Struys, Jan Jansen

Born 1630; died 1694 in Dithmarschen. Dutch artisan and traveler.

Between 1647 and 1656, Struys journeyed twice through Europe and Asia, visiting Italy, Greece, Turkey, Indonesia, Siam, Taiwan, and Japan. In 1668 he became a sailmaker in Russia and subsequently traveled to Pskov, Tver’, Moscow, and Kazan. After witnessing S. Razin’s conquest of Astrakhan, Struys fled to Dagestan. He returned to the Netherlands in 1673 after traveling through Persia and Indonesia. In 1675 he again visited Moscow.

An account of Struys’ travels between 1647 and 1673 was published in Amsterdam in 1676. Struys’ writings became widely known and were translated into many languages. They are valuable sources on the political and economic life of Russia and reveal the democratic nature of the Peasant War led by Razin.