Ivan Fyodorov (navigator) facts for kids
Ivan Fyodorov (pronounced Ee-VAHN Fyoh-doh-rov) was a brave Russian navigator. He was the leader of an important journey to northern Alaska in 1732. He helped explore parts of the world that were still unknown.
Who Was Ivan Fyodorov?
Ivan Fyodorov was a skilled sailor and explorer. He lived a long time ago, around the 1700s. He became famous for his work in exploring the cold northern seas. His exact birth year is not known. He passed away around 1733.
Exploring the Bering Strait
After a big journey by Vitus Bering, called the First Kamchatka expedition, Russian explorers kept going. Lieutenant Martin Shpanberg and navigator Fyodorov led these new efforts. In 1732, Fyodorov set sail on a ship named Sviatoi Gavriil. He was joined by land-surveyor Mikhail Gvozdev and navigator K. Moshkov. They sailed towards Dezhnev Cape, which is the easternmost point of Asia.
Discovering New Lands
From Dezhnev Cape, they refilled their water on August 5. Then, they sailed east across the sea. Soon, they reached the mainland near Cape Prince of Wales in Alaska. They carefully drew maps of the northwestern coast of Alaska. They also mapped the path they took.
By doing this, Fyodorov and Gvozdev finished exploring the Bering Strait. This important discovery was started by earlier explorers like Semyon Dezhnyov and Fedot Alekseyev. Vitus Bering had also continued this work. Fyodorov and Gvozdev's journey also led to the discovery of three islands that no one knew about before.
