Begichev was born in
Tsariov,
Astrakhan Governorate, to a family of
Volga River fishers. In 1895, he was called up to the service in the
Russian Navy and traveled three times as a sailor and a boatswain to the
Antilles islands. He was a participant in Baron
Eduard Toll's 1900–1903 "Russian Polar Expedition" as the bosun of ship
Zarya. After the death of Baron Toll, Begichev took part in the research. During this voyage, he saved the life of his commander - lieutenant
Aleksandr Kolchak, a future admiral. Walking by the sea ice, Kolchak fell in the split. When Begichev pulled him from the water, the lieutenant showed no signs of life. Begichev took off his dry clothes and dressed Kolchak with them. Then, to re-animate him, Begichev fired his pipe and put it in Kolchak's mouth. Kolchak opened his eyes. Later, Begichev took part in the
Russo-Japanese War. In 1922, at the request of the government of
Norway, Begichev led an unsuccessful Soviet expedition to search for
Peter Tessem and Paul Knutsen, lost crew members of the ship
Maud from
Roald Amundsen's 1918 expedition. Begichev was one of the researchers exploring the
Taymyr Peninsula with
Nikolay Urvantsev in 1923–1924. During his explorations, he surveyed two islands, which have been called after him:
Bolshoy Begichev Island and
Maliy Begichev Island. Nikifor Begichev died during wintering at the mouth of the
Pyasina River. In 1964, a monument to Begichev was erected in the settlement of
Dikson. ==Notes==