II. Первое русское кругосветное путешествие

К началу XIX века появилась необходимость наладить регулярные рейсы русских судов от портов Прибалтики до русских портов на Тихом океане. В 1802 году Морское министерство приняло предложение капитан-лейтенанта И. Ф. Крузенштерна организовать первую русскую кругосветную экспедицию (1803-1806). Целью экспедиции являлись: доставка грузов в русские владения в Северной Америке и на Камчатку, установ­ление торговых отношений с Японией и Китаем, исследования в тропической части Тихого океана и близ русских владений. Помощником Крузенштерна был назначен Ю. Ф. Лисянский. Экспедиция располагала двумя кораблями “Надеждой” и “Невой”. Во время путешествия была уточнена карта мира, открыт ряд островов, произведены многочисленные океанографии­ческие исследования. Особенного внимания заслужи­вают описания быта, нравов, хозяйства, социального строя жителей Сахалина и Камчатки. Крузенштерном был составлен “Атлас Южного моря” – самый точный для того времени.

to set to accept establishment way of life habits and customs

Active Vocabulary

believe v верить

chart n морская карта, таблица, чертеж

convert v превращать, переделывать, обращать

curiosity n любопытство, любознательность

determine v определять, решать, устанавливать

discover v делать открытия, открывать

explore v исследовать, изучать

inhabit n жить, обитать, населять

reason n причина, повод, основание

route n маршрут, курс, путь, дорога

sail v плавать, отплывать

search n поиски

v искать (for)

trade n торговля, занятие, ремесло

travel v путешествовать

valuable a ценный, дорогой

voyage n плавание, морское путешествие

v путешествовать по морю

Additional Reading Famous Russian navigators

At the start of the 18^th century, Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, was determined to make his weak and backward country a great, modern empire. At that time, Siberia – the vast expanse of land to the east of his empire – was still mostly unexplored. He became interested in Siberia when he heard about the pelts (skins) of animals such as the sable that trappers¹ sent back from Siberia. Peter the Great decided to bring it under Russian control. This would give Russia some useful ports on the Pacific Ocean. He also hoped to discover whether or not Asia was really joined to North America as he believed.

In 1724, the Tsar appointed Vitus Bering to lead the first expedition. His orders were to go to Kamchatka, in eastern Siberia, and build boats there. Then he was to sail north to find out whether North America and Asia were joined. The orders were simple, but the task was not. Bering returned without having proved for certain that Asia and North America are separated by sea. In 1734 Bering was placed in charge of² an ambitious new project, known as the Great Northern Expedition. Its aim was to reach Alaska and what is now called the Bering Sea, and to explore the entire³ Arctic coast of Siberia. Ship-building for this sailing had been finished in Okhotsk by autumn 1740.

Okhotsk vanished in the September fog, the last contours of shores melted in the distance, and the endless expanses of Okhotsk Sea opened before Vitus Bering’s packet boats. Captain-Commodore Bering was aboard the expedition’s flagman “St. Peter”. Captain-Commodore Alexei Iljich Chirikov, his associate, was in command of “St. Paul”.

Having circumvented⁴ Kamchatka, both ships in October 1740 reached Avacha Bay, where the packet boat crews founded Petropavlovsk Harbour (the future Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski). Both the harbour and town were named so in honor of the expedition ships. And that is where the Russian seamen wintered.

Having successfully wintered in Avacha Bay, the “St. Paul” and ‘St. Peter’ on June 4, 1741 sailed in search of the Land of Gama (in those days that was the name of America). The ships’ course was plotted to the southeast. On reaching 46^o N. lat without finding that land, both packet boats turned to the northeast. On June 20, in dense fog, a normal occurrence in those places, the navigators lost each other, and continued their voyage independently.

Vitus Bering aboard the “St. Peter” sailed to the south, and on July 20 discovered an island christened St. Ilia. On July 26^th, the voyagers saw Kodiak Island, and two days later discovered Tumannyi Island (now called Chirikov Island). On the next day, the snowpeaked mountains of Alaska appeared before the navigators’ eyes. Then Bering and his crew discovered one after the other a great number of islands. Those discoveries naturally gladdened the seafarers. But the severe sailing conditions, the monotonous food, and the shortage of water gradually exhausted⁶ the men, and twelve crewmembers died from scurvy⁷ on the way.

From the second half of September, the “St. Peter” was constantly beset⁸ by autumn storms. Food and water reserves melted rapidly, and the navigators’ energy depleted⁹ rapidly. On November 4, having noticed an unknown uninhabited island, Bering directed the packet boat there. The situation was hopeless, and the crew could no longer fight the sea and diseases. So, Bering decided to run the ship on sand shallow, where the crew disembarked¹⁰. This was the beginning of severe wintering. Soon nineteen men died from exhaustion and scurvy. On December 8, 1741, the seamen who survived buried Captain-Commodore Vitus Bering. The island where his remains were interred¹¹was called Bering Island in his honor, and the group of Pacific islands the Commander Islands. The crewmembers that survived built a small sailboat from remains of the packet boat, and on August 27, 1742 returned to Kamchatka.

On July 15, 1741, the “St. Paul” under A. I. Chirikov gained North America. Significantly, Chirikov’s crew slightly preceded by Bering, were the first Europeans to reach the northwest coast of America and map it. Then “St. Paul” moved along the coast to the north. Fifteen sailors were found missing at 58^o N. lat. when exploring the shore. After a lengthy but unsuccessful search, on July 27 Chirikov decided to return to Russia. On their way back, they discovered several islands from the Aleutian group. But every mile was hard to overcome. Like the crew of the “St. Peter”, Chirikov’s men were short of water and food. The seamen staunchly¹² overcame thirst, hunger and diseases, and finally on October 10, 1741 the “St. Paul” safely sailed into Avacha Bay.

Thus, having emerged¹³ on the expanses of the World Ocean, Russian navigators, the predecessors¹⁴ of the sailors of Russia’s Pacific Navy, proved themselves to be courageous men capable not only of overcoming hardships effectively and daringly, but to conduct profound¹⁵ research in seas and oceans, and perform scientific feats¹⁶. This was recognized worldwide.

Notes:

1. a trapper – охотник

2. in charge of – во главе

3. the entire – целое

4. having circumvented – обойдя

5. to exhaust – истощать, изнурять

6. scurvy – цинга

7. beset – преграждать дорогу, осаждать

8. to deplete – исчерпывать

9. to disembark – высаживаться

10. to inter – хоронить

11. staunchly – стойко

12. to emerge – появляться

13. a predecessor – предшественник

14. profound – основательный, глубокий

15. feat – подвиг