other Caribbean islands. Christopher set sail for the first time at the age of 13.

• Amerigo Vespucci is the man after whom the continent of America was named. Although Columbus essentially made this discovery, it was Americo Vespucci who documented the “find”. In 1502, he explored the shores of South America, and it was then that well-deserved fame and honor came to him.

• James Cook is a captain who managed to sail much further into southern waters than any of his contemporaries. Cook has a proven fact about the falsity of the northern route through the Arctic from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is known that Captain James Cook made 2 expeditions around the world, mapped the islands in the Pacific Ocean, as well as Australia, for which he was subsequently eaten by the aborigines. So much for gratitude.

• William Beebe is a twentieth-century naturalist explorer. In 1934, he descended to 922 meters on a bathysphere and told people that “the world under water is no less strange than on another planet.” Although how does he know how life is on other planets?

• Chuck Yeager is a general in the US Air Force. In 1947, the first one broke the sound barrier. In 1952, Chuck flew at twice the speed of sound. Chuck Yeager, in addition to setting speed records, was a trainer for pilots of such space programs as Apollo, Gemini and Mercury.

• Louise Arne Boyd/Louise Boyd is also known to the world under the nickname “Ice Woman”. She received this nickname due to her explorations of Greenland. In 1955, she flew over the North Pole and was the first woman to do so in an airplane. She is also responsible for the discovery of an underwater mountain range in the Arctic Ocean.

• Yuri Gagarin / Yuri Gagarin - April 12, 1961, the first of all people living on our planet to be in space. Its first flight lasted a whopping 108 minutes. This was a real achievement in astronautics.

• Anousheh Ansari is the first female space tourist. She made her flight in September 2006. One can also add to her achievements that she was the first of all those who have been in orbit to blog on the Internet from space.

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. History included many 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:

1. Madeira Island,
2. West Coast of Africa,
3. Cape Verde,
4. Cape of Good Hope,
5. Azores,
6. 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. It was Columbus's seminal voyage that put the Caribbean islands on the map. 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. The cities were decorated with 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 voyages on ships in the Mediterranean Sea, and later went on large 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 mountain systems such as the Kun Lun and the ridges 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 the mysterious countries of the 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 the 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 it is problematic to name the only person who discovered it.

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 participated 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

Interesting facts about travelers have been preserved in history:

1. James Cook became the first person to visit all six continents.
2. Navigators and their discoveries changed the appearance of many lands, for example, James Cook brought sheep to the islands of Tahiti and New Zealand.
3. Before his revolutionary activities, Che Guevara was an amateur motorcycle rider; he took a 4,000-kilometer tour around South America.
4. 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

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.

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

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.

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 Laptev and his associates conducted research on the northernmost section of the Siberian coast. It was he who determined the dimensions and outlines of the huge Taimyr Peninsula - he carried out surveys of its eastern coast, and was able to identify the exact coordinates of the coastal islands. The expedition took place in difficult conditions - a large amount of ice, snowstorms, scurvy, ice captivity - Khariton Laptev’s team had to endure a lot. But they continued the work they had started. On this expedition, Laptev's assistant Chelyuskin discovered a cape, which was later named in his honor.

Noting the great contribution of the Laptevs to the development of new territories, members of the Russian Geographical Society decided to name one of the largest seas in the Arctic after them. Also, the strait between the mainland and the island of Bolshoy Lyakhovsky is named in honor of Dmitry, and the western coast of the island of Taimyr is named after Khariton.

Krusenstern and Lisyansky - organizers of the first Russian circumnavigation

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 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. 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

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.

The results of this expedition exceeded all expectations. During the 751 days that it lasted, Bellingshausen and Lazarev were able to make several significant geographical discoveries. Of course, the most important of them is the existence of Antarctica, this historical event occurred on January 28, 1820. Also, during the trip, about two dozen islands were found and mapped, sketches of Antarctic views, and images of representatives of the Antarctic fauna were created.

Interestingly, attempts to discover Antarctica were made more than once, but none of them were successful. European navigators believed that either it did not exist, or it was located in places that were simply impossible to reach by sea. But the Russian travelers had enough perseverance and determination, so the names of Bellingshausen and Lazarev were included in the lists of the greatest navigators of the world.

There are also modern travelers. One of them .