Afanasy Nikitin

Afanasy Nikitin was a medieval Russian merchant and explorer known as one of the first Europeans who have traveled and visited medieval India.

A fascinating journey of Nikitin began from Tver near Moscow where he joined the Moscow embassy mission that that was heading to Shirvan (present-day Armenia and Azerbaijan) in order to sell his commodities there. However, near the outflow of the Volga River the caravan was robbed and Nikitin lost almost all his merchandise.

However, he continued his voyage and over the Caspian region and Iran reached India. During the three-year stay in India, Nikitin visited different cities and acquainted its residents. In 1471 or 1474 he decided to return back to Russia, but he died on the journey, in Smolensk. Description of his voyage was brought to Moscow by the fellow traders and survived under the title “The Journey Beyond Three Seas”.

It is interesting to note that Nikitin made a journey 25 years before Vasco de Gama explored a way to the East.