Johan Hampus Furuhjelm
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Vice-admiral Johan Hampus Furuhjelm |
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| Native name | Johan Hampus Furuhjelm |
| Born |
March 11, 1821 Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | September 21, 1909 (aged 88) Urjala, Russian Empire |
| Allegiance |
 Russian Empire
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| Service/branch |
 Imperial Russian Navy
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| Years of service | 1836-1908 |
| Rank | Vice-admiral |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Furuhjelm |
| Relations | Otto Wilhelm Furuhjelm, Annie Furuhjelm |
Johan Hampus Furuhjelm, (Russian: Фуругельм, Иван Васильевич) (March 11, 1821 – September 21, 1909) was a Finnish-Russian vice-admiral and explorer, commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet, Governor of the Russian Far East, Taganrog and Russian America.
Johan Hampus Furuhjelm was born into a Swedish-speaking noble family of Furuhjelm in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland on March 11, 1821. Johan Hampus was the son of Otto Wilhelm Furuhjelm (1794–1871) and Ulrica Johanna Fredrika Fock (1795–1856). Johan Hampus was schooled at home until 1836 when he joined the Navy (1st Finnish Sea Battalion 1:a finska sjöekipaget). Graduate of the Navy Corps, Furuhjelm served at Russian Baltic Fleet in 1838–1846. Promoted to midshipman 1839, lieutenant 1845. In 1843–1844, he participated in hydrographic works in the Gulf of Finland on board the schooner Meteor. In 1846–1847, he served at the Black Sea.
In 1850, Furuhjelm was detached to the new post in the Russian-American Company and sailed from Kronstadt to Novoarkhangel'sk (New Archangel, as the Russian community in Sitka was called) on board of the ship Nikolai I. He arrived to Novoarkhangel'sk on April 23, 1851, where he was appointed commander of Novoarkhangel'sk's seaport and sailed to Hawaii, California and China on behalf of the Russian-American Company. In 1853–1854, Furuhjelm was captain of the supply ship Count Menshikoff in the squadron of Admiral Yevfimy Putyatin. In 1854, he was appointed commander of the Ayan seaport and on December 11, 1858, Governor of Russian America. During a Christmas ball in Helsinki in 1858, Furuhjelm met the 22-year-old Anna von Schoultz. On January 10 they were engaged, and on February 2, 1859 the wedding took place. In Novo Archangelsk, Furuhjelm was forced to acknowledge that one of the most acute needs was rebuilding the Indians' trust in the white man. During his period as governor of Alaska, he managed to put an end to hostilities with natives. Once, he used the trick of an eclipse of the moon. He threatened the Indians to take away the moon if they did not obey him. Furuhjelm's magic made a deep impression on the natives. They were also impressed because the governor dared to go out on inspection tours without an escort. He made the trips with just paddlers and an interpreter. Furuhjelm was successful in winning the Indians' respect and the camp was normalized.
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