The end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century, during the reign of Peter I, is most known for the construction of St. Petersburg, reforms, and access to the Baltic Sea. However, it was also an era of active Russian expansion to the east. In less than a century, Cossacks explored vast territories from the Yenisei to the Pacific Ocean, seeking to enrich themselves with fur, which was in high demand.

Vladimir Atlasov, the son of a runaway peasant, worked in Yakutia as a tax collector for furs. His expedition to Kamchatka was a true adventure, organized without the authorities' permission and on borrowed funds. Kamchatka could bring him either fame and wealth or death. In the end, it brought both.

In the spring of 1697, a detachment of one hundred and twenty Cossacks and Yukaghirs under Atlasov's command set out from Anadyr. They moved along the western coast of Kamchatka, reached the south of the peninsula, and turned back. On July 2, 1698, the detachment, reduced to 15 men, returned to Anadyr. Most participants left the expedition, some died in clashes with the Koryaks and from diseases. The collected furs allowed them to pay off their debts. Moreover, Atlasov was invited to the court, where he received a reward and the rank of Cossack ataman for successfully discovering new lands that were declared part of Russia.

After returning to the Far East, he was accused of robbing a merchant caravan. To atone for his guilt, he was offered to lead a punitive expedition against the Koryaks and collect yasak from them. In 1706, a detachment under his command headed towards Kamchatka. The following year, the Cossacks revolted. Atlasov fled to Nizhnekamchatsk, where he hid for four years until he was found by conspirators in 1711. Under the leadership of Danila Antsiferov, who effectively seized power on the peninsula, they killed Atlasov and two of his officers. Thus ended the life of the pioneer, but he forever remained in Russian history as the 'discoverer and finder of Kamchatka.'