Little is known about the early years of Afanasy Nikitin's life. This is because his biography began to be recorded when he was already an adult and had started his famous travels.

It is known that Afanasy Nikitin was born in the city of Tver in the mid-15th century. His father, Nikita, was a simple peasant, so "Nikitin" is a patronymic, not a surname of the traveler.

Even in his youth, Afanasy decided to engage in trade, and he was fortunate: his goods were in demand, and his wealth grew. In search of valuable goods, Nikitin visited various countries and since then fell in love with travel.

Becoming an experienced merchant, Nikitin sought to expand trade in the area of present-day Astrakhan. Having received permission from the Tver prince Mikhail Borisovich III and a blessing from the abbot, he set off on a long journey.

At first, the sea voyage went smoothly, but misfortune struck the merchants off the coast of Astrakhan. Their ships were attacked by Tatar bandits, one of which was plundered and another sunk.

The Tver merchants, having lost valuable goods, could not return home due to debts. Only a few from Nikitin's crew returned; the others went in search of better fortune.

In hopes of improving his situation, Nikitin headed south. In Hormuz, an important trading hub, he learned that purebred stallions were valued in India. After buying an expensive horse, he hoped to sell it profitably in India.

At that time, India was a mysterious country for Europeans. In 1471, Nikitin arrived in the city of Chaul, where he spent three years studying local customs and recording his observations.

The Tver merchant was surprised that in India people walked half-naked and wore gold jewelry. He was also struck by the population density: every second woman was pregnant. He was impressed by the rich wildlife of India.

In Chaul, Nikitin was unable to sell the horse and ventured deeper into the country. The owner of the fortress Junar, Asad-Khan, attempted to forcibly take the horse, threatening Nikitin with death. Only chance saved him.

Although the journey to India was vivid, Nikitin remained dissatisfied: he could not sell the horse profitably and incurred losses.

Afanasy Nikitin was not married and left no heirs. However, after his death, valuable manuscripts about his journey to India remained. During his three years of travels, he learned foreign languages, and his records contain Persian, Arabic, and Turkic words.

On his way back, Nikitin found himself in the Turkish city of Trabzon, where he was arrested as a spy. He managed to free himself, but he was ruined, having only the manuscripts that confirmed his discoveries.

Afanasy Nikitin's biography could have been more complete if not for the deterioration of his health due to travels in countries with exotic climates. He died in 1475 in Smolensk. His manuscripts were delivered to Moscow and handed over to the advisor of Prince Ivan III. In 1480, they were included in the chronicle.