BARANOV A.A. - organizer and researcher of "Russian America"

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Anatol
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Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:13 pm

BARANOV A.A. - organizer and researcher of "Russian America"

Post by Anatol » Tue Apr 05, 2022 3:35 pm

G. I. Shelikhov, leaving Russian America in 1786, found himself a worthy successor, Alexander Andreevich Baranov.A. A. Baranov was a brilliant organizer, an excellent navigator and explorer. Entering Shelikhov in 1790, Baranov, from the founding of the Russian-American Company, that is, from 1799, remained the main ruler of Russian settlements in America until 1818. In total, A. A. Baranov spent 28 years in Russian America. In 1790, Baranov on the galliot "Three Saints" under the command of navigator Dmitry Ivanovich Bocharov crossed from Okhotsk to Unalashka Island. Here the ship was wrecked. The team escaped to the shore, during the winter they built canoes and moved to Kodiak Island, on which at that time the management of Shelikhov's enterprises was located.
In 1791-1793. Baranov by canoes circumnavigated the entire island of Kodiak, penetrated the Kenai Bay, passed to the northeast along the shores of the Kenai Peninsula and described the Chugatsky Bay. In 1795, Baranov, commanding the “Olga” cutter, explored the northern and eastern shores of the Gulf of Alaska up to and including Sitka Island (now Baranov Island). During this voyage, Baranov in many places on the shore put up crosses and copper boards with the inscription “Land of Russian possession”, as was customary under Shelikhov.
In 1799, Baranov, appointed the chief ruler of Russian America, went from Kodiak Island to Sitka Island and founded the fortified settlement of Arkhangelsk there. In 1802, in the absence of Baranov, the local Koloshi Indians (Tlingit) burned this settlement, and killed most of the Russians. This incident was one of the reasons that led to the sending of warships to Russian America. As early as 1804, the sloop “Neva” under the command of Captain-Lieutenant Lisyansky, which had just arrived from the Baltic Sea, helped Baranov restore Russian power on the island of Sitka. Baranov built a new fortress on the island - Novo-Arkhangelsk and transferred the administration of Russian America to this fortress. Subsequently, from Novo-Arkhangelsk, Baranov sent industrial and research parties both north and south along the western coast of North America.
Throughout Baranov's tenure as the chief ruler of Russian America, he faced all sorts of difficulties. This, fortunately, was put an end to in 1799 after the formation of the Russian-American Company. Then he had to deal with the hostile actions of some tribes inhabiting the shores and islands of the Pacific Ocean. Baranov's wise actions, his concern for the local residents who entered the service of the Company, and this was gradually eliminated. Despite the instigation of foreigners, many tribes voluntarily passed into Russian citizenship and joined Russian culture.
One of the main difficulties that continued throughout the existence of Russian America was the constant need for imported food products. Due to the extremely rainy climate on Kodiak, on the shores of the Gulf of Alaska and on Baranov Island, rye and wheat did not germinate at all, and barley was born poorly. The vegetables ripened but were watery. The delivery of products from Siberia via Okhotsk or by ship from Kronstadt was unreliable and very expensive. That is why Baranov sought to populate the more southern and more fertile sections of the coast of North America.
During Baranov's tenure as the chief ruler of Russian America, cargo from the Baltic Sea was brought on ships belonging to the Russian-American Company: “Nadezhda (1804), Neva (1804, 1807), Suvorov (1814, 1817), Kutuzov ” (1817). In addition, the sloop-of-war “Diana” (1809) and the brig “Rurik”, which belonged to Count N. P. Rumyantsev (1817, 1818), visited Russian America.
Of course, such a rare shipment of ships from the Baltic Sea could not satisfy the needs of Russian America. Therefore, Baranov organized the construction of ships on the spot, bought foreign ships and hired foreigners to serve on ships, since there were very few Russian sailors at his disposal.
The activity of A. A. Baranov was widely known in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. So, after Slobodchikov's visit in 1807 and Gagemeister in 1808 to the Hawaiian Islands, King Kamehameah, through the Americans, offered Baranov to enter into trade relations and even wanted to come to Baranov himself for negotiations.
In 1814, Baranov sent the company ship «Bering” to the Hawaiian Islands, but this ship was wrecked near the Hawaiian Islands and was plundered by the natives.
In 1815, Baranov sent Dr. Schaefer, who had arrived on the «Suvorov» ship, to the Hawaiian Islands and remained in the service in Russian America. Schaefer tried not only to establish trade relations with the Hawaiian Islands, but even to settle on them. On the northern Hawaiian Islands, he founded a small Russian settlement, concluded favorable agreements with the king of these islands, Tomari, who even asked the Russian tsar to take him under his protection. The tsar granted Tomari a gold medal with the inscription: “To Tomari, the owner of the Sandwich Islands, as a token of his friendship for the Russians.” The Russian flag fluttered for a long time in the northern Hawaiian Islands.
In 1816, Baranov tried to start a trade with Manila. Baranov did a lot to strengthen the economy of Russian America and to raise the culture of the local population. He was also constantly engaged in geographical surveys of the areas occupied by the Russian-American Company. For this purpose, Baranov systematically sent special parties. He took part in many such surveys.
In 1818, Baranov, by order from St. Petersburg, handed over his affairs to the newly appointed ruler of the affairs of Russian America, Lieutenant Commander Gagemeister, who arrived in Russian America on the Kutuzov ship. On the same ship, Baranov went to Russia, but on the way from Batavia (now Jakarta) in 1819 he died at the age of 73 and was buried at sea.
On the stamp 30k - the city of Novo-Arkhangelsk on the island of Sitka and the sloop "NEVA" that arrived in 1804.
On stamp 77p - a monument to A.A. Baranov, installed on the island of Sitka. Sculptor Joan Bagby-Jackson.
Russia 1991;30k; SG6235.
LPR 2021;77r.
Sources: https://rusoceanografic.ru/tag/baranov/.
http://www.navy.su/persons/02/text/bara ... ov_aa.html.
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