The fi rst Russian circumnavigation: to the 255th anniversary of I. F. Kruzenshtern’s birth

In 2025, the 255th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Fyodorovich Kruzenshtern (November 8 [19], 1770 – August 12 [24], 1846), an outstanding Russian navigator, explorer, honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences (1810), admiral (1841), and member of the retinue of His Imperial Majesty (1842), will be commemorated. The article highlights Kruzenshtern’s role in the preparation and execution of the fi rst Russian circumnavigation of the globe (1803–1806), undertaken aboard the sailing vessels Nadezhda and Neva. It is noted that the expedition made several discoveries in the Pacifi c Ocean basin. The article places particular emphasis on studies of the geographical position and natural environment of Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Kruzenshtern’s special role in investigating the causes of the dire conditions of settlers and indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka is revealed, along with his key contribution to the development of the “New Regulation on Kamchatka,” which was approved by Emperor Alexander I on April 9 [21], 1812.