Little-Known Facts of the first Russian circumnavigation of the Earth reflected in the Presidential Library’s materials

217 years ago, on August 7 (July 26), 1803, the sloops Nadezhda and Neva hoisted sails and launched the first Russian circumnavigation of the Earth led by Ivan Fedorovich Krusenstern. They left Kronstadt to meet the discoveries. Later, there were other, no less significant round-the-world voyages. Their development and results are available in the extensive collection of the Presidential Library Russian voyages around the world in the first half of the 19th century. The section is devoted to the expedition of Ivan Krusenstern, which is considered the most important in the history of the Russian Navy.

Krusenstern dreamed of a round-the-world voyage from childhood. He travelled almost constantly. "Ivan Fedorovich did not visit foreign countries like an idle observer and tourist; he studied their economic conditions and collected detailed information for a grandiose project... - is written in the book Russian Navigators, Arctic and Around the World (1898). - Returning to Russia, he presented to the Naval Ministry an extensive project of the circumnavigation of the Earth, which included two subjects of high importance. The first was the rise of the Russian Navy to the level of the best foreign fleets through distant voyages; the second was the great development of colonial trade and the most effective supply of our eastern outskirts with everything necessary".

Even though everything in this project was carefully calculated, it was rejected. The project arose a keen interest only with the accession of Emperor Alexander I and the change of the heads of the Commerce Collegium and the Naval Ministry. The head of the Russian-American Company Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov also requested for the realisation of Krusenstern's idea.

"If it had happened… a little earlier, Krusenstern would be the happiest human. Now things have changed. Having lost all hope for the implementation of his project, Krusenstern began to seek consolation in his family life. He met a lovely girl and got married. Suddenly an unexpected appointment tore him away from the family circle for a long time". Krusenstern tried to refuse the complimentary order, but they explained that "if he did not agree to complete his project, this deed would be completely abandoned. ... Krusenstern decided to sacrifice himself" states the publication Russian Navigators, Arctic and Around the World (1898).

The Presidential Library's portal provides the unique document of the early XIX century - the handwritten Instruction of the Main Board of the Russian-American Company to the Chief of the First Russian Round-the-World Expedition Lieutenant-Commander I. F. Krusenstern (1803). There is said: "Сhamberlain and Senior Secretary P. Rezanov is appointed head of the mission to the Japanese Court. Also, he is responsible for all the issues of trade and development of the "Russian-American Region". That determined the main official goals of the expedition: delivering cargoes to Russian possessions in North America and Kamchatka, exploration of the Pacific Ocean sector near Russian possessions, and establishing trade relations with Japan and China.

But commercial prospects did not attract Krusenstern. The digital copy of the essay Admiral I. F. Krusenstern. The First Russian Around-the-World Cruiser (1873) declares: "This brilliant logistic plan was not the main task of the expedition. The expedition was not designed to show the Russian flag to the whole world and make several discoveries. Krusenstern wanted his enterprise to launch Russian round-the-world voyages; he wanted the Russian Navy to deserve the right to enter the circle of the fleets of the old and famous sea powers".

Krusenstern insisted that the ships should have crews of Russian sailors: "The choice of the chief of another ship depended on me", is written in his three-volume work Travelling Around the World in 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1806 on the Ships Nadezhda and Neva. Part 1 (1809). - I chose Lieutenant Commander Lisyansky, an excellent naval officer, who served with me during the last war in the English Navy and who had already visited America and the East Indies... Our journey had to be long, and its successful end required our mutual diligence, constant harmony, honest and fair actions". The future deputy head of the expedition and the commander of the Neva, Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky, readily accepted Krusenstern's proposal: "... I would be happy to serve together with you...".

It was a unique journey for Russian sailors. The crews of the Nadezhda - (58 sailors) and the Neva (47 sailors) consisted of volunteers who had never gone so far. The difficulties experienced by the expedition members are described in the collection entitled Russian Travels Around the World. From Krusenstern to Sedov (2014): "The long voyage caused the lack of food. Three times a week they ate salt beef only. <…> Two weeks later, one of the sailors caught a 3.5-foot dolphin. The officers bought it to cook it for a meal". There were funny moments, some of them enter the book Russian Navigators, Arctic and Around the World (1898): "Russian sailors, by surprise, had no problems with the change in temperature and even at the equator asked: "When will it be hot?" On November 26, 1803, Russian ships crossed the equator for the first time. Sailors of all countries have the custom to perform a ceremony at this moment, known as the celebration of Neptune, but the Russians knew about it only by hearsay. Therefore, they were satisfied by drinking a cup for health for the Sovereign Emperor, and one of the sailors, who was a talented orator, don a beard and, armed with a trident, said a decent speech..."

At the beginning of March 1804, the ships, having rounded Cape Horn, entered the Pacific Ocean. After crossing to the Hawaiian Islands, Neva went to the coast of Alaska, and Nadezhda - to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. During the voyage, Krusenstern improved maps, searched for islands whose existence was in doubt, and took pictures of the surrounding shores.

On October 8 of the same year, Krusenstern delivered Rezanov to Nagasaki. The relationships between the expedition leader and the head of the Russian-American Company, appointed head of the mission to the Japanese Court, were extremely tense - they communicated through notes, following instructions. That affected the business. As a result, after unsuccessful negotiations with the Japanese government, the expedition went to Kamchatka in April 1805. During the voyage, Krusenstern mapped a part of the eastern coast of Sakhalin; took hydrological measurements; described the southern shores of Kamchatka, the way of life and customs of residents; collected and systematically described the state of trade between Japan and China. Then the sloops passed the Indian Ocean and, having rounded Africa, entered the Atlantic Ocean. On August 19 (7), 1806, the expedition returned to Kronstadt, having been sailing for 3 years and 12 days.

The pioneers' way is always difficult. The Presidential Library's portal releases the rare books and documents that confirm this idea. Besides the already mentioned materials, it features the digital copy of Diploma of Emperor Alexander I to the Emperor of Japan on the desire to establish trade relations and directions for this purpose in Japan with Chamberlain N. P. Rezanov, and also about the return of 10 Japanese shipwrecked to the homeland (1803); the book by Yury Lisyansky A Journey Around the World in 1803, 1804 1805 and 1806, by Command of His Imperial Majesty Alexander I, on the ship Neva (1812); Journal of the First Russian Circumnavigation of the Earth… (1818); the album Around the World with Krusenstern (2005) with unique illustrations made by the expedition members; the book Believe in Hope (2012), which tells about the significance of the first circumnavigation for modern Russia, and much more.