Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev is a wonderful Russian traveler and naval commander. The future naval commander was born in Vladimir in November 1788 into the family of the ruler of the Vladimir governorship.
In 1800, Mikhail was accepted into the Naval Cadet Corps. Studying was difficult, and these difficulties were combined with the difficulties of hiking Gulf of Finland. The young man was quickly noticed; he stood out from his peers with his talents and attitude.
After graduating from the cadet corps, Lazarev was sent as a volunteer to England to undergo naval practice. For several years he walked the seas and oceans, engaged in self-education. Mikhail loved history and ethnography.
In 1808, officer Mikhail Lazarev returned to Russia and received the rank of midshipman. He took part in the war with Sweden and was promoted to lieutenant in 1811. He was also a participant and smashed Napoleon on the seas.
In 1813, Mikhail Lazarev discovered uninhabited islands, to which a name has been assigned. He traveled around the world and only in 1816 returned to Russia, carrying foreign delights on his ship: new animals, spices and other foreign goods that were not available in Russia.
He went with an expedition to the north, beyond the Arctic Circle, and discovered several unknown islands and archipelagos. It became clear to Lazarev and other scientists that there was a large land near the South Pole. For the discovery of new lands, Mikhail Petrovich was awarded the rank of captain.
In 1826, he became the commander of the ship "Azov", and took part in the Battle of Navarino, distinguished himself with best side. For his courage, Mikhail Lazarev was promoted to rear admiral. In 1832, the officer became chief of staff Black Sea Fleet. He distinguished himself during his time and was promoted to vice admiral.
Lazarev feared a British invasion of the Black Sea and back in 1834 he developed a plan to repel English attacks. The Russian fleet required updating to meet modern standards. He, realizing this, began painstaking work to modernize the Russian fleet. Under Lazarev, 110 ships were built and put into service innovative technologies and techniques.
He led the construction of defense lines in the Caucasus, the purpose of which was to stop the supply of weapons to the highlanders, with whom he was at war at that time. Thanks to patrolling the Black Sea waters, the shipmen had practice and gained invaluable experience. For his contribution to the development of the Russian fleet, Mikhail Lazarev was promoted to admiral and awarded the highest state awards.
Lazarev was not only an excellent naval commander, but also an excellent teacher. After himself, he left other wonderful people for the Russian fleet who were his students - Kornilov and many others.
Mikhail Petrovich died in 1851. He did not live his life in vain; he created an excellent fleet for Russia, which for a long time served as a stronghold of its interests. Admiral himself forever inscribed his name in golden letters in the bright pages of Russian history.
Russian naval commander and navigator, admiral (1843), adjutant general (1833). Discoverer of Antarctica (1820).
Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev was born on November 3 (14), 1788 in the family of Senator Pyotr Gavrilovich Lazarev (1743-1800), ruler of the Vladimir governorship in 1788-1796.
In 1800-1803, M.P. Lazarev studied at the Naval Cadet Corps in. In 1803 he was promoted to midshipman and sent to the English fleet, where he was on continuous voyage for 5 years. In 1807 he was promoted to midshipman. In 1808-1813 he served in the Baltic Fleet, in 1811 he was promoted to lieutenant. Participated in Russian-Swedish war 1808-1809 and in Patriotic War 1812.
In 1813, M.P. Lazarev was invited to serve in the Russian-American company. In 1813-1816, on the sloop "" he made his first circumnavigation from to the shores of Alaska and back, discovered the atoll.
As the commander of the sloop "Mirny" and assistant to the head of the round-the-world expedition in 1819-1821, M. P. Lazarev participated in the discovery of Antarctica and numerous islands. Upon his return, he was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank.
In 1822, commanding the frigate "Cruiser", M. P. Lazarev carried out his third circumnavigation of the world (1822-1825), in which extensive Scientific research in meteorology, ethnography, etc. Upon his return, he was promoted to the rank of captain 1st rank and awarded the order St. Vladimir 3rd degree.
In February 1826, M.P. Lazarev was appointed commander of the 12th naval crew. Under his direct supervision, the battleship Azov was completed and equipped. In May-August 1827, M.P. Lazarev was on the Azov as part of the admiral’s squadron. D.N. Senyavin in the Mediterranean Sea, and then entered the command of Vice Admiral Count L.F. Heyden and was appointed chief of staff, while remaining commander of the Azov. On October 8 (20), 1827, “Azov” by M. P. Lazarev occupied a central place in the battle with Turkish fleet at Navarino. For successful actions in battle, M. P. Lazarev was promoted to rear admiral and awarded orders of England, France and Greece. The battleship "Azov" received the St. George flag for the first time in the history of the Russian fleet. In 1828-1929, M.P. Lazarev led the blockade of the Dardanelles. In 1830 he returned to and commanded a detachment of ships of the Baltic Fleet.
In 1832, M.P. Lazarev was appointed chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet. In February-June 1833, commanding a squadron, he led the Expedition of the Russian fleet to the Bosphorus, as a result of which the Unkyar-Iskelesi Treaty of 1833 was concluded. During his stay near Constantinople, M.P. Lazarev was promoted to vice admiral and appointed adjutant general, Turkish Sultan Mahmud II granted him gold medal, embossed in memory of the stay of the Russian fleet on the Bosphorus, and his portrait, showered with diamonds, to be worn in his buttonhole.
In 1833-1851, M.P. Lazarev served as the chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet and the Black Sea ports, as well as the military governor of Sevastopol and Nikolaev. His management of the fleet was marked by many improvements, the establishment of the Admiralty in Nikolaev, etc. The Black Sea Fleet largely owes him the high fighting qualities that he showed during Crimean War 1853-1856.
The Emperor highly appreciated the merits of M.P. Lazarev. In 1834, the naval commander was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree, in 1837 - the Order of the Holy, in 1842 - diamond badges to it. In October 1843, M.P. Lazarev was promoted to admiral. In 1845 he received the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree, and in 1850 - St. Andrew the First-Called.
M. P. Lazarev died in Vienna (Austria), where he was undergoing treatment, on April 11 (23), 1851. He was buried in the admiral's tomb Naval Cathedral St. Vladimir in Sevastopol.
M.P. Lazarev went down in the history of the Russian fleet as a mentor to a galaxy of talented naval commanders and commanders (G.I. Butakov, etc.).
Lazarev Mikhail Petrovich short biography and Interesting Facts from the life of a traveler and naval commander is presented in this article.
Mikhail Lazarev short biography
The future naval commander was born on November 14, 1788 into a noble family in Vladimir. From an early age I wanted to become a sailor. Parents, supporting their son, assigned him to the Naval Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg.
Among the best graduates of the corps in 1803, he was sent on overseas voyages. In the period 1808-1813 he served in the Baltic Fleet and took part in the Russian-Swedish (1808-1809) and Patriotic (1812) wars.
At the age of 25, he was appointed commander of a ship called "Suvorov", which from Kronstadt set off on a circumnavigation of the world to the coast of Alaska. After this, Lazarev was appointed commander of the Mirny sloop, as well as assistant to F. F. Bellingshausen, the head of the next round the world voyage. Two ships, Vostok and Mirny, sailed into the Southern Ocean to explore the island of South Georgia, Sandwich Land and the south. They were on the water for 527 days. On the way to the research points, they discovered many islands to the world and approached Antarctica, discovering a new part of the Earth in the southern latitudes. Thanks to them, priority in the discovery of land in Antarctica was assigned to Russia.
In 1822, Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev commanded the frigate “Cruiser” and made his third circumnavigation of the world with his favorite student Nakhimov.
On October 20, 1827, the naval commander took part in the Battle of Navarino off the coast of Southern Greece. The ship "Azov", which was under the command of Lazarev, was awarded the highest award - the stern St. George's flag. Lazarev himself received the rank of rear admiral and an order.
Mikhail Petrovich in 1833 was appointed commander of the ports of the Black Sea and the Black Sea Fleet, while also receiving the post of governor of Nikolaev and Sevastopol.
Mikhail Lazarev interesting facts
* The main discovery of the scientific expedition of Bellingshausen and Admiral Lazarev was the discovery of Antarctica on January 28, 1820 near Princess Martha Land.
* He is one of the top three most successful students in the Naval Cadet Corps, for which he was sent to the UK. Here he served in the navy as a military man until 1808 in order to become familiar with naval affairs in foreign ports. For 5 years he was engaged in self-education, while constantly sailing in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
IN early XIX V. ships of the Russian fleet made a number of trips around the world.
These expeditions enriched world science with major geographical discoveries, especially in the Pacific Ocean. However, the vast expanses of the Southern Hemisphere still remained a “blank spot” on the map.
In 1819, after long and very careful preparation, a south polar expedition set off from Kronstadt on a long voyage, consisting of two military sloops - “Vostok” and “Mirny”. The first was commanded by Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen, the second by Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev.
The crew of the ships consisted of experienced, experienced sailors.
1. Admiral Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen,
at birth Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen
(German: Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen) 
The Naval Ministry appointed Captain Bellingshausen, who already had under his belt, as head of the expedition. great experience long sea voyages.
Bellingshausen was born on the island of Ezel (the island of Sarema in the Estonian SSR) in 1779. “I was born in the middle of the sea,” he later said about himself, “just as a fish cannot live without water, so I cannot live without the sea.”
The boy was ten years old when he was sent to study at Morskaya cadet corps in Kronstadt. As a cadet, young Bellingshausen during summer internship sailed to the shores of England. After graduating from the Marine Corps at age 18, he received the rank of midshipman.
In 1803-1806, the young sailor took part in the first Russian trip around the world on the ship "Nadezhda" under the command of the talented and experienced navigator I. F. Krusenstern. During the expedition, Bellingshausen was mainly engaged in mapping and astronomical observations.
Commander of the sloop "Mirny" M. P. Lazarev born in 1788 Vladimir province. Together with his two brothers, he also entered the Marine Corps. During his training, he visited the sea for the first time and fell in love with it forever.
2. Admiral Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev
Lazarev was appointed commander of the Suvorov ship. The Russians' circumnavigation of the world enriched geographical science with new discoveries. In the Pacific Ocean, Lazarev discovered a group of unknown islands, which he named after Suvorov.
On July 16, 1819, the ships “Vostok” and “Mirny”, which made up the “Southern Division”, weighed anchor and left their native Kronstadt roadstead amid the fireworks of artillery coastal batteries. There was a long journey ahead to unknown countries. The expedition was given the task of how to penetrate further to the south in order to finally resolve the question of the existence of the Southern Continent.
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In the large English port of Portsmouth, Bellingshausen stayed for almost a month to replenish provisions, purchase chronometers and various seafaring instruments.
At the beginning of autumn, with a fair wind, the ships headed across Atlantic Ocean to the shores of Brazil. The weather was favorable for swimming. Rare and weak storms did not disrupt the routine of life on ships. From the very first days of the voyage, scientific observations were carried out,
which Bellingshausen and his assistants carefully and in detail entered into the logbook.
Every day, under the guidance of prof. Kazan University astronomer Simonov officers were engaged in astronomical observations and calculations geographical location vessel.
After 21 days of sailing, the sloops approached the island of Tenerife. While the ship's crews stocked up on fresh water and provisions, the officers explored the mountainous, picturesque island.
Further sailing took place in the zone of constant northeastern trade winds under a cloudless sky. The progress of sailing ships has accelerated significantly. Having reached 10° N. sh., the sloops entered a zone of calm, usual for equatorial places. Sailors measured air and water temperatures at different depths, studied currents and collected collections of marine animals. The ships crossed the equator, and soon, with a favorable southeast trade wind, the sloops approached Brazil and anchored in a beautiful, convenient bay, on the shores of which the city of Rio de Janeiro lies.
Having stocked up on provisions and checked their chronometers, the ships left Rio de Janeiro, heading south to unknown areas of the polar ocean.
In the temperate zone of the southern Atlantic Ocean, coolness began to be felt in the air, although the southern summer had already begun. The further south you went, the more birds you encountered, especially petrels. Whales swam past in large herds.
At the end of December 1819, the sloops approached South Georgia Island. The sailors began to describe and photograph its southern coast. The northern side of this mountainous island, covered with snow and ice, was mapped by the English navigator James Cook. The ships slowly moved forward, very carefully maneuvering among the floating ice.
Then the expedition encountered the first floating “ice island.” The further to the south, the more often giant ice mountains - icebergs - began to appear on the way.
At the beginning of January 1820, sailors discovered an unknown island completely covered with snow and ice. The next day, two more islands were seen from the ship. They were also put on the map, named after the expedition members (Leskov and Zavadovsky). Zavadovsky Island turned out to be an active volcano with a height of more than 350 m. Having landed on the shore, members of the expedition climbed the slope of the volcano to the middle of the mountain. Along the way, we collected penguin eggs and rock samples. There were a lot of penguins here.
Open group The islands were named in honor of the then Minister of the Navy - the Traverse Islands.
On ships that made long voyages, people usually suffered from lack of fresh fresh water. During this voyage, Russian sailors invented a way to obtain fresh water from the ice of icebergs.
Moving further and further south, the ships soon again encountered a small group of unknown rocky islands, which they called the Candlemas Islands. Then the expedition approached the Sandwich Islands discovered by the English explorer James Cook. It turned out that Cook mistook the archipelago for one large island. Russian sailors corrected this error on the map.
Bellingshausen called the entire group of open islands the South Sandwich Islands.
Foggy, cloudy weather made sailing very difficult. The ships were constantly in danger of running aground.
With every mile to the south it became more and more difficult to get through the ice. At the end of January 1820, sailors saw thick broken ice stretching to the horizon. It was decided to bypass it by turning sharply north. Again the sloops passed the South Sandwich Islands.
On some Antarctic islands, sailors encountered huge numbers of penguins and elephant seals. The penguins usually stood in a tight formation, the elephant seals were immersed in deep sleep. Masses of perennial solid ice were found everywhere.
The expedition's ships nevertheless crossed the Antarctic Circle and on January 28, 1820 reached 69°25′ S. w. In the foggy haze of a cloudy day, the travelers saw an ice wall blocking their further path to the south. These were continental ice. The expedition members were sure that the Southern Continent was hidden behind them. This was confirmed by the many polar birds that appeared above the sloop. And indeed, only a few miles separated the ships from the coast of Antarctica, which the Norwegians called the coast of Princess Martha more than a hundred years later.
In 1948, the Soviet whaling flotilla "Slava" visited these places, establishing that only poor visibility prevented Bellingshausen from clearly seeing the entire coast of Antarctica and even the mountain peaks in the interior of the continent.
In February 1820, the sloops entered the Indian Ocean. Trying to break through to the south from this side, they approached the shores of Antarctica two more times. But heavy ice conditions forced the ships to move north again and move east along the ice edge.
In March, with the onset of autumn, the nights became longer, frosts intensified, and storms became more frequent. Navigation among the ice became more and more dangerous, as the general fatigue of the team from the continuous harsh struggle with the elements was taking its toll. Then Bellingshausen decided to take the ships to Australia. In order to cover a wider area with research, the captain decided to send the sloops to Australia in different ways.
In mid-April, the sloop Vostok dropped anchor in the Australian harbor of the port of Jaxoi (now Sydney). Seven days later, the sloop Mirny arrived here. Thus ended the first period of research.
During all winter months sloops sailed in the tropical Pacific Ocean, among the islands of Polynesia. Here the expedition members accomplished many important geographical works: clarified the position of the islands and their outlines, determined the height of the mountains, discovered and plotted them on
a map of 15 islands that were given Russian names.
Returning to Zhaksoi, the crews of the sloops began to prepare for a new voyage to the polar seas. The preparation took about two months. In mid-November, the expedition went to sea again, heading southeast.
Floating ice floes began to come across on the way, and then solid ice appeared. The ships headed east along the ice edge. The weather was noticeably deteriorating: the temperature was dropping, a cold gusty wind was driving dark snow clouds.
Abundance of floating ice and bad weather prevented advance to the south. The further the sloops moved, the more often icebergs were encountered.
Navigating between icebergs in strong winds and snow required enormous effort and great skill.
At the slightest opportunity, the ships again and again turned directly south and walked until solid ice blocked the path.
Finally, on January 22, 1821, happiness smiled on the sailors. A black spot appeared on the horizon.
The island was named after Peter I. Now Bellingshausen was sure that there must still be land somewhere nearby.
Finally his expectations were realized. On January 29, 1821, Bellingshausen wrote: “At 11 o’clock in the morning we saw the shore; its cape, extending to the north, ended in a high mountain, which is separated by an isthmus from other mountains.” Bellingshausen called this land the Coast of Alexander 1.
The land of Alexander 1 is still insufficiently explored. Its discovery finally convinced Bellingshausen that the Russian expedition had approached the still unknown Southern Continent.
This is how the greatest geographical discovery of the 19th century took place.
Having solved the centuries-old mystery, the sailors decided to go northeast to explore the South Shetland Islands. Having completed work on surveying their southern coast, the sailors were forced to urgently go north: every day the flow intensified in the storm-battered
ships. And Bellingshausen sent them to Rio de Janeiro.
At the beginning of March 1821, the sloops anchored in the roadstead of Rio de Janeiro. Thus ended the second stage of the voyage.
Two months later, after thorough repairs, the ships went to sea, heading towards their native shores.
On August 5, 1821, “Vostok” and “Mirny” arrived in Kronstadt and dropped anchor in the same place from which they left more than two years ago.
They spent 751 days sailing and covered more than 92 thousand km. This distance is two and a quarter times the length of the equator. In addition to Antarctica, the expedition discovered 29 islands and one coral reef. Collected by her scientific materials given the opportunity to compose the first
idea of Antarctica.
Russian sailors not only discovered a huge continent located around the South Pole, but also conducted important research in the field of oceanography. This branch of science was just in its infancy at that time. F. F. Bellingshausen was the first to correctly explain the reasons causing
sea currents (for example, the Canary), the origin of algae in the Sargasso Sea, as well as coral islands in tropical areas.
The discoveries of the expedition turned out to be a major achievement of Russian and world geographical science of that time.
In recognition of the services of Russian navigators, one of the southern polar moraines was named the Bellingshausen Sea.
The following are named after Bellingshausen:
- Bellingshausen Sea in the Pacific Ocean,
- cape on Sakhalin
- an island in the Tuamotu archipelago,
- Thaddeus Islands and Thaddeus Bay in the Laptev Sea,
- Bellingshausen glacier,
- lunar crater
- scientific polar station Bellingshausen in Antarctica.
In 1870, a monument to him was erected in Kronstadt.
In 1994, the Bank of Russia issued a series of commemorative coins “The First Russian Antarctic Expedition”.
5.Monument to Admiral Bellingshausen in Kronstadt
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In honor of Lazarev:
- 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 Veliky Novgorod at the Monument “1000th Anniversary of Russia” among 129 figures of the most outstanding personalities in Russian history(for 1862) there is a figure of M.P. Lazarev.
- In St. Petersburg, at the Baltic Shipyard in 1871, the first Russian battleship “Admiral Lazarev” was launched.
- In 1994, the Bank of Russia issued a series of commemorative coins “The First Russian Antarctic Expedition”.
7. M.P. Lazarev at the Monument “1000th Anniversary of Russia” in Veliky Novgorod
8. Monument to Admiral P.M. Lazarev in the city of Novorossiysk
9. USSR stamp, 1987 
10. USSR postal envelope, 1962 
11. Coin of the Bank of Russia - “Geographical Series”, 1994 
The following were named in honor of Lazarev:
- area of the city of Sochi - Lazarevskoye
- an atoll in the group of Russian islands in the Pacific Ocean
- island in the Aral Sea
- capes:
* in the Amur Estuary
* in the northern part of the island. Unimak
- bay and port in the Sea of Japan
- bay in the Southern Ocean
- mountain range in Antarctica
- two Antarctic stations:
* Lazarev
* Novolazarevskaya
- trench in Antarctica
- street in the South Butovo district of Moscow
- street in Lipetsk.
- Lazarev Square in Sevastopol and Vladimir
- Lazarev Street in the Lazarevsky district of Sochi
- Admiral Lazarev Embankment in St. Petersburg
Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev (1788 - 1851) - a talented and active sailor, Antarctic explorer, hero of the Battle of Navarino. Under his leadership, over 150 warships and vessels were built in Nikolaev and Sevastopol. Under Lazarev, the Admiralty was actually rebuilt in Sevastopol and Novorossiysk, and the Admiralty in Nikolaev was rebuilt. Under his leadership, Sevastopol turned into a strong naval fortress.
The name of Admiral Lazarev became a symbol of the revival of the Black Sea Fleet after its virtual collapse. In the first third of the 19th century, during the transition to a “new look,” the Fleet of the South of Russia was minimized and lost its former power. Mikhail Petrovich and his associates and like-minded people revived it. Admiral Lazarev commanded the Black Sea Fleet for seventeen years. This period was called by contemporaries and descendants the “Lazarev era” of the fleet, which reached its peak of development during the history of the use of sails...
Just before his death, 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.”
The famous Russian naval commander Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev was born in the Vladimir province on November 14, 1788, 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 the same year, among the thirty best midshipmen, Lazarev was sent on a voyage abroad. Five years of continuous sailing in the North and Mediterranean Seas, the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans were an excellent maritime school for Lazarev. The captains of the ships on which Mikhail Petrovich sailed certified him as “a young man with a sharp mind and good behavior.”
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.
Upon arrival in Russia, already an officer, Lazarev soon took part in hostilities. He especially distinguished himself in the battle on August 14, 1808 near the Baltic port, while on the ship Vsevolod, which then had to fight two English battleships.
Mikhail Petrovich took part in the Patriotic War of 1812, serving on the brig "Phoenix".
In August 1812, when Riga was threatened by the hordes of Napoleon, who sought to enslave the peoples of Russia, the ships of the Baltic Fleet were supposed to divert part of the French forces from the city. Lazarev on the brig "Phoenix" took part in a demonstrative landing and bombing of Danzig. The goal was achieved - the French pulled part of their forces to Danzig, and the onslaught on Riga was weakened.
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 is to improve the use natural resources 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 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, 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 a closer 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 banks of the Northern and South America, around 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.
Mikhail Petrovich returned from his voyage as a mature, experienced commander and soon, in March 1819, Lazarev was assigned to command the sloop Mirny, which was setting off on a round-the-world expedition to the Southern Arctic Ocean. Lazarev assumed direct leadership of all preparatory work.
Together with the sloop "Vostok" (under the overall command of its commander, Lieutenant-Commander Bellingshausen), the sloop "Mirny" departed from Kronstadt in the same 1819.
The voyage took place in difficult polar conditions: among icy mountains, with frequent storms. Thanks to the excellent knowledge of maritime affairs by Lazarev and Bellingshausen, Vostok and Mirny never lost sight of each other and passed through all dangers unharmed.
The ships were on the voyage for 751 days, 527 of them under sail, and covered over 50,000 miles. The expedition discovered a number of islands, including a group of coral islands, named in honor of the heroes of 1812 after the names of Kutuzov, Slonimsky, Barclay de Tolly, Wittgenstein, Ermolov, Raevsky, Miloradovich, Volkonsky.
Not far from the island of Yu. George, the expedition discovered an island named after the lieutenant of the sloop "Mirny" Fr. Annenkova. Three capes of this island were marked on the map: Cape Paryadin, Cape Kupriyanov and Cape Demidov, also named after the officers who participated in the expedition. In addition, the bay was named and put on the map in honor of midshipman Novosilsky.
On January 16, 1820, the sloops "Vostok" and "Mirny", despite difficult ice conditions, approached Antarctica. A few days later - January 21, 1820, Russian sailors came close to the shore of the Antarctic continent at 69° 25" S. After that, the ships went to Pacific Ocean, postponing the study open continent next year. In October 1820, having repaired the ships and replenished food supplies, Bellingshausen and Lazarev, making their way through ice and fog, again headed for Antarctica. On January 9, 1821, they discovered the island of Peter I, and a week later, at 68°43" south latitude and 73°10" west longitude, they approached a mountainous coast, which was called the coast of Alexander I.
Thus, Russian sailors were the first in the world to discover a new part of the world, Antarctica, refuting the opinion of the English traveler James Cook, who argued that there is no continent in the southern latitudes, and if it exists, it is only near the pole, in an area inaccessible to navigation.
A week later the expedition reached the South Shetland Islands. Russian navigators, having sailed along the entire southern coast of South Shetland, proved that it consists of a ridge of high rocky islands covered with eternal snow.
The voyage of "Vostok" and "Mirny" is a wonderful contribution to history geographical discoveries. Russia was assigned priority in the discovery of a number of Antarctic lands.
Upon returning to Russia, Mikhail Petrovich was promoted through the rank of captain of the 2nd rank and was given 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.
The following 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.
In 1826, Mikhail Petrovich was appointed commander of this new battleship"Azov". Lazarev brought him to Kronstadt, where the Azov entered service with the Baltic squadron. Here Mikhail Petrovich had the opportunity to serve for some time under the command of the famous Russian admiral Dmitry Nikolaevich Senyavin, who greatly respected and appreciated him.
Battleship "Azov"
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. In 1827, the commander of the Azov, Lazarev, was appointed concurrently chief of staff of the squadron, which was being equipped for a trip to the Mediterranean Sea.
On October 20, 1827, the famous Battle of Navarino took place, in which the Russian, English and French squadrons took part. Commanding Azov, M.P. Lazarev took part in the Battle of Navarino.
The Russians bore the brunt of the battle and played main role in the defeat of the Turkish-Egyptian fleet. The enemy lost a battleship, 13 frigates, 17 corvettes, 4 brigs, 5 fire ships and other ships.
Captain 1st Rank Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev was the soul of the Russian squadron. From him all the threads of combat control went to the ships of the squadron. Azov, commanded by Lazarev, was in the center of a curved battle line of four battleships. And it was here that the Turks directed their main attack. The battleship "Azov" had to fight simultaneously with five enemy ships, all of them were destroyed by well-aimed artillery fire from the "Azov". Future heroes of the Sevastopol defense fought alongside Lazarev - Lieutenant P.S. Nakhimov, midshipman V.A. Kornilov and midshipman V.M. Istomin. For the Battle of Navarino, the battleship "Azov" was awarded highest award- stern St. George flag. Lazarev was promoted to rear admiral and awarded the order.
Later, Nakhimov wrote about Lazarev: “...I still didn’t know the value of our captain. It was necessary to look at him during the battle, with what prudence, with what composure he gave orders everywhere. But I don’t have enough words to describe all his commendable deeds and I am confidently confident that the Russian fleet did not have such a captain."
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.)
Battleship "Azov" in battle
After the Battle of Navarino, Lazarev, being the chief of staff of the squadron, cruised in the Archipelago and took part in the blockade of the Dardanelles, after which, commanding a squadron of 10 ships, he led it from the Archipelago to Kronstadt.
Since 1830, Lazarev commanded a brigade of ships of the Baltic Fleet. In 1832 he became chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet, and the following year - its commander. Mikhail Petrovich held this position for 18 years.
In February 1833 M.P. Lazarev masterfully carried out the transfer of 10,000 Russian troops to the Bosphorus, which was associated with a demonstration of “friendly feelings” towards Turkey during the Turkish-Egyptian conflict. The landing of 1833, which was distinguished by a very high organization of the sea crossing for that time, was a good school for Black Sea sailors.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet achieved great art of interaction with the army during the war in the Caucasus. Russia's consolidation in the Caucasus was perceived with particular hostility by England, which sought to turn the Caucasus with its rich natural resources into its colony. For many years, England supported Turkey and Persia in their struggle against Russia. British and Turkish agents organized a movement of groups of religious fanatics (murdism) in the Caucasus, one of the main slogans of which was the annexation of the Caucasus to Turkey.
The ships of the Black Sea Fleet under the command of Lazarev assisted the ground forces in occupying many points Black Sea coast. In 1838, Lazarev landed troops in the Tuapse area.
During the period 1838-1840. From the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, under the direct leadership of Lazarev, several landing troops of General Raevsky were landed, which cleared the coast and the mouths of the rivers Tuapse, Subashi and Pazuape from the enemy, and on the bank of the latter the Russians built a fort named after Lazarev.
I.K. Aivazovsky "Landing in Subashi"
On the Caucasian coast, in the difficult conditions of the then little-known coast, the Black Sea sailors of the Lazarev school showed great skill in interacting with ground forces, a clear example of which is the actions of the ships of the detachment of Rear Admiral Stanyukovich, sent by Lazarev to facilitate the advance of the Russian troops of General Anrep (Raevsky’s successor) to the Sochi region. Adler in 1841
In 1840, on the coast between Anapa and Sukhum-Kale, the Russians had 12 fortifications, built on territories occupied with the assistance of ships of the Black Sea Fleet. These fortifications were subject to frequent attacks by Shamil's troops, incited by British and Turkish agents. In order to fight them on Cape Adler at the fortification of St. Spirit by October 1841, an 11,000-strong detachment was concentrated under the command of General Anrep, most of which was delivered here on ships of the Black Sea Fleet. The detachment also included a militia consisting of Caucasian peoples and tribes who supported the Russians in this struggle. There were such police units as Abkhazian, Samurazakanskaya, Tsibeldinskaya, Mingrelskaya, Gurianskaya, Imeretinskaya. The troops were to launch an offensive from Cape Adler along the coast to Fort Navaginsky (Sochi).
In early October 1841, General Anrep, together with Rear Admiral Stanyukovich, carried out reconnaissance of the coastal area in which they were to operate. The largest rubbles were discovered on the shore, made by Shamil's gangs from huge ancient trees or from a double row of wicker fences filled with earth. These rubble should have been destroyed by naval artillery. On October 8, at night, a Russian ground detachment moved along the coast. The next day, ships of the Black Sea Fleet moved along the coast. The ships were towed by the battleship "Three Hierarchs" (84 guns) and the frigate "Agatopl" (60 guns). These ships moved ahead of the ground forces at a distance of about a kilometer from them. When a large blockage appeared on the shore, the admiral gave a signal to the ground units to stop. After this, the steamers brought the ship and frigate close to the shore, which easily destroyed the rubble with artillery fire and drove the enemy out of there. Then the ships continued to move forward, and so that the enemy did not return again to the places of the previous rubble, between the ground detachment and the group artillery ships The schooner and tender were cruising all the time. In addition, 18-gun brigs sailed along the coast, firing at enemy concentrations on the shore. Along the very shore, directly in front and behind the troops, armed Cossack boats and longboats were marching, and the latter were equipped with caronades. At times, boats and longboats stuck their bows to the shore and hit the enemy with grapeshot. There were special unarmed boats for transporting the wounded. They also transported water from ships for the army, which was in great need of it.
As a result of close interaction between ground units and ships during these days, a large detachment of one of Shamil’s associates, Hadji Berzeks, was defeated (the detachment lost up to 1,700 people killed and wounded) and a number of important strongholds of Shamil on the Caucasus coast were occupied. Thus, the successful activities of M.P. Lazarev of the Black Sea Fleet interfered with the implementation of the plans of the British and Turks in the Caucasus.
Lazarev was the first to organize a two-year expedition of the frigate "Skory" and the tender "Pospeshny" with the aim of taking an inventory of the Black Sea, which resulted in the publication of the first sailing guide for the Black Sea.
Under his leadership, the sailing Black Sea Fleet became the best in Russia. Significant advances have been made in shipbuilding. Lazarev personally supervised the construction of each new large ship.
Under Lazarev, the number of ships of the Black Sea Fleet was increased to a full complement. Artillery was significantly improved. In Nikolaev, taking into account all the technological achievements of that time, the Admiralty was built; Construction of the Admiralty near Novorossiysk began.
Under the personal supervision of Lazarev, plans were drawn up and the area was prepared for the construction of the Admiralty in Sevastopol and docks were built. In the Hydrographic Depot, newly reorganized according to his instructions, many maps, sailing directions, regulations, manuals were printed and a detailed atlas of the Black Sea was published. Books on naval issues were also printed at the depot.
Under Lazarev a rare occurrence there were corporal punishments and drills. Lazarev himself was well educated, had rich practical and combat experience, was demanding of himself and his subordinates, for whom he was always a living example. Under his leadership, a whole galaxy of wonderful sailors and naval commanders grew up, many of whom covered their names with unfading glory.
Lazarev understood perfectly well that the sailing fleet was becoming obsolete, that the sailing ship should be replaced by a steam one. Backwardness Tsarist Russia did not make it possible to make a rapid transition of the Russian fleet to steam ships, nevertheless Lazarev made every effort to ensure that steamships began to arrive in the Black Sea Fleet.
At the same time, Lazarev is seeking orders for iron steam ships with all the latest improvements that the technology of that time allowed. Under Lazarev, for example, preparations were made for the construction in Nikolaev of the screw-driven 131-gun battleship "Bosphorus" (laid down after Lazarev's death in 1852 and launched in 1858).
In 1842, Lazarev obtained an order for the construction by shipyards of five steamship-frigates for the Black Sea Fleet - "Khersones", "Bessarabia", "Crimea", "Gromonosets", "Odessa".
Steamship "Odessa"
In 1846, Lazarev sent his closest assistant, Captain 1st Rank Kornilov, to the English shipyards to directly supervise the construction of four steamships for the Black Sea Fleet (Vladimir, Elbrus, Yenikale, Taman). All steamships and steam frigates in England were built according to Russian designs and draft drawings. Some of these drawings were approved personally by Lazarev, and some by Kornilov. English engineers borrowed a lot from Russian projects.
Lazarev paid a lot of attention to the cultural growth of sailors. According to his instructions and under his leadership, the Sevastopol Maritime Library was reorganized and the Assembly House was built, as well as many other public buildings.
Admiral Lazarev was influential as a technical specialist and mentor to young officers. He advocated for the equipment Russian fleet steam-powered ships, but the technical and economic backwardness of Russia at that time was the main obstacle on this path. He also acted as a mentor to such famous Russian naval commanders as Nakhimov, Kornilov, Istomin and Butakov.
Shortly before his death, on his last visit to St. Petersburg, the admiral was at a reception with Nicholas I. After the 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.
