, ▁the ▁Second ▁Kam chat ka ▁Ex ped ition ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁such ▁projects ▁in ▁history . ▁Its ▁cost , ▁completely ▁fin anced ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁state , ▁reached ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁rub les , ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁sum ▁for ▁the ▁time ; ▁roughly ▁one ▁sixth ▁of ▁the ▁income ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁state ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁achiev ements ▁of ▁the ▁expedition ▁included ▁the ▁European ▁discovery ▁of ▁Al aska , ▁the ▁Ale ut ian ▁Islands , ▁the ▁Commander ▁Islands , ▁Ber ing ▁Island , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁detailed ▁cart ographic ▁assess ment ▁of ▁the ▁northern ▁and ▁north - e astern ▁coast ▁of ▁Russia ▁and ▁the ▁Kur il ▁Islands . ▁It ▁definit ively ▁ref uted ▁the ▁legend ▁of ▁a ▁land ▁mass ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁Pacific , ▁and ▁did ▁eth n ographic , ▁historic , ▁and ▁scientific ▁research ▁into ▁Si ber ia ▁and ▁Kam chat ka . ▁When ▁the ▁expedition ▁failed ▁to ▁round ▁the ▁north - east ▁tip ▁of ▁Asia , ▁the ▁dream ▁of ▁an ▁econom ically ▁vi able ▁N ortheast ▁passage , ▁sought ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁was ▁at ▁an ▁end . ▁ ▁Background : ▁first ▁scientific ▁investigation ▁of ▁Si ber ia ▁and ▁Ber ing ' s ▁first ▁expedition ▁ ▁System atic ▁expl oration ▁and ▁scientific ▁discovery ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁part ▁of ▁Asia ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁initi ative ▁of ▁Ts ar ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great ▁( 1 6 7 2 – 1 7 2 5 ). ▁In ▁ 1