Vitus Jonassen Bering. Photo, biography

The birth of a future navigator is not marked by any important events. Nobody even imagined that the child would become not just a sailor, but a great pioneer, and even a member of another state. It is difficult to say what reasons prompted the boy to enter the naval service in the Russian Empire: our power was not so powerful at that time. Perhaps Bering could see for himself certain perspectives. Which, to some extent, contributed to his discoveries, which had practical, geographical, and historical significance. Bering not only discovered new lands and islands in the north of the country, but also compiled maps of the coast, which was extremely important.

The first years of life

Vitus Bering was born on August 12, 1681 in Jutland (modern Denmark) in Horsens. Nothing special about the town was different: several churches and monasteries - that's all the sights. It began to develop only after 1442, when he was given a trade charter, and gradually turned into a commercial center.

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

The sea cared for the boy, so it is not surprising that, reaching adolescence, he entered Amsterdam in the naval cadet corps, and in 1703, at the age of 22, successfully completed it. But before that, Vitus Bering made a small trip to the East Indies on a Dutch ship. Apparently, after this, the future traveler Bering took a firm decision to link his fate with the sea.

In the service of Peter I

How did Vitus Bering get into the Russian fleet? His biography does not contain exact information on this score. It is only known that at that time, on the orders of the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, the Admiral of the Russian Fleet, Korneli Ivanovich Kruis, was engaged in the recruitment of experienced seamen for the service. Sivers and Senyavin presented the youngster, saying that he had already visited the East Indies, therefore, he still has some experience. From other sources it is known that Vitus wanted to serve, like his cousin Sivers, in the Navy, and certainly in the Russian Empire. Whatever it was, but his dream came true, and Bering went to Petersburg. There he was instructed to manage the ship, which transported the forest to build the fortress of Kronstadt. God knows what, but still the sea!

Soon Vitus Bering received the rank of lieutenant and began to perform more responsible and complex assignments. He took part in the Azov campaign, tracked the movement of ships of the Swedes in the Gulf of Finland, participated in the campaign from Arkhangelsk to Kronstadt, served on the ship "Pearl" when he moved from Hamburg to Petersburg. And suddenly, without having reached the rank of captain of the first rank, Bering leaves the military service.

The track record of Vitus Bering

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

Here such honors and honors for 20 years of service were awarded to Vitus Bering. A brief biography, however, does not reveal all the merits of the navigator. For historians and geographers, the next part of his life is more interesting.

The development and annexation of Kamchatka to the Russian Empire

The constantly growing oppression of serfdom could not but affect the history of Russia. The escaped peasants searched for the earth, which would serve as a refuge from persecution. So gradually people got to Siberia, and there and to Kamchatka. But the territory was already inhabited, therefore, campaigns were organized to capture and develop lands rich in natural resources, furs, etc. In 1598, the Siberian Khanate was defeated and the territory became part of the Russian Empire.

The necessity of exploring Kamchatka

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

In 1724, Peter the Great issued a decree on organizing a campaign to Kamchatka, at the head of which Vitus Bering was put. The traveler was instructed to get to Kamchatka, build two ships and go to the North, find the place where America connects with Siberia, and find from there the way to the cities of Europe.

The first Kamchatka expedition of Vitus Bering

Having received the post of leader and the rank of captain of the first rank, the future traveler proceeded to fulfill the order of the sovereign. After 2 weeks - January 25, 1725 - the first members of the expedition left Petersburg for Kamchatka. The group included two more naval officers (Alexei Chirikov and Martyn Shpanberg), surveyors, shipbuilders, navigators, rowers, sailors, cooks. The total number reached 100 people.

The road was difficult and complicated. I had to go in various ways: carts, sleighs with dogs, river vessels. Arriving in 1727 in Okhotsk, began construction of ships to perform the basic tasks of the expedition. On these ships Vitus Bering reached the West coast of Kamchatka. In Nizhnekamchatsk, the ship "Saint Gabriel" was rebuilt, on which the navigator and the crew went further. The ship passed through the strait between Alaska and Chukotka, but due to weather conditions, sailors could not see the coast of the American continent.

In part, the objectives of the expedition were fulfilled. However, returning in 1730 to St. Petersburg, the seafarer submits a report on the work done and drafts the next expedition. Most of the first persons of the state and academicians did not understand, like Vitus Bering himself, what he discovered. But the main thing was proved - Asia and America do not unite. And the traveler was promoted to captain-commander.

The second expedition to Kamchatka

After the return of the navigator to his words, records and maps were treated with a certain distrust. It was necessary to defend his honor and justify the highest confidence he had shown. And the goals are not all achieved yet. You can not stop halfway. So, the second expedition is assigned, and Vitus Bering commands it. Biography written by contemporaries traveler, argues that, shortly before the first trip to the shores of Kamchatka, a certain Shestakov discovered and the strait, and even the Kurile Islands. Yes, only all these discoveries have not been documented. The Dane was lucky - he was educated, he knew how to structure and analyze the results and made a good map.

The second expedition of Vitus Bering had the following objectives: the exploration of the sea from Kamchatka to Japan and the mouth of the Amur, mapping the entire northern coast of Siberia, reaching the American coast and trade with the natives, if any.

Despite the fact that Anna Ioannovna was sitting on the imperial throne, Russia still remained true to the Petrine covenants. Therefore, influential officials from the Admiralty became interested in the project. The decree on the campaign was issued in 1732. Having reached Okhotsk, in 1740 Bering built two packet boats - "Saint Peter" and "Saint Paul". They explored the eastern coast of Kamchatka.

Expedition results

Sea voyage this time was more successful. But also tragic - during the wintering in 1741 Vitus Bering died. What he discovered could only be assessed afterwards. After all, then to verify the reliability of the results of his work was difficult - the road to Siberia was still too dependent on the vagaries of nature. But even then the travelers have already started using the maps that Vitus Bering compiled. Discoveries of the great pioneer allowed to engage in the development and exploitation of new lands.

So, the following was done:

• Petropavlovsk was founded in the Achinsk Bay.
• Through the modern Bering Sea , the coast of Alaska is reached.
• On the way back, the Aleutian and Shumaginsky islands were discovered.
• The Aleutian Range is mapped.
• The Evdokiaevsky islands and the island of Chirikov (Misty) are found and mapped.
• The island of Bering was discovered, on which the seafarer died in 1741.
• The territories of northern and eastern Russia, the internal territories of Siberia, are plotted on the map.
• The Kurile Islands have been mapped.
• Found the way to Japan.

If you carefully study the history of geographical discoveries, you can find that this expedition was only part of a larger campaign. It was completed only a few years later the field of Bering's death, and even then only because of his organizational talent. After all, he divided into groups of participants of the Northern Expedition, issuing each specific task. Despite the human losses, the campaign was completed very successfully.

What did Vitus Bering look like?

The appearance of the discoverer in some biographers raises doubts. It turns out all the familiar pictures, which depict Vitus Bering (the photo was not there then), do not correspond to reality. These are the portraits of his uncle. Disputes were resolved by examining the skull and recreating the appearance by modeling. As a result, the real face of the traveler was received. Indeed, Vitus Bering (photo presented in the article) had a completely different appearance. But this does not detract from the importance of his discoveries.

Character of the great seafarer

According to the information available, the navigator had a somewhat mild character, which was completely inappropriate for the head of the expedition. Nevertheless, Beringa is twice appointed to this post. One can not help noticing another oddity. The researcher of Siberia did not like to bring the matter to the end result - he could stop at the moment when the goal is just a stone's throw away. This feature of Bering was noted by both friends and participants in the campaigns. And yet it was he who was recommended as the leader and organizer of both Peter the Great and Anna Ioannovna. How can this be explained? It must be that, despite all his shortcomings, Vitus Bering was an experienced seafarer. He knew how to carry out orders, was very responsible and executive, and, not least, loyal to the state in whose service he was. Yes, most likely, it was for these qualities that he was elected to carry out such important geographical studies.

The grave of the explorer of Kamchatka

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

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

Objects that bear the name of the great seafarer

In memory of the traveler and his contribution to geographical research, his name is given to such objects:

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

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

Meaning of the discoveries of the seafarer

One can not but acknowledge the importance of the maritime campaigns of Vitus Bering. It was thanks to him that the first correctly compiled maps of Siberia appeared. Subsequently, this greatly helped the development of the Asian part of the Russian Empire. Thanks to his expeditions, active development of the region began. They began to extract minerals, began to develop mining and foundry industry.

The Russian Empire received an influx of money into the treasury and new territories, its global importance and influence increased. And most importantly, the country had the opportunity to trade with those countries that it was impossible to get to already developed routes. After all, these territories were under the jurisdiction of other states, which charged a considerable fee for their crossing. Nevertheless, despite all his services, the recognition of Vitus Bering was posthumously, only after confirmation of his discoveries by other travelers. So, all the well-known now Bering Strait got its name from the light hand of James Cook.