These people sailed to the horizon, crossing oceans, unknown lakes and unexplored valleys in search of new countries, riches and adventures. Among the most famous travelers in world history who explored our planet, discovering new lands, are Roald Amundsen, Christopher Columbus and 7 other prominent personalities.
The Norwegian explorer, who undertook several expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, and together with his team on December 14, 1911, after an exhausting race with a competitor, Robert Falcon Scott, became the first person to reach the geographic South Pole. Earlier, Roald was the first to cross the Northwest Passage (1903-1906).
Born July 16, 1872 in the Norwegian city of Borge and died on June 18, 1928 at the age of 55 near Bear Island in the Arctic.
An English polar explorer, a naval officer who, together with his escort, reached the South Pole on 01/17/1912, about a month after rival Amundsen. Robert's first expedition, during which he explored Victoria Land and the Ross Ice Shelf, took place in 1901-1904.
Born June 6, 1868 in Devonport (Plymouth, England). He passed away on March 29, 1912 (43 years old) at the base camp in Antarctica.
3. . The famous British navigator and discoverer who first mapped Newfoundland and became the first European to discover the east coast of Australia and Hawaii. In three trips, James explored Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic coast to the Bering Strait.
Born November 7, 1728 in Marton (Middlesbrough, England). 14/02/1779 was killed at the age of 50 by indigenous people of Hawaii in Kileikkua (Big Island, United States).
4. ... Portuguese sailor, who, on the instructions of the Spanish king in 1519, went to circumnavigation heading west. So Fernand discovered the Strait of Magellan later named after him, located at the upper extremity South America... He was not destined to talk about the discovery in his homeland. In 1522, only a few members of the team returned to Portugal.
Born in 1480 in Sabroza (Vila Real). On April 27, 1521, at the age of 41, he died at the hands of Aboriginal people on the island of Mactan in the Philippines.
5. . One of the most famous Portuguese navigators and discoverers, who in 1498 found a sea route to India on behalf of Henry the Navigator. On the flagship São Gabriel, accompanied by two more ships (São Rafael und Bérrio), Vasco circled the cape Good Hope and returned in 1499 home to Lisbon. The sailors filled the holds to the top with bags of spices.
Vasco was born in Sinisha (Setubal) in 1469 and died in Kochi (India) on December 24, 1524 at the age of 55.
6. . Florentine sailor, navigator, merchant and cartographer. He was the first to suggest that the part of the world found by Christopher Columbus and later called "America" is a previously unknown continent. The name associated with the name "Amerigo" was suggested by the Freiburg im Breisgau cartographer Martin Waldseemüller.
The Florentine was born on March 9, 1451 in Florence (Florentine Republic, now Italy). He died as a 60-year-old in Seville (Spain) 02.22.1512
7. ... The most famous sea traveler from Genoa, who, on behalf of Spain, crossed four times Atlantic Ocean in search of an easier sea route to India, eventually opening the continent of America for the Europeans (1492), from which the era of colonization began. During the first expedition, in which the ships Pinta, Niña and Santa Maria participated, Christopher, 36 days later, accidentally discovered the island of San Salvador in the Caribbean Sea.
Born in 1451 in Genoa (Republic of Genoa, now a province of Italy). He died on May 20, 1506 in Valladolid (Spain), when he was 55 years old.
8. . A Venetian merchant who documented his travels and often backed what he saw with evidence. Thanks to him, the inhabitants of Europe learned about Central Asia and China. According to Marko, he lived for 24 years at the court of the Chinese emperor Kubla Khan, but historians doubt this. The name Polo inspired the discoverers of the next generations.
Born in 1254 in Venice (Venetian Republic, now Italy) and died there at the age of 70 on January 8, 1324.
Scandinavian navigator who reached the North American continent 5 centuries before Columbus. In the XI century, he sailed to him on his ship and became the first European to set foot on this land. Leif christened the found territory Vinland. The Scandinavian established trade relations between Greenland, Norway and Scotland.
Ericsson had a fiery temperament. Born in Iceland in 970 and died on the island of Greenland at 50 in 1020.
(nicknamed Redhead). Norwegian-Icelandic navigator and discoverer. For murder in 982 he was expelled from Iceland for 3 years and, making a sea voyage, stumbled upon west coast Greenland, where he founded the first Viking settlement in 985. Eirik called the discovered territory "green land".
Although in Russian the nickname of the Norman is translated as “red-haired”, historians believe that in fact it means “bloody”. Torvaldson was born in 950 in Jären (Norway). He died in 1003 at 53 in Brattalid (Greenland).
These people made important discoveries, influencing the course of history. They explored the Arctic and Antarctic, "presented" North America, Greenland and other lands to the Europeans. Travelers paved new sea and land routes, facilitating trade between countries.
The great Russian travelers, whose list is quite large, pushed the development of sea 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 flora and fauna, 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 their geographical discoveries.
Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov
The great Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov is not only a famous adventurer, but also an artist, an honored master of sports. He was born in 1951. From childhood, he could do what would have been 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. 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 campaigns and sea voyages.
Konyukhov's discoveries
Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov took part in 40 voyages, repeated the Bering route on a yacht, and also sailed from Vladivostok to the Commander Islands, visited Sakhalin and Kamchatka. At 58, he conquered Everest, as well as the 7 highest peaks in a team with other climbers. He visited both the North and South Poles, on his account 4 sea voyages around the world, he crossed the Atlantic 15 times. Fyodor Filippovich reflected his impressions with the help of 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 for himself. He was an experienced merchant who, before India, visited the Crimea, Constantinople, Lithuania and the Moldavian principality and brought overseas goods to his homeland.
He himself was from Tver. Russian merchants traveled to Asia to establish contacts with local merchants. They themselves brought 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. Great Russian travelers and their discoveries will forever remain in history, because for the sake of progress, brave and courageous lovers of wandering often died on dangerous and long expeditions.
Discoveries of Afanasy Nikitin
Afanasy Nikitin became the first Russian traveler to visit India and Persia, on the way back he visited Turkey and Somalia. During her travels, she made notes "Walking the Three Seas", which later became a guide for studying the culture and customs of other countries. Medieval India in particular is well depicted in his writings. He swam across the Volga, Arabian and Caspian Sea, Black Sea region. When merchants were robbed by the Tatars near Astrakhan, he did not want to return home with everyone and get into debt hole, and continued his journey, heading to Derbent, then to Baku.
Nikolay Nikolaevich Miklukho-Maclay
Miklouho-Maclay comes from a noble family, but after the death of his father he had to learn what it means to live in poverty. He had a rebel nature - at the age of 15 he was arrested for participating in a student demonstration. Because of this, he not only ended up under arrest in Peter and Paul Fortress, where he stayed for three days, but was also expelled from the gymnasium with a further ban on admission - so the opportunity for him to get a higher education in Russia was lost, which he later did only in Germany.
A well-known natural scientist, drew attention to an inquisitive 19-year-old boy and invited Miklouho-Maclay to an expedition, the purpose of which was to study the marine fauna. Nikolai Nikolayevich 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.
Miklouho-Maclay's discoveries
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. The natives learned from a Russian traveler how pumpkin, 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. 17 years of life he studied indigenous population Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia. Thanks to Miklouho-Maclay, the assumption that the Papuans are a different kind of man 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 who lived in new territories.
Nikolay Mikhailovich Przhevalsky
Przhevalsky was favored by the emperor's family, at the end of his first trip he had the honor to meet Alexander II, who donated 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, donating 25 thousand rubles. The Tsarevich always looked forward to letters from the traveler and was glad even for a 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 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 allow himself to condemn his beloved to constant expectations and loneliness.
Przewalski's discoveries
Thanks to Przewalski's expeditions, Russian scientific prestige received a new impetus. During 4 expeditions, the traveler covered about 30 thousand kilometers, he visited Central and Western Asia, on the territory of the Tibetan plateau and the southern part of the Taklamakan desert. He discovered many ridges (Moscow, Zagadochny, etc.), described the largest rivers in Asia.
Many have heard of (subspecies, but few know about the richest zoological collection of mammals, birds, amphibians and fish, a large number of records about plants and a herbarium collection. flora, as well as new geographical discoveries, the great Russian traveler Przhevalsky was interested in peoples unknown to Europeans - the Dungans, northern Tibetans, Tanguts, Maginians, Lobnors. He authored How To Travel Central Asia, which could serve as an excellent guide for researchers and the military. Great Russian travelers, making discoveries, always gave knowledge for the development of sciences and the successful organization of new expeditions.
Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern
The Russian navigator was born in 1770. He had a chance to become the boss 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 in the creation of the Russian Geographical Society. 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 people's militia (began Patriotic War). Until that time, publications took place three volumes books "Travels Around the World", which have been 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 went on indefinite leave due to a developing eye disease, complicated the situation and difficult relations with the Minister of the Navy. Lot 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 Ivan Fedorovich, for the first time the eastern, northern and northwestern shores appeared on the map. Sakhalin Island... Also, due to his works, the Atlas South Sea», Supplemented with hydrographic notes. Thanks to the expedition, nonexistent islands were erased from the maps, the exact position of other geographic points was determined. Russian science learned about the countercurrent flows in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, measured the water temperature (depths up to 400 m), determined its specific gravity, color and transparency. Finally, the reason for the glow of the sea became clear. Also appeared data on atmospheric pressure, ebb and flow in many areas of the oceans, which were used by other great Russian travelers in their expeditions.
Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnev
The great traveler was born in 1605. A navigator, explorer and trader, 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), prize, icebreaker, passage, streets, etc. bear his name.
Dezhnev's discoveries
Semyon Ivanovich, 80 years before Bering, passed the strait (named Bering) between Alaska and Chukotka (completely, while Bering passed only part of it). He and his team opened a sea route around the northeastern part of Asia, reached Kamchatka. No one before that knew 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 coasts, and also After the ship was shipwrecked, his squad, having only skis and sledges, traveled 10 weeks to (while losing 13 people out of 25). 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.
Russian navigators, along with European ones, are the most famous pioneers who discovered new continents, sections of mountain ranges and vast water areas.
They pioneered significant geographic sites, took the first steps in the development of hard-to-reach territories, traveled around the world. So who are they - the conquerors of the seas, and what exactly did the world know 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, Muscat. On the basis of his travels, Afanasy compiled the notes "Voyage across the Three Seas", which became popular and unique historical and literary textbooks. These records became the first book in the history of Russia, made not in the format of a story about a pilgrimage, but describing the political, economic and cultural characteristics of the territories.
Afanasy Nikitin
He was able to prove that even being a member of a poor peasant family, one can become a famous explorer and traveler. Streets, embankments in several Russian cities, motor ship, passenger train and the airport
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Semyon Dezhnev, who founded the Anadyr prison
Cossack chieftain Semyon Dezhnev was an Arctic navigator who became the discoverer of a number of geographical objects. Wherever Semyon Ivanovich served, everywhere he strove to study new and previously unknown. He was even able to cross the East Siberian Sea on a makeshift koch, going from Indigirka to Alazeya.
In 1643, as part of a detachment of researchers, Semyon Ivanovich discovered Kolyma, where, with his associates, he 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. Also, an island, a peninsula, a bay, a village are named after him.
Semyon Dezhnev
In 1648, Dezhnev hit the road again. His ship was wrecked in the waters located in the southern part of the Anadyr River. Having reached 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 prison. As a result of the expedition, the traveler was able to make detailed descriptions, make a map of those places.
Vitus Ionassen Bering, who organized expeditions to Kamchatka
Two Kamchatka expeditions inscribed the names of Vitus Bering and his associate Alexei Chirikov in the history of sea discoveries. During the first voyage, the mariners carried out research and were able to supplement the geographic atlas with objects located in Northeast Asia and on the Pacific coast of Kamchatka.
The discovery of the Kamchatka and Ozerny peninsulas, the bays of Kamchatsky, Krest, Karaginsky, the Providence Bay, the island of St. Lawrence 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.
Vitus Bering
The second expedition was undertaken by them in order to find a way to North America and exploring the Pacific Islands. On this journey, Bering and Chirikov founded the Peter and Paul prison. It got its name from the combined names of their ships ("St. Peter" and "St. Paul) and later 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, a heavy fog affected. "St. Peter", piloted by Bering, sailed to the west coast of America, but got into a violent storm on the way back - the ship was thrown onto the 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 successfully completed his voyage, having discovered several islands of the Aleutian ridge on the way back.
Khariton and Dmitry Laptev and their "named" sea
Cousins Khariton and Dmitry Laptev were Vitus Bering's associates and assistants. It was he who appointed Dmitry the 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 and accurately describe and map the Russian shores of the ocean, from the Yugorsky sphere to Kamchatka.
Each of the brothers made a significant contribution to the development of new territories. Dmitry became the first navigator who made a survey of the coast from the mouth of the Lena to the mouth of the Kolyma. He made detailed maps of these places, based on mathematical calculations and astronomical data.
Khariton and Dmitry Laptev
Khariton Laptev and his associates conducted research on the northernmost part of the Siberian coast. It was he who determined the size and shape huge peninsula Taimyr - completed a survey of its eastern coast, was able to identify the exact coordinates of the coastal islands. The expedition took place in difficult conditions - a large number of ice, snowstorms, scurvy, ice captivity - Khariton Laptev's team had to go through a lot. But they continued their work. On this expedition, Laptev's assistant Chelyuskin discovered the 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 Arctic. Also in honor of Dmitry, the strait between the mainland and the island of Bolshoi Lyakhovsky is named, and the name of Khariton is West Coast Taimyr islands.
Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky - organizers of the first Russian circumnavigation
Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky are the first Russian navigators who made trip around the world... Their expedition lasted three years (started in 1803 and ended in 1806). They set off with their crews on two ships, which bore the names "Nadezhda" and "Neva". The travelers passed through the Atlantic Ocean, entered the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The sailors sailed along them to Kuril Islands, Kamchatka and Sakhalin.
Ivan Kruzenshtern This journey allowed to collect important information... Based on data obtained by seafarers, detailed map The Pacific Ocean. Another important result of the first Russian round-the-world expedition was the data obtained on the flora and fauna of the Kuriles 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 disguised as Neptune greeted Kruzenshtern and asked why his ship had arrived where he had never been Russian flag... To which he received the answer that they were here exclusively for the glory and development of national science.
Vasily Golovnin - the first navigator who was rescued from Japanese captivity
Russian navigator Vasily Golovnin led two expeditions around the world. In 1806, while in the rank of lieutenant, he received a new appointment and became the 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 the ship.
The leadership set the goal of a round-the-world expedition to study the North Pacific Ocean, with special attention to that part of it, which is located within the borders of the 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 belonging to the British. Here the ship was detained by the authorities. The British informed Golovnin about the beginning of the war between the two countries. The Russian ship was not declared captured, but the team was not allowed to leave the bay either. After spending more than a year in this position, in mid-May 1809 "Diana", led by Golovnin, tried to escape, which the sailors successfully succeeded in - the ship arrived in Kamchatka.
Vasily Golovin The next important task Golovnin received in 1811 - he had to compose descriptions of the Shantar and Kuril Islands, the shores of the Tatar Strait. During his travels, he was accused of violating sakoku principles and captured by the Japanese for more than 2 years. It was possible to rescue the team from captivity only thanks to the good relations of 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 that, no one in history had returned from Japanese captivity.
In 1817-1819 Vasily Mikhailovich made another round-the-world voyage on the ship "Kamchatka" specially built for this.
Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev - discoverers of Antarctica
Captain Second Rank Thaddeus Bellingshausen was determined to find the truth in the question of the existence of the sixth continent. In 1819 he set out on the open sea, carefully preparing two sloops - "Mirny" and "Vostok". The latter was commanded by his associate Mikhail Lazarev. The first Antarctic round-the-world expedition set itself other tasks. In addition to finding irrefutable facts confirming or refuting the existence of Antarctica, the travelers were going to explore the waters of three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian.
Thaddeus Bellingshausen The results of this expedition exceeded all expectations. For 751 days, which 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 took place on January 28, 1820. Also, during the trip, about two dozen islands were found and mapped, sketches with views of Antarctica, images of representatives of the Antarctic fauna were created.
Mikhail Lazarev
It is interesting that attempts to discover Antarctica were made more than once, but none of them was successful. European seafarers believed that either it does not exist, or it is located in places that simply cannot be reached by sea. But Russian travelers had enough perseverance and determination, therefore the names of Bellingshausen and Lazarev are included in the lists of the greatest navigators in the world.
Yakov Sannikov
Yakov Sannikov (about 1780, Ust-Yansk, Russian Empire - after 1811) - Russian merchant from Yakutsk, fox, mammoth tusks and explorer of the New Siberian Islands.
He is known as the discoverer of the ghost island "Sannikov Land", which he saw from the New Siberian Islands. Discovered and described the islands of Stolbovoy (1800) and Faddeevsky (1805).
In 1808-1810 he took part in the expedition of the exiled Riga Swede M. M. Gedenshtrom. In 1810 he crossed the island of New Siberia, in 1811 he bypassed the island of Faddeevsky.
Sannikov expressed his opinion about the existence to the north of the New Siberian Islands, in particular from the Kotelny Island, a vast land called "Sannikov Land".
After 1811, traces of Yakov Sannikov are lost. No further occupation or year of death is known. In 1935, the pilot Gratsiansky, who flew in the lower reaches of the Lena River, near Kyusyur, discovered a tombstone with the inscription "Yakov Sannikov". The strait, through which a section of the Northern Sea Route passes today, is named in his honor. Opened in 1773 by the Yakut industrialist Ivan Lyakhov. Initially, the strait was named after the expedition doctor E.V. Tollya V.N. Katina-Yartseva F.A. Mathisen. The current name was given to K.A. Vollosovich on his map, and in 1935 it was approved by the government of the USSR.
Grigory Shelikhov
Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov (Shelekhov; 1747, Rylsk - July 20, 1795, Irkutsk) - Russian explorer, navigator, industrialist and merchant from the Shelekhov family, who since 1775 was engaged in the arrangement of commercial merchant shipping between the Kuril and Aleutian island ridges. In 1783-1786 he headed an expedition to Russian America, during which the first Russian settlements in North America were founded. He organized several trading and fishing companies, including in Kamchatka. Grigory Ivanovich mastered new lands for the Russian Empire, was the initiator of the Russian-American company. Founder of the North-East Company.
The bay was named in his honor. Shelikhov Bay (Kamchatka Region, Russia) is located between the Asian coast and the base of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Refers to the water area of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Ferdinand Wrangel
Wrangel showed himself from the best side, and he, tested in a difficult round-the-world voyage, is instructed to lead an expedition to the extreme northeast of Siberia, to the estuaries of the Yana and Kolyma, in order to map the coast of the Arctic Ocean up to the Bering Strait, and besides this, test the hypothesis about the existence of an undiscovered land connecting Asia with America.
Wrangel spends three years in the ice and tundra with his companions, among whom his main assistant was Fyodor Matyushkin - Lyceum comrade A.S. Pushkin.
In the intervals between the campaigns to the North under the leadership of Wrangel and Matyushkin, a topographic survey was made huge coastline covering 35 degrees in longitude. On the territory of the recently white spot, 115 astronomical points were identified. For the first time, studies were carried out on the influence of climate on the existence and development sea ice, and in Nizhnekolymsk was organized the first meteorological station in this region. Thanks to meteorological observations of this station, it was established that in the interfluve of the Yana and Kolyma rivers there is a "cold pole" of the Northern Hemisphere.
Ferdinand Wrangel described the expedition and its scientific results in detail in a book that was first published in 1839 and was a huge success. The renowned Swedish polar explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskjöld called it "one of the masterpieces among the writings on the Arctic."
The expedition to the Chukotka-Kolyma Territory put Wrangel on a par with the largest explorers of the harsh Arctic. Later, becoming one of the founders of the Russian Geographical Society, he thought out a project for an expedition to North Pole... He proposes to go to the Pole on a ship, which is to spend the winter off the northern coast of Greenland, to prepare food warehouses along the route of the Pole Party in the fall, and in March people go out exactly in the direction of the meridian on ten sledges with dogs. Interestingly, the plan to reach the pole, drawn up by Robert Peary, who entered the pole 64 years later, repeated Wrangel's old project in the smallest detail. An island in the Arctic Ocean, a mountain and a cape in Alaska are named after Wrangel. Having learned about the sale of Alaska by the Russian government in 1867, Ferdinand Petrovich reacted very negatively to this.
If we talk about the great travelers of our time, then we cannot ignore the unique talent of Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov to conquer what, at first glance, is impossible to conquer. Today Konyukhov is the first of best travelers the planet to which the North and South Poles submitted, highest peaks peace, seas and oceans. He has more than forty expeditions to the most inaccessible places on our planet.
A descendant of northern pomors from the Arkhangelsk province was born on the coast Sea of Azov in the fishing village of Chkalovo. His irrepressible thirst for knowledge led to the fact that already at the age of 15, Fedor swam across the Sea of Azov in a fishing rowboat. This was the first step towards great achievements. Over the next twenty years, Konyukhov takes part in expeditions to the North and South Poles, conquers the highest peaks, makes four trips around the world, participates in a dog sled race, and crosses the Atlantic Ocean fifteen times. In 2002, the traveler made a solo voyage across the Atlantic in a rowboat and set a record. More recently, on May 31, 2014, Konyukhov was greeted in Australia with several records at once. The famous Russian became the first to cross the Pacific Ocean from continent to continent. It cannot be said that Fyodor Filippovich is a person fixated only on travel. In addition to the nautical school, the great traveler has the Belarusian Art School in Bobruisk and the Modern Humanitarian University in Moscow. In 1983 Fyodor Konyukhov became the youngest member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. He is also the author of twelve books on his own experiences of overcoming the hardships of travel. At the end of the legendary crossing of the Pacific Ocean, Konyukhov said that he was not going to stop there. His plans include new projects: a flight around the world on hot-air balloon, circumnavigation in 80 days for the Jules Verne Cup on a keel yacht with a crew, diving into the Mariana Trench.
Bear Grylls
Today this young English traveler, TV presenter and writer is known to a multi-million audience thanks to the highest-rated TV show on the Discovery Channel. In October 2006, the program "Survive at any cost" began to air with his participation. The goal of the TV presenter is not only to entertain the viewer, but also to provide valuable advice and recommendations that may come in handy in unforeseen situations.
Bear was born in Great Britain into a family of hereditary diplomats, received an excellent education at the elite Ladgrove School and the University of London. Parents did not interfere with their son's hobby sailing, rock climbing and martial arts. But the future traveler received the skills of endurance and the ability to survive in the army, where he mastered parachute jumping and mountaineering. These skills later helped him achieve his cherished goal - the conquest of Everest. This event took place at the very end of the last century, in 1998. Bear Grylls possesses simply irrepressible energy. The list of his travels is huge. From 2000 to 2007 he sailed around British isles thirty days in advance to raise funds for the British Royal Water Rescue Society; crossed by inflatable boat North Atlantic; flew over Angel Falls on a steam-powered plane, dined in a balloon at an altitude of more than seven thousand meters; on a paraglider flew over the Himalayas ... In 2008, the traveler was at the head of an expedition organized to climb one of the most remote unclimbed peaks in Antarctica. Almost all of the expeditions that Grills participates in are charitable.
If you think that long-distance travel is the prerogative of a strong half of humanity, then you are deeply mistaken. And this was proved by the young American Abby Sunderland, who at the age of 16 alone made a round-the-world trip on a yacht. Interestingly, Abby's parents not only allowed her to undertake such a risky venture, but also helped prepare for it. It should be noted that the girl's father is a professional sailor.
On January 23, 2010, the yacht departed from Marina Del Rey, California. Unfortunately, the maiden voyage was unsuccessful. The second attempt took place on February 6. Very soon, Abby reported damage to the yacht's hull and engine malfunction. At this time, she was between Australia and Africa, 2 thousand miles from the coast. After that, the connection with the girl was interrupted, and nothing was known about her. The search operation was unsuccessful and Abby was reported missing. However, a month later, the yacht received a distress signal from the southern part. Indian Ocean... After 11 hours of searching by Australian rescuers, a yacht was found in the area of a severe storm, in which, fortunately, Abby was unharmed. A large supply of food and water helped her survive. The girl said that all the time after the last communication session she had to overcome the storm, and she was physically unable to get in touch and send a radiogram. Abby's example inspires the courageous spirit to test their capabilities and not stop there.
One of the most original travelers of our time spent thirteen years of his life on his unusual journey around the world. The non-standard of the situation was that Jason refused the achievements of civilization in the form of any kind of technology. The former British janitor set off on his round-the-world trip with a bicycle, a boat and ... rollers!
The expedition started from Greenwich in 1994. The 27-year-old Lewis chose his friend Steve Smith as his partner. In February 1995, the travelers reached the United States. After 111 days of sailing, the friends decided to cross the states separately. In 1996, a rollerblading Lewis was hit by a car. He spent nine months in the hospital. After recovering, Lewis travels to Hawaii, and from there he sails on a pedal boat to Australia. In the Solomon Islands, he fell into the epicenter of the civil war, and off the coast of Australia he was attacked by an alligator. Upon arrival in Australia, Lewis interrupts his travel due to financial difficulties and works for a time in a funeral home and sells T-shirts. In 2005 he moved to Singapore, from there to China, from which he moved to India. After cycling through the country, the Briton reaches Africa by March 2007. The remainder of Lewis's journey passes through Europe. He cycled through Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany and Belgium, then swam across the English Channel and returned to London in October 2007, completing his unique journey around the world. James Lewis proved to the whole world and to himself that there is no limit to human capabilities.
The great geographical discoveries are the most important period in the history of mankind from the late 15th to the middle of the 16th centuries. The brave discoverers of Spain and Portugal opened new lands to the Western world, thus laying the foundation for the development of new trade routes and connections between continents.
The beginning of the period of great geographical discoveries
Throughout the existence of the human race, many important discoveries were made, however, under the name "great", only those that took place in the 16-17 centuries entered history. The fact is that neither before this period of time, nor after it, none of the travelers and researchers was able to repeat the success of the medieval discoverers.
Geographic discovery is understood as the finding of new, previously unexplored geographic objects or patterns. It can be a part of the earth or a whole continent, a water basin or a strait, the existence of which on Earth the cultured mankind did not suspect.
Rice. 1. Middle Ages.
But why did the great geographical discoveries become possible precisely between the 15th and 17th centuries?
This was facilitated by the following factors:
- active development of various crafts and trade;
- the growth of European cities;
- the need for precious metals - gold and silver;
- development of technical sciences and knowledge;
- major discoveries in navigation, the emergence of the most important navigation devices - the astrolabe and the compass;
- development of cartography.
The catalyst for the Great Geographical Discoveries was the annoying fact that Constantinople in the Middle Ages came under the rule of the Ottoman Turks, who impeded direct trade between the European powers with India and China.
Great travelers and their geographical discoveries
If we consider the periodization of the Great Geographical Discoveries, then the first who gave the Western world new routes and endless opportunities were the Portuguese navigators. The British, Spaniards and Russians did not lag behind them, who also saw great prospects in the conquest of new lands. Their names have forever entered the history of navigation.
- Bartolomeu Dias - portuguese sailor, who in 1488, in search of a convenient direction to India, circled Africa, discovered the Cape of Good Hope and became the first European to find himself in the waters of the Indian Ocean.
- - it is with his name that the discovery in 1492 of an entire continent - America is associated.
Rice. 2. Christopher Columbus.
- Vasco da Gama - the commander of the Portuguese expedition, who in 1498 managed to lay a direct trade route from Europe to Asia.
For several years, from 1498 to 1502, Christopher Columbus, Alonso Ojeda, Amerigo Vespucci and many other navigators from Spain and Portugal carefully explored the northern coast of South America. However, acquaintance with Western conquerors did not bring local residents nothing good - in the pursuit of easy money, they showed themselves extremely aggressive and cruel.
- Vasca Nunens Balboa - in 1513, the brave Spaniard was the first to cross the Isthmus of Panama and discover the Pacific Ocean.
- Fernand Magellan - the first person in history who made a round-the-world trip in 1519-1522, thereby proving that the Earth has the shape of a ball.
- Abel Tasman - opened Australia to the Western world and New Zealand in the years 1642-1643.
- Semyon Dezhnev - Russian traveler and pathfinder who was able to find the strait connecting Asia with North America.
Results of the great geographical discoveries
The great geographical discoveries significantly accelerated the transition from the Middle Ages to the New Age, with its most important achievements and the flourishing of most European states.
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Humanity has a different look at the world, new horizons have opened up for scientists. This contributed to the development of natural sciences, which could not but affect the general standard of living.
The conquest of new lands by Europeans led to the formation and strengthening of colonial empires, which became a powerful source of raw materials for the Old World. There was a cultural exchange between civilizations in various areas, there was a movement of animals, plants, diseases and even entire peoples.
Rice. 3. Colonies of the New World.
Geographical discoveries continued after the 17th century, which allowed the creation of a complete map of the world.
What have we learned?
When studying the topic "Great geographical discoveries" in the 6th grade geography program, we learned briefly about the great geographical discoveries, their significance in world history. We also made short review the greatest personalities who managed to make important discoveries in the geography of the Earth.
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