Semjon Deschnew 1648
The Northeast Passage 1
The study of the North-East-Passage is primarily the work of Russia, which was hoping for a navigable Northern trading route. The research was accomplished land-based and initially without any plan. Cossacks, driven by the prospects for the rich prey of fur, stretched their raids further and further eastwards since 1578 and occupied Kamchatka in 1697. In the wake of this storm, Deschnew crossed North-Eastern Siberia and sailed around the eastern tip of Asia, probably in 1648. His trip had no scientific background and has therefore remained controversial until today.