Traveler Mikhail Stadukhin

Earth explorer Mikhail Stadukhin is one of the most famous researchers of the northeastern region of Russia. He managed to reach the places where our compatriots had not yet visited.

The first expedition

The exact date of birth of Stadukhin is unknown. In historical documents, only information that he was from the Russian North, or rather from the banks of the Pinega River, only appears . His first expedition in 1641 was a trip to Indigirka. This is a river in modern Yakutia. Mikhail Stadukhin set off on a journey with another famous explorer Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnev.

Kolyma travel

These ambitious and enterprising people were driven forward by the desire to obtain as many precious furs as possible. In addition, travelers studied the life of the natives. Because of the hostile attitude of the indigenous inhabitants of this region, the expedition set off down the river. The sea became the goal pursued by Mikhail Stadukhin. The discoveries of this trip were amazing. In the unexplored Kolyma region, explorers learned about the existence of unfamiliar settlements.

These abandoned places were a giant wasteland. Due to the lack of normal roads and high-quality transport, travelers could disappear for several years. The first winter, Mikhail Stadukhin and his comrades spent in a temporary parking lot, which was specially rebuilt to survive the severe cold.

In the XVII century the most remote Russian city in the region was Yakutsk. He turned into a staging post for adventurers, hunters and merchants. In 1645 Mikhail Stadukhin returned here. The biography of this man is an example of a tireless traveler. In Yakutsk he brought a huge batch of sable fur. Thanks to his research, there were places for abundant and profitable hunting.

In Chukotka

Soon Mikhail Stadukhin finally entered the civil service and began to execute orders from the capital. So the tsarist authorities sent him back to Kolyma, where he had to investigate Poguch. This river was extremely difficult to access. But this did not stop such an uncompromising traveler as Mikhail Stadukhin. Photos of the ashes of his temporary camps are now in several museums devoted to researchers of the Far East.

In the winter of 1647, Stadukhin wintered on the Yana River. Then he crossed the Kolyma. At the same time, the above-mentioned Dezhnev conducted his expedition. Both detachments often suffered from attacks by local natives who had not yet met the large Cossack regiments. In addition, several times the ships of travelers could not cope with the rapid flow of northern rivers. On average, Stadukhin had about 30 people. Someone also died from the unbearable cold.

The extreme point, which reached the Stadukhin in the northeast direction, was the Anadyr River. Here lived the tribes of the Anaul. From the natives, the traveler learned of the tragic fate of the detachment Dezhnev, who died in full force. Having reached the Anadyr River, Stadukhin turned back.

In 1649, he was very close to the unexplored Bering Strait. According to the stories of local residents, the traveler was also the first to learn about the existence of the island of Aion. In addition, thanks to the efforts of the Stadukhin expedition, various coastal geographic objects were discovered.

In the Sea of Okhotsk

The next object of research of the indefatigable traveler was the Sea of Okhotsk. In 1651, on a boat several times Stadukhin swam along the mainland. He managed to reach the place of modern Magadan, where he spent the winter. Also, the explorer was at the then unknown Tauiskaya Bay. They opened the mouths of many rivers flowing into the Sea of Okhotsk. In 1652, the companions of Stadukhin founded the Yamsk camp, which eventually became the village of Yamskoye.

Until now, the question of whether the explorer was on Kamchatka remains debatable. There is no documentary evidence of this, but the route of the expedition in 1651 allows such assumptions to be made.

The last documented travel of Stadukhin was his voyage to Okhotsk. It was the very first Russian city on the Far Eastern coast. Stadukhin was here in 1657.

For his services to the state, the traveler and the brave military received the rank of Cossack ataman. Shortly before his death, he was in Moscow, where he died. In the modern Far East, in honor of the Stadukhin, several settlements and streets are named. His travels are devoted to the exposition of local museums.