Matvey Ivanovich Muravyev (russian: Матвей Иванович Муравьёв; March 24, 1784 – September 27, 1836) was a Russian explorer and officer of the

Russian Imperial 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 ...

. In 1820 he was appointed by the

Russian-American Company The Russian-American Company Under the High Patronage of His Imperial Majesty (russian: Под высочайшим Его Императорского Величества покровительством Российская-Американс� ...

as Chief Manager, based in present-day Alaska and responsible for the company's colonization and trading efforts.

Career

Muravyev was a graduate of 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 ...

.Pierce, Richard A. ''Russian America: A Biographical Dictionary.'' Kingston, Canada: The Limestone Press. 1990, pp. 368-371. Eventually he gained a commission as Lt. Commander on 12 October 1820 in 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 ...

. In the same year he was appointed to direct the

, based in present-day Alaska, as Chief Manager, effectively governor of the Russian colonies there. Judged to be "an able administrator in a difficult time", Muravyev oversaw a growth of company operations. The Sitka

Tlingit The Tlingit ( or ; also spelled Tlinkit) are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their language is the Tlingit language (natively , pronounced ),

were allowed to return to their traditional residential areas, after previously been forced out under previous Chief Manager Aleksandr Baranov, after warfare over the location of the Russian fort at New Archangel (Sitka). The Tlingit built their dwellings directly outside the

New Archangel russian: Ситка , native_name_lang = tli , settlement_type = Consolidated city-borough , image_skyline = File:Sitka 84 Elev 135.jpg , image_caption = Downtown Sitka in 1984 , image_size ...

palisade and under "strict rules" established by Muravyev. The renewed trade with the Tlingit gave New Archangel "a better standard of living."Black, Lydia T. ''Russians in Alaska, 1732-1867.'' Fairbanks, AK: University of Alaska Press. 2004, pp. 196-198. Construction of the first hospital founded by Russians in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

began during Murayeve's tenure. Muravyev began a practice adopted as RAC procedure, for the Chief Manager to tour the scattered company stations, including those located in the

Andreanof Islands The Andreanof Islands ( ale, Niiĝuĝim tanangis, russian: Андреяновские острова) are a group of islands in the Aleutian Islands in southwestern Alaska. They are located at about 52° North and 172°57' to 179°09' West. Geogr ...

. During Muravyev's tenure, the RAC stations faced difficulty in securing provisions. In 1821, several company ships either sank or became unseaworthy while sailing from

Kronstadt Kronstadt (russian: Кроншта́дт, Kronshtadt ), also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt or Kronštádt (from german: link=no, Krone for "crown" and ''Stadt'' for "city") is a Russian port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of ...

with supplies. Only the small ''Riurik'' reached the RAC base, carrying a minor amount of supplies compared to what was needed. News soon reached Muravyev that the company officers, based in St. Petersburg - a year's travel time away, incorrectly believed that New Archangel was well provisioned and would send no further supply ships for two years. Muravyev dispatched two ships for supplies to prevent starvation. Lt. Arvid Etholén, a future Governor of

Russian America Russian America (russian: Русская Америка, Russkaya Amerika) was the name for the Russian Empire's colonial possessions in North America from 1799 to 1867. It consisted mostly of present-day Alaska in the United States, but a ...

, commanded a ship that sailed to the

Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, or Kingdom of Hawaiʻi ( Hawaiian: ''Ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina''), was a sovereign state located in the Hawaiian Islands. The country was formed in 1795, when the warrior chief Kamehameha the Great, of the independent island ...

. Another sailed to the markets of

Yerba Buena, California Yerba Buena was the original name of the settlement that later became San Francisco. Located near the northeastern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, between the Presidio of San Francisco and the Mission San Francisco de Asís, it was original ...

to buy supplies. While the Russians gathered enough flour and other needed supplies to survive until more products could be purchased from visiting British and American ships, Russian America remained dependent on outside sources of foodstuffs. Muravyev completed his five-year term in 1825, when he was replaced by Pyotr Chistyakov.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muravyev, Matvey Ivanovich 1784 births 1836 deaths Governors of the Russian-American Company 19th-century people from the Russian Empire Explorers from the Russian Empire People from Luga, Leningrad Oblast Naval Cadet Corps alumni