The article describes the biography and achievements of the Russian admiral, researcher of the Far East Gennady Ivanovich Nevelskoy.
Keywords: the concept of cadet, Russian navigator Nevelskoy G. I., Sakhalin Island, Amur River, Far East, Nikolaevsky post.
I want to admit that when I started writing an article about Gennady Ivanovich Nevelskoy, I knew practically nothing about his life and achievements. I only knew that his name was well-known, that our embankment in Khabarovsk was named after him. But I am a native of Khabarovsk!
And I decided to study the biography of Gennady Ivanovich. G. I. Nevelskoy was born on December 5, 1813. In the family of a retired hereditary sailor. This year we celebrated a memorable date — 210 years since the birth of Gennady Ivanovich.
Maritime traditions have always been revered in the Nevelskoy house, and it is not surprising that from an early age Gennady began to dream of the sea, about which his father told him so much and fascinatingly.
On April 8, 1829, Gennady entered the St. Petersburg Naval Cadet Corps, which was headed by the outstanding Russian navigator and scientist I. F. Kruzenshtern, and taught by the largest Russian scientists like M. V. Ostrogradsky and E. H. Lenz — people of advanced ideas of that time, who had a huge influence on their listeners. The news about each new circumnavigation and geographical discovery aroused great interest and lively conversations among the students. But none of the cadets followed the voyages of Russian sailors as closely as Gennady Ivanovich. This short, intelligent, lively-eyed teenager often stood for a long time at the huge map of the world that occupied the entire wall of the navigator's classroom. To the questions of his comrades about what he was looking for on the map, Gennady always seriously replied that he was looking for «white spots».
In the marine corps, studying history and geography, Nevelskoy learned how in 1644 Vasily Poyarkov discovered the Amur River and reached its mouth, and then the daring Cossack Yerofey Khabarov went to the Amur.
Reading descriptions of the campaigns of brave Russian explorers, Nevelskoy first read about the island, later named Sakhalin. But in geography lessons, the map of the Far East was indicated as a peninsula.
Why couldn't all the explorers find the truth?
Years have passed. The inquisitive cadet became a real sailor. Gennady still dreamed of proving that Sakhalin is an island and that the Amur is a navigable river.
Having reached the rank of lieutenant commander, he was finally able to fulfill his dream — he achieved an appointment on the ship Baikal, which was preparing to be sent to the Far East. Nikolai Muravyov was then the governor of Siberia. He supported Nevelsky's initiative. The expedition plan was sent for the highest approval, and the captain himself sailed to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Having arrived at his destination, Nevelskoy did not receive the highest permission for the expedition. But there was little time — the period of navigation in the Eastern Seas was short. So Gennady Ivanovich decided to follow the plan at his own risk: find a bay or bay in the Northern part of Sakhalin, find the entrance to the Amur estuary, explore the bed of the great river. Everything was completed and the north of Sakhalin was surveyed and a passage between the mainland and Sakhalin was found. The strait was later named after G. I. Nevelsky. In 1849, Gennady Ivanovich arbitrarily occupied the mouth of the Amur, founded the settlemenvigator and admiral is immortalized in manyt of Nikolaevsky Post (later Nikolaevsk-on-Amur) in it and raised the Russian military flag. In the capital, such arbitrariness was condemned, but everything was changed by the approval of Nicholas himself. 1 The Emperor called G. I. Nevelskoy's act «well done» and issued a verdict: «Where the Russian flag is raised, it should not go down there». [1]
Gennady Ivanovich's discoveries have brought great benefits to Russia. The memory of the brave navigator and admiral is immortalized in many cities of the Far East. His name is inscribed on board the fishing trawler Admiral Nevelskoy, which is assigned to the port of Nevelsk. The embankment of Khabarovsk is also named after him. The Russians have annexed a huge territory in the Far East to Russia. The beginning of the development and consolidation of this richest region for Russia was laid by G. I. Nevelskoy.
I would like to note that it was precisely such character traits as perseverance, courage, and determination that helped Nevelskoy realize his dream. But, in addition, he knew the geography and history of his country well, was a competent and diligent cadet. Of course, he loved the Russian land, was devoted to the Motherland, tried to do a lot of useful things for Russia, which he did, as we can see.
To summarize, I would like to conclude the article with a kind of slogan: while you are young, go ahead and dream! It's not for nothing that they say: dreams come true and only the brave conquer the seas!
Fig. 1. Nikolai Muravyov and Gennady Nevelskoy
References:
- The exploits of Russian naval officers in the far east of Russia. 1849–1855 Priamursky and Priussuriysky territories. Edited by V. Vakhtin, St. Petersburg, 1878.
- Trenev V. K. The Amur expedition of Nevelskoy. Type 7. Military publishing House, 1946, 157 p. [1, p. 97]
- Trenev V. K. G.I. Nevelskoy (1813–1876). Moscow: Geografgiya, 1950.
- Alekseev A. I. Companions of G. I. Nevelsky. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 1967.
