All travelers and their discoveries. Great travelers of our time. Dezhnev Semyon Ivanovich

9 chosen

If you think that with the passing of the Age of Great Geographical Discovery, outstanding travelers also disappeared into oblivion, then you are mistaken! Our contemporaries also made the most amazing journeys. Among them are scientists who went in search of confirmation of their theories, explorers of the deep sea, and simply adventurers who ventured into the trip around the world alone or with like-minded people. Much has been written about their travels. documentaries, and thanks to them, we can see the whole world through their eyes, real, alive, full of dangers and adventures.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Captain Cousteau is a famous French explorer of the World Ocean, author of books and films, and inventor. The world's oceans have revealed many of their secrets and shown the beauty of their depths, hitherto inaccessible to people. huge number scuba diving enthusiasts. We can say that Captain Cousteau is the father of modern diving, because it was he who created the main diving apparatus. While researching the underwater world of our planet, Cousteau created the famous floating laboratory "Callisto" and the first diving apparatus "Denise". Jacques Cousteau captivated millions of people by showing them on movie screens how beautiful the underwater world is, giving them the opportunity to see what was previously inaccessible to humans.

Thor Heyerdahl

The name of the most famous Norwegian of the 20th century is spelled "Thor" in his native language, just like the name of one of the main gods of Norse mythology, Thor. He made many trips on homemade watercraft to bring ancient civilizations into contact with each other. Heyerdahl proved his theory about residents visiting in practice South America islands of Polynesia, since the scientific world did not accept his ideas. Together with his team, he reached Raroia Atoll in 101 days, sailing 4,300 miles. This was one of his most famous voyages, the Kon-Tiki Expedition, on a homemade raft. The film he shot during his trip won an Oscar in 1951. And in 1969, he set out on a new dangerous expedition on a papyrus boat to prove, to prove the possibility of crossing the Atlantic Ocean by African peoples. However, Thor Heyerdahl's first voyage on the boat "Ra" ended in failure; the boat sank just 600 miles short of the island of Barbados. A year later, the stubborn Norwegian repeated his journey and sailed from Morocco to Barbados in 57 days. By the way, the doctor on this expedition was our compatriot Yuri Senkevich. Heyerdahl later visited Maldives, in Peru and Tenerife.

Yuri Senkevich

The popular TV presenter of the program "Travelers Club" Yuri Senkevich was on the list of the most famous travelers not only as the doctor of Thor Heyerdahl's expedition. His “track record” as a traveler is respectable:

as a medical researcher, Senkevich was trained to participate in a space flight, participated in the 12th Antarctic expedition to the Vostok station in order to study human behavior in extreme conditions, traveled on the papyrus boat "Ra", then on the "Ra-2" and in the Indian Ocean on the Tigris. Millions of Soviet television viewers were able to see the world, as they joked “through the eyes of Sienkiewicz.” By the way, the program “Cinema Travel Club” was entered into the Guinness Book of Records.

Nikolay Drozdov

More than 40 years ago, Nikolai Nikolaevich Drozdov became the host of the popular TV show “In the Animal World.” An avid traveler, a “gallant know-it-all”, who spends hours talking about animals as the most wonderful and beautiful creatures in the world - be it an elephant, a bug, or even a poisonous snake. An amazing and wonderful person, the idol of millions of viewers in our country, listening to his stories about interesting facts from the life of birds, reptiles, domestic and wild animals, about the beauty of our nature is an incomparable pleasure, because only a person in love with life can tell this way. Interesting fact about Nikolai Nikolaevich himself - his great-great-great-grandfather was Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, and his maternal great-great-grandfather Ivan Romanovich von Dreiling was an orderly of Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov.

Nikolai Drozdov has traveled all over the world, all zoological and National parks, studying the habitats and habits of animals in natural conditions, climbed Elbrus, participated in a long expedition on the research vessel "Callisto" and in the first Soviet expedition to Everest, went to the North Pole twice, walked along the Northern Sea Route on an icebreaker " Yamal", sailed along the coast of Alaska and Canada on the Discovery.

Fedor Konyukhov

A lone traveler who conquered what seemed impossible to conquer, who more than once overcame a path that was impossible to travel alone - the great contemporary Fyodor Konyukhov. The first among travelers who conquered the North and South Poles, seas, oceans and highest peaks world, as proven by more than 40 expeditions he made to the most inaccessible places on our planet. Among them are five trips around the world, a solo voyage across the Atlantic (which, by the way, he crossed more than once) on a rowing boat. Konyukhov was the first to cross Pacific Ocean from continent to continent. But the life of our busy compatriot is not filled with travel alone - Fyodor Konyukhov became the youngest member of the Union of Artists of the USSR and the author of twelve books about travel. There were new plans ahead: a flight around the world on hot-air balloon and circumnavigation in 80 days for the Jules Verne Cup, as well as diving in Mariana Trench. However, having been ordained a priest in 2010, Fyodor Konyukhov decided not to travel anymore, but... the ways of the Lord are mysterious and famous traveler again at the helm. This spring, he “broke” the Russian record and stayed in the air in a balloon for 19 hours and 10 minutes.

Bear Grylls

Fame came to the young English traveler thanks to the highest-rated television program on the Discovery Channel, “Survive at Any Cost,” which first aired in October 2006. The TV presenter and traveler not only “entertains” the audience with beautiful views of the most amazing places planet, his goal is to convey to the audience life recommendations that can be useful in unforeseen situations.

The list of his travels is impressive: he sailed around the British Isles in thirty days, crossed the North Atlantic in an inflatable boat, flew a steam-powered plane over Angel Falls, paraglided over the Himalayas, led an expedition to one of the most distant unclimbed peaks in Antarctica and arranged... a gala dinner in a balloon at an altitude of more than seven thousand meters! Most of Grylls' expeditions are for charity.

Abbey Sunderland

Not only men can boast of friendship with the wind of wanderings - Abby Sunderland, a young traveler who, at the age of 16, circumnavigated the world alone on a yacht, will give a head start to many men. The determination of Abby’s parents is surprising, because they not only allowed her to participate in such a dangerous enterprise, but also helped her prepare for it. Alas, the first start on January 23, 2010 was unsuccessful and Abby made a second attempt on February 6. The journey turned out to be more dangerous than expected: between Australia and Africa, 2 thousand miles from the coast, the hull of the yacht was damaged and the engine failed. After this message, communication was interrupted, the search for Abby's yacht was unsuccessful and she was declared missing. A month later, Australian rescuers in the area of a severe storm discovered the lost yacht and Abby alive and unharmed. After this, who will say that there is no place for a woman on a ship?

Jason Lewis

And finally, the most original of modern travelers, who spent 13 years traveling around the world! Why so long? The simple fact is that Jason refused any technology or any achievements of civilization. The former janitor and his friend Steve Smith went around the world by bike, boat and rollerblades! The expedition started from Greenwich in 1994; in February 1995, the travelers reached the shores of the United States and, after 111 days of sailing, decided to cross America separately on roller skates. Lewis had to interrupt his trip for 9 months after an accident. After recovery, Lewis goes to Hawaii, from where he sails on a pedal boat to Australia, where he had to spend some time earning money for further travel... by selling T-shirts. In 2005, he reaches Singapore and then crosses China and India by bicycle. By March 2007, he reached Africa and also crossed the whole of Europe on a bicycle: Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany and Belgium. After swimming across the English Channel, Jason Lewis returned to London in October 2007.

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 planet, to which the North and South Poles, the highest peaks of the world, seas and oceans have submitted. 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 shore Sea of Azov in the fishing village of Chkalovo. His insatiable thirst for knowledge led to the fact that already at the age of 15, Fedor sailed across the Sea of Azov on a fishing rowing boat. 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 round-the-world trips, participates in a dog sled race, crosses fifteen times Atlantic Ocean. In 2002, the traveler made a solo voyage across the Atlantic in a rowing boat 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 Belorusskoe 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 about his own experiences in overcoming the difficulties 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: flying around the world in a hot air balloon, circumnavigating the world in 80 days for the Jules Verne Cup on a keelboat with a crew, diving into the Mariana Trench.

Bear Grylls

Today, this young English traveler, TV presenter and writer is known to an audience of millions thanks to the highest-rated television program on the Discovery Channel. In October 2006, the program “Survive at Any Cost” began airing with his participation. The goal of the TV presenter is not only to entertain the viewer, but also to give valuable advice and recommendations that can be useful in unforeseen situations.

Bear was born in Great Britain into a family of hereditary diplomats and received an excellent education at the elite Ladgrove School and the University of London. Parents did not interfere with their son’s passion for sailing, rock climbing and martial arts. But the future traveler acquired the skills of endurance and the ability to survive in the army, where he mastered parachute jumping and mountaineering. These skills helped him subsequently achieve his cherished goal - conquering Everest. This event occurred at the very end of the last century, in 1998. Bear Grylls has simply irrepressible energy. The list of his travels is huge. From 2000 to 2007 he sailed around the British Isles in thirty days to raise funds for the British Royal Water Rescue Society; crossed the North Atlantic on an inflatable boat; flew over Angel Falls in a steam-powered airplane, had lunch in a balloon at an altitude of more than seven thousand meters; paraglided over the Himalayas... In 2008, the traveler led an expedition organized with the goal of climbing one of the most remote unconquered peaks in Antarctica. Almost all expeditions in which Grylls participates are charitable.

If you think that long journeys are the prerogative of the strong half of humanity, then you are deeply mistaken. And this was proven by the young American Abby Sunderland, who at the age of 16 circumnavigated the world alone on a yacht. It’s interesting that Abby’s parents not only allowed her to undertake such a risky undertaking, but also helped her prepare for it. It should be noted that the girl’s father is a professional sailor.

On January 23, 2010, the yacht left the port of Marina Del Rey in California. Unfortunately, the first voyage was unsuccessful. The second attempt took place on February 6. Very soon Abby reported damage to the yacht's hull and engine failure. At this time she was between Australia and Africa, 2 thousand miles from the coast. After this, contact with the girl was interrupted, and nothing was known about her. The search operation was unsuccessful, and Abby was declared missing. However, a month later, a distress signal was received from the yacht from the southern part Indian Ocean. After 11 hours of searching by Australian rescuers, a yacht was discovered in a severe storm area, in which, fortunately, Abby was safe and sound. A large supply of food and water helped her survive. The girl reported 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 those with a brave spirit to test their limits and never stop there.

One of the most original travelers of our time spent on his unusual journey around the world for thirteen whole years of life. The non-standard situation was that Jason refused the achievements of civilization in the form of any technology. The former British cleaner went on his trip around the world with a bicycle, a boat and... rollerblades!

The expedition started from Greenwich in 1994. 27-year-old Lewis chose his friend Steve Smith as his partner. In February 1995, travelers reached the United States. After 111 days of sailing, the friends decided to cross the states separately. In 1996, Lewis, traveling on roller skates, was hit by a car. He spent nine months in the hospital. After recovery, Lewis goes to Hawaii, and from there sails on a pedal boat to Australia. On Solomon Islands he hit the epicenter civil war, and off the coast of Australia he was attacked by an alligator. Upon arrival in Australia, Lewis interrupts his trip due to financial difficulties and for some time works in a funeral home and sells T-shirts. In 2005, he moved to Singapore, from there to China, from which he moved to India. Having crossed the country by bicycle, the Briton reached Africa by March 2007. The rest of Lewis's journey takes him through Europe. He cycled through Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany and Belgium, then swam across the English Channel before returning to London in October 2007, completing his unique journey around the world. James Lewis proved to the whole world and to himself that there are no limits to human capabilities.

Russian travelers and geographers made a great contribution to the knowledge of our planet. First of all, they explored the colossal territory of our Motherland, constituting a sixth of the entire landmass. Many lands in all parts of the world and islands of the world's oceans were mapped for the first time by the Russians. They were the first to visit Alaska, made heroic voyages in the Arctic on small boats, were the first to penetrate the Antarctic, collected information about the deserts of Iran and India, explored and described Mongolia, Tibet, Western China, mapped a significant part of Africa and South America. The names of many Russian researchers are depicted in geographical names on the world map.

The collection opens with a story about Afanasy Nikitin. The time to which the recording of his journey “Walking across the Three Seas” dates back to was significant for Russia - the unification of feudal principalities into a centralized Russian state. Nikitin's notes are interesting not only as the first reliable description of India in the 15th century compiled by a European, but also as a document that reflected important changes that took place in Rus'.

It is difficult to say to what time man's acquaintance with the polar countries dates back to. It is known that in the 12th - 15th centuries Novgorodians explored and developed the coast Kola Peninsula and shores White Sea. Pomors discovered a number of islands in the Arctic Ocean: New Earth, Kolguev, Medvezhiy, Spitsbergen. After Ermak's campaign in 1581-1584, Russian exploration of Siberia began. In 1586, the Tyumen fort was built on the Tura River, then the Tobolsk town was erected, which became the main support center of the first settlers. In 1601, having crossed Kamen (Ural), the Russians founded Mangazeya - a large market town. In 1630, several detachments of Cossack explorers moved to Lena. Having gone down the Lena, they came out to the “Holy Sea” (Arctic Ocean).

In 1684, Fyodor Popov undertook a voyage from the mouth of the Kolyma to the east, and Semyon Dezhnev went with him (Fyodor Popov’s path was repeated only 200 years later by Nordenskiöld). At the beginning of the 19th century, industrialist Y. Sannikov discovered ancient crosses on Stolbovoy Island. And on Kotelny Island, an ancient winter hut was found - evidence that in the 22nd century, Russian sailors undertook ice voyages far into the depths of the ocean on their kochka boats.

A new page in the study of Russian sea routes was written as a result of the tireless work of a number of expeditions, equipped according to the plans of Peter 1. The 1st Kamchatka expedition (1725 - 1730) confirmed the hypothesis that Aznya and Acherika are separated by a strait, but since Bernng turned back before reaching lo Alaska, the existence of the strait was questioned. In 1732, it was decided to send a second, more significant expedition to the Pacific Ocean. Two ships were to go to America, and the other two were to go to Japan. At the same time, an expedition was sent to the Arctic Ocean to find out the possibility of sailing along the shores of Sibnri. This expedition went down in history as the Great Northern Expedition.

Russian navigators V. Pronchishchev, S. Chelyuskin, P. Lasinius, S. Muravyov, D. Ovtsyn, D. Sterlegov, F. Minin, Khariton and Dmitry Laptev quite accurately mapped the northern regions of Siberia and became convinced of the impossibility at that time of regular shipping in the east of the North Arctic Ocean. The ships of the detachment of Bering and Chirikov - packet boats "St. Peter" and "St. Pavel" first approached the shores of Northwestern America and put them on the map; discovered the Aleutian and Commander Islands. The 2nd Kamchatka expedition finally confirmed the existence of a strait between America and Asia.

For two hundred years (before the expedition of the ships "Taimyr" and "Vaigach" in 1910-1915), hydrographic data compiled by the participants of the Great Northern Expedition remained the only guidance for navigation in those places.

The objects of the study were the islands of Novaya Zemlya, Vaygach, and Kolguev. In 1767, Novaya Zemlya was explored by F. Rozmyslov, and in 1821 - 1824 by F. Litke. The work begun by Rozmyslov and Litke was continued in 1832 by P. Pakhtusov and A. Tsivolko. In 1912, on the ship "St. Foka" Georgy Sedov went to the pole. He managed to go around the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya.

A worthy place in the development of the Arctic belongs to Admiral S. Makarov, his theory of conquering the Arctic Ocean with the help of icebreakers. “All the way to the Pole” was Makarov’s motto. In order to improve navigation and establish regular flights of Russian ships from the Baltic ports to the shores of the Pacific Ocean, I. Kruzenshtern and Yu. Lisyansky undertook a circumnavigation. Huge amounts of time were spent along the way. research papers, a wealth of scientific material has been collected, and vast little-known areas of the Pacific Ocean have been studied in detail.

After Krusenstern and Lisyansky, V. Golovnin undertook a circumnavigation of the world on the sloop “Diana”; he studied Kamchatka and the adjacent islands in detail. The second circumnavigation of the world on the sloop "Kamchatka", which was made by V. Golovnin, enriched world science with major geographical discoveries.

In 1819, after long and careful preparation, the South Polar Expedition set off from Kronstadt, consisting of two sloops of war, “Vostok” and “Mirny”, with Lazarev and Bellshausen at the head. On January 29, 1821, ships saw a coast called the Land of Alexander I. It was Antarctica - greatest discovery XIX century. The expedition, having spent 751 days sailing, covered more than 90 thousand kilometers and discovered 29 islands, as well as coral rocks.

A whole galaxy of geographers explored the mountain ranges and deserts of Central Asia. The name of the humanist scientist N. Miklouho-Maclay, a scientist, stands out somewhat especially among geographers. who set the goal not to penetrate into the depths of the ocean and not to pass through untrodden lands, but to penetrate into the depths of human society on earth.

The purpose of the proposed selection of postcards is to briefly acquaint the reader with the activities of Russian geographers and researchers and talk about the enormous contribution made by them to world geographical science, both in terms of the breadth of the problems posed and in the number and significance of discoveries.
P. Pavlinov

Afanasy Nikitin

“Until now, geographers did not know that the honor of one of the oldest described European journeys to India belongs to Russia of the Johannine century. While Vasco da Gama was only thinking about the possibility of finding a way from Africa to Hindustan, our Tverite was already traveling along the shores of Malobar.” This is what N. Karamzin said about the notes he found from the 15th century Russian merchant Afanasy Nikitin, “Walking across Three Seas.” Leaving Tver in the summer of l466, a caravan of merchant ships led by Afanasy Nikitin descended along the Volga and Caspian Sea to Baku. Further the path lay through Persia to India on the Malobar coast.
The Indians appreciated Nikitin's friendly disposition towards them. Responding to his trust, they willingly devoted him to the peculiarities of their life and customs. Afanasy Nikitin collected in three years most interesting information about the “Bahmani state,” the largest power in India in the 15th century. “Walking across Three Seas” was highly appreciated by his contemporaries: in 1472, the traveler’s diary was included in the Chronicle of the Russian State.

Ivan Moskvitin

After the defeat of Khan Kuchum in 1598, “Sibirskaya Zemlya” (Western Siberia) was included in the Russian state. And, naturally, there was a desire to explore areas rich in “soft junk” and “fish teeth”. A detachment of Cossacks of 31 people in 1639 under the command of Ivan Yuryevich Moskvitin, having found out from the local residents (Evens) what kind of mountain range Dzhugdzhur is Lama (Sea of Okhotsk), they dragged boats through the mountains and, going down the Ulye River in boats, reached the Sea of Okhotsk. At the mouth of the Ulya they set up several huts, fenced them off and dug a ditch. This was the first Russian settlement on the Pacific coast. The pioneers explored the harsh Sea of Okhotsk, moving away from the shores at times by 500 - 700 kilometers.
Information about the “new lands” was included in the Yakut “Paintings of rivers and names of people on which rivers and people live.” The Russian Cossacks modestly described their campaign: “Before Lama, the marchers fed on wood, bark, and roots, but on Lama, along the rivers you can get a lot of fish and you can be well-fed.”

Erofey Khabarov
Hike to the Amur

Erofey Khabarov

Captivated by tales of wealth Amur land, Khabarov turned to the Yakut governor with a request to send him at the head of a detachment of Cossacks to the Amur. The voivode invited Khabarov not only to collect yasak, but also to describe the life of the local peoples, draw up “drawings” (maps) of the area and describe natural conditions. Initially traveling by boat along the rivers of the Lena basin, Khabarov wrote down: “In the rapids, gear was torn, slops were broken, people were hurt...”. Even more difficult was the pass over the snow-covered Stanovoy Range, when, having hoisted the boats onto sledges, they had to be dragged. Khabarov made a number of campaigns in the Amur region and the rich Daurian land in 1649 - 1651. In one of his reports, he writes: “And along the rivers there live many, many Tungus, and down along the glorious great Amur River live the Daurian people, arable and cattle-farming, and in that great Amur River there is calushka fish, and sturgeon, and all sorts of fish opposite the Volga. And in the cities and uluses there are great arable lands, the forests along that great river are dark, large, there are a lot of sables and all kinds of animals. And in the ground you can see gold and silver.”

Semyon Dezhnev
Opening of the strait between Asia and America

Semyon Dezhnev

The “Mangazeya passage” - the path from the mouth of the Northern Dvina, Mezen to the Gulf of Ob - is a bright page in the history of Russian sea travel. This is the way Ustyug resident Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnev “went” to Siberia. In 1643, he led a detachment that set off on Kochs across the Kolyma and further to the east. According to Dezhnev’s report, three Kochas were approaching the “Big Stone Nose” (the most northeastern point of the Asian continent): Fedot Alekseeva (Popova), Semyon Dezhnev and Gerasim Ankidinov. “But that bow went out into the sea much further and a lot of good Chukhchi people live on it...” notes Dezhnev in his “reply”. Having lost Ankidinov's koch, Dezhnev and Popov turned their ships south and entered the strait separating Asia from America. Fog, which is common in these places, did not allow them to see Alaska.
Thanks to this expedition, an image of Northeast Asia appeared on the “Drawing of the Siberian Land” in 1667. The name of Dezhnev is crowned with the glory of the discovery of the strait between Asia and America, the Chukotka Peninsula, and the Anadyr Territory.

Vitus Bering and A.I. Chirikov
1st and 2nd Kamchatka expeditions

Vitus Bering and A.I. Chirikov

When the Russian Empire stretched from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean, the time had come to accurately define its borders and outlines sea shores. For this purpose, Peter I decided to send an expedition to the Pacific Ocean. It was necessary to clarify not only the issue of borders and scientific “curiosity”, but also to open sea routes for trade with “gold-rich” Japan, according to the concept of that time. Vitus Bering, a Dane who served in Russia for many years, was appointed head of the 1st Kamchatka expedition (1725-1730), and Alexey Ilyich Chirikov was appointed assistant.
Bering bypassed the eastern coast of Kamchatka, the southern and eastern shore Chukotka, discovered the St. Lawrence Islands. Having passed through the Chukchi Sea to a latitude of 6718" and seeing that "the land does not extend further to the north", Bering, despite the proposal of Alexei Ilyich Chirikov to continue further north, considered the question of the existence of a strait between Asia and America to be resolved positively and turned back. In St. Petersburg, the results of the expedition were considered unsatisfactory. Bering received instructions for a new voyage. The instructions determined the scope and tasks of the 2nd Kamchatka and the associated Great Northern Expedition (1733 - 1743), which were tasked with making a description of the entire northern and eastern coasts of Siberia and familiarizing themselves with it. the shores of America and Japan and finally clarify the issue of the strait between Asia and America. The main objectives of the expedition were fulfilled. The survey materials produced during the expeditions were used by cartographers for two centuries.

H. Laptev and S. Chelyuskin

In 1730, Bering, who returned from Kamchatka, began to equip an expanded expedition (2-Kamchatka): some ships were to be sent along the Pacific Ocean to Japan and the Americas, and others along the Arctic Ocean to describe and map the coast of the Arctic Ocean. The expedition in the North of Russia lasted 10 years (from 1733 to 1743) and in terms of its objectives, the size of the territories covered, and the results, it was rightly called the Great Sverpa Expedition. The expedition consisted of separate land and sea detachments that had bases at the mouths of large rivers in the North of Siberia. Its participants were Khariton and Dmitry Laptev, S. Chelyuskin, S. Malygin, V. Pronchishchev and many others. All of them showed unparalleled courage and perseverance in achieving their goal. As a result, a huge amount of material was collected about the nature of the northern seas, thousands of kilometers of the coast of the Arctic Ocean were mapped, large territories of the Russian North, and the life and way of life of the peoples inhabiting them were explored and described.

I.F.Kruzenshtern and Yu.F.Lisyansky
The first Russian trip around the world

I.F.Kruzenshtern and Yu.F.Lisyansky

By the beginning of the 19th century, there was a need to establish regular flights of Russian ships from the Baltic ports to Russian ports on the Pacific Ocean. In 1802, the Naval Ministry accepted the proposal of Lieutenant-Commander I. F. Krusenstern to organize the first Russian round-the-world expedition (1803 - 1806). The purpose of the expedition was: delivery of goods to Russian possessions in North America and to Kamchatka, establishing trade relations with Japan and China, research in the tropical Pacific Ocean and near Russian possessions. Yu. F. Lisyansky was appointed Krusenstern's assistant. The expedition had two ships, Nadezhda and Neva. During the trip, the world map was updated, a number of islands were discovered, and numerous oceanographic research. The descriptions of the life, customs, economy, and social structure of the inhabitants of Sakhalin and Kamchatka deserve special attention. Kruzenshtern compiled the Atlas South Sea" - the most accurate for that time.

F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. Lazarev
Discovery of Antarctica

F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. Lazarev

In 1819, two military sloops set out from Kronstadt on a circumnavigation of the world: “Vostok” and “Mirny” under the command of Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev. The expedition had to decide an ancient riddle about the Southern Continent. Having overcome the enormous difficulties of sailing in ice conditions, the ships approached Antarctica. According to Lazarev’s companion on the expedition, midshipman Novosilsky, “the Russians were given the honor for the first time to lift the corner of the curtain hiding the distant, mysterious south, and to prove that behind the ice wall that encircles it, islands and lands are hidden.” On January 10, 1821, the sailors of the Mirny and Vostok simultaneously saw an island, which they called the Island of Peter I. Then a coast was discovered, called the Alexander I Coast.

F.P.Litke
Exploration of Novaya Zemlya

F.P.Litke

A major contribution to the study of Novaya Zemlya belongs to the navigator Admiral Fyodor Petrovich Litka, who, during expeditions in 1821 - 1824, for the first time since the Barents, examined and mapped the entire western coast of Novaya Zemlya, the Murmansk coast, and explored the eastern part of the Barents and White Seas. In 1826 - 1829, on the sloop Senyavin, Litke, leading a round-the-world expedition, explored and mapped the islands of the Caroline Archipelago, and surveyed Bonin Island. Fyodor Petrovich Litke was one of the founders of the Russian Geographical Society. A gold medal was established in his honor.

G.I.Nevelskoy

In the report of Admiral G. I. Nevelsky on the results of the voyage in 1848-1849 on the Baikal transport, it is written: “... we discovered
1) that Sakhalin is an island separated from the mainland by a strait 4 miles wide and having a minimum depth of 5 fathoms;
2) that the entrance to the Amur is from the north from Sea of Okhotsk and from the south from the Tatar Strait, as well as communication through the Amur Estuary of the Seas of Japan and Okhotsk is available for seagoing vessels;
3) that on the southwestern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk there is an extensive roadstead, closed from all winds, which I called the Gulf of St. Nicholas...”
Many saw Nevelskbgo’s action as a daring violation of instructions. After all, Nicholas 1 himself ordered: “The question of the Amur, as a useless river, should be left.” A special committee threatened to demote Nevelsky to sailor status. But still, he managed to prove the need to create the Amur Expedition (1850 - 1855), which explored the vast expanses of the Amur region and the island of Sakhalin. In 1854, Primorsky Krai was annexed to Russia.

P.P. Semenov Tian-Shansky

The travels of the great Russian explorer Pyotr Petrovich Semenov-Tyan-Shansky marked the beginning of a new period in the study of Central and Central Asia. The results of the scientist’s research showed that the Tien Shan mountains are not of volcanic origin. During the expedition, he collected a large mineralogical collection, a herbarium, a collection of insects and mollusks, and valuable ethnographic material. The artist P. Kosharov provided great assistance to the geographer in his research, who made great amount sketches of the places through which the expedition passed.
The famous Soviet geographer Yu. Shakalsky wrote: “For us, old workers of the Society, the names Pyotr Petrovich and the Geographical Society are inseparable.” For more than 40 years, Semenov-Tyan-Shansky headed the Russian Geographical Society and was the direct organizer and ideological leader of the expeditions of N. Przhevalsky, G. Potanin, P. Kozlov and many others.

N.M. Przhevalsky

“In the history of science there are scientists whose ideas and works constitute an entire era. Such scientists include Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky,” wrote Doctor of Geographical Sciences E. Murzaev about the traveler. The routes of the expeditions of the great Russian traveler (from 1867 to 1888) covered the vast expanses of Central Asia. Przhevalsky was the first to describe in detail the deserts of the Gobi, Ordos, Dzungaria and Kashgaria, and was the first to suggest that the Gobi Desert is a huge bowl with a predominance of rocky and clayey soils. He refuted the theory of the famous geographer and traveler Humboldt about the grid direction of the central ridges of the Tibetan Plateau, proving their predominantly latitudinal direction. He was the first to describe the ridges of the Kuen Lun system, discovered the system of Nanshan ridges, and discovered a number of ridges of Humboldt, Columbus, Przhevalsky and others.
During his expeditions, the scientist collected remarkable collections of flora and fauna of Central Asia. His herbariums, which included unique plants, numbered 15 - 16 thousand plants. Przhevalsky collected a huge collection of animals. He discovered and described a wild camel and a wild horse, which received the name of Przhevalsky.

N.N. Miklouho-Maclay

Academician L. Berg said excellently about N. Miklouho-Maclay: “While other geographers were discovering new, hitherto unknown lands, Miklouho-Maclay sought first of all to discover Man among the “primitive” peoples he studied, that is, peoples not touched by European culture " It is hardly possible to more accurately characterize the goal to which the life of the outstanding Russian traveler was dedicated.
In 1871, the Russian corvette Vityaz landed the scientist on the shore of New Guinea (now the Maclay Coast), where he lived among the Papuans for 15 months. “The Man from the Moon,” as the natives called him, with courage and trust, throwing away his weapons, sought the favor and love of the Papuans. MiklouhoMaclay became their faithful friend, with whom they parted with tears.
The traveler brought home diaries, sketches, and collections that contained valuable ethnographic material. The diaries of Nikolai Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay were published only after the October Revolution.

S.O. Makarov

Among the famous Russian naval commanders, the name of Stepan Osipovich Makarov stands out - admiral, talented scientist, tireless polar explorer. 33-year-old Makarov, commanding the steamship Taman, on his own initiative began studying the currents in the Bosphorus Strait. He made more than 5 thousand observations with a device he invented - a fluctometer - and proved the presence of two opposite currents: the upper one, from the Black Sea, and the lower one, from the Mediterranean Sea. Sailing on the corvette Vityaz, Makarov continued hydrological observations along all sailing routes: he measured the temperature and density of water at various depths, and studied currents in different layers. The scientist systematized the research of expeditions in the Pacific Ocean in the two-volume work “Vityaz” and “The Pacific Ocean” (1894), which was awarded a prize from the Academy of Sciences and a gold medal from the Russian Geographical Society. Stepan Osipovich Makarov also came up with the idea of creating the world's first powerful icebreaker, the Ermak.

P.K. Kozlov

The outstanding explorer spent fifteen years on expeditions through the deserts and cities of Central Asia. On horseback, on foot and on camels, he made his way to the most remote and inaccessible areas. The length of his travels is over 40 thousand km. Pyotr Kuzmich Kozlov owns one of the most outstanding archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century: the discovery of the dead city of Khara-Khoto in the sands of Mongolia and burial mounds of the ancient Huns in the Mongolian Altai; he researched and described largest river Asia - Mekong, in 1905, the first European met and talked with the Dalai Lama, who was then in Mongolia. Kozlov left an unforgettable impression upon the discovery of Khara-Khoto. The excavations made the Russian geographer famous throughout the world. Manuscripts, books, paintings, household and religious objects of the 11th - 12th centuries AD were discovered here. During the expeditions, the scientist collected valuable materials about the geology, climate, flora and fauna of Tibet and about little-known or completely unknown Eastern Tibetan tribes.

G.Ya.Sedov
Path to the North Pole

G.Ya.Sedov

On February 2, 1914, the already seriously ill famous polar explorer Georgy Yakovlevich Sedov left his last winter in Tikhaya Bay on Hooker Island. For almost a year and a half, Sedov’s expedition, which left Arkhangelsk on the ship “St. Foka" in August 1912, sought to break through the ice to the North Pole. But the attempt ended in failure. On February 20, 1914, before reaching Rudolph Island, Sedov died and was buried on Cape Auk of this island.
However, according to Nansen, the materials obtained by the brave researcher on Novaya Zemlya alone completely paid for the entire expedition, so great is their scientific value.

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 north- east coast Cubes.

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”.

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, goes 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 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 Louisiads and the Solomon Islands. He spent 3 years in Australia.

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

Afanasy Nikitin is the first Russian traveler to visit India and Persia. Returning, 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. May all places be open to travelers and discoverers 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 in the North and South Poles, made 4 circumnavigations of the world, crossed the Atlantic 15 times. Of these, one time was on a rowing boat. Most He made the journey alone.

Everyone knows his name. His programs had a television audience of millions. He is the one great person, who gave this world the unusual beauty of nature, hidden from view in the bottomless depths. Fedor Konyukhov visited different places on our planet, including in 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 the underwater 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. He was helped by a complete 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 was also involved in activities to protect the marine and ocean habitat.
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