In the 17th century, Russian settlers founded the city of Mangazeya in Siberia, where they engaged in farming and trade with the local inhabitants. At that time, Mangazeya was considered a promising place, and dozens of adventurers headed there in search of fortune and earnings. Among them was a young Pomor known as Demid Pyanda, although his real surname has not survived. The nickname "Pyanda" is associated with the multicolored fringe on a reindeer shirt. Demid arrived in Siberia for work, buying furs and hearing from the Evenks about a large river to the east, rich in fur-bearing animals. Pyanda realized this could bring good income.

He gathered a group of 40 volunteers and set out in search of "fur Eldorado." On wooden rafts, they ascended the Lower Tunguska River, overcoming rapids and encountering fallen trees. Pyanda decided to stop and build a winter camp, where they spent nearly two years fending off Tungus raids. Progressing further was dangerous, but the desire to discover new territories was stronger. The group moved north and in the spring of 1623 discovered a wide, full-flowing river surrounded by forests. This was the Lena, previously unknown to the Russians. Here, there were indeed many animals and natural resources.

Pyanda and his companions began to float down the river and soon reached the area of modern Yakutsk. There, they learned about the local inhabitants' way of life, exchanged Russian goods for furs, and headed towards Yeniseisk. Although Pyanda did not earn a lot of money, his expedition was valuable for another reason: they discovered many new rivers, including the Lena, and paved a convenient route for Russian caravans into Eastern Siberia. In 3.5 years, Pyanda's detachment covered about 8,000 kilometers, marking the beginning of the development of northern territories.