Semеn Ivanovich Dezhnev

Semеn Dezhnev was born in Veliki Ustug in 1605. Like many of enterprising Russian northmen of the time, he went to Siberia in search of his fortune, and served in Tobolsk and Yeniseisk. He became well-known for his experience and bravery.

In 1647 Semen Ivanovich was invited to join the expedition to the Low Kolyma River. The purpose of this expedition was to sail by sea from the Kolyma River towards the east in search of precious walrus tusks, whale bones and fur animals. The final destination of the voyage was supposed to be the river Anadyr.

The ice conditions on the sea forced the expedition to stop their mission. But that did not stop Dezhnev from trying it again next year.

In 1648 Dezhnev, Popov, and Fedot Alekseev led the party of 100 men in seven small Arctic-worthy ships called Koches to the river Anadyr. In its estuary they founded Anadyrsky stockaded town.

The same year Dezhnev sailed along the northern shores of Asia and discovered the mythical Anian Strait between Asia and Alaska, thus proving that Eurasian and American continents were not connected. He followed the shoreline and doubled the Chukotka peninsula. Dezhnev also described two islands of the Chukchi people now known as the Diomede Islands consisting of Ratmanov Island and Kruzenstern Island, located between Asia and Alaska in what is now the Bering Strait.

He collected interesting ethnographic data about Chukchi people ("zubatiye") who lived on those islands. They decorated their faces and bodies with tattooes and lower lips with pieces of walrus tusk, stone or bone.

In 1670 Dezhnev went to Moscow. He delivered there sable skins, maps and official documents.

When he was over 60 years old, the old wounds, which he had received during his service at the borders of Russia, and toil undermined his health. After severe illness Semen Dezhnev died in Moscow in 1673. During his life he twice married Yakut women and had several children.

The easternmost cape of Eurasia was named after Dezhnev. On maps one can also find an island, a peninsula, a village, and a bay, which were named after him. A crater on Mars was named after him too.

5. Answer the following questions:

•Why did Semen Dezhnev move to Siberia?

•What did he become well-known for?

•What was the purpose of the Low Kolyma expedition?

•What fact proves that Semen Dezhnev was very persistent?

•What was his most important discovery?

• Why did he die?

• In what way was his name immortalized?

6. Complete the sentences:

•His date of birth was _________________________________________________________

•He took part in the expedition of 1647 because ____________________________________

•At that time walrus tusks and whale bones were ___________________________________

•The reason they stopped their mission was ________________________________________

•A Koch is _____________________________________________________________________

•In the northern shores of Asia Dezhnev discovered _________________________________

•Chukchi people used walrus tusks, stones and bones ___________________________

•His discoveries were so great that ________________________________________________

7. True or false? Write “T” if true, “F”, if false:

• Semen Dezhnev was Y.Khabarov’s compatriot. _______

• They were looking for only sable fur as it was very precious._______

• Ice conditions did not stop Dezhnev because he was very tempered. _______

• He proved that Eurasia and North America were not connected. ________

• Diomede Island, Ratmanov Island and Kruzenstern Island are three separate islands. ______

• The Anian Strait and the Bering Strait is not the same. ______