Kamchatka

Kamchatka, like much of Arctic Siberia and North America, was originally sparsely inhabited by native tribes. In the 16th century, spurred by tales of a land of fire that was rich in fish and furs, Kamchatka was claimed by Muscovite Russia. Two settlements were built by Cossacks in 1697 as fur trading posts. The peninsula was mapped during Vitus Bering's expedition to explore the Russian Far East and reach North America. In 1740 Bering reached Avacha Bay and laid the cornerstone for the settlement of Petropavlovsk, named after his two ships St. Peter and St. Paul. One year later, Petropavlovsk would be the settlement survivors of another one of Bering's expeditions would reach with the news of his death and the discovery of Alaska. They would also bring artifacts, including sea otter pelts, considered the "finest fur in the world", from Alaska which would eventually motivate Russia's interest in North America. Petropavlovsk grew into a main stopping point for travelers on the way to the Russian Far East, the Kuril Islands, and North America. In 1854 during the Crimean War, a joint Anglo-French naval fleet bombarded Petropavlovsk in what became known as the heroic defense of the city in which 988 men with just 68 guns defended it against 6 ships with 206 cannons and 2,540 French and British troops. The Russians realized the city was a liability and when more invaders came a year later the city was abandoned and burnt to the ground....