Until Death Do Us Part : The Letters and Travels of Anna and Vitus Bering

Eighteenth-century Danish explorer Vitus Bering led historic expeditions to the Russian Far East and Alaska under the patronage of Peter the Great, and his wife Anna Christina accompanied him on his expedition to Okhotsk in 1739. The sixteen letters that they wrote over the following year make up the core of this volume, which features facing-page translations from the original German. The documents offer an intimate look into eighteenth-century customs, as well as the explorer’s family life and daily routine. Also featured is an inventory of goods that Anna Christina brought back to Moscow after Bering’s death in 1742, revealing key insights into the types of goods available in Russia at the time. Until Death Do Us Part is a richly informative volume that will be essential for all those interested in European history and travel writing.

 

Peter Ulf Møller is professor of Slavic Studies at the University of Aarthus in Denmark. Natsha Okhotina is a research fellow in Russian history at the University of Copenhagen. Anna Halager is an independent translator based in Copenhagen.