[1] 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.
That winter the crew, led by Laptev, were the first Russians to live amongst the indigenous population of the lower Indigirka River.
[4] Villagers from Russkoye Ustye provided crucial food, assistance, and even moved the ship to open water when spring came.
[4] Although sea travel never yielded much, Laptev and the crew provided significant mapping of the areas, often through overland treks and expeditions.
[1] A cape in the delta of the Lena River and a strait between the Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island and Asian mainland bear his name.