The world famous novel about the extraordinary adventures of Robinson Crusoe has long been ranked among the classics. As it has long been known, Daniel Defoe based the plot of his book on a real story that happened to Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor. But not everyone knows that a very similar story happened in Russia a century and a half ago, only our "Robinson" ended up not on a tropical island, but on the shores of the harsh Sea of Okhotsk.
Stormy youth of "Russian Robinson"
In 1882, the journal "Russian Starina" published a note by the researcher of Siberia and entrepreneur Alexander Sibiryakov, in which he spoke about the "Russian Robinson". The man's name was Sergei Petrovich Lisitsyn. A hereditary nobleman, Lisitsyn graduated from the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of the prestigious St. Petersburg Imperial University and received a PhD in Mathematics.
Sergei's father was an officer in the Russian army and died in the battle of Silistria. The boy was raised by his aunt; his childhood was spent in the Kursk province, in the Sosnovka estate. Having received an excellent education, the young nobleman did not want to engage in scientific and teaching activities, however, and became the cornet of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment.
However, Lisitsyn did not enjoy the bright life of the capital's guard for long. An end was put to her by a duel between him and the regimental adjutant, which, fortunately, ended without casualties. Now, instead of the magnificent hussar mentic, Lisitsyn was expected by a dismal bureaucratic coat. It was unbearable for the retired cornet to become another "Akaki Akakievich". Therefore, he enthusiastically accepts the invitation of his relative, who was serving in Alaska at the time, to come to the edge of the New World. Lisitsyn was 24 years old when, full of hopes and daring plans, he stepped on the deck of a transport ship of the Russian Navy. It was 1847 …
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How the troublemaker hussar becomes "Robinson"
The officers' wardroom received the retired cornet very friendly. However, he also managed to show his cocky disposition here. Once drunk Lisitsyn uttered a bunch of impudences to the commander of the ship, for which he was sent under arrest. Sitting in his own locked cabin, he began to incite the guard sailors to mutiny. The captain of the ship ordered to twist the instigator and, blindfold him, disembark on a deserted shore.
Having freed himself from the bonds, the unfortunate rebel tore off the blindfold and saw on the horizon a departing ship. However, by order of the noble captain, Lisitsyna was left, in addition to suitcases with clothes, a sheepskin coat, three pairs of boots, two pistols, a dagger, a saber, a supply of tea and sugar, a folding knife, a pocket gold watch, a couple of flasks of vodka, a pound of crackers, as well as written accessories, a supply of writing paper, notebooks, tea and shaving equipment, a supply of matches, paints, pencils, drawing paper, credit notes for 2800 rubles and even two hundred Havana cigars.
This considerable baggage was accompanied by a good gun and 26 rounds for it, as well as a note from the commander of the ship. He wrote that, according to the Naval Regulations, the deed of "dear Sergei Petrovich" deserves death. However, the captain gives him life, since he spares Lisitsyn's youth and wonderful talents, and moreover, his undoubted kindness of the heart. Further, the captain expressed a desire that the difficulties of a solitary life would correct the unfortunate character of the young man. At the end, he added: if someday fate brings us together again, which I really want, I hope we will not meet as enemies …
Is it easy to be a Robinson?
The nobleman Lisitsyn never had to do anything with his own hands: for this there were serfs in the estate, and a batman in the regiment. The young man knew that the ship was in the Sea of Okhotsk, and hoped that they had landed it on a piece of land belonging to the ridge of the Kuril or Aleutian Islands. Alas, Lisitsyn soon became convinced that the situation in which he found himself was nowhere worse: the Sea of Okhotsk was rising in front of him, the eternal dense taiga rustled behind him, in which poisonous snakes, bears, lynxes, wolves were found …
A week passed - and the "Russian Robinson" already had his own house with a stove and furniture. Lisitsyn himself made a bow, arrows and a sling, deciding to save rifle cartridges. By the way, the latter were very useful to him when in winter a pack of hungry wolves burst into the house: the hermit killed eight predators point-blank with a gun. Before that, he was lucky enough to shoot a bear and provide himself with a supply of bear meat and a warm fur coat. In the summer, Lisitsyn fished, collected mushrooms in the taiga and dried them for future use.
This story was not without Friday. In April, Sergei Petrovich was walking along the seashore, assessing the consequences of recent storms, when he suddenly saw a man lying face down unconscious. Later it turned out that the man's name was Vasily and he and his son sailed on transport to Russian America. When the ship started to leak, everyone fled from it, and Vasily and his son were forgotten.
The ship was found nearby. In addition to a sixteen-year-old boy, he had eight Kholmogory cows and a bull, sixteen oxen, twenty-six sheep, cats and two shepherd dogs, as well as food supplies, rye and barley seeds, weapons, two telescopes and a telescope, a samovar, a gardening and construction tool.
The Russian version of Robinson Crusoe is much more humane
Seven months of forced loneliness completely weathered the arrogance of the former master. With his assistants, he renovated the house and the bathhouse over the summer, learned how to make sour cream, butter, cottage cheese and cheese, plowed the field, where he then harvested rye and barley. The labor commune of Lisitsyn organized an abundant catch of river and sea fish, collected and processed mushrooms, berries, forest herbs …
Chinese smugglers periodically tried to attack the commune, but the settlers used a naval cannon taken from a ship against them. Somehow Russian warships approached the coast, sent to defend our borders from uninvited Chinese guests. It was they who helped their compatriots to repel another attack of the Chinese.
Ten years have passed. In 1857, writer and scientist Alexander Sibiryakov met with Sergei Petrovich Lisitsyn, the hospitable owner of the Amur gold and copper mines. He found deposits of gold and copper ore at the time of his loneliness. By the way, the government appointed Lisitsyn to manage these lands.
Under the "Russian Robinson" there was always the faithful Vasily "Friday", but his son became a student at Moscow University. At St. Petersburg University, the two sons of the very captain of the ship who once landed the troublemaker of the cornet on a deserted coast studied at the expense of Lisitsyn. Yes, yes, having become rich, Sergei Petrovich found the old man and did not fail to express his gratitude to him. The deceased captain Lisitsyn spent his last journey, after which he took full care of his children. As you can see, the Russian Robinsonade turned out to be no less interesting than the story told by Defoe, and much more humane. Is not it?..