Bering Vitus Jonassen (1681-1741) - the great Russian navigator, captain-commander of the Russian fleet. He headed the First and Second Kamchatka expeditions. Passed the strait between Alaska and Chukotka, which was later named in his honor - Beringov. Also, the name of the navigator is the island and the sea in the North Pacific Ocean. Bering's expeditions own the discovery of a number of islands in the Aleutian ridge.

Birth and family

Vitus was born on August 2, 1681. He was of Danish origin. Very little is known about his early years. There is evidence that Bering was born in the Danish city of Horsens, where on the fourth day after the birth of the boy he was baptized in the local Lutheran church. The document of his baptism is still kept in the old church book of the city of Horsens. The name of the child was given in honor of his uncle (my mother's brother), he was a famous Danish historian, worked as a court chronicler at the Royal Court. The surname Bering was inherited from the mother, their noble family was quite noble in Denmark, but by the time Vitus was born, it had already gone bankrupt.

On his father's side, the boy inherited the middle name Jonassen. The father of the future navigator, Jonas Svendsen, was married to Anna Pederdatter Bering by a second marriage, from the first he had two sons and two daughters. Anna gave birth to her husband five children - three boys and two girls. My father worked as a customs officer and was a highly respected person in the city. The family did not belong to the category of wealthy, but both parents and children were educated and pious.

Childhood

The Berings lived on Söndergade Street at house number 59. And on the neighboring Smedegade Street there was a school that Vitus attended. The educational institution belonged to Peder Lauritzen Dahlhoff, whose son Khorlov in 1695 married Bering's sister, Anna Katrins. Khorlov served in the Danish navy as a fanfarist, so conversations about the sea and naval life were often carried on both at Bering's house and at school.

From early childhood, Vitus began to make friends with sailors and skippers, often visiting them on ships. At that time, Denmark was actively conquering maritime territories, the king sent expeditions around the world. Young Bering was fascinated by the sea and studied in detail the materials of the expeditions of Jens Munch, who at the beginning of the 17th century sailed to Greenland and India.

Despite the fact that the family had financial difficulties, Jonas and Anna tried to give their children a good education. Vitus' two older brothers studied at the University of Copenhagen. But young Bering chose a different path for himself. After graduating from school, a fourteen-year-old teenager signed up for a Dutch ship as a sailor.

First travels and studies in Amsterdam

Together with his cousin Sven and comrade Sivere, who later became a Russian admiral, Bering twice took part in the voyage to the East Indies, crossed the North Atlantic, visited the European colonies on the western coast of North America and the Caribbean. Vitus gained experience in traveling, but knowledge in maritime affairs was not enough. And then Bering continued his studies at the Naval Cadet Corps in Amsterdam, which at that time was considered the best in the world. The young man comprehended marine sciences easily, even then it was clear that he would become an excellent navigator.

In 1703, Vitus met the vice-admiral of the Russian fleet Kornely Ivanovich Kruys (he was a Norwegian by origin). Then, at the direction of Tsar Peter I, throughout Europe, his agents searched for and recruited intelligent foreigners (sailors, military and other specialists) to serve in Russia. In Amsterdam, this work was done by Kruys. He immediately drew attention to the character traits and qualities of the young Bering, which were very much appreciated in the naval service. In 1703, Kornely Ivanovich invited Vitus to join the Russian fleet. The young man accepted such an offer, he had just graduated from the cadet corps with an officer's rank.

Moving to Russia and naval service

With the assistance of Kruys, Bering was enrolled in the Russian Baltic Navy with the rank of second lieutenant. In 1704, Vitus came to Russia, from now on his fate was forever connected with this country. First, he was put in command of a small ship that delivered timber to Kotlin Island from the banks of the Neva, where Peter I began the grandiose construction of the naval citadel of the Russian fleet of Kronstadt. Bering showed diligence and zeal in the service. He was increasingly entrusted with responsible tasks, to the implementation of which he was zealous and very scrupulous. Such service, talent and passion for navigation were appreciated and in 1707 Vitus was already awarded the rank of lieutenant.

• 1710 - in early spring he was sent to the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, where he monitored the Swedish flotilla. In the autumn of the same year, Bering was transferred as a lieutenant commander to the Azov Fleet, where he commanded a small sailing warship (shnyavay) "Munker".
• 1711 - in the summer he took part in the Prut campaign of Peter I (during the Russian-Turkish war, a campaign in Moldova against the Ottoman Empire).
• 1712 - sent to the Baltic Fleet.
• 1715 - received the rank of captain of the 4th rank. He received the ship "Selafail" in Arkhangelsk and brought it to Copenhagen. This voyage was the last when Bering managed to visit his native land, he never returned to Denmark.
• 1716 - took command of the battleship of the Baltic Fleet "Pearl", with which he participated in the voyage to Bronkholm.
• 1717 - received the rank of captain of the 3rd rank.
• 1719 - took command of the ship "Selafail", with which he sailed across the Baltic Sea to Aland.
• 1720 - received the rank of captain of the 2nd rank.
• 1721 - took command of the sailing battleship of the Baltic Fleet "Marlburg", then commanded the ship "Lesnoye" in the formation of one of the creators of the Russian Navy F. M. Apraksin.

Retirement and imminent return to the fleet

However, over seventeen years of service, Bering failed to obtain the desired rank of captain of the 1st rank, even despite the fact that under his command in 1720 there was a frigate with ninety guns, and during the Great Northern War he more than once carried out special assignments of the Sovereign. Vitus believed that he was unfairly passed over by awards and promotions. In this regard, in February 1724, when the Northern War ended, he wrote a letter of resignation.

Vitus' request was granted. But when Tsar Peter I found out about his resignation, he said to Admiral General of the Russian Fleet F. M. Apraksin: “You should not offend Bering. This Dane became a truly Russian man and proved this by his service. Announce at the College that he has been re-admitted to the navy and appointed captain of the 1st rank. In August 1724, Vitus was recalled from retirement and taken command of the Selafail frigate with sixty guns.

First Kamchatka expedition

One of the great merits of Peter I is that he became the founder of the scientific study of the geography of Russia and the surrounding territories. At the end of 1724, the Sovereign issued a decree on the organization of the First Kamchatka Expedition and instructed the Board of the Admiralty to select the most suitable candidate for the leader. Peter I was offered to entrust this matter to Bering, to which the sovereign's consent was given. He personally described to Vitus the main tasks of the expedition:

• In Kamchatka or elsewhere, build one or two deck boats.
• Advance on these ships along the land on a northerly course, where, according to available information, America should be located.
• Find a place where America connects with Asia, land on the American coast and plot the information received on the map.

Bering and his team moved out of St. Petersburg in January 1725. For two years, river boats, on foot, on horseback through Siberia reached Okhotsk. Here they wintered, after which they sent equipment to the mouth of the Kamchatka River in boats and dog sleds. In the summer of 1728, having settled on the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Bering and his expedition completed the construction of the first boat "Saint Gabriel". By the end of the summer, the ship moved along the mainland to the northeast, as a result of which the following were plotted on the map:

• St. Lawrence Island in the southern part of the Bering Strait;
• Karaginsky Bay of the Bering Sea from the northeast side of Kamchatka;
• the largest in the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Anadyr off the coast of Chukotka;
• Cross Bay on the southern coast of the Chukotka Peninsula;
• Provideniya Bay from the southeast of the Chukotka Peninsula.

The expedition entered the Chukchi Sea through the strait, which later became known as Bering, and turned back home. Despite the fact that the North American coast was not discovered, Vitus considered the task completed - during the expedition it turned out that America and Asia are not connected. Having rounded Kamchatka from the south, he also mapped a large ice-free bay in the Pacific Ocean, the Avacha Bay and the Kamchatka Bay in the eastern part of the peninsula. After that, in the spring of 1730, Bering and his team returned to St. Petersburg through Okhotsk, and then through all of Russia.

Upon his return, the navigator presented a report in which he spoke confidently about the relative proximity of Kamchatka and America and that it would be advisable to start trade relations with the Americans. Having traveled back and forth through Siberia, Vitus was sure that it was possible to mine salt, iron ore and grow rye, barley, and vegetables on these lands. The navigator also presented his plans on how to further explore the Russian Asian coast in the northeast, explore sea routes to the Japanese Islands and America.

Second Kamchatka expedition

After listening to his thoughts and plans, in 1733 the Collegium again appointed Bering the head of the Second Kamchatka Expedition. They considered that the tasks of Emperor Peter I were not completed to the end: the expedition did not visit the American shores and did not fully prove that there was no connection between Asia and America. Nevertheless, Bering was promoted to the rank of captain-commander and was awarded a prize of a thousand rubles.

At the beginning of 1734, Vitus left for Yakutsk, where he prepared expeditionary equipment and food for three years. The local authorities did not want to help Bering in any way, he continually faced their resistance, indifference and inaction. Only in the autumn of 1740 did they set off from Okhotsk to the east of Kamchatka on two packet boats, St. Paul and St. Peter.

In July 1741, the expedition reached the coast of North America. Back Bering proceeded along the Aleutian ridge and the southern coast of Alaska. Were discovered and plotted on the map of the island:

• St. Stephen (Buldyr);
• Shumaginsky;
• Kodiak;
• St. John (Atha);
• Saint Markian (Kyska);
• Evdokeevsky.

Illness and death

The way back from the Second Kamchatka Expedition proved to be very difficult. The sea was completely shrouded in fog, it began to storm heavily. Because of the fog, not only the coast was not visible, but also the stars, by which it would be possible to determine the location of the ship. Months passed, and the "St. Peter" was still at sea. The members of the team began to have scurvy, some began to die. Bering himself fell ill, but with the last of his strength he led the packet boat and the surviving members of the team.

The ship was practically not controlled and moved along the waves and winds. In early November 1741, a snow-covered land was noticed on the horizon, which later became known as Bering Island. It was decided to arrange a forced wintering here. The sick were the first to be carried out of the stuffy cabins, but in the fresh air they soon died.

On December 8, 1741, Vitus Bering also died in a hastily built dugout. On the very edge of boundless Russia, the great navigator, stricken with scurvy, tried with his last strength to cling to life, the disease turned out to be stronger. He did not know then that he was dying on the island, which would later bear his name. I did not know that the Bering sea would be called the sea in the Pacific Ocean and the strait that separates America from Asia. The accuracy of these studies was later confirmed by the English navigator James Cook. It was his proposal to call the strait between Chukotka and Alaska Bering.

Personal life

In 1713, Bering married Anna Christiane Pulse, the daughter of a merchant from Sweden. In the summer of 1716, their first child was born, named Vitus in honor of his father. Unfortunately, the baby died soon after. After that, Anne Christiane gave birth many times, but most of the children died in infancy. During the first five years of their married life, the Bering couple lost five children. The girl Annushka and three sons survived - Jonas, Thomas and Anton.

Ocean, ocean - endless space,
Only the sky and the waves, and the seagulls in the distance.
This course was once passed by the Commander,
So that today we can walk without risk.

Bad luck? Luck? It's not for us to argue.
Only the memory of him will not disappear forever.
Bering Island, as it is destined to be called.
An island in memory of this Big Man...

This is a fragment of a poem about the captain-commander of the Russian fleet, a polar navigator who lived in the 18th century. Vitus Bering is famous for discovering sea ​​passage between Asia and North America, connecting the Arctic and Pacific oceans. Its width is 86 km. It later received the name Bering Strait. Here is the most extreme eastern point of Eurasia - Cape Dezhnev. Many more discoveries and research commander are inscribed in the history of the development of the north-east of Russia and the north-west of America.

What discovered

Vitus Jensson (in other sources - Jonsson) Bering led two expeditions, during which a number of great geographical discoveries were made. For the XVIII century, such travel was considered unique. In addition, overland routes of about 40,000 kilometers were completed.

Sea voyages were of tremendous importance for the study of the water border between Siberia and the Russian Far East. During their implementation, communication across the Pacific Ocean with the American continent was opened. As a result of exploration of the northeastern coast of Kamchatka and the way to the American continent, many islands were discovered during the first and second expeditions.

Their names:

• Karaginsky;
• St. Lawrence;
• Krusenstern;
• Rotmanov;
• Ukamok;
• the Evdokeevsky group;
• part of the Shumagen and Aleutian;
• Bering;
• Chirikov.

The cartography of the Southern Cape of Kamchatka - Lopatka was created. During this period, the Bering Strait was discovered.

The second expedition reached the northwestern coast of North America (at the current border between Canada and the United States). For the winter, travelers settled in a bay located at the confluence of the Avacha River into the bay, later Bering gave it the name Petropavlovskaya. A settlement was also founded here. Gradually it grew and turned into the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

short biography

The biography is compiled on the basis of reliable facts, documented. Vitus Bering was born on April 12, 1681 in the Danish city of Horsens in the family of a customs officer and part-time church elder. Mother - a representative of a noble Danish family, Vitus bore her last name. Nothing is known about his life from birth to 1695. Further, his fate was closely connected with the sea.

The main milestones of the biography:

1. 1695 - Bering makes his first long voyage as a cabin boy on a ship bound for southeast India.
2. until 1703 - studying at the Amsterdam Naval Cadet Corps.
3. 1704 - accepted into service in the Russian fleet on the Baltic Sea with the assignment of the rank second lieutenant.
4. 1707 - promoted to lieutenant.
5. 1710 - received the rank of lieutenant commander.
6. 1710-1712 - transferred to the Azov fleet during the war between Russia and Turkey. Takes part in a sea voyage under the leadership of Peter I.
7. 1712 - returned to the Baltic Fleet.
8. 1715 - promoted to captain of the fourth rank.
9. 1712 1–723 - in command of various ships in the Baltic
10. In January-February 1724, the board of admiralties signed a report, according to which the captain resigns of his own free will.
11. In August of the same year, Vitus Bering, on the orders of Peter I, was again taken to the service, he was awarded the rank of captain of the first rank.
12. 1724–1730 - leads the first Kamchatka expedition.
13. 1733–1741 - is a member and leads the Great Northern Expedition.

Bering died on December 8, 1741 from scurvy on one of the Pacific islands, located 180 miles from Kamchatka. The great navigator Vitus Ensson (Ivan Ivanovich) Bering lived for 60 years. Of these, 37 gave selfless service to the Russian Empire. The entire life path of the commander is filled with deep dedication and exemplary performance of his official duties.

Education

Vitus Bering began his professional ascent along the path of sea pioneers at the age of 14 with a cabin boy, an acting sailor. In 1695, as an assistant to his half-brother, he made the first long voyage to the shores of Southeast India. Later, Vitus entered the Amsterdam Naval Cadet Corps, graduating in 1703.

From 1704 he served in the Russian Navy, where he was continuously engaged in self-education. Starting with the rank of second lieutenant, he rose to the very top of the career ladder. Due to the high level of professional training in 1724, by decree of Emperor Peter I, he was promoted to the rank of captain of the first rank, and later was awarded the rank of commander.

Family

In 1713, while serving in the Baltic, Vitus Bering met the daughter of a local merchant, Matthias Pülse. The girl's name was Anna Christina. Soon they got married: on October 8, 1713 they were recorded in the church book of the Swedish parish of Vyborg as legal spouses. In total, they had 8 children. But, due to the harsh climatic and living conditions, only four survived.

In the metric book of the Copenhagen church of St. Nicholas on June 27, 1716, the baptism of a son named Vitus is recorded. Unfortunately, the boy did not live long. Survivors were: Jonas (Jonah), Thomas, Anton and a girl - Anna Hedwig Helena.

During the second Kamchatka expedition, the wife accompanied Bering, at least to Okhotsk. There are no reliable facts about her further fate. The descendants of the glorious commander still live in Russia.

Discoveries

The future commander served in one of the most dynamic periods in history, and by his deeds earned the right to be called a worthy son of his new Fatherland.

First Kamchatka expedition

Vitus began his journey as a discoverer and pioneer as a leader and participant in this expedition. It was initiated by Peter I. Its task was to determine the shortest route between Asia and America. Therefore, the presence of a strait between the continents at that time was unknown.

The highest order to the members of the expedition was prescribed:

1. Get by land to Okhotsk.
2. Build one or two ships on the spot.
3. Climb along the eastern tip of Kamchatka to the north.
4. Further - to pass through the territory of America to the nearest settlement of Europeans to establish contact with them.
5. Put all new discoveries on the map.

Bering enthusiastically set about carrying out the mission entrusted to him. Already in September, the first part of the expedition set off for Okhotsk. All the main equipment of the future ship was taken immediately with them. The path was long and difficult. The most unsuitable places for the movement of the convoy began after Tobolsk. The last crossing from Yakutsk to Okhotsk, 1000 kilometers long, was hampered by the almost complete absence of roads and difficult terrain.

Upon arrival at the place, the expedition members had to equip themselves, build new residential and economic houses. At the same time, a small vessel called Fortuna was laid down and launched in a short time. On it and one boat, on August 22, 1727, the travelers left Okhotsk and after two weeks of sailing reached Bolsheretsk. From there, a pedestrian crossing was made to Nizhne-Kamchatsk, where the expedition boat "Saint Gabriel" was built. The ship was about 18 meters long, 6 meters wide, and had a draft of about 2.3 meters.

On July 14, 1728, a historic event takes place. The sea part of the trip begins: the ship with the captain and crew go to sea. The first geographical discovery took place on the third day of the voyage. The expedition saw the island, which was named Karaginsky. This was followed by the discovery of the islands named after St. Lawrence and Krusenstern.

On the 34th day of the voyage, the Saint Gabriel entered the Chukchi Sea. It became clear that there was no land connection between Asia and America. The captain gives the order to turn back. On the way back, Saint Diomede Island was discovered. Members of the marine expedition returned to the shores of Kamchatka, where they spent the winter at the mouth of the river of the same name.

On June 5, 1729, Bering and his crew set sail to search for the American continent. The path lay to the east. Weather conditions created great difficulties and, not seeing the possibility of further travel, they turned back. July 23 of the same year, "Saint Gabriel" moored in Okhotsk.

Second Kamchatka expedition

Based on the results of the first expedition, Bering concluded that the exploration of the territories of Siberia and the Far North could be of great benefit to Russia in the future. He drew up a memo and presented it to the leadership of the Admiralty.

The paper proposed the following action plan:

1. Go around and explore in detail the sea south of Kamchatka to Japan and the mouth of the Amur.
2. Walk along the entire northern coast of Siberia and conduct a description of it.
3. Go east from Kamchatka to discover, probably not far from the shores of America.
4. Establish trade relations with the natives.

This proposal found a lively response at the very top of the government. The Admiralty Board supported Bering's plan to organize the next expedition to Kamchatka. To this was added an extensive research program. The entire project was called the "Great Northern Expedition". The highest decree on its organization and beginning was signed on April 17, 1732. The responsibility for the leadership of this grandiose project at that time was assigned to Captain V.E. Bering.

The plan provided for a series of extensive research activities. Their implementation was carried out by separate naval detachments under the leadership of: V. Walton, V.V. Pronchishchev, A.I. Chirikova, M.P. Spanberg, brothers Khariton and Dmitry Laptev and others. Bering himself coordinated their work. At the beginning of 1734, he reached Tobolsk, from where he sent an Ob-Yenisei detachment and several parties of surveyors to the north.

Later, the city of Yakutsk was chosen as the center for coordinating survey activities. From here, Bering led the northern detachments and organized the supply of the eastern ones. At the same time, two boats were being built in Okhotsk for a sea voyage to America. They were given the names "Saint Peter" and "Saint Paul" in honor of the chief apostles.

On September 8, 1740, equipped and manned ships left Okhotsk. It was too late to sail to America, so it was decided to spend the winter on the eastern coast of Kamchatka. October 14 "St. Peter" and "St. Pavel" entered Avacha Bay (this date was later celebrated as the birthday of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsk). Seeing its convenient location and structure, Vitus Jonssen orders to lay a settlement here, the basis of the future city.

In Kamchatka, German academicians, who arrived especially for this purpose, joined the expedition. They were met by student Stepan Krasheninnikov on behalf of the scientists.

By this time, he had already traveled around the peninsula several times and described:

• mountains and volcanoes;
• Hot Springs;
• customs of the indigenous people;
• local flora and fauna.

These works were later evaluated by specialists as the work of an entire institute expedition.

In early June 1741, "St. Peter" under the command of Bering and "St. Paul", captained by Alexei Chirikov, set sail. They headed southeast, presumably there was the land of "Juan da Gama", which consisted of pure silver. The search did not give a result, then the ships headed east-northeast. At this time, the fog thickened significantly, and the ships lost sight of each other. As it turned out - forever.

One by one, they reached the American continent with a difference of one day. Chirikov's ship reached the desired shore on the night of July 16th. Then he moved northwest along the islands of the Alexander archipelago, finding a suitable place, the sailors anchored.

A group of 11 sailors went ashore in a boat. They did not return within a week. Then another boat with 4 sailors was sent to help them. She didn't come back either. The team began to run out of fresh water and the captain decided to return. The weather was calm, with a light wind, so the road home stretched for 1.5 months. Along the way, several islands from the Aleutian group were discovered. "St. Paul" entered the harbor of Petropavlovsk on October 10, 1741.

The fate of the team and captain Bering was more dramatic. After the sailors reached America on July 17, the ship passed along the coast from the Gulf of St. Elijah to the tip of Alaska. It was possible to make only a short visit to the coast for several hours, during which the naturalist Steller managed to collect a large collection of plants of the local flora. Then the captain gave the order to return. This was due to the large number of sailors who fell ill with scurvy, including Bering himself.

On the way back, the expedition members discovered the islands:

• Montagu;
• Kodiak;
• Tumanny (later renamed Chirikov Island);
• Semmidi;
• Shumagin.

When another land appeared on the horizon, everyone thought it was Kamchatka. The ship moved closer to the shore. However, as a result of a gust of strong wind, the ship was thrown over the coastal cliffs and was captured on the island.

Due to the circumstances, it was decided to spend the winter on the spot. They dug six dugouts and covered them with sails. In harsh conditions, 20 people died from scurvy. Among them is the famous Commander Vitus Jonssen Bering. This happened on December 8, 1741.

Only 46 people survived until spring. From the remains of the packet boat, they built a smaller ship and on it got to Petropavlovsk. The island where the heroes-travelers found their last resting place was later named in honor of Captain Bering. The entire group of nearby islands is now called Commander Islands.

Meaning

During the period from 1724 to 1741, the expedition members explored vast territories.

Along the way, they had to overcome incredible difficulties:

• walking with caravans;
• the need to build ships;
• supplying troops with food and materials;
• complete Russian off-road.

They periodically sent collected collections of plants and minerals, their own observations, descriptions, reports, maps, drawings, drawings to St. Petersburg. A significant part of these documents has been preserved in the St. Petersburg branch of the Archive of the Academy of Sciences and the Russian State Archive of the Navy.

In recent decades, expedition documents have been actively introduced into scientific circulation thanks to the international research project "Sources on the history of Siberia and Alaska from Russian archives." The Great Northern Expedition made a huge contribution to the study of Eastern Siberia.

What was done:

• an inventory of individual territories of the coast of the Arctic Ocean was made;
• vast areas of Eastern Siberia were surveyed;
• the existence of a strait between Asia and America has been confirmed;
• mapped many newly discovered islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea;
• surveyed most of Kamchatka and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk;
• many species of representatives of flora and fauna are described and sketched.

What is named after Bering

In the name of the famous Russian navigator, captain-commander Vitus Jonssen (Ivan Ivanovich, as he was called in Russia) Bering are named: the strait, bay, sea, archipelago and island, as well as an underwater canyon, river and lake, glacier and the land of Beringia, which disappeared as a result tectonic processes that once connected Asia and America.

In 1991, 250 years after the famous voyage, a Soviet-Danish expedition to Bering Island was organized. She was able to find the graves of the commander and several sailors. Experts have reconstructed the appearance of Vitus. There was absolutely no resemblance to his well-known images. Further research confirmed that Bering was painted from a portrait of his uncle. They were full namesakes, from this at one time there was confusion.

Vitus also became famous among the Chukchi and Kamchatka locals for his fair attitude towards them. Many documentary sources noted his high demands on the leaders of the detachments for good treatment of the local natives and decent pay for those of them who were involved in work for the purposes of the expedition.

In memory of Bering

Grateful descendants, as a sign of respect for the great sea traveler and discoverer, in different periods (change of statehood in Russia, the times of the USSR) gave his name to many geographical and cartographic objects.

Streets in Anadyr, Artem, Astrakhan, Murmansk, St. Petersburg, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and in 10 other cities of Russia are named after Bering.

In Moscow there is Beringov and Novy Beringov proezd. The activities of the commander were reflected in documentary and fiction literature, works were created about the glorious deeds of the commander and his associates.

The following books saw the light of day:

1. Vaksel Savely Lavrentievich, the navigator of the St. Peter, who after the death of Bering led the remaining detachment, wrote the book "Vitus Bering's Second Kamchatka Expedition".
2. In 2014, the EKSMO publishing house published the book Kamchatka Expeditions in the Great Travelers series.
3. "The Last Expedition of Vitus Bering". Progress Pangea Publishing House, 1992.
4. In many scientific and artistic publications, fragments or the entire diary of Georg Steller, an active participant in that expedition, was placed: “Description of the voyage from Petropavlovsk in Kamchatka to the western coast of America, as well as incidents that took place on the way back.”
5. "A quarter of a millennium later" published a report on the work of scientists to restore the true appearance of Commander Bering.
6. In the book about famous travelers of the 18th century, Jules Verne briefly, but to the point, describes the Second Kamchatka Expedition and gives it a high rating.

In the Soviet Union, postage stamps were issued in memory of the famous sailor. In 1943, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the death of Bering, a block of four stamps was introduced into circulation.

Main images:

• map of the strait named after the discoverer;
• view of Kamchatka from the sea;
• expedition itinerary;
• the ship "Saint Peter", on which sailors reached the western coast of America in 1741.

In 1981, a postage stamp was issued to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Commander's birth. On it, he is depicted in a marine uniform according to his rank.

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a monument to Vitus Bering and a stele with figures of the ships "St. Peter" and "St. Paul" are erected in memory of the famous expeditions. On the island that bears his name, a memorial sign was erected in 1966, and in 1981 - a monument on the Commander Islands.

In 1970, a feature film adaptation of the feat of the pioneers, the film Bering and His Friends, was released.

Video

Watch the video in which historians analyze the results of Bering's First Expedition.

strait at least….

In mid-July 1741, Bering reached the coast of Alaska, discovered part of the Shumaginsky and Aleutian Islands, but died on the way back while wintering on the island (now Bering Island).

BERING (Bering) Vitus Jonassen (Ivan Ivanovich) (1681-1741), navigator, captain-commander of the Russian fleet. Danish by origin. In the service in Russia since 1703. He led the 1st Kamchatka expedition (1725-30) to the Pacific Ocean to search for an isthmus or strait between Asia and America. On the ship "Saint Gabriel", the Bering expedition discovered about. St. Lawrence, passed through the strait (later named after Bering), not knowing this, and returned back. Led the 2nd Kamchatka Expedition (1733-41), discovered some of the Aleutian Islands, died during the winter on the island, later named after him. The results of the discoveries were published by Bering's first assistant, A. I. Chirikov. Source: Encyclopedia "Fatherland" (Bering) Vitus Jonassen (Ivan Ivanovich) (1681-8.12.1741), navigator. A native of Denmark. In 1703, Bering entered the Russian service, from then until the last days of his life he faithfully served Russia. In 1725 he was appointed head of the 1st Kamchatka Expedition (1725-30), the purpose of which was to find out the presence of an isthmus or strait between Asia and America. In June - September 1728 Bering's expedition on the ship "St. Gabriel", bypassing the eastern coast of Kamchatka, the southern and eastern shores of Chukotka, passed through the strait, later called Bering. In 1730 he received the rank of captain-commander. In 1732, Bering was appointed head of the 2nd Kamchatka Expedition, whose goal was to survey the coasts of the Arctic Ocean, study Siberia and the Far East, explore the North Pacific Ocean and sail to Japan. The expedition was faced with the task of finally establishing the existence of a strait or isthmus between two continents. The expedition founded the Peter and Paul prison (1740) (now Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky). In 1740 the packet boats "St. Peter" (commander Bering) and "St. Pavel ”(commander A.I. Chirikov) left Okhotsk after wintering in Avacha Bay and headed east. On June 20, 1741, the ships parted and never met again. The ships passed by the sea, later called the Bering Sea, and reached the coast of Alaska. On the way back, Bering discovered part of the Shumaginsky and Aleutian Islands. The return was difficult, the crews suffered from lack of food and disease. Bering himself fell seriously ill and died on the island (now Bering Island), next to which “St. Peter" crashed. The Kamchatka expeditions left a huge cartographic legacy. More than 60 general and regional charts were created by sailors. Part of the discoveries of the 2nd Kamchatka expedition is reflected in the Russian Atlas (1746), which influenced the development of Western European geography and cartography. L. N. Vdovina Alexei Ilyich Chirikov (December 13, 1703, Luzhnoye village, Tula region - May 24, 1748, Moscow) - Russian nobleman, navigator, captain-commander (1747), explorer of the northwestern coast of North America, the northern part of the Pacific ocean and the northeast coast of Asia. Assistant to Vitus Bering in the 1st and 2nd Kamchatka expeditions (1725-1730 and 1733-1741). On a frosty January day in 1715, cousins ​​Alexei and Ivan Chirikov arrived in Moscow. Soon they brought a petition to the Moscow Admiralty Office, in which they wished to enroll them in the "school of mathematics and navigational sciences." After testing the knowledge, studies began, and a year later, capable students were transferred to the Maritime Academy, which was opened in the city on the Neva. Alexey Chirikov plunged headlong into the study of astronomy and navigation, spherical trigonometry and geodesy, "ship science" and cartography. In the spring of 1721, the first graduation of students from the Naval Academy took place.

History reference

Many things happened for the first time in his life. Mistaking an unusual beast for a dangerous monster, Barents shot him dead. This happened on July 9, 1594. Having examined closer this white giant, it was found almost complete resemblance to an ordinary bear.

So Barents discovered the polar bear, and Bear Island was put on the map. The first journey with the aim of opening the way to Asia, although it was considered successful, ended on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The reason for the premature return home was the accumulation of icebergs, which literally blocked the path of the ship.

The second attempt was more ambitious: the expedition consisted of 7 ships, including the Mercury. The key to the success of the event, in which the organizers of the trip believed, was the full loading of holds with goods for trade in China.

The route ran through the island of Vaigach, where the next defeat of the ships of the expedition took place in front of the polar ice.

Returning home, Barents, despite his confidence in the obligatory success of this idea, met with hostility from the government of the country.

The third and last expedition was no longer financed by the Dutch authorities, but by other, private sources.

Although a large cash reward was assigned from the Netherlands in case of victory of the first discoverer of the northern route to Asia. In May 1596, two ships set sail east. On the way, the Svalbard archipelago was discovered, but we had to stop again at Novaya Zemlya due to early ice. Disagreements began in the detachment, which led to the division of the group.

After spending the winter of 1597 on the island, the team finally lost hope for a successful voyage and, having knocked together boats from the remains of the ship, made an attempt to return home. She was successful, but on July 20, 1597, Willem Barents died.

Significance for modern times

The cause of his death has not been established (although, most likely, there were several of them - scurvy, hypothermia, and others that occur in conditions of malnutrition and lack of hygiene).

To do this, it is enough to exhume the body and make the necessary tests, but the grave of Barents is not known. Perhaps he was simply buried like a sailor, lowering his body with a tied core into the sea. In any case, his journey can be treated in two ways - despite the failure of all expeditions, the name of this person deserves deep respect.

He could not reach China, but thanks to his perseverance, Svalbard (Norway) and Novaya Zemlya (Russia) are plotted on the world map today.

Svalbard was discovered and studied by Barents himself, and although Novaya Zemlya was already known, Barents compiled the first detailed maps of this island. During the third trip, the Barents team discovered the Tierra del Fuego effect for Europeans - an optical polar phenomenon.

Its uniqueness lies in the illusion of sunrise, when in fact it is still below the horizon. This effect received a full scientific explanation only at the end of the 20th century.

The recognition of Willem Barents' services to world geography is reflected in the naming of the North Sea after him, and the number of ships bearing the name of Barents is too great to count. He went down in history as the first European winterer in the Arctic. His experience was used in the now permanent stations beyond the Arctic Circle.

The fate of the last house built from ship parts on Novaya Zemlya is also interesting. The very site of the Barents expedition was discovered in 1871 and, thanks to the cold, has not changed at all over the past 274 years. At the end of 1980, the remains of the ship were also discovered.

Now most of these items and things are in the museums of Holland and Russia.

Conclusion

Many travelers have been known to us since childhood, at least their names are familiar. But there are people who have made no less famous discoverers for the history of the development of navigation, the development and discovery of new lands. However, their names are mentioned less often. These, of course, include Leif Eriksson.

Vitus Bering. Biographies biographies

Sergey Epishkin

The commander of Captain Vitus Bering, in my opinion, is the most famous Russian navigator. As for the number of scientific, popular science and artistic publications associated with it, no Russian traveler can compare with it. The name Bering is the sea, the strait that separates Asia and America, as well as a dozen geographical features.

It seems that something and the biography of the master of the master should be well known. But no. It still has many secrets that need to be solved and explained.

First puzzle. Arrival in Russia

Surprisingly, the circumstances of Bering's arrival in Russian service are unreliable.

There are two main versions.

The first, the most common, defined in all biographical works. Behring, at the end of the school in Amsterdam, was called in 1703 to minister to Cornelius Creus.

The second, expressed by Academician G. Miller, is that Bering himself asked for a job and accepted it, taking into account the experience of traveling to India and America. Let's try to figure it out.

They don't have Bering. It is true that the history of the latter list is vague. It was kept in the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and not the name of Apraksin, Menshikov, Peter himself, but foreigners and some Russians descend to the lower ranks. But it is absolutely certain that in 1703 Bering did not serve in the Russian Navy. Does not apply to Kriya. An indirect confirmation of this is the inclusion of Bering's cruise in 1713, since the sentence was known in advance: the death penalty and therefore would not bring people to trial against it.

Miler's accusations cannot be taken for granted. Although he personally had many contacts with Bering, he wrote his memoirs almost twenty years later, after the expedition, and made mistakes in chronology. No one except him writes about the trip of young Vitus to America.

Most likely, when he collaborated with the archives, Miller saw documents relating to 1724 about the location of the sailors who were in America, and about the salary of Captain-Commander Bering in 1732, a bonus of 1000 rubles. Therefore, he drew the wrong conclusions.

In 1993, polar explorer D.I. Shparo asked Ambassador Michael Bell of Canada's ambassador to the Netherlands to send a photograph of the building of the Naval School in Amsterdam in the early 18th century, if it were kept.

The answer was unexpected: there was no such institution in Amsterdam at the beginning of the 18th century. Behring definitely did not study in Amsterdam. And why does Dan need to study in the Netherlands?

However, Bering accepted Russian service as an officer, that is, he knew navigation, navigation, naval artillery. If I had not studied at a naval school, all knowledge would have to be obtained during trips and on warships.

It is known that Bering came to the sea in 1695 as a young man, fourteen years old, who accompanied his half-brother Svenda.

Svend, studying theology in Copenhagen, was in prison and was sentenced to 15 years of exile in the Danish colony of Tranquebar (southeast India). As a literate person, he is determined to serve his sentence as a customs collector and shipyard manager. All officials are usually transported to a warship, which is probably why Bering became the boy's cabin on a warship.

The circumstances of other flights in the Indian Ocean are unknown. It is logical to assume that he continued his work and studies in the Danish Navy. The record of Bering's work in the Dutch whaling industry is an unsubstantiated assumption, as was the case in Amsterdam in 1703.

The start date of Bering's service can be corrected exactly - 1704. His aunt was identified from Bering's letter. In addition, the fleet historian V.N. In 1764 Birch received a certificate from the maritime administration at Bering, where the service began in 1704, and also reported that it was accepted on the advice of Creus. That's why they are all partly true: Krois did not hire Bering, but they gave a recommendation on which they settled in the Russian service in 1704.

Another riddle. Service and retirement

A completely unknown episode of Bering's life is a situation in captivity. This is strange, because, according to official data, he did not participate in the battle.

In the book Swedish historian Eric Hornborg "Warrior Karl XII and the Battle for Finland in the Great Northern War" - this is the line: "Peter Longstrom moved to the south of Finland, learned two successful attacks in Helsinki and Sibbo, then worked on the archipelago a lot of Russian ships". The following note: “Among the prisoners, one of Longstrem was named Vitus Bering, an officer of the Russian fleet of Danish origin, according to which a man named Bering is a strait.

Due to the transfer of an officer from the underground directory of dragons, Wigant, along with 24 other prisoners, managed to escape in the autumn of 1714, when the Russians captured Olofsborg. »

It is known that in 1714 Bering transported the ship "Pearl" to Hamburg and took it to Revel. How it can be in captivity is incomprehensible.

But there was no fault with him. Bering was not prosecuted, and the following year he was promoted to captain 4th class. The largest expert on archival documents TS. Fedorova suggests that the incident occurred when Beringu went to Vyborg as a passenger for family reasons.

But will the ship let go of vacation at the level of military operations? Maritime regulations forbid it categorically.

All biographers from Bering find out the strange circumstances of his dismissal in 1724.

In fact, a captain of the 2nd degree, he commands one of the seven largest ships "Lesnoye", which was personally built by Peter I, and in December 1723 he was transferred to the Naval Police College. Of the 255 navies, the same over Bering, there are only 23 people.

Over time, this coincided with the marriage of the sister's sister to Vice President Thomas Sanders in Vyborg. It can be assumed that Bering decided to start a family business (the war was over, his Piulce family was rich, had their own ship), but this idea is not justified. According to the Treaty of Nystad, the city of Vyborg went to Russia, and Bering applied for a passport to his homeland, that is, to leave Russia.

Navy historian V.N. Berch described the sequence of events as follows. The annulment was filed by four officials: Willim Gay, Mathis Fahl-Kenbergh, Vitus Bering and Marko Dubrovin. They all complained about slow progress. At a meeting of the Admiral Committee, its chairman, Admiral General F.M. Apraksin informed Peter I of this. Apraksin offered to increase Dubrovnik's salary and allow others to go home. Peter, I didn't say anything about resigning. On February 23 (Old Style) the college decided to issue passports and money for Captains Gaia, Falkenberg and Bering.

Apraksin mentioned the patients and refused to sign the decision. It was signed by the Vice President of the College, but he demanded it from Apraksin. He avoided it again, but promised to validate the passport. Only on March 10 did Bering receive his passport and travel documents.

According to the first clause of 85. "The Rules of the Sea" was adopted in April 1722, a foreigner who wants to leave the country in order to obtain a passport and "...to have a passport for everyone, more than seven days in the country, if it was due to some legitimate reason.

And in this case, I must inform the Admiral College. »

Bering, according to his passport and travel money, in contrast to the law and logic, never left, but he continued to live in his house in Kronstadt. In addition, he reappeared in the fleet and even with an increase.

On August 5, 1724, Petra gave Apraksin an oral order to return Bering to the command of the first rank. Apparently, Behring did not submit formal applications, because the Collegium asked him to ask himself if he wanted to serve? After a positive response, the fleet was restored. On August 10, the class of captain first class was appointed. The oath was taken on 4 October.

Surprisingly, Peter in January 1721 instructed "officers of foreigners who were in the service of the Royal Highness of the Navy, and released from service and gave them an absurdity, you still do not accept at work."

It seems incredible that homeless and legal Brian Bereda broke the law and did not leave Russia after seven days. It is even more strange that Peter, who was difficult enough, ignored his decision and instructed the president of the Admiral Apraksin College to take Bering again after five months with a rise. Sure, Vice President Sanders could be relatively related, but he didn't have much of an impact on the king, so we have to look for a more compelling reason.

Will the king be an exception? The answer is unequivocal - yes, I can. Such a precedent was in February 1724, precisely at the time of Bering's demands.

Perhaps that is why Peter I was silent at the committee meeting in connection with the dismissal of the entire group of honored officers.

Information that can be highlighted can be found in the minutes of the meeting of the Admiralty colleagues on October 4, 1725. This is true in the case of Pornely English, who asked the Russian service for the rank of captain 1st rank, although the English fleet is just a midshipman. The majority of votes rejected the initiative, because "... the Russian Navy and ministers will not be without insults, such as the 2nd and 3rd ranks of skippers who have acquired them at work for many years, this will be shown by a naive criminal act, from which they were forced to apply unspoken as something that in the past - 1723 and 1734, or among the maritime manager of labor life, again leaving the commanders from them, was a great damage and embarrassment, so they were forced before the first to ask the guilt of the abhids who received them, namely the captains "Grip", "Gay", "Falkenberg", "Bering" and later, although they were in the service and encouraged, they should not have been accepted by him and decided that people with an increased rank ... ".

It is now clear that Bering is abusing the unreasonable in terms of appointing himself to senior vacancies of unknown new officers who have entered the service. He did not demand the return of the fleet. Apparently, they immediately called him. Bering made a condition: an increase in rank. The condition to be accepted has been considered for a long time. He was waiting for an answer, so he quietly continued to live in Kronstadt from the police.

Of course, the final decision was made personally by Peter I. During this period, something happened that Beringov and the Emperor changed their positions and realized the interests of others.

The thought comes to mind: Bering did not return only to work, but agreed to definitively connect her life with her new homeland, thus becoming an object of the Russian Empire.

This hypothesis is indirectly confirmed. In January and December 1731, Bering filed a petition on behalf of the Empress for the distribution of farms. This privilege was only for the Russian nobility. The officials of the second Kamchatka expedition were originally designed by Russian volunteers.

Later, at the initiative of Bering, foreign volunteers entered their command structure.

Third puzzle. Portrait of Bering

Today, Bering's name is visible on maps, in the names of ships and commercial companies. The Maritime Museum in St. Petersburg has a portrait of the captain-master, which is listed in all reference books and encyclopedias. The problem is that this portrait has nothing to do with an exceptional navigator!

The story with the image of Bering requires an explanation. Few people know that there were more portraits.

In the police chest "Saint George" - 4. Stages. The decree was instituted in 1769, which was a few years after the sailor's death. Bering had no orders. But for some reason, the authors of the main work put this picture. Under the photo is written: "from the collection of the Museum of Peter the Great." The Peter the Great Museum is now the main maritime museum in St. Petersburg. The author of the article works at a museum, asking for help finding a miniature, or at least a mention.

Sorry, nothing. It is true that in the 30th century XX. Over the centuries, many exhibits were moved to other warehouses or destroyed only as "non-historical values". Accounting was then almost non-existent.

The secret of the secret was revealed by the documents of the State Archives of the Navy.

T.S. Fedorov managed to find a letter in the correspondence of the naval service, in which it is proposed to purchase a medallion with a portrait of Bering from his relatives in Moscow for 50 rubles. The letter contained a resolution that questioned the authenticity of the image. That's all. But one way or another, there was a miniature and was kept in the Bering family. Now it is clear why it was placed in the "History of the Russian Army and Navy", although it was in doubt.

If the medallion is not the Berings, then who is? Employees at Hermitage SA

What did Bering discover?

Latin concluded: in miniature a man in the form of a senior officer of engineering units in the era of Paul I.

The famous portrait of the current captain was discovered in 1945 in Moscow by the great grandson of E. Tregubov Bering. The historian H. Mezentsev was published in the Proceedings of the All-Union Geographical Society with the comment: “In view of the current shortage, the portrait of Bering comparisons excludes the possibility of verifying the authenticity of the image.

One must believe the legends that preserved the descendants of Bering, since there is no reason to discredit him. “But in 1965, the greatest Soviet historian Mikhail Belov, who belongs to the Danish IST ship, said the same portrait was handed over by a descendant of the city of Maslov-Bering to Beringovo Horsens in 1941 and, according to the frame, is well worth your fax.

In addition, according to Belov, the Danes founded photography - this is not the navigator Vitus Jonassen Bering, but his uncle's mother - the popular Danish poet and historian Pedersen Vitus Bering.

By the way, in honor of the famous relative, his future sailor got his name.

An audit showed that in 1941 the portrait was not moved to Horsens. In these newspapers, the portrait of a man from the Bering family was actually published, but the portrait was completely different.

A descendant of the captain-master Diodor Maslov-Bering really presented the image of famous sailors, but in 1948. And this image was "a photographic copy of Bering's portrait, which was recently in Moscow."

The circle is closed. So what did Vitus Bering look like?

In 1991, at the initiative of the Moscow club "Adventures", headed by Dmitry Shparo, a Russian-Danish archaeological expedition was organized on the Commander Islands.

During the expedition, he managed to find the lost grave of Vitus Bering. A year later, Professor V.N. Zvyagin, using the plastic reconstruction method, restored the true face of the captain.

Not everyone believed that they actually managed to find the sailors. Expedition members and experts asked for hard evidence. Professor Zvyagin published an original method for collecting the material needed for identification. At his request, the author of the article, together with Commander Commander E. Commander E.

Yu .. Zavadskaya compiled Bering's genealogy along male and female lines. The purpose of this work is to collect images of the descendants of sailors: portraits, engravings, lithographs, photographs. When we built the family tree, there were about 150 people in it. Gradually, it was possible to obtain the necessary iconographic (portrait) material, which was immediately transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Professor Zvyagin.

Based on the collected data, the doctors' doctors identified the main characteristics typical of the Bering family and compared the skulls to the island teams.

The assessment is unambiguous - in 1991 the grave of Vitus Bering was found. The error probability is 10 (minus fifteen), which is practically zero.

The work on the composition of the genealogy allowed him to answer the question of who is depicted in the two previous portraits.

The fact is that in terms of the number of such signs, both of them belong to the Bering family. As for the canonized portrait in 1945, it turned out that the Danish poet and historian Vitus Pedersen Bering appeared on it.

To clarify the situation and the medallion. The miniature shows a man from the Bering family, a senior civil engineer during the time of Paul I, was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and received the consecrated Ishmael. The lists of gentlemen is the name of the Christian Bering. Archive for naval records lightly: "dismissed from the job of engineer Lieutenant Colonel Christian Behring on November 26, 1789."

In addition, he says that in 1801 he participated in the construction of the port of Reval. Finally, the last point is set.

After two and a half centuries, Vitus Bering literally found his face. In September 1992, a solemn alley for an outstanding navigator and five of his comrades took place on Bering Island. From now on, their grave ceased to be unknown. It has become a valuable monument to outstanding people.

Fourth secret. Forgot login?

For swimming in America, Bering attracted to participate in the expedition as a painter in Okhotsk, the exiled corps of Friedrich Plenisner.

He really knew how to cook and teach in Okhotsk, the brother of the children of Bering and Chirikov. Plenisner was in 1741 with Bering on the same ship. But none of his drawings have survived. They were not found in the archives of the Navy and the Academy of Sciences.

At the end of the expedition, Plenisner continued to work in the Okhotsk and Anadyr prisons, rose to the rank of colonel, and prepared a report for Catherine II on surveys in Chukotka.

In 1776 he returned to Petersburg, where he died three years later. There is no data on the remaining drawings that he has.

The issues of the second Kamchatka expedition were finally completed by Sven Waxel, the senior officer of the Bering ship.

After the death of many documents, Waxel succeeded his son Lorenz (Lawrence), a twelve-year-old boy sailing along the shores of America with his father and captain-captain. Lawrence Savelyevich Waxell moved to the regimental general and died in July 1781 in Arkhangelsk, where he served as the chief commander of the port. Among the items in the general listing are two documentary chests and a collection of paintings: portraits of kings - 29, family - 26 different engraved portraits and images on glass - 95 and 36 landscapes.

This circumstance deserves attention. Personal galleries in the 18th century. For centuries, only great nobles or wealthy people had a good income. None of the above Vauxhall categories can be categorized. Probably the entire collection is not bought.

Then where is he from? We will put forward a proposal: perhaps this is the work of Plenisner and in the forge - documents of the second Kamchatka expedition.

Documents related to Bering were not all in the archives. Historian V.

N. Berh warned that she was the sister of a sailor who was married to a retired Captain II. Class AA Shaten retained a lot of material about their magnificent ancestor.

Lived in Belgorod. Berch did not have time to get to know them, but after a series of wars and revolutions, almost nothing remained.

Return to the images and the paper tray. After the death of Lavrenty Vaksel, his brother Vasily, he wrote to the governor of Yaroslavl Melgunov: what to do with paper?

(Arkhangelsk was then a member of the Yaroslavl province). Unfortunately, the Yaroslavl archive could not find an answer to the letter.

The gallery and documents of Lavrenty Vaksel were not found. But the hope of success remains. The wolves lived in Solbkhol, so they did not touch the Arkhangelsk fires. They had property in the Vologda region.

In Vologda, at the end of his life, Vasily, who actively participated in the inheritance business, went over his brother. Therefore, the geography of the search should be further expanded: the trace of the necessary documents may be not only at the central polygons, but also in the archives of the Archangel, Yaroslavl, Vologda and Veliky Ustyug. The last place seems especially interesting. During the shorter existence of the North Dvina Governorate, Veliky Ustyug brought many documents that remained unmounted.

Clearly, the future generation of maritime historians still has a lot of work to do. Before them is an interesting search and amazing finds. We wish them the best of luck in making their success public as soon as possible.

The birth of the future navigator is not marked by any important events. No one imagined that the child would become not just a sailor, but a great discoverer, and even in the service of another state. It is difficult to say what reasons prompted the boy to enter the naval service in the Russian Empire: our state was not so powerful at that time. Perhaps Bering was able to see certain prospects for himself. Which, to some extent, contributed to the discoveries made by him, which had practical, geographical, and historical significance. Bering not only discovered new lands and islands in the north of the country, but also made maps of the coast, which was extremely important.

First years of life

Vitus Bering was born on August 12, 1681 in Jutland (modern Denmark) in the city of Horsens. The town did not differ in anything special: several churches and monasteries - that's all the sights. It began to develop only after 1442, when a trading charter was issued to it, and gradually turned into a commercial center.

The city was located on the seashore and had a port. The hero of our story from the first years of his life admired the waves and dreamed of traveling. Although his father was, according to some historians, a customs officer, and never left his native place. It is not very clear for what reason, but at the very beginning of his career as a sailor, the teenager took his mother's surname.

The sea attracted the boy, so it is not surprising that, having reached adolescence, he entered the Naval Cadet Corps in Amsterdam, and in 1703, at the age of 22, he successfully completed it. But before that, Vitus Bering made a short trip to the East Indies on a Dutch ship. Apparently, after this, the future traveler Bering made a firm decision to link his fate with the sea.

In the service of Peter I

How did Vitus Bering get into the Russian fleet? His biography does not contain exact information on this matter. It is only known that at that time, on the orders of the Russian sovereign Peter the Great, Admiral of the Russian fleet Kornely Ivanovich Kruys was recruiting experienced sailors for service. Sievers and Senyavin introduced the boy, saying that he had already been to the East Indies, therefore, he still had some kind of experience. From other sources it is known that Vitus wanted to serve, like his cousin Sievers, in the Navy, and certainly in the Russian Empire. Whatever it was, but his dream came true, and Bering went to St. Petersburg. There he was assigned to manage a ship that transported timber for the construction of the Kronstadt fortress. Not God knows what, but still the sea!

Soon Vitus Bering received the rank of lieutenant and began to carry out more responsible and complex assignments. He took part in the Azov campaign, tracked the movement of Swedish ships in the Gulf of Finland, participated in the campaign from Arkhangelsk to Kronstadt, served on the Pearl ship during its transfer from Hamburg to St. Petersburg. And suddenly, not having reached the rank of captain of the first rank, Bering leaves military service.

The track record of Vitus Bering

If we compile in chronological order all the ranks and titles that the navigator Bering received during his military career, we get the following table:

	Admission to the naval service of the Russian fleet
	Received the rank of lieutenant (the current rank of lieutenant)
	Vitus Bering transferred to serve in the troops on the Sea of ​​Azov Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander Entrusted with the command of the shnyavy "Munker"
	Service in the Azov Fleet, participation in the war with Turkey
	Transfer to service in the Baltic Fleet
	Vyborg, marriage to Anna Kristina
	Obtained the rank of captain of the 4th rank
	Bering takes command of the ship "Pearl", which he must deliver from Hamburg to Russia
	Captain Rank 3
	Takes command of the ship Selafail
	The future navigator receives the rank of captain of the 2nd rank Transferred to the command of the ship Malburg
	Vitus Bering retires with the rank of captain 2nd rank

These are the titles and honors awarded to Vitus Bering for 20 years of service. A brief biography, however, does not at all reveal all the merits of the navigator. For historians and geographers, the subsequent part of his life is more interesting.

Development and accession of Kamchatka to the Russian Empire

The ever-increasing oppression of serfdom could not but affect the history of Russia. The runaway peasants were looking for lands that would serve as a refuge from persecution. So gradually people got to Siberia, and then to Kamchatka. But the territory was already inhabited, so campaigns were organized to seize and develop lands rich in furs, etc. In 1598, it was defeated, and the territory became part of the Russian Empire.

The need to explore Kamchatka

The development of Kamchatka and other Siberian lands was a matter of national importance. First of all, it was necessary to replenish the treasury. But the pioneers were mostly poorly educated people who first of all looked for minerals, discovered new territories and taxed the local population. The state needed maps of new lands, as well as a sea route.

In 1724, Peter the Great issues a decree on organizing a campaign against Kamchatka, led by Vitus Bering. The traveler was ordered to get to Kamchatka, build two ships and go to the North on them, find the place where America connects with Siberia, and find a way to the cities of Europe from there.

The first Kamchatka expedition of Vitus Bering

Having received the position of leader and title, the future traveler began to fulfill the order of the sovereign. After 2 weeks - January 25, 1725 - the first members of the expedition set off from St. Petersburg to Kamchatka. The group included two more naval officers (Alexey Chirikov and Martyn Shpanberg), surveyors, shipbuilders, navigators, rowers, sailors, cooks. The total number reached 100 people.

The road turned out to be difficult and difficult. I had to get there in various ways: carts, sledges with dogs, river boats. Arriving in Okhotsk in 1727, they began building ships to fulfill the main tasks of the expedition. On these ships, Vitus Bering traveled to the Western coast of Kamchatka. In Nizhnekamchatsk, the warship "Saint Gabriel" was rebuilt, on which the navigator and the crew went further. The ship passed through the strait between Alaska and Chukotka, but due to weather conditions, the sailors could not see the shores of the American continent.

Partially, the goals of the expedition were fulfilled. However, returning in 1730, he submits a report on the work done and draws up a project for the next expedition. Most of the first persons of the state and academicians did not understand, like Vitus Bering himself, what he had discovered. But the main thing was proved - Asia and America are not connected. And the traveler received the rank of captain-commander.

Second expedition to Kamchatka

After the navigator returned, his words, records and maps were treated with a certain distrust. It was necessary to defend his honor and justify the highest trust placed in him. And the goals have not yet been achieved. You can't stop half way. So, the second expedition is appointed, and Vitus Bering commands it. A biography written by the traveler's contemporaries claims that, shortly before the first trip to the shores of Kamchatka, a certain Shestakov discovered both the strait and even the Kuril Islands. Yes, but all these discoveries have not been documented. The Dane was lucky - he was educated, knew how to structure and analyze the results obtained, and made good maps.

The second expedition of Vitus Bering had the following goals: exploring the sea from Kamchatka to Japan and the mouth of the Amur, mapping the entire northern coast of Siberia, reaching the American coast and trading with the natives, if any were found there.

Despite the fact that Anna Ioannovna sat on the imperial throne, Russia still remained faithful to Peter's precepts. Therefore, influential officials from the Admiralty became interested in the project. The decree on the campaign was issued in 1732. Having reached Okhotsk, in 1740, Bering builds two packet boats - St. Peter and St. Paul. On them, the researchers went to the eastern coast of Kamchatka.

Expedition results

This time it was more successful. But at the same time tragic - during the wintering in 1741, Vitus Bering died. What he discovered could only be appreciated later. After all, then it was difficult to verify the reliability of the results of his work - the road to Siberia was still too dependent on the vagaries of nature. But even then, travelers had already begun to use the maps compiled by Vitus Bering. The discoveries of the great pioneer made it possible to engage in the development and exploitation of new lands.

So the following has been done:

• Petropavlovsk was founded in the Achinsk Bay.
• Through the modern Bering Sea, the coast of Alaska is reached.
• On the way back, the Aleutian and Shumaginsky Islands were discovered.
• The Aleutian Range is mapped.
• Evdokeevsky Islands and Chirikov Island (Misty) were discovered and mapped.
• Bering Island was discovered, on which the navigator died in 1741.
• The territories of northern and eastern Russia, the interior territories of Siberia are plotted on the map.
• The Kuril Islands are mapped.
• Found a way to Japan.

If you carefully study the history of geographical discoveries, you will find that this expedition was only part of a larger campaign. It was completed only a few years after Bering's death, and even then only thanks to his organizational talent. After all, it was he who divided the participants of the Northern Expedition into groups, giving each of them certain tasks. Despite the human losses, the campaign was completed very successfully.

What did Vitus Bering look like?

The appearance of the discoverer is questionable by some biographers. It turns out that the familiar paintings depicting Vitus Bering (there was no photo then) do not correspond to reality. These are portraits of his uncle. The controversy was resolved by examining the skull and recreating the appearance through modeling. As a result, the real face of the traveler was obtained. Indeed, Vitus Bering (photos are presented in the article) had a completely different appearance. But this does not detract from the importance of his discoveries.

Character of the great navigator

According to reports, the navigator had a somewhat mild character, which was not at all suitable for the head of the expedition. Nevertheless, Bering was twice appointed to this position. It should be noted one more oddity. The explorer of Siberia did not like to bring things to the end result - he could stop at the moment when the goal was within easy reach. This feature of Bering was noted by both friends and participants in the campaigns. And yet it was he who was recommended as a leader and organizer to both Peter the Great and Anna Ioannovna. How can this be explained? It must be that, despite all his shortcomings, Vitus Bering was an experienced navigator. He knew how to follow orders, was very responsible and executive, and, no less important, devoted to the state in whose service he was. Yes, most likely, it was for these qualities that he was chosen to carry out such important geographical research.

Grave of the explorer of Kamchatka

After Vitus Bering met his death on the island, which he also discovered, he was buried and, according to the traditions of that time, a wooden cross was erected. It is clear that over time the tree decayed and crumbled. However, in 1864, at the place where, according to the records of Bering's associates, his grave was located, a new wooden cross was erected. This was the merit of the Russian-American Company, founded under Emperor Paul.

In 1991, a search expedition was organized to the burial places of the researcher of Siberia. The grave of not only Bering, but also five more sailors was discovered on the island. The remains were recovered and sent to Moscow for research. The appearance of the traveler was restored from the bones and skull. Also, scientists were able to find out that he died not from scurvy, as previously assumed, but from another disease (which one, exactly, is not known for certain). After the research was completed, the remains were returned to the island and reburied.

Objects that bear the name of the great navigator

In memory of the traveler and his contribution to geographical research, the following objects are named after him:

• Streets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, Murmansk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Tomsk, Yakutsk.
• Island, strait, cape, glacier, sea.
• Icebreaker and diesel-electric ship.
• State University in Kamchatka.
• Plants that grow in the Far East.

In addition, the film "The Ballad of Bering and His Friends" was shot about the traveler.

The value of the navigator's discoveries

One cannot fail to recognize the importance of Vitus Bering's sea voyages. It was thanks to him that the first competently drawn maps of Siberia appeared. Subsequently, this greatly helped the development of the Asian part of the Russian Empire. Thanks to his expeditions, active development of the region began. They began to extract minerals, the mining and foundry industries began to develop.

The Russian Empire received an influx of money into the treasury and new territories, its global significance and influence increased. And most importantly, the country got the opportunity to trade with those countries that could not be reached by the already mastered routes. After all, these territories were under the jurisdiction of other states, which charged a considerable fee for their crossing. Nevertheless, despite all his merits, Vitus Bering received recognition posthumously, only after other travelers confirmed his discoveries. So, the well-known now got its name from the light hand of James Cook.

Dane navigator, captain-commander of the Russian fleet

Led the 1st and 2nd Kamchatka expeditions. Passed between the Chukchi Peninsula and Alaska, confirming the presence of a strait separating them (subsequently, the strait between Russia and the United States was named Bering Strait), reached North America and discovered a number of islands in the Aleutian ridge.

An island, a strait, an underwater canyon, a river, a lake, a glacier, two capes, a street in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a sea in the North Pacific Ocean, as well as the Commander Islands are named after the great navigator. In archeology, the northeastern part of Siberia, Chukotka and Alaska (which are now considered to have been previously connected by a strip of land) is often referred to by the common term Beringia.

Brief chronology

1703 graduated from the Amsterdam Naval Cadet Corps

1704, with the rank of second lieutenant, he entered the service in the Russian fleet, in the Baltic

1710-12 transferred to the Azov Fleet, participated in the war with Turkey

1715 promoted to captain of the 4th rank

1725-30 led First Kamchatka expedition, surveyed and mapped the Pacific coast of Kamchatka and Northeast Asia

1733-41 led Second Kamchatka expedition, during which it was possible to map the northern and eastern coasts of Russia, the interior territories of Eastern Siberia, explored the paths to America and Japan, discovered the coast of North-West America, the islands of the Kuril and Aleutian ridges

In 1741, in the difficult conditions of a forced wintering on the island, later named after Bering, the captain-commander died. The great navigator was buried on Bering Island in Commander Bay.

Life story

Bering Vitus Jonassen was born in 1681 in the Danish city of Horsens, graduated from the cadet corps in Amsterdam in 1703, in the same year he was admitted to the Baltic Fleet with the rank of second lieutenant, and in 1707 he was promoted to lieutenant. In 1710 he was transferred to the Azov Fleet, promoted to captain-lieutenant, commanded by the ugly "Munker". In 1712 he was transferred to the Baltic Fleet, in 1715 he was promoted to captain of the 4th rank.

In 1716 he commanded the Pearl. In 1717 he was promoted to captain of the 3rd rank. In 1719 he commanded the ship "Selafail". In 1720 he was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank, commanded the ship "Malburg", then - the ship "Forest". In 1724, he was dismissed from the service at the request, and then again accepted into the service as the commander of the Selafail with the rank of captain of the 1st rank.

From 1725 to 1730 - Chief First Kamchatka expedition. In the middle of the summer of 1728, he surveyed and mapped the Pacific coast of Kamchatka and Northeast Asia. He discovered two peninsulas (Kamchatsky and Ozerny), Kamchatka Bay, Karaginsky Bay with Karaginsky Island, Cross Bay, Providence Bay and St. Lawrence Island.

In the Chukchi Sea, having passed the strait (later called the Bering Strait), the expedition reached 62° 24' with. sh., but because of the fog Ana and the wind did not find the earth and turned back. The following year, Bering managed to advance 200 kilometers from Kamchatka to the east, inspect part of the Kamchatka coast and identify Avacha Bay and Avacha Bay. The discoverer for the first time surveyed over 3,500 kilometers of the western coastline of the sea, later called the Bering Sea.

In 1730 he was promoted to captain-commander.

After returning to St. Petersburg at the end of April 1730, Bering proposed a plan for exploring the northern coast of the continent and reaching the mouth of the Amur, the Japanese Islands and America by sea.

Bering was appointed chief Second Kamchatka (Great Northern) Expedition, A. Chirikov became his deputy. On June 4, 1741, Bering and Chirikov, commanding two packet boats, headed southeast from the coast of Kamchatka in search of the "land of Juan da Gama", located on some maps of the 18th century between 46 and 50 ° N. sh. For more than a week, the pioneers searched in vain in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean for at least a piece of land. Both ships headed northeast, but on June 20, due to thick fog, they parted forever. For three days, Bering searched for Chirikov: he went south for about 400 kilometers, then moved northeast and crossed the central water area of ​​the Gulf of Alaska for the first time. July 17, 58°N sh. noticed the ridge (St. Elias), but did not experience joy from the discovery of the American coast: he felt ill due to an exacerbated heart disease.

In August - September, while continuing to sail along the coast of America, Bering discovered Tumanny Island (Chirikova), five islands (Evdokeyevsky), snow mountains (Aleutsky Range) on the "mater coast" (Alaska Peninsula), at the southwestern edge of which he discovered the Shumagin Islands and met the Aleuts for the first time. Continuing to go west, sometimes in the north I saw land - separate islands of the Aleutian ridge. On November 4, a wave nailed the ship to the ground, which turned out to be an island. Here the captain-commander died; 14 people from his detachment died of scurvy. The island was subsequently named after Bering.

buried on Bering Island in Komandor Bay. There are four monuments at the site of Bering's death. Directly at the burial site today there is an iron cross 3.5 m high. At its foot is a cast-iron plaque with the inscription: "1681-1741. To the great navigator captain-commander Vitus Bering from the inhabitants of Kamchatka, June 1966."

Being inquisitive by nature and, like an enlightened monarch, concerned about the benefits for the country, the first Russian emperor was keenly interested in travel descriptions. The king and his advisers knew about the existence of Anian - that was the name of the strait between Asia and America at that time - and expected to use it for practical purposes. At the end of 1724 Peter I remembered "... something that I thought about for a long time and that other things prevented me from doing it, that is, about the road across the Arctic Sea to China and India ... Wouldn't we be happier in researching such a path than the Dutch and the British? ..." and, without delay , issued an order for the expedition. The captain of the 1st rank was appointed its head, later - the captain-commander, 44-year-old Vitus Jonassen (in Russian usage - Ivan Ivanovich) Bering, who had already served in Russia for 21 years. The tsar handed him a secret instruction written in his own hand, according to which Bering was to have a large landmass, supposedly stretching in a northwesterly direction near the coast of Kamchatka, to reach a large landmass, supposedly stretching in a northwesterly direction near coast of Kamchatka, go along the coast, find out if it connects with North America, and trace the coast of the mainland south to the possessions of European states. The official task was to resolve the issue of "whether America came together with Asia" and the opening of the Northern Sea Route.

Consisting at first of 34 people, set off on the road from St. Petersburg on January 24, 1725. Moving through Siberia, they went to Okhotsk on horseback and on foot, on ships along the rivers. The last 500 km from the mouth of the Yudoma to Okhotsk, they dragged the heaviest loads, harnessing themselves to the sledges. Terrible frosts and famine reduced the composition of the expedition by 15 people. The advance detachment led by V. Bering arrived in Okhotsk on October 1, 1726, and the group of Lieutenant Martyn Petrovich Shpanberg, a Dane in the Russian service, who closed the expedition, got there only on January 6, 1727. To survive until the end of winter, people had to build several huts and barns.

The road through the expanses of Russia took 2 years. On this entire path, equal to a quarter of the length of the earth's equator, Lieutenant Alexei Ilyich Chirikov determined 28 astronomical points, which made it possible for the first time to reveal the true latitudinal extent of Siberia, and, consequently, the northern part of Eurasia.

From Okhotsk to Kamchatka, the expedition members traveled on two small ships. For the sea continuation of the journey, it was necessary to build and equip the boat “St. Gabriel", on which the expedition went to sea on July 14, 1728.

As the authors of “Essays on the History of Geographical Discoveries” note, V. Bering, having misunderstood the king’s intention and violating the instructions that ordered him to first go from Kamchatka to the south or east, headed north along the coast of the peninsula, and then northeast along the mainland .

“As a result,” the “Essays ...” read further, “more than 600 km of the northern half of the eastern coast of the peninsula were photographed, peninsula Kamchatka and Ozernoy, as well as Karaginsky Bay with the island of the same name ... The sailors also put on the map 2500 km of the coastline of Northeast Asia. Along most of the coast they noted high mountains, and covered with snow in summer, approaching in many places directly to the sea and rising above it like a wall. In addition, they opened gulf of the cross(not knowing that it was already discovered by K. Ivanov), Bay of Providence and St. Lawrence Island.

However, the desired part of the land was still not shown. V. Bering, not seeing either the American coast or the turn to the west of the Chukchi coast, ordered A. Chirikov and M. Shpanberg to state in writing their opinions on whether the presence of a strait between Asia and America can be considered proven, whether to move further north and how far . As a result of this "written meeting" Bering decided to go further north. On August 16, 1728, the sailors passed through the strait and ended up in the Chukchi Sea. Then Bering turned back, officially motivating his decision by the fact that everything was done according to the instructions, the coast does not extend further to the north, but “nothing came to the Chukotsky, or Eastern, corner of the earth.” After spending another winter in Nizhnekamchatsk, in the summer of 1729, Bering again made an attempt to reach the American coast, but after walking a little more than 200 km, due to strong wind and fog, he ordered to return.

The first expedition described the southern half of the eastern and a small part of the western coast of the peninsula for more than 1000 km between the mouths of Kamchatka and Bolshaya, revealing Gulf of Kamchatka and Avacha Bay. Together with Lieutenant A.I. Chirikov and midshipman Pyotr Avraamovich Chaplin, Bering compiled the final map of the voyage. Despite a number of errors, this map was much more accurate than the previous ones and was highly appreciated by D. Cook. A detailed description of the first marine scientific expedition in Russia was preserved in the ship's log, which was kept by Chirikov and Chaplin.

The northern expedition would not have been successful without auxiliary campaigns led by Cossack colonel Afanasy Fedotovich Shestakov, captain Dmitry Ivanovich Pavlutsky, surveyor Mikhail Spiridonovich Gvozdev and navigator Ivan Fedorov.

It was M. Gvozdev and I. Fedorov who completed the opening of the strait between Asia and America, begun by Dezhnev and Popov. They examined both sides of the strait, the islands located in it, and collected all the materials needed to put the strait on the map.

Returning from the expedition, Bering proposed to the government a plan for a new large expedition and expressed his readiness to take part in it. In 1733 he was appointed head of the Second Kamchatka Expedition. His assistant ("comrade") was A.I. Chirikov, by this time already the captain.

Their task was to explore the American shores from Kamchatka. At the same time, M. Shpanberg was supposed to sail to Japan and establish contact with it, and several detachments were to map the northern coast of Russia from Pechora to the extreme northeast and, if possible, to Kamchatka. An Academic Detachment was also formed, whose task was to explore the interior regions of Siberia. The northern detachments worked independently, but all their activities were controlled by V. Bering. The work of the expedition was designed for 6 years.

At the beginning of 1734, V. Bering gathered all the members of the expedition in Tobolsk. Several land parties of surveyors left from here to study the coast of the ocean. Bering himself went to Yakutsk where he had to spend three years. There, under his leadership, an ironworks and a rope workshop were built, resin collection was organized, rigging for ships was made, and equipment and food were sent to Okhotsk for M. Shpanberg's detachment.

In total, about 800 members of the expeditionary detachments gathered in Yakutsk. The local administration, which was irritated by Bering's incorruptibility and exactingness, obstructed the procurement of food and equipment, wrote denunciations to St. Petersburg against the stubborn "German". However, V. Bering left Yakutsk, only making sure that the team was fully provided with provisions. In Okhotsk, he also had to deal with the disorder and corruption of local authorities. The metropolitan authorities, as usual in Russia, trusted the denunciations of idlers and bribe-takers, and not the reports of the honest and pedantic Bering.

Finally, in early September 1740, V. Bering sailed from Okhotsk on two 200-ton ships with a crew of 75 people. The ships were named after the apostles of Christ - “St. Peter" and "St. Pavel". The expedition spent the winter on the eastern coast of Kamchatka, near Avacha Bay. And on June 4, 1741, eight years after leaving Petersburg, Bering ships and Chirikova went to the shores of America. The expedition included a young scientist Georg Wilhelm Steller and Sven (Xavier) Lavrentievich Vaksel, who left interesting descriptions of this voyage.

As mentioned above, on the German map used by Bering, mythical land was plotted. In search of this non-existent land, V. Bering first went to the southeast, to the coordinates indicated on this map. Having lost more than a week in vain and making sure that there is no land in this part of the ocean, the ships headed northeast. But on June 20, a thick fog fell on the sea, and the ships parted forever. From that day on, St. Peter" and "St. Pavel" sailed offline.

"St. Peter" finally reached the American coast on July 17, 1741. From the deck of the ship, the coast was visible and - in the distance - the snowy ridge of St. Elijah, almost merging with the clouds, with the top - Mount St. Elijah 5488 m high. The goal set by the emperor 17 years ago was achieved. But the sixty-year-old captain-commander did not share the joy and triumph of the team. He suffered from scurvy, did not know the exact coordinates of the ship's location; acutely experiencing losses and failures, the experienced navigator saw the future in a gloomy light.

Not approaching the mainland, V. Bering moved west along the coast for 4 days. On July 21, he sent people for fresh water and, not even filling all the barrels, despite the stormy weather, headed west, to the shores of Asia.

Scurvy has already taken down a third of the crew. On August 10, desperate to move forward due to a strong headwind, V. Bering decided to go straight to Kamchatka. On August 29, sailors discovered "treeless and deserted islands" off the southwestern tip of Alaska. The captain-commander called them the "Shumagin Islands" - in memory of a sailor buried on one of them. Moving all the time to the west in the open sea, the sailors periodically saw land in the north - it was the Aleutian chain. There, the Russians first met with local residents - the Aleuts.

When high mountains covered with snow appeared in the distance on November 4, the sailors mistakenly thought that they had approached Kamchatka. Having landed on the shore, they dug rectangular holes in the sand. To adapt them for habitation, they made roofs from sails. Many suffered from scurvy. 20 people have died. Only 10 sailors were still on their feet. Sick Bering lay without getting up. As S.N. Markov, “... everyone knows what happened next. Arctic foxes gnawed Bering's boots when he was still alive. In his death throes, Bering buried himself in the sand in order to warm himself at least a little. After lying like this for a whole month, on December 6, 1741, he died.

The land to which his ship nailed later received his name and is called Bering Island, and the entire group was christened in honor of the deceased captain-commander Commander Islands. “The sea discovered by F. Popov and S. Dezhnev, along which V. Bering sailed so little in 1728, was called Bering, the strait through which not he was the first to pass, but the same F. Popov and S. Dezhnev, caused on the map not to them, but to M. Gvozdev and I. Fedorov, named at the suggestion of D. Cook the Bering Strait. To the unfortunate captain-commander Vitus Bering ... came exceptional posthumous fame "

The command was accepted Sven Waxel as senior crew officer. Bypassing the new land, the sailors made sure that they were on the island. Wintering was difficult: frequent storms, hurricanes, unexpected earthquakes, scurvy ... By the summer of 1742, 46 people remained alive, including the ten-year-old son of K.L. Vaksel Lorenz, the future officer of the Russian fleet Lavrenty Ksaverievich Vaksel.

The ship "St. Peter" was badly damaged, and it had to be dismantled in order to build a small ship of the same name from its parts. Since all three ship carpenters died of scurvy, the Krasnoyarsk Cossack Savva Starodubtsev took up shipbuilding and successfully completed the construction of a new vessel. On August 13, the travelers went to sea and, due to the calm, moving mostly on oars, on August 26, 1742, they reached Petropavlovsk.