Vasili Vasilyevich Pronchishchev (russian: Василий Васильевич Прончищев) (1702–) was a Russian explorer. In 1718, Vasili Pronchishchev graduated from

Moscow School of Mathematics and Navigation Moscow School of Mathematics and Navigation () was a Russian educational institution founded by Peter the Great in 1701. Situated in the Sukharev Tower, it provided Russians with technical education for the first time and much of its curriculum w ...

and was promoted to naval cadet. In 1733, he was promoted to the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

and appointed head of one of the units of the

Second Kamchatka Expedition The Great Northern Expedition (russian: Великая Северная экспедиция) or Second Kamchatka Expedition (russian: Вторая Камчатская экспедиция) was one of the largest exploration enterprises in hi ...

, the purpose of which was to map the shores of the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...

from the mouth of the

Lena Lena or LENA may refer to: Places * Léna Department, a department of Houet Province in Burkina Faso * Lena, Manitoba, an unincorporated community located in Killarney-Turtle Mountain municipality in Manitoba, Canada * Lena, Norway, a village in � ...

to the mouth of the

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 ...

. In 1735, Vasili Pronchishchev went down the Lena River (from

Yakutsk Yakutsk (russian: Якутск, p=jɪˈkutsk; sah, Дьокуускай, translit=Djokuuskay, ) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one of ...

) on his

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

''Yakutsk'', doubled its delta, and stopped for wintering at the mouth of the Olenek River. Many members of the crew fell ill and died, mainly owing to

scurvy Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...

. Despite the difficulties, in 1736, he reached the eastern shore of the

Taymyr Peninsula The Taymyr Peninsula (russian: Таймырский полуостров, Taymyrsky poluostrov) is a peninsula in the Far North of Russia, in the Siberian Federal District, that forms the northernmost part of the mainland of Eurasia. Administrati ...

and went north along its coastline. Finally Pronchishchev and his wife Maria (also referred to as Tatyana Feodorovna) succumbed to scurvy and died on the way back. Despite the death toll, the expedition was successful regarding the fulfillment of its goals. During his journey, Vasili Pronchishchev discovered a number of islands off the northeastern coast of the Taymyr Peninsula (

Faddey Islands The Faddey Islands (Russian: Острова Фаддея; Ostrova Faddeya) is a group of islands in the Laptev Sea, Russia. Geography The Faddey Islands group is located in the coastal region, off Faddey Bay (залив Фаддея) in the coas ...

Komsomolskoy Pravdy Islands The Komsomolskaya Pravda Islands (russian: Острова Комсомольской Правды, ''Ostrova Komsomol'skoy Pravdy'') are an archipelago in the far north of the Russian Federation. The islands are uninhabited and are covered with tun ...

Saint Peter Islands The Saint Peter Islands, also known as Saint Petra Islands or Petra Islands (russian: Острова Петра, ''Ostrova Petra'') are two islands covered with tundra vegetation, shingle and ice. These islands, as well as some other islands nearb ...

). His expedition was the first to accurately map the Lena River from Yakutsk to its estuary and the Laptev seacoast from the Lena's mouth to the Gulf of Faddey. Pronchishchev's wife Maria Pronchishcheva (died 12(23) September 1736), who took part in his expedition, is considered the first female polar explorer. After their deaths, both of them were interred at the mouth of the Olenek River. Further information is now available from the Hakluit Society via a summary written by William Barr in July 2018, "The Arctic Detachments of the Russian Great Northern Expedition (1733-43) and their largely forgotten and even Clandestine Predecessors". On page 12 of the summary is shown information and maps on the Lena-Khatanga detachment led by Pronchishchev. A part of the eastern coastline of the Taymyr Peninsula and a ridge between the mouths of the Olenek and

Anabar River The Anabar ( rus, Анабар, r=Anabar, in its upper course: Большая Куонамка ''Bolshaya Kuonamka''; sah, Анаабыр, translit=Anaabyr) is a river in Sakha, Russia. It is long ( counting the long Bolshaya Kuonamka ("Big Kuo ...

s bear Vasili Pronchishchev's name. Icebreaker ''Vasili Pronchishchev'', built in 1961 in Leningrad, was also named after this pioneering Arctic explorer.

Maria Pronchishcheva Bay Maria Pronchishcheva Bay (russian: Бухта Марии Прончищевой, or ''Bukhta Marii Pronchishchevoy'') is a body of water in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russian Federation. It was named after pioneering Russian explorer Vasili Pronchishchev ...

in the

Laptev Sea The Laptev Sea ( rus, мо́ре Ла́птевых, r=more Laptevykh; sah, Лаптевтар байҕаллара, translit=Laptevtar baỹğallara) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between the northern coast of Siberia, th ...

is named after his wife Maria.

References

Historical data
* Excavations at the burial site of the couple

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pronchishchev, Vasili 1702 births 1736 deaths Explorers of the Arctic Explorers from the Russian Empire Explorers of Asia Explorers of Siberia Laptev Sea Deaths from scurvy 18th-century people from the Russian Empire Great Northern Expedition Imperial Russian Navy personnel