Ivan Moskvitin facts for kids

Ivan Moskvitin (born in Russia, probably Moscow) was a brave Russian explorer. He lived a long time ago, in the 1600s. He led a group of Russian explorers on an amazing journey. They traveled all the way to the Sea of Okhotsk. This made him the first Russian to ever reach the Pacific Ocean!

Early Journeys

Ivan Moskvitin first appears in records around 1626. He was living among the Cossacks in a town called Tomsk. Cossacks were skilled horsemen and warriors.

Around 1636 or 1637, Moskvitin joined a group of 54 men. Their leader was Dmitry Kopylov. They were sent to explore lands to the east, towards Yakutsk. They traveled down the Lena River and then up the Aldan River.

On June 28, 1638, Kopylov's group built a fort. It was called Butalsk. This fort was about 100 kilometers from the mouth of the Maya River. It was also about 250 kilometers southeast of Yakutsk.

While there, Kopylov learned something interesting from a local shaman. A shaman is a spiritual leader. The shaman told them about a river called "Shirkol." This river might have been the Zeya River. People living there grew grain and had cattle. Some stories even said there was silver nearby!

Reaching the Pacific Ocean

In May 1639, Dmitry Kopylov sent Ivan Moskvitin on an important mission. Moskvitin took 20 Cossacks from Tomsk and 19 from Krasnoyarsk. They also had an Evenk guide to help them.

Their journey was long and difficult. They went down the Aldan River and then up the Maya River. From the upper Maya, they crossed the tall Dzhugdzhur Mountains. Finally, they traveled down the Ulya River. In August 1639, they reached their goal: the Sea of Okhotsk! This was a huge achievement. They were the first Russians to see the Pacific Ocean.

Exploring the Coast

When they reached the Ulya River mouth, they built a place to stay for the winter. It was either right at the river mouth or 25 kilometers upstream.

On October 1, Moskvitin and 20 men sailed east. After three days, they reached the Okhota River. Later, the town of Okhotsk was built there. They might have sailed even further east, about 500 kilometers, to the Taui River. Or, they learned enough from the local people to draw a map of the coast up to the Taui River. Different old records tell different stories.

That winter, they built two large boats. They had some fights with the local Lamuts people. They captured one man to use as a guide and interpreter. This captive told them about a "River Mamur." He said "sedentary Gilyaks" lived at its mouth. "Sedentary" means they stayed in one place.

In late April or early May 1640, Moskvitin sailed southwest. He reached Uda Gulf, at the southwest corner of the Sea of Okhotsk. There, they learned about the Amur River, the Zeya River, and the Amgun River. They also heard more about the "sedentary Gilyaks" on the coasts and islands. They heard about the "bearded Daurs" too. These Daurs had big houses, cattle, and horses. They ate bread and lived somewhat like Russians. The explorers also heard that the bearded Daurs had recently attacked and killed many Gilyaks.

Moskvitin's group then headed east. They saw the Shantar Islands and entered the Sakhalin Gulf. They might have even seen the west coast of Sakhalin Island. It seems they reached some islands where the sedentary Gilyaks lived, possibly near the mouth of the Amur River.

Because it was getting late in the season, they turned back. In November, they built winter quarters at the mouth of the Aldoma River. This river is about 30 miles northeast of Ayan. By mid-July 1641, they were back in Yakutsk.

Later Life

The information Ivan Moskvitin brought back was very important. It helped another explorer, Kurbat Ivanov, create the first map of the coast in March 1642.

In 1645, Moskvitin and Kopylov suggested a big military trip to the Amur River. They told the governor of Tomsk, Shcherbatsky, about their idea. But the trip never happened.

Moskvitin was sent to Moscow in 1646. He returned to Tomsk in 1647 with a higher rank, called "ataman." What happened to him after 1647 is not known.

See also

In Spanish: Iván Moskvitin para niños