Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev, a Russian admiral and navigator, was one of the pioneers of Antarctica.

In 1775, English navigator James Cook claimed to have circumnavigated the Southern Hemisphere ocean at high latitudes and confirmed the absence of a continent. He asserted that no one would dare venture further south than he had. His authority was so great that the search for Antarctica ceased. However, this opinion was refuted by our sailors.

On July 4, 1819, two Russian ships set sail from Kronstadt: "Vostok" and "Mirny," the latter commanded by Mikhail Lazarev. In early autumn, with favorable winds, they headed across the Atlantic towards the shores of Brazil. The weather was on their side, and rare storms did not hinder their voyage. From the first days, scientific observations were conducted, which Bellingshausen and his assistants recorded in the logbook. After four months, the ships arrived in Rio de Janeiro, where the crews received a respite. After replenishing their supplies, they continued their journey. The weather worsened, it became colder, squalls with rain swept in, and thick fog enveloped everything around.

To avoid getting lost, the ships kept close to each other, lit lanterns on the masts at night, and in case they lost sight of each other, they were to fire cannons. With each passing day, "Vostok" and "Mirny" drew closer to the mysterious land. When the wind calmed and the sky cleared, the sailors admired the play of sunlight on the ocean waves and observed whales, sharks, and dolphins that accompanied the ships.

On the ice floes, the sailors saw penguins for the first time, strange creatures with an unusual gait. On January 16, 1820, the ships approached the Antarctic ice shelves for the first time in history. The expedition lasted 527 days, and thanks to it, Russia secured priority in the discovery of lands in Antarctica.