Ivan Kuskov
Encyclopedia
Ivan Aleksandrovich Kuskov was the senior assistant to Aleksandr Baranov, the Chief Administrator of the Russian-American Company
(RAC)
A native of Totma
, Russia, he served in the RAC for 31 years, attaining the rank of Commerce Counselor (12th rank) and being awarded the gold medal "for zealous service" from Emperor Aleksandr I. Between 1808-1812 he led five exploratory expeditions to California with the intent of founding an agricultural settlement to supply the northern colonies of Russian America (Alaska), resulting in the founding of Fortress Ross (present day Fort Ross) Kuskov served as Administrator at Fort Ross from 1812 until 1821. In 1819 he was recommended for the Order of St. Vladimir
, 4th class, but had not received the award by the time of his death in 1823. After retiring from the RAC he returned to his home town of Totma, in the Vologda province on July 4th, 1821, and died in 1823. His house is preserved to this day in Tot'ma as the "Kuskov House Museum", under the direction of the Tot'ma Regional History Museum, which preserves two original portraits, presumed to have been painted in California of Ivan Aleksandrovich and his wife.
Russian-American Company
The Russian-American Company was a state-sponsored chartered company formed largely on the basis of the so-called Shelekhov-Golikov Company of Grigory Shelekhov and Ivan Larionovich Golikov The Russian-American Company (officially: Under His Imperial Majesty's Highest Protection (patronage)...
(RAC)
A native of Totma
Totma
Totma is a town and the administrative center of Totemsky District of Vologda Oblast, Russia,, located on the left bank of the Sukhona River at the confluence with the Pesya Denga River. Municipally, it is incorporated as Totemskoe Urban Settlement in Totemsky Municipal District. Population:...
, Russia, he served in the RAC for 31 years, attaining the rank of Commerce Counselor (12th rank) and being awarded the gold medal "for zealous service" from Emperor Aleksandr I. Between 1808-1812 he led five exploratory expeditions to California with the intent of founding an agricultural settlement to supply the northern colonies of Russian America (Alaska), resulting in the founding of Fortress Ross (present day Fort Ross) Kuskov served as Administrator at Fort Ross from 1812 until 1821. In 1819 he was recommended for the Order of St. Vladimir
Order of St. Vladimir
The Cross of Saint Vladimir was an Imperial Russian Order established in 1782 by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus....
, 4th class, but had not received the award by the time of his death in 1823. After retiring from the RAC he returned to his home town of Totma, in the Vologda province on July 4th, 1821, and died in 1823. His house is preserved to this day in Tot'ma as the "Kuskov House Museum", under the direction of the Tot'ma Regional History Museum, which preserves two original portraits, presumed to have been painted in California of Ivan Aleksandrovich and his wife.