a Cossack who started the Russian exploration and conquest of Siberia, in the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Yermak’s heroic endeavors in the Russian East laid the groundwork for future Russian expansion and settlement. Soon after Yermak and his initial band set out for Siberia, merchants and peasants followed in their wake, hoping to harness some of the fur riches that abounded in the land. This trend grew exponentially after Yermak’s death, as his legend spread through the domain rapidly and, with it, the news of a land rich in furs and vulnerable to Russian influence.
