Mikhail Stadukhin facts for kids
Mikhail Vasilyevich Stadukhin (Russian: Михаил Васильевич Стадухин) was a brave Russian explorer. He lived a long time ago, in the 1600s. He was one of the first people to explore the far northeast parts of Siberia. He discovered many important rivers like the Kolyma, Anadyr, Penzhina, and Gizhiga. He also explored the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. Mikhail was a Pomor, which means he came from a group of Russian people who lived near the White Sea and were known for their sailing and exploring skills. He was probably born in a village called Pinega. By 1633, he was already exploring near the Lena River. He died in 1666.
Exploring the Kolyma and Anadyr Rivers
In 1641, Mikhail Stadukhin led a trip over land. They went to a river that flowed into the Indigirka River. This river was called the Yemolkon River. Today, we are not sure exactly which river it was. But its name might be linked to Oymyakon, which is known as one of the coldest places on Earth! If this is true, Mikhail was quite far inland and upriver.
Semyon Dezhnyov, another famous explorer, was with him on this trip. They did not find many furs, and the local people were not friendly. So, in 1642 or 1643, they built a special type of boat called a koch. They sailed down the Indigirka River to the sea. There, they met another explorer named Yarilo Zyryan. He had also had a tough time exploring the Alazeya River.
The two groups joined together. They sailed east to the Kolyma River. They built a place to stay for the winter, probably near Srednekolymsk. The Kolyma River area quickly became famous. It was one of the best places in eastern Siberia to find valuable fur, especially sable skins. In 1645, Mikhail went back to Yakutsk. He brought with him a large amount of sable furs.
In 1647, he was told to go back. His mission was to explore the 'Pogycha River'. People thought this river was east of the Kolyma. But bad weather forced him to spend the winter on the Yana River. The next spring, he traveled by sled to the Indigirka River. He built another koch boat and sailed to the Kolyma. There, he found out that Dezhnyov had already left for the Pogycha in 1648.
In July 1649, Stadukhin followed Dezhnyov. He had two koch boats and 30 men. One of his boats was wrecked. He likely reached the eastern tip of Chaunskaya Bay. Some people even think he went as far east as Kolyuchinskaya Bay. He learned from some people he captured that two of Dezhnyov's boats had been destroyed. Their crews were killed by local people. The captives said "the others lived on the sea." This might explain what happened to two more of Dezhnyov's boats.
Mikhail Stadukhin faced many problems. He had little food, fishing was poor, and the coast was rocky. Also, the local people gave him worrying news. So, he decided to go back to the Kolyma. Meanwhile, people had learned something important. The start of the Anyuy River, which flows into the Kolyma, was very close to the start of the Anadyr River.
Mikhail decided that the Anadyr River was the real Pogycha. He set off on a journey by sled. After seven weeks, he reached Semyon Dezhnyov's camp on the Anadyr River in 1650. The two groups spent the next year together. They explored the area and collected taxes from the local Anaul people.
Exploring the Sea of Okhotsk
In early 1651, Mikhail Stadukhin traveled south. He reached the Penzhina River. After the ice melted, he built a new boat. He sailed west along the coast. He spent the winter at the mouth of the Gizhiga River.
In the fall of 1652, he spent the winter on the Yama River. This river is east of Magadan. Some time later, he wintered on the Tauy River. This river is on the west side of Magadan Bay. In 1657, he arrived at Okhotsk. By 1659, he was in Yakutsk. Later, he traveled to Moscow. There, he was given the important title of ataman. He then returned to Yakutsk and passed away in 1666.
It is not fully clear what Mikhail Stadukhin was doing for six years. This was the time it took him to travel from the Penzhina River to Okhotsk. It is possible that he explored parts of western Kamchatka Peninsula. He might even have crossed the northern part of the peninsula. From there, he could have seen the Pacific Ocean. However, the story that he sailed all the way around the Kamchatka Peninsula is probably just a legend.
See also
In Spanish: Mijaíl Stadujin para niños
