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The article contains information about Russian navigators and explorers. Reflects the significance of the discoveries they made. Includes some historical information.

Russian travelers and discoverers

Russian travelers made an invaluable contribution to the region geographical discoveries, as well as in research and exploration of space globe. Many are named after them significant objects Earth. For example:

  • Cape Dezhnev;
  • Bering Sea;
  • Semenov Glacier.

Scientific research of Russian discoverers and, compiled by them, detailed maps were of great importance for the development of geography not only in Russia, but also in the world.
Almost three decades earlier than Vasco da Gama, the merchant from Tver Afanasy Nikitin (year of birth unknown - died in 1474) visited India.

He set out on a trade trip. During his wanderings (1468-1474), Nikitin visited many previously unexplored countries. He lived in India for three years. All this time he wrote down his every step in detail. Later, the book “Walking across the Three Seas” was published, which was based on his notes. The book contained both notes and illustrations made by Nikitin.

Rice. 1. Afanasy Nikitin.

Discoveries in the Heat of Struggle

Almost all travelers of the 15th-16th centuries are known in history more as invaders of lands than as their discoverers and pioneers. These people were puzzled by the search for wealth in overseas countries. This is what drove them in the process of searching for new lands. Significant geographical discoveries happened as if by themselves. Approximately the same story happened with the development of Siberia. But the opinions of historians differ on this matter.

Ermak Timofeevich Alenin (1530/1540 -1585) is rightly considered the pioneer of these lands.

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Rice. 2. Ermak.

He was sent by Ivan the Terrible to protect his lands from the raids of the Nogai Horde.

After the surviving Horde members complained to the Moscow Tsar about the willfulness of the local Cossacks, Ivan the Terrible allegedly punished the troublemakers by allowing them to retreat to the Perm lands, where the Cossacks came in very handy and continued to defend Russian possessions from the raids of the Siberian Khan Kuchum. Since then, the development of the richest region of Russia began.

After the death of the famous ataman, many regions of Russia claimed that Ermak was a native of their places.

Table “Discoveries of Russian travelers”

At the beginning of the 16th century, it was difficult for the peoples of the North to establish trade relations with India. The Spanish and Portuguese colonists did not want to allow strangers into the territories they conquered.
In those days, the passage through the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific was known to people only by rumor.
But in the Russian lands a man was found who was not afraid to go on a dangerous journey across the Arctic Ocean. This was the Russian navigator, explorer and traveler Semyon Dezhnev (1605-1673).

Rice. 3. Semyon Dezhnev.

Exploration of the northeastern section of the sea route from the Northern Arctic Ocean in Quiet is closely intertwined with his name. His voyage and subsequent discovery of the strait between America and Asia is often equated with the journey of the famous discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus.
Another famous Russian navigator who contributed to world geography was Vitus Bering. He became the first traveler in Russian history to lead a purposeful expedition with a geographical focus.

Bering led two Kamchatka expeditions. While passing between the Chukotka Peninsula and Alaska, they confirmed the presence of a strait.

The strait between Russia and the United States was named after the navigator. Bering reached North America, where he discovered the islands of the Aleutian chain during the Second Kamchatka Expedition.

What have we learned?

From the topic on geography (5th grade), we became familiar with the difficulties that prevented discoveries. We found out the reasons that influenced the discovery of previously unknown territories.

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The largest country has been gathering for centuries. The discoverers of new lands and seas were travelers. Having paved the way to the new, mysterious, through unpredictable difficulties and risks, they achieved their goal. I think that these people, on a personal level, having overcome the dangers and suffering of the expeditions, accomplished a feat. I want to remind you of three of them, who did a lot for the state and science.

Great Russian travelers

Dezhnev Semyon Ivanovich

Semyon Dezhnev (1605-1673), an Ustyug Cossack, was the first to circumnavigate the easternmost part of our Fatherland and all of Eurasia by sea. A strait passed between Asia and America, opening the way from the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific.

By the way, Dezhnev discovered this strait 80 years earlier than Bering, who visited only its southern part.

The cape is named after Dezhnev, the same one next to which the date line runs.

After the discovery of the strait, an international commission of geographers decided that this place was the most convenient for drawing such a line on the map. And now a new day on Earth begins at Cape Dezhnev. Please note, 3 hours earlier than in Japan and 12 earlier than in the London suburb of Greenwich, where universal time begins. Isn't it time to align the prime meridian with the international date line? Moreover, such proposals have been coming from scientists for a long time.

Pyotr Petrovich Semyonov-Tien-Shansky

Pyotr Petrovich Semyonov-Tien-Shansky (1827-1914), leading scientist of the Russian Geographical Society. Not an armchair scientist. He had a disposition that only climbers can appreciate. Literally a conqueror of mountain peaks.

Among the Europeans, he was the first to penetrate the inaccessible mountains of the Central Tien Shan. He discovered the peak of Khan Tengri and the huge glaciers on its slopes. At that time, in the West, with the light hand of the German scientist Humboldt, it was believed that ridges of volcanoes were erupting there.

Semenov-Tien-Shansky discovered the sources of the Naryn and Saryjaz rivers, and along the way he discovered that the Chu River, despite the opinion of geographers of the “international community,” does not flow from Lake Issyk-Kul. He penetrated into the upper reaches of the Syr Darya, which were also untrodden before him.

The question of what Semyonov-Tien-Shansky discovered is very easy to answer. He opened the Tien Shan to the scientific world, at the same time offering this world a completely new way of knowledge. Semyonov Tien-Shansky was the first to study addiction mountainous terrain from him geological structure. Through the eyes of a geologist, botanist and zoologist rolled into one, he saw nature in its living family connections.

Thus was born the Russian original geographical school, which was based on the reliability of an eyewitness and was distinguished by its versatility, depth and integrity.

Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev

Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev (1788-1851), Russian admiral. On the ship "Mirny".

In 1813, Lazarev was tasked with establishing regular communications between St. Petersburg and Russian America. Russian America included the regions of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, as well as Russian trading posts in the states of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. The southernmost point is Fort Ross, 80 km from San Francisco. These places have already been explored and inhabited by Russia (by the way, there is information that one of the settlements in Alaska was founded by Dezhnev’s companions in the 17th century). Lazarev traveled around the world. Along the way, in the Pacific Ocean he discovered new islands, which he named after Suvorov.

Where Lazarev is especially revered is in Sevastopol.

The admiral had not only voyages around the world, but also participated in battles with an enemy many times superior in the number of ships. During the time that Lazarev commanded the Black Sea Fleet, dozens of new ships were built, including the first ship with a metal hull. Lazarev began to train sailors in a new way, at sea, in an environment close to combat.

He took care of the Maritime Library in Sevastopol, built a meeting house and a school there for the children of sailors, and began building the admiralty. He also built the admiralties in Novorossiysk, Nikolaev and Odessa.

In Sevastopol, there are always fresh flowers at the grave and at the monument to Admiral Lazarev.

Each era has its own people who are not limited to the idea of ​​the world given to them. Their whole life is a search. It was thanks to such restless natures that America, Australia, New Zealand and many other points on the map were discovered. And Europe became the richest in travelers in the 15th-16th centuries - the time of colonization.

Miklouho-Maclay (1846-1888)

The future traveler and ethnographer was born in St. Petersburg into the family of an engineer. He was quickly expelled from the university for participating in the student movement. So he finished his education in Germany. From there he set off on his first trip to Canary Islands, then to Madeira, Morocco, the Red Sea coast. I went there as a fauna researcher, and returned as an ethnographer. He was more interested not in animals and flowers, but in people.

Miklouho-Maclay researched indigenous people South-East Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Lived for several years on the northwestern coast of New Guinea, visited the islands of Oceania. Made two expeditions to the Malay Peninsula. Studying the indigenous inhabitants of these little-explored lands, the scientist came to the conclusion about the species unity and kinship of different races. Last years He spent his life in Indonesia and Australia and even proposed a project for a Papuan Union in New Guinea. According to the researcher’s idea, he was supposed to resist the colonial invaders. One of his latest ideas is Russian artel communities in New Guinea - an ideal version of a government system.

The scientist died in his native St. Petersburg in a hospital bed; by the age of 42, numerous expeditions had completely worn out his body. Collections and papers of Miklouho-Maclay - sixteen notebooks, six thick notebooks, plans, maps, own drawings, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, diaries different years- were transferred to the Imperial Russian Geographical Society and placed in the museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.

Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506)

Christopher Columbus became a real navigator thanks to his father-in-law, the owner of one of the islands in Portugal. While studying geography, Columbus decided that the treasured India could be reached through the Atlantic Ocean. Indeed, in those days, strong Türkiye blocked the routes to the East, and Europe needed new road to this land of spices. Only the Spanish crown agreed to sponsor Columbus, and in 1492 the three caravels "Santa Maria", "Nina" and "Pinta" set out on open water. First, the ships headed for the Canary Islands, then to the west. Several times the crew demanded to return, but Columbus insisted on his own. As a result, they landed on the island of San Salvador (Guanahani). Then the islands of Juana (present-day Cuba) and Hispaniola (Haiti) were discovered. True, the traveler was sure that they were on the coast washed by the Indian Ocean. He returned to Spain in triumph, and a squadron consisting of 14 caravels and three merchant ships set off on a new journey.

But Columbus was not a scientist, but pursued completely selfish goals: to provide for his family and himself. And it affected him future fate: The indigenous population rebelled. In the colonies, where the main principle was acquisitiveness and greed, even the colonialists themselves wrote complaints to Spain about Columbus and his brother. But he did his job - he opened the Greater Antilles archipelago, the mouth of the Orinoco River, and Central America to Europe. True, until the end of my life I was sure that all this was adjacent to India.

Columbus, in illness and poverty, and even after death, did not find peace. His remains were transferred from city to city several times.


Vasco da Gama (1460 – 1524)

P was the first to travel across the ocean from Portugal to the East. The future discoverer grew up in a noble family in Portugal. He went on an expedition to the East instead of his father, a traveler, who died suddenly. In 1497 his ships left the port. Few people believed in the Portuguese's success. But he did it. Da Gama rounded the cape Good Hope and headed for India. Sailors died from scurvy and in skirmishes with Muslim traders who flooded Africa. They saw the traveler as a competitor. And for good reason. Two years later, the Portuguese brought back ships of spices - one of the most expensive goods at that time.

The second expedition was also successful. Da Gama already had warships at his disposal to protect himself from ill-wishers.

The third expedition was the last for Vasco da Gama. He was appointed as the royal family's representative in India. But he did not stay in this position for so long. In 1954 he died from a serious illness.


Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521)

Born in 1480 in northern Portugal. The first time he went to sea was as part of the fleet of Admiral Francisco Almeda. He took part in several expeditions before setting off on his own to find new routes to the Malay Archipelago in Indonesia. Spain supported Magellan - it sponsored a journey across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1519, five ships reached South America. The expedition made its way south along the coast of America with sweat and blood. But in 1520 the strait Pacific Ocean was found - later it will be called Magellanic. A year later, the traveler had already arrived at his destination - the Moluccas. But on Philippine Islands the traveler was drawn into a local war among the leaders and was killed. The return of the rest of the crew to their homeland was not easy. Only one ship out of five and 18 people out of 200 made it.


James Cook (1728-1779)

Cook was born into the family of an English farm laborer. But he made a career from a simple cabin boy to the leader of an expedition. Skill, intelligence and ingenuity were quickly appreciated. James Cook's first expedition began in 1767 on the ship Endeavor. Official version- observation of the passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun. But in fact, colonial England needed new lands. In addition, among the tasks was research east coast Australia. During the voyage, Cook did not stop studying cartography and navigation. The result of the expedition was the information that New Zealand- these are two independent islands, and not part of an unknown mainland. The scientist also compiled a map of the eastern coast of Australia and discovered the strait between Australia and New Guinea.

The results of the second expedition (1772 - 1775) became even more impressive. Were mapped New Caledonia, South Georgia, Easter Island, Marquesas Islands, Friendship Island. Cook's ship crossed the Antarctic Circle.

The third voyage took 4 years. Several others have also been explored. Exactly on Hawaiian Islands During one of the conflicts between the natives and the British, James Cook died - a spear pierced the back of his head. But evidence that the aborigines ate Cook has not been found.

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Who: Semyon Dezhnev, Cossack chieftain, merchant, fur trader.

When: 1648

What I discovered: The first to pass through the Bering Strait, which separates Eurasia from North America. Thus, I found out that Eurasia and North America- two different continents, and that they do not close.

Who: Thaddeus Bellingshausen, Russian admiral, navigator.

When: 1820.

What I discovered: Antarctica together with Mikhail Lazarev on the frigates Vostok and Mirny. Commanded the Vostok. Before the expedition of Lazarev and Bellingshausen, nothing was known about the existence of this continent.

Also, the expedition of Bellingshausen and Lazarev finally dispelled the myth about the existence of the mythical “Southern Continent”, which was mistakenly marked on all medieval maps of Europe. Navigators, including the famous Captain James Cook, searched without any success in Indian Ocean this “Southern Continent” has been there for more than three hundred and fifty years, and of course, nothing was found.

Who: Kamchaty Ivan, Cossack and sable hunter.

When: 1650s.

What I discovered: peninsula of Kamchatka, named after him.

Who: Semyon Chelyuskin, polar explorer, officer of the Russian fleet

When: 1742

What I discovered: most northern cape Eurasia, named after him Cape Chelyuskin.

Who: Ermak Timofeevich, Cossack chieftain in the service of the Russian Tsar. Ermak's last name is unknown. Possibly Tokmak.

When: 1581-1585

What I discovered: conquered and explored Siberia for the Russian state. To do this, he entered into a successful armed struggle with the Tatar khans in Siberia.

Who: Ivan Krusenstern, Russian naval officer, admiral

When: 1803-1806.

What I discovered: He was the first Russian navigator to travel around the world together with Yuri Lisyansky on the sloops “Nadezhda” and “Neva”. Commanded "Nadezhda"

Who: Yuri Lisyansky, Russian navy officer, captain

When: 1803-1806.

What I discovered: He was the first Russian navigator to circumnavigate the world together with Ivan Krusenstern on the sloops Nadezhda and Neva. Commanded the Neva.

Who: Petr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky

When: 1856-57

What I discovered: He was the first European to explore the Tien Shan Mountains. He also later studied a number of areas in Central Asia. For his exploration of the mountain system and services to science, he received from the authorities of the Russian Empire the honorary surname Tien-Shansky, which he had the right to pass on by inheritance.

Who: Vitus Bering

When: 1727-29

What I discovered: He was the second (after Semyon Dezhnev) and the first of the scientific researchers to reach North America, passing through the Bering Strait, thereby confirming its existence. Confirmed that North America and Eurasia are two different continents.

Who: Khabarov Erofey, Cossack, fur trader

When: 1649-53

What I discovered: mastered part of Siberia for the Russians and Far East, studied the lands near the Amur River.

Who: Mikhail Lazarev, Russian naval officer.

When: 1820

What I discovered: Antarctica together with Thaddeus Bellingshausen on the frigates Vostok and Mirny. Commanded the Mirny. Before the expedition of Lazarev and Bellingshausen, nothing was known about the existence of this continent. Also, the Russian expedition finally dispelled the myth about the existence of the mythical “Southern Continent”, which was marked on medieval European maps, and which sailors unsuccessfully searched for for four hundred years in a row.

They are always attracted by the horizon line, an endless strip stretching into the distance. Their true friends are ribbons of roads leading to the unknown, mysterious and enigmatic. They were the first to push the boundaries, opening new lands and the amazing beauty of metrics to humanity. These people are the most famous travelers.

Travelers who made the most important discoveries

Christopher Columbus. He was a red-haired guy with a strong build and slightly above average height. Since childhood, he was smart, practical, and very proud. He had a dream - to go on a journey and find a treasure of gold coins. And he made his dreams come true. He found a treasure - a huge continent - America.

Three quarters of Columbus's life was spent sailing. He traveled on Portuguese ships, managed to live in Lisbon and on British Isles. Stopping briefly in a foreign land, he constantly drew geographic Maps, made new travel plans.

It still remains a mystery how he managed to draw up a plan for the shortest route from Europe to India. His calculations were based on the discoveries of the 15th century and the fact that the Earth is spherical.


Having gathered 90 volunteers in 1492-1493, he set off on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean on three ships. He became the discoverer of the central part of the Bahamas archipelago, the Greater and Lesser Antilles. He is responsible for the discovery of the northeastern coast of Cuba.

The second expedition, which lasted from 1493 to 1496, already consisted of 17 ships and 2.5 thousand people. He discovered the islands of Dominica, the Lesser Antilles, and the island of Puerto Rico. After 40 days of sailing, arriving in Castile, he notified the government of the opening of a new route to Asia.


After 3 years, having collected 6 ships, he led an expedition across the Atlantic. In Haiti, because of an envious denunciation of his successes, Columbus was arrested and shackled. He received release, but kept the shackles all his life, as a symbol of betrayal.

He was the discoverer of America. Until the end of his life, he mistakenly believed that it was connected to Asia by a thin isthmus. He believed that the sea route to India was opened by him, although history later showed the fallacy of his delusions.

Vasco da Gama. He was lucky enough to live during the era of great geographical discoveries. Perhaps that is why he dreamed of traveling and dreamed of becoming a discoverer of uncharted lands.

He was a nobleman. The family was not the most noble, but had ancient roots. As a young man, he became interested in mathematics, navigation and astronomy. Since childhood, he hated secular society, playing the piano and French, which noble nobles tried to “show off” with.


Determination and organizational skills made Vasco da Gama close to Emperor Charles VIII, who, having decided to create an expedition to open a sea route to India, appointed him in charge.

Four new ships, specially built for the journey, were placed at his disposal. Vasco da Gama was equipped with the latest navigational instruments and provided naval artillery.

A year later, the expedition reached the shores of India, stopping in the first city of Calicut (Kozhikode). Despite the cold reception of the natives and even military clashes, the goal was achieved. Vasco da Gama became the discoverer of the sea route to India.

They discovered the mountainous and desert regions of Asia, made bold expeditions to the Far North, they “wrote” history, glorifying the Russian land.

Great Russian travelers

Miklouho-Maclay was born into a noble family, but experienced poverty at the age of 11 when his father died. He was always a rebel. At the age of 15, he was arrested for participating in a student demonstration and imprisoned for three days in Peter and Paul Fortress. For participating in student unrest, he was expelled from the gymnasium and further prohibited from entering any higher institution. Having left for Germany, he received his education there.


The famous naturalist Ernst Haeckel became interested in the 19-year-old boy, inviting him to his expedition to study marine fauna.

In 1869, returning to St. Petersburg, he enlisted the support of the Russian Geographical Society and went to study New Guinea. It took a year to prepare the expedition. He sailed to the shore of the Coral Sea, and when he set foot on land he had no idea that his descendants would name this place after him.

Having lived for more than a year in New Guinea, he not only discovered new lands, but also taught the natives to grow corn, pumpkins, beans and fruit trees. He studied the life of the natives on the island of Java, the Louisiades and Solomon Islands. He spent 3 years in Australia.

He died at 42. Doctors diagnosed him with severe deterioration of the body.

Afanasy Nikitin is the first Russian traveler to visit India and Persia. Returning back, he visited Somalia, Turkey and Muscat. His notes “Walking across the Three Seas” became valuable historical and literary aids. He described medieval India simply and truthfully in his notes.


Coming from a peasant family, he proved that even a poor person can travel to India. The main thing is to set a goal.

The world has not revealed all its secrets to man. There are still people who dream of lifting the veil of unknown worlds.

Famous modern travelers

He is 60, but his soul is still full of thirst for new adventures. At the age of 58, he climbed to the top of Everest and conquered 7 of the greatest peaks together with climbers. He is fearless, purposeful, open to the unknown. His name is Fedor Konyukhov.

And may the era of great discoveries be long behind us. It doesn't matter that the Earth has been photographed thousands of times from space. Let travelers and discoverers discover all the places on the globe. He, like a child, believes that there is still a lot of unknown in the world.

He has 40 expeditions and ascents to his credit. He crossed seas and oceans, was at the North and South Poles, made 4 circumnavigation of the world, crossed the Atlantic 15 times. Of these, one time was on a rowing boat. He made most of his travels alone.


Everyone knows his name. His programs had a television audience of millions. He is the one great person who gave this world unusual beauty nature, hidden from view in the bottomless depths. Fedor Konyukhov visited different places on our planet, including the hottest place in Russia, which is located in Kalmykia. .

The most famous traveler in the world

Jacques-Yves Cousteau is a famous French oceanographer, traveler and “pioneer” of underwater filming and research, inventor of scuba gear and author of many books.

He chose undersea world, giving all its secrets and beauty to people. His first scuba gear was a gas mask and a motorcycle inner tube. The first attempt to go underwater in this device almost cost him his life. But he invented, playing with life to find a way to get to the underwater kingdom.


Even during the war, he continued his experiments and research into the underwater world. He decided to dedicate his first film to sunken ships. And the Germans, who occupied France, allowed him to engage in research and filming.

He dreamed of a ship that would be equipped with modern technology for filming and observation. Helped him completely stranger, who gave Cousteau a small military minesweeper. After renovation work, it became the famous ship "Calypso".

The ship's crew included researchers: a journalist, a navigator, a geologist, and a volcanologist. His wife was his assistant and companion. Later, 2 of his sons took part in all expeditions.

Cousteau is recognized as the best specialist in underwater research. He received an offer to head the famous Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. He not only studied the underwater world, but also was involved in protecting the marine and ocean habitats.
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