Dmitry Yakovlevich Laptev () (1701 –) was a Russian Arctic explorer and Vice Admiral (1762). The Dmitry Laptev Strait is named in his honor and the Laptev Sea is named in honor of him and his cousin, and fellow Arctic explorer, Khariton Laptev.
Early life
Dmitry Laptev was born in the village of Bolotovo, near Velikie Luki, in 1701. A year earlier his cousin Khariton Laptev was born in nearby Bolotovo. He and his cousin were some of the first students at the School of Mathematics and Navigational Sciences in Saint Petersburg, established by Peter the Great. After graduation, he quickly moved up naval ranks and became a ranking naval officer on a number of different vessels. With permission from Bering, Laptev returned to Saint Petersburg for the winter. A second attempt the next year similarly failed to reach the eastern fleets of the expedition.
In 1739, Laptev was the commander of an expedition to chart the Anadyr region in the far east of the continent. The expedition went poorly at first and the Yakutsk became trapped by ice very quickly. That winter the crew, led by Laptev, were the first Russians to live amongst the indigenous population of the lower Indigirka River. Villagers from Russkoye Ustye provided crucial food, assistance, and even moved the ship to open water when spring came.