Vasili Pronchishchev

Vasily Vasilyevich Prontschischtschew (Russian Василий Васильевич Прончищев; * 1702; .. † 29 Augustjul / September 9 1736greg in the Laptev Sea ) was a Russian explorer and polar explorer.

1733 Marine officer was appointed head of the northern group of the Second Kamchatka. The group should cover the entire coast between Arkhangelsk and today's Bering Strait measured and mapped. Idea was to search for the Northeast Passage.

Prontschischtschews plan was on the Ob and the Lena to build inland ships then sail up to the respective estuaries and from there should explore from the coast. One in Tobolsk on Whether built ship was to sail from the estuary to the east and meet with one built on the Lena ship, which in turn, should sail west. A third, also built on the Lena ship received the order to drive east to Kamchatka.

Prontschischtschew even sailed from Yakutsk Coming Lena downstream. Due to a navigational error in the Lena Delta, he wintered in 1735 at the mouth of Olenjoks. In 1736 he reached the east coast of the Taimyr peninsula. However, the expedition was ill-fated: Many team members ill and died of scurvy. During the attempted detour around the peninsula eventually died in 1736 also Prontschischtschew and his wife Maria (or Tatiana ) who had accompanied him.

Despite the unfortunate end of the expedition was successful from a scientific point of view: they brought the first accurate maps of the Lena - run and the northern Siberian coast line between Lena estuary and the Taymyr Peninsula. Furthermore Prontschischtschew discovered numerous islands along the coast.

After Prontschischtschew a part of the east coast Taimyrs and Prontschischtschew - back between Olenjok and Anabar is named, recalls his wife and companion of the name of a bay in the Laptev Sea.