What did Lazarev discover? Admiral Lazarev Mikhail Petrovich

Russian naval commander and navigator, admiral (1843), holder of the Order of St. George IV class for long service (1817) and discoverer of Antarctica. Brother of Vice Admiral Andrei Petrovich Lazarev.

Born into the noble family of Senator Pyotr Gavrilovich Lazarev, ruler of the Vladimir governorship. Shortly before his death, in 1800, the senator assigned three sons - Andrei, Mikhail, Alexei - to the Naval Cadet Corps.

In 1803, he passed the exam for the title of midshipman, becoming the third best performer out of 32 students.

In December 1805 he was promoted to the first officer rank - midshipman.

Among the 30 best graduates of the corps, he was sent to England, where he served as a volunteer in the navy until 1808 to familiarize himself with the organization of naval affairs in foreign ports. For five years he was on a continuous voyage in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

In 1808-1813 he served in the Baltic Fleet.

Participated in the Russian-Swedish War of 1808-1809 and Patriotic War 1812.

World trip

In 1813, Lieutenant Lazarev received a new assignment - to command the Suvorov sloop, setting off on a circumnavigation around the globe.

The ship "Suvorov", to which Lazarev was assigned, belonged to the Russian-American company, created by Russian industrialists at the end of the 18th century. The company's goal was to improve the use of the natural resources of Russian America. The company was extremely interested in regular sea communication between St. Petersburg and Russian America and spared no expense in equipping round-the-world expeditions.

At the beginning of October 1813, preparations for the trip were completed, and at dawn on October 9, the Suvorov departed from the Kronstadt roadstead.

At the beginning of the journey they were met strong winds and thick fogs, from which the Suvorov had to take refuge in the Swedish harbor of Karlskrona. Having passed the Sound, Kattegat and Skagerrak straits (between Denmark and the Scandinavian Peninsula) and safely avoided the attack of the French and allied Danish warships, Lazarev safely brought the Suvorov to the English Channel.

In Portsmouth the ship made a stop that lasted for three whole months. On February 27, 1814, the Suvorov departed from the Portsmouth roadstead and headed south. Two weeks later, Lazarev’s ship was already approaching the island of Madeira, a Portuguese colony off the coast of Africa. On April 2, the Suvorov crossed the equator, and on the evening of April 21, it entered the Bay of Rio de Janeiro. On May 24, Suvorov left Rio de Janeiro and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

On August 14, the Suvorov entered Port Jackson, which belonged to the British. When approaching the harbor, the Suvorov was greeted by the thunder of an artillery salute, with which the governor of the island greeted the Russian sailors on the occasion of the final victory over Napoleon.

"Suvorov" sailed across the Pacific Ocean, again approaching the equator. On September 28, the outlines of land appeared ahead. However, on the map available to Lazarev, there were no signs of land, and only when approaching more close distance and examining these places, Lazarev realized that in front of him was a group of coral islands rising above the surface of the ocean and connected by coral bridges. These islands were covered with bushes and trees. Lazarev gave the newly discovered islands the name of Suvorov.

Having completed the survey of the islands, “Suvorov” again continued its journey to the north. On October 10, the equator was crossed.

In November, Lazarev's ship approached the center of Russian America - the port and settlement of Novo-Arkhangelsk. Here Lazarev was met by the manager of the Russian-American company A. A. Baranov, who expressed gratitude to him for the safety of the cargo entrusted to him.

For the winter, "Suvorov" remained in Novo-Arkhangelsk. After the end of the winter, “Suvorov” was loaded with food and goods, and by order of A. A. Baranov, Lazarev headed for one of the islands of the Aleutian group (Unalaska) and the Pribilof Islands located next to it. Having unloaded the cargo entrusted to him, he took on board furs prepared by local industrialists. Lazarev's ship was on the road for just over a month. The cargo taken on board in Unalaska was to be delivered to Kronstadt, having previously returned to Novo-Arkhangelsk.

At the end of July, Suvorov left Novo-Arkhangelsk. Now his path to Kronstadt lay along the coasts of North and South America, bypassing Cape Horn. Lazarev still had to make a stop in the Peruvian port of Callao to resolve a number of issues related to the affairs of the Russian-American company.

After calling at the port of San Francisco, the Suvorov moved to the shores of Peru. During the three-month stay in the port of Callao, Lazarev and his officers became acquainted with the life of the city and port.

Having passed through the Drake Passage in stormy weather and past the dangerous Cape Horn, Lazarev ordered to turn northeast into the Atlantic Ocean. He did not stop in Rio de Janeiro, but made only a short stop at the island of Fernando de Noronha. Here the damage caused by the storm was repaired on the Suvorov, and the ship sailed to the shores of England. On June 8 he was already in Portsmouth, and five weeks later he returned to Kronstadt.

Journey to the South Pole

In March 1819, Lazarev was assigned to command the Mirny sloop, which was to sail to the South Pole. Lazarev took over direct supervision of all preparatory work. He was preparing not only his sloop, but also the second one, which was also to take part in the voyage to the shores of the Antarctic. The sloops were insulated, the hull fastenings were strengthened, double skinning was installed and the old sails were replaced with new ones. Lazarev also personally took charge of selecting team members to participate in the expedition.

On June 4, Captain 2nd Rank F.F. Bellingshausen arrived and was entrusted with both the command of the second sloop “Vostok” and the leadership of the entire expedition.

A month after his arrival, Vostok and Mirny left the Kronstadt roadstead and moved towards the South Pole.

Lazarev’s energetic actions to prepare the sloops for a long voyage bore fruit. "Mirny", built according to the design of Russian engineers and, moreover, sufficiently fortified by Lazarev, showed its brilliant qualities. However, the Vostok, built by British engineers, despite all Lazarev’s efforts to make it as durable as the Mirny, was still qualitatively inferior to the second sloop. This was one of the reasons that we had to stop exploring the South Pole and begin preparations for returning to Kronstadt.

For participation in the Antarctic expedition, Lazarev was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank, bypassing the rank of captain-lieutenant.

Command of the frigate "Cruiser"

While Lazarev was on a polar expedition, the situation in the region of Russian America worsened. The actions of English and American smugglers were becoming increasingly widespread. Novo-Arkhangelsk was covered by the Apollo ship, the only military ship of the Russian-American Company, but it could not ensure the security of all Russian territorial waters in this area. Therefore, it was decided to send the 36-gun frigate “Cruiser” and the sloop “Ladoga” to the shores of Russian America. Command of the frigate was entrusted to Lazarev, and command of the Ladoga to his younger brother Andrei.

On August 17, 1822, ships under the command of Lazarev left the Kronstadt roadstead. The expedition began in severe storms, forcing Lazarev to make a stop in Portsmouth. Only in November did they manage to leave the harbor and head for the Canary Islands, and from there to the shores of Brazil.

The voyage to Rio de Janeiro took place in extremely favorable conditions, but after sailing from the capital of Brazil, the elements raged again. A hurricane arose in the sea, and storms began, accompanied by snow. Only in mid-May did the Cruiser manage to approach Tasmania. Then Lazarev's frigate headed for Tahiti.

In Tahiti, the "Cruiser" met with the "Ladoga", with which it separated during storms and now, in accordance with the instructions received earlier, each ship with the cargo entrusted to it sailed on its own course. "Ladoga" - to the Kamchatka Peninsula, "Cruiser" went to the shores of Russian America.

The Cruiser spent about a year off the coast of northwestern America, protecting Russian territorial waters from smugglers. In the summer of 1824, the “Cruiser” was replaced by the sloop “Enterprise”, which arrived in Novo-Arkhangelsk under the command of Lieutenant Commander O. E. Kotzebue. On October 16, the “Cruiser” left Novo-Arkhangelsk.

As soon as the “Cruiser” entered the open sea, the hurricane broke out again. However, Lazarev’s ship did not take refuge in San Francisco harbor, but withstood the storm on the open sea. On August 5, 1825, the “Cruiser” approached the Kronstadt roadstead.

For exemplary performance of the task, Lazarev was promoted to captain of the 1st rank. But the captain of the “Cruiser” insisted that not only he and his officers receive awards, but also all the sailors of his ship, participants in the most difficult voyage.

Service in the Black Sea Fleet

On next year Lazarev was appointed commander of the 12th naval crew. He was entrusted with personal supervision of the construction of the warship Azov in Arkhangelsk. After construction was completed, Lazarev was appointed commander of the Azov, and after a detachment of ships moved from Arkhangelsk to Kronstadt, a new assignment awaited him. Lazarev was transferred to the Black Sea and then to the Mediterranean Sea. Here in 1827, commanding the Azov, M.P. Lazarev took part in the Battle of Navarino. Fighting with five Turkish ships, he destroyed them: he sank two large frigates and one corvette, burned the flagship under the flag of Tagir Pasha, forced an 80-gun battleship to run aground, after which he lit and blew it up. In addition, the Azov, under the command of Lazarev, destroyed the flagship of Muharrem Bey. For his participation in the Battle of Navarino, Lazarev was promoted to rear admiral and awarded three orders at once (Greek - "Commander's Cross of the Savior", English - Baths and French - St. Louis, and his ship "Azov" received the St. George flag.

In 1828-1829 he led the blockade of the Dardanelles; in 1830 he returned to Kronstadt and commanded a detachment of ships of the Baltic Fleet.

In 1832, Lazarev became chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet. In February - June 1833, commanding a squadron, he led an expedition of the Russian fleet to the Bosporus Strait, as a result of which the Unkyar-Iskelesi Treaty of 1833 was concluded. From 1833 - chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet and the Black Sea ports, and in the summer of 1834 - commander of the Black Sea Fleet and commander ports of Sevastopol and Nikolaev. That same year he was promoted to vice admiral.

Commanding the Black Sea Fleet, Lazarev became its true transformer. He entered completely new system training sailors directly at sea in an environment as close as possible to combat.

The warships of the Black Sea Fleet were fully equipped and equipped with artillery more than high quality. Under Lazarev, the Black Sea Fleet received more than 40 sailing ships. Lazarev also ordered 6 steam frigates and 28 steamships for his fleet. The first iron steamship was built on the Black Sea and training began for service on steam ships.

However, Lazarev was not limited to only technical re-equipment Black Sea Fleet. In Sevastopol, the Maritime Library was reorganized, a Meeting House was built, and a school for sailor children was opened. Under Lazarev, admiralty buildings were built in Nikolaev, Odessa, Novorossiysk, and construction of the admiralty began in Sevastopol.

Using his experience gained on long voyages, Lazarev established the work of a hydrographic depot, which begins to publish maps and atlases of the Black Sea. Lazarev’s services to Russian science were also appreciated by the Russian Geographical Society, electing him as an honorary member. He was also elected an honorary member of the Marine Scientific Committee, Kazan University and other scientific institutions.

Lazarev’s special merit is in training people who glorified the Russian fleet and Russia during the Crimean (Eastern) War of 1853-1856.

Shortly before his death, on his last visit to St. Petersburg, the admiral was at a reception with Nicholas I. After a warm welcome, wanting to show the admiral his attention and respect, the sovereign said: “Old man, stay with me for dinner.” “I can’t, sir,” answered Mikhail Petrovich, “I gave my word to dine with Admiral G.” Having said this, Lazarev took out his chronometer, looked at it and, standing up impulsively, said: “I’m late, sir!” Then he kissed the puzzled emperor and quickly left the office...

In Vienna, Admiral Lazarev's illness worsened sharply. There was no hope left to save his life. Those around the admiral begged him to write a letter to the sovereign and entrust his family to him. “I have never asked anyone for anything in my life,” answered the dying Lazarev, “and now I will not ask before my death.”

He was buried in the crypt of the Vladimir Cathedral in Sevastopol (at that moment the construction of which had just begun). His students and followers, admirals Nakhimov, Kornilov, Istomin, are also buried there.

Memory

USSR stamp, 1987

Admiral Lazarev was influential as a technical specialist and mentor to young officers. He advocated equipping the Russian fleet with steam-powered ships, but the technical and economic backwardness of Russia at that time was the main obstacle to this path. He also acted as a mentor to such famous Russian naval commanders as Nakhimov, Kornilov, Istomin and Butakov.

In 1867, a monument to Mikhail Lazarev was erected in Sevastopol,

At the Lazarevskaya railway station (Lazarevsky district of Sochi) a bust of Admiral Lazarev was erected.

In St. Petersburg, the first Russian battleship Admiral Lazarev was launched at the Baltic Shipyard in 1871.

In 1994, the Bank of Russia issued a series of commemorative coins “The First Russian Antarctic Expedition”.

Fate itself, long before birth, predetermined him to become a sailor, admiral, famous traveler, one of the discoverers of Antarctica.

Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev, a native of a high-born noble family, entered the Naval Cadet Corps at the age of 12, and since then his life has been connected exclusively with the sea, exciting travels and bloody naval battles.

Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev was born on November 14, 1788 in Vladimir into the noble family of Senator Pyotr Gavrilovich Lazarev, ruler of the Vladimir governorship. In 1800, shortly before his death, as if feeling it, the senator assigned all three of his sons - Andrei, Mikhail and Alexei - to the Naval Cadet Corps.

In those days, there was no need to worry too much about the future of those noble teenagers who ended up in the corps. If a high-born youth was capable of learning and disciplined, any of them could count on a successful military career. This is exactly what happened with the Lazarev brothers - they all achieved considerable heights in their careers.

As historical chronicles say, in 1803 Mikhail very successfully passed the exam for the title of midshipman, becoming the third best performer out of 32 students. Already in December 1805, he was promoted to the first officer rank - midshipman - without any problems. You can’t even say that he was lucky when, among the 30 best graduates of the corps, he was sent to study in England - this “business trip” was honestly deserved by his impeccable service and incredible thirst for knowledge.

In England, he served as a volunteer in the navy for several years to familiarize himself with the organization of naval affairs in foreign ports. And, most importantly, for five whole years Midshipman Mikhail Lazarev was continuously sailing in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

He took part in the Russian-Swedish War of 1808-1809 and the Patriotic War of 1812. The young officer showed himself not only as a competent specialist, but also as a heroic warrior. Successful participation in these wars further helped him in his rapid career advancement.

And already in 1813, Lieutenant Lazarev received a new prestigious appointment - to command the Suvorov sloop, setting off on a circumnavigation around the globe. In those days not only Russian emperors(with very rare exceptions) contributed to the development of Russian navigation on various oceans, but also commercial companies (again with the approval of the autocrats).

The ship "Suvorov", to which Lazarev was assigned, belonged to the famous Russian-American company, created by Russian industrialists at the end of the 18th century. According to historians, the company set its goal to improve the use of the natural resources of Russian America. The company clearly did not spare funds for the development of regular communication between St. Petersburg and America, and Lazarev’s expedition was provided excellently.

On October 9, 1813, "Suvorov" departed from the Kronstadt roadstead. This, of course, was not the first round-the-world voyage of Russian navigators, but scientists admit that this particular expedition, led by the young lieutenant Mikhail Lazarev, was perhaps the most “knowledge-intensive” at that time.

"Suvorov" successfully crossed the equator, visited Rio de Janeiro and a number of other ports. In the English Port Jackson, when approaching the harbor, the Suvorov was greeted with the thunder of an artillery salute, which the local governor greeted the Russian sailors on the occasion of Russia's final victory over Napoleon.

Having entered the Pacific Ocean, a few weeks later Lazarev’s crew unexpectedly saw land where, according to the then geographic maps it couldn't be. Lazarev gave the newly discovered islands the name Suvorov (Suvorov Atoll).

Finally, Lazarev’s ship approached the center of Russian America - the port and settlement of Novo-Arkhangelsk. Here Lazarev was met by the famous (remember the musical “Juno and Avos”) manager of the Russian-American company Alexander Andreevich Baranov, who expressed gratitude to him for the safety of the cargo entrusted to him.

For several months, at the command of Baranov, the Suvorov, under the command of Lazarev, cruised between the Aleutian Islands and the mainland, providing Russian settlements with everything they needed. He returned to Kronstadt, passing along the coasts of North and South America, around Cape Horn and further across the Atlantic, along the way resolving issues of the Russian-American Company in different ports.

Finally, in March 1819, Lazarev received the main assignment of his life - to command the Mirny sloop, which was to sail to the South Pole as part of an Antarctic expedition. Lazarev took over direct supervision of all preparatory work.

The second ship that was going to Antarctica was the sloop “Vostok” under the command of the legendary captain 2nd rank Thaddeus Bellingshausen. He also led the entire expedition, the likes of which had never been seen in the Russian fleet.

On January 16, 1820, the ships of Bellingshausen and Lazarev in the area of ​​​​the current Princess Martha Coast approached an unknown “ice continent”. This day marks the discovery of Antarctica. They crossed the Antarctic Circle three more times, and in early February they again approached Antarctica near the present-day Princess Astrid Coast, but due to snowy weather they were unable to get a good look at it.

In March, when navigation off the coast of the mainland became impossible due to accumulation of ice, the ships separated by agreement to meet in the port of Jackson (now Sydney). Bellingshausen and Lazarev went there by different routes. Precise surveys of the Tuamotu archipelago were carried out, and a number of inhabited atolls were discovered, including the Russian Islands.

In November 1820, the ships headed for Antarctica for the second time, rounding it from the side Pacific Ocean. The islands of Shishkov, Mordvinov, Peter I, and Land of Alexander I were discovered. On January 30, when it became clear that the sloop "Vostok" had leaked, Bellingshausen turned north and, via Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon, arrived in Kronstadt on July 24, 1821. The expedition members spent 751 days at sea and covered more than 92 thousand kilometers. 29 islands and one coral reef were discovered.

"Mirny", built according to the design of Russian engineers and, moreover, sufficiently fortified by Lazarev, showed its brilliant qualities. However, the Vostok, built by British engineers, despite all Bellingshausen’s efforts to make it as durable as the Mirny, was still qualitatively inferior to the second sloop. This was one of the reasons that we had to stop exploring the South Pole and begin preparations for returning to Kronstadt. At home, travelers were greeted as heroes. Yes, they were heroes - real sea wolves who opened the sixth continent to the world!

By the way, many historians have been asking questions for the second century: why, in fact, were Russian sailors the discoverers of Antarctica? Why were they the first, since the famous Captain Cook sailed in these places much earlier?

Some historians give the following explanation for this phenomenon: it’s all because the Englishman James Cook, heading south, encountered a lot of ice on his way, which forced him to turn back. After that, he declared that in the south there was nothing but ice, and sailing in these latitudes was generally useless - it was just a waste of time. The authority of the navigator was so high that for 45 years no one even thought of looking for some land in the south. Russian sailors became the first...

Of course, the discovery of Antarctica became the main thing in the life of Mikhail Lazarev. After this, so to speak, geographical feat, he sailed for a long time on various ships and vessels in the region of Russian America, Oceania, served as commander of combat frigates on the Black Sea, heroically participated in the Battle of Navarino, and became an admiral.

Under his leadership, the Maritime Library was reorganized in Sevastopol, a Meeting House was built, and a school for sailor children was opened. Under Lazarev, admiralty buildings were built in Nikolaev, Odessa, Novorossiysk, and construction of the admiralty began in Sevastopol. The Geographical Society elected him as an honorary member. He was also elected an honorary member of the Marine Scientific Committee, Kazan University and other scientific institutions. He acted as a mentor to such famous Russian naval commanders as Nakhimov, Kornilov, Istomin and Butakov...

He died in Vienna in 1851, but his body was transported to Sevastopol, where his grave is still there, to which grateful descendants still come...

The outstanding Russian navigator Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev was born in the Vladimir province on November 3, 1788. He had two brothers - the elder Andrey and the younger Alexey. The estate of his father, Privy Councilor Pyotr Gavrilovich, was surrounded by centuries-old forests and orchards. As children, the Lazarev brothers, who all became sailors in the future, not only had no idea about the sea, but did not even see a deep river or a large lake. In addition, the very concept of “sea” was not in fashion at that time - since light hand During the reign of Tsar Alexander I, the opinion was established in wide public circles that Russia did not need a fleet, and most parents tried to guide their sons along the “land line.”

Portrait of Vice Admiral M.P. Lazarev. Artist: Ivan Aivazovsky

Lazarev's father had a different opinion. A developed and cultured man, with a keen fatherly eye he saw in his children the makings that promised to make them persistent, independent and courageous people. He was especially pleased with his second son, plump and red-cheeked Misha. He almost never cried, knew how to endure pain, did not tell lies, but if necessary, he could deal harshly with the offender. Pyotr Gavrilovich said: “I’m sure that a lot of good will come out of Mishutka.” After much deliberation, the father of the family decided to send his sons to the Naval Cadet Corps. Unfortunately, Pyotr Gavrilovich did not have a chance to see his children in naval uniform: when the order for their enrollment appeared at the beginning of February 1800, he was no longer alive.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century in curriculum In the Naval Cadet Corps, new subjects were introduced that corresponded to the spirit of the times, the educational system underwent changes - for the slightest offenses, students were no longer subjected to torture with spitzrutens, whips and rods, they were no longer thrown into a punishment cell. However, as elsewhere, the old did not give way immediately, and Mikhail still found terrible scenes of reprisals against students in the building. For Barchuk, who grew up on his father’s estate, this was unusual and new, but he steadfastly endured all the hardships and hardships of the corps regime.

Three years after admission, Lazarev successfully passed the exam for the title of midshipman, taking third place out of 32 people. In June 1803, in order to further study maritime affairs, a fourteen-year-old youth was assigned to the ship "Yaroslav", sailing in the waters of the Baltic Sea. And in September of the same year, together with seven of his best-performing comrades, he was sent to England and sailed the seas for almost five years. different parts light, serving as a "midshipman" or English midshipman. In 1808, Mikhail Petrovich returned to his homeland and passed the exam for the rank of midshipman.

The Peace of Tilsit, which marked the alliance between Alexander I and Napoleon, forced the British to declare war on Russia. The ships of the Baltic Fleet were ordered to be on alert. Near the island of Gogland, our flotilla under the leadership of Vice Admiral Khanykov captured a brig and five transports belonging to the Swedes, who fought on the side of the British. Among the Russian ships was the Grace, on which Lazarev sailed.

A couple of days later, our ships were overtaken by a stronger English squadron. Khanykov avoided the battle and, pursued by the enemy, rushed to the Baltic port. On the way, one of his ships, the Vsevolod, ran aground. Boats from the entire squadron were sent to help him, but it was not possible to save the ship. After a fierce boarding battle, the British burned the Vsevolod, and the lifeboat from the Blagodati with Mikhail Petrovich was captured. Lazarev did not languish in captivity for long - less than a year later (in May 1809) he returned to the Baltic Fleet and continued to serve on the lugger Ganymede, and then on the brig Mercury. His superiors invariably gave him excellent reviews. For example, the captain of the “Grace” Bychinsky said: “He has noble behavior, is experienced in his position and discharges it with tireless efficiency and zeal.” In February 1811, Lazarev was promoted to lieutenant.

The Patriotic War found Mikhail Petrovich on the 24-gun brig Phoenix, which, together with other ships, defended the Gulf of Riga from the enemy. In order to distract the French from Riga, the military command decided to land troops in Danzig, captured by the enemy. The brig "Phoenix" took an active part both in the landing of the landing forces and in the fierce bombardment of the fortress.

After the end of the war, preparations began for the next round-the-world trip to Russian America in the Kronstadt port. A certain captain-lieutenant Makarov was appointed commander of the selected ship “Suvorov”. However, before setting sail, the sailor unexpectedly announced that he would not sail the ship on the terms offered to him. Company representatives had to urgently look for a knowledgeable and experienced commander. For a recommendation, they turned to Major General Leonty Spafarev, who was a great expert on sailors and maritime affairs. Spafaryev responded like this: “I believe that now in Kronstadt you cannot find a better sailor for this job than Lieutenant Lazarev II. This man is reasonable, knowledgeable, honest, intelligent and of a strong character... True, he is young, but he is not inferior to an experienced one...” In November 1813, Mikhail Petrovich turned twenty-five years old, but in addition to cadet voyages, he already had 11 naval campaigns on his record. Feeling prepared for independent command of the ship, Lazarev agreed without any unnecessary questions about the contents.

Mikhail Petrovich could not be called either a dreamer or a dreamer. Despite his years, he was a sober realist, clearly understanding the dangers he would face along the way. First of all, the young captain met the sailors, asked each of them what province they were from, whether they had sailed before and where, and what they were good at doing. Lazarev invited his corps comrades, Semyon Unkovsky and Pavel Povalo-Shveikovsky, to help him. In total, 41 people took part in the campaign. Lazarev also carefully prepared the ship. During the day he accepted cargo, monitored ship work, traveled to St. Petersburg on social business, and in the evenings he studied the shores of those regions where he would visit using nautical charts. Until late at night, he read literature on distant countries, learned their geography and political system.

Lazarev never liked pompous and noisy farewells; when setting off on a voyage around the world, he tried to arrange his departure as modestly as possible. After a prayer service at twelve o'clock in the afternoon on October 8, 1813, the Suvorov weighed anchor and set off. On February 27, the ship left Portsmouth, and a month later crossed the equator. The whole team celebrated this event with a noisy celebration, and at the very moment of crossing, a gun was fired. To prevent people from getting bored during the voyage, the captain invented various activities for them, and in his free hours - games and entertainment. Often boats were launched into the water and rowing and sailing races for prizes were held. In addition, Lazarev organized his own choir on the Suvorov, which performed on the forecastle in the evenings. The passage from Portsmouth to Rio de Janeiro lasted about two months; early in the morning of April 21, the sailors noticed the “Sugar Loaf” - a mountain standing at the entrance to the Brazilian port and serving as a natural lighthouse. Here the English packet boat brought them joy - the French army suffered a complete defeat, and the Russian army entered Paris.

In Rio de Janeiro, the ship's crew had a good rest, caulked the leaking ship and provided themselves with provisions. Their further route to Russian America ran through Africa and the east coast of Australia. The transition to Australia turned out to be extremely difficult. IN Indian Ocean a severe storm broke out. Throughout the entire storm, Mikhail Petrovich did not leave the quarterdeck. He stood at the helm and gave orders to the helmsmen in a calm voice. The storm raged for three days and tired the sailors to the point of complete exhaustion. On August 12, 1814, a fairly battered Suvorov, accompanied by cheers local residents entered the port of Sydney. In the entire history of this city, this was the second visit of a Russian ship.

On September 2, the sailors left Sydney and continued their voyage. The closer the Suvorov came to the American shores, the worse the weather became. The northern winter has arrived, dark, damp and long. On the morning of November 11, the travelers passed Sredny Island, and on November 17 they stopped at Sitkha Island. The Novo-Arkhangelsk port with a fort was located here - the residence of the chief administrator of Russian America, Alexander Baranov. Lazarev's ship was unloaded and repaired, and the crew settled in for the winter.

All free time Lazarev devoted himself to cartographic and hydrographic work, introducing new clarifications and additions to imperfect maps of the local coast. Together with the Aleuts, he made long trips on boats, looking for well-protected, convenient anchorages. And the young captain devoted his evenings entirely to his hobby - making wooden models of various boats and ships. An eight-month stay in a snow-covered, wild country was quite boring for the sailors, and therefore everyone was happy when Baranov decided to send the Suvorov to the Pribilof Islands and Unalaska to buy valuable furs. Mikhail Petrovich brilliantly carried out this “commercial” flight.

On July 25, 1815, the Suvorov left the shores of Russian America. The ship's holds were filled with the skins of arctic foxes, fur seals, river beavers and bears. They also loaded a shipment of whalebone and walrus tusks. Total cost the cargo amounted to two million rubles. On the way back, the Suvorov visited the port of San Francisco, and then, after a two-month journey, reached the Peruvian port of Callao, becoming the first Russian ship to visit Peru. During the three-month stay, Lazarev, a great lover of archeology, got acquainted with local attractions and surviving monuments of the Inca era. Twice Russian sailors observed an earthquake and also witnessed the struggle for the country's national independence. Here Lazarev collected a wonderful ethnographic collection, which he later transferred to various Russian museums. In addition, he decided to bring local lamas to Russia. The ship had special cages to protect the animals from the heat and pitching, to which the sailors were assigned. The measures carefully thought out by the captain made it possible to safely bring 9 llamas and one specimen each of vigon and alpaca to Europe.

In Peru, Mikhail Petrovich successfully conducted the trade negotiations entrusted to him. From now on, Russians could trade here without any additional taxes. In addition, Lazarev was given a letter addressed to Alexander I, in which the Viceroy of Peru expressed hope for the establishment of strong trade and political relations between the countries.

Having bypassed the dangerous Cape Horn, the Suvorov entered the Atlantic Ocean, visited Portsmouth in June 1816, and five weeks later - on July 15 - arrived in Kronstadt. Upon arrival, the ship's officers were met with an annoying disappointment - the director of the Russian-American Company shamelessly deceived them by not paying the rewards promised in the event of a successful completion of the voyage. The reason for the refusal was the absence of a corresponding clause in the contract. The officials cynically explained: “You can promise anything, but as long as there is no written evidence of this, fulfillment of what was promised is not necessary.” Lazarev responded with an angry response: “Well, to hell with you! I serve not you bastards, but the country and the people.”

At the beginning of 1819, Mikhail Petrovich received under his command the sloop Mirny, which was to set sail to the South Pole as part of an Antarctic expedition. The leadership of the entire campaign and command of the sloop “Vostok” was entrusted to the experienced sailor Makar Ratmanov, who, however, was unable to participate in the voyage due to illness. The appointment of a new commander, and he became captain of the second rank Thaddeus Bellingshausen, took place just two months before the ships set sail, and therefore all the burden preparatory work fell on Lazarev's shoulders. In due time, he managed to re-equip the ships, select officers and crews, and prepare supplies of food, equipment and scientific instruments. In order to adapt the sloops to the conditions of the voyage, the shipbuilders had to add new fastenings, change the layout of the premises, and sheathe the underwater part of the hulls with copper sheets. The work was complicated by regular clashes with officials of the Kronstadt port - this, in the words of a contemporary, “a nest of all kinds of abuses and disorders.” The port grabbers were forced to fulfill all of Lazarev’s demands, eagerly awaiting the day when the ships set sail. There was a saying in the port: “God, deliver us from sword, fire and Lazarev.”

On July 4, 1819, the ships set off. Having visited Copenhagen, at the end of July the Vostok and Mirny made a stop in Portsmouth, from where the sailors visited London and acquired the latest astronomical and nautical instruments. At the end of summer, with a fair wind, the ships left the shores of England and found themselves in the waters of the Atlantic. Through Tenerife, the sailors reached Brazil, where they met the Russian sloops “Blagomarnenny” and “Otkritie”, which had set off on a circumnavigation of the world. By the way, Mikhail Petrovich’s brother, Lieutenant Alexey Lazarev, was on board the “Blagomarnenny”.

Sorokin Yuri "East and Peace"

On November 22, “Mirny” and “Vostok” left the capital of Brazil and headed to the island of South Georgia, nicknamed the “entrance gate” to Antarctica. After the expedition reached the strip of ice, intense and hard work began on the sloops. The ships carefully made their way through holes and gaps. Lazarev and Bellingshausen practically did not leave the decks, simultaneously leading the ships and supervising the survey of the shores. After South Georgia, the sailors headed to Sandwich Land, climbing deeper and deeper into the kingdom of snowstorms and icy mountains. The weather became worse every day, and the piercing dampness especially annoyed people. Heaps floating ice slowed down the progress of the ships, and more and more often they began to come across ice islands. Some of them towered forty meters above the sea and reached several kilometers in length and width.
When the sailors passed the ridge of the Sandwich Islands, they turned south again and soon found themselves surrounded by icy mountains. On some days, sailors counted over 300 icebergs passing by. Despite the enormous risk, both commanders stubbornly guided their ships through the winding, narrow passages. On one of these days, the Mirny hit a huge ice floe. Remembering this, Lazarev wrote: “The blow happened at two in the morning and was so strong that many were thrown out of their beds. They saw an ice floe in the fog so close that there was no way to avoid it... Luckily, we hit the pole; if it had happened to the left or to the right, it would definitely have broken through, and then, of course, none of us would have told where we were.”

Making their way among the icebergs to the south, the sailors finally reached latitude 69°23 on January 16, 1820. A continuous barrier of lumpy rocks stretched across the entire horizon from west to east. dark ice blocking the further path. This was the edge of the Antarctic continent, but on that historical day the sailors were not fully aware of their greatest feat - the discovery of a sixth of the world. Lazarev wrote: “On the sixteenth we reached latitude 69°23"5, where we encountered ice of extreme height, extending as far as vision could reach. However, we did not enjoy this amazing sight for long, for soon it became cloudy again and, as usual, it began to snow... From here we continued our way to the island, attempting to go south whenever possible, but, not reaching 70°, we invariably ran into an ice-covered continent.”

After futile attempts to find a passage, the ship commanders, after consulting, decided to retreat and turned north. The return journey was no less difficult - frequent storms, constant nervous tension, work through force, dampness and cold could not but affect the health of the crews. However, Bellingshausen and Lazarev made every effort to provide the sailors with good living conditions. The ship's doctors carefully monitored people's health; the sailors were given fresh food every day. lemon juice with sugar, wet clothes were dried in a timely manner, the heavy air in the rooms was freshened by ventilation, and the drying of damp cabins, on the advice of Lazarev, was carried out using red-hot cannonballs. All these events were beneficial - by the end of the first year of sailing there were no losses among the sailors.

The Vostok and Mirny spent the winter in the Australian port of Jackson, and on May 8, 1820, the repaired sloops headed for New Zealand. For three months, the ships plied the waters of the little-studied southeastern region of the Pacific Ocean, discovering a whole series of islands, called Russian. On some of them, the sailors even managed to make acquaintance with the local natives, who were not generally friendly. In mid-September, the ships returned to the Australian port, and two months later they again set off for Antarctica. During this voyage, the sailors managed to discover the island of Peter I and the shore of Alexander I, completing them research work in Antarctica. Together with the outlying parts discovered on January 16, the Alexander Coast and Peter Island constituted the advanced links of Antarctica. Having twice reached the extreme Antarctic latitudes accessible to man at that time, the crews of the ships completed their task completely.

On February 26, 1821, the fairly battered Vostok and Mirny reached Rio de Janeiro, where they were sent for repairs, which took almost two months. Then, through Lisbon and Copenhagen, the Russian expedition returned to Kronstadt on July 24. For his successful voyage, Lazarev, bypassing the rank of captain-lieutenant, was promoted to captain of the second rank. Bellingshausen wrote: “Our absence lasted 751 days, a total of 86,475 versts (92,252 kilometers) were covered, 29 islands were acquired.”

While Mikhail Petrovich was sailing in the polar seas, the situation in Russian America worsened. English and American ships increasingly began to visit Russian territorial waters, and American industrialists predatorily exterminated valuable fur-bearing animals in our possessions. The only warship of the Russian-American Company, the sloop Apollo, could not ensure the security of all Russian territorial waters in this region. In this regard, it was decided to send the sloop Ladoga under the command of Andrei Lazarev and the newly built 36-gun frigate Cruiser under the command of Mikhail Lazarev to distant shores.

On August 17, 1822, the ships left the Kronstadt roadstead. Throughout the voyage, Mikhail Petrovich conducted astronomical, hydrographic and meteorological observations, and also clarified and corrected existing nautical charts, which were prone to numerous errors. It is worth noting that Lazarev was a very strict commander. He applied the most severe measures to violators of discipline, not even stopping at corporal punishment. However, he never punished the innocent, was easy-going, and always resolved conflicts on his own, without putting people on trial. In addition, the famous navigator always cared about the health of his sailors, attaching great importance to preventive measures, the fight against dampness in living cabins, and nutrition. On his ships, exercises were carried out every day, both sailing and artillery. There was a deadline for all sailing maneuvers. If any maneuver was not performed within the allotted time, then the “exercise” began again. In addition to sailors, Mikhail Petrovich also sent midshipmen to the yards, from whom he demanded even greater precision in their work. Such a system was not always supported even by people loyal to Lazarev, but the captain argued that at sea there are often cases when the life of an entire ship depends on one moment.

The ships' path to the shores of Russian America was long and difficult. Almost all of the sailors' voyages were plagued by storms and bad weather, but even in the darkest days, the sailors, inspired by Lazarev, did not become limp and did not lose their presence of mind. The “Cruiser” arrived at Sitkha on September 3, 1823. Here the new ruler of the Russian-American Company, Lieutenant Commander Matvey Muravyov, informed the sailors latest news. The Russian government, not wanting to aggravate relations with England and the United States, made some concessions, allowing, in particular, ships of all countries to enter territorial waters. Thus, the arrival of the “Cruiser” and “Ladoga” to protect the interests of our colony was somewhat late. And yet, Lazarev spent about a year off the coast of northwestern America, protecting the waters of our country. Muravyov said reasonably: “Conventions are conventions, but protecting the fortress is necessary. I don't trust these pieces of paper. I’m more than sure that the Americans and the British won’t stop messing with us...”

In the summer of 1824, the “Cruiser” was replaced by the arriving sloop “Enterprise” under the command of the famous sailor Otto Kotzebue, and on October 16 Lazarev left Novo-Arkhangelsk. Returning to her homeland, the frigate traveled a long way past the western shores of America, along Cape Horn, and then across the Atlantic north to the European shores. The “Cruiser” arrived in Kronstadt on August 5, 1825, and on September 1 Lazarev was awarded the rank of captain of the first rank. In addition, he insisted that all members of his team receive awards and cash bonuses.

The year 1821 was marked by the beginning of the national liberation struggle Greek people against the Turkish yoke. Resolving the Greek conflict without Russia's participation would mean that the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits would continue to remain closed to us, and the British would gain a foothold in the Balkans. The weakening of Turkey provided the opportunity for new offensive operations in the east. In this regard, Nicholas I decided to prepare a powerful squadron, which was to go to the Mediterranean Sea.

At the same time, two 74-gun battleships, the Ezekiel and the Azov, were being built at the Arkhangelsk shipyards. On February 27, 1826, Lazarev was appointed commander of the Azov, which at that time became the most advanced (in terms of power, seaworthiness and internal structure) ship of the Russian navy. Mikhail Petrovich very carefully selected his assistants, including Lieutenant Nakhimov, Midshipman Kornilov and Midshipman Istomin. His influence on his subordinates was limitless - even such a balanced person as Pavel Nakhimov wrote to a friend: “It’s worth listening, my dear, how everyone here treats the captain, how they love him! ... really, the Russian fleet has never had such a captain.”

On June 10, 1827, Azov, as part of Rear Admiral Heyden’s squadron, left the Kronstadt port. Without stopping anywhere, the Russian ships proceeded to the Mediterranean Sea, where they united with the French and English squadrons. Command of the combined fleet was taken over by British Vice Admiral Edward Codrington, a student of Admiral Nelson. The English squadron consisted of 11 ships, and the total number of guns was 472 units. The French squadron of Rear Admiral de Rigny had 7 ships and 362 guns, the Russian - 9 ships and 466 guns. Thus, the total number of guns reached 1300 units. The Turkish-Egyptian fleet, concentrated in Navarino Bay, included over fifty warships with 2,300 guns. In addition, the enemy had powerful artillery on the island of Sphacteria and in the Navarino fortress.

On the morning of October 3, Admiral Codrington sent a courier to the Turkish Sultan, making another attempt to resolve the issue peacefully. However, the courier returned with nothing. An ultimatum presented to the Turks demanding to stop military actions against Greece was also left unanswered. On October 8, 1827, at one o'clock in the afternoon, the right column of French and English ships, having passed the fortress batteries, anchored in Navarino Bay, and the left column with Russian ships (in front of which was the Azov) approached the entrance of the harbor. Codrington made a last attempt to reason with the enemy. However, the envoy he sent was killed, and the Egyptian admiral's ship opened fierce fire on the British flagship Asia. The enraged Codrington, saying: “The die is cast, now do not expect mercy,” gave the order to open fire on enemy ships.

The battle lasted almost four hours and ended with the complete destruction of the combined Turkish-Egyptian fleet. The Russian squadron acted most skillfully and decisively, taking the main blow from the enemy batteries and crushing the entire right flank and center of the enemy fleet. According to Admiral Heyden, “...the first laurel from the victory wreath torn off by the Russian squadron belongs to Captain Lazarev.” “Azov” occupied a central place in the battle, and the rest of the ships followed its example and tactical techniques. But I got it too battleship much stronger than all other ships of the allied squadron. At the end of the battle, all its masts were broken, its sides were broken, and its decks were littered with fragments of boards mixed with the corpses of the dead. There were 153 holes in the flagship's hull, seven of which were at the waterline. Despite such heavy damage, Azov continued to fight until the last minute of the battle, destroying five Turkish ships.

The day after the battle, the Russian flagship, all wounded, with hastily repaired holes and broken masts, went out to sea and headed for Malta. There the ship was repaired and restored until March 1828. The battle of Navarino has appeared important step on the way to the final liberation of the Greeks. The name of Admiral Mikhail Lazarev gained worldwide fame, and the governments of France, England and Greece awarded him their orders. At home, the famous navigator was promoted to rear admiral, and his ship received the St. George flag.

Rightly considering Russia to be the main culprit of the defeat in the Battle of Navarino, the Turkish government declared it the “original enemy” and terminated all previously concluded treaties. At the same time, the Turkish authorities were well aware that the European powers, who were not interested in the further strengthening of Russia, would not support it. Russia responded to the challenge by declaring war. From November 1828 to September 1829, Lazarev, as part of Heyden’s squadron, took part in the blockade of the Dardanelles, cutting off the Turks’ path to Constantinople. The enemy capital was deprived of food supplies. By February 1829, more than 130 ships with grain had accumulated in the port of Smyrna, which the enemy never received. The victories of the Russian ground forces, as well as successful actions along the straits and in the Black and Aegean Seas, forced the Turkish government to ask for peace. After the peace treaty was signed in Adrianople on September 2, the blockade of the Dardanelles was lifted. On May 12, 1830, Mikhail Petrovich, at the head of a squadron of nine ships, returned to Kronstadt.

In 1830 and 1831, Lazarev cruised in the Gulf of Bothnia, sailed with landing troops to Finland, chaired commissions on arming military ships and correcting staff, and participated in the work of a committee to improve the fleet. He made many useful proposals regarding shipbuilding and ship armament, which were later adopted and put into practice.

In mid-February 1832, Lazarev was appointed chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet, and already at the beginning of 1833 he led the successful campaign of the Russian fleet to the Bosphorus, as a result of which the capture of Istanbul by the Egyptians was prevented and, probably, the collapse of the entire Ottoman Empire. Russian military assistance forced Sultan Mahmud II to conclude the famous Unkiar-Iskelesi Treaty, which highly raised the prestige of Russia.

On April 2, 1833, Mikhail Petrovich became vice admiral, and on December 31, 1834, he was confirmed as commander of the Black Sea Fleet and commander of the ports of Nikolaev and Sevastopol. On October 10, 1843, he was promoted to admiral for special services. It is curious that Lazarev hated clerical work, always preferring maritime service to coastal service. However, from now on he was needed precisely on the shore; the navigator wrote to his friends: “I fell into a net that was extremely unpleasant for me... There are often days when I sit at the damned papers for 12-14 hours. This is not a trifle, and my health, although rock-solid, is beginning to deteriorate from a sedentary life...”

The outstanding sailor was a true transformer of the Black Sea Fleet. The warships were fully staffed and equipped with high-quality artillery, and training of crews for service on steam ships began. The Black Sea Fleet played a huge role during the fighting off the Caucasian coast. From 1836 to 1839, eight large landings were landed there, five of which were led by Lazarev himself. The admiral paid great attention to the defensive structures of Sevastopol, increasing the number of guns protecting the city to 734 units. However, the special merit of the legendary naval commander belongs to the training of people who glorified the Russian fleet during the Crimean War. It was under his influence that all the qualities that distinguish Sevastopol sailors developed: courage, consciousness of duty, self-sacrifice, composure in battle.

Of course, the Lazarev school was very harsh; working with the admiral was sometimes not easy. The screening of people who did not meet his requirements passed very quickly, but those sailors in whom he managed to awaken a living spark, the same aspirations and feelings that lived in him, became true Lazarevites. The admiral trained such outstanding sailors as Nakhimov, Putyatin, Kornilov, Unkovsky, Istomin.

Already in adulthood, Mikhail Petrovich married young Ekaterina Timofeevna Fanderfleet, the daughter of a retired captain of the second rank. Despite the age difference, their marriage can confidently be called happy. Ekaterina Timofeevna, being an intelligent and strong-willed woman, had a considerable influence on her husband, somewhat smoothing out his harsh and rude nature. They had five children - two sons and three daughters.

The admiral always cared little about his health. Lazarev did not pay any attention to severe pain in his stomach for a long time, continuing to work tirelessly. However, at the end of 1850, all the signs of a serious illness became clear, Mikhail Petrovich lost weight, began to choke, and his strength was rapidly declining. However, no amount of persuasion to take treatment seriously helped. Only the intervention of Nicholas I forced Lazarev to go to Vienna for examination by local medical luminaries. Upon arrival, the patient became so weak that the surgeons, among whom was the famous Theodor Billroth, refused to operate on him. On the night of April 12, 1851, at the age of 63, Lazarev died of stomach cancer. Before his death, the admiral's closest friends persuaded him to write a letter to the sovereign, entrusting him with his family. However, the dying man replied: “I have never asked anything for myself from anyone, and now I won’t.” Lazarev was buried in Sevastopol in the basement of the Vladimir Cathedral. Next to him, the heroes of the Crimean War, the great patriots of the Russian land: Nakhimov, Istomin and Kornilov, found peace.

Based on materials from the book “Lazarev” by Boris Ostrovsky.

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Biography

Early years

Born into the noble family of Senator Pyotr Gavrilovich Lazarev, ruler of the Vladimir governorship. Shortly before his death, the senator assigned three sons - Andrei, Mikhail, Alexei - to the Naval Cadet Corps.

World trip

Voyage of M.P. Lazarev on the sloop "Suvorov" in 1813 - 1815.

At the beginning of the journey they were met by strong winds and thick fogs, from which the Suvorov had to take refuge in the Swedish harbor of Karlskrona. Having passed the Sound, Kattegat and Skagerrak straits (between Denmark and the Scandinavian Peninsula) and safely avoided the attack of the French and allied Danish warships, Lazarev safely brought the Suvorov to the English Channel.

In Portsmouth the ship made a stop that lasted for three whole months. On February 27, the Suvorov departed from the Portsmouth roadstead and headed south. Two weeks later, Lazarev’s ship was already approaching the island of Madeira, a Portuguese colony off the coast of Africa. On April 2, the Suvorov crossed the equator, and on the evening of April 21, it entered the Bay of Rio de Janeiro. On May 24, Suvorov left Rio de Janeiro and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

Shortly before his death, on his last visit to St. Petersburg, the admiral was at a reception with Nicholas I. After a warm welcome, wanting to show the admiral his attention and respect, the sovereign said: “Old man, stay with me for dinner.” “I can’t, sir,” answered Mikhail Petrovich, “I gave my word to dine with Admiral G.” Having said this, Lazarev took out his chronometer, looked at it and, standing up impulsively, said: “I’m late, sir!” Then he kissed the puzzled emperor and quickly left the office...

In Vienna, Admiral Lazarev's illness worsened sharply. There was no hope left to save his life. Those around the admiral begged him to write a letter to the sovereign and entrust his family to him. “I have never asked anyone for anything in my life,” answered the dying Lazarev, “and now I will not ask before my death.”

• In 1867, a monument to Mikhail Lazarev was erected in Sevastopol,
• At the Lazarevskaya railway station (Lazarevsky district of Sochi) a bust of Admiral Lazarev was erected.
• In St. Petersburg, the first Russian battleship Admiral Lazarev was launched at the Baltic Shipyard in 1871.

Titles

Currently, the following are named in honor of Lazarev:

• district of Sochi - Lazarevskoye
• an atoll in the Russian Islands group in the Pacific Ocean
• island in the Aral Sea
• capes:
  • in the northern part of the island. Unimak
• bay and port in the Sea of ​​Japan

Links

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