The explorer Mikhail Stadukhin is one of the most famous researchers in the north-eastern region of Russia. He was the first to reach places that our compatriots had not yet visited.
First expedition
The exact date of birth of Stadukhin is unknown. In historical documents only information appears that he was from the Russian North, and more precisely from the banks of the Pinega River. His first expedition in 1641 was a trip to the Indigirka. This is a river in modern Yakutia. Mikhail Stadukhin went on a trip with another famous explorer Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnev.
Kolyma travels
These ambitious and initiative people were driven forward by the desire to get as many precious furs as possible. In addition, travelers studied the life of the natives. Due to the hostile attitude of the indigenous people of this region, the expedition set off down the river. The sea became the goal pursued by Mikhail Stadukhin. The discoveries of this journey were amazing. In the unexplored Kolyma region, explorers learned about the existence of unfamiliar settlements.
These abandoned places were gigantic wasteland. Due to the lack of normal roads and quality transport, travelers could disappear for several years. The first winter, Mikhail Stadukhin and his comrades spent in a temporary parking lot, which was specially built by them in order to survive the harsh cold.
In the XVII century, the most distant Russian city in the region was Yakutsk. It has become a transit point for adventurers, hunters and merchants. In 1645, Mikhail Stadukhin returned here. The biography of this person is an example of a tireless traveler. In Yakutsk he brought a huge batch of sable furs. Thanks to his research, places were opened for abundant and profitable hunting.
In Chukotka
Soon, Mikhail Stadukhin finally entered the civil service and began to execute orders from the capital. So the tsarist authorities sent him back to Kolyma, where he was supposed to explore Poguchu. This river was extremely inaccessible. But this did not stop such an implacable traveler as Mikhail Stadukhin. Photos of the ashes of his temporary sites are now in several museums dedicated to explorers of the Far East.
In the winter of 1647, Stadukhin wintered on the Yana River. Then he crossed the Kolyma. At the same time, the above-mentioned Dezhnev led his expedition. Both detachments often suffered from attacks by local natives who had not yet met large Cossack regiments. In addition, several times the travelers' ships could not cope with the rapid flow of the northern rivers. On average, Stadukhin had about 30 people. Someone was also dying from an unbearable cold.
The extreme point reached by Stadukhin in the north-east direction was the Anadyr River. Anaul tribes lived here. From the natives, the traveler learned about the tragic fate of the unit Dezhnev, who died in full force. Having reached the Anadyr River, Stadukhin turned back.
In 1649, he was very close to the still unexplored Bering Strait. According to the stories of local residents, the traveler was also the first to know about the existence of the island of Ayon. In addition, thanks to the efforts of the expedition of Stadukhin, various coastal geographical objects were discovered.
In the Sea of Okhotsk
The next object of study of the tireless traveler was the Sea of Okhotsk. In 1651, Stadukhin on a boat sailed several times along the mainland. He managed to reach the place of modern Magadan, where he spent the winter. Also, the explorer was on the then unknown Tauisk Bay. The mouths of many rivers flowing into the Sea of Okhotsk were opened to them. In 1652, the companions of Stadukhin founded the Yamsky camp, which eventually became the village of Yamsky.
There is still a debatable question about whether the explorer has visited Kamchatka. There is no documentary evidence of this, but the expedition route of 1651 allows us to make such assumptions.
The last documented journey of Stadukhin was his voyage to Okhotsk. It was the very first Russian city on the Far East coast. Stadukhin was here in 1657.
For his services to the state, the traveler and the brave military received the rank of Cossack chieftain. Shortly before his death, he ended up in Moscow, where he died. In the modern Far East, several settlements and streets are named after Stadukhin. His travels are dedicated to the exposition of local museums.