Alexander Sibiryakov

Who was Alexander Sibiryakov?

Alexander Mikhaylovich Sibiryakov was a Russian gold mine and factories owner and explorer of Siberia.

Sibiryakov graduated from the Zurich polytechnic institute in Switzerland. Later in life, he financed the polar expeditions of Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld and A.V. Grigoriev. He also sponsored the publication of works on Siberia's history. In 1880, he made an attempt to enter the Yenisei estuary through the Kara Sea on a schooner. In 1884, Sibiryakov reached the Pechora estuary on the "Nordenskjöld" steamer and proceeded up the river. He then crossed the Urals using reindeers and reached Tobolsk by the Tobol River. Sibiryakov contributed significantly to Siberia's economic development.

Sibiryakov Island, an island in the Kara Sea at the mouth of the Yenisei River, is named after him, as well as icebreakers A. Sibiryakov and Sibiryakov.