Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev

Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev (Лазарев, Михаил Петрович in Russian) (November 3, 1788 — April 11, 1851) was a Russian fleet commander and explorer, and Admiral (1843).

Education and Early Career

Lazarev was a scion of the old Russian nobility from the Vladimir province V.V. Rummel, V.V. Golubtsov, Rodoslovnyi sbornik russkikh dvorianskikh familii, vol. 1, Sankt Petersburg, 1886, p. 504. The Russian noble family Lazarevs shall not be confused with the Armenian family Lazariants who Russfied their surname from Lazariants into Lazarevs.. In 1800, he enrolled in Russia's Naval College. Three years later he was sent to the British fleet, where he would stay for a continuous five-year navigation. In 1808—1813, Lazarev served in the Baltic Fleet. He took part in the Russo-Swedish War of 1808-1809 and Patriotic War of 1812.

Career as an Explorer

Lazarev first circumnavigated the globe in 1813—1816, on board on the vessel Suvorov; the expedition began at Kronstadt and reached Alaska. During this voyage, Lazarev discovered the Suvorov Atoll.

As a commander of the ship Mirny and Fabian von Bellingshausen's deputy on his world cruise in 1819-1821, Lazarev took part in the discovery of Antarctica and numerous islands. On January 28 1820 (New Style) the expedition discovered the Antarctic mainland approaching the Antarctic coast at a point with coordinates and seeing ice-fields there.

In 1822-1825, Lazarev circumnavigated the globe for the third time on his frigate Kreyser, conducting broad research in the fields of meteorology and ethnography.

Wartime Commands

In 1826, Lazarev became commander of the ship Azov, which would sail to the Mediterranean Sea as a part of the squadron under the command of Admiral Login Petrovich Geiden and participate in the Battle of Navarino in 1827. Lazarev received the rank of Rear Admiral for his excellence during the battle.

In 1828—1829, he was in charge of the Dardanelles blockade.

In 1830, Lazarev returned to Kronstadt and became a commander of naval units of the Baltic Fleet. Two years later, he was made Chief of Staff of the Black Sea Fleet.

In February-June of 1833, Lazarev led a Russian squadron to the Bosporus and signed the Treaty of Hunkar-Iskelesi with Turkey. In 1833, Lazarev was appointed Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, the Black Sea ports, and also military governor of Sevastopol and Nikolayev.

Influence and Legacy

Admiral Lazarev was influential both in technical matters and as a mentor to younger officers. He advocated the creation of a steam-powered fleet, but Russia's technical and economical backwardness was a major hindrance to this. He also tutored a number of the Russian fleet commanders, including Pavel Nakhimov, Vladimir Kornilov,Vladimir Istomin, and Grigory Butakov.

An atoll in the Pacific Ocean, capes in the Amur estuary and on the Unimak Island, an island in the Aral Sea, a bay and a port in the Sea of Japan and other locations bear Lazarev's name.

Several Russian ships were named after the Admiral

A Light Cruiser ordered for the Imperial Navy in 1914 completed and renamed the Krasny Kavkaz after the revolution
A Sverdlov class cruiser built in the early 1950's
The Kirov class battlecruiser Frunze was renamed Admiral Lazarev after the fall of Communism

External links

A map of his Antarctic expedition (in Russian), attention - all dates there are Julian

References and notes