Potap Kuzmich Zaikov facts for kids

Potap Kuzmich Zaikov (who lived from sometime in the 1700s until 1791) was a brave Russian explorer and sailor. He traveled across the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. This was during a time when the fur trade by sea was growing. He worked mainly in the area that later became Russian America. During his career, different groups of Russian fur merchants hired him for his voyages.

First Voyage: The Vladimir

Zaikov first worked for the Panov brothers, who were fur merchants. He left the port of Okhotsk in 1772 on their ship, the Vladimir. There were 57 Russian sailors and 10 Yakuts (an indigenous group from Siberia) on board.

Wintering and Supplies

They spent the first winter at the mouth of the Vorovskaya river on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Vladimir stayed there until July 1773. After that, the ship sailed to Medny Island. The crew spent a year there gathering food and supplies for their long journey ahead.

Collecting Furs

On July 30, 1775, the Vladimir dropped anchor at Attu Island. For the next year, the crew collected valuable fur pelts. Zaikov also took 10 men to Agattu Island. There, they formed an artel (a group of workers) to collect even more furs.

Base of Operations

In July 1776, Zaikov left the Near Islands. He reached Unimak Island in August. This island became his main base until May 1778. While there, he collected Yasak from 89 Aleuts. Yasak was a tax paid in furs by indigenous people to the Russian government. The furs he collected were later worth 10,684 rubles.

Return Journey

On the way back to Siberia, Zaikov and his crew spent the winter at Umnak Island. The next year, they visited Agattu Island again to pick up the men from the artel. After crossing the Bering Sea, the Vladimir finally reached Okhotsk on September 6, 1779. Sadly, 12 men had died during this long voyage.

Profits from Furs

The voyage was very profitable for the merchants. The furs they brought back were worth 165,600 rubles in Okhotsk. These animal products included over 3,800 Sea otter skins and almost 4,000 fox hides. They also had 1,725 Northern fur seal skins and 335 walrus tusks.

Later Career and Explorations

Zaikov's next journey was for a businessman from Tula. He commanded a ship called the Sv. Pavel (Saint Paul). This ship had a crew of 70 Promyshlenniki (Russian fur traders and hunters).

New Voyages

The Sv. Pavel left Okhotsk in 1781. The crew spent the winter at Bering Island. The following year, they explored the Fox Islands. Here, they actively traded with the native Aleut people.

Meeting Spanish Explorers

In July 1783, the Sv. Pavel was in the Prince William Sound. There was a small fight with the local Chugach indigenous people. Sadly, 8 of Zaikov's crew members died. For the rest of the 1780s, Zaikov stayed based on Unalaska Island. During this time, the Spanish Empire was also exploring the region.

In 1788, Zaikov met some Spanish explorers. These included Esteban José Martínez Fernández y Martínez de la Sierra, who commanded the ship La Princesa, and Gonzalo López de Haro from the San Carlos. Potap Kuzmich Zaikov passed away on Unalaska Island in 1791.