Vasily Stepanovich Zavoyko | |
|---|---|
 Vasily Zavoyko | |
| Born | (1809-07-15)15 July 1809 Prokhorovka,Poltava Governorate,Russian Empire |
| Died | 16 February 1898(1898-02-16) (aged 88) Mechetnaya,Podolia Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Allegiance |  Russian Empire |
| Service |  Imperial Russian Navy |
| Years of service | 1820–1890 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Order of the White Eagle Order of St. George |
Vasily Stepanovich Zavoyko (Russian:Василий Степанович Завойко; 5 July 1809 – 16 February 1898) was anadmiral in the Russian navy.[1][2]Born to a noble Ukrainian family of a naval medic hailed fromPoltava Governorate,[1] in 1827 he took part in theBattle of Navarino,[1] and in 1835-1838 he twicecircumnavigated the Earth.[1]
In 1840 he became an employee of theRussian-American Company and soon became the manager of theOkhotsk port.[1] He deduced that the port was inconvenient for trade, as it was too far from theLena River basin and advocated transfer of the Company port toAyan. During his exploration Zavoyko discovered theestuary of theAmur River (the exploration was later continued byGennady Nevelskoy, who proved that theStrait of Tartary was not a gulf, but indeed a strait, connected toAmur's estuary byNevelskoy Strait). Zavoyko's reports about the potential importance of the river led to the 1846 expedition to study Amur and ultimately to the incorporation of the modernPrimorsky Krai to Russia[1] (seeAmur Annexation).
In 1850, he was appointed governor ofKamchatka and the commander of the port ofPetropavlovsk.[1]Under Zavoyko's governorship, Kamchatka expanded to include awharf,foundry, and a new armybarracks. Zavoyko also encouraged agricultural expansion, urging each household to sustain itself with potato farming. These efforts, however, did little to improve the region's low economic and cultural standards.[3]
In 1854, during theCrimean War, Zavoyko led the successful defence against theSiege of Petropavlovsk by the allied British-French troops commanded by Rear AdmiralsDavid Price andAuguste Febvrier Despointes. Zavoyko managed to repel the superior allied forces and even captured the British banner.[1]
In the winter of 1855, Zavoyko was in charge of the transfer the main Russian Pacific naval base from Petropavlovsk to the Amur estuary. The fleet managed to make its way through despite the frozen seas and the superior enemy fleet awaiting them near the Amur inflow.[1] In two months sailors built theNikolayevsk-on-Amur city that served as the base for the fleet.[1]
In 1856, Zavoyko returned toSaint Petersburg, where he served as the NavalGeneral-Auditor.[1]
He was married to Juliana Wrangell and had 11 children: five sons and six daughters. Zavoyko died in 1898. One daughter, Ekaterina Vasilievna, marriedVasily Grinevetsky the professor of engineering at theImperial Moscow Technical School.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
