Eugene Gvozdev was a Russian maritime explorer, researcher, and traveler.2 photos

Evgeny Gvozdev
Russian sailor, explorer, and traveler

The interrupted journey of a 74-year-old solo traveler

This renowned Russian sailor and traveler was the first Russian captain to complete a solo round-the-world voyage in 1996 aboard a small recreational sailboat. In 1999, he undertook another such voyage, but in 2008, he lost his life at sea during one of these crossings.

Evgeny Alexandrovich Gvozdev was born in 1934 in the Belarusian city of Pinsk. His father was taken away in 1937 and never returned from Stalinist prisons. Evgeny grew up with his mother, but she died during World War II bombing attacks, and he subsequently lived with a distant relative.

After graduating from a maritime school in Astrakhan, Gvozdev began working on ships, serving as a naval mechanic for over thirty years.

In the late 1970s, he started sailing, building his first boat—a one-deck vessel constructed from an old schooner that had been retired from service. He named it “Getan,” combining the names of himself and his family: Evgeny (GE), his wife Tatyana (T), son Alexander (A), and daughter Natalia (N). With this boat, he crossed the Caspian Sea multiple times.

On July 7, 1992, Gvozdev set off on his first round-the-world voyage aboard the small 5.5-meter-long ship “Lena.” This voyage was historic, as it marked the first time such a journey had been completed in a vessel of this size. The trip proved dangerous: in August 1995, he was attacked by local pirates off the coast of Somalia and nearly killed.

He successfully completed the voyage on July 19, 1996.

In 1999, on May 17, Gvozdev set off on his second round-the-world voyage from Machachkala, where he lived with his family. This time, he used a 3.7-meter-long sailboat named “Said,” which would later be recognized as the smallest sailing vessel to ever cross the Magellan Strait. For the past three years before this journey, he had spent preparing and repairing his boat.

At the age of 65, Gvozdev began his third round-the-world voyage on September 19, 2008, aboard the new 5.5-meter-long ship “Getan-2.” Unfortunately, this journey ended tragically. In October, he reported successfully crossing the Black Sea, but in late November, he encountered a fierce storm off the coast of Italy. Communication was lost on December 1, and his body was found on a beach in Italy on December 2.

Thus ended the life of this brave Russian sailor who brought international fame to Russian yachting.In memory of him, his ship “Lena” is displayed at the “Admiral” yacht club in Moscow, and his “Said” boat is exhibited in a school in Machachkala where he used to live.Interestingly, Gvozdev himself admitted that he had always feared the sea, yet it was this very fear that drove him to repeatedly venture out into its depths. Had his final voyage been successful, he likely would have continued on. Sadly, this did not happen.

Friends of Gvozdev remembered that he deeply cherished life at sea and preferred it to land-based activities. Indeed, he died in the ocean, just as he had always desired.'>Men must accomplish something in their lives that they can be proud to tell about: climbing Mount Everest, planting a garden, healing someone, writing a book—anything meaningful and useful,'> Gvozdev used to say.