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Article: Bering's Big Find.
- Article from:
- U.S. News & World Report
- Article date:
- February 23, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 All rights reserved. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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It's hard to imagine Russia without the immensity of Siberia, rich in timber and minerals, stretching across six time zones from the Urals to the Pacific. But at the start of the 18th century, Russia's center of gravity was about as far west as it could be, at the ornate new capital of St. Petersburg on the Baltic marshes. The task of turning Russia's eyes to the east fell to a middle-aged, dutiful Dane named Vitus Bering.
The corpulent, double-chinned gentleman shown in the only known portrait of Bering doesn't look like much of an explorer. Indeed, the image reinforces a view of Bering as an overly cautious commander, too quick to retreat from danger. But two ...