 In the 17th century, shortly after the establishment of Yakutsk, the exploration of what is now Ayano-Maysky District pursued two goals.Yakutsk officials through eastward expansion sought to come up with new sources of tribute for the Tsar's treasury while at the same time trying to find a shorter, more convenient passage to the Sea of Okhotsk, in order to continue to care for the needs of rich Russian colonies in the Far East and North America.In 1639, a group of Russian explorers under the leadership of Ivan Moskvitin reached the Sea of Okhotsk for the first time through the territory of modern Ayano-Maysky District.