Maksim Perfilyev (russian: Максим Перфильев (b. 1580 – d. 1638) was a

Cossack The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...

explorer of

Eastern Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

and the first Russian to reach Transbaikalia. He was renowned for his diplomatic skills in negotiations with Tunguses,

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

and Chinese. In 1618–19 Perfilyev was co-founder of

Yeniseysk Yeniseysk ( rus, Енисейск, p=jɪnʲɪˈsʲejsk) is a town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. Population: 20,000 (1970). History Yeniseysk was founded in 1619 as a stockaded town—the first town on the Yenise ...

y ostrog, the first Russian fort at the central part of the great

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part ...

n river

Yenisey The Yenisey (russian: Енисе́й, ''Yeniséy''; mn, Горлог мөрөн, ''Gorlog mörön''; Buryat: Горлог мүрэн, ''Gorlog müren''; Tuvan: Улуг-Хем, ''Uluğ-Hem''; Khakas: Ким суғ, ''Kim suğ''; Ket: Ӄук, ...

, a major starting point for further expeditions eastward. Siberiariverroutemap

From 1618–27 he made several journeys on the

Angara The Angara ( Buryat and mn, Ангар, ''Angar'', "Cleft"; russian: Ангара́, ''Angará'') is a major river in Siberia, which traces a course through Russia's Irkutsk Oblast and Krasnoyarsk Krai. It drains out of Lake Baikal and is ...

and

Ilim The Ilim (russian: Илим) is a river in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia, a right tributary of the Angara. It flows north between and parallel to the rivers Angara and Lena, and then swings west to join the Angara south of Ust-Ilimsk. Geography The ...

rivers, and built several new ostrogs. In 1631 he founded

Bratsk Bratsk ( rus, Братск, p=bratsk) is a city in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Angara River near the vast Bratsk Reservoir. Etymology The name sounds like the Russian word for "brother" ("", ''brat''), and derives from the phrase 'br ...

y ostrog (modern Bratsk). In 1639–40 he sailed up the

Vitim River The Vitim (russian: Витим; evn, Витым, ; sah, Виитим, ; Buryat and mn, Витим, ''Vitim'') is a major tributary of the Lena. Its source is east of Lake Baikal, at the confluence of rivers Vitimkan from the west and China f ...

as far as the Tsipa thereby becoming the first Russian to enter Transbaikalia, then known as Dauria. Perfilyev gave his name to the village of Maksimovschina, where on the banks of the

Irkut River The Irkut (russian: Ирку́т; Buryat and mn, Эрхүү гол, ''Erhüü go''l) is a river in the Buryat Republic and Irkutsk Oblast of Russia. It is a left tributary of the Angara. It flows out of lake Ilchir which is situated 50 km ...

were his hunting lands. Maksimikha Bay on

Lake Baikal Lake Baikal (, russian: Oзеро Байкал, Ozero Baykal ); mn, Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur) is a rift lake in Russia. It is situated in southern Siberia, between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the ...

(part of the larger Barguzin Bay) and Cape Maksimin in that bay, as well as the nearby Maksimikha village are also named after him. He was the first settler in Maksimikha, where he lived with his wife from Buryat people. His son Ivan Maksimovich Perfilyev was also a famous voevoda and

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or interna ...

in Siberia.

References

External links

The Perfilyevs family

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perfilyev, Maksim Russian explorers Russian diplomats Explorers of Siberia Russian Cossacks History of Siberia 17th-century Russian people 1580 births 1638 deaths Tsardom of Russia people