What was the First Russian Antarctic Expedition?

The First Russian Antarctic Expedition took place from 1819 to 1821 under the direction of Fabian Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. Its primary aim was to explore the Southern Ocean and prove or disprove the existence of a suspected seventh continent, Antarctica. The voyage successfully resulted in the circumnavigation of Antarctica, the mapping of numerous features, and the discovery of several islands.

What we know

• The First Russian Antarctic Expedition took place from 1819 to 1821 under the direction of Fabian Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. [1, 2]
• The expedition aimed to reach the Southern Ocean to prove or disprove the existence of a suspected seventh continent, Antarctica. [2]
• The sloop Vostok was commanded by Fabian Bellingshausen, and the sloop Mirny was commanded by Mikhail Lazarev. [2]
• The Russian Antarctic expedition became the second expedition to circumnavigate Antarctica after James Cook's expedition. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho were Fabian Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev?
• what followedWhat were the major discoveries of the Southern Ocean voyage?
• compared withHow did James Cook first circumnavigate Antarctica?
• the bigger pictureWhat is the history of Antarctic exploration?
• how we knowWhat was the route and duration of the Vostok and Mirny voyage?
• an unexpected connectionHow did paintings from a polar expedition end up in English sailing directions?Novice painter Pavel Mikhailov's depictions of the South Shetland Islands during the 1819-1821 expedition were utilized in English sailing directions until the 1940s.

Sources

• [1]First Russian Antarctic expedition (Wikidata Q4349082) · CC0 1.0
• [2]First Russian Antarctic Expedition · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]List of large volcanic eruptions · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Galápagos Islands · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Grand Teton National Park · CC BY-SA 4.0