The Second Kamchatka Expedition is recognized as the largest scientific research event in the history of mankind. It is also called the Siberian-Pacific, Siberian and Great Northern. It lasted 10 years - from 1733 to 1743. More than 3,000 people participated in 9 autonomous detachments. The expedition covered the whole Siberia from the Urals to the Pacific Ocean. It also covered the Arctic coast of Russia from the mouth of the Northern Dvina to the mouth of the Anadyr in Chukotka. The most important research was carried out in the coastal regions of the Arctic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean.The expedition was initiated by Peter the Great. During the era of Peter's reforms Russia became one of the strongest European powers. The transformations influenced the economy and science, culture and people’s life. It also changed foreign policy.  After the end of the Northern War in 1721, Russia gained the access to the Baltic Sea. At the same time, it was the start of the active development of the Russian lands in the Far East. Peter I signed a personal decree on the preparation of an expedition to the Pacific Ocean in January 1725. The expedition intended to discover the strait between Asia and North America.  Vitus Bering was appointed the head of the expedition on the recommendation of the Admiralty Board. The expedition entered the strait, but failed to reach the coast of Alaska because of the fog.  The explorers couldn’t describe the strait as they couldn’t see the coast of another continent. Returning in 1730 from the First Kamchatka Expedition, Vitus Bering proposed to the Admiralty and the Senate further plans of exploring the northeastern coast of Kamchatka. The captain - commander's proposals included reconnaissance of the sea route to the Japanese islands and to the American continent. Bering's project was warmly supported by the Chief Secretary of the Senate Ivan Kirillovich Kirilov and the President of the Admiralty Board Nikolai Fedorovich Golovin. The project was expanded and refined on their initiative. In addition to sea voyages to Japan and America, the task was broaden to studying the northern territories of Russia from Pechora to Chukotka and compiling their geographical, geological, zoological and ethnographic description.Empress Anna Ioannovna signed a decree on the organization of the Second Kamchatka Expedition on April 17, 1733. Bering was assigned to lead it. The cost of the enterprise reached an estimated 360 thousand rubles, an enormous sum for that time. The expedition had to solve a number of tasks. Implementation was entrusted to several detachments which set off autonomously and at different times. Geographers, historians, naturalists, geologists, doctors, and military men went on the expedition. The detachment of  Vitus  Bering and Alexei Chirikov was supposed to cross Siberia and from Kamchatka reach North America to explore its coast. It was important to confirm the existence of the strait between Asia and America.Martyn Spanberg was instructed to complete the mapping of the Kuril Islands and find a sea route to Japan. At the same time, several detachments were to map the northern and northeastern coast of Russia from Pechora to Chukotka.The Great Northern Expedition was a real feat of Russian officers, sailors and scientists. The inhabitants of the Ural settlements also made their contribution to it, because the routes of the expedition ran through the Urals.  Osa, Kungur and Solikamsk as well as the towns of Verkhoturye, Kamensk-Uralsky and Ekaterinburg were a part of Perm province at that time. The residents of the Urals provided travelers and scientists with all kinds of assistance, For example, a breeder and a botanist, Grigory Demidov preserved the Siberian plants in Solikamsk which he found during the expedition. The workers of the Kamensk plant cast cannons for the expedition. The inhabitants of Kungur guided scientists around the cave and shared information about this natural wonder. The expedition spent almost two autumn months in Osa. Provisions and fodder were stored in the town. More than 200 sleds were made for winter travelling to the east.