Bellingshausen Faddey Faddeevich (Fabian Gottlieb) (1778-1852), Russian navigator.

Born on September 20, 1778 in the Pilguze family estate on the Baltic island of Ezel (now Saaremaa, Estonia). From childhood, Bellingshausen dreamed of becoming a sailor: “I was born in the middle of the sea; just as a fish cannot live without water, so I cannot live without the sea.”

In 1789 he entered the Naval Cadet Corps in Kronstadt. Upon graduation (1797), he sailed the Baltic for six years on the ships of the Revel squadron.

Bellingshausen's abilities were noticed by the commander of the Kronstadt port, who recommended him to I.F. Kruzenshtern, under whose leadership in 1803-1806. Bellingshausen made the first circumnavigation on the ship Nadezhda, compiling almost all the maps included in the Atlas for Captain Kruzenshtern's trip around the world.

When preparing a new round the world expedition, organized with the approval of Alexander I, already Kruzenshtern recommended Bellingshausen as its leader. The main task of the expedition was defined by the Naval Ministry as purely scientific: "discovery in the possible vicinity of the Antarctic Pole" with the aim of "acquiring the most complete knowledge of the globe."

On July 16, 1819, the sloops Vostok under the command of Bellingshausen and Mirny under the command of MP Lazarev left Kronstadt, and on January 28, 1820 reached the coast of Antarctica. Bellingshausen led the ships to the east, trying at every opportunity to move further south, but not reaching 70 ° south latitude, he invariably met the "floe continent". Three times during this Antarctic summer, Russian sailors crossed the Yuzhny arctic circle. On February 11, when it turned out that the Vostok was leaking, Bellingshausen turned north with stops in Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon. August 5, 1821 arrived in Kronstadt. For 751 days of sailing, the expedition discovered 29 islands in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and 1 coral reef, passed 92,000 km.

In 1826, Bellingshausen led a flotilla in the Mediterranean, participated in the siege and capture of the fortress of Varna during Russian-Turkish war 1828-1829

From 1839 until the end of his life (he died on January 25, 1852), Bellingshausen was the military governor of Kronstadt and did a lot to strengthen and improve it. In 1843, the navigator received the rank of admiral. A sea in the Pacific Ocean, a cape, an island, a basin, ice shelf.

Russian navigator, participant of round-the-world voyages

He led the first Russian Antarctic (round the world) expedition on the sloops Vostok and Mirny, which in January 1820 discovered Antarctica and several islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Named after him cape on Sakhalin, Russian scientific polar station Bellingshausen on King George Island (Waterloo), which is part of the South Shetland Islands group (opened February 22, 1968 at the southwestern tip of the island, Cape Fidles), Bellingshausen Sea(marginal sea of ​​the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica, between the Antarctic and Thurston peninsulas), shelf bellingshausen glacier(located in the eastern part of the coast of Princess Martha ( East Antarctica)), Bellingshausen Basin(lowering of the bottom in the southeast Pacific Ocean between the continental slope of Antarctica, South America and the West Chilean Rise), island in the Tuamotu archipelago, as well as Thaddeus Islands and Gulf of Thaddeus in the Laptev Sea.

"I was born in the middle of the sea; as a fish cannot live without water, so I cannot live without the sea."

(Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen)

"Our fleet, of course, is rich in enterprising and skillful officers, but of all of them, whom I know, no one, except Golovnin, can equal Bellingshausen."

(Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern)

Brief chronology

1789 entered the Kronstadt Naval Cadet Corps

1797 promoted to midshipman - the first officer rank

1803-06 took part in the first round-the-world voyage of Russian ships on the frigate Nadezhda under the command of Ivan Kruzenshtern

1810-19 commanded various ships in the Baltic and Black Seas

1819-21 as a captain of the 2nd rank, he led a new round-the-world expedition sent to the south polar seas on the sloops Vostok and Mirny. For 751 days of sailing, the expedition discovered 29 islands in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and Antarctica, including a new mainland, called by Bellingshausen "ice mainland". The first descriptions of Antarctica were made, rich collections of plants and animals were collected.

1828-29 As a rear admiral, he participated in the siege and capture of the fortress of Varna during the Russian-Turkish war

1839-52 made military governor of Kronstadt and in this post received the rank of admiral and the Order of Vladimir I st.

1845 Thaddeus Bellingshausen was elected a full member of the Russian Geographical Society

1848 great navigator was appointed an honorary member of the Marine Scientific Committee

Life story

F.F. Bellingshausen was born on September 20, 1778 on a Baltic island Ezel(now Saarema) near the city of Kuressare (Arensburg). The childhood of the great navigator was spent in the Pilguze family estate, where all the dreams of the young Bellingshausen were connected with the sea and the profession of a sailor.

In 1789 F.F. Bellingshausen entered the Naval Cadet Corps in Kronstadt. After graduating in 1797 with the rank of midshipman, he sailed for 6 years in the Baltic on the ships of the Revel squadron.

The love for science was noticed by the commander of the Kronstadt port, who recommended Bellingshausen to Ivan Kruzenshtern, under whose leadership in 1803-06 F.F. Bellingshausen made the first round-the-world voyage on the frigate Nadezhda. Completed most of the cards included in " Atlas to the journey around the world of Captain Kruzenshtern". In 1806, F.F. Bellingshausen received the rank of captain-lieutenant. After returning from the expedition, he commanded various ships in the Baltic and Black Seas, conducted important hydrographic studies

In 1819-1821 he headed round the world expedition on the sloops "Vostok" (under the command of F.F. Bellingshausen) and "Mirny" (under the command of Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev). The purpose of the expedition was defined by the Naval Ministry as scientific - the discovery of the Antarctic Pole in the possible proximity with the aim of "acquiring complete knowledge about our globe.

On July 4, 1819, the ships left Kronstadt. On January 16, 1820, the ships of Bellingshausen and Lazarev approached an unknown "ice continent" in the area of ​​the Princess Martha Coast. This day is dated discovery of Antarctica. Three more times this summer they crossed the Antarctic Circle, in early February they again approached Antarctica near the Princess Astrid Coast, but due to snowy weather they could not see it well. In March, when navigation off the coast of the mainland became impossible due to the accumulation of ice, the ships parted by agreement to meet in the port of Jackson (now Sydney). Bellingshausen and Lazarev went there by different routes. Accurate surveys of the Tuamotu Archipelago were made, a number of inhabited atolls were discovered, including the Russian Islands. In November 1820, the ships again headed for Antarctica, rounding it from the Pacific Ocean. The islands of Shishkov, Mordvinov, Peter I, Alexander I Land were discovered. On January 30, when it turned out that the Vostok sloop was leaking, Bellingshausen turned north and through Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon on July 24, 1821 arrived in Kronstadt, completing his second circumnavigation.

The expedition members spent 751 days at sea, covered more than 92,000 km. 29 islands and 1 coral reef have been discovered. F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. Lazarev compiled descriptions of the islands and maps, collected ethnographic, botanical and zoological collections.

Upon returning from a round-the-world expedition, F.F. Bellingshausen commanded a naval crew for 2 years, held staff positions for 3 years, in 1826 he led a flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea, took part in the siege and assault of Varna during Russian-Turkish war.

In 1831-38 he led a naval division in the Baltic, from 1839 until the end of his life he was a military man governor of Kronstadt, and during the summer voyages was annually appointed commander Baltic Fleet. During his service, he scientific work in the field of artillery, later he wrote the work "On aiming artillery pieces at sea".

In 1843 he received the rank of admiral. It should be noted that F.F. Bellingshausen did a lot to strengthen and improve Kronstadt; paternally cared for his subordinates, seeking to improve the nutrition of sailors; founded the maritime library. Bellingshausen's biographers noted his benevolence and composure: he kept his presence of mind both under enemy fire and in the fight against the elements.

F.F. Bellingshausen was married and had four daughters. The great navigator died on January 25, 1852 in Kronstadt, where in 1870 a monument was erected to him.

Discovery of Antarctica

The fact that there could be a vast land beyond the Antarctic Circle, most geographers and navigators had no doubts. Another thing is that it was extremely difficult to swim in these icy latitudes. And after, in 1773, James Cook himself, confident in the existence of land there, declared its inaccessibility, attempts to break through to it ceased for a long time. Only at the beginning of the 19th century, English sailors discovered several small islands between 50 and 55 degrees south latitude. Captain W. Smith, passing in 1819 to the south of the Drake Strait, discovered an island there, which he called South Shetland.

By this time, Russia, inspired by the victory over the Napoleonic coalition and the increased influence in Europe and the world, realized itself as a great maritime power. Experienced sailors I.F. Kruzenshtern, O.E. Kotzebue and polar explorer Admiral G prix du cialis .A. Sarychev took the initiative to equip a Russian expedition to search for the southern mainland. After the highest approval of the project by Alexander I, the naval ministry already at the beginning of February 1819 formulated scientific task expeditions: "discovery in the possible vicinity of the Antarctic Pole" with the aim of "acquiring the most complete knowledge about our globe."

Further, everything was done in the "best" traditions of the Russian authorities. It turned out that “the deadline is yesterday!” The start was scheduled for the summer of the same year. The sloop, a three-masted warship with guns on the upper deck, was recognized as the most suitable for carrying out such a serious state task. Such courts were navy Russia in the first half of the nineteenth century. In an administrative rush, the expedition was composed of the sloop "Vostok" (with a displacement of 985 tons) and transport, which was urgently converted into a sloop with a displacement of 884 tons called "Mirny". At the same time, both ships were not adapted to sailing in polar waters. In addition, Vostok and Mirny had different speeds - 18.5 and 14.8 km / h, respectively.

Vostok and Mirny left Kronstadt on July 4, 1819. During December, while exploring the vicinity of the island of South Georgia, Russian sailors discovered several islands and gave them the names of members of the expedition of officers M.D. Annenkova, A.S. Leskova, K.P. Thorson and I.I. Zavadovsky. The group of islands of the Marquis de Traversay got its name in honor of the minister of the sea. To the southeast, the ships passed to Sandwich Land, discovered by D. Cook, and found out that it was an archipelago. It was given the name of the South Sandwich Islands. After the discovery of an underwater ridge stretching for 3.5 thousand km in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean, midshipman of Mirny Pavel Mikhailovich Novosilsky wrote: “Now it is obvious that from the most Falkland Islands a continuous mountain range continues under water, emerging from the sea with the rocks of Aurora, South Georgia, the Clarke stones, the islands of the Marquis de Traverse, Sreteniya and Sandwich Islands; the volcanic nature of this ridge is undeniable: smoking craters on the Zavadovsky and Sanders Islands serve obviously proof." Now this underwater ridge is called the South Antilles and is presumably considered an underwater continuation of the Andes.

Swimming took place in the hardest weather conditions. For long weeks and months it snowed incessantly, it was replaced by continuous fogs, the ships were forced to maneuver almost blindly between huge ice floes and whole ice mountains - icebergs. During snow storms, the temperature dropped to -5°C, which in a hurricane wind corresponds to a temperature of minus twenty degrees and below. The clear weather, which delighted the sailors on January 3, 1820, made it possible to approach South Tula, the land closest to the Pole, discovered by D. Cook, and discover that it consists of three rocky islands covered with eternal snow and ice. This gave reason to assume that there must be new islands or even the mainland behind them.

“Do not lose face” On January 15, Russian sailors crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time, and the next day, as M.P. Lazarev, “We reached a latitude of 69 ° 23ў8І, where we met hardened ice of extreme height, and on a beautiful evening then ... it extended as far as vision could only reach, but we did not enjoy this amazing spectacle for long, because soon it became cloudy again and went as usual snow ... From here we continued our way to the east, encroaching at every opportunity to the south, but we always met ice continent not reaching 70°. Cook gave us such a task that we were forced to undergo the greatest dangers in order, as they say, "not to lose face." What did the future Admiral Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev understand by this “do not lose face”? Famous English navigator, a representative of a country that, not without reason, called itself the title of "mistress of the seas", argued that southern land there is, but inaccessibility does not allow to confirm the reality of its existence. What follows from this? Yes, young Russia does not call itself the mistress of the seas, and her navy still very young. But only she, Russia, was able to repel the invasion of the united troops of Europe under the command of Napoleon. And the Russian victories in the battles on the seas made everyone maritime powers peace to reckon with this new force. Of course, to solve the geographical and nautical problem that great british Cook considered it insoluble, it was the Russian sailors who should have been. And it was done. The ships of Bellingshausen and Lazarev came closer than 3 km to the northeastern ledge of that part of the coast of the "ice mainland", which more than a century later, Norwegian whalers called the Princess Martha Coast. In that Antarctic "summer" "Vostok" and "Mirny" crossed the Arctic Circle three more times, trying to move closer to the pole.

Approaching on February 5 and 6 for 3 km to the northeastern ledge of the Princess Astrid Coast (above 69 degrees south latitude), the sailors discovered an ice shelf in this area (now named after M. Lazarev). On the modern maps it is located to the south, because as a result of melting, the ice shelves of Antarctica are gradually receding to the south.

The weather conditions remained extremely difficult, the sun very rarely pleased the northerners who always missed it. M.P. Lazarev wrote: “Running between the ice islands in clear weather and hoping for the continuation of it, they sometimes climbed into such a thicket that at one time there were up to one and a half thousand of them in sight, and suddenly a clear day turned into the gloomiest, the wind grew stronger and it snowed, - our horizon was sometimes limited no further than 20 sazhens ... ".

When the so-called Antarctic "summer" was over, Bellingshausen and Lazarev took the "Vostok" and "Mirny" to the north and agreed to spend some time on autonomous navigation in order to explore in more detail southeastern part indian ocean, which on the maps of that time was shown very approximately. In the second half of April, the ships met in Sydney, where they stayed for a month. In July, the captains, while exploring the Tuamotu archipelago, found a number of inhabited atolls unknown to Europeans, not yet mapped, and gave them the names of Russians. statesmen, commanders and naval commanders. To the north of Tahiti, sailors discovered the island of Vostok, and to the southeast of Fiji they named the newly discovered islands in honor of the members of the expedition of the artist P.N. Mikhailov and astronomer I.M. Simonov.

After resting for about 2 months, the expedition in November 1820 again headed for the "ice mainland". Having passed Macquarie Island, in mid-December, the ships withstood a severe storm with “such great gloom that one could barely see 30 sazhens ... Terrible gusts of wind ran, waves rose into the mountains ...” (F.F. Bellingshausen). Again the sloops crossed the Arctic Circle three times, and on the third time clear signs of land appeared.

Finally, on January 10, 1821, when the expedition, moving south to 69 ° 53 ", turned east, the Russian sailors saw the coast in a few hours. P. Novosilsky wrote: "... The sun flashed from the clouds, and its rays illuminated the black rocks of the , snow-covered island. Soon gloom set in again, the wind freshened, and the island that appeared to us disappeared like a ghost. On January 11 in the morning ... we clearly saw a high island covered with snow, blackening capes and rocks on which it could not hold. open island... named after ... Peter I "

On January 15, 1821, the sky over Antarctica was unusually clear and clear, the sun was bright and the air was clear. Everything came together as if specifically so that the polar navigators saw the land in the south. A very high cape was clearly visible from Mirny, which was connected by a narrow isthmus with a chain of low mountains extending to the southwest. The sailors of the "Vostok" looked at the mountainous coast, covered with snow, with the exception of talus on the mountains and steep cliffs. Head of the expedition F.F. Bellingshausen called it the "Coast of Alexander I", explaining: "The sudden change in color on the surface of the sea gives the idea that the coast is extensive." On January 30, 1821, it turned out that Vostok needed overhaul, and the expedition turned north. On July 24, 1821, the sloops returned to Kronstadt. According to the authors of Essays on the History of Geographical Discoveries, the sailors spent 751 days outside their native shores, and during this time they were under sail for 527 days, including 122 days south of 60 degrees south latitude, never parting against the will of the commanders. They circumnavigated the world in high southern latitudes.

Since historians of geographical discoveries do not mention cases of scurvy during the expedition, this can be explained by the peculiarities of Russian cuisine: as you know, people in Russia did not winter without stocks of sauerkraut. Therefore, the commanders of the "Vostok" and "Mirny" did not have to, like Cook, figure out how to make the sailors eat this yummy. So there was enough vitamin C in the naval diet.

But people die not only from scurvy, and during the more than two-year voyage, the ship's priest twice buried the dead comrades, sending their bodies into the depths of the sea. Of the 190 members of the expedition, 188 returned home. Such statistics, despite the severity of the conditions of polar navigation and the severity of discipline in the Russian navy, were simply unprecedented at that time.

And in general, according to the geographical results achieved the first Russian Antarctic expedition- the greatest in the 19th century. Was opened new part Sveta (" ice continent”, “continent of ice”, “ice stronghold”), later called Antarctica, to the shores of which Russian sailors approached nine times, including four times at a distance of 3 to 15 km; large water areas adjoining the new continent were characterized for the first time; first described and classified the ice of Antarctica and is given in in general terms correct characterization of its climate; 28 objects that received Russian names are plotted on the map of Antarctica; 29 islands were found in the high southern latitudes and in the tropics. The course of the expedition and its results are described by F.F. Bellingshausen in the book "Double surveys in the South Arctic Ocean and sailing around the world...

Admiral Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen was born on the island of Ezel (now Saaremaa, Estonia) on September 9 (20), 1778. Descended from the Baltic German nobles.
His first acquaintance with Kronstadt was associated with his studies at the Marine cadet corps in 1789-1897, and later - with the service as an officer in the Baltic Fleet. In 1803, he left Kronstadt as part of the first Russian round-the-world expedition of Ivan Fedorovich Krusenstern, and in 1819 he himself led the expedition on the ships Vostok and Mirny, which resulted in the discovery of Antarctica.
In 1839, fate will finally connect the admiral with Kronstadt - he will take the post of military governor and chief commander of the Kronstadt port. In the house number 2 on Knyazheskaya Street (now - Communist), - now this house is called the "Marinesko House", - there was an official apartment of the military governor Feddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen.

Made Kronstadt green

At the beginning of the activities of Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen as governor, Kronstadt was unsettled in everyday life and in culturally city. The only city gardens were Romanovsky (now the Metallistov Garden), Engineering (at the corner of Vosstaniya and Zosimova streets), as well as public garden on the site of the modern Summer Garden, with residential buildings adjoining it from the era of Peter I.
It is known that Faddey Faddeevich was a great lover of gardening, a successor to the ideas of his predecessor, Admiral P. M. Rozhnov, in planting greenery in the city. This enthusiasm of his transformed the city: the first trees were planted by the admiral on Aleksandrovsky Boulevard (Zosimova Street), in the Engineering Garden and on the first alley near the lattice of Petrovsky Park; parks were laid out on Bolshaya Ekaterininskaya (now Sovetskaya Street), Northern Boulevard (now Vosstaniya Street), and the Summer Garden was expanded.
Since the military governor himself supervised the state of gardens and parks, many trees were preserved in our city long time. And it should be noted that many of the subsequent military governors of the city were very zealous about the landscaping of Kronstadt. As a result, in 1875, a branch was even established in the city. Imperial Society gardening. Later, the military governor, Vice-Admiral N. I. Kaznakov, was a great lover of gardening, who instilled in the townspeople a love for plants and nature in general.

Not only planted
but also built

Even before his appointment as military governor, Bellingshausen, together with Lieutenant Commander I.N. Skrydlov, founded a library in 1832 with private donations and became its first director, and books, collected by the admiral, became the basis of the first fund of the library.
At the same time, acting as military governor and chief commander of the Kronstadt port, Bellingshausen was chairman of the "Committee for the Arrangement of the City", which was actually engaged in the improvement of Kronstadt and the territory of Kotlin Island. Under his supervision, new forts, docks, harbors were built and old ones were rebuilt; plans were considered for the construction of new residential buildings, the city administration building, the Steamboat Plant, the expansion of the Lutheran cemetery and other projects. At the insistence of Bellingshausen, hospitals were set up on ships, food for sailors was improved.

Found
worthy wife

Lutheran by religion, he was an honorary parishioner of the Church of St. Elizabeth in Kronstadt. Interestingly, his family was multi-confessional. Faddey Faddeevich's wife, Anna Dmitrievna (nee Baikova, born March 6, 1808) was Orthodox. Anna Dmitrievna came from the family of Second Major Dmitry Fedoseevich Baikov, commander of a sapper battalion who served in our city and built the buildings of the Military Department in St. Petersburg and Kronstadt. Bellingshausen first met the family of his future wife when he was preparing a campaign for South Pole, and the wedding of 18-year-old Anna Baikova and 48-year-old Thaddeus Bellingshausen took place in Kronstadt after the campaign - in 1826.
Of the seven children of Anna Fedoseevna and Faddey Faddeevich, two sons and a daughter died in infancy; Elizaveta, Ekaterina, Maria and Elena remained in the upbringing. Anna Dmitrievna not only raised her daughters, but also actively engaged in public and charitable activities: for many years she was the trustee of the Kronstadt parochial school, organized a canteen for the children of the dead naval lower ranks hosted charity events. For her labors, she was granted the “lesser cross of the Order of St. Catherine”, on the reverse side of which was engraved in Latin: “By labors she is compared with her husband.” After the death of her husband, Anna Dmitrievna left for the Pskov province, to her small estate. She died on December 16, 1892 and was buried in the churchyard of Gorki in the Novosokolnichesky district of the Pskov region. The grave of Anna Dmitrievna has been preserved and, thanks to the activities of the local history museum of the city of Novosokolniki, is kept in proper form.

Descendants remember

The death of Admiral Bellingshausen in 1852 mourned the whole of Kronstadt and the Fleet. "Marine Collection" published an obituary.
His grave was located at the Lutheran (German) cemetery in Kronstadt, but, unfortunately, was lost. Already in our time, a cenotaph was installed at the site of the alleged burial.
On September 11, 1870, a monument was unveiled in the Ekaterininsky (Soviet) Park with the inscription “To our polar navigator Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen. 1870". At the opening of the monument, a solemn ceremony took place with the consecration and marching of the Kronstadt sailors and units of the Kronstadt artillery. Subsequently, the opening ceremony of the monument to Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen formed the basis grand openings two other monuments: to Pyotr Kuzmich Pakhtusov in Kronstadt and to Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern in St. Petersburg.
13 geographical points are named after Bellingshausen on the world map, including a mountain in Antarctica, a cape on Sakhalin, islands, a sea and a basin in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Antarctica. For a long time, the USSR Navy included the expeditionary oceanographic vessel "Thaddeus Bellingshausen", which in 1983 repeated, together with the vessel "Admiral Vladimirsky", well known to the Kronstadters, the route of the Bellingshausen and Lazarev expedition of 1819-1821. The name of Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen is now especially honored in the Children's maritime center"Young Sailor" Every year in September, in the Soviet park near the monument to Bellingshausen, a holiday of initiation into the cabin boy is held.
So in our city they try to keep the connection of times.

Svetlana Kislyakova,
Museum of the History of Kronstadt

Date of birth: September 9, 1778
Date of death: January 13, 1852
Place of birth: Livonia province Russian Empire

Bellingshausen Faddey Faddevich- eminent Russian navigator. Same way Thaddeus Bellingshausen known as the man who discovered Antarctica.

Thaddeus (Fabian) was born in the family Baltic Germans in September 1778, his father was a nobleman. After the birth of the boy, he was named Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen. He became Thaddeus for the convenience of pronunciation in the Russian-speaking environment.

At the age of 10, the boy entered the naval cadet corps of Kronstadt. Six years later he became a midshipman. In this rank, a year later he went by sea to England.

The experience gained in navigation helped him to become a junior officer and receive his first assignment to the Revel squadron. On the ships of this squadron, he participated in campaigns for four years.

During preparations for the first Russian round-the-world voyage, a need arose for well-established young sailors. Vice Admiral P. Khanykov, who knew Thaddeus well, recommended him for service on Nadezhda.

Thaddeus spent the next three years on a round-the-world trip under the command of I. Kruzenshtern, sailing on a sloop. As a result of the voyage, he received the rank of lieutenant commander.

A few years later, Thaddeus was already in command himself - a corvette-class ship sailed under his command. This was followed by the frigates Minerva and Flora.

All the experience came in handy in 1819, when the Arctic circumnavigation took place. Two sloops set off from Kronstadt, reached Rio de Janeiro in five months, and then moved south. Several islands were discovered along the way, but soon ice began to set in, making it difficult further way.

However, the expedition found the coast of Antarctica. Then followed long way to Sydney, during which several islands were also discovered. After a short break, Thaddeus sent the ships again towards South America, and then across the Atlantic to the shores of the Russian Empire. For this campaign, Thaddeus was awarded both the title of captain-commander and the Order of St. George.

Subsequently, during the reign of Nicholas I, he commanded several ships in the Mediterranean, and then, after the start of the war with Turkey, distinguished himself there. For the capture of several Turkish cities received military award-order St. Anna. This was followed by command of a division in the Baltic.

Years later, the honored sailor returned to his native Kronstadt and became its governor-general. For his services in maritime affairs, he became an admiral and received top honors Russian Empire.
The admiral died in 1852.

Achievements of Thaddeus Bellingshausen:

Commanded one of the most difficult expeditions ever made
Discovered the coast of Antarctica and concluded that there is a continent
Participated in the collection of unique biological and geographical collections of the northern lands

Dates from the biography of Thaddeus Bellingshausen:

1789 entered the cadet corps of Kronstadt
1795 became midshipman
1797 received the rank of midshipman
1803 was recommended to the ship "Nadezhda"
1806 became lieutenant commander
1809 took command of the Melpomene corvette
1812 captain of the Minerva
1819 took command of an expedition to the Antarctic
1821 returned to Russia
1826 assumed command of ships in the Mediterranean
1828 participation in the war with Turkey
1830 became vice admiral
1852 died

Interesting facts about Thaddeus Bellingshausen:

The circumnavigation lasted two years and one month.
During the voyage, about 60 new geographical objects
Objects discovered in Antarctica received Russian names
Not only the islands, the sea and the glacier on Earth are named after the admiral, but also lunar crater
The navigator is depicted on the stamps of the USSR and Hungary.

Bellingshausen Faddey Faddeevich (1778-1852) was from the island of Ezel (Estonia). He came from a family of Ostsee nobles. Known as a navigator who twice circumnavigated the world. The main merit of the traveler, who was continuously at sea from early youth until his death, was the discovery of Antarctica together with M.P. Lazarev.

Ivan Constantinovich Aivazovski. Ice mountains in Antarctica 1870

Dreams of swimming originated in Thaddeus from childhood; Bellingshausen himself said about himself that he could not live without the sea, like a fish without water. After completing his studies at the Kronstadt Naval Cadet Corps, he becomes a midshipman. The first major voyage in which the young officer took part took place in 1796. Then Thaddeus first felt the spirit of distant sea crossings and visited distant England.

Bellingshausen was 25 years old when he was accepted into the team for the first world travel Russian courts. He served on the ship "Hope". The expedition was commanded by Adam Johann von Kruzenshtern (more familiar - Ivan Kruzenshtern). Since Bellingshausen was passionately fond of science, on this journey he was entrusted with the compilation of maps. Later, all the maps compiled as a result of the expedition were included in the “Atlas for a trip around the world” compiled by Kruzenshtern. After the successful completion of the journey in the team of Kruzenshtern, Bellingshausen conducts cartographic research in the Black and Baltic Seas, draws up astronomical maps. Geography was his passion, he recorded and sketched everything new with great rapture.

In the 20s years XIX century, a new round-the-world voyage is being prepared in Russia. Kruzenshtern recommends appointing the "enterprising and skillful officer" Bellingshausen as the leader. And at the beginning of 1819 he led the expedition. Its purpose was designated as "the search for the sixth continent." Together with Bellingshausen, the outstanding navigator Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev participated in the voyage. And in June 1819, the sloops Mirny and Vostok departed from Kronstadt and rushed in search of the mysterious mainland. Bellingshausen took command of Vostok. At that time, he was 40 years old, and had almost thirteen years of sea experience behind him.

Bellingshausen is heading towards Rio de Janeiro. Further, his path lies to the south. The expedition explores the Sandwich Islands, New Georgia Island, previously opened by James Cook. By January ships arrive on the shores of the unknown southern mainland covered with ice.

January 16, 1820 is considered the date of discovery of Antarctica. It was on this day that the expedition approached the continent in the area of ​​the present Princess Martha Coast. Bellingshausen called the land he saw the Ice Continent. For the second time, the sailors saw the shore on January 21. Landing was not allowed by the huge ice walls, which constantly collapsed into the water - January - the height of the Antarctic summer. During the summer, sailors explored the coastal shelf of Antarctica. They managed to cross the Antarctic Circle several times. The mainland was bypassed in a circle. In early February, during bad weather, Bellingshausen came close to the Princess Astrid Coast. Constant blizzards and snowdrifts not allowed to see the coast properly. By March, with a gradual decrease in air temperature and coastal waters, the accumulation of ice off the coast of Antarctica intensified, and navigation became difficult at first, and then simply impossible. Bellingshausen's ships headed for Australia.

However, this research was not completed, they continued in Pacific Ocean. Bellingshausen studied the Tuamotu archipelago, where 29 islands were discovered. All of them were named in honor of prominent statesmen and military figures of Russia.

In September 1820, exploration of Antarctica was resumed. The Alexander I Coast was discovered, Peter I Island got its name. After that, the expedition arrived at the South Shetland Islands. At this time, a group of islands was discovered, which received the names of battles. Patriotic War 1812 and outstanding Russian navigators.

July 1821 ended. Bellingshausen's expedition headed for Kronstadt. The heroic sailors had 50 thousand miles and 751 days of travel behind them. Deep climatic and hydrographic studies have been carried out, unique collections valuable for zoology, ethnography and botany have been collected. Bellingshausen carefully entered all kinds of information in his diary - information about customs local peoples and about everything that he and his team happened to see, and provided the Admiralty with a collection of his travel notes with applications of a variety of drawings and maps, the manuscript was published in 1831.

Bellingshausen has become a real idol for many travelers and explorers. Comrades spoke of him as a man of courage and determination. AT extreme situation the experienced sailor showed amazing composure. He knew his business perfectly and was distinguished by humanity - he never used corporal punishment treated his subordinates with care. The success of the expedition and the welfare of his subordinates were his priorities. However, he was risk-averse. So, Lazarev noted that Bellingshausen endangers the ship by maneuvering between ice fields big moves. Bellingshausen claimed that he was in a hurry at such a time because he only thought about not getting stuck with the team in the ice with the onset of spring.

After the discovery of North and South America and Australia, Antarctica was the final Great geographical discovery. Before that, no one seriously thought that there was a whole continent waiting to be discovered. After the voyage of the Russian discoverers Bellingshausen and Lazarev, undiscovered major continents not left in the world.

For the greatest services to the Motherland, Bellingshausen first receives the rank of rear admiral, then, in 1826, becomes the head of the flotilla mediterranean sea. Since 1839, he was appointed to the post of military governor of Kronstadt and the chief commander of the Kronstadt fleet, and towards the end of his life he became an admiral and participated in the war with Turkey, leading a naval siege.

Bellingshausen is known for its significant contribution to the construction of new harbors, ports, docks, as well as for taking care of personnel fleet. First of all, he took care of the sailors. On his initiative, the meat ration was significantly increased in the fleet. After the death of the admiral, a document was found that suggested planting trees with early flowering in the harbors so that those who go to sea could see the spring. To improve the cultural level of sailors, he created a library in the port. Great value Bellingshausen gave training, improved artillery shooting skills, passed on to the sailors responsible for navigation, maneuvering skills.

The great navigator died in 1852. Bellingshausen was buried in Kronstadt, where a monument was erected to him 18 years later. The name of the great discoverer was given to islands in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the sea, a cape on Sakhalin Island, an ice shelf in Antarctica. In 1968, the opening of the first Soviet scientific station on the West coast Antarctica. She also received the name of Bellingshausen.

Prepared from:
http://www.peoples.ru
http://www.chrono.ru
http://www.kronstadt.ru
Shikman A.P. Figures of the Patriotic. M, 1997