First trip around the world. Who made the first trip around the world

Every educated person can easily remember the name of the one who made the first trip around the world and crossed Pacific Ocean. This was done by the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan about 500 years ago.

But it should be noted that this formulation is not completely correct. Magellan thought through and planned the route of the voyage, organized it and led it, but he was destined to die many months before it was completed. So Juan Sebastian del Cano (Elcano), a Spanish navigator with whom Magellan had, to put it mildly, not friendly relations, continued and completed the first trip around the world. It was del Cano who eventually became captain of the Victoria (the only ship to return to her home harbour) and gained fame and fortune. However, Magellan made great discoveries during his dramatic voyage, which will be discussed below, and therefore he is considered the first circumnavigator.

The first trip around the world: background

In the 16th century, Portuguese and Spanish sailors and merchants vied with each other for control of the spice-rich East Indies. The latter made it possible to preserve food, and it was difficult to do without them. There was already a proven route to the Moluccas, where the most big markets with the cheapest goods, but this path was long and unsafe. Due to limited knowledge about the world, America, discovered not so long ago, seemed to sailors as an obstacle on the way to rich Asia. No one knew whether there was a strait between South America and the hypothetical Unknown South Land, but the Europeans wanted there to be one. They did not yet know that America and East Asia divided by a huge ocean, and it was thought that opening the strait would provide quick access to Asian markets. Therefore, the first navigator to circumnavigate the world would certainly have been awarded royal honors.

Career of Ferdinand Magellan

By the age of 39, the impoverished Portuguese nobleman Magellan (Magalhães) had visited Asia and Africa several times, was wounded in battles with the natives and collected a lot of information about his travels to the shores of America.

With his idea of ​​getting to the Moluccas by the western route and returning the usual way (that is, making the first trip around the world), he turned to the Portuguese King Manuel. He was not at all interested in Magellan’s proposal, whom he also disliked for his lack of loyalty. But he allowed Fernand to change his citizenship, which he immediately took advantage of. The navigator settled in Spain (that is, in a country hostile to the Portuguese!), acquired a family and associates. In 1518, he obtained an audience with the young king Charles I. The king and his advisers became interested in finding a shortcut for spices and “gave the go-ahead” to organize the expedition.

Along the coast. Riot

Magellan's first voyage around the world, which was never completed for most of the team members, began in 1519. Five ships left the Spanish harbor of San Lucar, carrying 265 people from different countries Europe. Despite the storms, the flotilla relatively safely reached the coast of Brazil and began to “descend” along it to the south. Fernand hoped to find a strait into the South Sea, which should have been located, according to his information, in the region of 40 degrees south latitude. But in the indicated place it was not the strait, but the mouth of the La Plata River. Magellan ordered to continue moving south, and when the weather completely deteriorated, the ships anchored in the Bay of St. Julian (San Julian) to spend the winter there. The captains of three ships (Spaniards by nationality) mutinied, seized the ships and decided not to continue the first trip around the world, but to head for the Cape of Good Hope and from there to their homeland. People loyal to the admiral managed to do the impossible - recapture the ships and cut off the rebels' escape route.

Strait of All Saints

One captain was killed, another was executed, the third was put ashore. Magellan pardoned the ordinary rebels, which once again proved his foresight. Only at the end of the summer of 1520 did the ships leave the bay and continue searching for the strait. During a storm, the ship Santiago sank. And on October 21, the sailors finally discovered a strait, more reminiscent of a narrow crevice between the rocks. Magellan's ships sailed along it for 38 days.

The shore remaining along left hand, the admiral called Tierra del Fuego, since Indian fires burned on it around the clock. It was thanks to the discovery of the Strait of All Saints that Ferdinand Magellan began to be considered the one who made the first trip around the world. Subsequently, the Strait was renamed Magellan.

Pacific Ocean

Only three ships left the strait for the so-called “South Sea”: “San Antonio” disappeared (simply deserted). The sailors liked the new waters, especially after the turbulent Atlantic. The ocean was named Pacific.

The expedition headed northwest, then west. For several months the sailors sailed without seeing any signs of land. Starvation and scurvy caused the death of almost half the crew. Only at the beginning of March 1521 did ships approach two yet undiscovered inhabited islands from the Mariana group. From here it was already close to the Philippines.

Philippines. Death of Magellan

The discovery of the islands of Samar, Siargao and Homonkhon greatly pleased the Europeans. Here they regained their strength and communicated with local residents, who willingly shared food and information.

Magellan's servant, a Malay, spoke fluently with the natives in the same language, and the admiral realized that the Moluccas were very close. By the way, this servant, Enrique, ultimately became one of those who made the first trip around the world, unlike his master, who was not destined to land on the Moluccas. Magellan and his people intervened in an internecine war between two local princes, and the navigator was killed (either with a poisoned arrow or with a cutlass). Moreover, after some time, as a result treacherous attack The savages killed his closest associates - experienced Spanish sailors. The team was so thin that it was decided to destroy one of the ships, the Concepcion.

Moluccas. Return to Spain

Who led the first voyage around the world after Magellan's death? Juan Sebastian del Cano, Basque sailor. He was among the conspirators who presented Magellan with an ultimatum at San Julian Bay, but the admiral forgave him. Del Cano commanded one of the two remaining ships, the Victoria.

He ensured that the ship returned to Spain loaded with spices. This was not easy to do: the Portuguese were waiting for the Spaniards off the coast of Africa, who from the very beginning of the expedition did everything to upset the plans of their competitors. The second ship, the flagship Trinidad, was boarded by them; sailors were enslaved. Thus, in 1522, 18 expedition members returned to San Lucar. The cargo they delivered covered all the costs of the expensive expedition. Del Cano was awarded a personal coat of arms. If in those days someone had said that Magellan made the first trip around the world, he would have been ridiculed. The Portuguese only faced accusations of violating royal instructions.

Results of Magellan's journey

Magellan explored the eastern coast South America and opened a strait from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Thanks to his expedition, people received strong evidence that the Earth was indeed round, they were convinced that the Pacific Ocean was much larger than expected, and that sailing on it to the Moluccas was unprofitable. Europeans also realized that the World Ocean is one and washes all continents. Spain satisfied its ambitions by announcing the discovery of the Mariana and Philippine Islands, and laid claim to the Moluccas.

All the great discoveries made during this voyage belong to Ferdinand Magellan. So the answer to the question of who made the first trip around the world is not so obvious. In fact, this man was del Cano, but still the main achievement of the Spaniard was that the world generally learned about the history and results of this voyage.

The first round-the-world voyage of Russian navigators

In 1803-1806, Russian sailors Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky made a large-scale journey through the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Their goals were: exploration of the Far Eastern outskirts Russian Empire, finding a convenient trade route to China and Japan by sea, providing the Russian population of Alaska with everything necessary. The navigators (set off on two ships) explored and described Easter Island, the Marquesas Islands, the coast of Japan and Korea, the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and Yesso Island, visited Sitka and Kodiak, where Russian settlers lived, and also delivered an ambassador from the emperor to Japan. During this voyage, domestic ships visited high latitudes for the first time. The first round-the-world trip of Russian explorers had a huge public resonance and contributed to increasing the prestige of the country. Its scientific significance is no less great.

First Russian circumnavigation

Krusenstern and Lisyansky

The first half of the voyage (from Kronstadt to Petropavlovsk) was marked by the eccentric behavior of Tolstoy the American (who had to be landed in Kamchatka) and conflicts between Kruzenshtern and N.P. Rezanov, who was sent by Emperor Alexander I as the first Russian envoy to Japan to establish trade between countries and was officially approved as the head of the expedition.

Having barely avoided trouble here, on May 20 Kruzenshtern passed through the strait between the islands of Onnekotan and Haramukotan, and on May 24 he again arrived at the port of Peter and Paul. On June 23, he went to Sakhalin to complete the description of its shores; on June 29, he passed the Kuril Islands, the strait between Raukoke and Mataua, which he named Nadezhda. On July 3, he arrived at Cape Terpeniya. Exploring the shores of Sakhalin, he walked around the northern tip of the island, descended between it and the coast of the mainland to latitude 53° 30" and in this place on August 1 found fresh water, according to which he concluded that the mouth of the Amur River was not far, but due to the rapidly decreasing depth he did not dare to go forward.

The next day he anchored in a bay, which he called the Bay of Hope; On August 4 he went back to Kamchatka, where repairs to the ship and replenishment of supplies delayed him until September 23. When leaving Avachinskaya Bay, due to fog and snow, the ship almost ran aground. On the way to China, he searched in vain for the islands shown on old Spanish maps, withstood several storms and arrived in Macau on November 15. On November 21, when the Nadezhda was completely ready to go to sea, the ship Neva arrived with a rich cargo of fur goods and stopped in Whampoa, where the ship Nadezhda also went. At the beginning of January 1806, the expedition completed its trading business, but was detained by the Chinese port authorities for no particular reason, and only on January 28 did the Russian ships leave the Chinese shores.

In 2006, the 200th anniversary of the end of the first Russian circumnavigation of the world was celebrated. By this date, the Russian Geographical Society planned to re-publish descriptions of the travels of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky, Kruzenshtern’s “Atlas of the South Sea”, for the first time publish in translation into Russian the work of Grigory Langsdorf, an unknown version of the notes of the merchant Fyodor Shemelin, an unpublished diary of Lieutenant Ermolai Levenshtern, unpublished or forgotten diaries and letters from Nikolai Rezanov, Makar Ratmanov, Fyodor Romberg and other participants in the voyage. It was also planned to publish a collection of scientific articles on the main aspects of the preparation, conduct and results of swimming.

Several fiction and non-fiction books are devoted to the voyages of Krusenstern and Lisyansky. In particular, Nikolai Chukovsky talks in detail about the expedition in the third part of the popular book about great navigators “Frigate Drivers” (1941). V. P. Krapivin’s novel “Islands and Captains” (1984-87) is also dedicated to the first Russian circumnavigation of the world.

Based on the story “Fresh Wind of the Ocean” by E. Fedorovsky, the feature film “The Wanderer” was made, one of storylines which is the expedition.

Notes

Sources

• I. F. Kruzenshtern. “A voyage around the world in 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1806 on the ships Nadezhda and Neva”
• Yu. F. Lisyansky. “A trip around the world on the ship Neva in 1803-1806”

Literature

• Lupach. V. S., I. F. Kruzenshtern and Yu. F. Lisyansky, State Publishing House of Geographical Literature, Moscow, 1953, 46 p.

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See what the “First Russian circumnavigation of the world” is in other dictionaries:

Russian map peace of 1707. Antarctica is completely absent, Canada for the most part. A trip around the world (“circumnavigation”) is a journey whose route crosses all meridians (less often all parallels) and at the same time passes through some two ... Wikipedia

I am sure that many people know about the first voyage around the world under the leadership of Ferdinand Magellan. This historical event played a key role in the process of discovering new lands and territories, but this expedition was carried out by the Spaniards, and I would like to talk about our compatriots who were able to accomplish a similar feat.

General travel information

The Russians decided to travel around the world much later than the Spaniards led by Ferdinand Magellan. This event dates back to 1803, and its duration was the same as that of the first expedition - 3 years. But if the Spaniards had Magellan, then who were the Russian commanders? These were two people, namely: Yuri Lisyansky and Ivan Kruzenshtern, who commanded the crews of their ships “Neva” and “Nadezhda”. Next, I would like to say about the significance of this expedition for Russia in general. It also influenced the raising of the level of the Russian fleet, and, of course, brought many benefits to the exploration of world waters. Now I want to move on, in fact, to the route along which the expedition moved.

Description of Russian travel around the world

The beginning of the journey was marked by Alexander I’s personal inspection of the ships, which became home to sailors for the next 3 years. Besides this, I can highlight:

Now, regarding the travel route. It began in Kronstadt, and the first stop was the Danish city of Copenhagen, after which the expedition headed to Britain, and then visited the Canary Islands and Spain. After a short pause, they headed to Brazil and visited Easter Island and the Hawaiian Islands. The next destination was Russian Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Japan, then Alaska, China and even Macau, which is located in Portugal. After visiting St. Helena, the Azores and Portsmouth in Great Britain, the travelers returned to Kronstadt.

After the victorious wars with Sweden and Ottoman Empire By the beginning of the 19th century, Russia had secured its status as one of the leading world powers. But a world power cannot exist without a strong fleet, so special attention was paid to its development. For example, Russian officers were sent to gain experience in the fleets foreign countries. You will learn briefly about the round-the-world trip of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky while reading the article.

Preparation

The idea of ​​Yuri Lisyansky and Ivan Kruzenshtern belonged to the latter. He began to think about it immediately upon returning to Russia in 1799. The final version was presented in early 1802 and was quickly approved by the Minister of the Navy and the Minister of Commerce. Already on August 7, Kruzenshtern was appointed commander of the expedition. His deputy became old friend, an acquaintance from the days of studying in the Naval Corps, Lieutenant Commander Lisyansky. Most of the expenses of the round-the-world trip of Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky were paid by the Russian-American company. The merchants had their own interest; they hoped to open a new promising sea route along which goods could be delivered to China and Russian settlements in America.

Preparations for the first circumnavigation of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky were carried out quickly but carefully. It was decided not to build the ships ourselves, but to buy them abroad. In England, two three-masted sloops, named “Nadezhda” and “Neva”, were purchased for seventeen thousand pounds sterling. The first was commanded by Krusenstern himself, and the second by Lisyansky. The necessary navigation instruments and other equipment for a long voyage were also purchased there. The crews were recruited exclusively from Russian volunteer sailors, despite the fact that Krusenstern was advised to invite experienced foreign sailors. It was unusual solution, because Russian ships and crews had no experience of long-distance ocean voyages. In addition, the expedition included several scientists, as well as Ambassador Rezanov, who was tasked with establishing ties with Japan.

Europe and the Atlantic Ocean

On July 26 (August 7, new style), 1803, the ships of the expedition left Kronstadt. Russian sailors setting off on their first trip around the world were solemnly seen off by local residents and crews of ships stationed in the roadstead. Ten days later, the expedition reached Copenhagen, where the chronometers at the observatory were adjusted. On September 26, “Nadezhda” and “Neva” stopped in England, in Falmouth, where they stayed until October 5 to caulk the hulls. The next stop was made in the Canary Islands, where they stocked up on provisions and fresh water. After that we set off for the shores of South America.

On November 26, Russian ships crossed the equator for the first time. This event was marked by the solemn raising of the St. Andrew's flag and a gun salute. In December, the expedition approached the island of St. Catherine off the coast of Brazil and stopped there. The Neva needed a mast replacement, and repairs dragged on until the end of January. During this time, the expedition members became acquainted with the nature of the tropical country. Much was surprising, because in the southern tropical latitudes January is the hottest month, and the travelers saw the whole variety of animals and flora. A detailed description of the island was compiled, amendments and corrections were made to the coast map, and dozens of samples were collected various types tropical plants.

Pacific Ocean

Finally, the repairs were completed, so the first Russian circumnavigation of Krusenstern and Lisyansky continued. On February 20, 1804, the ships rounded Cape Horn and continued their journey along the Pacific Ocean. This was not without incident: due to strong winds, rain and fog, the ships lost sight of each other. But the command of the expedition foresaw such a possibility, relying on the stories of English sailors about the “furious fifties” and “roaring forties” latitudes. In the event of such a development of events, it was decided to meet on Easter Island. "Neva" approached the island and, after waiting there for three days, went to where and met with "Nadezhda" near the island of Nukagiwa.

It turned out that, having lost from Lisyansky, Kruzenshtern headed north to explore the local part of the ocean, but never found new land. The island itself was described in detail, a collection of plants unknown to science was collected, and Lisyansky compiled short dictionary native language. After this, the ships left Nukagiwa, crossed the equator for the second time in May and headed for the Hawaiian Islands, where they separated. “Nadezhda” went to Kamchatka, and “Neva” to the northwestern shores of America.

Count Fyodor Tolstoy

On the way to Kamchatka, on one of the islands, the expedition parted ways with one of the crew members, Fyodor Tolstoy. He was the most famous representative of the Russian nobility of those years, and received his fame for his eccentric and provocative behavior. He did not change his character during the journey either. In the end, Krusenstern got tired of Tolstoy's antics, so he put him ashore. From there Tolstoy reached the Aleutian Islands and Alaska, after which he returned back to Kamchatka and through Far East, Siberia and the Urals arrived in St. Petersburg.

Kamchatka

At the beginning of July, Nadezhda arrived in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. By this time, relations between Kruzenshtern and Ambassador Rezanov had become tense to the limit. The conflict between them arose at the beginning of the journey and was due to the fact that, although Kruzenshtern was the commander of the ship, Rezanov was formally considered the head of the expedition, and his status became known only after leaving Kronstadt.

Such dual power simply could not help but affect the discipline of the crew during the first trip around the world by Krusenstern and Lisyansky. Things almost came to a riot, and the ambassador was forced to spend all his time in his cabin before arriving in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Having gone ashore, he immediately filed a complaint with the governor about the actions of Krusenstern and the crew. However, everything was resolved successfully, and “Nadezhda” put to sea and set off for the shores of Japan.

Japan

On September 26, 1804, the ship arrived at the port of Nagasaki. But the local authorities gave the Russian sailors a rather cold, even hostile reception. First, they were required to hand over their cannons and all firearms in general; only after that the ship was allowed to enter the bay. “Nadezhda” stood in the harbor for six months, during which time the sailors were not even allowed to go ashore. Finally, the ambassador was informed that the emperor could not receive him. Moreover, Russian ships were henceforth forbidden to appear near the Japanese coast. An attempt to establish diplomatic relations ended in failure. However, this is not surprising, because Japan at that time strictly adhered to the policy of isolation and did not intend to abandon it. The ship returned to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where Rezanov was released from further participation in the voyage.

However, the voyage to Japan was not in vain. The region was poorly known to Europeans; the maps were full of inaccuracies and errors. Krusenstern compiled a description of the western coastline of the Japanese Islands and made some amendments to the maps.

In July 1805, Nadezhda made another voyage, this time to the shores of Sakhalin. Having passed from the south to the north of the island and trying to go around it, the expedition encountered fog and shallow water. Kruzenshtern mistakenly decided that Sakhalin was a peninsula connected to the mainland by an isthmus, and turned back to Kamchatka. Having replenished the supply of provisions, made the necessary repairs and loaded with furs, the sloop set off for China at the end of September. Along the way, several non-existent islands were removed from the maps, and the Nadezhda itself was caught in a storm several times. In late autumn, the ship finally dropped anchor in Macau and began to wait for Lisyansky's arrival.

Journey of the Neva

After separation in the Hawaiian Islands, the Neva went to the coast North America. There the expedition first of all took up the hydrographic description of the coast. In addition, in the fall of 1804, Lisyansky was forced to interrupt Scientific research on Kodiak Island and provide assistance to Russian settlers in America who were attacked by the natives. Having resolved the problems of the settlers and completed the necessary astronomical observations in those places, the ship returned to Kodiak. In addition to hydrographic and astronomical observations, weather observations were carried out, and a map of the Kodiak archipelago was compiled.

After wintering in 1805, exploration of the coast continued. In the summer, the Neva dropped anchor in the settlement of Novo-Arkhangelsk. Here the expedition spent about two months exploring the area. Coastal reconnaissance and forays deep into the islands were carried out, and a detailed description of them was compiled. In particular, Lisyansky climbed Mount Echkom, which was an extinct volcano. Observations were made about vegetation, temperature changes with altitude, and samples of volcanic rocks were collected. Lisyansky discovered hot springs on Baranova Island, the water of which had medicinal properties. He also collected a lot of information about the life of the Indians and a collection of their household items.

After completing all necessary research The Neva accepted a cargo of furs belonging to the Russian-American Company, and on September 1 set off for the shores of China. Before sailing, several dozen buckets of wild sorrel were prepared, which was a proven remedy for scurvy. And indeed, there were no cases of the disease further along the way.

Lisyansky hoped to discover unexplored land and plotted a route through those parts of the ocean that had not been visited by ships before. But these searches almost turned into trouble: on the night of October 3, the Neva ran aground. As it turned out in the morning, this saved the ship from colliding with a small island located in the center of the shoal. The island was given the name Lisyansky. It was uninhabited and very low; in the darkness of a tropical night it was very easy to miss it, and a collision with the rocky shore would end in the death of the ship. "Neva" successfully refloated and continued on its way.

Nevertheless, the voyage of Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky was delayed, the ship did not make it on time, and Lisyansky decided to shift south so that a fair wind would fill the sails. Near the Philippines, the Neva was badly battered by a typhoon, and it was even necessary to throw part of the cargo overboard. Finally, in mid-November, the sailors met the first Chinese ship. On November 21, 1805, the Neva arrived in Macau, where the Nadezhda was already waiting for her.

China

Upon arrival in Macau, Krusenstern informed the governor of the purpose of the visit and convinced him to allow the Nadezhda to remain in the port until the Neva arrived, even though warships were prohibited from staying there. But he was not immediately able to persuade the local authorities to allow both ships to enter. Therefore, when the Neva approached Macau, he switched to her and, together with Lisyansky, went to the port.

There were certain difficulties with the sale of furs, as Chinese merchants were waiting for government permission to enter into trade relations with the Russians. Finally, with the help of a local English trade mission, we managed to sell the cargo. Having purchased Chinese goods (tea, silk, porcelain) and completed trade affairs, the expedition was preparing to depart, but then Chinese officials intervened again, prohibiting the ships from leaving the port until permission was received. A month later, permission was finally received, and on January 28, 1806, Russian sailors set off.

Return

While sailing through Polynesia, the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, any geographical discoveries was not done, since this route was widely known and had been explored for a long time. However, several interesting events still happened. The ships sailed together to the coast of Africa, but while passing by they fell into fog and on April 3 lost sight of each other. According to the agreements, in such a case it was planned to meet again on the island of St. Helena. Upon arrival there, Kruzenshtern received news that Russia and France were at war. This forced him to change the further route of the expedition of Krusenstern and Lisyansky’s round-the-world trip, and “Nadezhda” went away from the European shores, rounding the British Isles.

Lisyansky decided to return on his own, without going to St. Helena Island. Having dropped anchor in Portsmouth and having learned about the war, he nevertheless continued sailing across the English Channel. One way or another, both ships successfully completed the first trip around the world by Krusenstern and Lisyansky. "Neva" returned to Kronstadt on July 22, and "Nadezhda" arrived on August 7, 1806.

Meaning

The first Russian trip around the world by Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky opened a new page geographical research. The expedition discovered new islands and erased non-existent ones from the maps, clarified coastline North America and Japan, the latitude and longitude of many points on the map are set. Updated maps of little-explored places on the globe have simplified further expeditions. After the first circumnavigation of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky, a lot of information was obtained about the population of distant lands, about their customs, culture and way of life. The collected ethnographic material was transferred to the Academy of Sciences and served as a valuable source of information. During the trip, Chukchi and Ainu dictionaries were also compiled.

Research on the temperature of water in the oceans, its salinity, currents, tides did not stop during the entire journey; in the future, the information obtained will become one of the foundations of oceanography. Weather observations in different corners the globe will subsequently be important for the development of such a science as climatology. The value of the research and observations of the Russian expedition is that they were carried out systematically, using the most modern instruments; such an approach was innovative at that time.

The information obtained during the round-the-world trip of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky (the description was presented to your attention in the article) was published in the books of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky. The works were accompanied by atlases with the latest maps and illustrations of nature and cities of distant countries. These works, which contained a lot of information about little-explored lands, aroused strong interest in Europe, and were soon translated into Western European languages ​​and published abroad.

The expedition became the first Russian trip around the world; sailors and officers acquired experience of long-distance voyages for the first time, thereby forming the basis for further geographical discoveries under the Russian flag. In particular, the crew of “Nadezhda” included Thaddeus Bellingshausen, the future one, and Otto Kotzebue, who later made another trip around the world, but this time as the commander of the expedition.

“Russian navigators never went so far... They had to go from the sixtieth degree north to the same degree of south latitude, go around the stormy Cap Horn, endure the scorching heat of the equinox line... However... their curiosity and desire to see distant countries was so great that if I could accept all the hunters who came to me with requests for their appointment on this journey, then I could complete many and big ships selected sailors of the Russian fleet" (I. F. Kruzenshtern. Sailing around the world).

Russia started thinking about circumnavigation back in the mid-18th century. (Admiral N.F. Golovin was the first to propose its implementation), but it was prepared only in 1787. Captain-brigadier G.I. Mulovsky was appointed head of the detachment of four ships. But due to the war with Sweden, the campaign was canceled, and in 1789 Mulovsky died in a naval battle off the island of Öland. In that fateful battle, he commanded the battleship Mstislav, on which 17-year-old Ivan Kruzenshtern served as a midshipman. It was he who became the most ardent supporter of the idea of ​​a Russian circumnavigation.

On the frigate Podrazislav, which also took part in the battle with the Swedes, the midshipman was the even younger Yuri Lisyansky. In the 1790s. Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky managed to sail on English ships in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans and fight against the French. Upon returning to Russia, both were promoted to lieutenant commander. In 1799, Kruzenshtern presented his project for a circumnavigation to Emperor Paul I. the main objective The project consisted of organizing fur trade between Russia and China by sea. Apparently, Paul was skeptical about this idea. And in 1801, the emperor was killed by conspirators. It is believed that the British played an important role in organizing the conspiracy against Paul, a supporter of rapprochement with France.

The idea of ​​a circumnavigation was supported by the Russian-American Company, founded in 1799 with the goal of developing the territories of Russian America and the Kuril Islands. As Russian colonists explored the northwestern coast of America and the adjacent islands, the need for regular communication between Russia and its possessions on the American continent became increasingly acute. This need was dictated by several circumstances, primarily the problem of supplying the colonists with provisions and frequent attacks by Indians. And, of course, the threat to Russian possessions emanating from other colonial powers: England, France, the “newborn” United States of America and, to a lesser extent, Spain.

IN early XIX V. Communication with the American colonies was poorly established. Goods, weapons, tools and Substantial part food from the European part of the country was transported through the Urals and Western Siberia(and this is only a quarter of the way!), and then almost complete desertion and absolute roadlessness began in Central and Eastern Siberia. Then there remained “mere trifles” - from Okhotsk by sea to Alaska. Hopes for development sea ​​route along the northern coast of Russia there were still hopes, and therefore there was only one option - sailing through southern seas either to the west, around Cape Horn, or in the opposite direction, around the Cape of Good Hope.

Starting from the first years of the reign of Alexander I, who came to power after the assassination of his father, the Russian-American Company operated under the auspices of the royal family. It was granted monopoly use of all fisheries in Alaska and the adjacent islands, as well as in the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, the right to trade with other countries, organize expeditions and occupy discovered lands. One of its directors was the chamberlain of the imperial court N.P. Rezanov.

The highest permission to conduct the first Russian round-the-world expedition was received in 1802. The emperor appointed Krusenstern as its leader. The main goal of the expedition was to study the possibilities of transport links between European Russia and Russian America. The ships were to deliver the Russian-American Company's cargo to Alaska, and then the company's furs to China for sale.

The company covered half of all expenses for the expedition. Two ships were purchased in England, not the newest, but reliable. One of them was named “Nadezhda”, the other was named “Neva”. The first was commanded by Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, the second by Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky.

The expedition was prepared carefully. A lot of medicines were purchased, mainly anti-scorbutic drugs. The two captains approached the staffing of their teams very responsibly, preferring their compatriots, primarily military sailors, to foreigners. This is understandable: the ships set off on a voyage under the St. Andrew's flag - the main naval banner of the Russian navy. Along the way, the expedition, equipped with the most modern devices, was supposed to conduct scientific research. Naturalist and ethnographer G. I. Langsdorf, naturalist and artist V. G. Tilesius, astronomer I. K. Gorner and other scientists set sail.

A few days before departure, the expedition plan underwent changes: Kruzenshtern was tasked with delivering an embassy to Japan led by N.P. Rezanov to establish trade relations with this country. Rezanov with his retinue and gifts for the Japanese settled on the Nadezhda. As it turned out later, the emperor gave the envoy the authority of the leader of the expedition. However, neither Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky, nor the rest of the expedition members were notified about this.

At the end of July 1803, Nadezhda and Neva left Kronstadt. Having made a stop in Copenhagen, the ships proceeded to England, then south to the Canary Islands, where they arrived in October, and on November 14, for the first time in the history of the Russian fleet, they crossed the equator. But this only looks smooth on paper, but in reality everything was not easy. And the reason is not storms or illnesses, but the conflict between Rezanov and Krusenstern. As soon as the ships left Europe, the chamberlain made unequivocal claims to the general leadership, with which the commander of the Nadezhda, naturally, could not agree. Until now, Rezanov had not presented the imperial rescript.

In December, the ships approached the shores of Brazil. After they safely rounded Cape Horn, a storm suddenly hit in the Pacific Ocean, and Nadezhda and Neva were separated. In this case, the instructions provided for several meeting points along the route. In the Pacific Ocean, the first such place was Easter Island, followed by Nuku Hiva (one of the Marquesas Islands). The winds carried the Nadezhda far to the west of the first point, and Kruzenshtern decided to immediately go to the Marquises. Lisyansky moved to Easter Island, spent several days here, and then proceeded to Nuku Hiva, where the ships met. Meanwhile, the conflict between the commander and the chamberlain was gaining momentum. Rezanov tried to interfere with the control of the ships and several times demanded to change the route. This eventually led to an open clash, during which all the officers except one declared their disobedience to Rezanov, and the latter was finally forced to present the emperor's rescript. But even this did not help - the officers still refused to obey the chamberlain.

From Nuku Hiva, Nadezhda and Neva headed north-northwest and reached the Hawaiian Islands on May 27. Here the detachment split: Lisyansky, in accordance with the original plan, went north to Kodiak Island, and Kruzenshtern moved north-west, to Kamchatka, in order to then deliver the embassy to Japan. Arriving in Petropavlovsk, Rezanov summoned the Kamchatka commandant P.I. Koshelev and demanded that Kruzenshtern be convicted of insubordination. Having familiarized himself with the circumstances of the case, Major General Koshelev managed to reconcile the conflicting parties.

At the end of September, Nadezhda had already reached Nagasaki. In those days, Japan was a state closed from the outside world. Only the Dutch managed to establish trade with the Japanese, and then rather symbolically. It is not surprising that Rezanov's mission failed. For six months the embassy lived on a piece of land surrounded by a high fence, essentially in captivity. Russian sailors were not allowed to go ashore. The Japanese played for time in every possible way, did not accept the royal gifts - rather stupid ones, by the way, and in the end abandoned negotiations and handed the ambassador a letter according to which Russian courts it was forbidden to approach the shores of Japan.

At the beginning of April 1805, Krusenstern, leaving Nagasaki, proceeded through the Korea Strait into the Sea of ​​Japan, then through the La Perouse Strait into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and on May 23 brought the Nadezhda to Petropavlovsk. Here Rezanov left the ship to go to Russian America, towards new adventures (which formed the basis of the famous play “Juno and Avos”). And “Nadezhda” left Petropavlovsk on September 23, headed for the South China Sea and reached Macau on November 8.

The Neva, having reached Kodiak Island in July 1804, spent more than a year off the coast of North America. The sailors delivered the necessary supplies to the Russian colonists, helped them fight off attacks by the Tlingit Indians and build the Novoarkhangelsk fortress, and conducted scientific observations. Lisyansky explored the Alexander Archipelago and discovered several islands, including one large one, named after Chichagov. Loaded with furs, the Neva headed for China. In October 1805, while passing through the Hawaiian Islands, she ran aground on a reef near an unknown island. The ship was refloated, and the open island received the name of the commander. In mid-November, having rounded Formosa from the south, Lisyansky entered the South China Sea and soon arrived in Macau, where Krusenstern was waiting for him.

Having sold the furs, the Russians set out on their return journey on January 31, 1806. Through the Sunda Strait on February 21, the ships entered Indian Ocean. In early April, near the Cape of Good Hope, they lost each other in thick fog. The place of their meeting was supposed to be the island of St. Helena, where Kruzenshtern arrived on April 21. The Neva, without visiting the island, proceeded across the entire Atlantic to Portsmouth, where it ended up on June 16. The non-stop journey from Macau to Portsmouth lasted 142 days. And on July 22, 1806, the Neva arrived in Kronstadt. The Nadezhda, having waited several days off St. Helena, returned to Russia two weeks later.

FIGURES AND FACTS

Main characters

Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, head of the expedition, commander of the Nadezhda; Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky, commander of the Neva

Other characters

Alexander I, Emperor of Russia; Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov, Envoy Extraordinary to Japan; Pavel Ivanovich Koshelev, commandant of Kamchatka

Time of action

Route

From Kronstadt across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to Japan and Russian America, through the Indian and atlantic oceans to Kronstadt

Goals

Studying the possibilities of communication with Russian America, delivering the embassy to Japan and cargo to Alaska

Meaning

The first Russian circumnavigation in history