The Presidential library — from the primary sources of information about Kruzenshtern’s journey round the world

August 7, 2017, marks the 214th anniversary of the first Russian circumnavigation. The Presidential Library is featuring on its website the electronic copies of documents on the history of the expedition, which started from Kronstadt on two sailing sloops named “Nadezhda” (a hope) and “Neva” under the leadership of of Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern. In his famous Journey around the world in 1803, 4, 5 and 1806. On the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva.” Part 1 of the 1809-1812-years edition of Kruzenshtern in detail defines a sequence of events and analyzes the course and results of the expedition.

A graduate of the Naval Cadet Corps of 1788, who already had a chance to take part in several battles in the Baltic, I. F. Kruzenshtern for a long time had been nurturing a plan for the first Russian round-the-world trip. He was not satisfied with the fact that Russia does not even try to compete with a foreign merchant fleet in the seas and the oceans, missing a huge profit at this. Being a real patriot of Russia, Ivan Fedorovich considered it a duty for subsequent generations to continue the development of fleet and navigation started by Peter I. “To immortal memory of Peter the Great his wise deeds and sharp broad-based mind transformed Russia… making a beginning,” — stated in the album Around the World with Kruzenshtern, an electronic copy of which is available on the Presidential Library website. “His successors helped him more or less… Such a transformation of his nation that Peter the Great has begun seems to be given to current government.” And Kruzenshtern gets on with a letter to one of the pillars of the then authority — offers an extensive completed by him in 1799 project of a round-the-world trip for the president’s of the Commerce Board General P. A. Soymonov consideration:

“Not having the honor of being introduced to Your Excellency, I may perhaps neglect etiquette, but I believe that I can omit these trivial rules from a person who is above prejudice,” — as quoted from an appeal of Ivan Fedorovich in mentioned above album of illustrations with a selection of quotes and comments A. Kruzenshtern and O. Fedorova Around the world with Kruzenstern. In essence of described problem Kruzenstern persuaded the dignitary: “Adoring trade, this vast source of wealth and the blessings of nations, richly pouring out the education and philanthropy, it was impossible not to compare the state of trade in my native land with the trade of other nations and not to want Russia making such extraordinary successes, to stretched forth its strength for a change and an excellence in this matter.”

On August 7, 1803, at 10 am, “Nadezhda” and “Neva,” loaded with everything necessary for the residents of the settlements in Russian America, anchored and headed for Copenhagen — the first stop on their more than three-year jorney.

“The command over the expedition was entrusted to the fleet Captain-Lieutenant Kruzenshtern,” — captain of the Neva Y. F. Lisyansky wrote the in his Journey around the world of 1812. “My longstanding relationship with this excellent gifted man, our former journey to America and East India and especially a desire to be useful to the native country in such an important case was the reason that I, with no regard to my seniority, with great willingness wanted to make this long journey under his authority…

England, Canary Islands, Brazil will be next along the way. At Cape Horn the expedition will split apart because of storm to meet then on the Marquesas Islands, and from there, after reaching Hawaii, to separate again. This time for a long — “Nadezhda” will go to Kamchatka, “Neva” — to the shores of Russian America.

There were 84 people on board the “Nadezhda”: officers, crew and passengers, among whom were scientists of various areas of knowledge. “In the tough conditions of constant opposition to waves and storms it was necessary, apart from surviving, also to do the job,” — according to the above-mentioned album Around the world with Kruzenshtern. — The officers were in charge in any weather, did a trigonometric survey. Lieutenants were writing travel journals, studying themselves and taught the young people — Bellingshausen, the Kotzebue brothers… Naturalists were making stuffed fish, birds, dried sea animals, made herbariums, and described scientific observations. Kruzenshtern was in charge of the entire ship and crew, supervised navigational and astronomical observations, and did a lot of scientific work.”

Published as part of “The ancestors’ way” project album is a unique work consisting of more than 700 drawings and prints created by participants in the circumnavigation in 1803-1806. It also included a lot of unpublished drawings, stored in the archives of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Tartu (Estonia). Composed in chronological order illustrations reflect the route of the expedition.

The successful completion of it and the scientific results of the round-the-world trip were highly appreciated in Russia and abroad.

With exciting materials on the history of the first Russian circumnavigation can be found on the Presidential Library website: these are the books Instruction of the Main Board of the Russian-American Company to the head of the first Russian round-the-world expedition Lieutenant-Commander I. F. Kruzenshtern dated 1803; collected works on Russian round-the-world travels. From Kruzenshtern to Sedov of 2014; an essay about Admiral I. F. Kruzenshtern, the first Russian circumnavigator of 1873 and many more, included in the Presidential Library stock, which currently numbers more than 550 thousand entries.