On a history of Russian nineteenth century continental explorations in Alaska

Abstract

In the 1840s, Russian-American Company paid much attention to exploration of the interior of continental Alaska. A ground for such an explorations has been solidly prepared by the Company’s fur extracting activities and by the preceding treks by Vasil’iev, Kolmakov, Glazunov, Malakhov, Lukin and Zagoskin. Russians were by now acquainted in general terms with geography and peoples inhabiting the lower courses of the Kvikhpak (the Yukon) and Kuskokwim rivers. The tribes inhabiting these region, on their part, were informed, at least indirectly, with Russian promyshlenniki’s activities through the process of fur barter trade and by this time did not consider contacts with them as an evil to be avoided at any cost. Zagoskin’s expedition was an outstanding achievement with respect to the study of the environment and population of Alaska’s interior. Arvid Adolf Etholen’s and Voznesenskii’s materials, together with the reports about the remarkable expedition by Zagoskin, attracted close attention of the leadership of the Geographical Society.