Sannikov, Iakov

Dates of birth and death unknown. Russian hunter and trapper, explorer of the Novosibirskie Islands.

Sannikov discovered and described Stolbovoi Island in 1800 and Faddeevskii Island in 1805. From 1808 to 1810 he took part in M. M. Gedenshtrom’s expedition. In 1810 he crossed Novaia Sibir’ Island, and in 1811 he explored Faddeevskii Island. Sannikov suggested the existence of a vast land mass north of Ko-tel’nyi Island (seeSANNIKOV LAND). The strait between the Malyi Liakhovskii and Kotel’nyi islands was named in Sannikov’s honor.