The round-the-world expedition of the Tomsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society at noon on April 25 left the shores of the hospitable Easter Island and entered the Pacific Ocean. In the next three to four weeks, the new vessel, the Tion-Russian Ocean Way catamaran, will have to cover about 2,000 miles to Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands archipelago. Russians were seen off to Rapanui as if they were old friends – to the music and with special “nautical words”.
— Cultural leader and active propagandist of the traditions of the peoples of Easter Island Lynn Tuki Rapu organized the ceremony of entering the ocean of the “Russian inflatable canoe”. About 100 people gathered: Rapanui, Chileans, our friends, local police, customs, sanitary control, Chilean military sailors – said the leader of the expedition Evgeny Kovalevsky.
At the farewell ceremony for the expedition, a large national ensemble from Easter Island performed. Drums beat, the song sounded with guitars and ukuleles. Lynn Tuki Rapo himself uttered special parting words “sea words”, holding a ritual shell in his hands. On the occasion of an important historical event, the crew was presented with chicken meat.
The sailors thanked the islanders for the warm welcome and help in preparing the vessel for the continuation of the voyage. Evgeny Kovalevsky recalled important milestones and continuity in the maritime history of Polynesia, Rapanui, Russia in the 19th century and the modern Russian Federation.
Rapanui is a beautiful island! We were happy to be here! — admitted the captain of the catamaran Tion-Russian Ocean Way Stanislav Berezkin.
The ceremony of farewell to the Russian crew did not end there. The catamaran was seen off at sea for a long time by local residents in canoes and boats, as well as a warship of Chile.
“Raise two staysails. We go to the northwest 315 ° at a speed of 5 knots. Wind speed 10 knots. The wind is southeast. Not hot and not cold. The expedition continues,” — Evgeny Kovalevsky noted in his diary.
Around the world on Easter Island spent about a month. This time spent on preparation a new ship to replace lost in a storm in the Pacific Ocean trimaran. Thanks to the efforts of the crew and the onshore headquarters of the expedition, the voyage, which began almost two years ago, will continue.
July 1, 2021 Siberian travelers Evgeny Kovalevsky and Stanislav Beryozkin went along the route of the first Russian round-the-world expeditions of the 19th century: Ivan Krusenstern (1803–1806), Yuri Lisyansky (1803–1806), Otto Kotzebue (1815–1818, 1823–1826), Vasily Golovnin (1817–1819), Fyodor Litke (1826– 1829), Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev (1819–1921). The international project of the Tomsk regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society “On the way of Russian sailors around the world” is dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the birth of Krusenstern and the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica by Russian sailors. These events for a long time determined Russia’s leadership in the development of the oceans and the discovery of new lands. You can learn more about the project and provide all possible assistance in its implementation. on the expedition website.
Alexander Zhirnov
