Sitka in Sitka Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
250th Anniversary of the Bering- Chirikov Expedition
1741-1991
[Top rim]:
К 250 летию экспедиции В. И. Беринга и А.И. Чирикова
Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Bering-Chirikov Expedition
(English version on left):
May the wheel of change forever turn with peace, justice and opportunity
(Russian version on right)
Пусть штурвал перемен навсегда ведет к миру и справедливость
Sitka Alaska
Erected 1991.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Notable Events • Notable Places.
Location. 57° 3.074′ N, 135° 20.389′ W. Marker is in Sitka, Alaska, in Sitka Borough. The coordinates are approximate. Marker is on the grounds of the Alaska Pioneers Home. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 120 Katlian St, Sitka AK 99835, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sentinel of a Divided Town (about 300 feet away); Forest Service House (about 700 feet away); Tilson Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); American Sitka (approx. 0.2 miles away); American Flag Raising Site (approx. 0.2 miles away); Noow Tlein (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sitka.
Regarding 250th Anniversary of the Bering- Chirikov Expedition. The Second Kamchatka Expedition of 1733-1743 had scientific as well as imperial intentions. After the Sv. Petr and Sv. Pavlov were separated in mid-July, Chirikov sailed east and Bering’s crew spotted mountains, naming the highest peak St. Elias. Between the 18th and the 20th of July, both Chirikov and Bering had, separately, reached North America. Bering, fearing diminishing supplies and poor sailing conditions for the rest of the voyage, granted German botanist Georg Stellar and other scientists who had come on the lengthy journey just one single day to work ashore. They stopped at other islands, interacting and making some small trade with the local peoples with the aid of an indigenous translator from eastern Siberia.
On August 30, the Sv. Petr sat at anchor off the Shumagin Islands off the Alaskan coast, and in early September they sailed the south side of the Aleutians, trying to get back to Kamchatka before the winter set in. Chirikov sailed the Sv. Petrov back to Kamchatka in October, but Bering and the Sv. Petr were immobile, as almost the entire crew had scurvy. Bering’s men landed on an island and, after Bering’s death, managed to build a small vessel from the wood of the Petr, which was too large to re-float and sail with the diminished crew. The ship’s carpenter had also perished with scurvy, but the sailors managed to craft a small vessel and made their way back to the Siberian coast when the winter passed.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 1, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 20, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 3,324 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 20, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 4. submitted on June 23, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. 5. submitted on June 20, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.