Adam Johann von Krusenstern

Estonian Baltic German Adam Johann Ritter von Krusenstern became a Russian admiral and explorer. He was born in 1770 in Haggud, today Rapla, Estonia and died 1846 in Reval, now Tallin, Estonia.

Adam Johann von Krusenstern became also also known as Ivan Fedorovich Krusenstern. He first traveled for England, then became a Russian Admiral. Under the patronage of czar Alexander I, Krusenstern led the first Russian circumnavigation of the world in 1803-1806, which aimed to establish trade with China and Japan, to facilitate trade in South America, and to examine California for a possible colony.

Two boats, Nadezhda (Hope) under command of Krusenstern and Neva under command of captain-lieutenant Yuri F. Lisianski set sail from Kronstadt, rounded Cape Horn, and reached the northern Pacific. Both seafarers drew maps and made detailed recording of their voyages. Upon return, Krusenstern wrote a detailed report Reise um die Welt in den Jahren 1803, 1804, 1805 und 1806 aus Befehl Seiner Kaiserl. Majestät Alexanders des Ersten auf den Schiffen Nadeshda und Newa, published in two volumes in 1811 in Berlin, followed two years later by an English translation, published in London. His scientific work, which includes an atlas of the Pacific, published 1827 in St. Petersburg, won him a honorary membership in the Russian Academy of Sciences.

A current Russian Training ship is named Krusenstern.

External links

• [1] Ilya Vinkovetsky, Circumnavigation, Empire, Modernity, Race: The Impact of Round-the-World Voyages on Russia's Imperial Consciousness, "Meeting of Frontiers" Conference, 2001

• [2] Sailing ship Krusenstern, formerly Padua (in German)