Laptev, Khariton Prokofievich (1700–1763)

Laptev, Khariton Prokofievich (1700–1763) – a Russian Arctic explorer, captain, and participant of the Great Northern Expedition. He was a cousin of D. Ya. Laptev. In 1715, he entered the Naval Academy and after 3 years became a midshipman; in 1726, L. was promoted to the rank of subofficer. Until 1737 he sailed on ships of the Baltic Fleet. In December 1737, L. was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and appointed commander of the dubel boat “Yakutsk” during the Great Northern Expedition to survey the coast of the Arctic Ocean from the river of Lena to the river of Yenisei. In May 1739 he arrived in Yakutsk. He sailed down the Lena on the dubel boat and, following westward along the coast, discovered and described the bay and island of Preobrazheniya (Transfiguration). Then he reached the Cape Faddey but because of the ice turned back and spent the winter in the lower reaches of the river of Khatanga. In the summer of 1740, he sailed to 75°26’N but was trapped by ice. Having left the...