Expeditions of V. Bering and A. I. Chirikov. Bering-Chirikov detachment (Great Northern Expedition) Bering and Chirikov what they discovered

It was financed by the Russian Admiralty and pursued more military-strategic goals than scientific ones. The goals are to prove the existence of a strait between Asia and America and take the first steps towards the transition to the American continent. Returning to St. Petersburg from the First Kamchatka Expedition, Vitus Bering presented memos in which he expressed confidence in the comparative proximity of America to Kamchatka and in the advisability of establishing trade with the inhabitants of America. Having traveled through the whole of Siberia twice, he was convinced that it was possible to mine iron ore, salt and grow bread here. Bering put forward further plans to explore the northeastern coast of Russian Asia, exploring the sea route to the mouth of the Amur and the Japanese Islands - as well as to the American continent.

On September 6, the ship headed due west across the open sea, along the Aleutian Islands chain. In stormy weather, the ship drifted across the sea like a piece of wood. Bering was already too ill to control the ship. Finally, two months later, on November 4, high mountains covered with snow were noticed from the ship. By this time, the packet boat was practically uncontrollable and was floating “like a piece of dead wood.”

The sailors hoped that they had reached the shores of Kamchatka. In fact, it was only one of the islands of the archipelago, which would later be called the Commander Islands. "St. Peter dropped anchor not far from the shore, but was torn from his anchor by a wave and thrown over the reefs into a deep bay off the coast, where the waves were not so strong. This was the first happy accident in the entire period of navigation. Using it, the team managed to transport the sick, the remains of provisions and equipment to the shore.

Adjacent to the bay was a valley surrounded by low mountains, already covered with snow. A small river with crystal clear water ran through the valley. We had to spend the winter in dugouts covered with tarpaulin. Out of a crew of 75 people, thirty sailors died immediately after the shipwreck and during the winter. Captain-Commander Vitus Bering himself died on December 6. This island would later be named after him. A wooden cross was placed on the commander's grave.

In defiance of death

Image of Kamchatka from Krasheninnikov’s book (1755).

The surviving sailors were led by Vitus Bering's senior mate, Swede Sven Waxel. Having survived winter storms and earthquakes, the team was able to survive until the summer. They were again lucky that on the western shore there was a lot of Kamchatka forest washed up by the waves and fragments of wood that could be used as fuel. In addition, on the island it was possible to hunt arctic foxes, sea otters, sea cows, and, with the arrival of spring, fur seals. Hunting these animals was very easy, because they were not at all afraid of humans.

In the spring, construction began on a small single-masted ship from the remains of the dilapidated St. Petra." And again the team was lucky - despite the fact that all three ship carpenters died of scurvy, and there was no shipbuilding specialist among the naval officers, the team of shipbuilders was headed by Cossack Savva Starodubtsev, a self-taught shipbuilder, who was a simple worker during the construction of expeditionary packet boats in Okhotsk , and was later taken to the team. By the end of the summer, the new “St. Peter" was launched. It had much smaller dimensions: the length along the keel was 11 meters, and the width was less than 4 meters.

The surviving 46 people, in terrible cramped conditions, went to sea in mid-August, four days later they reached the coast of Kamchatka, and nine days later, on August 26, they reached Petropavlovsk.

For his, without exaggeration, feat, Savva Starodubtsev was awarded the title of son of a boyar. New gukor "St. Peter” went to sea for another 12 years, until, and Starodubtsev himself, having mastered the profession of a shipbuilder, built several more ships.

Memory

USSR Post stamp.

In 1991, the USSR Post issued a stamp dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the voyage to the shores of America.
In 1995, the Bank of Russia, in the series of commemorative coins “Exploration of the Russian Arctic”, issued a coin “Great Northern Expedition” in denomination of 3 rubles.
In 2004, the Bank of Russia issued a series of commemorative coins “2nd Kamchatka Expedition” in denominations of 3, 25 and 100 rubles, dedicated to the expedition.

Literature and sources

Vaxel Sven. Second Kamchatka expedition of Vitus Bering / Trans. from hand On him. language Yu. I. Bronstein. Ed. from previous A. I. Andreeva. - M.: Glavsevmorput, 1940. - 176 °C.;
Magidovich I.P., Magidovich V.I., Essays on the history of geographical discoveries, vol. III. M., 1984

ALEXEY ILYICH CHIRIKOV

Among Russian navigators, A.I. occupies a place of honor. Chirikov, whose name is directly associated with the great geographical discoveries in the Pacific Ocean, which enriched world geographical science. Back in the mid-19th century, in the article “Chirikov and Bering”, historian A.P. Sokolov showed that Chirikov was superior to his boss both as a skilled sailor and as a scientist. It should also be noted that back in the 18th century M.V. Lomonosov wrote that Chirikov was the main leader of the 2nd Kamchatka Expedition (2nd Siberian-Pacific Expedition).

Alexey Ilyich Chirikov was born in 1703 into the family of a small nobleman in the Moscow province. He received his initial upbringing in the family of his uncle, who lived in Moscow.

In 1715, at the age of twelve, Alexey was sent to the Mathematics and Navigation School, and a year later he was transferred to the 6th Maritime Academy, created in the new Russian capital. Chirikov was one of the 20 best students of the Mathematics and Navigation School, transferred from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

In 1721, Chirikov graduated from the Naval Academy, and for excellent academic success he was promoted to non-commissioned lieutenant, bypassing the rank of midshipman. The following year he received an appointment to the Baltic Fleet. Service on ships helped Chirikov expand his theoretical knowledge in astronomy, artillery and navigation.

Shortly before the start of the 1st Siberian-Pacific Expedition, Chirikov was appointed as a navigation teacher at the Academy. For his teaching talent and ability to present material, he more than once received praise from the Admiralty boards, which indicated that “Chirikov was the most skillful in training midshipmen and naval officers.”

Chirikov's reputation as a skilled navigator was the main reason for his appointment to the 1st Siberian-Pacific Expedition led by Vitus Bering. Shortly before the start of the expedition, Chirikov was promoted to lieutenant.

In March 1728, Chirikov, together with Bering, arrived in Nizhnekamchatsk, where a small sailing ship “St. Gabriel,” on which the expedition members went to sea in July.

After approaching the Island of St. Lawrence, the question arose about the further plan of the expedition. Bering could not answer the question to himself: should he continue his voyage or return to Kamchatka? He convened a “consilium” - a council of officers, at which he expressed his opinion, saying that continuing the voyage was useless and dangerous and that he should return to Kamchatka, where to find harbors for the winter.

However, he encountered objections from Chirikov, who insisted on continuing the voyage, since the main task of the expedition - to find out whether America is connected to Asia - could not be solved. Chirikov advised going to the mouth of the Kolyma or to the ice, where a thorough search should be carried out.

But Bering was afraid of violating the instructions of the Admiralty boards and rejected Chirikov’s proposal, although the condition of the ice made it possible to reach the mouth of the Kolyma by August 25 and fulfill the goal there.

On March 1, 1730, Bering returned to St. Petersburg, where he reported to the Admiralty Boards that Asia and America were separated from each other by a strait. But Chirikov still insisted on continuing the voyage, since he considered it possible that there would be a bridge connecting America and Asia to the west of the place where the St. Gabriel".

Both Bering and the Admiralty Board praised Chirikov's role in the 1st Siberian-Pacific Expedition. The Admiralty Board noted that Chirikov, “being on this expedition as well as on others where he was used in commands... showed himself to be thorough and serviceable as befits a skilled naval officer.”

All this was the reason for the appointment of Chirikov as Bering’s first assistant in the 2nd Siberian-Pacific expedition. Captain-Commander Bering was asked to act “with general agreement with Captain Chirikov on maritime science.” Shortly before the start of the expedition, he was promoted to captain of the 1st rank.

Having become acquainted with the instructions of the Admiralty Collegiums in St. Petersburg, Chirikov expressed his own assumptions, saying that America itself is not so far from Chukotka. “And you can make sure and inform about America without reaching the Zuid to the Spanish possession.” Chirikov's assumptions were approved by the Admiralty Board, but during the expedition itself, disagreements began to arise more and more often between Bering and his assistant.

Bering tried not to deviate one step from the instructions received at the Admiralty Collegium. Chirikov himself, distinguished by his precise fulfillment of the requirements of the naval charter, believed that one should not expect instructions from the Admiralty Boards on every issue, since it does not know the specific conditions in which the expedition is taking place, and it is necessary to show more initiative ourselves.

These disagreements increasingly led to conflicts between Bering and Chirikov, and the latter already turned to the Admiralty Board with a request to release him from further participation in the expedition, indicating that Bering was “angry” for the advice given to him and Chirikov was afraid of him in further “great grievances.”

On May 13, 1740, seeing that the construction of packet boats was going slowly, Chirikov invited Bering to send him on the brigantine “St. Mikhail" to inspect the land lying opposite the Chukotka nose from Kamchatka and the western side of America. In the fall, Chirikov promised to return to Okhotsk.

If such a proposal were accepted, it would be possible to reach the shores of northwestern America as early as 1740. However, Bering again stated that Chirikov’s proposal would not agree with the instructions of the Admiralty Boards.

In the summer of 1740, the construction of the packet boats “St. Peter" and "St. Pavel" was completed and both ships headed for Kamchatka. Chirikov commanded the packet boat "St. Paul".

In October 1740, both ships entered Avacha Bay, where they stopped for the winter. The port of Petropavlovsk was founded here, named after the Russian ships that first visited this bay. Subsequently, Petropavlovsk-on-Kamchatka played an important role in strengthening the Far Eastern borders of the Russian state and became the base for many expeditions undertaken by Russian sailors in the 18th and 19th centuries to explore Northwestern America, the Kuril and Aleutian Islands, etc.

During his stay in Kamchatka, Chirikov determined the importance of Avachinskaya Bay as “the best and most capable of protecting sea vessels,” since it is sheltered from the winds and “even a great fleet can stand in it.”

At the winter camp, Chirikov was engaged in meteorological observations, collecting information about the flora, fauna and minerals of the peninsula.

On June 4, 1741, both ships left Avacha Bay. Already at sea, Chirikov advised Bering to go at a short distance from each other, since this is the only way to find each other if in the fog “St. Peter" and "St. Paul" will be lost.

On June 20, the ships finally separated. Not finding “St. Peter,” Chirikov decided to head first to the east and then to the northeast. On July 2, signs of nearby land were noticed, and Chirikov realized from the color of the water that the shore was close.

At dawn on July 16, the sailors saw land on which there were high mountains with snowy peaks. It was an island located west of Prince of Wales Island, off the southern coast of the mainland (Baker Island), indented by many bays and bays.

Chirikov was confident that he had reached America and ordered an anchor three miles from the island. At the same time, a lang boat was sent to the shore in search of a convenient bay. However, such a bay has not yet been found, and by the evening “St. Pavel" moved away from the shore so as not to run into pitfalls in the darkness.

Within two days, taking advantage of a fair wind, “St. Pavel" moved along the American coast and soon entered a zone of cold climate.

Chirikov sent 10 people on a yawl boat, led by naval master Dementiev, to the shore, instructing them to find a bay suitable for parking the boat.

Dementyev also had to find out the size of the local population. Chirikov ordered to treat the local residents in a friendly manner, but if they begin to attack the sailors, then they should defend themselves by going back to the ship.

In the event of a successful landing, Dementyev had to light a fire on the shore so that it could be seen from the packet boat. Dementyev was supposed to announce his return with two shots from a cannon.

Dementyev and his people went to the shore, but did not return to the “St. Paul". Neither fire from the shore nor signal shots were seen or heard. Chirikov realized that Dementyev and his companions had died. However, no one was able to find out the reason for their death - whether the yalbot ran into reefs in the sea, or they were killed by local residents.

In fact, “St. Pavle" food and fresh water supplies began to dry up. Once a day we only cooked porridge. The water used was distilled sea water or water flowing from sails during storms. Scurvy began to rage on the ship.

However, "St. Pavel" continued to walk along the shores of the Great Land, on which the snow-capped ridge of St. Elijah rose.

Chirikov inevitably faced the question of whether to continue the voyage or move back. To resolve this issue, a council of officers was convened. Everyone came to the conclusion that, given the impossibility of landing on shore and the lack of drinking water supplies, it was necessary to stop sailing and return to Avacha Bay. July 27 “St. Pavel" headed for Kamchatka.

Nevertheless, swimming cannot be considered ineffective. During it, Chirikov discovered part of the coastline of Northwestern America, inspected its coast for 400 miles, putting it on the map. Extensive material was collected about the flora and fauna of this land.

In the second half of August, the ship continued to move towards Kamchatka. Headwinds made it difficult for the packet boat to move. Fresh water supplies became even more depleted; everything was carefully saved. The porridge was now cooked once every two days.

On September 4, land was spotted in the distance to the north. This was Uinak, the largest island in the eastern group of the Aleutian Islands. "St. Pavel continued his journey, and on September 8, Chirikov discovered the island of Azakh - the largest of the Andrean Islands.

The next day, seven small boats approached the ship, each containing one person. After long invitations, the emboldened Aleuts climbed onto the deck, and the sailors began to give them small gifts. Chirikov himself collected from the Aleuts a whole collection of objects characterizing the life and way of life of the local population.

After spending time on the deck of the St. Paul,” the Aleuts went ashore, but at noon 14 more boats approached the packet boat. For several hours, the Aleuts looked at the Russian ship, and then went towards their shore. Soon a fair wind filled the sails of the St. Pavel" and the ship moved to Kamchatka.

Scurvy increasingly undermined the strength of the entire team. Many sailors began to die. On September 20, Chirikov, who fell ill, was no longer able to climb onto the commander’s bridge. He was replaced on it by navigator Elagin, who, although he did not feel healthy, was still able to conduct “St. Pavel" to Kamchatka.

On the morning of October 8, Avachinskaya Bay appeared, but due to the headwind “St. Pavel" was able to enter it only in the evening of the next day.

Already in Kamchatka, Chirikov again decided to make a new expedition to the American shores and “carry out reconnaissance in it, to the fullest extent of our capabilities.” He reported his plans to the Admiralty Board and received its consent to organize a new expedition.

May 25, 1743 “St. Pavel" again left Avacha Bay, heading north. Due to favorable weather, it was possible to determine the exact geographical coordinates of the open land.

Suddenly the sea was enveloped in fog. During the week of “St. Pavel tried to approach the island, but was unable to do so due to fog and headwinds. The ship's progress was also hampered by the underwater rocks that abounded in these places.

Chirikov and his assistant Elagin, having spent several sleepless nights on the bridge, were so weak that they could barely walk on the deck. Realizing that this time he could not approach the island, Chirikov decided to return to Petropavlovsk.

Already upon returning to Kamchatka, an island was spotted in the sea, which, as it later turned out, was Bering Island. July 2 “St. Pavel entered Avacha Bay.

On August 24, Chirikov left for Yakutsk, where he decided to wait for instructions from the Admiralty boards. Previously, he sent it his report on the voyage to the shores of America, indicating that the expedition had not completely resolved the tasks assigned to it. But on "St. Pavle" there was an acute shortage of people; the packet boat itself required serious repairs. For the new expedition, a new ship was required that could replace the St. Paul". In addition, it was necessary to build a small ship that could approach the shore.

Attached to the report was a large map compiled under the direct supervision of Chirikov. It reflected all the discoveries made by Russian navigators from 1725 to 1742. A significant area was mapped - from Arkhangelsk to the Kuril Islands - and the place from where the description of Northwestern America began was precisely indicated.

Already in 1757 M.V. Lomonosov, having become the head of the Geographical Department, began preparing a new “Most Correct Russian Atlas”. During its preparation, he studied the materials collected by Chirikov, which in turn used in drawing up an extensive research program for the Arctic Ocean.

Having received Chirikov's report on the work done, the Senate and the Admiralty Board did nothing to prepare a new expedition, which, in their opinion, could only become a source of new costs.

On September 23, 1743, the Senate presented Empress Elizabeth Petrovna with a report on the 2nd Siberian-Pacific Expedition and concluded: “That expedition, from which the Senate does not recognize any fruit, should be abandoned altogether.” To which the corresponding response from the empress was received: “So be it.”

The leaders of the expedition were asked to send the accumulated materials to St. Petersburg and not proceed with further research.

After several appeals from Chirikov to the Admiralty Board to transfer him to St. Petersburg to improve his health, the Senate decided to dismiss him from his previous position and transfer him to the capital.

After spending some time in Yeniseisk, Chirikov finally surrendered the command and in March 1746 returned to St. Petersburg.

In the same year, he was promoted to captain-commander and, by order of the Admiralty Boards, was assigned to the Academic Expedition, which dealt with naval institutions. He was soon transferred to the Moscow office of the Admiralty Collegiums, but did not remain in this position for long. At the end of 1748, Chirikov died at the forty-fifth year of his life.

Capes on the island of Kyushu, in the Gulf of Anadyr, Tauyskaya Bay, on Attu Island and an underwater mountain in the Pacific Ocean are named after Chirikov. But the fate of the island located in the Gulf of Alaska is especially interesting. In 1741, it was discovered by Chirikov during the 2nd Siberian-Pacific expedition. In 1798, the English navigator J. Vancouver named this island after its discoverer.

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what did V. Bering and A. Chirikov discover?

Love for each other
Bereng Strait. Svyatog Island
Oh Petra
Bering Strait
Aleutian Islands, Alaska
strait
Alexey Chirikov plunged headlong into the study of astronomy and navigation, spherical trigonometry and geodesy, "shipping" and cartography. In the spring of 1721, the first graduation of students from the Maritime Academy took place.
1733 Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov, as those who particularly distinguished themselves in the first Kamchatka expedition, were entrusted with leading the second Kamchatka expedition. E goal: to cross Siberia and from Kamchatka by sea to the shores of North America. They prepared equipment and ships for almost 8 years.
On June 4, 1741, already at a very advanced age (60 years old), Vitus Bering, together with Alexei Chirikov, set off on the ships St. Paul and St. Peter to the shores of America. What lay ahead for them? Strong storm, fog, wind. The ships lost each other. On July 17, Bering reached the southern coast of Alaska. We stocked up on food and began to move along the coast. But winter, lack of vitamins and strong winds took their toll: the crew began to get sick, and the sailors developed scurvy. They traveled for another 4 months in search of Kamchatka. Vitus Bering was already so weak that he could not control the ship. And then one day, seeing the coast and snow-capped mountain peaks, they decided that they had returned home to Kamchatka. but these were only the islands, later named Commander Islands in honor of Vitus Bering. Having spent the winter on the island, burying its captain here (a cross was erected at the site of his death) and several other crew members, the ship sets off, in defiance of death. Only on August 27, 1742 they reached the shores of Kamchatka.
The merits of Bering's expedition were not immediately recognized. Only years later, the Englishman James Cook confirmed the most accurate calculations in Bering's research and proposed calling the strait between North America and Asia the Bering Strait.
The Aleutian and Commander Islands were discovered. The expedition traveled from Okhotsk to Chukotka and described the Strait, which is now called Berengov.
BERING (Bering) Vitus Ionassen (Ivan Ivanovich) (1681-1741), navigator, captain-commander of the Russian fleet. Danish by origin. In service in Russia since 1703. Led the 1st Kamchatka Expedition (1725-30) to the Pacific Ocean to search for an isthmus or strait between Asia and America. On the ship "St. Gabriel" the Bering expedition discovered Fr. St. Lawrence, passed through the Strait (later named after Bering), without knowing it, and returned back. He led the 2nd Kamchatka Expedition (1733-41), discovered some of the Aleutian Islands, and died during wintering on the island later named after him. The results of the discoveries were published by Bering's first assistant, A. I. Chirikov.
Source: Encyclopedia "Fatherland"
(Bering) Vitus Ionassen (Ivan Ivanovich) (1681-8.12.1741), navigator. A native of Denmark. In 1703, Bering entered the Russian service, and from then until the last days of his life he faithfully served Russia. In 1725 he was appointed head of the 1st Kamchatka Expedition (1725-30), the purpose of which was to find out the existence of an isthmus or strait between Asia and America. In June September 1728, Bering's expedition on the ship St. Gabriel, bypassing the eastern coast of Kamchatka, the southern and eastern coasts of Chukotka, passed through the Strait, later called the Bering Strait. In 1730 he received the rank of captain-commander.
In 1732, Bering was appointed head of the 2nd Kamchatka Expedition, its goal was to survey the coasts of the Arctic Ocean, study Siberia and the Far East, explore the North Pacific Ocean and sail to Japan. The expedition was faced with the task of definitively establishing the existence of a strait or isthmus between the two continents. The expedition founded the Petropavlovsk fort (1740) (now Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky). In 1740, the packet boats St. Peter (commander Bering) and St. Pavel (commander A.I. Chirikov) left Okhotsk after wintering in Avachinskaya Bay and headed east. On June 20, 1741, the ships separated and never met again. The ships passed through the sea, later called the Bering Sea, and reached the coast of Alaska. On the way back, Bering discovered part of the Shumagin and Aleutian Islands. The return was difficult, the crews suffered from lack of food and disease. Bering himself became seriously ill and died on the island (now Bering Island), near which St. Peter crashed.
Kamchatka expeditions left a huge cartographic legacy. Sailors created more than 60 general and regional maps. Some of the discoveries of the 2nd Kamchatka expedition are reflected in the Russian Atlas (1746), which influenced the development of Western European geography and cartography.
L. N. Vdovina Alexey Ilyich Chirikov (December 13-24, 1703, Luzhnoe village, Tula region May 24-June 4, 1748, Moscow) Russian nobleman, navigator, captain-commander (1747), explorer of the northwestern coast of North America, the northern part Pacific Ocean and northeast coast of Asia.
Assistant to Vitus Bering in the 1st and 2nd Kamchatka expeditions (17251730 and 17331741).
On a frosty January day in 1715, cousins Alexei and Ivan Chirikov arrived in Moscow. Soon they brought a petition to the Moscow Admiralty Chancellery, in which they wished to enroll them in the “school of mathematics and navigation sciences.” After testing their knowledge, studies began, and a year later, capable students were transferred to the Maritime Academy, which was opened in the city on the Neva.
Alexey Chirikov plunged headlong into the study of astronomy and navigation, spherical trigonometry and geodesy, "shipping" and cartography. In the spring of 1721, the first graduation of students from the Maritime Academy took place
BERING (Bering) Vitus Ionassen (Ivan Ivanovich) (1681-1741), navigator, captain-commander of the Russian fleet. Danish by origin. In service in Russia since 1703. Led the 1st Kamchatka Expedition (1725-30) to the Pacific Ocean to search for an isthmus or strait between Asia and America. On the ship "St. Gabriel" the Bering expedition discovered Fr. St. Lawrence, passed through the Strait (later named after Bering), without knowing it, and returned back. He led the 2nd Kamchatka Expedition (1733-41), discovered some of the Aleutian Islands, and died during wintering on the island later named after him. The results of the discoveries were published by Bering's first assistant, A. I. Chirikov.

(1703–1748), navigator, one of the discoverers of Northwestern America; explorer of the North Pacific Ocean and the coast of northeast Asia, navigator, captain-commander.

Born into a poor noble family. After graduating from the St. Petersburg Maritime Academy (1721) he was appointed to the Baltic Fleet, and in 1722 he was appointed a teacher at the same academy. As an assistant he took part in the First Kamchatka Expedition (1725–1730). During a multi-thousand-mile journey through the expanses of Russia from St. Petersburg to Okhotsk, Chirikov identified 28 astronomical points, which made it possible for the first time to reveal the true latitudinal extent of Siberia, and, consequently, the northern part of Eurasia. During the voyage, he kept a ship's journal, which represents an important primary source on the history of Russia's first maritime scientific expedition. Together with and compiled the final map, which significantly exceeded the previous ones in accuracy and reliability of images of the Pacific coast of Northeast Asia.

During the Second Kamchatka Expedition, as Bering's deputy, Chirikov commanded the packet boat St. Paul. June 20, 1741 at 49° N. w. he headed east-northeast and on the night of July 15-16 at 55° 21′ N. w. was the first to see the Pacific coast of Northwestern America - mountains in places with snow and forest (Prince of Wales Island or Baker Island).

In search of a convenient harbor, the ship turned to the northwest, traveled a little over 400 kilometers and mostly in fog along the Alexander Archipelago, which the researcher mistook for the mainland. At the 58th parallel, 15 people sent ashore by him went missing. While sailing in the waters of the Gulf of Alaska (at the same time as Bering), Chirikov discovered the St. Elijah Ridge, discovered part of the Kenai Peninsula and the Afognak and Kodiak islands; discovered the islands of Umnak, Adah (here a meeting with the Aleuts took place), Agattu and Attu in the Aleutian chain.

There was an acute shortage of fresh water on the ship, many suffered from scurvy, and almost a third of the crew died; “Chirikov himself, who had not left his cabin since September 21, was “very exhausted from scurvy.” On October 10, he brought the ship safely to Petropavlovsk. Chirikov's report to the Admiralty Board (December 1741) on the results of the voyage became the first description of the northwestern coast of America in history.

In May - June 1742, on the "St. Paul" Chirikov sailed east from Kamchatka, but only reached Attu Island and turned back due to fog and winds. On the way back on June 22–23, I saw Bering Island, and to the southeast discovered Medny Island (later the entire group was named the Commander Islands in honor of Bering).

Upon returning to the mainland, Chirikov asked to be recalled from Siberia; in March 1746, he arrived in St. Petersburg and participated in drawing up the final map of Russian discoveries in the North Pacific Ocean. He headed the Maritime Academy for about a year. In September 1747 he was transferred to Moscow, where he died in great need from tuberculosis and the consequences of scurvy, leaving many debts.

An island, an underwater ridge, a sea, shoals and four capes are named after him.

The expedition of the Bering-Chirikov detachment took place as part of the Great Northern Expedition.

Vitus Bering's detachment was financed by the Russian Admiralty and pursued more military-strategic goals than scientific ones. The goals are to prove the existence of a strait between Asia and America and take the first steps towards the transition to the American continent. Returning to St. Petersburg in 1730 from the First Kamchatka Expedition, Vitus Bering presented memos in which he expressed confidence in the comparative proximity of America to Kamchatka and in the advisability of establishing trade with the inhabitants of America. Having traveled through the whole of Siberia twice, he was convinced that it was possible to mine iron ore, salt and grow bread here. Bering put forward further plans to explore the northeastern coast of Russian Asia, exploring the sea route to the mouth of the Amur and the Japanese Islands - as well as to the American continent.

In 1733 Bering was assigned to lead the Second Kamchatka Expedition. Vitus Bering and Alexey Chirikov were supposed to cross Siberia and from Kamchatka head to North America to explore its coast. Martyn Shpanberg was tasked with completing the mapping of the Kuril Islands and finding a sea route to Japan. At the same time, several detachments were supposed to map the northern and northeastern coast of Russia from Pechora to Chukotka.

At the beginning of 1734, Bering set off from Tobolsk to Yakutsk, where he then spent another three years preparing food and equipment for the expedition. Both here and later in Okhotsk, he had to overcome the inaction and resistance of local authorities who did not want to help organize the expedition.

Only in the fall of 1740 two packet boats, “St. Peter” and “St. Paul,” left Okhotsk for the eastern coast of Kamchatka. Here, in the area of Avachinskaya Bay, the expedition overwintered in the bay, named Petropavlovskaya in honor of the ships of the expedition. A settlement was founded here, from which the capital of Kamchatka, the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, began its history.

June 4, 1741 - the year when Vitus Bering turned 60 years old - “St. Peter" under the command of Bering and "St. Pavel" under the command of Chirikov were the first Europeans to reach the northwestern shores of America. On June 20, in conditions of storm and thick fog, the ships lost each other. After several days of fruitless attempts to connect, the sailors had to continue their journey alone.

"St. Peter" reached the southern coast of Alaska on July 17 in the area of the St. Elijah Ridge. By that time, Bering was already feeling unwell, so he did not even land on the shore to which he had been going for so many years. In the area of Kayak Island, the crew replenished fresh water supplies, and the ship began to move southwest, from time to time noticing individual islands (Montagyu, Kodiak, Tumanny) and groups of islands to the north. Progress against the headwind was very slow, one after another the sailors fell ill with scurvy, and the ship experienced a lack of fresh water.

At the end of August, “St. Peter” for the last time approached one of the islands, where the ship remained for a week and where the first meeting with the local residents - the Aleuts - took place. The first Bering sailor who died of scurvy, Nikita Shumagin, was buried on the island, in whose memory Bering named these islands.

On September 6, the ship headed due west across the open sea, along the Aleutian Islands. In stormy weather, the ship drifted across the sea like a piece of wood. Bering was already too ill to control the ship. Finally, two months later, on November 4, high mountains covered with snow were noticed from the ship. By this time, the packet boat was practically uncontrollable and was floating “like a piece of dead wood.”

Adjacent to the bay was a valley surrounded by low mountains, already covered with snow. A small river with crystal clear water ran through the valley. We had to spend the winter in dugouts covered with tarpaulin. Out of a crew of 75 people, thirty sailors died immediately after the shipwreck and during the winter. Captain-Commander Vitus Bering himself died on December 6, 1741. Later this island would be named in his honor. A wooden cross was placed on the commander's grave.

The surviving sailors were led by Vitus Bering's senior assistant, Swede Sven Waxel. Having survived winter storms and earthquakes, the team was able to survive until the summer of 1742. They were again lucky that on the western shore there was a lot of Kamchatka forest washed up by the waves and fragments of wood that could be used as fuel. In addition, on the island it was possible to hunt arctic foxes, sea otters, sea cows, and, with the arrival of spring, fur seals. Hunting these animals was very easy, because they were not at all afraid of humans.

In the spring of 1742, construction began on a small single-masted ship from the remains of the dilapidated St. Petra." And again the team was lucky - despite the fact that all three ship carpenters died of scurvy, and there was no shipbuilding specialist among the naval officers, the team of shipbuilders was headed by Cossack Savva Starodubtsev, a self-taught shipbuilder, who was a simple worker during the construction of expeditionary packet boats in Okhotsk , and was later taken to the team. By the end of the summer, the new “St. Peter" was launched. It had much smaller dimensions: the length along the keel was 11 meters, and the width was less than 4 meters.

The surviving 46 people, in terrible crowds, went to sea in mid-August, four days later they reached the coast of Kamchatka, and nine days later, on August 26, 1742, they reached Petropavlovsk.

For his, without exaggeration, feat, Savva Starodubtsev was awarded the title of son of a boyar. New gukor "St. Peter” went to sea for another 12 years, until 1755, and Starodubtsev himself, having mastered the profession of a shipbuilder, built several more ships.