About the book: 2014 / Russians take a long time to harness, but travel quickly. This old saying best characterizes Russia's contribution to the history of geographical discoveries. Having a huge sea border, the Russian Empire was considered a land power. At the beginning of the 19th century, her hour finally struck. However, is unhurried, careful cabotage development of neighboring waters and shores a task for the Russians? Having delayed the start for three centuries, Russia could not imagine any other voyage other than a circumnavigation. This was prompted by her trade and military interests, questions of prestige, and the needs of the rapidly developing geographical science. Two brilliant naval officers, two patriots, driven equally by ambition and the desire to serve the Fatherland, headed this enterprise. These were captains who had excellent naval and military training - Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern (1770-1846) and Yuri Fedorovich Lisyansky (1773-1837). In 1803-1806, on the sloops “Nadezhda” and “Neva”, they made the first Russian circumnavigation. Leaving Kronstadt, the expedition visited Denmark, England, crossed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, paid special attention to Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, and delivered to Japan the Russian embassy headed by the famous N.P. Rezanov (1764-1807), now known to the general public from the rock opera “Juno and Avos”... During the voyage of the “Nadezhda” and “Neva” such a huge astronomical, geographical and ethnographic material that it has not been fully studied even today. Particularly interesting are the descriptions of the life and character of the “savages” and stories about Kamchatka and Japan. A remarkable fact: Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky made such an impression on the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun that they became characters in Japanese engravings. In addition to the remarkable scientific results obtained by the expedition, in addition to the numerous diaries kept by its participants, the first Russian circumnavigation of the world was crowned with magnificent and worthy monuments - compiled I. F. Kruzenshtern with a two-volume “Atlas of the South Sea” and wonderful notes from both captains about this journey. After all, sometimes the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva” separated and went on separate routes. Kruzenshtern's Notes is a fascinating and detailed story about the first Russian round-the-world expedition, about how Russia established connections with the then Russian Alaska and California. The publishing house plans to release an equally interesting book by Yu. F. Lisyansky, “A Voyage Around the World on the Neva Ship,” in 2015. The electronic publication of I. F. Kruzenshtern’s book includes all the texts of the paper book and basic illustrative material. But for true connoisseurs of exclusive publications, we offer a gift classic book. The paper edition is richly decorated: it contains more than 150 illustrations, rare ancient maps and unique drawings, including those made by Kruzenshtern himself and the participants of this great expedition. The publication is printed on beautiful offset paper. In terms of the richness and variety of illustrative material, the books in the “Great Travels” gift series are not inferior to art albums. Editions of the series will adorn any, even the most sophisticated library, and will be a wonderful gift for both young readers and discerning bibliophiles..