Vasili Vasilyevich Pronchishchev (Russian:Васи́лий Васи́льевич Про́нчищев) (1702–9 September [O.S. 29 August] 1736) was a Russian explorer.[1]
In 1718, Vasili Pronchishchev graduated fromMoscow School of Mathematics and Navigation and was promoted to naval cadet. In 1733, he was promoted to the rank oflieutenant and appointed head of one of the units of theSecond Kamchatka Expedition, the purpose of which was to map the shores of theArctic Ocean from the mouth of theLena to the mouth of theYenisey.
In 1735, Vasili Pronchishchev went down the Lena River (fromYakutsk) on hissloopYakutsk, doubled its delta, and stopped for wintering at the mouth of theOlenek River. Many members of the crew fell ill and died, mainly owing toscurvy. Despite the difficulties, in 1736, he reached the eastern shore of theTaymyr Peninsula and went north along its coastline. Finally Pronchishchev andhis wife Maria (also referred to as Tatyana Feodorovna) succumbed to scurvy and died on the way back.
Despite the death toll, the expedition was successful regarding the fulfillment of its goals. During his journey, Vasili Pronchishchev discovered a number of islands off the northeastern coast of the Taymyr Peninsula (Faddey Islands,Komsomolskoy Pravdy Islands,Saint Peter Islands). His expedition was the first to accurately map the Lena River from Yakutsk to its estuary and the Laptev seacoast from the Lena's mouth to the Gulf of Faddey. Pronchishchev's wifeMaria Pronchishcheva (died 12(23) September 1736), who took part in his expedition, is considered the first female polar explorer. After their deaths, both of them were interred at the mouth of the Olenek River.
Further information is now available from the Hakluit Society via a summary written by William Barr in July 2018, "The Arctic Detachments of the Russian Great Northern Expedition (1733–43) and their largely forgotten and even Clandestine Predecessors". On page 12 of the summary is shown information and maps on the Lena-Khatanga detachment led by Pronchishchev.
A part of the eastern coastline of the Taymyr Peninsula and a ridge between the mouths of the Olenek andAnabar Rivers bear Vasili Pronchishchev's name. The 1961-builticebreakerLedokol-1 was renamedVasiliy Pronchishchev in 1996 after this pioneering Arctic explorer.
Maria Pronchishcheva Bay in theLaptev Sea is named after his wife Maria.
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