Ivan Lyakhov

Ivan Lyakhov(Russian:Иван Ляхов), died around 1800, was a Russian merchant who explored large sections of theNew Siberian Islandsin the 18th century.

Expedition

Lyakhov began his explorations in the spring of 1770 ondogsledsin order to explore the islands off the northern Siberian coast reported byYakov PermyakovandMerkury Vaginin 1710. In this journey he visited the southern section of theNew Siberian Islands.Lyakhov's intentions were mainly commercial, for he hoped to findmammothivory. His theory was that both the islands he explored, and which were later named after himLyakhov Islands,and those he sighted in the distance but was not able to explore, were mainly formed by a substratum of bones and tusks of mammoths.

Lyakhov went on another exploratory venture to the New Siberian Islands in 1773–1774. He visited again the Lyakhov Islands, crossed theSannikov Straitand discoveredKotelny Island.

Lyakhov undertook his last expedition in 1775. This time there was a scientific background to his explorations, for he brought with him a land surveyor. During this journeyGreat Lyakhovsky Island(Большой Ляховский) was thoroughly surveyed and described.