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The history ofexploration by citizens or subjects of theRussian Federation, theSoviet Union, theRussian Empire, theTsardom of Russia and other Russian predecessor states forms a significant part of thehistory of Russia as well as thehistory of the world. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,850 sq mi), Russia is thelargest country in the world, covering more than a ninth ofEarth's landmass. In the times of the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire, the country's share in the world's landmass reached 1/6. Most of these territories were first discovered by Russian explorers (if indigenous peoples of inhabited territories are not counted). Contiguous exploration inEurasia and the building of overseas colonies inRussian America were some of the primary factors in Russian territorial expansion.
Apart from their discoveries inAlaska,Central Asia,Siberia, and thenorthern areas surrounding theNorth Pole, Russianexplorers have made significant contributions to the exploration of theAntarctic,Arctic, and thePacific islands, as well asdeep-sea andspace explorations.
| * Siberia/theFar East | ^ Alaska/North Pacific | ~ Europe | † Tropics |
| ‡ Arctic/theFar North | § Antarctic/South Pacific | ! Central Asia | $ Space |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Valerian Albanov‡ (1881–1919) Russian Navy lieutenant | Albanov was one of the only two survivors of the ill-fated 1912–14Brusilov expedition, the other beingAlexander Konrad. They left the ice-bound shipSt. Anna and by ski, sledge, and kayak crossed theKara Sea, reachedFranz Josef Land and were finally rescued byGeorgy Sedov'sSaint Phocas. The data about ice drift ofSt. Anna, provided by Albanov, helpedVladimir Vize to calculate the coordinates of previously unknownVize Island.[1] Either Albanov or Konrad is a prototype for a hero in the novelThe Two Captains byVeniamin Kaverin. |  |
 | Pyotr Anjou‡ (1796–1869) Russian admiral, hero of theBattle of Navarino | In 1820, as a lieutenant, Anjou described the coastline and the islands ofEastern Siberia between theOlenek andIndigirka rivers and mapped theNew Siberian Islands. In 1825–26 he participated in describing the northeastern coast of theCaspian Sea and the western coast of theAral Sea.[2] Named in honor:Anjou Islands. |  |
| Danila Antsiferov* (?–1712) Siberian Cossackataman | Danila Antsiferov was elected Cossack ataman onKamchatka after the death ofVladimir Atlasov. He was one of the first Russians to visit theKuril Islands and describe them in writing, includingShumshu andParamushir Island.[3] Named in honor:Antsiferov Island. |  | |
 | Dmitry Anuchin† (1843–1923) geographer, anthropologist, ethnographer, archaeologist | In 1880 Anuchin researchedValday Hills andLake Seliger. In 1894–95, joining the expedition ofAlexei Tillo, he again studied Valday. Anuchin finally determined the location of the source of theVolga River, the largestEuropean river. He published a major work about the relief ofEuropean Russia and founded the Geography Museum atMoscow State University.[4] Named in honor:Anuchin crater (Moon),Anuchin Island. |  |
 | Vladimir Arsenyev* (1872–1930) military topographer, writer | Arsenyev wrote a number of popular books about his journeys to theUssuri basin in 1902–07, where he was accompanied byDersu Uzala, a nativeNanai hunter. Arsenyev was the first to describe numerous species ofSiberian flora; he produced some 60 works on the geography, wildlife and ethnography of the regions he traveled to. In 1975, the joint Japanese-Soviet movieDersu Uzala byAkira Kurosawa won anAcademy Award for theBest Foreign Language Film.[5] Named in honor:Arsenyev (town). |  |
| Vladimir Atlasov* (1661/64–1711) Siberian Cossack ataman | Atlasov established the first permanent Russian settlements onKamchatka Peninsula and led its colonisation. He was the first to present a detailed description of the region's nature and people, and also accounted on the lands near Kamchatka –Chukotka and Japan. Atlasov broughtDembei, a shipwrecked Japanese merchant, to Moscow, where he conducted the firstJapanese language education in Russia.[6] Named in honor:Atlasov Island,Atlasov volcano. |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Mikhail Babushkin‡ (1893–1938) military and polar aviator,Hero of the Soviet Union | Babushkin took part in an expedition to rescueUmberto Nobile in 1928, and in the rescue of theSS Chelyuskin crew in 1933. He performed the flights to the first drifting ice stationNorth Pole-1 in 1937. In 1937–38 he participated in a search forSigizmund Levanevsky.[3] Named in honor:Babushkinsky District (Moscow),Babushkinskaya (Moscow Metro). |  |
 | Konstantin Badygin‡ (1910–1984) Soviet Navy captain, writer, scientist, Hero of the USSR (Badygin left,Sedov's mechanic D.G. Trofimov right) | In 1938 Badygin became the captain of the ice-capturedicebreaker Sedov, turned into a kind ofdrifting ice station. Most of the crew was evacuated, but 15 sailors and scientists, includingVladimir Vize, stayed aboard and carried out valuable scientific research in the course of 812 days. After drifting fromNew Siberian Islands across theNorth Pole, they were finally freed betweenGreenland andSvalbard byicebreaker Joseph Stalin in 1940.[7] |  |
 | Karl Ernst von Baer* (1792–1876) naturalist, a founder ofembryology | In 1830–40 Baer researchedArctic meteorology. He was interested in the northern part of Russia and exploredNovaya Zemlya in 1837 collecting specimens. Other travels led him to theCaspian Sea,Lapland, andNorth Cape, Norway. After his explorations of theVolga River he formulated the geologicalBaer's law, stating that in theNorthern Hemisphereerosion occurs mostly on the right banks of rivers, and in theSouthern Hemisphere on the left banks. Baer was one of the founders of theRussian Geographical Society in 1845, and also a co-founder and the first President of theRussian Entomological Society.[4] |  |
 | Georgiy Baidukov‡ (1904–1994) military and test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union (Baidukov, Chkalov and Belyakov in 1937) | Baidukov was involved in a number of Soviet ultralong flights. In 1936Valery Chkalov, Baidukov andA.V.Belyakov onANT-25 flew 9,374 km from Moscow through theNorth Pole to follow-upChkalov Island inOkhotsk Sea, which took 56 h 20 min. In 1937, also on ANT-25, the same crew flew 8,504 km from Moscow through the North Pole toVancouver, Washington, which was the first transpolar flight between Europe and North America by airplane, rather thandirigible.[8] Named in honor:Baydukov Island. |  |
 | Alexander Baranov^ (1746–1819) merchant, colonial administrator | Baranov was hired to head theShelikhov-Golikov Company, which in 1799 was transformed into theRussian-American Company. Thus Baranov became the first governor ofRussian America and held this post in 1799–1818. He explored the coast areas of northwestern North America, helpedRussian Orthodox missionaries and improved relations withAlaska natives. He established trade with China,Hawaii and also withCalifornia, where he foundedFort Ross.[9] Named in honor:Baranof Island. |  |
 | Nikifor Begichev‡ (1874–1927) Russian Navy officer (forensic facial reconstruction) | Begichev was the bosun of the shipZarya, carryingEduard Toll's expedition in 1900–03. In 1922, at the request of Norway, Begichev led a Soviet expedition in search of the lost crew members ofRoald Amundsen's 1918 expedition on the shipMaud,Peter Tessem and Paul Knutsen, but was unsuccessful (remains were later found byGeorgy Rybin). In 1923–24 Begichev explored theTaymyr Peninsula withNikolay Urvantsev.[10][11] Named in honor:Bolshoy Begichev Island,Maliy Begichev Island. |  |
 | Pyotr Beketov* (c. 1600–c. 1661) Siberian Cossack voevoda (a monument inChita, Zabaykalsky Krai) | Beketov, initially astrelets, was appointedEniseivoevoda in Siberia after 1627. He successfully carried out the voyage to collect taxes fromZabaykalyeBuryats, becoming the first Russian to set foot inBuryatia. He founded the first Russian settlement there, Rybinskyostrog. Beketov was sent to theLena River in 1631, where in 1632 he foundedYakutsk, a startpoint of further Russian expeditions eastward, southward and northward. He sent his Cossacks to explore theAldan andKolyma rivers, to found new fortresses, and to collect taxes. In 1652 he launched another voyage to Buryatia, and in 1653 Beketov's Cossacks founded follow-upChita and then futureNerchinsk in 1654.[12] |  |
 | Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky! (?–1717) Russian Army officer | Bekovich-Cherkassky, aCircassian Muslim converted to Christianity, was made byTsarPeter the Great the leader of the first Russian military expeditions intoCentral Asia in 1714–17, with the aim of conquering theKhanate of Khiva and the golden sands of theOxus River. Bekovich received these orders inAstrakhan, where he was engaged in preparing the first Russian map of theCaspian Sea. He commanded a preliminary expedition to Turkmenistan and set up the forts inKrasnovodsk and Alexandrovsk. In 1717 he won the battle against Khivan Khan, but was tricked into separating his men, betrayed by the Khan, defeated and killed.[13] |  |
 | Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen§ (1778–1852) Russian admiral, circumnavigator, cartographer | Bellingshausen took part in thefirst Russian circumnavigation underIvan Krusenstern onNadezhda in 1803–06. He himself led another Russian circumnavigation in 1819–21 on the sloopVostok, together withMikhail Lazarev onMirny – this expedition was the first to discover the continent ofAntarctica on January 28, 1820 (New Style). They also discovered and namedPeter I Island,Zavodovski,Leskov andVisokoi Islands,Antarctic peninsula mainland andAlexander Island (Alexander Coast), and made discoveries in the tropical waters of thePacific, includingVostok Island.[14][15] Named in honor:Bellingshausen Island (Atlantic),Bellingshausen Sea,Bellingshausen Station,Bellinshausen Island (Pacific),Faddey Islands,Bellingshausen Plate,Bellinsgauzen crater (Moon),3659 Bellingshausen (minor planet). |  |
 | Lev Berg! (1876–1950) geographer, biologist | Berg studied and determined the depth of the lakes ofCentral Asia, includingBalkhash Lake andIssyk Kul. He researched theichthyology of Central Asia andEuropean Russia. He developedDokuchaev's doctrine ofbiomes andclimatology and was one of the founders of the Geographical Institute, now the Faculty of Geography of theSaint Petersburg University. In 1940–50 Berg was the President of theSoviet Geographical Society.[16] |  |
.jpg) | Vitus Bering^ (1681–1741) Russian Navy captain-commander | Returning from theEast Indies, Bering joined the Russian Navy in 1703. He became the main organiser of theGreat Northern Expedition to explore northern Asia. In 1725, Bering went overland toOkhotsk, crossed toKamchatka, and aboardSv. Gavriil mapped some 3500 km of theBering Sea coast and passed theBering Strait in 1728–29. Later,Ivan Fyodorov andMikhail Gvozdev aboard the sameSv. Gavriil sighted theAlaskan shore in 1732. Having organised a majorSecond Kamchatka expedition, Bering andAleksei Chirikov sailed fromOkhotsk in 1740 aboardSv. Piotr andSv. Pavel, foundedPetropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and headed together toNorth America in 1741, until separated by storm. Bering discovered the southern coast ofAlaska, landed nearKayak Island and discovered theAleutian Islands. Chirikov discovered the shores of America nearAleksander Archipelago and safely returned to Asia. Bering, however, became very ill and his ship was driven to an uninhabited follow-upBering Island of theCommander group. Bering died there, along with part of his crew. The rest built a vessel out of the wreckage ofSv. Piotr and escaped to Petropavlovsk.[17][18][19] Named in honor:Bering Strait,Bering Sea,Bering Island,Bering Glacier,Bering Land Bridge,Beringia. |   |
 | Yuri Bilibin‡ (1901–1952) geologist | Bilibin led the FirstKolyma Expedition in 1928 and in 1931–1932 he organized the Second Kolyma Expedition. The result of the explorations was the discovery of gold deposits in NortheastSiberia. In 1934, together with mining engineerEvgeny Bobin (1897–1941), Bilibin surveyed and charted the last unmapped areas of the continentalUSSR, theYudoma-Maya and theAldan highlands, as well as theSette-Daban, in the course of an expedition sent by the Soviet government.[20] Named in honor:Bilibino Town,Bilibino District,Bilibinskite. |  |
| Joseph Billings^ (c. 1758–1806) Royal Navy and Russian Navy officer | In 1785–95 Billings, previously an English officer who had sailed withCaptain Cook, led a Russian expedition in search of theNortheast Passage, withGavril Sarychev as his deputy. They made accurate maps of theChukchi Peninsula, the west coast ofAlaska, and theAleutian Islands. They landed onKodiak Island, examined the area ofPrince William Sound and compiled a census of the native population of the Aleutians. Billings crossed Chukotka onreindeer and made the first elaborate description of theChukchi people.[21] Named in honor:Cape Billings,Billings (Chukotka). |  | |
 | Georgy Brusilov^ (1884–1914?) Russian Navy captain | In 1910–11, Brusilov took part in a hydrographic expedition on the icebreakersTaymyr andVaygach to theChukchi andEast Siberian Seas. In 1912–14 he led an expedition on the brigSt.Anna, which aimed to travel by theNorthern Sea Route from the Atlantic to the Pacific.St.Anna became icebound west ofYamal Peninsula and drifted to theNorth Pole in 1913. Brusilov became ill and many of the crew succumbed to scurvy. In 1914 a group led by lieutenantValerian Albanov abandoned the ship and walked south over the drifting ice. Only Albanov andAlexander Konrad managed to reachFranz Joseph Land, where they were rescued byGeorgy Sedov'sSt. Foka. The efforts to find theSt. Anna were unsuccessful.[1] Brusilov and his ship are among the prototypes for the novelThe Two Captains byVeniamin Kaverin, where the fictionalSt. Maria repeats the drift ofSt. Anna. |  |
 | Alexander Bulatovich† (1870–1919) Russian Army officer, writer, hieromonk (tonsured Father Antony),imiaslavie leader, hero ofWorld War I | In 1897 Bulatovich was a member of the Russian mission of theRed Cross in Africa, where he became a confidant of NegusMenelek II of Ethiopia and his military aide in the war with Italy and the southern tribes. He became the first European to provide a description of theKaffa province (conquered by Menelek II with Bulatovich's help) and among the first to reach the mouth of theOmo River. Among the places named by Bulatovich was theNicholas II Mountain range.[22][23] The prototype for grotesque Schema-Hussar Alexei Bulanovich inIlf and Petrov'sThe Twelve Chairs; the hero ofValentin Pikul'sThe Hussar on a Camel and Richard Seltzer'sThe Name of Hero. |  |
| Fabian Bellingshausen† (1778–1852) Russian officer of Baltic German descent in the Imperial Russian Navy, cartographer and explorer | The discoverer of theAntarctica. In 1819 the authorities selected Bellingshausen to lead the First Russian Antarctic Expedition which was intended to explore the Southern Ocean and to find land in the proximity of the South Pole. With two ships, sloop-of-war Vostok ("East") and support vessel Mirny ("Peaceful") were led byMikhail Lazarev, the journey started from Kronstadt on 4 June 1819.Bellingshausen and Lazarev managed to twice circumnavigate the continent. Thus they disproved Captain Cook's assertion that it was impossible to find land in the southern ice fields. The expedition also made discoveries and observations in the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Semion Chelyuskin‡ (c. 1700–1764) Russian Navy officer (Malygin,D. Ovtsyn,Chelyuskin,Kh. Laptev andD. Laptev on a commemorative coin) | Chelyuskin participated in theGreat Northern Expedition in 1733–43. He traveled in the groups led byVasily Pronchischev andKhariton Laptev. In 1741 he led his own voyage from theKhatanga River to thePyasina River by land. He explored and described the western coastline ofTaimyr Peninsula and the mouths of Pyasina andYenisei Rivers. In 1741–42, he traveled fromTurukhansk to the mouth of the Khatanga and described the northern coastline of Taimyr from Cape Faddey in the east to the mouth of theTaimyra River in the west. Chelyuskin discovered the northern extremity ofAsia,Cape Chelyuskin.[24] Named in honor:Cape Chelyuskin,Chelyuskin Peninsula,Chelyuskin Island,Chelyuskin steamship. |  |
 | Ivan Chersky* (1845–1892) paleontologist, geologist, geographer | Exiled toTransbaikalia for participation in theJanuary Uprising and pardoned only in 1883, Chersky became a self-taught scientist inSiberia. He traveled to theSayan Mountains, theIrkut River Valley andLower Tunguska. During four expeditions in 1877–81 Chersky exploredSelenga river. He explained the origin ofLake Baikal, made the first geological map of its coast and described the geological structure ofEast Siberia. He analysed thetectonics of Inner Asia and pioneered thegeomorphological evolution theory. He collected over 2,500 ancient bones. In 1892 he explored theKolyma,Yana andIndigirka Rivers and died from illness there.[25] Named in honor:Chersky Range,Chersky (settlement). |  |
 | Vasili Chichagov‡ (1726–1809) Russian admiral, victorious commander-in-chief of theBaltic Fleet in theRusso-Swedish War (1788–1790) | In 1764–66 Chichagov led two expeditions to find theNortheast Passage between theAtlantic and thePacific along the northern coast ofSiberia, a project ofMikhail Lomonosov. Although he sailed pastSvalbard, reached 80°26'N in 1765 and 80°30'N in 1766, and conducted valuable research, both expeditions failed to find the route.[26] Named in honor:Chichagof Island. |  |
 | Pyotr Chikhachyov! (1808–1890) naturalist, geologist | In 1842 Chikhachyov led an expedition to the unknown territories of the Altai andSayan Mountains. He discoveredKuznetsk Coal Basin, reached the sources of the riversAbakan,Chu andChulyshman, and enteredTuva. In 1845 he published works on the geology ofAltai Mountains andXinjiang. In 1848–63 he led eight expeditions inAsia Minor,Armenia,Kurdistan andEast Thrace. In 1853–69 he conducted a major study of Asia Minor, while being the attaché of the Russian embassy inConstantinople. In 1878, at the age of 71, he visited Algeria and Tunis. He published many works in geography, natural history and the politics of theEastern Question.[27] |   |
 | Artur Chilingarov‡ (born 1939) polar scientist,Hero of the Soviet Union,Hero of Russia, politician | In 1969 Chilingarov became the head of the research station "North Pole-19" and in 1971 the head ofBellingshausen Station during the 17-thSoviet Antarctic Expedition. In 1985 he successfully led the mission to rescue the research vesselMikhail Somov, which had been ice-blocked in theSouthern Ocean. During the RussianArktika 2007 expedition, Chilingarov, accompanied by other explorers from different countries, descended to the seabed 13,980 feet below theNorth Pole in order to plant theRussian flag there and gather specimens of the bottom ground, usingMIR submersibles. In 2008 he took part in the expedition which descended one mile to the bottom ofLake Baikal on MIRs.[28] |  |
 | Aleksei Chirikov^ (1703–1748) Russian Navy captain | In 1725–30 and in 1733–43, Chirikov wasVitus Bering's deputy during the 1st and the2nd Kamchatka expeditions. On July 15, 1741, Chirikov, the captain ofSv. Pavel, became the first European to land on the northwestern coast ofNorth America nearAlexander Archipelago. Thereafter he discovered some of theAleutian Islands. In 1742 Chirikov specified the location of theAttu Island during the search for Bering's lost ship. In 1746 Chirikov took part in creating the final map of the Russian discoveries in the northernPacific Ocean.[29] Named in honor:Chirikof Island. |  |
 | Valery Chkalov‡ (1904–1938) military and test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union | Chkalov developed several new figures ofaerobatics. He was involved in a number ofSoviet ultralong flights. In 1936 Chkalov,Georgiy Baidukov andA.V.Belyakov onANT-25 flew 9,374 km fromMoscow through theNorth Pole to follow-upChkalov Island in theOkhotsk Sea, which took 56 h 20 min. In 1937, also on ANT-25, the same crew flew 8,504 km from Moscow through the North Pole toVancouver, Washington, which was the first transpolar flight betweenEurope andNorth America on airplane, rather than ondirigible.[30] Named in honor:Chkalovsk;Chkalov Island,Chkalovskaya (Moscow Metro),Chkalovskaya (Saint Petersburg Metro). |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Semyon Dezhnyov^ (c. 1605–1672) Siberian Cossack leader | In 1643 Dezhnyov andMikhail Stadukhin discovered theKolyma River and foundedSrednekolymsk.Fedot Alekseyev Popov organized a further expedition eastward, and Dezhnyov became a captain of onekoch. In 1648 they sailed from Srednekolymsk down to theArctic and after some time they rounded a 'great rocky projection',thus becoming the first to pass through theBering Strait and to discoverChukchi Peninsula and theBering Sea. All their kochi and most of their men (including Popov himself) were lost in storms and clashes with the natives. A small group led by Dezhnyov reached the mouth of theAnadyr River and sailed up it in 1649, having built new boats out of the wreckage. They foundedAnadyrsk and were stranded there, until Stadukhin found them, coming from Kolyma by land.[31] Named in honor:Cape Dezhnyov (the easternmost cape ofEurasia). |  |
 | Vasily Dokuchaev~ (1846–1903) geographer, geologist,pedologist | Dokuchaev led numerous expeditions to study thesoils and geology ofEuropean Russia. As a result of his long research of Russian soils, he founded modernsoil science, developed the conception ofbiomes and proposed ways to improve soil productivity.[2] Named in honor:Dokuchaevsk. |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Arvid Adolf Etholén^ (1799–1876) Russian Navy officer, colonial administrator | Etolin sailed toAlaska withVasily Golovnin onKamchatka and entered the service of theRussian-American Company. He was part of a group that surveyed theAleutian Islands in 1822–24. In 1833 he explored theGulf of Alaska. Etolin was the governor ofRussian America in 1840–45, and continued to explore Alaska and theBering Sea.[32] Named in honor:Etolin Island,Etolin Strait. |  |
 | Eduard Eversmann! (1794–1860) naturalist | In 1820 Eversmann traveled toBukhara disguised as a merchant and in 1825 traveled with a military expedition toKhiva. In 1828 he became a professor ofzoology andbotany at theUniversity of Kazan. He wrote numerous publications and pioneered the research of the flora and fauna of the southeast steppes of Russia between theVolga and theUrals.[33] Named in honor:Eversmann's redstart,Eversmann's parnassian,Eversmann's rustic and other species. |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Alexei Fedchenko! (1844–1873) naturalist | In 1868 Fedchenko traveled throughTurkestan, includingSamarkand,Panjkent and the upperZarafshan River valley. In 1870 he explored the Fan Mountains south of the Zarafshan. In 1871 he reached theAlay Valley atDaroot-Korgan and explored the northernPamir Mountains but was unable to penetrate southward. He perished onMont Blanc while engaged in an exploring tour in France.[17][34] Named in honor:Fedchenko Glacier,3195 Fedchenko (asteroid). |  |
 | Alexander Fersman~ (1883–1945) geologist,geochemist | Fersman foundedgeochemistry, the science of the chemical composition of theEarth. He led numerous expeditions inCrimea,Kola Peninsula and theUrals. He discoveredcopper andnickel inMonchegorsk,apatite reserves inKhibiny andsulfur inCentral Asia.[35] Named in honor:Fersman Mineralogical Museum,Fersman crater (Moon). |  |
| Ivan Fyodorov^ (?–1733) Russian Navy officer | Fyodorov, took part in the firstKamchatka expedition ofVitus Bering in 1725–30. In 1732 Fyodorov and geodesistMikhail Gvozdev aboard theSviatoi Gavriil (Bering's ship) sailed toCape Dezhnyov, the easternmost point ofAsia. From there they sailed east and soon discovered theAlaskan mainland near theCape Prince of Wales, the westernmost point ofNorth America. They charted the north-western coast of Alaska. By doing this, Fyodorov and Gvozdev completed the discovery of theBering Strait, started bySemyon Dezhnyov andFedot Popov and continued by Bering. Their expedition also discovered three previously unknown islands.[36] |  | |
 | Johan Hampus Furuhjelm^ (1821–1909) Russian admiral, governor of theRussian Far East,Taganrog andRussian America (in photo with his wife Anna) | In 1850 Furuhjelm became a commander ofNovoarkhangelsk port (nowSitka,Alaska) and in 1854 ofAyan port. In 1858–64 he was the governor ofRussian America. He improved relations with natives, once using theColumbus-like trick of an eclipse of the moon to impress the Indians. In 1865–72 Furuhjelm served as military governor ofPrimorsky Krai and chief of Russian seaports on thePacific, where he contributed significantly to the development and exploration of the whole region.[37] Named in honor:Mount Furuhelm,Furugelm Island. |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Yury Gagarin (1934–1968) Soviet Air Force pilot,cosmonaut,Hero of the Soviet Union | On12 April 1961, Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, launching into orbit aboard theVostok 3KA-3 (Vostok 1).[38] Named in honor:Gagarin (Russia),Gagarin (Armenia),Gagarinsky (inhabited locality),Gagarinsky District,Gagarinskaya metro station,Gagarin crater (Moon), asteroid1772 Gagarin,Kosmonavt Yuri Gagarin (ship),Gagarin's Start,Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center,Gagarin Air Force Academy,Gagarin Cup;Cosmonautics Day akaYuri's Night is a yearly celebration of Gagarin's flight on 12 April. | |
| Yakov Gakkel‡ (1901–1965) oceanographer | Gakkel was a director of the geography department of theArctic and Antarctic Research Institute. He participated in numerousArctic expeditions, including the ones on the icebreakerSibiryakov in 1932 and onChelyuskin in 1934. He was the first to create abathymetric map of theArctic Ocean.[3] Named in honor:Gakkel Ridge. |  | |
| Matvei Gedenschtrom‡ (1780–1845) public servant, scientist | Gedenschtrom was sent to serve inSiberia for his connection with asmuggling affair atTallinncustoms. In 1809–10 together withYakov Sannikov he led thecartographic expedition to theArctic shores ofYakutia. They explored and named theNew Siberian Islands (earlier discovered byYakov Permyakov). This expedition established a theory about the existence of the legendarySannikov Land somewhere northwest ofKotelny Island. Gedenschtrom discovered the presence ofSiberian polynya (patches of open water at the edge of thedrifting ice and continentalfast ice). He charted the coastline between theYana andKolyma Rivers. He made numerous trips acrossYakutia and the areas east ofLake Baikal.[2] | | |
 | Johann Gottlieb Georgi* (1729–1802) geographer, naturalist, ethnographer, physician, chemist | Georgi accompanied bothJohan Peter Falk andPeter Simon Pallas on their respective journeys throughEuropean Russia andSiberia. In 1772 he mappedLake Baikal and was the first to describeomul fish, as well as other fauna and flora of the Baikal region. He amassed a large collection of minerals and in 1776–80 published the first comprehensive work on the ethnography of theindigenous peoples of Russia.[39] Named in honor:Georgia flower. |  |
 | Johann Georg Gmelin* (1709–1755) naturalist, botanist, geographer | In 1733–43 Gmelin participated in theGreat Northern Expedition and made a number of journeys throughSiberia, covering more than 34,000 km in total. He discovered that theCaspian Sea lies below sea level. He published two major works about his travels in Russia and the flora of Siberia, and described more than 500 previously unknown plants.[40] Named in honor:Gmelina andLarix gmelinii plant genera. |  |
 | Vasily Golovnin^ (1776–1831) Russian admiral, circumnavigator | Golovnin made twocircumnavigations on the sloopDiana (1807–09) and the frigateKamchatka (1817–19). In 1811 he described and mapped part of theKuril Islands. At that time he was taken prisoner for two years by the Japanese. He described his years in captivity, life in Japan, and his voyages around the world in books. Later he was the generalquartermaster of the Russian Navy and supervised the building of the first Russiansteamships. He tutoredFyodor Litke,Ferdinand Wrangel and other seafarers.[41] Named in honor:Golovin, Alaska. |  |
 | Bronislav Gromchevsky! (1855–1926) Russian Army officer | Gromchevsky participated in the Russian conquest ofCentral Asia and led reconnaissance expeditions in the surrounding regions. In 1885–86 he exploredKashgar andTian Shan. In 1888–89 he explored thePamirs,Kafiristan,Kashmir and northwesternTibet and went as far asBritish India. He is regarded as the Russian counterpart to the British military-explorerFrancis Younghusband. The twoGreat Game rivals famously met in 1889 when they were exploring theHunza Valley. In 1900 Gromchevsky explored North Eastern China.[17][42] |  |
 | Grigory Grum-Grshimailo! (1860–1936) zoologist, entomologist, ethnographer, geographer | In 1884 Grum-Grshimailo started his first Pamir expedition on which he explored theAlai Mountains and reached as far asLake Karakul. In 1885–87 he traveled extensively throughCentral Asia, reaching theSilk Road,Lake Chatyr-Kul andKashgar. In 1889–90 he discovered theAyding Lake, thesecond lowest land point on Earth, at 130 m below sea level. He obtained twoPrzewalski's horses, over 1000 bird specimens and tens of thousands of insects during his 8600 km long travels. In 1903 he exploredMongolia andTuva and later traveled in theFar East.[3][17] |  |
| Mikhail Gvozdev^ (1700/04–after 1759) militarygeodesist | Gvozdev took part in the 1stKamchatka expedition ofVitus Bering. In 1732 together withIvan Fedorov aboardSviatoi Gavriil (Bering's ship) they reachedDezhnev Cape (the easternmost point ofAsia), sailed east and soon discovered theAlaskan mainland near theCape Prince of Wales (the westernmost point ofNorth America). They charted that part of the Alaskan coast and discovered three new islands. Thus they completed the discovery of theBering Strait, once started bySemyon Dezhnyov andFedot Popov and continued by Bering. Subsequently, in 1741–42 Gvozdev participated in theGreat Northern Expedition and mapped most of the western and southern shores of theOkhotsk Sea, and the eastern shore ofSakhalin.[43] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ludwig von Hagemeister^ (1780–1833) Russian Navy captain, colonial administrator, circumnavigator | After taking part in theNapoleonic Wars, in 1806–07 Hagemeister journeyed toAlaska as captain of theNeva (former ship ofLisyansky). In 1808–09, he explored the shores of Alaska and the waters of theNorth Pacific. In 1812–15 he supervised the building of the firsttall ships to sail onLake Baikal. In 1816–19 he made a circumnavigation onKutuzov, with a stop in Alaska, where he was a governor ofRussian America in 1818–19. In 1828–29, Hagemeister made his second circumnavigation aboardKrotky. Among other islands, he surveyed theMenshikov Atoll (Kwajalein) in theMarshall Islands group.[44] Named in honor:Hagemeister Island. |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurbat Ivanov* (?–1666) Siberian Cossackvoevoda | In 1642, on the basis of explorations made byIvan Moskvitin, Ivanov made the earliest known map of theRussian Far East. In 1643 with a group of Cossacks he sailed up theLena River from Verkholenskyostrog, having decided to check the rumors of a large body of water to the south. They crossed theBaikal Mountains by foot, descended down theSarma River, discoveredLake Baikal and visited itsOlkhon Island. Ivanov made the first chart and description ofBaikal. In 1659–65 Ivanov was the next head ofAnadyrsky ostrog afterSemyon Dezhnyov. In 1660 he sailed fromAnadyr Bay toCape Dezhnyov. He is credited with the creation of the early map ofChukotka and theBering Strait, which was the first to show on paper (schematically) the yet undiscoveredWrangel Island, bothDiomede Islands andAlaska.[45][46] |  | |
| Gerasim Izmailov^ (c. 1745–after 1795) Russian Navy officer | In 1771 Izmailov was caught up in theBenevsky mutiny while serving onKamchatka. After an attempt to break away from the mutineers he was marooned onSimushir, an uninhabited isle in theKurils. For a year he lived likeRobinson Crusoe before being rescued, tried on charges of mutiny and cleared. From 1775 he created the first detailed map of theAleutian Islands. In 1778 he met with CaptainJames Cook inUnalaska. In 1783–85 Izmaylov andGrigory Shelikhov founded the first permanent Russian settlement inNorth America onKodiak Island. In 1789 Izmaylov became the first to explore and map theKenai Peninsula. Later he helpedAlexander Andreyevich Baranov to fight off theTlingit natives and saved the lost crew of a Russian ship fromSaint Paul Island, Alaska.[47] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Wilhelm Junker† (1840–1892) physician, ethnographer | Born into the rich family of aMoscow banker, Junker traveled a lot. He carried out a major exploration ofEastern andEquatorial Africa in 1875–86, withKhartoum and thenLado as bases for his expeditions. He researchedAfrican peoples, including theZande people from Niam-Niam, and collected plant and animal specimens. He explored theCongo-Nile Divide, where he established the identity of theUele andUbangi rivers. TheMahdist uprising prevented his return to Europe through theSudan, and in 1884–86 he went south, traveled throughUganda andTabora, reachedZanzibar and finally returned toSt. Petersburg.[17] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Otto Kalvitsa‡ (1888–1930) aviator, polar explorer | Finnish-born aviator who is one of the pioneers of the SovietArctic aviation. He explored the waters ofMatochkin Strait between theSeverny andYuzhny Islands ofNovaya Zemlya in order to survey ship routes for theNortheast passage. Kalvitsa also participatedGeorgy Ushakov's expedition to theWrangel Island.[48] Named in honor:Kalvitsa. |  |
 | Yerofey Khabarov* (1603–after 1671) Siberian Cossack leader | A manager for the merchantsStroganovs, Khabarov went to Siberia and in 1641 foundedsaltworks on theLena River. In 1649–50 he became the second Russian to explore theAmur river (afterVassili Poyarkov). Through theOlyokma,Tungur andShilka Rivers he reached Amur (Dauria), returned toYakutsk and then back to Amur with a larger force, where he engaged in theRussian-Manchu border conflicts. He built winter quarters atAlbazin, then sailed down the Amur and found Achansk, which preceded the present-dayKhabarovsk, defeating or evading large armies of DaurianManchuChinese andKoreans on his way. He charted the Amur in hisDraft of the Amur river.[49] Named in honor:Khabarovsk. |  |
 | Maria Klenova§ (1898–1976) marine geologist | Klenova was one of the founders ofmarine geology. She began her career in 1925 aboard theSoviet research vesselPersey in theBarents Sea, visitingNovaya Zemlya,Spitsbergen andFranz Josef Land. In 1933 Klenova made the first complete seabed map of the Barents Sea. Her later work included the research of seabed geology in theAtlantic and the Antarctic, and in theCaspian andWhite Seas. She was one of the earliest women explorers of theAntarctic.[50] |  |
 | Aleksandr Kolchak^ (1874–1920) Russian admiral, hero of theRusso-Japanese War,World War I,Russian Civil War, one of the leaders of theWhite movement | Kolchak joined the expedition ofEduard Toll on the shipZarya in 1900 as a hydrologist. He took part in two furtherArctic expeditions and explored the shores ofTaymyr Peninsula. He was nicknamed "Kolchak the Polar". He published a number of important works onArctic ice.[51] Named in honor:Kolchak Island. |  |
 | Nikolai Kolomeitsev^ (1867–1944) Russian admiral, hero of theRusso-Japanese War | After several expeditions in theArctic, Kolomeitsev became a commander ofEduard Toll's shipZarya during theRussian Polar Expedition in 1900. They aimed to explore the area north of theNew Siberian Islands and to findSannikov Land. There was a disagreement between Kolomeitsev and Toll over the treatment of the crew, and finallyFyodor Matisen was made captain, while Kolomeitsev was sent withStepan Rastorguyev to organize coal depots and carry the post to the mainland. They made a number of discoveries on the 800 km long sledge trip overTaymyr Peninsula.[52] Named in honor:Kolomeitsev Islands. |  |
 | Fyodor Konyukhov§ (born 1951) yacht captain, traveler, painter, writer,Orthodox priest | Konyukhov made more than 40 unique trips and climbs expressing his vision of the world in more than 3000 paintings and 9 books. He set a record for crossing theAtlantic on a single row-boat in 46 days. He also crossed 800 km in a record 15 days and 22 hours during a Trans-Greenland dog sleigh ride. He was the first Russian to complete theThree Poles Challenge andExplorers Grand Slam. He is the first and so far the only person in the world to have reached the five extremePoles of the planet:North Pole (3 times),South Pole, thePole of inaccessibility in theArctic Ocean,Mount Everest (Alpinists pole) andCape Horn (Yachtsmen pole). He set a record for the solo yacht circumnavigation ofAntarctica in 2008 (102 days).[53][54] |  |
 | Nikolai Korzhenevskiy! (1879–1958) Russian Army officer, geographer, glaciologist | In 1903–28 Korzhenevskiy organized 11 expeditions to explore thePamir Mountains. He discovered a number of glaciers and the highest peaks in thePamirs, includingPeak Korzhenevskaya which he named after his wife Evgeniya. He discovered and namedAcademy of Sciences Range (in honor of theAcademy of Sciences of the USSR) and made a catalogue of all the glaciers inCentral Asia, having discovered 70 of them himself.[3] |  |
 | Otto von Kotzebue^ (1787–1846) Russian Navy captain, circumnavigator | Kotzebue accompaniedIvan Krusenstern on thefirst Russian circumnavigation in 1803–06. On the brigRurik he led another Russian circumnavigation in 1815–18. He discovered the Romanzov Islands, Rurik Islands andKrusenstern Islands in thePacific, then moved towardsAlaska and discovered and namedKotzebue Sound andCape Krusenstern. Returning south he discovered theNew Year Island. In 1823–26 he made another world cruise on the sloop "Enterprise" making more discoveries.[17] Named in honor:Kotzebue Sound,Kotzebue, Alaska. |  |
 | Pyotr Kozlov! (1863–1935) Russian Army officer | Kozlov started traveling inCentral Asia withNikolai Przhevalsky, and after the death of his mentor he continued his work. From 1899 to 1901 he explored the upper reaches of theYellow River,Yangtze, andMekong rivers. He rivaledSven Hedin andAurel Stein as the foremost researcher ofXinjiang at the historical peak of theGreat Game. In 1907 he visited theDalai Lama inUrga. In 1907–09, Kozlov explored theGobi Desert and discovered the remains of the ancientTangut city ofKhara-Khoto. He excavated the site and uncovered no less than 2,000 books in theTangut language. In 1923–26 he exploredMongolia andTibet and discovered an unprecedented number ofXiongnu royal burials atNoin-Ula.[55] |  |
 | Stepan Krasheninnikov* (1711–1755) naturalist, geographer | Krashennikov was a classmate ofMikhail Lomonosov. Krashennikov traveled inSiberia in 1733–36 and then on Kamchatka Peninsula in 1737–41, during theSecond Kamchatka Expedition. He gave the first full description ofKamchatka in his bookAn Account of the Land of Kamchatka, with detailed reports of the plants and animals of the region, and also the language and culture of the indigenousItelmen andKoryaks.[56] Named in honor:Krascheninnikovia and other species. | .jpg) |
| Pyotr Krenitsyn^ (1728–1770) Russian Navy captain | In 1766–70 Krenitsyn led the "secret" expedition to theNorth Pacific together withMikhail Levashov, as ordered byCatherine the Great. They explored theAleutian Islands and part of theAlaskan shore, discovering good haven inUnalaska and many features of the Alaskan coast. Krenitsyn died by drowning in theKamchatka River. On the basis of his explorations the first general map of theAleutian Islands was created.[2] Named in honor:Krenitzin Islands. |  | |
 | Sergei Krikalyov$ (born 1958) cosmonaut andmechanical engineer,Hero of the Soviet Union,Hero of Russia | Krikalyov spent a record 803 days 9 hours and 39 minutes inspace during his six spaceflights. As aSoviet cosmonaut he traveled into space and back aboardSoyuz TM-7 in 1988 and then launched aboardSoyuz TM-12 in 1991, both times working on the Sovietspace stationMir."The last Citizen of theUSSR", Krikalev landed back onEarth aboardSoyuz TM-13 in 1992 to turn into a Russian cosmonaut. He became the first Russian to travel on an AmericanSpace Shuttle during theSTS-60 mission toMir in 1994, and then he made another Shuttle flightSTS-88, which was the first Shuttle mission to theInternational Space Station. He again traveled toISS onSoyuz TM-31 in 2000 and returned onSTS-102 in 2001. Again he traveled to ISS and back onSoyuz TMA-6 in 2005.[57] |  |
 | Pyotr Kropotkin* (1842–1921) Russian Army officer, geographer, zoologist,anarchist revolutionary | While serving inSiberia, in 1864 Kropotkin led a survey expedition crossing NorthManchuria fromTransbaikalia to theAmur River. Subsequently, he took part in the expedition which proceeded up theSungari River into central Manchuria, yielding valuable geographic results. In 1871 he explored the glacial deposits ofFinland and Sweden. He published several important works on the geography of Asia.[58] Named in honor:Kropotkin, Krasnodar Krai,Kropotkinskaya (Moscow Metro). |  |
 | Adam Johann von Krusenstern^ (1770–1846) Russian admiral, circumnavigator, geographer | In 1803–06, under the patronage ofAlexander I of Russia andNikolai Rumyantsev, Krusenstern led thefirst Russian circumnavigation of the world aboard theNadezhda together withYuri Lisianski onNeva. The purpose of the expedition was to establish trade with China and Japan, and examineCalifornia for a possible colony. They sailed fromKronshtadt, roundedCape Horn, and reached the northernPacific, making a number of discoveries. Krusenstern made an atlas of the Pacific, receiving an honorary membership in theRussian Academy of Sciences for the work.[3] Named in honor:Krusenstern Islands,Cape Krusenstern,Kruzenshtern (ship),Krusenstern (crater). |  |
 | Alexander Kuchin‡ (1888–1913?) Russian Navy captain, oceanographer | Kuchin's life was bound with Norway: he started as a seaman on a Norwegian ship, created aSmall Russian-Norwegian dictionary, studiedoceanography fromBjorn Helland-Hansen, conducted oceanographic studies duringAmundsen's South Pole Expedition on theFram, when he became the first Russian to set foot on the land ofAntarctica, and married Aslaug Poulson, a Norwegian. In 1912–13 he was the captain ofVladimir Rusanov's expedition toSvalbard on their shipHercules. After the successful research of the coal reserves on Svalbard, without consultation with the Russian authorities they made an incredibly rash attempt to pass via theNorthern Sea Route, and were lost in theKara Sea. Relics of theHerkules were found near theKolosovykh Islands.[59] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Georg von Langsdorff† (1774–1852) physician, naturalist, consul general of Russia inRio de Janeiro | Langsdorf participated as a naturalist and physician in thefirst Russian circumnavigation in 1803–05. Independently, he explored theAleutians,Sitka andKodiak Islands in 1805–07. In 1813 he becameconsul general of Russia inRio de Janeiro,Brazil. There he explored the flora, fauna and geography of the province ofMinas Gerais with French naturalistAugustin Saint-Hilaire in 1813–20. In 1821–22 he led an exploratory and scientific expedition fromSão Paulo toPará in theAmazon rainforest via a fluvial route, accompanied by an international team of scientists. In 1826–29 he led a 6000 km long expedition fromPorto Feliz to theAmazon River and back emassing huge scientific collections now deposited inKunstkamera.[60] |  |
 | Dmitry Laptev‡ (1701–1771) Russian admiral (Malygin,Ovtsyn,Chelyuskin, Kh.Laptev andD.Laptev on a commemorative coin) | A cousin of Khariton Laptev, Dmitry Laptev led one of the parties of theGreat Northern Expedition in 1739–42. He described the sea coastline from the mouth of theLena River to the Cape Bolshoy Baranov east of the mouth of theKolyma River, the basin and the mouth of theAnadyr River, and the land route from the Anadyr fortress to thePenzhin Bay. In 1741–42, Laptev surveyed theBolshoy Anyuy River.[61] Named in honor:Laptev Sea. |  |
| Khariton Laptev‡ (1700–1763) Russian Navy officer (Malygin,Ovtsyn,Chelyuskin,Kh.Laptev and D.Laptev on a commemorative coin) | A cousin of Dmitry Laptev, Khariton Laptev led one of the parties of theGreat Northern Expedition in 1739–42. Together withSemion Chelyuskin, N. Chekin, and G. Medvedev, Laptev described theTaimyr Peninsula from the mouth of theKhatanga River to the mouth of thePyasina river and discovered several islands. He participated in the creation of the"General Map of theSiberian andKamchatka Coast".[61] Named in honor:Laptev Sea. |  |
 | Adam Laxman^ (1766–1806?) Russian Army officer, diplomat | Son ofKirill Laxman, Adam Laxman led a diplomatic mission to Japan in 1791–92, with the aim to returnDaikokuya Kōdayū and another Japanese castaway in exchange for trade concessions fromTokugawa shogunate. He made valuable observations, but returned to Russia essentially empty-handed, though he possibly obtained the first official Japanese documents granting very limited permission to trade, to a nation other than China or the Netherlands.[62] |  |
| Kirill Laxman* (1737–1796) clergyman, naturalist | Kirill Laxman became a priest first inSt. Petersburg and then in theSiberian town ofBarnaul. In 1764–68 he explored Siberia, reachingIrkutsk,Baikal,Kiakhta and the border with China and researching the Siberian flora and fauna. In 1782 he founded the oldest museum in Siberia in Irkutsk, where he had settled earlier and was a business partner ofAlexander Baranov (the future governor ofRussian America). Laxman was engaged in attempts to establish relationships between Russia and Japan. He broughtDaikokuya Kōdayū, a Japanese castaway, to the court of empressCatherine the Great.[3] | ||
 | Mikhail Lazarev§ (1788–1851) admiral, circumnavigator, hero of theBattle of Navarino, commander of theRussian Black Sea Fleet, tutor of admirals and war heroesNakhimov,V. Kornilov andV. Istomin | Lazarev thrice circumnavigated the globe. He led the 1813–16circumnavigation aboard the vesselSuvorov and discoveredSuvorov Atoll. He commandedMirny, the second ship in the Russian circumnavigation of 1819–1821 under the leadership ofFabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen aboardVostok – this expedition was the first to discover the continent ofAntarctica on January 28, 1820 (New Style). They also discovered and namedPeter I Island,Zavodovski,Leskov andVisokoi Islands, theAntarctic Peninsula mainland andAlexander Island (Alexander Coast), and made some discoveries in the tropical waters of thePacific. In 1822–25 Lazarev sailed around the globe for the third time on his frigateKreyser. Named in honor:Lazarev Bay,Lazarev atoll,Lazarevskoye (settlement),Novolazarevskaya Station,Lazarev Mountains,Lazarev Ice Shelf,Lazarev Trough,3660 Lazarev (minor planet). |   |
 | Alexei Leonov (1934–2019) cosmonaut and Soviet Air Force general, twice aHero of the Soviet Union, painter, writer | On March 18, 1965, connected to the spacecraftVoskhod 2 by a 5.35 meter tether, Leonov became the first person to make a spacewalk, orextra-vehicular activity. He was in open space for 12 min 9 sec. At the end of the spacewalk, Leonov'sspacesuit had inflated in the vacuum to the point where he could not reenter the airlock. He opened a valve to allow some of the suit's pressure to bleed off, and was barely able to get back inside the capsule, where his companionPavel Belyayev assisted him. Subsequently, Leonov made a second spaceflight on theSoyuz 19, a part of theApollo–Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Thus Leonov participated in the first joint flight of the U.S. and Sovietspace programs. He published several books and albums of paintings, some of which he created in space.[63] Named in honor: a fictional spaceship inArthur C. Clarke's book2010: Odyssey Two, which was dedicated to Leonov. | |
| Mikhail Levashov^ (c. 1738–1774/76) Russian Navy officer | In 1766–70 Levashov was second-in-command in the "secret" expedition to theNorth Pacific led byPyotr Krenitsyn, as ordered byCatherine the Great. They explored theAleutian Islands and part of theAlaskan shore, discovering good haven inUnalaska and many features of theAlaskan coast. Levashov also explored and described theCommander Islands. On the basis of their explorations the first general map of the Aleutian Islands was created.[64] |  | |
 | Yuri Lisyansky^ (1773–1837) Russian Navy officer, circumnavigator | In 1803–06 Lisyansky, aboard theNeva, together withIvan Krusenstern on theNadezhda, led thefirst Russian circumnavigation of the world. The purpose of the expedition was to establish trade with China and Japan and to examineCalifornia for a possible colony. The ships split nearHawaii and Lisyanski headed toRussian Alaska, where theNeva became essential in defeating theTlingit in theBattle of Sitka. Lisyansky was the first to describe theHawaiian monk seal on the island which now bears his name. He met Krusenstern again inMacau, but they soon separated. Eventually, Lisyansky was the first to return toKronstadt.[65] Named in honor:Lisianski Island. |   |
 | Friedrich von Lütke^ (1797–1882) Russian admiral, circumnavigator | Litke took part inVasily Golovnin'sworld cruise on the shipKamchatka in 1817–19. In 1821–24, Litke explored the coastline ofNovaya Zemlya, theWhite Sea, and the easternBarents Sea. In 1826–29, he led the circumnavigation on the shipSenyavin and accompanied Mikhail Staniukovich on the sloopMoller. During this voyage they explored theBering Sea (including thePribilof Islands,St. Matthew Island and theCommander Islands), theBonin Islands off Japan, and theCarolines, discovering 12 new islands. Litke was a co-founder and the president of theRussian Geographic Society in 1845–50 and 1857–72. He was the president of theRussian Academy of Sciences in 1864–82, and occupied a number of major military and state offices.[66] Named in honor:Cape Lutke, Alaska,Litke Strait,Icebreaker Feodor Litke. |   |
| Fyodor Luzhin* (?–1727) cartographer, geodesist | In 1719–1721, together withIvan Yevreinov, Luzhin made the first instrumental mapping ofKamchatka and the first map of theKuril Islands during the "secret expedition", as ordered byPeter the Great. In 1723–24 he made surveys of different parts ofEast Siberia nearIrkutsk. In 1725–27, Luzhin participated in the first Kamchatka Expedition led byVitus Bering.[67] Named in honor:Luzhin Strait. |  | |
| Ivan Lyakhov‡ (?–c. 1800) merchant | Lyakhov, a merchant, investigated theNew Siberian Islands in three expeditions ondogsleds in 1770, 1773–74 and 1775. He hoped to findmammoth ivory there as he believed the islands were mainly formed by a substratum of bones and tusks of mammoths. He explored the follow-upLyakhovsky Islands, crossed theSannikov Strait and discoveredKotelny Island.[68] Named in honor:Lyakhovsky Islands. | | |
.jpg) | Vladimir Lysenko† (born 1955) traveler, scientist, circumnavigator | Dr. Vladimir Lysenko had three globecircumnavigations: (1) in a car (1997–2002), crossed 62 countries; (2) on a bicycle, crossed 29 countries; (3) along theequator, from west to east, deviating no more than two degrees of latitude from the Equator – starting in Libreville (Gabon), Vladimir had successfully crossed (in a car, a motor boat, a yacht, a ship, a kayak, a bicycle, and by foot)Africa,Indian Ocean,Indonesia,Pacific Ocean,South America andAtlantic Ocean with finish in Libreville in 2012. He also completed project titled "From Earth's Bowels to Stratosphere". Vladimir rafted on rivers in 63 countries. He visited all 195 UN member and observer states.[69][70] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Stepan Makarov‡ (1849–1904) Russian admiral, oceanographer, naval engineer and inventor, hero of theRusso-Turkish War (1877–1878) andRusso-Japanese War, commander of theRussian Pacific Fleet | Makarov built and captained the world's firsttorpedo boat tenderVelikiy Knyaz Konstantin. He was the first in the world to successfully launch torpedoes (against theTurkish armed shipIntibah in 1877). He was one of the developers of the RussianFlag semaphore system andinsubmersibility theory. Makarov directed two round-the-world oceanographic expeditions on thecorvette Vityaz in 1886–89 and in 1894–96. He built and commandedYermak, the world's first trueicebreaker, which was able to ride over and crashpack ice.Yermak was tested in twoArctic expeditions in 1899 and in 1901. Admiral Makarov was killed in action during the 1904–05 war with Japan after his battleshipPetropavlovsk struck anaval mine.[71] Named in honor:Makarov (town),Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy,Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding,Russian cruiser Admiral Makarov (1906),Icebreaker Admiral Makarov. |   |
| Stepan Malygin‡ (?–1764) Russian Navy captain, navigator, cartographer (Malygin,Ovtsyn,Chelyuskin,Kh. Laptev andD. Laptev on a commemorative coin) | Malygin was the first to write a manual onnavigation in theRussian language in 1733. In early 1736, he was appointed leader of the western unit of theGreat Northern Expedition. In 1736–37, two boatsPerviy (First) andVtoroy (Second) under the command of Malygin and A. Skuratov undertook a voyage from theDolgiy Island in theBarents Sea to the mouth of theOb River. During this trip, Malygin for the first time described and mapped the part of theRussian Arctic coastline between thePechora andOb Rivers.[72] Named in honor:Malygin Strait,Icebreaker Malygin (1912). |  |
 | Fyodor Matisen‡ (1872–1921) Russian Navy officer, hydrographer | Matisen replacedNikolai Kolomeitsev as commander ofEduard Toll'sZarya during theRussian Polar Expedition in 1900–03. He was the first to make a thorough geographical survey of theNordenskiöld Archipelago, exploring it ondogsled and discovering and naming 40 of its islands. Subsequently, Toll and Matisen ledZarya across theLaptev Sea to theNew Siberian Islands. The ship was trapped in fast ice, and Toll and three companions went in search of the elusiveSannikov Land on foot and kayaks, and were lost. WhenZarya became able to set sail, Matisen made for theLena River delta.[52] |  |
 | Fyodor Matyushkin‡ (1799–1872) Russian admiral, circumnavigator | Matyushkin studied inTsarskoselsky College together withAlexander Pushkin. He participated inVassili Golovnin'sworld cruise aboard theKamchatka in 1817–19. In 1820–24 he took part inFerdinand Wrangel'sArctic expedition to theEast Siberian Sea and theChukchi Sea. They explored and mapped theMedvyezhi Islands. Following this survey, Matyushkin on his own explored a vasttundra area east of theKolyma River. In 1825–27, he joined Wrangel in his world cruise aboardKrotky.[2] |  |
 | Alexander Middendorf* (1815–1894) zoologist, botanist, geographer,hippologist. agriculturalist | In 1840 Middendorf took part inKarl Baer's expedition to theKola Peninsula andLapland. In 1843–45 he pioneered the scientific exploration of theTaimyr Peninsula and discovered thePutorana Plateau onCentral Siberian Plateau. Then he traveled along the coast of theSea of Okhotsk and entered the lowerAmur River valley. He studied the ethnography of Siberian peoples, and the climate, animals and plants of Siberia. He was a founder ofpermafrost science and the Vice President of theRussian Geographical Society. He determined the southern border of thepermafrost and explained the highsinuosity of the northern boundary of thetaiga zone. In 1870 he accompaniedGrand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich toNovaya Zemlya and discovered theNorth Cape sea current (a part of theNorwegian Current). In 1870 he also explored theBaraba steppe, and in 1878 he travelled inFergana Valley.[73] Named in honor:Middendorff Bay,Middendorff's grasshopper warbler. |   |
 | Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay† (1846–1888) ethnologist,anthropologist, biologist | Miklouho-Maclay visited north-easternNew Guinea, thePhilippines,Indonesia andMelanesia on a number of occasions starting in 1870, and for a long time he lived amongst the nativeOceanian tribes, studying their way of life and customs. One of the earliest followers ofCharles Darwin, he was among the first to refute the then prevailing view that the different 'races' of mankind belonged to different species. He arrived inSydney in 1878 and organised a zoological centre known as theMarine Biological Station, the first marine biological research institute in Australia. He married a daughter of thePremier of New South Wales,John Robertson, and returned to Russia. Being in poor health after the trip he died, and left his skull to the St. Petersburg Military and Medical Academy.[74] Named in honor:Macleay Museum,N. N. Miklukho-Maklai Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology. |   |
 | Nicolae Milescu* (1636–1708) writer, scientist, traveler, geographer, diplomat | In 1671 Milescu went fromMoldavia to Russia, where he became a diplomat. He wrote the first arithmetics textbook in theRussian language,Arithmologion. He led the Russian diplomatic mission to China in 1675–78, for the first time among Russian ambassadors travelling toBeijing throughEast Siberia rather than throughMongolia. After his assistant Ignatiy Milovanov (sent beforehand) Milescu was the first known European to cross theAmur River from the north and reach Beijing by that route. Milescu made the first detailed description ofLake Baikal and all the rivers feeding the lake, and he was the first to point out Baikal's unfathomable depth. His travel notes also contain valuable descriptions of major Siberian rivers and the first everorographic scheme of East Siberia.[75] |  |
| Fyodor Minin‡ (c. 1709–after 1742) Russian Navy officer | In the 1730s, Minin participated in theGreat Northern Expedition. In 1736, he joined the unit led byDmitry Ovtsyn. In 1738 together with Dmitry Sterlegov he led the group that charted theArctic coastline east of theYenisei river for some 250 km. In 1738–42, Minin made several vain attempts to sail around theTaimyr Peninsula. He also mapped and describedDikson Island.[76] Named in honor:Minina Skerries. |  | |
| Ivan Moskvitin* (?–after 1645) Siberian Cossack leader | Moskvitin came with ataman Dmitry Kopylov fromTomsk toYakutsk and then to a new fort on theAldan River in 1638. In 1639 Kopylov sent Moskvitin in command of 20Tomsk Cossacks and 29Krasnoyarsk Cossacks to look for silver ore to the east. Leading the party, Moskvitin became the first Russian to reach thePacific Ocean and to discover theSea of Okhotsk, building a winter camp on its shore at theUlya River mouth. In 1640 the Cossacks apparently sailed south, explored the south-eastern shores of the Okhotsk Sea and probably reached the mouth of theAmur River. On their way back they discovered theShantar Islands. Based on Moskvitin's account,Kurbat Ivanov draw the first Russian map of theFar East in 1642. Moskvitin, presumably a native ofMoscow, personally brought the news of the discovery of the eastern ocean to his native city.[77] |  | |
 | Gerhard Friedrich Müller* (1705–1783) historian, ethnologist | Müller came toSt. Petersburg in 1725 and became a co-founder of theRussian Academy of Sciences. In 1733–43 he participated in the Academic Squad of theGreat Northern Expedition and traveled extensively throughSiberia, studying its geography and peoples. Müller is considered to be one of the fathers ofethnography. He collected vernacular stories and archival documents about Russian explorers of Siberia, includingPyanda,Fedot Popov andSemyon Dezhnyov. He was among the first to write a general account of Russian history based on extensive study of documentary sources. He put forth theNormanist theory, a controversial accentuation of the role of Scandinavians and Germans in thehistory of Russia.[78] |  |
 | Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky* (1809–1881) Russian Army general, statesman, diplomat | In 1847 Muravyov became the governor general ofEastern Siberia. He pursued the Russian exploration and settlement of the territories north of theAmur River. He assisted in the organisation ofGennady Nevelskoy's expeditions, which led to the Russian presence near Amur estuary and onSakhalin. In 1854 military troops sailed down the Amur, in 1855 the first settlers reached the river mouth, and in 1856 the city ofBlagoveshchensk was founded. In 1858, Muravyov concluded theTreaty of Aigun with China, which recognised the Amur River as a border between the two countries and granted Russia easier access to thePacific Ocean. The new territories acquired by Russia includedPriamurye and most of the territories of modernPrimorsky andKhabarovsk Krais. For this achievement Muravyov was granted the title of Count Amursky. The Treaty of Aigun was confirmed and expanded theConvention of Peking of 1860, which granted Russia the right to theUssuri krai and the south of Primorsky Krai. To defend the new lands Muravyov created theAmur Cossacks corps.[79][80] Named in honor:Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula. |  _front.jpg) |
 | Ivan Mushketov! (1850–1902) geologist, geographer | In 1873–79 Mushketov traveled extensively inCentral Asia, discovering and cataloguing mineral deposits. He produced the first geological map ofTurkestan (together with S. Romanovsky). Mushketov also started observations of earthquakes inKazakhstan, organized regular observation of the glaciers of theCaucasus, and researched the gold mines of theUrals. He led the team that surveyed the territory for the futureCircum-Baikal Railway.[81] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ivan Nagurski‡ (1888–1976) engineer, Russian Navy officer, pioneer of aviation, hero of theFirst World War andRussian Civil War | Nagurski was among the first pilots of theRussian Navy. In 1914 he was tasked with the difficult mission of locating the expeditions ofGeorgy Sedov,Georgy Brusilov, andVladimir Rusanov all lost in the Russian Arctic. He flew five missions, spending more than ten hours in the air and travelling more than a thousand kilometers over land and theBarents Sea reaching as far as the76th parallel north. He did not find the expeditions, but became the first polar aviator in history. Later he performed the first ever loop with aflying boat.[82] Named in honor:Nagurskoye airfield. |  |
.jpg) | Gennady Nevelskoy* (1813–1876) Russian admiral | In 1848 Nevelskoy led the expedition in theRussian Far East, exploring the area ofSakhalin and theAmur Liman (which he found possible to sail through ontall ships). He proved that theTatar Strait was not a gulf, but indeed a strait, connected to theAmur River's estuary by a narrow section later calledNevelskoy Strait. Not knowing about the efforts of Japanese navigatorMamiya Rinzo who explored the same area earlier, Nevelskoy's report was taken as the first proof that Sakhalin was indeed an island. In 1850 Nevelskoy foundedNikolayevsk-on-Amur, the first Russian settlement in the lower Amur region. He also founded several military posts onSakhalin.[83] Named in honor:Nevelskoy Strait,Nevelsk. |  |
 | Afanasy Nikitin† (?–1472) merchant, writer | In 1466, Nikitin left his hometown ofTver on a commercial trip to India. He traveled down theVolga River, reachedDerbent, thenBaku and laterPersian Empire by crossing theCaspian Sea, where he lived for a year. In 1469 Nikitin arrived inOrmus and then, crossing theArabian Sea, reached the sultanate ofBahmani, where he lived for 3 years. On his way back, Nikitin visited theAfrican continent (Somalia),Muscat,Trabzon and in 1472 arrived atFeodosiya by crossing theBlack Sea. Thus Nikitin became one of the firstEuropeans to travel to and to document his visit to India. He described his trip in a narrative known asA Journey Beyond the Three Seas, which is a valuable study of the 15th-century India, its social system, government, military (Nikitin witnessed war-games featuringwar elephants), its economy, religion and lifestyles.[84] |   |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
%2c_a_Russian_and_Soviet_geologist).jpg) | Vladimir Obruchev* (1863–1956) geologist, geographer, science fiction author | Having graduated from thePetersburg Mining Institute in 1886, Obruchev went toSiberia. He studied gold-mining and assisted in constructing theTrans-Siberian andCentral Asian Railways. In Central Asia he explored theKara Kum Desert, the shores of theAmu Darya River, and the old riverbeds of theUzbois. In 1892–94 Obruchev took part inGrigory Potanin's expedition toMongolia andNorth China. He explored theTransbaikal area,Dzhungaria and theAltai Mountains. Having spent half a century in exploring Siberia and Inner Asia, Obruchev summarized his findings in the extensive workThe Geology of Siberia. He studied the origins ofloess, the ice formation andpermafrost, and thetectonics of Siberia. All together, he authored over a thousand scientific works. Obruchev is also known as the author of two popular science fiction novels,Plutonia (1915) andSannikov Land (1924). These stories, imitating the pattern ofArthur Conan Doyle'sThe Lost World, depict in vivid detail the discovery of an isolated world of prehistoric animals in hitherto unexplored large islands in the Arctic.[85] Named in honor:Obruchev Hills,Obruchev crater (Moon),3128 Obruchev (asteroid),Obruchevsky District. |  |
 | Dmitry Ovtsyn‡ (?–after 1757) Russian Navy officer, hydrographer | In 1737–38 Ovtsyn led one of the units of theGreat Northern Expedition that charted the coastline of theKara Sea east of theOb River, making the first hydrographic description of the largeGydan Peninsula and part of theTaymyr Peninsula. In 1741–42 Ovtsyn took part inVitus Bering's voyage to the shores ofNorth America.[86] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Pyotr Pakhtusov‡ (1800–1835) Russian Navy officer, hydrographer (a monument inKronstadt) | A participant of the earlier explorations byFyodor Litke, Pakhtusov led two expeditions toNovaya Zemlya in 1832 and 1835. He twice wintered on the islands and took detailed meteorological observations. Together with fellow explorer and cartographerAvgust Tsivolko, Pakhtusov made the first reliable maps of Novaya Zemlya's southern shores.[87] |  |
 | Peter Simon Pallas~ (1741–1811) naturalist, zoologist, botanist, geographer | Born inBerlin, Pallas was invited byCatherine the Great to become a professor at theSt Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1768–74, he led an academic expedition to theCentral Russia,Povolzhye, theCaspian Sea, theUrals, andSiberia, reaching as far east asTransbaikal. Pallas sent regular reports to St. Petersburg covering the topics of geology, native peoples, new plants and animals. He became a favourite of Catherine II and was provided with the specimens collected by other naturalists to compile theFlora Rossica (publ. 1784–1815) andZoographica Rosso-Asiatica (1811–31). He also published an account ofJohann Anton Güldenstädt's travels in the Caucasus and the journals ofGeorg Wilhelm Steller fromKamchatka andAlaska. In 1793–94 Pallas led an expedition to southern Russia, visiting theCrimea and theBlack Sea, theCaucasus and theDnieper. He discovered and described a large number of new species and amassed a vast natural history collection.[88] Named in honor:pallasite (meteorite type),Pallasovka (town),asteroid21087 Petsimpallas,Pallas's cat,Pallas's squirrel,Pallas's gull and other species. |   |
| Ivan Papanin‡ (1894–1986) Soviet admiral, scientist, twice aHero of the Soviet Union | In 1931 Papanin took part in the expedition onicebreakerMalygin toFranz Josef Land, where in 1932–33 he was the chief of a polar expedition on theHooker Island. In 1934–35 he was the head of a polar station onCape Chelyuskin. In 1937–38 he was the head of thedrifting ice stationNorth Pole-1, the world's first expedition of its kind. Together withErnst Krenkel,Yevgeny Fyodorov andPyotr Shirshov he landed on the Arctic drifting ice-floes in an airplane flown byMikhail Vodopyanov. For 234 days the team carried out a wide range of scientific observations in the near-polar zone, until taken back. In 1939–46 Papanin became the head of theGlavsevmorput, an establishment that oversaw operations on theNorthern Sea Route. In 1940 he organized the expedition that rescued the ice-trappedicebreaker Sedov.[89] | ||
| Maksim Perfilyev* (?–after 1638) Siberian Cossack leader | In 1618–19 Perfilyev became a co-founder ofYeniseysky ostrog, the first Russian fortress on the centralYenisey River and a major standpoint for further expeditions eastward. In 1618–27 Perfilyev made several journeys on theAngara,Ilim,Lena andVitim rivers, and built several newostrogs. In 1631 he foundedBratsky ostrog (follow-up Bratsk). In 1638 he became the first Russian to set foot inTransbaikalia.[90][91] |  | |
| Yakov Permyakov‡ (?–1712) Siberian Cossack, seafarer, merchant | In 1710, while sailing from the Lena River to theKolyma River, Permyakov discovered theMedvezhyi Islands, siting them from afar. In 1712, Permyakov and his companionMerkury Vagin crossed theYana Bay from the mouth of the Yana over the ice and exploredBolshoy Lyakhovsky island, the southernmost of theNew Siberian Islands, thus initiating the exploration of the archipelago. On their way back Permyakov and Vagin were murdered by mutineering expedition members.[92] |  | |
| Ivan Petlin! (?–after 1619) Siberian Cossack, diplomat | Petlin was the first Russian to reach China on an official diplomatic mission in 1618–19. His expedition may have been the second European expedition to reach China from the west by an overland route (after that ofBento de Góis) since the fall of theYuan Dynasty. Together with Andrey Mundov and 10 other men, Petlin went south up theOb River, crossed theAbakan Range, went south toTuva and roundingUvs Nuur reached the court of theAltan Khan of the Khotgoid. Then they passed through Mongolia to theGreat Wall of China andBeijing. He was not allowed to see theWanli Emperor because of not bringing proper tribute. He brought back a letter in Chinese inviting Russians to open trade, but no one in Russia was able to read it until 1675. An account of Petlin's expedition was translated into English and published inSamuel Purchas'sPilgrims in 1625, and then translated into other European languages.[93][49] |  | |
 | Valeri Polyakov$ (born 1942) cosmonaut and physician, Hero of the Soviet Union,Hero of Russia | Polyakov holds the world record for the longest continuous spaceflight in history, 437 days 18 hours (more than 14 months), which he spent aboardSoyuz TM-18,Mirspace station andSoyuz TM-20 in 1994–95. With his earlier expedition toMir onSoyuz TM-6 and back onSoyuz TM-7 in 1988–89, his combined space experience is more than 22 months.[94] |  |
 | Fedot Popov^ (?–1648/54) merchant | An agent ofMoscow merchant Alexey Usov, Fedot Popov came toSrednekolymsk in Siberia in 1645. There he organized an expedition eastward, and brought inSemyon Dezhnev. In 1648 they sailed down to the Arctic and became the first to pass through theBering Strait and to discoverChukchi Peninsula and theBering Sea. All theirkochi and most of their men (including Popov himself) were lost in storms and clashes with the natives. A small group led by Dezhnyov reached theAnadyr River. In 1653–54, while fighting withKoryaks nearAnadyrsk, Dezhnyov captured Popov'sYakut wife, who confirmed him dead. WhenVladimir Atlasov came to conquer Kamchatka in 1697, he heard from the locals about a certainFedotov, who had lived with his men nearKamchatka River and had married local women – so theFedotov legend appeared.G. F. Müller thought Fedotov was Fedot's son, whileStepan Krasheninnikov thought he was Fedot himself, thus deeming Popov to be the possible discoverer ofKamchatka.[31] |  |
 | Konstantin Posyet^ (1819–1899) Russian admiral, military writer, statesman, diplomat | In 1852–54, Posyet journeyed on the frigatePallada to Japan under the command of admiralsYevfimy Putyatin andIvan Unkovsky. Accompanied also by novelistIvan Goncharov and inventorAlexander Mozhaisky, Posyet explored and mapped the northern coastline of theSea of Japan, including the follow-upPossiet Bay. In 1856 he carried to Japan the news of the ratification of theTreaty of Shimoda. Possiet's journeys and published observations made him an expert on Japan in Russia. Having become Minister of Ways and Communications, he negotiated theTreaty of Saint Petersburg (1875) withEnomoto Takeaki, which brought the entireSakhalin Island into the Russian fold. He prepared the construction of theTrans-Siberian Railway and was a leading advocate for the restoration of the white-blue-redflag of Russia in 1896.[95] Named in honor:Possiet Bay,Posyet port. |  |
 | Grigory Potanin! (1835–1920) geographer, ethnographer, botanist | Potanin traveled extensively throughSiberia, studying its nature and peoples, once accompanied byNikolai Yadrintsev. In 1876 and 1879 Potanin led two expeditions into Mongolia. In 1884–86 Potanin explored Northern China andTibet, returning to Russia through theQilian Mountains and Mongolia. He encountered theSalar people and made other ethnographic and geographic discoveries, including the first account of the East and WestUighur languages. In 1989 Potanin became one of the founders ofTomsk University, the first university inAsian Russia. In 1892–93 he again explored Northern China andSichuan accompanied by geologistVladimir Obruchev. Before reaching Tibet, Potanin was forced to turn back because of the illness and death of his wife Alexandra, who was the first woman member of theRussian Geographical Society. In 1899 Potanin travelled toGreater Khingan.[96] Named in honor:Potanin Glacier,9915 Potanin (asteroid). |  |
 | Vassili Poyarkov* (?–after 1668) Siberian Cossack ataman | In 1643, Poyarkov was sent with 133 men fromYakutsk to explore the new lands south ofStanovoy Ridge. He reached the upperZeya River in the country of theDaur people, who were paying tribute to theManchu Chinese. After wintering, in 1644 Poyarkov pushed down the Zeya and became the first Russian to reach theAmur River. He descended to theNivkh people country and discovered the mouth of the Amur River from land. Since his Cossacks provoked the enmity of the locals they passed, Poyarkov chose a different way back. They built boats and in 1645 sailed along theSea of Okhotsk coast to theUlia River and spent the next winter in the huts that had been built by explorerIvan Moskvitin six years earlier. In 1646 they returned to Yakutsk.[97] | |
| Gavriil Pribylov^ (?–1796) navigator | Pribylov, commanding the shipSt. George, led an expedition funded jointly byGrigory Shelikhov andPavel Lebedev-Lastochkin with an aim to find the lucrative breeding grounds of fur seals, long sought by Siberian merchants. He discoveredSt. George Island in theBering Sea in 1786, by following the sounds of barkingnorthern fur seals and possibly hinted byAleut people. A year later in 1787, Pribylov discoveredSt. Paul Island to the north of St. George.[98] Named in honor:Pribilof Islands. |  | |
 | Vasili Pronchishchev‡ (1702–1736) Russian Navy officer (forensic facial reconstruction) | In 1735–36 Pronchishchev led one of the units of theGreat Northern Expedition that discovered and mapped more than 500 miles of the Arctic shore to the west of the mouth of theLena River. He took his wifeMaria Pronchishcheva with him aboard the sloopYakutsk. Despite the difficulties, they reachedTaymyr Peninsula in 1736, having discovered the follow-upFaddey Islands,Komsomolskoy Pravdy Islands,Saint Peter Islands, and the eastByrranga Mountains on Taymyr. Pronchishchev and his wife died from illness on the way back and were buried at the mouth of theOlenek River[24] |  |
 | Maria Pronchishcheva‡ (1710–1736) first female Arctic explorer (forensic facial reconstruction) | Maria Pronchishcheva (or Tatiana according to some sources) accompanied her husbandVasili Pronchishchev in 1735–36, during the Great Northern Expedition, when they explored the coastline west of the mouth of the Lena River, making many discoveries. She is considered to be the first known female explorer of theArctic. Maria died from illness on the way back, only 14 days after the death of her husband Vasili.[24] Named in honor:Maria Pronchishcheva Bay |  |
 | Nikolai Przhevalsky! (1839–1888) Russian Army general, geographer, naturalist | In 1867–69 Przhevalsky led an expedition to the basin of theUssuri River. Subsequently, he made four major journeys to largely unknown parts ofCentral Asia, in total covering more than 40,000 km in length. In 1870–73 he crossed theGobi desert toBeijing, explored the upperYangtze River, and crossed into Tibet, surveying over 18,000 km2 and collecting some 5,000 plant species, 1,000 birds, 3,000 insects, 70 reptiles and the skins of 130 different mammals. In 1876–77, travelling through southernXinjiang and theTian Shan range, he visited LakeLop Nor. In 1879–80 he traveled viaHami City and theQaidam basin to LakeKoko Nor. Passing overTian Shan into Tibet, he was 260 km fromLhasa before being turned back by Tibetan officials. In 1883–85 Przhevalsky traveled across Gobi toAlashan and Tian Shan, then back to Koko Nor, and westwards to LakeIssyk Kul. His journeys opened a new era for the study of the geography, fauna and flora of Central Asia. He was the first to report on the wild population ofBactrian camels, to describe thePrzewalski's gazelle and thePrzewalski's horse (the only extantwild horse).[80][99] Named in honor:Przewalski's gazelle,Przewalski's horse,Przhevalsk (Kyrgyzstan),Przhevalskoye. |   |
 | Yevfimy Putyatin^ (1803–1883) Russian admiral, diplomat | In 1822–25 Putyatin sailed withMikhail Lazarev around the world aboard theSuvorov. Later he led diplomatic missions toIran and theCaucasus. Together with AdmiralIvan Unkovsky he led a scientific round-the-world expedition on the frigatePallada to Japan in 1852–55. This expedition contributed many important discoveries in oceanography. One of the results achieved was theTreaty of Shimoda with Japan. In 1857–58 Putyatin twice traveled to both Japan and China and exploredPeter the Great Gulf,Russky Island, theEastern Bosphorus and other features of the Russian shores of theSea of Japan.[2][100] |  |
| Demid Pyanda* (?–after 1637) Siberian Cossack ataman | Coming fromMangazeya, Demid Pyanda was a hunter for Siberian furs. Starting his long journey fromTurukhansk, in three and a half years from 1620 to 1624 Pyanda passed a total of 8000 km of hitherto unknown large Siberian rivers. He explored some 2300 km ofLower Tunguska (Nizhnyaya Tunguska in the Russian language) and, having reached the upper part of Tunguska, he discovered the great Siberianriver Lena and explored some 2400 km of its length. When doing this, he became the first Russian to reachYakutia and meet theYakuts. He returned up Lena until it became too rocky and shallow, and by land reachedAngara. On his way, Pyanda became the first Russian to meet theBuryats. He built new boats and explored some 1400 km of the Angara, finally discovering that the Angara (a Buryat name) and theUpper Tunguska (Verkhnyaya Tunguska, as known by Russians) are one and the same river.[101] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Semyon Remezov* (c. 1642–after 1720) cartographer, geographer, historian (a monument in theTobolsk Kremlin) | In 1683–1710 Remezov described and mapped the Tobolsk region, where he was born. He wrote theRemezov Chronicle, one of the earliest historical accounts of Siberia and its exploration, a part of theSiberian Chronicles. In 1699–1701 he created theChart book of Siberia, the first large format cartographic atlas of Siberia. In total, he made more than 200 charts and maps of eastern Russian regions.[102] |  |
 | Nikolai Rezanov^ (1764–1807) statesman, diplomat | Rezanov was one of the founders of theRussian-American Company in 1799, based on the earlierShelikhov-Golikov Company. In 1803–06, he was made an ambassador to Japan byAlexander I of Russia, and co-led thefirst Russian circumnavigation of the world, aboard theNadezhda under the captaincy ofIvan Krusenstern. Rezanov was in command as far asKamchatka. After his embassy to Japan failed, he was made an inspector ofRussian colonies in America. In 1806 he managed to open trade withSpanish California, conclude a treaty, and become engaged withConcepción Argüello, the daughter of the comandante ofSan Francisco. Rezanov died in Siberia, however, on a journey back to St. Petersburg while carrying the treaty to the capital.[103] Rezanov's love affair withConcepción Argüello inspired a ballad by the San Francisco author,Francis Bret Harte, and a 1937 novel,Rezánov and Doña Concha, by another SF author,Gertrude Atherton, as well as a very successful 1979 Russianrock operaJuno and Avos by the composerAlexei Rybnikov and the poetAndrey Voznesensky. | .jpg) |
 | Voin Rimsky-Korsakov* (1822–1871) Russian Navy officer, hydroghafer and geographer | An elder brother ofNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (the composer and conductor), in the 1850s and 1860s Voin Rimsky-Korsakov explored the area of theSea of Japan nearUssuri Krai, includingSakhalin Island, theAmur Liman and theStrait of Tartary. Later he also surveyed the shores ofKamchatka and theKuril Islands.[104] Named in honor:Rimsky-Korsakov Archipelago. |  |
 | Nicholas Roerich! (1874–1947) painter, philosopher, archeologist, writer, public figure, traveler | Roerich emigrated to the U. S. after theRussian Revolution. By the sale of his paintings and writings, and the gains from the activity of his cultural and enlightener organizations, Roerich was able to collect the finance and lead a major expedition to Central Asia in 1924–28, in which his family, including his wifeHelena Roerich, participated. The expedition went throughSikkim,Kashmir,Ladakh,Xinjiang, Siberia, Altai,Mongolia,Tibet, and unstudied areas of theHimalayas. Archeological and ethnographical investigations were conducted, dozens of new mountain peaks and passes were marked on maps, rare manuscripts were found, and some of the best series of Roerich's paintings were created. In 1934–35 Roerich conducted an expedition inInner Mongolia,Manchuria and China, collecting nearly 300 species of xerophytes, herbs, manuscripts and archeological relics. Roerich was an author and initiator of an international pact for the protection of artistic and academic institutions and historical sites (Roerich’s Pact, 1935) and a founder of an international movement for the defence of culture. He created about 7,000 paintings and founded a number of scientific and cultural institutions in the U. S., Europe and India.[105][106] Named in honor:Roerich’s Pact,4426 Roerich. |   |
 | Alexander Nevsky!(Rurikid) (1220–1263) GrandPrince of Novgorod andVladimir, national hero andpatron saint of Russia | Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky traveled to theMongolian capitalKarakorum in Central Asia, between 1247 and 1249, accompanied by his brotherAndrey Yaroslavich. They were summoned there by theGenghisidKhans who had conqueredRus' a few years before. Unlike their fatherYaroslav II of Vladimir, who had come into Karakorum in 1245–46 and was poisoned by the Mongols, Alexander and Andrey were able to get back to Rus', confirmed in power by their new overlords. Russian princes were among the first known Europeans to travel so far into Asia, making their journey around the same time as theItalian monkPlano Carpini traveled to Mongolia.[107] Named in honor:Order of Alexander Nevsky, numerousAlexander Nevsky Cathedrals, churches, monasteries. | |
 | Vladimir Rusanov‡ (1875–1913?) geologist | In 1909–11 Rusanov carried out explorations in theNovaya Zemlya archipelago. In 1912 he commanded a government expedition toSvalbard to investigate its coal reserves. They sailed on the small shipHerkules under CaptainAlexander Kuchin,Amundsen's South Pole expedition navigator. Concluding the work, part of the expedition returned to Russia, while the rest, without consultation with the authorities, set off with Rusanov in an incredibly rash attempt at reaching the Pacific via theNorthern Sea Route, and disappeared in theKara Sea. The relics of the expedition were found in 1937 in theKolosovykh Islands. Soviet coal mining on Svalbard began in 1932.[108][109] Rusanov and his expedition are among the prototypes for the novelThe Two Captains byVeniamin Kaverin, where the search proceedings for fictional captain Tatarinov resemble the search for Rusanov. |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Anatoly Sagalevich‡ (born 1938) oceanographer, submersible pilot, Hero of Russia (right in photo withVladimir Putin) | From 1979 Sagalevich has been the head of the Deepwater Submersibles Laboratory at theShirshov Institute of Oceanology. He took part in the construction of the Pisces VIII, Pisces IX andMIRDeep Submergence Vehicles and completed more than 300 submersions as the chief pilot of DSVs. He piloted MIRs during expeditions toRMS Titanic,German battleship Bismarck, Soviet and Russian submarinesK-278 Komsomolets andK-141 Kursk, andJapanese submarineI-52. Sagalevich holds the world record for the deepest fresh water dive at 1637 m inLake Baikal aboard a Pisces in 1990. On August 2, 2007, he was the pilot of the MIR-1 DSV that reached the seabed at theNorth Pole during theArktika 2007 expedition.[110] | .jpg) |
 | Rudolf Samoylovich‡ (1881–1940?) geographer | In 1912 Samoylovich took part inVladimir Rusanov's geological expedition toSpitsbergen. He was one of the initiators and the first director of theArctic and Antarctic Research Institute. In 1928 he was the head of the rescue party on theKrasin icebreaker, that saved most of the crew of theAirship Italia ofUmberto Nobile. He participated in the polar flight ofLZ 127 Graf Zeppelin in 1931 and headed expeditions on the icebreakersVladimir Rusanov (1932),Georgy Sedov (1934), andSadko (1936 and 1937–38).[111] | |
| Yakov Sannikov‡ (1780–after 1812) merchant | Exploring theNew Siberian Islands, in 1800 Sannikov discovered and chartedStolbovoy Island, and thenFaddeyevsky Island in 1805. In 1809–1810, he took part in the expedition led byMatvei Gedenschtrom. He discoveredBunge Land and suggested that there was a vast land north ofKotelny Island, thus introducing a theory about the existence of the legendarySannikov Land.[112] Named in honor:Sannikov Land,Sannikov Strait. |  | |
 | Gavriil Sarychev^ (1763–1831) Russian admiral, cartographer | In 1785–94 Sarychev took part in the expedition sponsored byCatherine the Great and led byJoseph Billings. Commanding the shipSlava Rossii (Glory of Russia), he mapped the coastline of theSea of Okhotsk fromOkhotsk toAldoma and many of theAleutian Islands (especiallyUnalaska). He also described thePribilof Islands,St. Matthew Island,St. Lawrence Island,Gvozdev, andKing Island. He was in charge of hydrographic research in Russia from 1808 and led the compilation of theAtlas of the Northern Part of thePacific Ocean in 1826.[113] Named in honor:Sarychev Peak,Cape Sarichef Airport,Sarichef Island. |  |
_(%25D0%25A1%25D0%25B0%25D0%25B2%25D0%25B8%25D1%2586%25D0%25BA%25D0%25B0%25D1%258F).jpg) | Svetlana Savitskaya (born 1948) female cosmonaut, aviator, twice a Hero of the Soviet Union, politician (Savitskaya with her 1982 crew fellowsPopov andSerebrov) | Savitskaya was the second woman in space (afterValentina Tereshkova) and the first woman to conduct anextra-vehicular activity. She achieved this during the two successful expeditions to theSalyut 7 space station in 1982 and 1984, making her spacewalk on July 25, 1984.[114] |  |
 | Johan Eberhard von Schantz† (1802–1880) admiral, ship designer, explorer | Finnish-born admiral of theRussian Imperial Navy who circumnavigated the globe as the commander of the Imperial Navy shipAmerica in 1834–1836. He rediscovered theWotho Atoll, originally discovered by the Spanish expedition ofRuy López de Villalobos in the 1540s.[115] Named in honor: Schantz Islands (nowWotho Atoll). |  |
 | Otto Schmidt‡ (1891–1956) mathematician, astronomer, geophysicist, statesman, Hero of the Soviet Union | In 1932–39 Schmidt was the head of theChief Directorate of the Northern Sea Route. In 1929–30, travelling on theicebreaker Sedov, he established the first research station onFranz Josef Land, explored the northwesternKara Sea and westernSevernaya Zemlya, discovering a few islands. In 1932 his expedition on the icebreakerSibiryakov withCaptain Vladimir Voronin made the first non-stop voyage through theNorthern Sea Route fromArkhangelsk to thePacific without wintering. In 1933–34 Schmidt and Voronin led the voyage on thesteamship Cheliuskin, that resulted in the loss of the ship and evacuation of the crew. In 1937 Schmidt supervised an airborne expedition that established the first everdrift-ice station,North Pole-1.[116] Named in honor:2108 Otto Schmidt (minor planet). |  |
 | Leopold von Schrenck* (1826–1894) zoologist, geographer, ethnographer | Schrenck explored the fauna of theRussian Far East, inAmurland between 1853 and 1854, and onSakhalin in 1854–55, discovering a number of animals. Later he turned to the study of thenative peoples of Russia. He coined the termPaleo-Asiatic peoples and was a director of thePeter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography inSt Petersburg.[80] Named in honor:Amur sturgeon,Manchurian black water snake. |  |
 | Georgy Sedov‡ (1877–1914) Russian Navy captain | In 1909 Sedov led the expedition that described the mouth of theKolyma River. In 1910 he explored the Krestovaya Bay onNovaya Zemlya. He suggested an expedition to theNorth Pole and found private sponsors. In 1912 Sedov's ship"Svyatoy Muchenik Foka" (Saint Martyr Foka) sailed north but had to stay for the winter near Novaya Zemlya because of impassable ice.Sv. Foka reachedFranz Josef Land then, but had to stop for another winter due to lack of coal. In early 1914, Sedov, sick with scurvy, set off with two companions for the North Pole with the draft dogs. Sedov died nearRudolf Island and was buried there, at Cape Auk. On the way back, at Franz Josef Land, theSv. Foka rescued the two survivors of theBrusilov expedition,Valerian Albanov andAlexander Konrad.[3] Named in honor:Icebreaker Sedov,Sedov (sailing ship). He and his last expedition are among the prototypes for the novelThe Two Captains byVeniamin Kaverin, where the fictional captain Tatarinov has Sedov-like appearance and shares his passion for Arctic exploration. |   |
 | Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky! (1827–1914) geographer, statistician, entomologist | In 1856–57 Semyonov passed through theAltay Mountains, visited theIssyk Kul and came to the then largely unknownTian Shan Mountains. He was the first European to see the peak ofKhan Tengri. He disprovedAlexander Humboldt's earlier claims about Tian Shan's supposed volcanic origins. In 1858, he published the first systematic description of the Tian Shan. Half a century laterNicholas II of Russia authorized him to add the epithet "Tian-Shansky" to his last name. For many years Semyonov served as chairman of Russia's Central Committee for Statistics, where he organized the firstRussian Empire Census held in 1897. Semyonov amassed a large collection of the old Dutch masters, which now belongs to theHermitage Museum, and an insect collection of c. 700,000 specimens. He was a member of 53 learned societies and headed theRussian Geographical Society for 40 years from 1873 until his death, using this position to encourage the exploration of inlandAsia, notably byNikolai Przhevalsky andPyotr Kozlov.[3][80][117] |   |
 | Yuri Senkevich† (1937–2003) physician, scientist, traveler, TV anchorman | Senkevich participated in the12th Soviet Antarctic expedition atVostok station in 1966–67. In 1969 he sailed withThor Heyerdahl on theRapapyrus boat, and later on theRa II across the Atlantic Ocean in 1970. He also sailed with Heyerdahl on anotherreed boat theTigris across theIndian Ocean in 1978. In 1973–2003, Senkevich was a host of the"Travelers' Club" show onSoviet Television for a record 30 years, making it into theGuinness Book of Records. He visited more than 200 countries as a journalist and TV anchorman.[118] |  |
.jpg) | Nikolai Severtzov! (1827–1885) naturalist | In 1857–58, on an expedition toSyr Darya in Central Asia, Severtzov was captured byKokand bandits and severely wounded. He was freed after a month by the Russian military and continued his studies. In 1865–68 he explored theTian Shan and LakeIssyk Kul. In 1877–78 he explored the unknown areas of thePamir Mountains following a route close to the currentPamir Highway as far as Lake Yashil Kul on the Ghunt River. Severtzov wrote a major study ofTurkestan zoology calledVertical and horizontal distribution of Turkestan wildlife (1873), which included the first description of a number of animals.[80] |  |
 | Grigory Shelikhov^ (1747–1795) seafarer, merchant | Shelikhov organized commercial trips of merchant ships to theKuril Islands and theAleutian Islands starting in 1775. Together with Ivan Golikov, he founded the precursor of theRussian-American Company (the name appeared in 1799 after Shelikhov's death). In 1783–86, he led an expedition to the shores ofRussian America, during which he founded the first permanent Russian settlement inNorth America inThree Saints Bay onKodiak Island. In 1790 he hiredAlexander Baranov to manage fur enterprise in America.[119] Named in honor:Shelikhov Bay,Shelikhov Strait,Shelekhov. |  |
.jpg) | Pyotr Shirshov‡ (1905–1953) oceanographer,hydrobiologist, statesman, Hero of the Soviet Union | Shirshov participated in numerous Arctic expeditions, including the ones on the icebreakerSibiryakov (1932) andsteamship Chelyuskin (1934). He was among the crew of thedrifting ice stationNorth Pole-1 in 1937–38. In 1942–48, Shirshov was a Maritime Minister of the Soviet Union. In 1946–53, he became the founder and the first director of theInstitute of Oceanology of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. He wrote numerous works about plankton in the polar regions and proved that there is life in the high latitudes of theArctic Ocean.[3] Named in honor:Shirshov Institute of Oceanology |  |
 | Gleb Shishmaryov^ (1781–1835) Russian Navy officer, circumnavigator | In 1815–18 Shishmaryov accompaniedOtto von Kotzebue on his circumnavigation onRurik, including the visit toAlaska, when they discovered theShishmaref Inlet. In 1820 he returned to Alaska accompanied by Lt.Mikhail Vasiliev. They explored the coast of Alaska fromKotzebue Sound toIcy Cape and later fromNorton Sound to Cape Newenham.St. Lawrence Island was mapped on the return voyage.[2] Named in honor:Shishmaref, Alaska,Shishmaref Inlet. |  |
 | Nikolay Shkot* (1829–1870) Russian Navy officer | After being wounded in theSiege of Sevastopol (1854–1855), Shkot served in the Far East. In 1856–63 he exploredSakhalin, theMoneron Island and the coast ofPrimorsky Krai in the area ofPeter the Great Gulf andNakhodka Bay, making a number of discoveries. He founded a hydrographic post in what is now modernNakhodka, and was one of the founders ofVladivostok in 1860.[120] Named in honor:Shkot Island,Shkotovo (village),Shkotovka River. |  |
 | Yuly Shokalsky~ (1856–1940) Russian Navy officer, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, geographer | In 1897–1901 Shokalsky researchedLake Ladoga. From 1907 he supervised all oceanographic works in Russia. He coined the termWorld Ocean. In 1919 he headed the commission that set uptime zones in Russia. In 1918–31 he was the head of theRussian Geographical Society and contributed widely toArctic exploration at this post.[121] Named in honor:Shokalsky Strait,Shokalskogo Island. |  |
 | Anatoly Solovyev (born 1948) cosmonaut, aviator, Hero of the Soviet Union | Solovyev holds theworld record for the number ofspacewalks (16), and accumulated time spent spacewalking (over 82 hours), which he performed during his five spaceflights. In 1988 he traveled onSoyuz TM-5 to theMirspace station and back onSoyuz TM-4. In 1990 he again traveled toMir and back onSoyuz TM-9, and in 1990 made a similar journey onSoyuz TM-15. In 1995 he got toMir on Space ShuttleSTS-71 and went back onSoyuz TM-21, and in 1997–98 again traveled toMir and back onSoyuz TM-26.[122][123] |  |
.jpg) | Mikhail Somov§ (1908–1973) geographer, oceanologist, Hero of the Soviet Union | In 1950–51, Somov headed the seconddrifting ice station,North Pole-2. In 1955–57, he became the leader of the1st Soviet Antarctic Expedition on the icebreakersOb andLena. The expedition established the first Soviet Antarctic station,Mirny, performed some observations and reconnaissance, and researched the oceanography of theIndian Ocean. Somov was also the first Soviet delegate to the international Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research.[124] Named in honor:3334 Somov (minor planet). |  |
| Mikhail Stadukhin* (?–1666) Siberian Cossack leader | In 1643, accompanied bySemyon Dezhnyov, Stadukhin led a group of Cossacks fromIndigirka to the east by the Arctic coast. They discovered theKolyma River and foundedSrednekolymsk there. In 1649 he followed by sea the traces of Dezhnyov's andFedot Popov's expedition to the east, which started earlier in 1648 (and reached theBering Strait). He learned from the captive natives that two of Dezhnyov'skochi had been wrecked and the crews killed by the natives. Later Stadukhin found the connection of the Kolyma watershed to that of theAnadyr and thus explored the land way to theChukchi Peninsula, where he found Dezhnyov in 1650. In 1651 Stadukhin set off south and discovered thePenzhin Bay of the northernOkhotsk Sea. He also may have explored the western shores ofKamchatka.[31] |  | |
| Georg Wilhelm Steller^ (1709–1746) botanist, zoologist, physician | In 1734 Steller moved fromBavaria to work at theSaint Petersburg Academy of Sciences. He traveled trough Siberia, researching its nature, and in 1740 reachedOkhotsk andKamchatka. He joinedVitus Bering on the voyage toNorth America. The expedition landed inAlaska atKayak Island in 1741, staying only long enough to take on fresh water. During this time Steller became the first European naturalist to describe a number of North American plants and animals, including theSteller's jay. On the return journey the expedition was shipwrecked onBering Island. Here Bering died, and almost half of the crew perished from scurvy. Despite the hardships, Steller studied the flora and fauna of the island in great detail. He collected the only existing detailed observations of the now extinctSteller sea cow, a largesirenian mammal. In the spring the crew constructed a new vessel and returned to Kamchatka, where Steller continued his research. He died on the journey toSt. Petersburg, but his journals were published byPeter Simon Pallas and were later used by other explorers, includingCaptain Cook.[125] Naned in honor:Steller's sea lion,Steller's eider,Steller's sea ape,Steller's sea eagle,Steller sea cow. |   |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Valentina Tereshkova$ (born 1937) cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union, major general, politician | AboardVostok 6 on 16 June 1963 Tereshkova became the first woman as well as the first civilian to travel into space. On this mission, lasting almost three days in space, she performed various tests on herself to collect data on the reaction of the female body to spaceflight. She took photographs of the horizon, which were used to identifyaerosol layers in theEarth atmosphere.[126] Named in honor:Tereshkova crater (Moon).1671 Chaika (minor planet, after Tereshkova'scall sign). | _large_resolution.jpg) |
 | Aleksey Tillo~ (1839–1900) geographer, cartographer, land surveyor, lieutenant general of the Russian Army | Tillo created the first correctrelief map ofEuropean Russia in 1889. He coined the termCentral Russian Upland. He measured the length of the mainRussian rivers and the level difference of theCaspian Sea and theSea of Aral.[127] Named in honor:Tillo Islands. |  |
| Gherman Titov$ (1935–2000) cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union | AboardVostok 2 on August 6, 1961, Titov became the second man to orbit the Earth, the first to do it multiple times (a total of 17), the first to spend more than a day in space, and the first person to drive a spaceship manually. He also was the first person to sleep in space and to suffer fromspace sickness. He made the first manual photographs from orbit, thus setting a record forspace photography. A month short of 26 years old at launch, he remains the youngest person to orbit the Earth.[128] Named in honor:Titov (crater) (Moon). | ||
 | Eduard Toll‡ (1858–1902) zoologist, paleontologist, geologist | In 1885–86, Baron Toll took part in an expedition to theNew Siberian Islands led byAlexander Bunge. In 1893 Toll led an academic expedition toYakutia and explored the region between the lowerLena andKhatanga Rivers, the basins of theYana,Indigirka, andKolyma Rivers, the plateau between theAnabar andPopigay Rivers, and theVasily Pronchischev mountain ridge (named by Toll) between theOlenek River and the Anabar. In 1899, Toll took part in a voyage of theicebreaker Yermak toSpitsbergen, led byStepan Makarov. In 1900–02, Toll led an expedition on the shipZarya to find the legendarySannikov Land. Due to severe ice conditions the expedition was forced to spend two winters in theArctic. Toll traveled toBennett Island by sledge and kayak with three companions, and they were lost. In 1903 the search led byMikhail Brusnev andAleksandr Kolchak brought out the diaries and the collections of Toll's party.[52] |  |
| Yevgeny Tolstikov§ (1913–1987) geographer, Hero of the Soviet Union | In 1954 Tolstikov was the head of thedrifting ice station North Pole-3 in theArctic. In 1957–59 he led the3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition and founded theSovetskaya andPole of Inaccessibility Antarctic stations. The expedition discovered theGamburtsev Mountain Range and other features ofAntarctica relief under the ice. Tolstikov was the chief editor of the general atlas of theAntarctic.[129] Named in honor:3357 Tolstikov (minor planet). |  | |
 | Fyodor Ivanovich Tolstoy^ (1782–1846) nobleman, adventurer | A count from theTolstoy family, Fyodor Tolstoy was known for his unusual temper, gambling and passion for duels. In 1803 he took part in thefirst Russian circumnavigation onNadezhda, captained byIvan Krusenstern. However, multiple quarrels with the crew and very bad behaviour, including successfully teaching a petorangutan to cover the captain's longbook in ink, caused Tolstoy to be abandoned on a stop inKamchatka with the aforementioned ape, whose later fate is unknown. On a different ship Tolstoy managed to get intoSitka, Alaska, where he spent several months amongAlaskan natives of theTlingit tribe and acquired multiple tattoos. Finally he returned toSt. Petersburg via Kamchatka and Siberia. His voyage to North America earned him the nicknamethe American and a legendary celebrity due to the tales and gossip of his adventures.[130] Tolstoy served as a prototype for a number of characters in Russian literature, including the duellist Zaretsky inEugene Onegin byAleksandr Pushkin. | .jpg) |
.jpg) | Alexey Tryoshnikov§ (1914–1991) geographer, oceanologist | Tryoshnikov participated in the 1948 Soviet expedition to the North Pole. In 1954–55, he headed thedrifting ice station North Pole-3 in theArctic. In 1956–58 he led the2nd and in 1967–69 the13th Soviet Antarctic Expedition, founding theBellingshausen Station. He took part in the creation of the general atlas of theAntarctic and was the main editor of the atlas of the Arctic. He was the president of theSoviet Geographical Society in 1977–91 and the director of theArctic and Antarctic Research Institute in 1960–81.[131] Named in honor:3339 Treshnikov (minor planet). |  |
 | Avgust Tsivolko‡ (1810–1839) Russian Navy officer, hydrographer | In 1832–34 Tsivolko made the first reliable maps ofNovaya Zemlya's southern shores together withPyotr Pakhtusov, and was the first to map theMatochkin Strait between the two main islands of the archipelago. In 1837 he commanded the schoonerKrotov duringKarl Baer's expedition to Novaya Zemlya. In 1838 he died from scurvy while mapping the northern and northeastern shores of Novaya Zemlya.[132] | |
 | Gombojab Tsybikov! (1873–1930) anthropologist, ethnographer, statesmen | A nativeBuryat, Tsybikov traveled toTibet in a group of Buryat andKalmykBuddhist pilgrims in 1899–1902. He became the first photographer of Tibet, taking pictures in secret. These pictures were widely celebrated throughout the world, printed by theNational Geographic in the U. S. In 1904 Tsybikov presented his pictures toDalai Lama inUrga,Mongolia. He published his travelogue with many valuable translations fromTibetan included.[133] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ivan Unkovsky^ (1822–1886) Russian admiral | Unkovsky led an expedition on the frigatePallada, together with AdmiralYevfimy Putyatin, through theAtlantic,Indian andPacific Oceans to Japan in 1852–55. This expedition contributed many important discoveries inoceanography. Described in the book byIvan Goncharov, who also sailed on thePallada, it was a dangerous voyage since it coincided in time with theCrimean War between Russia and theFranco-British alliance. One of the results achieved was theTreaty of Shimoda with Japan.[134] |  |
| Nikolay Urvantsev‡ (1893–1985) geologist | Urvantsev was among the discoverers of a coal basin and a copper-nickel ore region inNorilsk in 1919–22 and was among the founders of Norilsk town. In 1922 he found evidence of the disappearedRoald Amundsen's 1918 Arctic expedition crew membersPeter Tessem and Paul Knutsen on theKara Sea shore. In 1930–32 Urvantsev andGeorgy Ushakov explored and completely mapped theSevernaya Zemlya and established that it was an archipelago, discovering a number or major islands. Urvantsev also exploredTaymyr Peninsula and theCentral Siberian Plateau. In 1933–34 aboard theSteamer Pravda Urvantsev led the first Arcticoil exploration expedition.[3][11] |  | |
 | Georgy Ushakov‡ (1901–1963) geographer | In 1926 Ushakov founded the first Soviet settlement onWrangel Island. In 1930–32 Ushakov andNikolay Urvantsev explored and completely mapped the Severnaya Zemlya and established that it was an archipelago, the last one on Earth to be explored. In 1935–36 Ushakov led the first Soviet high-latitude expedition on theicebreakerSadko, examining the last unexplored areas in the northernKara Sea and discoveringUshakov Island, the last unknown island in theRussian Arctic outside any archipelago. Ushakov died in Moscow, but was buried in Severnaya Zemlya.[135] |  |
| Tatyana Ustinova* (1913–2009) geologist | In 1940 Ustinova came toKronotsky Nature Reserve inKamchatka. In 1941, with the help of the local guide Anysyfor Krupenin, she discovered theValley of Geysers, the second largest concentration of geysers in the world. She researched the geysers until 1946 and gave names to the most notable of them. She requested in a testament that her ashes were to be buried in the Valley of Geysers.[136] |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merkury Vagin‡ (?–1712) Siberian Cossack, seafarer, merchant | In 1712, Vagin and his companionYakov Permyakov crossed theYana Bay over the ice and exploredBolshoy Lyakhovsky island (sited two years earlier by Permyakov), spottingMaly Lyakhovsky island from there. Thus they initiated the exploration of the largeNew Siberian archipelago. On the way back they were murdered by mutineering expedition members.[137] |  | |
 | Nikolai Vavilov† (1887–1943) botanist and geneticist | In 1924–35 Vavilov was the director of theInstitute of Plant Industry. He organized a series of botanical-agronomic expeditions, collected seeds from every corner of the globe, and created the world's largest collection of plant seeds inLeningrad. As a result of his explorations he identified thecentres of origin of main cultivated plants.[138] Named in honor:Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry,Vavilovian mimicry;2862 Vavilov (minor planet),Vavilov crater (Moon) (named also after Vavilov's brother, physicistSergey Vavilov). |  |
 | Boris Vilkitsky‡ (1885–1961) Russian Navy captain, hydrographer | In 1913–15 Vilkitsky led theArctic hydrographic expedition on the icebreakersTaimyr andVaigach, exploring parts of theNorthern Sea Route. In 1913, the expedition discoveredSevernaya Zemlya, the last archipelago on Earth to be explored.Vilkitsky Island was also discovered, as well asMaly Taymyr andStarokadomsky Islands. In 1914–15, another Vilkitsky's expedition made the first through voyage fromVladivostok toArkhangelsk, discoveredZhokhova Island and described the southern coast of Severnaya Zemlya.[139] Named in honor:Vilkitsky Strait,Vilkitsky Island (Kara Sea),Vilkitsky Island (East Siberian Sea) |  |
 | Vladimir Vize‡ (1886–1954) oceanographer | In 1912–14 Vize took part inGeorgiy Sedov's expedition toNovaya Zemlya andFranz Josef Land. In 1924 he studied the drift ofGeorgy Brusilov's ill-fated shipSt. Anna, trapped on pack ice. As a result of this study he predicted the location of the yet unseenVize Island, based on the analysis of ice movement in theKara Sea. He took part in the first successful crossing of the Northern Sea Route in a single navigation on the icebreakerSibiryakov in 1932. In 1938–40 he conducted scientific research on the ice-capturedicebreaker Sedov, turned into adrifting ice station.[3] Named in honor:Vize Island |  |
 | Vladimir Voronin‡ (1890–1952) Soviet Navy captain | In 1932 Voronin commanded the expedition of the icebreakerSibiryakov which made the first successful crossing of theNorthern Sea Route in a single navigation without wintering, in 65 days fromArkhangelsk toYokohama in Japan. In 1933–34 he commanded theChelyuskin steamship with the scientific expedition ofOtto Schmidt aboard. The ship became ice-bound in theChukchi Sea, but almost all the crew was rescued by planes from their camp on the ice.[140] Named in honor:Voronina Island. |  |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ferdinand von Wrangel‡ (1797–1870) Russian admiral, colonial administrator | Ferdinand Wrangel took part inVasily Golovnin's world cruise on the shipKamchatka in 1817–19. In 1820–24 Wrangel sailed north of theKolyma River and established that there was an open sea, not dry land, as was previously thought. Together withFyodor Matyushkin and P. Kuzmin, he described theMedvyezhi Islands and theArctic coastline from theIndigirka River to theKolyuchinskaya Bay. After noticing swarms of birds flying north and questioning the native population, he determined that there must be an undiscovered island in theArctic Ocean. Even though his search for it was unsuccessful the island was later namedWrangel Island. Wrangel led the circumnavigation on the shipKrotky in 1825–27. He was the governor ofRussian America in 1829–35, the president of theRussian-American Company in 1840–49 and theMinister of the Navy in 1855–57. In 1845 he became one of the founders of theRussian Geographic Society.[141] Named in honor:Wrangel Island (Chukchi Sea),Wrangell Island inAlexander Archipelago;Wrangell, Alaska;Wrangell NarrowsCape Wrangell,Mount Wrangell. |   |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Nikolai Yadrintsev! (1842–1894) public figure, archaeologist,turkologist | In 1889 Yadrintsev located the remains of the medieval city Hara-Balgas andGenghis Khan's capitalKarakorum inMongolia. In the valley of theOrkhon River he discovered theOrkhon script of the ancientTürks on two petroglyphic monuments with runiform writing, later decoded by the Danish scientistVilhelm Thomsen. In 1891 Yadrintsev together withVasily Radlov found more monuments of Türkic runiform writing.[142] |  |
 | Yermak Timofeyevich* (1532/42–1585) Cossack ataman, folk hero | Around 1577, the merchantsStroganovs, who were the main colonisers of theUrals, hired Yermak to protect their lands from attacks by the SiberianKhanKuchum. The Russians planned to attack Kuchum in his own land, and in 1581 Yermak penetrated into Siberia. After a few victories over the khan's army, Yermak's Cossacks defeated Kuchum's main forces on theIrtysh River in a 3-dayBattle of Chuvash Cape in 1582, forcing them to retreat to the steppes. Thus Yermakcaptured theSiberia Khanate, including its capitalQashliq near modernTobolsk. Kuchum was still strong and suddenly attacked Yermak in 1585 in the dead of night, killing most of his people. Yermak was wounded and tried to swim across the Wagay River (Irtysh's tributary), but drowned under the weight of his ownchain mail armor. The Cossacks had to withdraw from Siberia completely, but thanks to Yermak's having explored the main river routes ofWest Siberian Plain, the Russians successfully recaptured all Yermak's conquests just a few years later.[143] Named in honor:Icebreaker Yermak,Yermak Stone. |   |
| Portrait | Person | Achievements | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Lavrenty Zagoskin^ (1808–1890) Russian Navy officer, naturalist | Commissioned by theRussian America Company, in 1842–44 Zagoskin traveled extensively in Alaska, covering more than 3300 miles. He explored and mapped theYukon,Kuskokwim,Innoko andKoyukuk Rivers, and researched the native peoples and nature of the region. He published the first detailed description of the inner areas ofAlaska.[144] |  |
 | Vasily Zavoyko* (1809–1898) Russian admiral | In 1835–38 Zavoyko twice circumnavigated the globe. After 1840, during his service for the Russian-American Company in theOkhotsk Sea, Zavoyko explored the estuary of theAmur River. His reports led to further expeditions and ultimately the incorporation ofPrimorsky Krai into Russia. In 1854, at the time ofCrimean War, Zavoyko led the successful defence ofKamchatka during theSiege of Petropavlovsk. He repelled the superior allied British-French forces and even captured theUnion Jack. In 1855, making his way through the frozen seas and successfully avoiding the large enemy fleet, he supervised the transfer of theRussian Pacific Fleet from Petropavlovsk toNikolayevsk-on-Amur.[145] |  |
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