The great Russian travelers, whose list 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 us follow in the footsteps of the great Russian travelers their geographical discoveries.
Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov
The great Russian traveler Fedor Konyukhov is not only a famous adventurer, but also an artist, honored master of sports. He was born in 1951. From childhood, he could do what 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 age 15, he managed to cross the Sea of Azov, using a rowing fishing boat. Significantly influenced Fedor and his grandfather, who wanted the young man to become a traveler, but the boy himself strove for this. Great Russian travelers often began to prepare in advance for their trips and sea wanderings.
Discoveries Konyukhov
Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov participated in 40 trips, repeated the Bering route on a yacht, and also sailed from Vladivostok to the Komandorski Islands, went to Sakhalin and Kamchatka. At the age of 58, he conquered Everest, as well as the 7 highest peaks in a team with other climbers. He visited both the North and the South Poles, on his account 4 round-the-world sea voyages, the Atlantic crossed them 15 times. Fedor Filippovich displayed his impressions by 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.
Athanasius Nikitin
The great Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin (Nikitin is the middle name of the merchant, because his father was called 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 traveled to 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 ties with local merchants. They themselves drove there, mainly furs. By the will of fate Athanasius 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 Athanasius Nikitin
Athanasius Nikitin was the first Russian traveler to visit India and Persia, on the way back he visited Turkey and Somalia. During his wanderings, he took notes “Walking Over Three Seas,” which later became a tool for studying the culture and customs of other countries. In particular, medieval India is well outlined in his notes. He crossed the Volga, the Arabian and Caspian Seas, and the Black Sea. When merchants were robbed by the Tatars near Astrakhan, he did not want to return home with everyone and get into a debt hole, 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 find out what it means to live in poverty. He had the nature of a rebel - at the age of 15 he was arrested for participating in the demonstration of students. Because of this, he was not only arrested in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he spent three days, but was also expelled from the gymnasium with a further ban on admission - so he lost the opportunity to get a higher education in Russia, which he subsequently did only in Germany.
Ernst Haeckel, a well-known natural scientist, drew attention to an inquisitive 19-year-old man and invited Miklouho-Maclay to an expedition, the purpose of which was to study marine fauna. Nikolai Nikolayevich died at the age of 42, while 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 shore where he landed is now called the Maclay Coast. After spending more than a year on the expedition, he discovered new lands. Natives learned from a Russian traveler how to grow pumpkin, corn, beans, 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 persuaded local residents not to impede anthropological research. For 17 years of his life, he studied the indigenous population of the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia. Thanks to Miklouho-Maclay, the assumption that the Papuans are another kind of person 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 research, 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 collections 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, granted 25 thousand rubles. Cesarevich was always looking forward to letters from the traveler and was glad of even a short news about the expedition.
As you can see, even during his life, Przhevalsky became a rather famous person, and his works and deeds received great publicity. However, as sometimes happens when the great Russian travelers and their discoveries become famous, many details from life, as well as the circumstances of his death, are still shrouded in mystery. Nikolai Mikhailovich did not have descendants, because having understood in advance what fate awaited him, he would not have allowed himself to doom his beloved person to constant expectations and loneliness.
Discoveries of Przhevalsky
Thanks to Przhevalsky’s expeditions, Russian scientific prestige received a new impetus. During 4 expeditions, the traveler traveled about 30 thousand kilometers; he traveled to Central and Western Asia, on the territory of the Tibet Plateau and the southern part of the Takla-Makan desert. He discovered many ranges (Moscow, Mysterious, etc.), described the largest rivers in Asia.
Many have heard of Przewalski ’s horse (a subspecies of a wild horse), but few people know about the richest zoological collection of mammals, birds, amphibians and fish, a large number of records about plants and the herbarium collection. In addition to the animal and plant world, as well as new geographical discoveries, the great Russian traveler Przhevalsky was interested in peoples unknown to Europeans - Dungans, northern Tibetans, Tanguts, Magintsy, Lobnors. He created How to Travel Central Asia, which could serve as an excellent guide for researchers and the military. The great Russian travelers, making discoveries, always provided knowledge for the development of sciences and the successful organization of new expeditions.
Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern
Russian navigator was born in 1770. He happened to become the head of the first round-the-world expedition from Russia, he is also one of the founders of Russian oceanology, admiral, corresponding member and honorary member of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. The great Russian traveler Kruzenshtern also took an active part when the Russian Geographical Society was created. In 1811, he happened to teach at the Naval Cadet Corps. Subsequently, becoming a 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 militia (the outbreak of World War II). Until that time, three volumes of the books Traveling Around the World were 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, and the situation was complicated by a difficult relationship with the Minister of the Sea. Many famous sailors and travelers turned to Ivan Fedorovich for advice and support.
Kruzenshtern'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 to Ivan Fedorovich, the eastern, northern and north-western shores of the Sakhalin island appeared on the map for the first time. Also, by virtue of his labors, you will see the light of the Atlas of the South Sea, supplemented by hydrographic notes. Thanks to the expedition, nonexistent islands were erased from the maps; the exact position of other georgaphic points was determined. Russian science learned about the Passat countercurrents in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, measured water temperatures (depths of up to 400 m), determined its specific gravity, color and transparency. Finally, the reason why the sea was shining became clear. Also, data appeared on atmospheric pressure, ebbs and flows in many areas of the oceans, which were used by other great Russian travelers on their expeditions.
Semen Ivanovich Dezhnev
The great traveler was born in 1605. Sailor, explorer and merchant, he was also a Cossack chieftain. He was 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.
Discoveries Dezhnev
Semen Ivanovich 80 years before Bering passed the strait (called Bering) between Alaska and Chukotka (completely, while Bering passed only part). He and his team opened the sea route around the north-eastern part of Asia, reached Kamchatka. Nobody before that knew about that part of the world where America almost converged with Asia. Dezhnev passed the Arctic Ocean, bypassing the northern coast of Asia. He mapped the strait between the American and Asian shores, as well as the Chukchi Peninsula. After the ship was wrecked in the Olyutor Bay , his squad, having only skis and sledges, traveled 10 weeks to the Anadyr River (while losing 13 people out of 25). There is an assumption that the first settlers in Alaska became part of the team Dezhnev, separated from the expedition.
Thus, following the traces of the great Russian travelers, one can see how the scientific community of Russia developed and rose, enriched knowledge of the outside world, which gave a huge impetus to the development of other industries.