First Russian circumnavigation

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The First Russian circumnavigation
Harbour of St Paul on the Island of Cadiack, Russian sloop-of-war Neva
Type	Circumnavigational expedition
Target	Kronstadt Island, Saint Petersburg
Date	August 1803 – August 1806
Executed by	Adam Johann von Krusenstern, Yuri Lisyansky

The first Russian circumnavigation of the Earth occurred between August 1803 and August 1806. It was carried out by two ships, the Nadezhda and the Neva, under the commands of Adam Johann von Krusenstern and Yuri Lisyansky, respectively.

The main goal was to establish diplomatic and economic relations between Russia and Japan and facilitate fur trading through Chinese ports. The Chinese leg of the expedition was tied to a mission and planned embassy headed by Yury Golovkin. Likewise, the party included a sizeable diplomatic delegation bound for Japan, headed by the court chamberlain and plenipotentiary ambassador Nikolai Rezanov. Rezanov was also the "High Representative" of the Russian-American Company. Rezanov and Krusenstern frequently fought over priorities during the voyage.^[1]

The ships set off from Kronstadt on August 7, stopping at Copenhagen, Falmouth, Tenerife, Brazil, Nuku Hiva, and Hawaii. When the expedition reached the Hawaiian Islands in June 1804, the two vessels parted ways – the Nadezhda went to Kamchatka and Japan, while the Neva headed to Kodiak Island, Alaska, where it spent 14 months and participated in the Russian-Tlingit war. The ships reunited in Guangzhou in December 1805, and after leaving China, they sailed together for a short time before returning independently to Kronstadt in August 1806.^[2][3][4]

In its goal of establishing relations with the Japanese, the expedition failed as Japanese authorities did not allow the envoy to enter the country and refused to establish diplomatic ties. In 1805, Rezanov and his retinue landed in Kamchatka and later began to insert themselves in local politics.^[3] For instance, they played a role in the Khvostov Incident and the further deterioration of Russo-Japanese relations.

The expedition made several discoveries in the Pacific, including the naming and mapping of islands, archipelagos, capes, reefs, and straits. In addition to geographical exploration, the crew collected extensive botanical, zoological, and ethnographic information.^[4][5] Many participants in the expedition later published accounts of their travels in multiple languages,^[3] while some diaries and journals remained unpublished until the 21st century.