Captain-Commander of the Russian Fleet, polar navigator and explorer Vitus Ionassen Bering was born on August 12, 1681 in the Danish city of Horsens.

In 1710-1712 he served in the Russian Azov fleet and took part in the war with Turkey. In 1712 he was transferred to the Baltic Fleet, in 1715 he was promoted to captain of the fourth rank. In 1712-1723 he commanded various ships in the Baltic.

In January 1724, Bering submitted his resignation letter. In February, the Admiralty Board signed a report, but in August the navigator was reinstated by order of Peter I in the rank of captain of the first rank.

In 1725, Bering was appointed head of the first Kamchatka expedition. According to the instructions drawn up by Peter I, the expedition was ordered to follow on boats along the coast of Kamchatka to the north in order to clarify the existence of a strait between Asia and America.

In the winter of 1725, Bering with a group of associates set off from St. Petersburg to the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. At the end of 1726, the expedition reached the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and from July to September 1728 on the boat "St. Gabriel" worked at sea. Bering explored the eastern coast of Kamchatka, the southern and eastern shores of Chukotka, discovered the island of St. Lawrence. Having passed the strait, later called Bering, to latitude 67 ° 18 "and seeing that" the land no longer extends to the north, "Bering considered the question of the presence of a strait between Asia and America to be resolved positively and turned back. On the way back, the Ratmanov Islands were discovered and Kruzenshtern, the southern promontory of Kamchatka Lopatka was mapped.

In St. Petersburg, the results of the expedition were found unsatisfactory. In May 1732, the Senate issued a decree on the beginning of the Great Northern Expedition (the second Kamchatka expedition), which was also entrusted to lead Bering. The work of the expedition lasted from 1733 to 1743. They were attended by 13 ships and more than 600 people.

In June 1740 in Okhotsk two two-masted packet boats were built and launched - "St. Peter" and "St. Paul". In September of the same year, both ships made the transition to Kamchatka and spent the winter in Avacha Bay. Bering called the harbor where the expedition wintered Petropavlovskaya, later the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky grew here.

In June 1741, the packet boats left the Peter and Paul harbor. Bering commanded "St. Peter", and "St. Paul" was headed by Alexei Chirikov.

Following parallel courses, the ships lost each other two weeks later due to constant fogs. "St. Paul" reached the shores of North America and in October 1741 returned to Avacha Bay.

Bering's ship St. Peter reached the North American coast in July 1741 off Kayak Island. On the way back, Bering discovered the Ukamok island, small islands called Evdokeevsky, part of the Shumaginsky and some of the Aleutian islands. Chirikov, who reached the coast of Alaska earlier, also discovered part of the Aleutian Islands.

In November 1741, Bering's ship landed on the unknown islands, mistaken for Kamchatka (now Komandorskie), and was severely damaged during anchorage. The crew moved to the island (now Bering Island) and settled for the winter, during which some of the people, including Vitus Bering himself, died of scurvy. Surviving 40 people next summer moved to Kamchatka on a boat built from the remains of a ship.

Not a single lifetime image of Bering has survived. In the 1940s, Bering's great-granddaughter donated to the Central Naval Museum a portrait that had been kept in her family for a long time. Later, this portrait began to be reproduced as an indisputable image of the captain-commander. Meanwhile, back in the 1940s, Danish scholars concluded that it depicts the Danish historian and poet Vitus Pedersen Bering, the uncle of the navigator. The opening of Bering's grave in 1991 made it possible to recreate the appearance of the Commander from the skull.

The remains of Bering and his companions a year after their discovery were solemnly reburied in the Commander Bay in Kamchatka, in a specially constructed memorial.

The sea in the North Pacific Ocean is also named after Bering.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

Few travelers were lucky enough to leave their names on the map of our planet. Vitus Bering is one of those who have received such an honor. This article is devoted to his difficult fate and geographical discoveries, which changed the ideas of his contemporaries about the location of continental lines and islands in the most northern latitudes.

Parents

Vitus Bering was born in 1681. It is reliably known that this happened in Denmark. According to some reports, the place of birth of the traveler is the city of Horsens, where he was baptized in a Lutheran church, as evidenced by a document that is kept in an old church book to this day. The boy was named after his mother's brother, who was a renowned Danish historian who served as a chronicler at the Royal Court. As for the surname, he got it from his mother - Anna Pederdatter Bering, who came from a noble noble family, which, however, had already gone bankrupt by the time Vitus was born.

The father of the future traveler, Jonas Svendsen, worked in customs and was a highly respected man in Horsens. From a previous marriage and marriage to Anna, he had a total of 9 children. The salary of the customs officer was not enough, the family could hardly make ends meet, but all the children, including Vitus Ionassen Bering, were distinguished by their piety and were able to get a good education at that time.

Childhood

The Bering-Svendsen family lived in Horsens on Sendergade Street. In the neighborhood there was a school owned by P. Dahlhoff, which was attended by the children of Anna and Jonas. In 1695, Dahlhoff's son, who served in the Royal Navy, married the eldest daughter of Jonas Svendsen. Since then, young Bering has constantly heard from his new relatives fascinating stories about sea voyages and battles.

Thanks to her sister's husband, Vitus began to often visit ships and make friends with sailors. He was fascinated by the romance of their lives. He was especially interested in expeditions to various unexplored corners of the planet. Already at a young age, Vitus studied in great detail the materials of the expeditions of the Danish traveler Jens Munk, who made a sea voyage to Greenland and visited India.

The beginning of a maritime career

Bering's parents did not spare their meager funds to give their children the best education. Thanks to their efforts, Vitus's older brothers were able to enter the University of Copenhagen. However, young Bering was not attracted to a career as a lawyer or doctor. After graduating from school, at the age of 14, together with his cousin Sven, he signed up as a sailor on a Dutch ship.

First travels

Together with Sven and his childhood friend Sivers, who many years later became a Russian admiral, Vitus Bering sailed twice to the East Indies, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, visited the Caribbean and North American European colonies.

Already a fairly experienced sailor, the young man realized that he lacked theoretical knowledge, and entered the naval cadet corps in Amsterdam, which was considered one of the best in the world. During his studies, he earned the praise of the teachers, who unanimously claimed that an excellent captain would emerge from Vitus Ionassen Bering.

Fateful proposal

In 1703 Vitus Bering met Cornelius Cruis. The latter, although he was Norwegian in origin, had already served in the Russian fleet for more than 10 years and had the rank of vice admiral. By order of Peter the Great, Cruis traveled around Europe and hired intelligent foreign specialists. He saw in the young cadet, who was studying in his last year, the future famous researcher and offered to join the Russian fleet. Vitus Ionassen Bering immediately appreciated the prospects that opened before him and accepted Cruis's offer.

The first years of service in Russia

On the recommendation of Cruis Vitus Bering, he was enlisted in the Baltic Navy, having been awarded the rank of second lieutenant. In 1704 he came to Russia, which henceforth became his new homeland. At first, Vitus Bering took command of a ship that delivered timber to Kotlin Island, where, by order of Peter the Great, the construction of the Kronstadt fortress was carried out. The diligence and zeal of the young Dane did not go unnoticed - after 4 years Bering was awarded the rank of lieutenant.

Further career

In the next few years, Bering's career began to grow.

In 1710, his ship was sent to the coast of the Gulf of Finland to monitor the Swedish flotilla. A few months later he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander, he was sent to the Azov fleet, where he commanded the sailing shnyava "Munker".

In 1711, Bering took part in the campaign of Peter the Great to Moldavia, which was in vassal dependence on the Ottoman Empire. After the unsuccessful completion of this campaign, he was sent to the Baltic Fleet. In 1715 he was given the rank of captain of the 4th rank and sent to Arkhangelsk to command the ship "Selafail". Bering visited Copenhagen on this ship. This trip was the last visit to his native Denmark in the life of a navigator, who spent most of his life in Russia.

In 1716 Vitus Bering, whose biography this article is devoted to, took command of the sailing ship "Pearl". On this ship he went to Bronkholm.

By 1720, Bering already had the rank of captain of the 2nd rank, and under his command was a frigate with 90 guns "Marlburg".

Resignation

Despite all his career achievements, Bering considered himself undeservedly bypassed by awards. In particular, he was very upset by the fact that in 17 years of service he had not received the rank of captain of the first rank.

In 1724, the navigator wrote a letter of resignation and was sent to retirement. When Peter the Great found out about this, he expressed extreme displeasure to F.M. Apraksin, who at that time was the admiral-general of the Russian fleet. The tsar ordered an announcement at the College that Bering was returned to the navy with the appointment of a captain of the first rank. A few days after this conversation, Vitus was recalled from retirement and approved as commander of the frigate "Selafail".

First expedition to Kamchatka

As you know, one of the achievements of the reformer king was the creation of conditions for the scientific study of the geography of the country and adjacent lands. At the end of 1724, he signed a decree on the organization of the Kamchatka expedition. According to this document, the Admiralty Board was instructed to find a candidate for its head. After lengthy discussions, it was decided to appoint Vitus Bering as the commander of the expedition.

Tasks

According to the orders of Peter I, the First Kamchatka Expedition of Vitus Bering was supposed to answer several questions that worried all seafarers who plowed the northern latitudes.

For this she was prescribed:

• go to Kamchatka;
• build one or two deck boats;
• advance on them along the coast in a northerly direction in search of the American continent;
• establish the place where this mainland connects with Asia;
• land on the territory of America;
• put all the data obtained on geographic maps.

Expedition progress

The traveler Vitus Bering, along with the rest of the explorers of Kamchatka, left Petersburg at the beginning of 1725. For almost 2 years they traveled to Okhotsk on river boats, on foot, on carts and on sleds. Waiting for spring, Bering and his team went to the mouth of Kamchatka on dog sleds and boats. In the summer of 1728, on the east coast of the peninsula, they completed the construction of the Saint Gabriel bot. Immediately after launching, the vessel moved northeast along the mainland coast. During this expedition, the following appeared on the world map:

• Karaginsky Bay;
• Providence Bay;
• island of st. Lawrence;
• Anadyr and the Gulf of the Cross.

The most important discovery of the expedition was the Bering Strait. Vitus Bering, together with his comrades, entered the Chukchi Sea through it and turned home. Although he could not reach the coast of North America, he considered his task completed, since he found that this mainland does not connect with Asia. Having rounded Kamchatka from the south, Bering mapped the non-freezing Avacha Bay, as well as the Kamchatka Bay. In the spring of 1730, the navigator arrived with a team in Okhotsk and returned to St. Petersburg in the same way that the expedition had overcome, having started 5 years ago.

In the capital

On the return of Vitus Bering (which was discovered by a traveler in Kamchatka, see above), he was presented with a report in which the navigator argued that Kamchatka and North America are in close proximity to each other, which makes it possible to organize trade with local merchants. In addition, the traveler called for the active economic development of Siberia, where, according to his assumptions, it was possible to extract iron and engage in farming.

Second Kamchatka expedition: preparation

Bering was not going to stop there. He presented to the Admiralty plans for the exploration of the northeastern Russian Asian coast and the exploration of sea routes to America and the Japanese islands.

Although the task of Peter the Great (to visit the shores of America) was not fulfilled, the navigator received 1,000 rubles of the prize and the rank of captain-commander.

In 1733, Vitus Bering was appointed head of the Second Kamchatka Expedition, which was supposed to complete what was not possible during the first trip.

At the beginning of 1734, the newly-made captain-commander left for Yakutsk, where for three years he was organizing an expedition. Local authorities put sticks in his wheels, so only in 1740 two packet boats "St. Paul" and "St. Peter" left Okhotsk to the east of Kamchatka.

Expedition progress

In July 1741, the ships approached the coast of North America. Back they followed the Aleutian Ridge and continued on their way, exploring the southern coastline of Alaska. During the expedition, islands were discovered:

• St. Stephen;
• Kodiak;
• Shumaginsky;
• St. John;
• St. Markiana;
• Evdokeevskie.

Death

The return journey of the Second Kamchatka Expedition was very difficult. For many months "Saint Peter" was at sea, as there was a heavy fog, because of which it was not possible to determine its location even by the stars. The members of the expedition developed scurvy, from which some of the sailors died. For many years it was believed that this disease struck Bering himself, but a study of his remains, carried out in the 90s of the last century, showed that the commander's teeth were not damaged by scurvy.

After a while, the ship became practically uncontrollable, especially since the crew was greatly thinned, and Bering himself led it, already being seriously ill.

In the first days of November 1741, the sailors of the expedition saw a snow-covered land in front of them, which later became known as Bering Island. They decided to spend the winter on land, but within a month most of the sick crew members died. Vitus Bering was among them.

End of the expedition

After Bering's death, navigator Sven Waxel assumed command. Together with 46 surviving crew members, he built a gukor named "St. Peter ", where in August 1742 he reached Avacha Bay. It took a long time for the members of the expedition to reach St. Petersburg and report on the death of Bering.

Recognition of merit

Geographic objects named after Vitus Bering are known to everyone today. However, the merits of the navigator were appreciated only many years after his death. In particular, the Bering Strait was named so at the insistence of James Cook.

The Englishman reached the Aleutian Islands in early October 1778. There he met Russian hunters and received from them a map drawn up by members of Bering's expedition. Cook redrawn it, naming the strait dividing Asia and America, after his deceased predecessor Bering.

Personal life

In 1713, Vitus Bering (you already know what he discovered) married Anna Christiana Pulse, who was the daughter of a Swedish merchant. Three years later, the couple had their first child, named after their father, but the child died in infancy. After that, Bering's wife gave birth many times, but of the Bering children, only their daughter Anna and three sons survived.

Memory

The first monument to Vitus Bering was erected in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The exact date of its construction has not been preserved, but its description was given in 1827 by an English traveler who visited this city.

In 2016, a monument to Vitus Bering was erected on the island named after the commander. It is a life-size sculpture made of bronze by the sculptor I.P. Vyuev.

In addition to geographical objects, the following were named in honor of the traveler:

• streets in many Russian cities: St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Yakutsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Tomsk, Astrakhan, Artem, Nakhodka and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky;
• diesel-electric ship;
• one of Aeroflot's planes.

In addition, the Vitus Bering KAMSU operates in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. And also the name of the navigator became the brand of the Danish wrist watches Bering.

Now you know the biography of Vitus Bering. This Danish navigator, who devoted his life to serving Russia, entered world history forever thanks to his geographical discoveries, which put him on a par with the greatest travelers of all times.

The birth of the future navigator was not marked by any important events. No one imagined that the child would become not just a sailor, but a great discoverer, and even in the service of another state. It is difficult to say what reasons prompted the boy to enter the naval service in the Russian Empire: our state was not so powerful at that time. Perhaps Bering was able to see certain prospects for himself. This, to some extent, contributed to the discoveries made by him, which had practical, geographical, and historical significance. Bering not only discovered new lands and islands in the north of the country, but also made 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 the city of Horsens. The town was nothing special: several churches and monasteries - that's all the sights. It began to develop only after 1442, when a commercial charter was issued to it, and gradually turned into a commercial center.

The city was located on the seashore and had a port. From the first years of his life, the hero of our story 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 why, but at the very beginning of his career as a sailor, the teenager took his mother's surname.

The sea attracted the boy, so it is not surprising that, having reached adolescence, he entered the naval cadet corps in Amsterdam, and in 1703, at the age of 22, he successfully graduated. But before that Vitus Bering made a short trip to the East Indies on a Dutch ship. Apparently, after this, the future traveler Bering made 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 accurate information on this matter. It is only known that at that time, by order of the Russian Tsar Peter the First, the admiral of the Russian fleet, Cornelius Ivanovich Kruis, was recruiting experienced sailors for service. Sivers and Senyavin introduced the boy, saying that he had already been to the East Indies, therefore, he still possesses some kind of 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 St. Petersburg. There he was assigned to manage a ship that transported timber for the construction of the Kronstadt fortress. Not God knows what, but still the sea!

Soon Vitus Bering received the rank of lieutenant and began to carry out more responsible and complex assignments. He took part in the Azov campaign, tracked the movement of Swedish ships in the Gulf of Finland, took part in the campaign from Arkhangelsk to Kronstadt, served on the Pearl ship when ferrying it from Hamburg to St. Petersburg. And suddenly, not reaching the rank of captain of the first rank, Bering leaves military service.

Vitus Bering's track record

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

These are the titles and honors that Vitus Bering has received for 20 years of service. A short biography, however, does not at all reveal all the merits of the navigator. For historians and geographers, the subsequent part of his life is more interesting.

Development and annexation of Kamchatka to the Russian Empire

The constantly increasing oppression of serfdom could not but affect the history of Russia. The escaped peasants were looking for land that would serve as a refuge from persecution. So gradually people got to Siberia, and then to Kamchatka. But the territory was already inhabited, so campaigns were organized to seize and develop lands rich in furs, etc. In 1598 it was defeated, and the territory became part of the Russian Empire.

The need to explore Kamchatka

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

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

The first Kamchatka expedition of Vitus Bering

Having received the post of leader and the title of the future traveler, he began to carry out the order of the sovereign. After 2 weeks - January 25, 1725 - the first members of the expedition set off from St. Petersburg to Kamchatka. The group included two more naval officers (Alexei Chirikov and Martyn Shpanberg), surveyors, shipbuilders, navigators, rowers, sailors, and cooks. The total number reached 100 people.

The road turned out to be difficult and difficult. I had to get there in various ways: carts, sleighs with dogs, river boats. Arriving in Okhotsk in 1727, they began building ships to fulfill the main tasks of the expedition. Vitus Bering used these ships to reach the western coast of Kamchatka. In Nizhnekamchatsk, the warship "Saint Gabriel" was rebuilt, on which the navigator and his crew went on. The ship passed through the strait between Alaska and Chukotka, but due to weather conditions, the sailors could not see the coast of the American continent.

The objectives of the expedition were partially fulfilled. However, returning in 1730, he submits a report on the work done and draws up a project for the next expedition. Most of the top officials 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 connect. And the traveler received the rank of captain-commander.

Second expedition to Kamchatka

After the return of the navigator, his words, records and maps were treated with a certain distrust. He had to defend his honor and justify the highest confidence placed in him. And the goals have not yet been achieved. You can't stop halfway. So, a second expedition is appointed, and Vitus Bering is in command. The biography, written by the traveler's contemporaries, claims that, shortly before the first trip to the shores of Kamchatka, a certain Shestakov discovered both the strait and even the Kuril Islands. Yes, only all these discoveries have not been documented. The Dane was lucky - he was educated, knew how to structure and analyze the results obtained, and made good maps.

The second expedition of Vitus Bering had the following goals: exploring the sea from Kamchatka to Japan and the mouth of the Amur, mapping the entire northern coast of Siberia, reaching the American coast and trading with the natives, if any were found there.

Despite the fact that Anna Ioannovna sat on the imperial throne, Russia still remained faithful to the Peter's behests. Therefore, influential officials from the Admiralty became interested in the project. The decree on the conduct of the campaign was issued in 1732. Having reached Okhotsk, in 1740 Bering builds two packet boats - "St. Peter" and "St. Paul". On them, the researchers went to the eastern coast of Kamchatka.

Expedition results

This time it was more successful. But at the same time tragic - during the wintering in 1741 Vitus Bering died. What he discovered was only subsequently appreciated. After all, then it was difficult to verify the reliability of the results of his works - the road to Siberia was still too dependent on the whims of nature. But even then, travelers have already begun to use the maps compiled by Vitus Bering. The discoveries of the great pioneer made it possible to engage in the development and exploitation of new lands.

So, the following has been done:

• Petropavlovsk was founded in the Achinsk Bay.
• The coast of Alaska was reached through the modern Bering Sea.
• On the way back, the Aleutian and Shumaginsky islands were discovered.
• The Aleutian ridge has been mapped.
• The Evdokeevsky Islands and the Chirikov Island (Foggy) were discovered and mapped.
• Bering Island was discovered, on which the navigator died in 1741.
• The territories of northern and eastern Russia, the inner territories of Siberia are mapped.
• The Kuril Islands are mapped.
• Found a way to Japan.

If you carefully study the history of geographical discoveries, you will find that this expedition was only part of a larger campaign. It was completed only a few years later, after Bering's death, and even then only thanks to his organizational talent. After all, it was he who divided the participants of the Northern Expedition into groups, giving each of them certain tasks. Despite the loss of life, the campaign was completed very successfully.

What did Vitus Bering look like?

Some biographers have doubts about the appearance of the discoverer. It turns out that the familiar paintings depicting Vitus Bering (there was no photo at that time) do not correspond to reality. These are portraits of his uncle. The controversy was resolved by examining the skull and simulating the exterior. As a result, the real face of the traveler was obtained. Indeed, Vitus Bering (photos are presented in the article) had a completely different appearance. But this in no way diminishes the importance of his discoveries.

The character of the great navigator

According to the available information, the navigator had a somewhat gentle character, which was not at all suitable for the head of the expedition. Nevertheless, Bering was twice appointed to this position. One more oddity should be noted. The explorer of Siberia did not like to bring matters to the final result - he could stop at that moment when the goal was within reach. This feature of Bering was noted by both friends and participants in the campaigns. And yet it was he who was recommended as a leader and organizer to both Peter the Great and Anna Ioannovna. How can this be explained? It must be that, for all his faults, Vitus Bering was an experienced navigator. He knew how to carry out orders, was very responsible and executive, and, no less important, loyal to the state in whose service he was. Yes, most likely, it was for these qualities that he was chosen to carry out such important geographical research.

The grave of the explorer of Kamchatka

After Vitus Bering met his death on the island, which he also 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, at the place where, according to the records of Bering's associates, his grave was located, a new wooden cross was installed. This was the merit of the Russian-American Company, founded under Emperor Paul.

In 1991, a search expedition was organized to the burial sites of the explorer of Siberia. Not only Bering's grave was discovered on the island, but also five more sailors. The remains were recovered and sent to Moscow for research. The traveler's appearance was restored from the bones and skull. Also, scientists were able to find out that he died not from scurvy, as it was assumed before, but from another disease (which one, exactly, is not known for certain). After completing the research, the remains were returned to the island and reburied.

Objects that bear the name of the great navigator

In memory of the traveler and his contribution to geographical research, the following objects are named after him:

• 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.

The significance of the navigator's discoveries

One cannot but admit the importance of Vitus Bering's sea voyages. It was thanks to him that the first competently drawn maps of Siberia appeared. Subsequently, this greatly helped the development of the Asian part of the Russian Empire. Thanks to his expeditions, the active development of the region began. They began to extract minerals, the mining and foundry industries began to develop.

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

Vitus Jonassen Bering is one of the pioneers whose life has become a symbol of courage and dedication. From a young age, the traveler was fascinated by the water element. Thanks to the man's thirst for knowledge and skill, the first sea expedition took place, which brought the Russian state the title of "cradle of cartography".

Childhood and youth

The biography of the great navigator began in the city of Horsens, founded on the Danish coast of the Little Belt. The boy was born on August 2 (according to the old style - August 12), 1861. Vitus became the third offspring in the family of the ruined aristocrat Anna Pederdatter Bering and the customs officer Jonas Svendsen.

The boy received both the name and the surname from his mother. Despite the difficult financial situation of the family, the pedigree of Anna Pederdatter could play a good service for Vitus in the future.

The unusual name became a tribute to the memory of the late mother's brother, who became famous for serving at the Royal Court. The complete coincidence of the name became the reason why contemporaries accompany articles about the navigator with incorrect photographs, confusing representatives of the same family.

Parents attached great importance to the education of their children, so Vitus learned to read and write early. The boy attended school, which was located on the same street where the parental house stood. Despite his curiosity, the child ran away from school at the first opportunity to go to the port. Vitus spent a lot of time talking with sailors who told Bering about their exciting sea adventures.

At the age of 14, immediately after graduation, Vitus signed up as a sailor on a Dutch ship. The young traveler visited the Caribbean and spent a lot of time in the East Indies. Realizing that there was not enough knowledge to build a career, Vitus went ashore in Amsterdam, where he easily entered the naval cadet corps.

Discoveries

The completion of Bering's studies coincided with an interest in mastering the maritime craft. The agents, whose task was to recruit foreign specialists, immediately drew attention to Vitus, who was distinguished by his relaxed character and endurance, so necessary at sea.

In 1704, Bering moved to Russia, where he quickly moved up the career ladder. But after 20 years of service, marked only with positive characteristics and awards, the navigator resigned. Historians argue that the reason for the act is Bering's pride. The man did not receive the rank of captain of the 1st rank, which the ambitious sailor had long dreamed of.

The geographical discoveries that made Vitus' surname famous happened during the first Kamchatka expedition. In 1724, by order of Peter the Great, the Russian fleet set off to explore new lands. The only specialist who could cope with such a difficult task was Bering.

For five years, the man explored and mapped the shores of Chukotka and Kamchatka. Bering's merits include refuting speculation that America is connecting with Asia, and Kamchatka is inseparable from Japan. Alas, such impressive results of the expedition did not find due attention in the Admiralty.

The officials decided that Bering did not live up to expectations and poorly fulfilled the Tsar's orders. The importance of Vitus's discoveries was confirmed, who got acquainted with the navigator's charts in 1778. Impressed by the painstaking work, the Englishman named the strait between Eurasia and America in honor of the navigator, whom he did not personally know.

The second Kamchatka expedition was assembled already on the initiative of Vitus himself, who was confident in the need to study Siberia, the Far East and the shores of the North Seas. This time, the geography of the research and the tasks assigned to the fleet were much larger. Therefore, Bering decided to go on an expedition on two ships.

The command of the second ship was entrusted to Alexei Chirikov. The man performed the duties of the captain's mate on the first Kamchatka expedition and earned Bering's boundless trust. The plans of the researchers were to study Siberia, get to Kamchatka and move to the shores of North America in order to get acquainted with the little-visited shores in detail.

Personal life

During the second Kamchatka expedition, Vitus Bering was accompanied by his wife and children. Back in 1713, the navigator married the daughter of a merchant from Vyborg - Anna Christina Pylse.

At first, the young wife calmly let her lover go on sea voyages. The woman herself was engaged in the household and raised the children.

During the first 18 years of marriage, the couple had 8 babies, and only four survived: Jonas, Thomas, Anton and Anna Helga.

By the time of the birth of her daughter, Anna Christina, she was tired of the constant absence of her husband. Leaving the matured Jonas and Thomas in the care of relatives from Vyborg, the woman collected silver, porcelain and, taking Anton and Anna, went on a journey with her husband.

Death

When leaving Avacha Bay in the direction of North America, the ship "St. Peter", which was led by Bering, was lost in the open sea. The bad weather did not allow determining the location of the vessel, and the ensuing scurvy began to destroy the crew of the vessel.

Bering was one of the last to be caught by an unpleasant ailment. Even feeling weak, the researcher did not leave control of the ship. An unexpected strip of snow-covered land on the horizon became the hope of salvation.

But on December 8, 1741, a month after going ashore, Vitus Bering finally lost his strength and died in a hastily built dugout. The man was buried on an unnamed island, which in the future will be designated on maps as Bering Island.

In 1991, a special archaeological team discovered the remains of Vitus. A detailed study led to the conclusion that the cause of the traveler's death was an unknown disease, not similar in characteristics to scurvy.

According to Olga Sotnikova, the great-great-granddaughter of the sailor Sotnikov, who went under the command of Bering, the great traveler died at the hands of his own subordinates. Due to a nervous breakdown that caused several strategic mistakes, the St. Peter's team ended up on a desert island, where they could not find food and shelter.

Angry sailors buried their commander alive in the ground. But the analyzes of the discoverer's skeleton do not support the theory. In 1992, the remains of the navigator and unknown sailors were returned to the ground on the territory of the Commander Bay.

Memory

• In 1818 the Kamchatka (or Beaver) Sea became known as the Bering Sea.
• In 1937, the geographer Eric Hulten proposed the designation Beringia, which includes the Bering Strait, the Bering and Chukchi seas, part of Kamchatka and partly Alaska.
• In 1945, a monument to the navigator who founded the city was erected on the territory of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
• In 1957, in the bay of the Bering Sea, the settlement "Beringovsky" was named in honor of the traveler. Prior to this, the settlement was called "Ugolnoye".
• In 1970, a documentary film by director Yuri Shvyrev "The Ballad of Bering and His Friends" was released.
• In 2006, the Kamchatka State Pedagogical Institute, by order of the Minister of Education, was renamed the Vitus Bering KamSU.
• In 2016, in honor of the 275th anniversary of the discovery of the Commander Islands, a bronze life-size sculpture of Bering was installed. The monument is located on the territory of Bering Island (Nikolskoye village).

Vitus Ionassen Bering (born August 12, 1681 - death December 8 (19), 1741) - Dane navigator, captain-commander of the Russian fleet (1730) Was the leader of the 1st and 2nd (1725-30 and 1732-41) of the Kamchatka expedition. He passed between the Chukchi Peninsula and Alaska, reached North America and discovered a number of islands in the Aleutian ridge. The strait between Eurasia and North America, an island in the Commander Islands group (also named after him) and the sea in the north of the Pacific Ocean were named after Bering. 1741, December - on the way back during the winter, Bering died on an island (later named after him), located east of Kamchatka.

Service in the Dutch and Russian fleets

He was born in the seaside town of Horsens in Jutland in 1681. Before moving to Russia, in his youth, Bering went to the East Indies twice on Dutch ships. 1703 - in Amsterdam he graduated from the naval cadet corps and was accepted to serve in the Russian fleet as a lieutenant. 1710 - he was transferred to the Azov fleet as a lieutenant-captain and took part in the Prut campaign (1711). In 1712-1723, rising in ranks and commanding various ships, he served in the Baltic. 1724, February 26 - resigned. And after 5 months he turned to Peter I with a request to take him back to the service. The petition was granted, and in the rank of captain of the 1st rank, that is, with a promotion, Bering returned to the fleet.

Reasons for expeditions

But Vitus Bering was able to become famous not for his service in the Baltic and Azov Seas and for his military merits. Glory came to him after two major marine scientific expeditions in the Pacific and Arctic oceans, the last of which is justly called the Great. Bering volunteered to command the first, hoping to rise to the rank of Rear Admiral and provide for his family and his old age.

Peter I, having far-reaching plans, decided to find out if there was a passage between Eurasia and America (the yard did not know about the voyage of Semyon Dezhnev). If it was discovered, the plans were to start sailing by the Northern Sea Route to the eastern shores of Russia, to China and India.

The first Kamchatka expedition

Vitus Bering began to carry out the tsar's order. Two weeks later, on January 25, 1725, the first members of the expedition were sent from St. Petersburg to Kamchatka. The group included two more naval officers (Alexei Chirikov and Martyn Shpanberg), and a team of about 100 people.

The road turned out to be difficult and difficult. I had a chance to get there in different ways: by carts, by sleigh with dogs, river boats. Upon arrival in Okhotsk in 1727, the construction of ships began to fulfill the main tasks of the expedition. On these ships, Bering reached the western coast of Kamchatka. In Nizhnekamchatsk, the warship "Saint Gabriel" was rebuilt, on which the mariners set off further. The ship passed through the strait between Alaska and Chukotka, but due to bad weather the sailors were unable to see the coast of the American continent.

The purpose of the expedition was partially fulfilled. But, returning to St. Petersburg in 1730, Vitus, submitting a report on the work done, drew up a draft of the next expedition. For the most part, the first persons of the state and academicians did not understand, like the navigator himself, what he discovered. But the main thing was proved - Asia and America do not connect. And Vitus Bering received the rank of captain-commander.

Second Kamchatka expedition

Upon the return of the traveler, his words, records and maps were treated with a certain distrust. He had to defend his honor and justify the highest confidence placed in him. So, a second expedition was appointed, under the command of Bering. According to a biography written by the navigator's contemporaries, it is said that shortly before the first trip to the shores of Kamchatka, a certain Shestakov discovered the strait and even the Kuril Islands. But all these discoveries had no documentary evidence. And Bering was educated, he could structure and analyze the result, and he made maps well.

The second expedition had the following tasks: to explore the sea from Kamchatka to Japan and the mouth of the Amur, to map the entire northern coast of Siberia, to reach the American coast and to establish trade with the natives, if any are found there.

Despite the fact that it had already reigned, Russia was still faithful to the Peter's behests. Therefore, the Admiralty became interested in the project. The decree on the second expedition was issued in 1732. Having reached Okhotsk, in 1740 the navigator builds two packet boats - "St. Peter" and "St. Paul". "St. Peter" was taken under his command by Vitus Bering himself, and "St. Paul" was commanded by Chirikov. On them, the expedition went to the coast of Kamchatka, rounded its southern end and went to Avacha Bay. Here they stopped for the winter and founded the port city of Petropavlovsk, named after both ships.

1741, June 5 - the voyage continued. The ships sailed together for about three weeks, and then lost sight of each other. Finally, they both reached the American coast. The first was “Saint Paul”.

"Saint Peter" was able to reach the shores of America a day later, on July 17, 1741 at latitude 58 ° 14 'north. None of the Europeans have been there yet. The sailors saw mountain ranges with snowy peaks. The highest was named Mount Saint Elijah. Then we moved along the coast to about. Kayak.

From here began the return voyage, which ended tragically. The crew was worn out by scurvy, storms and fogs. The first to die was the sailor Shumagin, and the nearby newly discovered islands were named after him. The forces of the sailors were dwindling. The 60-year-old captain-commander himself fell ill.

Vitus Bering and Alexey Chirikov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 1740

Death

In the end, the coast appeared, which was mistaken for Kamchatka. There "Saint Peter" crashed. It turned out that this is an uninhabited island from a group named after Commander Bering the Commander Islands. I had to spend the winter there. 19 people have died. Vitus Bering died one of the first on December 8, 1741, completing his 38-year track record for the good of Russia by discovering and exploring the coasts of Alaska and the extreme northeastern tip of Asia, never before seen by Europeans. The survivors in the summer of the following year dismantled the ship and built a small ship, on which they were able to reach Kamchatka in August 1742.

Vitus Bering's expedition was caught in a storm off the Aleutian Islands - 1741

Heritage

The merits of the captain-commander were not soon able to gain recognition. Only in 1778, at the suggestion of the commander who completed the work of the commander on the coast of Northeast Asia, the strait between Cape Dezhnev and Alaska was named the Bering Sea, and the southern marginal sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean - the Bering Sea. Bering's ship logs were published only in 1922 in New York (the materials of the expedition were considered secret).

And now fierce disputes over the assessment of Bering's actions in both expeditions do not subside. Many of the scientists consider the discovery (a second time after Dezhnev) of the Bering Strait and the shores of America adjacent to Asia, the merit of Chirikov. The commander is accused of excessive caution and prudence. But whatever the mistakes of the head of the expedition, real or imaginary, he was, is and will be one of the most significant figures in the entire history of geographical discoveries.