Krusenstern “himself proved that the Russian fleet could stand alone”

Next year, the world community will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Ivan Krusenstern (1770-1846), and this year November 19 marks the 249th anniversary of his birth. The Presidential Library’s collections contain a large number of materials devoted to I. F. Krusenshtern, the head of the first Russian circumnavigation, the author of the first scientific works on maritime affairs, the admiral, and later the director of the Naval Cadet Corps. His unprecedented contribution to the development of the Russian fleet is confirmed by electronic copies of books available on the Presidential Library’s portal, including the collection The First Russian Circumnavigation of the World, which includes historical documents, studies, atlases, maps, and much more.

The Russian Circumnavigation of the World. From Krusenstern to “Sedov” ”(2014) spotlights a precise information about the life of Ivan Fedorovich. Growing up in the vicinity of the city of Revel (Tallinn), he came from Ostseey Germans, who had long been in Russian service. He was educated at home and at the school under the Revel Church. At the age of 15, Krusenstern was assigned to the Kronstadt Naval Corps, but due to the outbreak of war with Sweden, he was prematurely released to participate in hostilities.

Even in the first battles, Krusenstern's best qualities showed themselves, judging by the evidence given in this collection: “The proof that Krusenstern was already able to distinguish himself, and was noticed, was that he was given an honorary order to take the flag of the defeated ship and deliver to ”Mstislav" both the admiral and the captain of the Swedish ship. For participation in this battle Krusenstern was promoted to lieutenant”.

The alarming wartime was followed by days of monotonous silence that weighed on Krusenstern. “But, fortunately”, - the Maritime Collection says. Vol. 102, No. 6, he was generously endowed by nature with the fact that he predominantly exalts man, distinguishes high talents from ordinary ones by his inquiring mind, constantly, by virtue of his own motivation, striving to expand his circle of knowledge and constantly increase the scope of his activity. England, with its rich experience, attracted Krusenstern”.

In 1793, 22-year-old Lieutenant Ivan Krusenstern went “to study naval affairs in this way” to England, among the best young officers. Among them were Lisyansky, Golovnin, Bellingshausen and others, who later became famous sailors. On the English ships, Ivan Fedorovich sailed to the shores of North America, the Antilles, India and even South China, but more often he thought about his own expedition. He was concerned that "all countries of the globe trade on the seas of the world, except Russia, and yet it is so well located for maritime trade".

Krusenstern drew up the first circumnavigation project upon his return to his homeland in 1799. The mariner suggested regularly sending ships to the northern part of the Pacific Ocean to protect our colonies and supply them with everything necessary, starting with bread. As you know, the Russians were the first Europeans to establish settlements on the northwestern coast of America, along which the fishing of sea animals was conducted and trade developed. The project was submitted to the Admiralty, but it was rejected.

Only in 1802, at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Alexander I, the matter got a move. The initiators of the "circumnavigation" managed to convince the tsar that supplying the colonies was beneficial only by means of sea communications. “Before that, everything that was needed was delivered through Yakutsk to Okhotsk by dry route, to which more than 4,000 horses were used annually, and now prices for everything were raised, and in Okhotsk to the extreme. Thus, for example, a pound of rye flour cost 8 rubles there, while in European Russia 40 or 50 kopecks were sold. The transport of anchors and ropes seemed completely impossible...”  

This time the project was approved. The stages of preparing and carrying out the famous expedition are detailed in Krusenstern’s fundamental work Circumnavigation in 1803, 4, 5, and 1806 on the Nadezhda and the Neva ships, an electronic copy of which is available on the Presidential Library’s portal.  

Two sloops were allocated for the expedition. They were Nadezhda and Neva and Ivan Krusenstern was appointed commander, and his assistant was Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky. Detailed recommendations, routes and expectations of seafarers are available in the handwritten document “Instruction of the Main Board of the Russian-American Company to the Chief of the First Russian Circumnavigation Expedition Captain-Lieutenant Ivan Krusenstern”, available on the Presidential Library’s portal.

"The longer the voyage lasted, - says the richly illustrated book Russian Circumnavigations. From Krusenstern to Sedov, the poorer the food became. They ate corned beef three times a week. Sometimes caught tuna or mackerel was a good addition to the table”.

In such harsh conditions, the expedition participants had to not only survive, but also conduct trigonometric surveys, make notes in their personal observation diaries. Krusenstern was responsible for the entire ship and crew, supervised navigational and astronomical observations, and conducted a large scientific work which is provided in the electronic copy of the publication Admiral I. F. Krusenstern. The first Russian circumnavigator of the world.  

Three years later, Krusenstern returned from a world circumnavigation "with a rich extraction of scientific information". New islands, straits, reefs, bays were put on the world map. Russian sailors were able to study various currents and open inter-trade winds in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Both in Russia and beyond, Krusenstern was deservedly considered the best hydrograph of the Pacific Ocean. The report of the expedition leader was translated into European languages ​​and became the property of not only specialists, but also the general public. As a result, neither England, nor France, nor Holland could compare with Russia in the number of research voyages in the first half of the 19th century. For the past 16 years, Krusenstern served as director of the Naval Cadet Corps. Under him, new objects were introduced, the library was expanded, and with the "permission" of the emperor, a special officer class was established for the most capable cadets. Having the opportunity to work in this direction, Krusenstern glorified the Russian fleet with a whole series of "precious works that were recognized by the entire educated world worthy of full attention". Thus the Russian fleet was equipped with domestic educational literature, which is used today.

For all his multilateral activities, Krusenstern worked tirelessly until the last months of his life to improve and correct his maps. Involved in the preparation and equipment of new expeditions, Ivan Fedorovich tirelessly convinced his colleagues that the Russian sailors in understanding, patience and zeal were higher than the English and other sailors. He took this confidence from his own experience, according to the publication Marine Collection. Vol. 102, No. 6. Krusenstern put his whole life on “proving that the Russian fleet can rely on its own strength. <...> How important it was to arouse in the Russian fleet the consciousness of what he was capable of!”..