 |
Mihael LevashovNavigator, explorer of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.
Country:
 Russia |
Content:
- Mikhail Dmitrievich Levashov: A Pioneer of Alaskan Exploration
- Secret Expedition to the Far East
- Exploration of the Aleutian Islands
- Voyage to Alaska
- Return and Completion of the Expedition
- Legacy
Mikhail Dmitrievich Levashov: A Pioneer of Alaskan Exploration
Early Life and Naval CareerMikhail Dmitrievich Levashov was born around 1738. He graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps in Saint Petersburg and served in the Baltic Fleet from 1755 to 1762. He participated in the siege of Kolberg during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763).
Secret Expedition to the Far East
In 1764, Levashov was appointed to Pyotr Kreynitsyn's secret expedition to the Far East. The goal was to find an Arctic sea route to the Pacific Ocean. In October 1766, the expedition set sail from Okhotsk with four ships, including the hooker "St. Pavel" under Levashov's command.
Exploration of the Aleutian Islands
Only the "St. Pavel" reached Bolshe-retsk on Kamchatka safely, as the other vessels crashed. With additional support, the expedition embarked from Nizhne-kamchatka in July 1768. While sailing westward along the Aleutian Islands, Levashov and Kreynitsyn separated. Levashov charted the Adrian Islands, Amukta Island, and met with Kreynitsyn at Unalaska Island.
Voyage to Alaska
Levashov continued north with the "St. Pavel" and became the first to navigate the Isanotsky Strait between Unimak Island and the Alaskan Peninsula. However, the expedition did not find a suitable wintering port and turned back.
Return and Completion of the Expedition
The "St. Pavel" wintered in Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island. In 1769, Levashov arrived at the "St. Catherine's" mooring, reinforcing its crew. Due to personnel shortages, they abandoned plans to explore the American coast further. On the return journey, Levashov mapped the Four-Soop Islands and reached Nizhne-kamchatka in August 1769.
Legacy
After Kreynitsyn's death in 1770, Levashov took command of the expedition and brought the ships to Okhotsk in August. He was promoted to Captain of the 1st Rank upon returning to Saint Petersburg in 1771. Levashov's contributions included maps and descriptions of the Aleutian Islands and parts of the Alaskan coast, an "Atlas of Views of Kamchatka and the Aleutian Islands," and extensive ethnographic data on the Aleuts. He retired in 1773 as a Captain-Commander. Several geographical features, including a strait in the Kuril Islands, capes on Kamchatka and Paramushir, and a volcano on Paramushir, bear his name.
