Afanasy Nikitin is one of the most famous Russian explorers. He was one of the first Europeans to travel to India. A. Nikitin described his travel experience in a book called "The Journey Beyond Three Seas" («Хождение за три моря»).
Historians don't know the year of his birth. We know that he left his hometown of Tver on a commercial trip to India in 1466. Nikitin was soon attacked and robbed, but he continued his journey. He went to Baku, then to Persia and, finally, to India.
During his travel, Afanasy Nikitin studied the population of India, its social system and government, as well as its economy, religion, culture, and natural resources. On the return journey, Afanasy Nikitin died near Smolensk in 1475. Now there are monuments to Afanasy Nikitin both in Russia and India.