The Historiography of the First Russian Antarctic Expedition, 181921

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Examining the legacy of Russia's first Antarctic expedition (1819-21), this book explores how Russian historians and authors have interpreted its significance over two centuries. It highlights the Soviet Union's 1949 decision to assert that Russian seamen first sighted the Antarctic mainland, a claim that persists today despite lacking solid evidence. The narrative reveals how this revisionism impacted historical scholarship and Russian Antarctic policy, offering a critical assessment of the interplay between national identity and historical interpretation.