About the project

International project «Following the paths of Russian explorers» is dedicated to 250 years from the birth of Adam Johann von Kruzenstern and 200 years from discovery of Antarctica by Russian explorers. These events have defined Russian leadership in world ocean development and brought new lands under cultivation.

Round-the-world voyage will be organized following the route of the first Russian expeditions of XIX century: Adam Johann von Kruzenstern and Jury Lisianskyi (1803-1806), Otto von Kotzebue (1815-1818, 1823-1826), Vasily Golovin (1817-1819), Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Michael Lazarev (1819-1821), Friedrich Benjamin von Lutke (1826-1829).

FIRST RUSSIAN CIRCUMNAVIGATION

The expedition under the command of Adam Johann von Kruzenstern and Jury Lisianski is the beginning of the new era for Russian navigation.

Adam Johann von Kruzenstern

Jury Lisianskyi

Main aim is the commercial enterprise of ports in Baltic Sea and Russian-America.

Goals of the expedition:

  • To assess the sea route of supplying the colonies of Russian Empire in North America.
  • To demonstrate Russian Navy flag in the Pacific Ocean.
  • To explore the islands in the Pacific Ocean.
  • To sign the commercial agreement with Japan.

Results:

  • Approved safety of the sea route of supplying the colonies of Russian Empire in North America.
  • Regulated the delivery of the Alaska’s furs to Asia, particularly into China
  • The expedition was of the big importance for global navigation practice. The contours of the South coast of the Nuku Hiva Island of the Marquesas Archipelago were specified and mapped. Some contours of the Korea Strait were also specified. Lisiansky Island and Krusenstern Reef were explored on the Northwest of Hawaii Islands. Topographic survey of the colonies of Russian America was made – Kodiak Island, Baranof Island and Chichagof Island.
  • Russian names appeared on the maps of the Pacific Ocean.

Otto von Kotzebue The second circumnavigation by O. Kotzebue — boat «Predpriyatie», 1823-1826.

Goals of the expedition:

  • To deliver cargos for colonies of Russian Empire in America.
  • Swimming on the coast of Alaska to protect the colonies of Russian Empire.
  • To demonstrate Russian Navy flag in the Pacific Ocean.
  • Geographical research in the Pacific Ocean.

Results:

  • Tuamotu Archipelago was found and described in the expedition. There was made a detailed footage of the Matavai Bay of the Tahiti Islands.
  • The chain of the Coral islands to the west from Society Islands and a small atoll on the East of Samoa. Data about the citizens was collected.
  • There was made a detailed survey of the bay in Novo-Arkhangelsk that is the capital of Russian America.
  • New Islands of Marshall Archipelago were found.
  • Due to the geographical surveys navigation in the equatorial part of the Pacific Ocean on the South of Japan became safer.

Vasily Mikhailovich Golovnin, boat «Kamchatka», 1817-1819..

Goals of the expedition:

  • To deliver cargos to the Okhotsk and the checkup of the colonies in Russian America.
  • Geographical research of the Russian dimension the North part of the Pacific Ocean.

Results:

  • The part of the Aleutian Islands was explored.

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen

Michael Lazarev

Boats “Vostok” and “Mirny”, 1819 – 1921

The main aim of the expedition is to find lands on the south of the Arctic Circle or to prove its absence; to explore the territory of the Pacific Ocean in the south of the New Zealand.

Goals of the expedition:

  • To demonstrate Russian Navy flag in the Pacific Ocean.
  • Geographical research in the Pacific Ocean.

Results:

  • The existence of the Terra Australis Incognita was proved
  • Explored and mapped 29 islands in Tuamotu Archipelago, South Sandwich Islands, South Shetland Islands
  • Maps of the South Georgia Islands and South Shetland Islands were defined more precisely

Countries

Crew members

Start of the voyage

1 July 2021 г. From St. Petersburg.

End of the voyage

July 2024г. In St. Petersburg.е

Check the presentation about the project via link

  • Public diplomacy: to create positive image and to increase the quality of knowledge about Siberia and Russia with the help of meetings and events that will be organized on the route of the voyage.
  • Awareness rising and education: to motivate young generation to study geography by means of making “live lessons” – educational films and materials about countries that will be in the voyage route. Crew members are going to make photos, videos and to collect data in order to make “live geographical lessons” for Russian students.
  • Science and education: initiating of the partnership with foreign universities and geographical societies in the field of geographical science and academic mobility development, particularly, in the field of the authors international science-educational program “recreational geography and tourism”.

Sporting: to set the world record of continuous navigation on sailing trimaran; to be first in the world to go round the South America (Cape Horn) – nominated into the Guinness World Records and Russian Records book.

We are planning to create up-to-date methodological complex of live geographical lessons that would broaden students’ horizons:

  • 50 videos,15 minutes each,
  • Methodological recommendations for teaching “Live geographical lessons”,
  • Additional photo and video materials,
  • Caption for self-studying for each lesson.

Live lessons will be in public access on the You Tube channel during the round-the-world expedition in 2021– 2023.

These lessons will be created for teachers, professors, students, adults and for everyone who is interested in broadening their horizons, getting new knowledge, the ones who love their country and who wants to grow up morally and spiritually intelligent generation.

  1. Denmark
  2. Holland
  3. Great Britain
  4. France
  5. Spain
  6. Portugal
  7. Canary Islands (Spain)
  8. Cape Verde Islands
  9. Brazil
  10. Uruguay
  11. Argentina
  12. Chile
  13. Pitcairn Islands (Great Britain)
  14. French Polynesia (France)
  15. Cook Islands (New Zealand)
  16. American Samoa (the USA)
  17. Wallis and Futuna
  18. Tuvalu
  19. Kiribati
  20. Micronesia
  21. Palau
  22. Philippines
  23. Indonesia
  24. Cocos (Keeling) Islands (the UK)
  25. Mauritius
  26. Madagascar
  27. South Africa
  28. Namibia
  29. Helena (the UK)
  30. Ascension Island (the UK)
  31. Barbados
  32. Bermuda (the UK)
  33. Azores (Portugal)

The route of the expedition

COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIE ON THE EXPEDITION ROUTE:

Russia (St.Petersburg) – Finland – Poland – Sweden – Denmark – Holland – Great Britain – France – Spain – Portugal – Canary Islands (Spain) – journey across the Atlantic ocean – South America – Polynesia – Micronesia-  Philippines – Indonesia – Indian Ocean – Atlantic Ocean — South Africa – Namibia – Portugal – Great Britain –Russia (St. Petersburg)

The project is supported by

  • Plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal district S.I. Menyaylo
  • Presidential Grants Foundation

Founders

  • Geographical Society of Russia
  • Tomsk department of the Geographical society
  • Presidential Grants Foundation
  • Educational Center «Russkiy Puteshestvennik»

Co-founders

  • Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
  • Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics
  • Federal center for Children-Youth tourism and local government of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation

Information partners

  • All- Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company

Partners of the expedition

  • National Research Tomsk State University
  • Tomsk Scientific Center, Siberian Branch of Academy of Science
  • «Mezheninovskaya Ptitsefabrica OOO»
  • «Agroholding Sibirsky Primier»
  • Tomsk Region Administration department of Education
  • Tomsk Geography Teachers’ Association

Round-the-world voyage is being implemented on the inflatable movable sailing trimaran, constructed by Anatoly Kulik.