Today is 216th anniversary of the first Russian round-the-world expedition

What comes to our mind when we talk about the first Russian circumnavigation? Glory of the Russian fleet, Krusenstern Strait, Lisyansky island, the internationally acclaimed barque Kruzenshtern. In 2008 Aeroflot named one of its aircraft after Yuri Lisyansky and another - in honor of Ivan Kruzenshtern. On the eve of the next Rosrybolovstvo's sailing ships circumnavigation we will restore the major landmarks of these time-honoured events.

Three-mast sloops Nadezhda and Neva were purchased in England, they had been called Leander and Thames correspondingly. It was Alexander I who gave new names to the boats having chosen them from the list. Neva was commanded by Captain-Lieutenant Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky, while his coursemate from the Marine corps Captain-Lieutenant Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern assumed command over Nadezhda. The latter was appointed to head the expedition.

The voyage was supplied by the Russian-American company. One of its founders, Count Nikolay Rezanov set off to the shores of Russian America and Japan for negotiations on board of Nadezhda. The expedition was supported by the Russian government and the Emperor himself. Before sloops' departure the Tsar examined them and allowed to hoist military flags on their masts. Alexander I also covered maintenance expenses of one of the sloops. The other sailing boat was sponsored by the Russian-American company and Count Nikolay Petrovich Rumyantsev (Russian philanthropist, founder of the Rumyantsev Museum and one of the main inspirers and patrons of the first Russian circumnavigation).

The route of the expedition was quite complicated. From Kronstadt - to the Danish capital Copenhagen, then - to English Falmouth and Canary Islands. Afterwards - across the Atlantic to Florianopolis in Brazil. Later they sailed round Cape Horn and proceeded to Easter island in the Pacific and in short order - to the Marquesas Islands. They also visited the following places: Honolulu in Hawaii, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Japan, Sakhalin. They called into the Islands of Sitka and Kodiak off the coast of Alaska, in Chinese Guangzhou, Macau, Saint Helena Island. Having rounded the Cape of Good Hope they proceeded to Portuguese Azores and returned home through English Portsmouth. They came to The Roads at Kronstadt (the same place where they started the expedition 3 years ago).

On November 14, at 24° 20' West longitude, the expedition crossed the equator. It was the first time the Russian flag was waving in the southern hemisphere. On occasion of crossing the Equator the expeditionists held a line-crossing ceremony. This ceremony established a now-famous tradition of Neptune holidays.

The expedition was a pilot project in a sense. The crew of Neva set a record: they spent 142 sailing days without calling at the ports. it was quite an achievement for the epoch. During the whole Nadezhda’s voyage there were few medical cases on board, and there was not a single death case.

Three-year circumnavigation corresponded to pace of life of that historical period. For example, overland journeys to Japan and America through Siberia took several years and required about 4,000 horses.

The first Russian round-the-world expedition made a huge contribution to geographical science. It erased the non-existent Islands from the world map and specified positions of existing Islands. Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern described a part of the Kuril Islands, the Islands of Japan and the coast of Sakhalin, formed the basis for sustainable deep-sea studies of the ocean. Scientists measured the temperature of water at depths up to 400 meters, estimated its transparency and specific gravity, collected data on high tides and low tides in many areas of the world ocean, found out the cause of milky seas effect. Moreover, they amassed valuable botanical, zoological and ethnographic collections. Scientific contribution of the first Russian round-the-world cannot be overestimated.

By order of the Tsar, a special medal was coined for all participants of the first Russian circumnavigation. The officers were promoted to the next rank, the commanders were awarded orders of St.Vladimir of the 3rd degree. The commanders were given a bonus of 3,000 roubles and a lifelong pension, the lieutenants got 1,000 RUR, while warrant officers received 800 RUR. Lower ranks got a chance for earlier retirement (upon their request), they were also assigned a pension of 50-75 roubles.

In 1809 the records of the expedition were published. Three-volume set with an Atlas which comprised 104 maps and engraved paintings was called "Voyage round the world in 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1806 on board of the ships Nadezhda and Neva, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Kruzenshtern". In the course time the book was translated into English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian and Danish. In 2007 the book was reissued.

Many officers-participants of the expedition went on their honourable serving in the Russian Navy. Cadet Otto Kotzebue eventually became a commander of a ship and later made his own circumnavigation. At a later date Thaddeus Bellingshausen headed a round-the-world expedition on board of the sloops Vostok and Mirnyy and discovered Antarctica.

The upcoming project of Rosrybolovstvo sailing vessels does not have an ambition of discovering new lands as there are no places left to be discovered. The true idea is giving a helping hand to each participant of an expedition in unleashing their potential on board of the Kruzenshtern, the Sedov and the Pallada. Moreover, we would like to support and promote ideas of peace, friendship, patriotism and philanthropy around the world.

An image from the Internet was used