The discoveries of Russian travelers are amazing. Let's put it in chronological order brief descriptions seven most significant trips around the world of our compatriots.

First Russian trip around the world— Around the world expedition of Krusenstern and Lisyansky

Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern and Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky were combat Russian sailors: both in 1788–1790. participated in four battles against the Swedes. The voyage of Krusenstern and Lisyansky is the beginning of a new era in the history of Russian navigation.

The expedition started from Kronstadt on July 26 (August 7), 1803, under the leadership of Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, who was 32 years old. The expedition included:

• Three-masted sloop "Nadezhda". The total number of the team is 65 people. Commander - Ivan Fedorovich Krusenstern.
• Three-masted sloop "Neva". The total number of the ship's crew is 54 people. Commander - Lisyansky Yuri Fedorovich.

Every single one of the sailors were Russian - this was Kruzenshtern’s condition

In July 1806, with a difference of two weeks, the Neva and Nadezhda returned to the Kronstadt roadstead, completing the entire journey in 3 years 12 days. Both of these sailing ships, like their captains, became famous throughout the world. First Russian round the world expedition had enormous scientific significance on a global scale.
As a result of the expedition, many books were published, about two dozen geographical points were named after famous captains.

On the left is Ivan Fedorovich Krusenstern. On the right is Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky

The description of the expedition was published under the title “Journey around the world in 1803, 1804, 1805 and 1806 on the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva”, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Kruzenshtern,” in 3 volumes, with an atlas of 104 maps and engraved paintings, and has been translated into English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian and Danish.

And now, to answer the question: “Which Russian was the first to travel around the world?”, You can answer without difficulty.

Discovery of Antarctica - round-the-world expedition of Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev

Aivazovsky’s work “Ice Mountains in Antarctica”, written based on the memoirs of Admiral Lazarev

In 1819, after long and very careful preparation, she went from Kronstadt to long voyage South polar expedition consisting of two military sloops - "Vostok" and "Mirny". The first was commanded by Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen, the second by Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev. The crew of the ships consisted of experienced, experienced sailors. There was a long journey ahead to unknown countries. The expedition was given the task of how to penetrate further to the south in order to finally resolve the question of the existence of the Southern Continent.
The expedition members spent 751 days at sea and covered more than 92 thousand kilometers. 29 islands were discovered and one coral reef. The scientific materials she collected made it possible to form the first idea of ​​Antarctica.
Russian sailors not only discovered a huge continent located around the South Pole, but also conducted important research in the field of oceanography. This branch of spiders was just emerging at that time. F. F. Bellingshausen was the first to correctly explain the causes of sea currents (for example, the Canary), the origin of algae in the Sargasso Sea, as well as coral islands in tropical areas.
The discoveries of the expedition turned out to be a major achievement of Russian and world geographical science of that time.
And so January 16 (28), 1820 is considered - opening day of Antarctica. Bellingshausen and Lazarev, despite dense ice and fog, passed around Antarctica at latitudes from 60° to 70° and irrefutably proved the existence of land in the region of the south pole.
Amazingly, the proof of the existence of Antarctica was immediately recognized as outstanding geographical discovery. However, then scientists argued for more than a hundred years about what had been discovered. Was it a mainland, or just a group of islands covered by a common cap of ice? Bellingshausen himself never spoke about the discovery of the mainland. The continental nature of Antarctica was finally confirmed only in the middle of the 20th century as a result of lengthy research using complex technical means.

Traveling around the world by bike

On August 10, 1913, the finish line of a round-the-world bicycle race took place in Harbin, which was ridden by a 25-year-old Russian athlete, Onisim Petrovich Pankratov.

This journey lasted 2 years 18 days. Pankratov was chosen quite difficult route. Countries from almost all of Europe were included in it. Having left Harbin in July 1911, the courageous cyclist arrived in St. Petersburg at the end of autumn. Then his path ran through Konigsberg, Switzerland, Italy, Serbia, Turkey, Greece and again through Turkey, Italy, France, Southern Spain, Portugal, Northern Spain and again through France.
The Swiss authorities considered Pankratov crazy. No one would dare to ride a bicycle through snow-covered rocky passes that are accessible only to experienced climbers. It took a lot of effort for the cyclist to overcome the mountains. He crossed Italy, passed through Austria, Serbia, Greece and Turkey. He simply had to sleep under the starry sky; often he only had water and bread for food, but he still did not stop traveling.

After crossing the Pas-de-Calais by boat, the athlete crossed England on a bicycle. Then, having also arrived in America on a ship, he again got on a bicycle and rode the entire American continent, following the route New York ─ Chicago ─ San Francisco. And from there by ship to Japan. Then he crossed Japan and China on a bicycle, after which Pankratov reached the initial point of his grandiose route - Harbin.

A distance of more than 50 thousand kilometers was covered on a bicycle. His father suggested that Onesimus make such a journey around the earth

Pankratov's trip around the world was called great by his contemporaries. The Gritzner bicycle helped him travel around the world; during the trip, Onisim had to change 11 chains, 2 steering wheels, 53 tires, 750 spokes, etc.

Around the Earth - the first space flight

At 9 o'clock 7 min. Moscow time, the Vostok spacecraft took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Having flown around the globe, he returned safely to Earth 108 minutes later. There was a pilot-cosmonaut, Major, on board the ship.
The weight of the spacecraft-satellite is 4725 kilograms (excluding the last stage of the launch vehicle), the total power of the rocket engines is 20 million horsepower.

The first flight took place in automatic mode, in which the astronaut was, as it were, a passenger on the ship. However, at any moment he could switch the ship to manual control. Throughout the entire flight, two-way radio communication was maintained with the astronaut.

In orbit, Gagarin carried out simple experiments: he drank, ate, and made notes in pencil. “Putting” the pencil next to him, he accidentally discovered that it instantly began to float away. From this, Gagarin concluded that it is better to tie pencils and other objects in space. He recorded all his sensations and observations on the on-board tape recorder.
After successfully carrying out the planned research and completing the flight program at 10 o'clock. 55 min. Moscow time, the Vostok satellite made a safe landing in a given area Soviet Union- near the village of Smelovka, Ternovsky district, Saratov region.

The first people who met the astronaut after the flight were the wife of a local forester, Anna (Anikhayat) Takhtarova, and her six-year-old granddaughter Rita. Soon, military personnel from the division and local collective farmers arrived at the scene of events. One group of military men took guard over the descent module, and the other took Gagarin to the unit’s location. From there, Gagarin reported by telephone to the commander of the air defense division:

Please convey to the Air Force Commander-in-Chief: I completed the task, landed in the given area, I feel good, there are no bruises or breakdowns. Gagarin

Immediately after Gagarin’s landing, the burnt descent module of Vostok-1 was covered with a cloth and taken to Podlipki, near Moscow, to the sensitive territory of the royal OKB-1. Later it became the main exhibit in the museum of the rocket and space corporation Energia, which grew out of OKB-1. Museum for a long time was closed (it was possible to get into it, but it was quite difficult - only as part of a group, with a preliminary letter), in May 2016 the Gagarin ship became publicly accessible, as part of the exhibition.

First circumnavigation of a submarine without surfacing

February 12, 1966 - a successful round-the-world voyage of two nuclear submarines of the Northern Fleet began. Moreover, our boats passed the entire route, the length of which exceeded the length of the equator, underwater, without surfacing even in little-studied areas of the Southern Hemisphere. The heroism and courage of Soviet submariners had outstanding national significance and became a continuation of the combat traditions of submariners of the Great Patriotic War.

25 thousand miles were covered and the highest degree of secrecy was demonstrated; the voyage took 1.5 months

Two serial production submarines without any modifications were allocated to participate in the campaign. The K-116 missile boat of Project 675 and the second K-133 boat of Project 627A, which has torpedo armament.

Besides its enormous political significance, it was an impressive demonstration scientific and technical achievements and the military power of the state. The campaign showed that the entire oceans have become a global launching pad for our nuclear submarines armed with both cruise and ballistic missiles. At the same time, it opened up new opportunities for maneuvering forces between the Northern and Pacific fleets. In a broader sense, we can say that at the height of the Cold War, the historical role of our fleet was to change the strategic situation in the World Ocean, and Soviet submariners were the first to do this.

The first and only voyage in the history of solo circumnavigations on a 5.5 meter long dinghy

On July 7, 1992, Evgeniy Aleksandrovich Gvozdev set off from Makhachkala on his first solo circumnavigation of the world on the yacht “Lena” (micro class, length only 5.5 meters). On July 19, 1996, the journey was successfully completed (it took 4 years and two weeks). This set a world record - the first and only voyage in the history of solo circumnavigations made on an ordinary pleasure dinghy. Evgeny Gvozdev went on a long-awaited trip around the world when he was 58 years old.

What is surprising is that there was no auxiliary engine, walkie-talkie, autopilot and stove. But there was a treasured “sailor’s passport”, which the new Russian authorities issued to the yachtsman after a year of struggle. This document not only helped Evgeny Gvozdev cross the border in the direction he needed: subsequently Gvozdev traveled without money and without visas.
On his journey, our hero experienced a severe psychological shock after a collision with treacherous Somali “guerrillas” who, at Cape Ras Hafun, robbed him completely and almost shot him.

His entire first trip around the world can be described in one word: “in spite of.” The chance of survival was too slim. Evgeny Gvozdev himself sees the world differently: this is a world similar to a single brotherhood of good people, a world of complete selflessness, a world without obstacles to global circulation...

On hot-air balloon around the Earth - Fedor Konyukhov

Fyodor Konyukhov was the first in the world to fly around the Earth in a hot air balloon (on his first attempt). A total of 29 attempts were made, and only three of them were successful. During the trip, Fedor Konyukhov set several world records, the main one of which was the duration of the flight. The traveler managed to fly around the Earth in about 11 days, 5 hours and 31 minutes.
The balloon was a two-level design that combined the use of helium and solar energy. Its height is 60 meters. A gondola equipped with the best technical instruments was attached below, from where Konyukhov piloted the ship.

I thought that I had committed so many sins that I would burn not in hell, but here

The journey took place at extreme conditions: the temperature dropped to -40 degrees, the balloon entered a zone of severe turbulence with zero visibility, and a cyclone with hail and strong wind. Due to complex weather conditions The equipment broke down several times and Fedor had to fix the problems manually.

During the 11 days of the flight, Fedor hardly slept. According to him, even a moment of relaxation could lead to irreversible consequences. At moments when it was no longer possible to fight sleep, he took an adjustable wrench and sat down over an iron plate. As soon as the eyes were closed, the hand released the key, it fell onto the plate, making a noise, causing the aeronaut to instantly wake up. At the end of the journey, he performed this procedure regularly. It nearly exploded at a great height when different types of gas mistakenly began to mix. It’s good that I managed to cut off the flammable cylinder.
Along the entire route, air traffic controllers at various airports around the world helped Konyukhov as best they could, clearing for him air space. So he flew by Pacific Ocean in 92 hours, crossed through Chile and Argentina, rounded a thunderstorm front over the Atlantic, passed the Cape of Good Hope and returned safely to Australia, where he began his journey.

Fedor Konyukhov:

I circled the Earth in 11 days, it is very small, it must be protected. We don’t even think about it, we people only fight. The world is so beautiful - explore it, get to know it

Name: Ferdinand Magellan

State: Portugal, Spain

Field of activity: Navigator

Greatest Achievement: Made the world's first trip around the world.

Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480, on February 3, in Portugal. Magellan was an explorer and navigator. He organized the first trip around the world in Europe. Magellan's expedition became the first conclusive evidence that the Earth is round.

early years

Ferdinand Magellan was born in Porto (Portugal) in 1480. His parents belonged to a noble family and young Magellan entered the service of the royal family at an early age. He was only 12 years old when he became the royal page of Leonora of Aviz. Since childhood, Magellan studied cartography, astronomy and navigation by the stars.

Magellan entered service in the Portuguese navy in 1505. He sailed to East Africa, then participated in the battles of Diu, during which Portugal was victorious and defeated the Egyptian fleet. Fernand traveled to Malacca (Malaysia) twice and took part in the capture of the port by the Portuguese army.

He also took part in an expedition to the Moluccas, which at that time was called the Spice Islands. The spice trade in Europe during Magellan's time was very profitable and gave rise to great competition. The Moluccas became the main source of valuable spices such as cloves and nutmeg.

In 1513, Magellan was wounded in battle in North Africa, but the king took into account all his merits and helped him. In 1517 he went to Seville to enter the Spanish government service.

Research for Spain

Spain and Portugal in Magellan's time were major powers in great competition with each other. Both countries have recently claimed open regions Northern and South America and east. In 1494, Portugal and Spain concluded the Treaty of Tordesillas, defining spheres of influence for each power. Portugal could count on all territories from Brazil to the East Indies, and Spain on western lands from Brazil to Cape Verde.

In essence, the treaty divided the globe into two halves between the two countries. The Spaniards had not yet explored their half of the Earth, but they assumed that they would be able to discover part of the Spice Islands there. Magellan proposed testing this assumption by sending an expedition to the west.

Other researchers had already paved the way for Magellan's grand expedition. One of them was (1451-1506), who sailed west from the European coast to Caribbean Islands. Columbus misjudged the distance between Europe and the East Indies. He discovered America and the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean. After his voyage, many explorers became obsessed with finding a route through America to the east to give Spain access to the Spice Islands. One of these explorers was Magellan.

Ferdinand Magellan's trip around the world

King Charles V of Spain (1500-1558) accepted Magellan's offer and on September 20, 1519, he was assigned to lead a flotilla of five ships. The flotilla was supposed to head to the Atlantic.

His brother-in-law, Duarte Barbosa, also set sail with Magellan. Arriving in Brazil, the flotilla headed along the South American coast to San Julian Bay, in Patagonia.

The explorers stayed there from March to August 1520. During this time, there was an attempt on the ships to raise a mutiny against the captain, who was suppressed. Subsequently, however, the mutinous ship Santiago was completely destroyed, and its crew was taken on board by the remaining ships.

After leaving San Julian, the flotilla headed south. On October 21, 1520, she entered the strait, which now bears the name of Magellan. On November 28, only three ships entered the Pacific Ocean. This was followed by a long voyage north across the Pacific Ocean. On March 6, 1521, the flotilla anchored in Guam.

Magellan headed east to Cebu, Philippines, where he tried to get help from the local government. Involuntarily, he was drawn into hostilities and killed in battle on April 27, 1521. Barbosa was also killed soon after. The remaining crew was forced to destroy the Concepción (ship) and the great voyage around the world was completed. Magellan's ship Victoria was led by former rebel Juan Sebastian del Cano. He crossed the Indian Ocean and finally returned to Seville from the Cape of Good Hope on September 8, 1522. Meanwhile, Trinidad (the ship) attempted to return home via the Pacific Ocean. In the Moluccas, the crew was captured by the Portuguese and sent to prison. Only four of them were later able to return to Spain.

Magellan's Legacy

Economically, Magellan's project was a failure for Spain. As a result of the division of the world, Portugal received a part of the world that was more advantageous in terms of resources. Spain miscalculated and did not gain access to the Moluccas. Magellan lost his flotilla, his people and his own life. Despite this, his voyage became the most important historical event, because this was the first proof that the Earth is a ball. Magellan's voyage is considered one of the most important explorations in human history.

Ferdinand Magellan (Fernand de Magalhães) - (born November 20, 1480 - died April 27, 1521)

What Magellan Fernand discovered

Outstanding Portuguese navigator Magellan Fernand, his expedition made the first trip around the world in history, which involved searching for a western route to the Moluccas. This proved the existence of a single world ocean and provided practical proof of the spherical shape of the Earth. Magellan discovered the entire coast of South America south of La Plata, circumnavigated the continent from the south, discovered the strait that was named after him, and the Patagonian Cordillera; first to cross the Pacific Ocean.

Biography of Ferdinand Magellan

Among the people who made global revolutions in the consciousness of people and the development of mankind, travelers were able to play a significant role. The most striking figure of them is the Portuguese Fernand de Magalhães, who became known throughout the world under the Spanishized name Fernand Magellan.

Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1470 in the locality of Sabrosa, in the remote northeastern province of Portugal, Traz os Leontes. His family belonged to a noble but impoverished knightly family and was respected at court. Unsurprisingly, King João II appointed Fernand's father, Pedro Rui de Magalhães, as senior alcalde* of the strategically important harbor of Aveiro.

(* Alcalde is a judicial or municipal official who had executive power. His main task was to monitor the preservation of public order).

Education

Connections at court made it possible for the alcalde to appoint his eldest son as Queen Eleanor’s page in 1492. So, Fernand received the right to be brought up in royal residence. There, in addition to the knightly arts - horse riding, fencing, falconry - he was able to master astronomy, navigation and cartography. At the Portuguese court, these subjects were required for young courtiers to study since the time of Prince Henry the Navigator. It was they who had the opportunity to go on long sea expeditions with the aim of conquest and discovery of new lands. It was not for nothing that King Manuel himself, who replaced Juan on the throne, observed their lessons.

The ambitious Fernand became seriously interested in sailing. In an effort to get away from palace intrigues, in 1504 he asked the king to let him go to India under the leadership of the Viceroy of India Francisco de Almeida and, having received consent, left Lisbon in the spring of 1505.

Magalhães' career as a navigator

Almeida's expedition was purely military in nature and had the goal of pacifying the rebellious Muslim rulers from Sofala to Hormuz and from Cochin to Bab el-Mandeb. It was necessary to wipe out the Muslim fortifications from the face of the earth and build Portuguese fortresses in their place.

Magalhães took part in sea and land battles at Kilva, Sofala, Mombasa, Cannanur, Calicut, as well as in the sack of these cities and over time turned into a valiant warrior, experienced and accustomed to any cruelties and misadventures of his harsh era. He quickly acquired a reputation as a brave captain, skilled in battle and navigation. At the same time, even then, caring for brothers in arms became one of the main features of the future pioneer of circumnavigation.

1509 - During the battles near Malacca, Magalhães was able to become famous, almost single-handedly coming to the aid of a handful of his compatriots who were attacked by the Malays. He acted just as nobly during his return from Malacca to India. At the head of only 5 people, Fernand hastened to the aid of the Portuguese caravel and helped to win.

At the very beginning of 1510, Magalhães' career as a navigator almost came to an end: during an unsuccessful assault on Calicut, he was seriously wounded, and for the second time. The first wound received during the campaign in Morocco left him lame for life. Dejected Fernand decided to return to his homeland.

Magellan's route

In the spring, a small flotilla of three ships sailed from Cochin to Portugal. Magalhães was also on board one of the ships. But this time he never made it home. A hundred miles from the Indian coast, two ships hit the underwater rocks of the dangerous Padua Shoal and sank. The officers and noble passengers decided to return to India on the remaining ship, leaving their rootless companions without water and food on a narrow sandy shoal, who had no place on the ship. Fernand refused to sail with them: nobility and high rank were a kind of guarantee that help could still be sent for those who remained. In the end this is what happened. Two weeks later castaways rescued and upon arrival in India, they talked everywhere about the extraordinary firmness of their patron, who, under difficult conditions, managed to awaken hope in people and strengthen resilience.

Fernand remained in India for some time. According to the documents, he boldly expressed his opinion in cases where other captains were silent. This probably could have been the main reason for his disagreements with the new Viceroy Afonso de Albuquerque.

Portugal

1512, summer - Magalhães returned to Portugal. This is evidenced by the entry in the royal court pay sheet, according to which he was assigned a monthly royal pension of 1,000 Portuguese reals. After 4 weeks, it was almost doubled, which may indicate that the merits of the valiant captain were recognized by the court.

During the war with the Moors of Azamora (modern Azemmour in Morocco), Fernand was appointed major, that is, he received a rather prestigious and profitable position. He had the prisoners and all the captured trophies at his complete disposal. The post provided unlimited possibilities for personal enrichment, therefore Magalhães had no shortage of ill-wishers.

After some time, he was groundlessly accused of organizing an attack by the Moors on the herd and allowing 400 head of cattle to be stolen, receiving a lot of money for it. After some time, the charge was dropped, but the offended Fernand resigned.

Left without sufficient means of subsistence, the warrior known for his valor hoped for the mercy of the king. He asked Manuel to increase his pension by only 200 Portuguese reals. But the king did not like people with a strong character and, according to the chronicler Barros, “... always had an aversion to him,” and therefore refused. The outraged Magalhães secretly left his homeland in 1517 and moved to Spain.

Spain

From this time begins the history of a sea voyage around the Earth, unprecedented at that time, the sphericity of which was then only assumed. And the credit for its organization and implementation goes entirely to Fernand Magalhães, who from now on became Fernand Magellan.

Later, King Manuel came to his senses and, with tenacity worthy of better use, began to prevent Magellan from carrying out his plans. But the mistake could not be corrected, and for the second time in history, Portugal lost the chance to benefit from the discoveries of its great sons, underestimating their potential capabilities.

"Moluccan Armada" - Magellan's ships

It is known that back in Portugal he carefully studied nautical charts, made acquaintances with sailors and worked a lot on the problems of determining geographic longitude. All this helped him a lot in realizing his idea.

According to the papal bull Inter cetera of 1493, all new territories opened up to the east of the demarcation line established in 1494 belonged to Portugal, and to the west to Spain. But the method of calculating geographical longitude, adopted in those days, did not make it possible to clearly demarcate the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, Magellan, as well as his friend and assistant, astrologer and cosmographer Ruy Faleiro, believed that the Moluccas should belong not to Portugal, but to Spain.

1518, March - they presented their project to the Council of the Indies. After lengthy negotiations, it was accepted, and the Spanish king Carlos I (aka Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) undertook to equip 5 ships and allocate supplies for 2 years. In the event of the discovery of new lands, companions were given the right to become their rulers. They also received 20% of the income. In this case, the rights had to be inherited.

Shortly before this significant event, serious changes occurred in Fernand's life. Arriving in Seville, he joined the colony Portuguese emigrants. One of them, the commandant of the Seville Alcazar fortress, Diogo Barbosa, introduced the valiant captain into his family. His son Duarte became Fernand's close friend, and his daughter Beatrice became his wife.

Magellan really did not want to leave his young, passionately loving wife and recently born son, but duty, ambition and the desire to provide for his family persistently called him to sea. An unfavorable astrological forecast made by Faleiro could not stop him either. But it was precisely because of this that Ruy refused to participate in the voyage, and Magellan became its sole leader and organizer.

Magellan's voyage around the world

In Seville, 5 ships were prepared - the flagship Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria and Santiago. On September 20, 1519, Ferdinand Magellan said goodbye to the pregnant Beatrice and newborn Rodrigo on the pier and ordered the anchor to be raised. They were never destined to see each other again.

The lists of the small flotilla included 265 people: commanders and helmsmen, boatswains, gunners, ordinary sailors, priests, carpenters, caulkers, coopers, soldiers and people who did not have specific duties. This entire motley multinational crew (in addition to the Spaniards and Portuguese, it also included Italians, Germans, French, Flemings, Sicilians, English, Moors and Malays) had to be kept in obedience. And discontent began almost from the first weeks of the voyage. Agents of the Portuguese king entered the ships, and through the zeal of the Portuguese consul in Seville, Alvares, the holds were partially filled with rotten flour, moldy crackers and rotten corned beef.

On September 26, the sailors reached Canary Islands, on October 3, they headed for Brazil, and on December 13, they entered Rio de Janeiro Bay. From here, travelers headed south along the South American coast in search of a passage to the “South Sea,” moving only during the day so as not to miss it in the dark. 1520, March 31 - the ships entered the Bay of San Julian off the coast of Patagonia for the winter.

Mutiny

Ferdinand Magellan - suppression of the rebellion

Soon Magellan had to give an order to reduce the diet. But part of the crew opposed this decision and began to demand a return to Spain, but received a decisive refusal. Then, during the celebration of Easter, the rebel leaders, taking advantage of the fact that the bulk of the crews went ashore, were able to capture three ships.

Magellan decided to use force and cunning. He sent several loyal people to the Victoria with a letter to the rebellious treasurer Luis de Mendoza. He was stabbed while reading the letter, and the crew offered no resistance. The next day, two rebel captains, Gaspar de Quesada and Juan de Cartagena, tried to take their ships out of the bay, but their path was blocked by the Trinidad, Santiago and Victoria, which had been recaptured from the rebels. San Antonio surrendered without resisting. Their commander, Quesada, was immediately arrested, and after some time Cartagena was captured.

By order of Ferdinand Magellan dead body The Mendozas were quartered, Quesada's head was cut off, and Cartagena and the traitorous priest Pedro Sanchez de la Reina were left on the shore. But the rebel sailors were not harmed. They were given life, mainly because they were needed for ship work.

Strait of Magellan

Soon the squadron, which lost the Santiago during reconnaissance, moved further south. But the betrayals did not stop there. On November 1, when the squadron was already moving through the desired Strait, later called the Strait of Magellan, the helmsman Ishteban Gomes, taking advantage of the fact that his ship was out of sight from the other ships, captured the San Antonio and fled to Spain. Magellan never learned about the betrayal, just as he never learned what fatal role Gomes played in the fate of his family. Arriving in Spain, the deserter accused his captain-general of treason against the king. As a result, Beatrice and her children were subjected to house arrest and interrogation. She was deprived of government benefits and left in dire need. Neither she nor her sons lived to see the expedition return. And Gomes was awarded a knighthood by the king for “outstanding services rendered to Magellan’s flotilla.”

Opening Mariana Islands

On November 28, Ferdinand Magellan's ships entered the ocean, which no European had ever sailed. The weather, fortunately, remained good, and the navigator called the ocean Pacific. Crossing it, he traveled at least 17 thousand km and discovered many small islands, but inaccurate calculations did not allow them to be identified with any specific points on the map. Only the discovery in early March 1521 of two inhabited islands, Guam and Rota - the southernmost of the Mariana Islands group. Magellan called them the Robbers. The islanders stole a boat from the sailors, and the captain-general, landing with a detachment on the shore, burned several native huts.

This voyage lasted almost 4 months. Despite the absence of hurricanes typical for this area, people had a very hard time. They were forced to eat dry dust mixed with worms, drink rotten water, and eat cowhide, sawdust, and ship rats. These creatures seemed almost a delicacy to them and were sold for half a ducat apiece.

The crew suffered from scurvy, many people died. But Magellan continued to confidently lead the squadron forward and once, when asked to return, he said: “We will go forward, even if we have to eat the entire oxhide.”

Discovery of the Philippine Islands

1521, March 15 - the expedition found itself near the island of Samar (Philippines), and a week later, still moving west, it arrived at the island of Limasawa, where Magellan's slave, the Malayan Enrique, heard his native speech. This meant that the travelers were somewhere near the Spice Islands, i.e. they had almost completed their task.

And yet the navigator sought to reach the treasured islands. But he decided to stay for a while to convert the Filipinos to Christianity.

1521, April 7 - the flotilla dropped anchor off the island of Cebu, where a major port and residence of the Rajah was located. The sincerely religious Magellan insisted that the islanders accept Christianity without counting on any material benefits, but, unwittingly, he convinced the natives that they could count on a favorable attitude from the powerful Spanish king only if they renounced the old faith and will begin to worship the cross.

On April 14, the ruler of Cebu, Humabon, decided to be baptized. The cunning Rajah, now called Carlos, enlisted the support of Magellan against his pagan enemies and thus, in one day, subjugated all who challenged his power. In addition, Humabon secured a promise that when Magellan returned to the Philippines at the head of a large fleet, he would make him the sole ruler of all the islands as a reward for the fact that the Rajah was the first to convert to Christianity. Furthermore, the rulers of the nearby islands began to be brought to obedience. But the leader of one of these islands, Mactan, named Silapulapu, did not want to submit to Carlos Humabon. Then the navigator decided to use force.

Death of Magellan

Death of Magellan

1521, April 27 - 60 armed men in armor, with several small guns, boarded boats and headed for Mactan. They were accompanied by several hundred of Humabon's warriors. But luck turned against the Spaniards. The captain general underestimated the enemy, remembering at the wrong time the history of the conquest of Mexico, when a handful of Spaniards were able to take possession the whole country. In a battle with the warriors of Mactan, his battle-hardened companions were defeated, and the captain-general himself laid down his head. While retreating to the boats, the natives overtook him in the water. Wounded in the arm and leg, the already lame Magellan fell. What happened next is eloquently described by expedition chronicler Antonio Pigafetta:

“The captain fell face down, and immediately they pelted him with iron and bamboo spears and began to strike him with cutlasses until they destroyed our mirror, our light, our joy and our true leader. He kept turning back to see if we had all managed to get into the boats..."

The further fate of the sailors

Subsequent events testified to the correctness of Pigafetta, who called Magellan the “true leader.” Apparently, only he could keep this greedy pack in check, ready at any time to betray.

His successors were unable to maintain their positions. First of all, with feverish haste, they delivered the exchanged goods to the ships. Then one of the new leaders thoughtlessly insulted the Malayan Enrique, and he persuaded Humabon to betray. The Rajah lured some of the Spaniards into a trap and ordered them to be killed, and demanded a ransom for the surviving captain of the Concepcion, Juan Serrau. Seeing him as a rival, Juan Carvalo, who was temporarily appointed commander of the flotilla, abandoned his comrade and ordered the sails to be raised.

About 120 people survived. Using three ships, they groped, often changing course, but finally reached the Moluccas, destroying the worm-eaten Concepcion along the way. Here they, not thinking about the possible danger from the local population, where the Spaniards were not very fond, and the difficulties of the journey to their homeland, rushed to buy spices. Eventually, the Victoria, under the command of Esteban Elcano, left the Moluccas, while the heavily laden Trinidad remained behind for repairs. Finally, his crew, who made an unsuccessful attempt to reach Panama, was captured. For a long time, its members languished in prisons and on plantations, first in the Moluccas and then on the Banda Islands. Later they were sent to India, where they lived on alms and were under the constant supervision of the authorities. Only five were lucky enough to return to their homeland in 1527.

And "Victoria" under the command of Elcano, carefully avoiding the routes of the Portuguese ships, crossed the southern part Indian Ocean, rounded the cape Good Hope and through the Cape Verde Islands on September 8, 1522, she arrived in the Spanish harbor of San Lucar. Of her crew, only 18 people survived (according to other sources - 30).

The sailors had a hard time at home. Instead of honors, they received public repentance for one “lost” day (as a result of moving through time zones around the earth). From the point of view of the clergy, this could only happen as a result of breaking the fasts.

Elcano, however, received honors. He received a coat of arms depicting a globe with the inscription “You were the first to circle around me,” and a pension of 500 ducats. But no one remembered Magellan.

Descendants were able to appreciate the true role of this remarkable man in history, and, unlike Columbus, it was never disputed. His voyage revolutionized the understanding of the Earth. After this trip, any attempts to deny the sphericity of the planet completely stopped, it was proven that the world ocean is one, ideas about the true size of the globe were obtained, it was finally established that America is an independent continent, and a strait was found between the two oceans. And it is not without reason that Stefan Zweig wrote in his book “Magellan’s Feat”: “Only he enriches humanity who helps him to know himself, who deepens his creative self-awareness. And in this sense, the feat accomplished by Magellan surpasses all the feats of his time.”

Preparation of Magellan's expedition, ships, equipment and personnel

So, falling out of favor with the Portuguese king Manuel in 1514 I Ferdinand Magellan leaves the civil service, after some time he leaves his homeland with the intention of finding employment in Spain. In 1517 he arrives in Seville. Seville, located on the Guadalquivir River, was the main city of Andalusia and the most important port in Spain for organizing ocean voyages. The main technical, financial and human resources were concentrated in this city. There were many rich and influential people here.

", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> In order to prove oneself here, it was necessary to offer these same people something worthwhile, something that they would not be able to refuse. This “something” was to fulfill the long-standing dream of the Spanish crown - to find a passage to the Moluccas (Spice Islands) from the west, bypassing the already discovered lands in America.To carry out such an event, it was necessary not only desire, not only ships and funds. An experienced, determined and reliable person was needed who could lead the expedition.

Magellan was ideally suited to organize such an event. The fact is that he has already been personally to these islands. He proved himself to be an experienced sailor, a brave warrior and a good organizer. And Magellan himself had long been nurturing plans for such a journey. A better candidate for the leader of the expedition could not be found.

", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> The Moluccas and the entire route to and from them to Europe at that time were under the control of the Portuguese. But the legality of ownership of the Spice Islands could easily be challenged by the Spaniards according to the notorious Treaty of Tordesillas. After all, the line of demarcation of spheres of influence ran along 49 degrees west longitude (in modern coordinates). East of this line are the possessions of Portugal. But to the west - Spain. And if you sailed to the Spice Islands moving west, you could appeal to the supreme arbiter - the Roman Holy See - and claim the islands for yourself.

So, the interests of Magellan and the interests of the Spanish crown coincided. It was necessary to act. Magellan and (his comrade and companion Rui Faleiro) first of all receive Spanish citizenship. With the help of Juan de Aranda, one of the influential people in Seville, and Diogo Barbosa, also a former Portuguese (and who later became the father-in-law of F. Magellan), they succeed. From now on, he is not Ferdinand Magellan, but “Fernando de Magallanes” - Fernando de Magallanes, or Fernando Magellan, as we used to call him in the Russian manner.

There is safety in numbers

The next important step was to interest the owners of capital - bankers, merchants, plus influential officials and, of course, King Carlos I in organizing such an expedition.

With the help of friends, Magellan gets to the king and outlines his plan to him.

It is known that since the time of Columbus, all overseas expeditions were a “joint venture” between the crown and “private investors.” An agreement was drawn up, which stipulated the responsibility, contributions and share of each participant in future production. The crown, as a rule, played the role of a “roof”. It had a “controlling stake” and appointed its own “oversight”. The leader of the expedition was obliged to report everything about his actions to the king and the “shareholders.”

One of Magellan’s convincing arguments was a map that came into his hands, based on the results of previous voyages of the Spaniards and Portuguese. Their expeditions had already reached the mouth of the La Plata River, which they mistook for a strait into the “South Sea,” but they did not try to pass along it. Having secured the support of financiers, Magellan managed to interest the Spanish king in his proposal and received his approval. The king signed the agreement and gave the go-ahead for preparations for the voyage.

Obstacles

Despite the highest approval, Megellan faced numerous obstacles from the very beginning in the preparation and organization of the expedition. These obstacles were posed by both potential competitors for leadership of the expedition and the Portuguese ambassador Alvaro da Costa. This cloak and dagger knight worked on all fronts to thwart the plans of Magellan and Spain. At first he convinced Magellan himself that his project was a utopia. Then he tried to intimidate him. Then appease him, offering to return to Portugal, whose king was ready to change his anger to mercy. The threats had no effect. Gingerbread too. Then the ambassador sent hired killers to Magellan. The attempt failed.

But the ambassador continued to do harm: he disrupted supplies of equipment, set Spanish commanders against the “Portuguese” Magellan, in short, he behaved like that “general” from “The Tale of Fedot the Archer.” But Magellan managed to outplay all his enemies, showing his will and determination already at the initial stage, which endeared him to the team and the king himself.

March 22, 1518 Carlos I approves Magellan's plan. In accordance with the agreements, Fernando Magellan and Rui Faleiro, as General Captains (which corresponded to the rank of admiral), would receive a twentieth part (5%) of the profits. In addition, they and their heirs will receive the right to manage open lands plus all sorts of titles.

Pretty soon the name Rui Faleiro will disappear from all contracts. For what reason did Magellan's companion fall out of favor, historians only they just assume. It is only known that he took his “resignation” very close to his heart “and moved with his mind.”

Conflicts with the Spanish captains of the ships began immediately after their appointment and continued throughout the preparation. It got to the point that the king even “stamped his foot and shook his finger” at Magellan’s ill-wishers, pacifying their zeal. True, Magellan was ordered to limit the number of Portuguese among the crew members. And, nevertheless, the number of “guest workers” experienced in maritime affairs from the neighboring country turned out to be quite large. It is obvious that Magellan sought to gather as many people as possible personally devoted to him.

Using the funds raised to organize the expedition, Ferdinand Magellan & Co Five ships were prepared. These were full-fledged nao (or carracks) which, according to tradition, some call caravels. Although the line between caravels and carracks is quite arbitrary - many carracks carried obliques at the stern lateen sails for ease of maneuvering and vice versa, many caravels had straight sails on the foremast.

Ships and equipment

Magellan's expedition

So, the sailing ships “Trinidad”, “Concepcion”, “San Antonio”, “Victoria” and “Santiago” took on board more than 250 crew members plus a supply of provisions and everything necessary for 2 years of autonomous navigation.

Provisions was common for sea voyages of that time: flour, various cereals, beans, crackers, wine, vegetable oil, smoked and salted foods, honey, dried fruits.

Armament The flotilla consisted of 70 cannons of varying power, there were arquebuses, crossbows, edged weapons and armor.

Goods for the intended exchange trade: metal products, various materials, jewelry, beads, mirrors, all sorts of trinkets.

Magellan himself personally supervised the loading and packaging of equipment, food and goods for the proposed trade.

Full estimate the expedition exceeded the sum of 8 million maravedis (*). (For comparison, Columbus's first expedition cost approximately 4 million maravedis.)

Ship captains at the start of the voyage:

"Trinidad" - Ferdinand Magellan

"San Antonio" - Juan Cartagena (Spanish)

"Concepcion" - Gaspar Cassada (Spanish)

"Victoria" - Luis Mendoza (Spanish)

"Santiago" - Joao Serran (Portuguese)

Indicating the nationality of the captains, unfortunately, is important, because all three Spanish captains stood in opposition to Magellan - they did not like that they were commanded by a foreigner, although Magellan at that time already had Spanish citizenship. This confrontation will more than once lead to serious conflicts and troubles during the voyage. Truly, “when there is no agreement among comrades, their business will not go well.”

But, despite all the obstacles, by mid-September 1519 the ships of the expedition were fully equipped and ready to start. AND .

(*) What was 1 maravedi equal to?

Name monetary unit maravedi remained on the Iberian Peninsula since the reign of the Moors. In terms of purchasing power, I did not find maravedi or its equivalent to gold. It is known that the pension allocated to Magellan after his return from India was equal to 1000 reais per month and was considered insultingly small. I only found in one place that 1 real = 34 maravedis.

Ferdinand Magellan (1470-1521) - Portuguese navigator. He was the first to circumnavigate the world and cross the ocean, which he called the Pacific Ocean. Proved the existence of a single World Ocean and provided practical evidence that the Earth is spherical.

Born in Portugal into a noble family. As a child, he served as a page in the retinue of the Portuguese queen, received a good education, studied cosmography, navigation and astronomy. At the age of 20 he set off on his first voyage, participated in naval battles with the Arabs, Indians and Moors, and received the rank of sea captain for his bravery in battle. Because of a false accusation, he was denied further promotion. Having lost the king's trust, Magellan resigned.

In 1517 he moved to Spain and accepted Spanish citizenship. Together with his friend, the astronomer Ruy Fallier, he convinced King Charles V that there was a passage south of South America. Atlantic Ocean in Quiet. The discovery of this passage would bring great benefits to the state: even Pope Alexander VI, having divided the Earth by a meridian, ordered all lands (both known and not yet discovered) to the west of the Canary Islands to be considered the property of Spain. This circumstance became an important reason for moving west.

An expedition of five ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Santiago, Concepcion and Victoria) was organized under the leadership of Magellan, which set out to sea towards Rio de Janeiro. Moving to the south of the mainland, he discovered the entire Atlantic coast of South America. We moved only during the day so as not to miss the strait. In March, the expedition had to winter in a convenient bay. That same night, a riot began on the ships led by the ship commanders: the difficulties and hardships that befell them made the people very angry. The revolt was brutally suppressed by Magellan himself, and in early October the fleet headed south. In October of the same year, south of La Plata, they rounded the mainland and entered the bay named after St. Julian. He examined it for about a month, but did not find a passage to the South Sea. On the shore of the strait, the expedition once saw the lights of fires and Magellan called the place Tierra del Fuego. Soon the expedition approached the eastern mouth of the strait, which now bears his name.

But only three ships entered the strait: one ship was lost, the crew of the San Antonio ship deserted, returning to Spain. The ship's commander slandered Magellan by telling the king about his alleged treason. A month and a half later, the expedition entered the Pacific Ocean.

When crossing the Atlantic, the navigator used his signaling system for the first time, and the ships of his flotilla never lost sight of each other.

The first crossing of the Pacific Ocean began on November 28. On the remaining three ships, Magellan entered the unknown ocean and circled America from the south along the strait he had discovered. Since the weather at that time was very good, he called the ocean Pacific. The voyage continued for almost 4 months. Soon hunger and scurvy began, many died. Crossing the ocean, he traveled at least 17 thousand km, but discovered only two islands - one in the Tuamotu archipelago, the other in the Line group. On March 6, 1521, Magellan discovered the island of Guam.

Ten days later, Magellan's expedition reached the Philippine Islands (1521). The detachment was well received by the population, and one of the local leaders, Zebu, even accepted Christianity and Spanish citizenship. After this, Magellan intervened in the feuds of local tribes and died in one of the skirmishes with the natives. Zebu, having betrayed the Spaniards, killed some of them. The surviving crew members escaped to their ships and went to sea.

There were only 115 people left on the three ships - there were not enough people, and the Concepcion ship had to be burned. For several months the ships wandered in search of the spice islands. Off the island of Tidore, the Spaniards cheaply bought a lot of cloves, nutmeg, etc. and split up: the Victoria, with captain Juan Elcano, moved west around Africa, and the Trinidad, in need of repairs, remained behind. Captain Elcano, fearing a meeting with the Portuguese, stayed significantly south of the usual routes. He was the first to navigate the central part of the Indian Ocean and, having discovered only the island of Amsterdam, proved that the “southern” continent had not reached this latitude. On September 6, 1522, Victoria completed her trip around the world and returned home; Trinidad returned a little later. But it brought so many spices that their sale compensated for the loss of the remaining ships.

Magellan's journey is considered one of the greatest events of the 16th century: expeditions that went to the west returned from the east and thus proved that the Earth is spherical; For the first time, Europeans crossed the largest of the oceans - the Pacific, opening a passage from the Atlantic. In addition, the expedition found that much of the earth's surface is occupied not by land, as Columbus and his contemporaries thought, but by oceans. Two star clusters (the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds) and a strait are named after Magellan. All of Magellan’s travels were described by the historiographer and expedition member Antonio Pifacetta.

Beginning of the expedition. Atlantic Ocean. Brazil

On September 20, 1519, a flotilla of five ships with a crew of 265 people, led by Magellan, left the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda (the mouth of the Guadalquivir River) in search of the southwestern strait from the Atlantic Ocean to the one discovered in 1513 by the conquistador Vasco Nunez de Balboa. South Sea".

Two months later, the ships reached the coast of Brazil and headed south along the American continent. In March 1520, they stopped for the winter in San Julian Bay. Here Magellan, with great difficulty, managed to suppress the rebellion of some members of the expedition who insisted on returning to Spain.

Discovery of the Strait of Magellan. In September 1520, an expedition on four ships (Santiago died during reconnaissance on May 22) entered the ocean and headed south. At the end of October 1520, they reached the strait, which was subsequently named after its discoverer - the Strait of Magellan. The passage through the strait with an unfamiliar fairway was very difficult; in addition, the San Antonio, which was in the lead, came out of the strait, turned south and, having rounded the southern tip of America, voluntarily returned to Spain.

Pacific Ocean. Having passed the strait, the expedition headed to the shores of Asia. Magellan called the “South Sea” the Pacific Ocean, “because,” as one of the participants reports, “we have never experienced the slightest storm.” This passage lasted for more than three months, during which part of the crew, who suffered greatly from hunger and thirst, died, and the ships were in a state close to mutiny.

Philippine Islands. Death of Magellan. In the spring of 1521, Magellan reached the islands off the east coast of Asia, later called the Philippine Islands. Pursuing the goal of subjugating the local population to the Spanish crown, Magellan intervened in a dispute between two local rulers and was killed in battle on April 27. The Raja of Cebu, who had just sworn allegiance to the King of Spain, took advantage of this and lured the Spaniards to a ceremonial dinner, where he carried out a massacre and killed several dozen people. The ships had to urgently sail. The absence of an experienced leader made itself felt. Almost there, the flotilla spent several months reaching the Moluccas.

Division of the expedition. Return journey. Spices were purchased there and the expedition had to set off on the return journey. On the islands, the Spaniards learned that the Portuguese king had declared Magellan a deserter, so his ships were subject to capture. The ships are dilapidated. The Concepcion had previously been abandoned by its crew and burned. There were only two ships left. "Trinidad" was repaired and went east to the Spanish possessions in Panama, and "Victoria" went west, bypassing Africa. "Trinidad" was caught in headwinds, was forced to return to the Moluccas and was captured by the Portuguese. Most of his crew died at hard labor in India. "Victoria" under the command of Juan Sebastian Elcano continued its journey. Having made a long journey around Africa and avoided meeting the Portuguese who were hunting for them, 18 people returned to their homeland.

Results of the expeditionThe sale of the cargo brought by Victoria not only covered all the expenses of the expedition, but also, despite the death of 4 out of 5 ships, made a significant profit. As for the ownership of the Moluccas, the Portuguese king believed that they belonged to Spain and bought them for a huge sum [source not specified 156 days]. In 1523, a report from the imperial secretary Maximilian Transylvanus on the journey was published, and then detailed memoirs of one of the expedition participants, the Venetian Antonio Pigafetta, were published. Thus, the Spaniards discovered the western route to Asia and the Spice Islands. This first circumnavigation in history proved the correctness of the hypothesis about the sphericity of the Earth and the inseparability of the oceans washing the land.

New discoveries led to an exacerbation of previous contradictions between Spain and Portugal. For a long time, experts on both sides could not accurately determine the boundaries of Spanish and Portuguese possessions due to the lack of accurate data on the longitude of the newly discovered islands. In 1529, an agreement was reached: Spain renounced its claims to the Moluccas, but retained rights to the Philippine Islands, which were named after the heir to the Spanish throne, the future King Philip II. However, for a long time no one dared to repeat Magellan’s journey, and the path across the Pacific Ocean to the shores of Asia was of no practical importance.