Grigory Shelikhov facts for kids
Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov (born in 1747, died in 1795) was a Russian explorer and businessman. He was a seafarer, a merchant, and a fur trader. Shelikhov is known for helping Russia expand its influence in North America. He played a big part in setting up early Russian settlements in what is now Alaska. He also founded the company that later became the Russian-American Company.
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Shelikhov's Journeys and Business
Starting in 1775, Shelikhov began organizing trips for merchant ships. These voyages went to the Kuril Islands and the Aleutian Islands. These islands are now part of Alaska. The main goal of these trips was fur trading.
From 1783 to 1786, Shelikhov led a big expedition. This journey explored the coastal areas of the mainland. During this time, his group founded the first permanent Russian settlements in North America. Shelikhov's company, called the Shelikhov-Golikov Company, funded these trips. This company was the first step towards the famous Russian-American Company, which started in 1799.
Founding Settlements in Alaska
In April 1784, Shelikhov arrived at a place he named Three Saints Bay. This bay is on Kodiak Island in Alaska. He came with two ships, the Three Hierarchs and the St. Simon. The local people, called the Koniaga, tried to protect their land. They were an Alutiiq nation of Alaska Natives.
There was a conflict between Shelikhov's forces and the Koniaga people. Shelikhov's group had guns and cannons. After this conflict, Shelikhov established his power on Kodiak Island. He then founded the first lasting Russian settlement in Alaska. This settlement was along Three Saints Bay. Although Unalaska had been settled earlier, it was not a permanent Russian base until Shelikhov's time.
In 1790, Shelikhov went back to Russia. He hired Alexandr Baranov to manage his fur trading business. This business was located in the Russian parts of America.
Places Named After Shelikhov
Several places are named after Grigory Shelikhov. There is a gulf in the Sea of Okhotsk. A strait between Alaska and Kodiak Island also bears his name. There is even a town in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia named after him. Shelikhov himself traveled through Shelikhov Bay in 1786-1787. A statue of Shelikhov stands in his hometown of Rylsk.
Shelikhov's Family Life
Grigory Shelikhov's father was Ivan Shelikhov. Grigory also had a sister named Agrofena. His younger brother, Vasilii, helped him with his business in Siberia.
In 1775, Grigory Shelikhov married Natalia Alexeyevna Kozhevina. Her family was well-known for being navigators and mapmakers in Okhotsk. When Grigory died, he had five daughters and one son who were still alive.
His children included:
- Anna Grigorevna Rezanova (born 1780)
- Ekaterina Grigorevna Timkovskaya (born around 1781)
- Avdotia Grigorevna Buldakova (born 1784)
- Aleksandra Grigorevna Politkovskaya (born 1788)
- Natalia Grigorevna Shelikhova (born 1793)
- Katerina Grigorevna Shelikhova
- Vasilii Grigorevich Shelikhov
In 1795, his 14-year-old daughter Anna married Nikolai Rezanov. Anna had a daughter named Olga Nikolaevna Rezanova. Olga later married Sergey Aleksandrovich Kokoshkin.
See also
In Spanish: Grigori Shélijov para niños
