Ivan Semyonovich Unkovsky (russian: Ива́н Семёнович У́нковский; 29 March 1822 – 11 August 1886), was an admiral, explorer and surveyor of the

Imperial Russian Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from a ...

. After his navy years, Unkovsky served as a military and civil governor of Yaroslav.

Biography

Unkovsky was born in Kolyshevo, in the

Peremyshlsky Uyezd Peremyshlsky Uyezd (''Перемы́шльский уе́зд'') was one of the subdivisions of the Kaluga Governorate of the Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, rul ...

Kaluga Governorate Kaluga Governorate (1796–1929) was a List of governorates of the Russian Empire, governorate of the Russian Empire and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR. Its capital was Kaluga. Administrative division Kaluga Go ...

, where his father was an officer in the Imperial Russian Navy. In 1835, on the personal recommendation of

Tsar Nicholas I , house = Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp , father = Paul I of Russia , mother = Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg) , birth_date = , birth_place = Gatchina Palace, Gatchina, Russian Empire , death_date = ...

, he entered the

Sea Cadet Corps Sea cadets are members of a sea cadet corps, a formal uniformed youth organisation for young people with an interest in waterborne activities and or the national navy. The organisation may be sponsored in whole or in part by the navy or a naval s ...

, from which he graduated in 1839. He was assigned to the

Baltic Fleet , image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg , image_size = 150 , caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign , dates = 18 May 1703 – present , country = , allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present) ...

on the brig ''Kazarsky'' in 1840. However, in spring 1841, at the request of his father, he transferred to the

Black Sea Fleet Chernomorskiy flot , image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet , dates = May 13, ...

Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Southern Ukraine, the Administrative centre, administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides U ...

(Nikolaev), serving on numerous vessels through 1843, gathering intelligence on the status of foreign navies and political environment in the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean. He was awarded the Order of St Stanislav (3rd class) and the

Order of St Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Hols ...

(3rd class). From 1846, he commanded the yacht and participated in manly sailing competitions, winning several awards, including the imperial prize in a three-month-long race from the Black Sea to the Baltic, via

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

. In 1849, he was appointed commander of the brig ''Aeneas'', and from 1850 to 1851 was assigned to intelligence gathering missions in the Mediterranean. He was appointed an adjunct to Tsar Nicholas I in 1851. As commander of the frigate ''Pallada'' in 1852, he participated in the secret diplomatic mission to Japan, headed by Vice-Admiral

Yevfimy Putyatin Yevfimiy Vasilyevich Putyatin (russian: Евфи́мий Васи́льевич Путя́тин; November 8, 1803 – October 16, 1883), also known as was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy. His diplomatic mission to Japan r ...

. The fleet reached Nagasaki in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

in 1853, contributing many important discoveries in

oceanography Oceanography (), also known as oceanology and ocean science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamic ...

along the way. The expedition also led to the signing of the

Treaty of Shimoda The Treaty of Shimoda (下田条約, ''Shimoda Jouyaku'') (formally Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Russia 日露和親条約, ''Nichi-Ro Washin Jouyaku'') of February 7, 1855, was the first treaty between the Russian Empire, a ...

, a commercial treaty between Japan and Russia which was followed by the opening of the Russian foreign settlement at

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...

.William McOmie, The Frigate Askold and the Opening of the Russian Foreign Settlement at Nagasaki
/ref> Unkovsky was promoted to captain, 2nd class in 1854 and was awarded the Order of St Anna, 2nd class in 1855. In the following years, from 1857 to 1860, he was commander of the frigate "Askold" in various missions in the Far East. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1860. Returning to civilian life in 1861, he served as governor of

Yaroslavl Governorate Yaroslavl Governorate (russian: Ярославская губерния, ''Yaroslavskaya guberniya'') was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, located in European Russia in the Upper Volga ...

until 1873. An island in the

Nordenskiöld Archipelago The Nordenskiöld Archipelago or Nordenskjold Archipelago (russian: Архипелаг Норденшельда, Arkhipelag Nordenshel'da) is a large and complex cluster of islands in the eastern region of the Kara Sea. Its eastern limit lies ...

was named after this Russian explorer.

Decorations

Order of St Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine the Great, Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev, ...

2nd class, 1st class * Band to Order St Alexander Nevsky

Order of St. Alexander Nevsky The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia. History The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Empero ...

Order of the White Eagle * Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Hol ...

3rd class, 2nd class, 1st class * Order of Saint Stanislaus Ribbon

Order of St Stanislav 1st class

References

External links

Portrait
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unkovsky, Ivan 1822 births 1886 deaths People from Kaluga Oblast People from Peremyshlsky Uyezd Russian nobility Imperial Russian Navy admirals Explorers from the Russian Empire Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia) Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 1st class Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 3rd class Naval Cadet Corps alumni

Biography

Decorations

See also

References

External links