Grigory Ivanovich Shelichov

Grigory Shelikhov , even Shelekhov ( Russian Григорий Иванович Шелихов , scientific. Transliteration Grigory Ivanovich Šelichov even Шелехов / Shelekhov * 1747 in Rylsk in today's Kursk Oblast , † July 20 ^{. Jul} / 31 July 1795 ^greg. ), Was a Russian geographer, navigator, and merchant whose name is closely associated with the Russian colonization of Alaska .

Life

From 1775, Shelichov organized trade trips to the Kuril Islands and the Aleutian Islands . 1783–86 he led the Russian expedition to America. In mid-August 1783, Shelichow set out for Alaska with three ships and 192 people. After a month-long voyage during which he lost a ship, he reached the island of Unalaska . Russian fur hunters who were on the prowl here advised him not to settle here because of the recent violent conflict. Shelichov nevertheless founded his first settlement on the island of Kodiak .

Schelichow describes his work on Kodiak as "friendly" and positively in terms of civilization. He allegedly wanted to make them Russian subjects " not through fear and coercion, but through kindness and for their own benefit ". But there was fighting and massacres of the island's population because the Kodiak refused to "voluntarily" deliver hostages to the Russians. Ultimately, Kodiak became an important base for Russia's colonization of the Aleutian Islands and the Northeast American coast.

Schelichow's undertakings led to the establishment of the Russian-American Company , which was realized in 1799 by his widow Natalja Alexejewna Schelichowa after his death .

Shelikov, who died in 1795 at the age of only 48, was buried in Irkutsk . Verses by the Russian poet Gavriil Derschawin were carved into the marble of his tomb : " Russia's Columbus is buried here, crossed the sea, found unknown lands ... "

A bay in the Sea of Okhotsk , a strait between Kodiak Island and the mainland of Alaska and the city of Schelechow in the Russian Oblast of Irkutsk are named after Schelikow .

literature

Herbert Wotte : Course on unknown, Leipzig: FA Brockhaus, 1967

Web links

Individual evidence

^ Lydia T. Black: The Russian Conquest of Kodiak. Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska 24 (1-2), 1991, 165-182

personal data
SURNAME	Shelichov, Grigory Ivanovich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Šelichov, Grigorij Ivanovič; Шелихов, Григорий Иванович (Russian)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Russian navigator and trader
DATE OF BIRTH	1747
PLACE OF BIRTH	Rylsk
DATE OF DEATH	July 31, 1795

[1] Lydia T. Black: The Russian Conquest of Kodiak. Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska 24 (1-2), 1991, 165-182