Fadey opened. F. Bellingshausen is the discoverer of Antarctica. New assault on the mainland

- (1778 1852), Russian navigator, admiral (1843). Member of the 1st Russian circumnavigation of the world 1803 06. In 1819, 21 leader of the 1st Russian Antarctic (circumnavigation) expedition on the sloops Vostok (see VOSTOK (sloop)) and Mirny (see ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1778 1852) Russian navigator, admiral (1843). Member of the 1st Russian circumnavigation of the world 1803 06. In 1819, 21 leader of the 1st Russian Antarctic (circumnavigation) expedition on the sloops Vostok and Mirny, which opened in January 1820 ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Russian navigator, admiral. He studied at the Naval Cadet Corps in Kronstadt. In 1803‒06 he participated in the 1st Russian circumnavigation on the ship "Nadezhda" ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Bellingshausen (Faddeus Faddeevich) the famous Russian navigator, was born on August 18, 1779 on about. Ezele, died January 13, 1852 in Kronstadt. He was brought up in the naval cadet corps, participated in the first round-the-world voyage of Russian ships in ... ... Biographical Dictionary

- (1778-1852), navigator, admiral (1843). In 1797 he graduated from the Marine cadet corps(now in the building of the Higher Military maritime school named after M. V. Frunze; Memorial plaque); served in the Baltic Fleet. In 1803-06, a member of the 1st Russian ... ... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"

- (1778 1852), navigator, admiral (1843). In 1797 he graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps (now in the building of the Higher Naval School named after M. V. Frunze; memorial plaque); served in the Baltic Fleet. In 1803 06, a member of the 1st Russian ... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)

Bellingshausen Faddey Faddeevich- (Fabian Gottlieb) (1778 1852) navigator, explorer. Pacific Ocean and Antarctica, adm. (1843), one of the members. founders Rus. geogr. about va. Genus. on about. Ezel (now Saaremaa Island, Estonia). Mor graduated. Corps (1797). In 1803 06 he took part in the first Russian ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

BELLINGSGA / USEN Faddey Faddeevich (1779 1852) Russian navigator, admiral (1839). Graduated Marine Corps(1797), served on the ships of the Baltic Fleet. In 1803 1806 participated in the first Russian circumnavigation on the sloop Nadezhda under the command of ... ... Marine Biographical Dictionary

- ... Wikipedia

Bellingshausen, Faddey Faddeevich- BELLINGSHAUSEN, Taddey Taddeyevich, admiral, explorer of the Antarctic Ocean. Genus. in 1779, deceased. in 1852, at the age of 73, in the city of Kronstadt. As a young midshipman, he went on the first Russian round-the-world expedition on a frigate ... ... Military Encyclopedia

Books

On the sloops "Vostok" and "Mirny" to the South Pole. The First Russian Antarctic Expedition, Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen. In 1819-1821, the author led the first Russian round-the-world Antarctic expedition. For 751 days of sailing, Antarctica was discovered - a continent-mystery, in the very existence of which ...
On the sloops VostokMirny to the South Pole. The First Russian Antarctic Expedition, Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen. In 1819-1821, the author led the first Russian round-the-world Antarctic expedition. For 751 days of sailing, Antarctica was discovered - a continent-mystery, in the very existence of which ...

Biography

Thaddeus Bellingshausen was born on September 9, 1778 on the island of Ezel. In 1789 he entered the Naval Cadet Corps, located in Kronstadt. In 1795 he received his first naval rank, in connection with which he became a midshipman. In 1796 he traveled to the shores of England. In 1797 he became a midshipman.
In the period from 1803 to 1806, he took part in the first round-the-world voyage of Russian ships on the Nadezhda sloop under the command of Ivan Kruzenshtern. At the end of the voyage, become a lieutenant commander. In the period from 1826 to 1827 he commanded a detachment of ships in the Mediterranean Sea. In the period from 1828 to 1829 he took part in Russian-Turkish war, where he was awarded the Order of St. Anne, I degree. In 1839 he became the chief commander of the Kronstadt port. In 1840 he was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

Remark 1

Named after him:

Bellingshausen Sea in pacific ocean;
Cape located on Sakhalin;
Glacier;
Crater on the Moon;
Bellingshausen scientific polar station in Antarctica.

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Discovery of Antarctica

Since ancient times, people believed that in the southern polar region there is a large land that no one had previously explored. There were a lot of legends about her. Most believed that she was rich in gold and diamonds.

One of the famous English navigators, James Cook, made a trip in 1775 in order to find this mainland, but nothing came of it due to weather conditions.

The main task of the expedition was to get an answer to the question of whether there really is a sixth continent called Antarctica. But no one could have imagined such stunning results in the form of the discovery of the sixth continent called Antarctica, as well as a large number of completely new and unexplored islands. This contribution is undoubtedly the main contribution of Russian sailors to the exploration of our planet.

During the journey, the expedition almost came close to the coastal cliffs of the ice continent. After that, during the Antarctic winter, the expedition set sail in the Pacific Ocean, where several new islands were discovered.

After that, the expedition returned to the polar latitudes. The expedition members were awarded orders and were also promoted in their ranks.

The expedition of Fadey Fadeevich Bellingshausen made one of the main significant geographical discoveries. For the entire time of their journey, the ships circled around the entire Antarctic continent. During this time, a large number of completely new islands were discovered and mapped. In addition, unique scientific and ethnographic collections were collected, which are kept by Kazan University to this day. In addition, unique sketches of the views of Antarctica and the animals that were there were made.

This discovery immediately became the main outstanding geographical discovery. But, despite this, for a large amount of time, many scientists continued to argue about what was actually discovered. Was it the mainland, or was it just some group of islands that was covered in a lot of ice.

The continental nature of Antarctica was finally confirmed only in the middle of the 20th century as a result of a large number of studies carried out using very complex technical means.

Remark 2

In honor of this expedition, under the leadership of Bellingshausen, Russian stations located in Antarctica began to bear such names as "Vostok" and "Mirny".

Bellingshausen

Russian Antarctic research station on the island. King George (Waterloo) in the group South Shetland islands, near the north. tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Opened in February 1968 (the first Soviet station off the coast of West Antarctica). Serves as a base for route research. Named after the discoverer of Antarctica F. F. Bellingshausen.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

Bellingshausen

Faddey Faddeevich (Fabian Gottlieb) (1778–1852), Russian navigator, discoverer of Antarctica, admiral (1843). In 1803–06 took part in the first round-the-world voyage of I.F. Kruzenshtern and made almost all the maps on this journey. In 1819–21 led a round-the-world expedition on the sloops Vostok (he was his captain) and Mirny (captain M.P. Lazarev). Near about. South George, four islands were discovered and it was found that the one found by J. cook“Sandwich Land” is an archipelago (South Sandwich Islands), from which the underwater South Antilles Range stretches. In January 1820, Bellingshausen saw the coast of the Antarctic continent in the area of the Princess Martha Coast, and in February again approached the continent at 15 ° E. where the Princess Astrid Beach is located. Thus, the Bellingshausen expedition discovered the sixth continent - Antarctica. In July - August 1820, Bellingshausen discovered a number of inhabited atolls, and in January 1821 he again approached Antarctica and discovered about. Peter I and the mountainous coast of Alexander I Land. Bellingshausen compiled the first classification of Antarctic ice and determined the position of the South with great accuracy. geomagnetic pole. His name is immortalized in the names of the sea, an underwater basin, an ice shelf, three islands, a cape, a scientific station, and a number of other objects on the map of Antarctica.

Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Under the editorship of prof. A. P. Gorkina. 2006 .

Bellingshausen

Faddey Faddeevich (1778–1852), Russian naval figure, navigator, admiral (1843), discoverer of Antarctica.
Born on the island of Ezel (now the island of Saaremaa, Estonia) on September 9, 1778 in a family of Baltic noblemen. Since childhood, he dreamed of becoming a sailor, writing about himself: “I was born in the middle of the sea; just as a fish cannot live without water, so I cannot live without the sea.”
In 1789 he entered the Kronstadt Naval Cadet Corps. He became a midshipman and in 1796 sailed to the coast of England. He successfully sailed around the Baltic on the ships of the Revel squadron, in 1797 he was promoted to midshipman (first officer rank). The love for science was noticed by the commander of the Kronstadt port, who recommended Bellingshausen I.F. Kruzenshtern.
In 1803–1806, Bellingshausen served on the ship Nadezhda, which participated in the expedition of Krusenstern and Yu.F. Lisyansky, which made the first Russian circumnavigation of the world. During this journey, he compiled and executed graphically almost all the maps included in Atlas for a trip around the world by Captain I.F. Kruzenshtern.
In 1810-1819 he commanded a corvette and a frigate in the Baltic and Black Seas, where he also carried out cartographic and astronomical research.
When preparing a new round-the-world expedition, Kruzenshtern recommended Bellingshausen, who had already become a captain of the 2nd rank, as its leader: “Our fleet, of course, is rich in enterprising and skillful officers, but of all of them, whom I know, no one, except Golovnin, can equal him." At the beginning of 1819, Bellingshausen was appointed "leader of an expedition to search for the sixth continent," organized with the approval of Alexander I.
In June 1819, the sloops Vostok under the command of Bellingshausen and Mirny under the command of a young naval lieutenant MP Lazarev left Kronstadt. On November 2, the expedition arrived in Rio de Janeiro. From there, Bellingshausen headed south. Rounding the southwestern coast of the island of New Georgia, discovered by Cook (about 56 degrees south latitude), he examined the southern Sandwich Islands. On January 16, 1820, the ships of Bellingshausen and Lazarev approached an unknown "floe continent" in the area of the Princess Martha Coast. This day marks the discovery of Antarctica. Three more times this summer, the expedition explored the coastal shelf of the open sixth continent, crossing the Antarctic Circle several times. In early February 1820, the ships approached the Princess Astrid Coast, but due to snowy weather they could not see it well.
In March 1820, when navigation off the coast of the mainland became impossible due to the accumulation of ice, both ships headed for Australia in different ways and met at the port of Jackson (now Sydney). From it they went to the Pacific Ocean, where 29 islands were discovered in the Tuamotu archipelago, which were named after prominent Russian military and statesmen.
In September 1820, Bellingshausen returned to Sydney, from where he again went to explore Antarctica in the Western Hemisphere.
In January 1823, he discovered the island of Peter I and the coast, called the Coast of Alexander I. Then the expedition reached the group of the South Shetland Islands, where it was discovered and explored a new group islands named after major battles Patriotic War 1812 (Borodino, Smolensk, etc.), as well as the names of prominent maritime figures in Russia. At the end of July 1821, the expedition returned to Kronstadt, having traveled 50,000 miles in two years and carried out extensive hydrographic and climatic studies. She brought valuable botanical, zoological and ethnographic collections with her. The success of the expedition was largely determined by the outstanding personality of the travel leader. He brilliantly owned a pen and vividly described in his diary his scientific discoveries, and the customs of the peoples he met. His book "Double surveys in the South Arctic Ocean and sailing around the world during 1819-1821, committed on the sloops "Vostok" and "Mirny", aroused in many future explorers of Antarctica a passion for travel.
The Bellingshausen expedition is still considered one of the most difficult: the famous Cook, who was the first to reach the south polar ice in the 70s of the 18th century, having encountered them, even considered that it was impossible to move on. Almost half a century after Cook's expedition, Bellingshausen proved the inaccuracy of his statement and went to Antarctica on two small sailing ships not adapted for navigation in ice.
After the expedition, Bellingshausen was awarded the rank of Rear Admiral. For two years he commanded a naval crew, for three years he held staff positions, and in 1826 he led a flotilla in the Mediterranean. Participating in the Turkish campaign of 1828-1829, he was among those who besieged and took the fortress of Varna from the sea. After commanding a division of the Baltic Fleet. In 1839 he was appointed military governor of Kronstadt, chief commander of the port of Kronstadt. In this position, he did a lot for the port, founded the maritime library, and by the end of his life he rose to the Order of Vladimir I degree and the rank of admiral. In personal communication, he was friendly, in extreme situations cold-blooded. He married late but had four daughters
On May 11, 1852, he died and was buried in Kronstadt, in 1870 a monument was erected to him there. A sea and an island in the Pacific Ocean, a cape on Sakhalin Island, an island in Atlantic Ocean, an ice shelf of Antarctica, and also opened on February 22, 1968 at the southwestern tip of Antarctica - Cape Fidles (62 ° 12 "S, 58 ° 56" W) - a scientific station in the group of the South Shetland Islands. It was the first Soviet station off the coast of West Antarctica.
Compositions: Bellingshausen F.F. Double surveys in the Southern Arctic Ocean and sailing around the world in the continuation of 1819, 20 and 21, carried out on the sloops "Vostok" and "Mirny". Ed. 3rd. M., 1960.
Lev Pushkarev, Natalya Pushkareva
LITERATURE
Shokalsky Yu.M. Centenary since the departure of the Russian Antarctic Expedition under the command of F. Bellingshausen and M. Lazarev on July 4, 1819 from Kronstadt. - News of the State. Rus. geogr. Society. 1928. T. 60. Issue. 2.
Bolotnikov N. Ya. Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev. - In the book: Russian navigators. M., 1953
Fedoseev I.A. F.F. Bellingshausen. - Issues of the history of natural science and technology. M., 1980. Issue. 67–68

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

See what "Bellingshausen" is in other dictionaries:

Faddey Faddeevich (Fabian Gottlieb) (1778-1852), navigator, admiral (1843). Member of the 1st Russian circumnavigation of the world in 1803 06 under the command of I. F. Kruzenshtern. In 1819 1821 the leader of the 1st Russian Antarctic expedition on sloops ... ... Russian history

Faddey Faddeevich (1778-1852), navigator, admiral. (1843). Participated in the first Russian circumnavigation of 1803 06. In 1819, 21 the leader of the 1st Russian Antarctic (circumnavigation) expedition on the sloops Vostok and Mirny, which opened in January ... ... Modern Encyclopedia

The first Russian polar station (since 1968) off the coast of the West. Antarctica on about. King George (Waterloo), in arch. South Shetland Islands. Named after F. F. Bellingshausen ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Bellingshausen- Bellingshausen, Faddey Faddeevich ... Marine Biographical Dictionary

I Bellingshausen Faddey Faddeevich, Russian navigator, admiral. He studied at the Naval Cadet Corps in Kronstadt. In 1803 06 participated in the 1st Russian ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Bellingshausen baronial family. Bearers of the surname Bellingshausen, Faddey Faddeevich (1778 1852) a famous Russian navigator. Geographical objects Bellingshausen (Antarctic station) Soviet scientific Antarctic station ... Wikipedia

Faddey Faddeevich (September 9, 1778 - January 13, 1852) navigator, admiral Genus. on the island of Ezel (now Sarema). After graduating from the Naval Corps (1797) he served in the Baltic. In 1803 06 he participated in the circumnavigation of the expedition of seafarers I. F. ... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

The first Russian polar station (since 1968) off the coast of West Antarctica, on King George Island (Waterloo), in the South Shetland Islands archipelago. Named after F. F. Bellingshausen ... encyclopedic Dictionary

The first grew polar station (since 1968) off the coast of the West. Antarctica, on about. King George (Waterloo), in arch. South Shetland Islands. Named after F. F. Bellingshausen ... Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary

- ... Wikipedia

Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen - Russian navigator and traveler of German origin. His last name is known even to the most inattentive graduates. Russian schools, and the title of the discoverer of Antarctica forever inscribed Bellingshausen in the history of world geographical discoveries.

Childhood and youth

Thaddeus Bellingshausen was born on September 9 (20 - according to the new style) September 1778. The real name of the great navigator is Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen, and he was born on the Estonian island of Ezel, which today is called Saaremaa. The father belonged to the aristocratic family of the Baltic Germans Bellingshausen and raised the boy without a wife - Fabian's mother died during childbirth. Childhood spent in a place surrounded on all sides by the sea left its mark - Bellingshausen dreamed of serving in the navy, even as a child.

When Fabian was 10 years old, his father died, and in 1789 the boy was sent to study at the Naval Cadet Corps in Kronstadt, where he was "Russified" to Faddey Faddeevich. Studying was given to the boy without difficulty, and already in 1795 Bellingshausen became a midshipman. A year after that, the young man went on his first voyage in his biography - to England. When his studies came to an end, Thaddeus was promoted to midshipman, and in 1979 Bellingshausen was sent to serve in the Reval squadron, under the sails of whose ships the sailor sailed until 1803.

Several times the young man had to work under the command of Vice-Admiral Pyotr Khanykov, and Thaddeus obviously made a favorable impression on him. In any case, when in 1803 Ivan Kruzenshtern began recruiting a team for the first circumnavigation in Russian history, Khanykov recommended that the traveler take Bellingshausen with him.

Ivan Fedorovich appreciated the sailor's abilities: describing the journey, he especially noted how skillfully Bellingshausen sketched maps and mentioned not only his officer skills, but also the talents of a hydrograph. When the circumnavigation of the world came to an end in 1806, Faddey Faddeevich set foot on the ground as a lieutenant commander, after which he was appointed to command a frigate of the Baltic Fleet. Later he participated in hostilities: in the Russian-Swedish war he was the commander of the frigate "Melpomene" and for half a year in the Gulf of Finland followed the enemy fleet.

In 1811, Faddey Faddeevich was assigned to command a rowing flotilla in Riga, and a year later he was transferred to manage the Minerva frigate in the Black Sea, during his service on which he received a new rank - he became a captain of the II rank. Bellingshausen accompanied his Black Sea campaigns with careful cartographic work and corrected many of the mistakes of his predecessors. However, he did not have time to complete the work - in 1819 the man was urgently summoned to the capital.

Sea expeditions

It turned out that a group of Russian sailors put forward an initiative to assemble an expedition to discover southern mainland and endorsed this idea. The objectives of the upcoming voyage were the discovery of the Antarctic Pole and the acquisition of additional "knowledge about our the globe". Two sloops were prepared for the expedition - "Vostok" and "Mirny", and the second was a rebuilt ice drift, which previously bore the name "Ladoga".

The commander of Mirny was engaged in all the preparation work. Bellingshausen himself was finally approved as the commander of the Vostok only a month before departure. The sloops went to sea from the port in Kronstadt in the middle of the summer of 1819. By November, the ships reached Rio de Janeiro, then - the island of South Georgia, where Bellingshausen discovered the Traverse archipelago. On January 3, 1820, they approached the South Thule group of islands, where they encountered a huge number of icebergs.

After two weeks of sailing south, the sailors discovered that fields of ice were everywhere the human eye could reach. By March 1820, the ships separated and headed for Australia through the Indian and Southern Oceans, and no one had gone deep into the latter before. After Australia, the ships explored the Pacific Ocean, made discoveries of a number of islands and atolls, and then returned to the port of Jackon, the future Sydney.

In July, the expedition approached the Tuamotu archipelago, where they discovered several previously unknown atolls. After the ships headed for Tahiti, to the north of which new islands were discovered. In November 1820, when spring began in Antarctica, Faddey Faddeevich again headed for the South Pole. At the beginning of winter, the ships got into a terrible storm and after that 3 more times, having overcome the Arctic Circle, they made unsuccessful attempts to approach the icy continent.

On January 10, 1821, the expedition noticed clear signs of land, but the ice floes made it impossible to lay a route to it. Having tried their luck for some time, the sloops nevertheless turned east and moved towards the Shetland Islands, which had been discovered shortly before. It was impossible to continue the expedition further - the Vostok was badly damaged and required major repairs, and Bellingshausen gave the order to return to Russia. On July 24 (old style), 1821, the ships returned to the port of Kronstadt after 751 days of sailing.

The significance of the expedition can hardly be overestimated - in the 18th century, he was the first to reach the seas near the South Pole and reported that local ice completely impassable. Bellingshausen refuted this statement 45 years later, having crossed the Antarctic Circle three times, and on ships that were completely unprepared for such climatic conditions.

Thanks to the expedition, Coral Shoal and 29 islands were discovered. Also, the participants of the voyage collected extensive ethnographic collections and made detailed sketches of Antarctica and its wildlife. Faddey Faddeevich himself considered the expedition as call of duty, which additionally turned out to be useful for science.

After the Antarctic expedition, Bellingshausen raised new question: the man was interested in whether sea vessels can pass to the Amur. However, a fiasco awaited the test - the navigator failed to find a fairway in the Amur Estuary. In addition, the weather made it difficult to refute Jean La Perouse's belief that Sakhalin is a peninsula.

Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen, after completing the voyage to Antarctica, was promoted to the rank of captain of the 1st rank, then became captain-commander. In 1826, the navigator rose to the rank of rear admiral and participated in the Turkish campaign of 1828-1829 in this rank, distinguishing himself in the capture of Messevria and Inada. In 1843, Bellingshausen became an admiral, and ended his service in Russian fleet the man is already in the rank of general, who is with the person of His Majesty.

Personal life

In preparation for the expedition to Antarctica, Faddey Faddeevich met his future wife, Anna Dmitrievna Baikova, but they got married only after the return of Bellingshausen, in 1826. The man connected his personal life with a very young girl - Baikova was 30 years younger than the navigator.

In marriage, 7 children were born, of which only 4 daughters survived, and another girl and 2 sons died in infancy. Anna, despite the fact that her husband was of the Lutheran faith, remained Orthodox. The woman devoted a lot of time to charity and social activities: she helped the parochial school, was the organizer of charity evenings.

The work of the woman was highly appreciated by the authorities: Anna was awarded the "Lesser Cross of the Order of St. Catherine", on reverse side which was engraved with an inscription in Latin, which reads "By labors is compared with a spouse."

In 1839, Bellingshausen's life became finally connected with Kronstadt: the man was appointed military governor of the city and chief commander of the port. Having accepted the city in desolation, Faddey Faddeevich put a lot of effort into its arrangement: thanks to Bellingshausen, gardens were planted in Kronstadt and a library was built.

Death

Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen died on January 13, 1852, and his death caused genuine grief for the Kronstadters and the Navy. An obituary dedicated to the navigator was published in the Marine Collection.

The cause of Bellingshausen's death did not reach the descendants, as well as the exact location of his grave - it is only known that Faddey Faddeevich was buried at the Kronstadt Lutheran cemetery, where the cenotaph is now installed.

On September 11, 1870, at a solemn ceremony, a monument was erected to the great navigator in Catherine's park Kronstadt. Subsequently, the name of Bellingshausen was named not only geographic features, but also - interesting fact – lunar crater. Portraits depicting the discoverer of Antarctica are placed on Russian and Hungarian stamps.

Awards

Imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George
Imperial Order of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir
Imperial Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky
Order of the White Eagle
Imperial Order of Saint Anna
Most Honorary Order of the Bath
Military Order of Saint Louis

Antarctica is a continent located in the very south of our planet. Its center coincides (approximately) with the geographic south pole. Oceans washing Antarctica: Pacific, Indian and Atlantic. Merging, they form

Despite the harsh climatic conditions, the fauna of this mainland still exists. Today, the inhabitants of Antarctica are more than 70 species of invertebrates. Four species of penguins also nest here. Even in ancient times, there were inhabitants of Antarctica. This is proved by the remains of dinosaurs found here. A man was even born on this earth (this happened for the first time in 1978).

History before the expedition of Bellingshausen and Lazarev

After James Cook's statement that the lands beyond the Antarctic Circle are inaccessible, for more than 50 years not a single navigator wanted to refute the opinion of such a major authority in practice. However, it should be noted that in 1800-10. in the Pacific Ocean, its subantarctic strip, English sailors discovered small lands. In 1800, Henry Waterhouse found the Antipodes Islands here, in 1806 Abraham Bristow discovered the Auckland Islands, and in 1810 Frederick Hesselbrough came across about. Campbell.

Discovery of New Shetland by W. Smith

William Smith, another captain from England, sailing with cargo to Valparaiso in the brig Williams, was driven south by a storm off Cape Horn. In 1819, on February 19, he twice saw the land located further to the south, and took it for the tip of the southern mainland. W. Smith returned home in June, and his stories about this find were of great interest to the hunters. The second time he went to Valparaiso in September 1819 and moved out of curiosity to "his" land. He explored the coast for 2 days, after which he took possession of it, later called New Shetland.

The idea to organize a Russian expedition

Sarychev, Kotzebue and Kruzenshtern initiated the Russian expedition, the purpose of which was to search for the southern mainland. approved their proposal in February 1819. However, it turned out that the sailors had very little time left: the sailing was planned for the summer of that year. Because of the haste, the expedition included various types of ships - the Mirny transport converted into a sloop and the Vostok sloop. Both ships were not adapted for sailing in the difficult conditions of the polar latitudes. Bellingshausen and Lazarev became their commanders.

Biography of Bellingshausen

Thaddeus Bellingshausen was born in (now Saaremaa, Estonia) on August 18, 1779. Communication with sailors, the proximity of the sea from early childhood contributed to the fact that the boy fell in love with the fleet. At the age of 10, he was sent to the Naval Corps. Bellingshausen, being a midshipman, sailed to England. In 1797, he graduated from the corps and served as a midshipman on the ships of the Revel squadron sailing in the Baltic Sea.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen in 1803-06 took part in the voyage of Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky, which served as an excellent school for him. The sailor, upon returning to his homeland, continued his service in the Baltic Fleet, and then, in 1810, was transferred to Black Sea Fleet. Here he commanded first the frigate "Minerva", and then "Flora". A lot of work has been done over the years of service in the Black Sea to clarify nautical charts in the region of the Caucasian coast. Bellingshausen also carried out a series. He accurately determined the coordinates of the most important points on the coast. Thus, he came to lead the expedition as an experienced sailor, scientist and explorer.

Who is MP Lazarev?

To match him was his assistant, who commanded the Mirny, Lazarev Mikhail Petrovich. He was an experienced, educated sailor, who later became a renowned naval commander and founder of the Lazarevskaya Naval School. Lazarev Mikhail Petrovich was born in 1788, on November 3, in the Vladimir province. In 1803 he graduated from the Naval Corps, and then for 5 years he sailed in the Mediterranean and North Seas, in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Lazarev, upon returning to his homeland, continued his service on the Vsevolod ship. He was a participant in the battles against the Anglo-Swedish fleet. During the Patriotic War, Lazarev served on the "Phoenix", participated in the landing in Danzig.

At the suggestion of a joint Russian-American company in September 1813, he became the commander of the Suvorov ship, on which he made his first round-the-world trip to the shores of Alaska. During this voyage, he showed himself to be a determined and skillful naval officer, as well as a bold explorer.

Preparing for the expedition

For a long time there was a vacant post of captain of the "Vostok" and head of the expedition. Only a month before going to the open sea, F.F. was approved for it. Bellingshausen. Therefore, the work of recruiting the crews of these two ships (about 190 people), as well as providing them with the necessary for a long journey and re-equipping them into the Mirny sloop, fell on the shoulders of the commander of this ship, M.P. Lazarev. The main task of the expedition was designated as purely scientific. "Mirny" and "Vostok" differed not only in their size. "Mirny" was more convenient and only lost to "Vostok" in one thing - in speed.

First discoveries

Both ships left Kronstadt on July 4, 1819. Thus began the expedition of Bellingshausen and Lazarev. The sailors reached about. South Georgia in December For 2 days they carried out an inventory of the southwestern coast of this island and discovered another one, which was named after Annenkov, lieutenant of Mirny. After that, heading southeast, the ships discovered on December 22 and 23 3 small islands of volcanic origin (Marquis de Traverse).

Then, moving to the southeast, the sailors of Antarctica reached the "Sandwich Land" discovered by D. Cook. It turned out to be an archipelago. With clear weather, rare in these places, on January 3, 1820, the Russians came close to South Tula, the land area discovered by Cook closest to the pole. They discovered that this "land" consists of 3 rocky islands covered with eternal ice and snow.

First crossing of the Antarctic Circle

Russians, bypassing heavy ice from the east, on January 15, 1820, they crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time. The next day they met on their way the glaciers of Antarctica. They reached great heights and stretched beyond the horizon. The expedition members continued to move east, but they always met this mainland. On this day, the problem that D. Cook considered insoluble was solved: the Russians approached the northeastern ledge of the "ice continent" less than 3 km. After 110 years, the ice of Antarctica was seen by Norwegian whalers. They named this continent Princess Martha's Coast.

A few more approaches to the mainland and the discovery of an ice shelf

"Vostok" and "Mirny", trying to get around the impenetrable ice from the east, crossed the Arctic Circle 3 more times this summer. They wanted to get closer to the pole, but they couldn't get any further than the first time. Many times the ships were in danger. Suddenly, a clear day was replaced by a gloomy one, it was snowing, the wind was picking up, and the horizon became almost invisible. In this area, an ice shelf was discovered, named in 1960 in honor of Lazarev. It was marked on the map, however, much to the north of its current position. Nevertheless, there is no mistake here: as it is now established, the ice shelves of Antarctica are retreating to the south.

Swimming in the Indian Ocean and parking in Sydney

The short Antarctic summer is over. In 1820, at the beginning of March, "Mirny" and "Vostok" separated by agreement in order to better view the 50th latitude of the Indian Ocean in the southeastern part. They met in April in Sydney and stayed here for a month. Bellingshausen and Lazarev explored the Tuamotu archipelago in July, discovered a number of inhabited atolls here that were not mapped, and named them after Russian statesmen, naval commanders and commanders.

Further discoveries

K. Thorson landed for the first time on the atolls of Greig and Moller. And the Tuamotu, located in the west and in the center, were called the Russian Islands by Bellingshausen. In the northwest, Lazarev Island appeared on the map. Ships from there went to Tahiti. On August 1, north of it, they discovered about. East, and on August 19 way back to Sydney, several more islands were discovered southeast of Fiji, including the Simonov and Mikhailov Islands.

New assault on the mainland

In November 1820, after stopping at Port Jackson, the expedition set off for the "ice mainland" and withstood a strong storm in mid-December. The sloops crossed the Arctic Circle three more times. Twice they did not come close to the mainland, but the third time they saw clear signs of land. In 1821, on January 10, the expedition moved south, but was forced to retreat again in front of the emerging ice barrier. The Russians, turning to the east, saw the coast in a few hours. The island covered with snow was named after Peter I.

Discovery of the Alexander I Coast

On January 15, in clear weather, the discoverers of Antarctica saw land in the south. From the "Mirny" a high cape opened up, connected to a chain of low mountains by a narrow isthmus, and from the "Vostok" a mountainous coast was visible. Bellingshausen called it the "Coast of Alexander I". Unfortunately, it was not possible to break through to it because of the solid ice. Bellingshausen turned south again and went out to discover New Shetland here, discovered by W. Smith. The discoverers of Antarctica explored it and found that it is a chain of islands that stretch for almost 600 km. eastbound. Some of the South were named in memory of the battles with Napoleon.

Expedition results

On 30 January it was discovered that Vostok needed major repairs and it was decided to turn north. In 1821, on July 24, the sloops returned to Kronstadt after a journey of 751 days. During this time, the discoverers of Antarctica were under sail for 527 days, and 122 of them were south of 60 ° S. sh.

According to the geographical results, the perfect expedition became the greatest in the 19th century and the first in the history of the Russian Antarctic expedition. A new part of the world was discovered, later named Antarctica. Russian sailors approached its shores 9 times, and four times they approached at a distance of 3-15 km. The discoverers of Antarctica for the first time characterized the large water areas adjacent to the "ice continent", classified and described the ice of the mainland, and also in general terms indicated the correct characterization of its climate. 28 objects were put on the map of Antarctica, and all of them received Russian names. In the tropics and in the high southern latitudes, 29 islands were discovered.