Baltic German born in Tallinn, completed three circumnavigations of the globe in Russian service. The north Alaskan town of Kotzebue (known as Qikiqtagruk, or “place shaped like a long island”, in Inupiaq) was named after him. Soviet occupation renaming of this (1960-1990) and its prolongation Suurtüki (1960-1987) as Käsperti J., after a brief stint replacing Hiiu-Suurtüki (1959-1960).
Curved, crooked, bent, warped, devious – Naerust kõveras olema: to double up laughing. But as far as the street is concerned, just curved.