In the 1553 English Voyage to Muscovy and the Origins of the Muscovy Copany England’s First Northern Enterprise

Absztrakt

This study examines the first English voyage to Muscovy in 1553, led by Sir Hugh Willoughby and Richard Chancellor, within the broader context of mid-sixteenth-century English expansion. While the expedition failed to discover a north-eastern passage to Asia, it succeeded in establishing direct diplomatic and commercial contacts with Ivan IV’s court. The voyage also laid the foundation for the Muscovy Company, the first English joint-stock trading company, which became a model for later overseas enterprises. The article explores the motivations, events, and outcomes of the expedition, and its significance for Anglo-Russian relations.