140 years ago, on May 5, 1877, the Russian hydrographer and polar explorer Georgy Yakovlevich Sedov was born. The Russian explorer devoted all his life and all his strength to the study and conquest of the Arctic. He was a man extremely passionate about his work, exceptional endurance and courage. Overcoming incredible difficulties, with small funds raised by a private order, he conducted important research on Novaya Zemlya and died tragically during an expedition to the North Pole.
Hike of Georgy Sedov to St. Martyr Fock”to the North Pole in 1912 became one of the most tragic and heroic pages in the centuries-old history of Arctic exploration. Two bays and a peak on Novaya Zemlya, a glacier and a cape on Franz Josef Land, an island in the Barents Sea, a cape in Antarctica and the icebreaker Georgy Sedov are named after Sedov.
Difficult youth
Georgy Sedov was born on April 23 (May 5), 1877 in a poor fishing family in the Krivaya Kosa farm (Region of the Don Army, now the village of Sedovo in the Novoazovsky district of the Donetsk region). The family had four sons and five daughters. George's father, Yakov Evteevich, was engaged in fishing and sawing wood. Mother, Natalya Stepanovna, hired for the day to feed the children. Life in a large family was poor, it happened that the children were starving. From an early age, George helped his father in fishing and early learned the sea and the dangers associated with it. At the moment when his father temporarily left the family, Georgy worked for a rich Cossack, worked for food.
His parents were illiterate, and did not want to send his son to school. Only in 1891, at the age of fourteen, Sedov managed to enter an elementary three-grade school, from which he graduated at two years old, discovering great aptitude for learning. At school, he was the first student, an unofficial assistant to the teacher, the senior in the military gymnastics system and received a certificate of commendation upon graduation. After graduating from school, the young man again worked as a laborer, then served as an employee in a trading warehouse. Free time, mainly nights, he devoted to self-education, read books.
A dream come true
The young man dreamed of becoming a sea captain. After a conversation with the young captain of the schooner, moored at the dock of Krivoy Spit, the idea got stronger, and the young man firmly decided to enter the nautical classes of Taganrog or Rostov-on-Don. Parents were against his son's studies, so he secretly began to prepare to leave home - he saved up money, hid his birth certificate and the certificate of honor of the parish school.
In 1894, Georgy left his family and reached Taganrog, and from there by steamer to Rostov-on-Don. The inspector of the seaworthy classes set him a condition that he would accept him for study if Georgy sailed for three months on a merchant ship. The young man got a job as a sailor on the Trud steamer and sailed on it across the Azov and Black Seas. Sedov entered the "Nautical classes" named after Count Kotzebue in Rostov-on-Don, after which he wrote a letter about this to his parents. Parents, having learned about admission, changed their minds and began to support their son. George, in turn, sent them the money he saved. In the second half of the year, the young man was exempted from tuition fees for excellent academic success, then he was transferred to the second grade without exams. In the summer of 1895, Sedov worked as a helmsman on the Trud steamer, and the next navigation was the second mate of the captain.
In 1898 Sedov successfully graduated from college. Then he sailed as a captain on small ships in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. However, he wanted to continue his studies. Georgy Yakovlevich dreamed of doing science and making scientific expeditions, and for this he had to go to the navy.
Service
Sedov entered the navy as a volunteer and arrived in Sevastopol, where he was enrolled in the training team and appointed navigator on the training ship "Berezan". In 1901, having received the rank of warrant officer of the reserve, Georgy Yakovlevich lived in St. Petersburg. There he passed exams for the course of the naval corps as an external student and was promoted to reserve lieutenant. To prepare for the naval corps exam, Sedov was assisted by Rear Admiral Alexander Kirillovich Drizhenko, an inspector of nautical classes, who sent him the Naval Corps program and literature, and also supplied him with a letter of recommendation to his brother, FK Drizhenko. Fedor Kirillovich Drizhenko received Sedov well. On his advice, Sedov joined the Main Hydrographic Administration in 1902.
From that moment until his death, Sedov was engaged in the study and mapping of various waters, seas, islands in the north, northeast, Far East and south. In April 1902 G. Ya. Sedov was appointed assistant chief of the hydrographic expedition to the ship "Pakhtusov", equipped in Arkhangelsk for the exploration of the northern seas. Sedov sailed on this ship in 1902 and 1903, taking pictures and describing the shores of Novaya Zemlya. Sedov's activities were highly appreciated by the head of the expedition, hydrograph A. I. Varnek: “Whenever it was necessary to find someone to carry out a difficult and responsible task, sometimes associated with considerable danger, my choice fell on him, and he carried out these orders with full energy, necessary care and knowledge of the matter."
In 1904, he was assigned to the Amur river flotilla, commanded the minon ship No. 48 and guarded the entrance to the Amur from the Japanese. After the end of the war with Japan, Sedov served for two years in the navy in the Pacific Ocean. In 1905, Georgy Yakovlevich was appointed assistant pilot of the Nikolaev-on-Amur fortress. On May 2, 1905 "for excellent diligent service" he was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav 3rd degree. In 1906 and 1907 in the newspaper "Ussuriyskaya Zhizn" he published articles "The Northern Ocean Route" and "The Significance of the Northern Ocean Route for Russia", where he substantiated the further development of the Northern Sea Route.
In 1908 he worked in the expedition of the Caspian Sea under the leadership of F. K. Drizhenko, where he carried out reconnaissance work to compile new navigational charts. In 1909, with little money, he carried out large-scale scientific research in the area of the Kolyma estuary: he made measurements, made maps, investigated the first (sea) and second (river) bars (alluvial shoals at the river mouth). It turned out that the river is pushing the sandy mound of the sea bar farther and farther into the ocean, on average 100 meters per year. Georgy Sedov found out the possibility of sailing ships in this part of the Arctic Ocean. The results of G. Ya. Sedov's expedition to the Kolyma were positively assessed by the Academy of Sciences, the Russian Geographical Society, the Astronomical Society and a number of other scientific institutions and individual scientists. The Russian Geographical Society elected Georgy Sedov as a full member.
In 1910, a Russian industrial settlement appeared in Krestovy Bay on Novaya Zemlya. In this regard, it became necessary to conduct a hydrographic study of the bay in order to organize the possibility of ships entering it. Georgy Sedov was sent for the inventory and measurement of the Krestovy Bay. He led this expedition brilliantly. Sedov gave a general geographical description of the Krestovaya Bay (bay). Meteorological and hydrological observations were made continuously. The suitability of Novaya Zemlya for settlement was proved. Both expeditions - to the Kolyma and Krestovaya Bay - provided a number of new geographical data, according to which the geographical maps of the regions explored by Sedov were significantly changed and refined. In addition to carrying out these expeditions, Sedov was also engaged in mapping the Caspian coast. Thus, he became a professional hydrographer and accumulated extensive personal experience in the exploration of the seas, mainly the arctic.
Preparing an expedition to the North Pole
Georgy Sedov dreamed of conquering the North Pole. Already in 1903, Sedov had the idea of a trip to the North Pole. In the years that followed, this thought turned into an all-consuming passion. At that time, Americans, Norwegians and representatives of other countries were competing to reach the North Pole. In particular, the Americans Frederick Cook (1908) and Robert Peary (1909) announced the conquest of the North Pole. Georgy Yakovlevich proved by all available means that the Russians should take part in this competition. In March 1912, Sedov submitted a report to the head of the Main Hydrographic Directorate, in which he announced his desire to open the North Pole and the program of his polar expedition. He wrote: "… the ardent impulses of the Russian people to the opening of the North Pole manifested themselves back in the time of Lomonosov and have not faded away to this day … We will go this year and prove to the whole world that the Russians are capable of this feat."
The base for reaching the North Pole, Georgy Sedov outlined Franz Josef Land. It was supposed to be wintering, during which “the expedition, if possible, explores the shores of this land, describes the bays and finds anchorages, and also explores the island in the commercial sense: collects all kinds of collections that can meet here in various branches of science; determines astronomical points and makes a number of magnetic observations; organizes meteorological and hydrological stations; builds a lighthouse in a conspicuous place near the best anchor bay. For the implementation of the planned expedition, Sedov asked for a very small amount for such a case - 60-70 thousand rubles.
A group of members of the State Duma in March 1912 made a proposal to release funds from the treasury to organize an expedition to the North Pole. The proposal was also supported by the Marine Ministry. However, the Council of Ministers refused the money, and condemned Sedov's plan for the expedition. However, contrary to the decision of the government and the hostility of some naval leaders, who saw Sedov as an "upstart", Georgy Yakovlevich independently set about preparing the expedition. With no personal fortune and no help from the authorities, it was difficult to organize such an expedition. Sedov, with the active support of the Novoye Vremya newspaper and its co-owner M. A. Suvorin, organized the collection of voluntary donations for the needs of the expedition. Numerous publications in Novoye Vremya caused a great public response in Russia. Even Tsar Nicholas II made a private contribution of 10 thousand rubles. Suvorin gave the expedition a loan - 20 thousand rubles. We managed to collect about 12 thousand more. Donors were given signs with the inscription "The donor on the expedition of Senior Lieutenant Sedov to the North Pole."
In St. Petersburg and at the site of the expedition's equipment - in Arkhangelsk, Sedov had to overcome numerous obstacles. We hardly found a ship from a private person for the expedition. With the funds raised, in July 1912, Sedov rented an old sailing-steam schooner “Holy Great Martyr Fock” (the former Norwegian hunting barque “Geyser”) built in 1870. Due to the haste, the ship could not be completely repaired, there was a leak in it. It also turned out that the Foka's carrying capacity does not allow taking all the cargoes necessary for the expedition, and they had to leave some of the vital (including stoves). At the same time, just before the departure, the shipowner refused to lead the ship equipped for the expedition and took off almost the entire crew. Sedov had to recruit the first people he came across. Arkhangelsk merchants supplied the expedition with spoiled food and unusable dogs (including mongrels caught in the street). With great difficulty they took out a radio apparatus, but it was not possible to get a radio operator. So I had to leave without a radio installation.
Expedition member Vladimir Vize wrote: “Many of the ordered equipment was not ready on time … A team was hastily recruited, there were few professional sailors in it. Food was hastily purchased, and the Arkhangelsk merchants took advantage of the rush and slipped low-quality products. Hastily in Arkhangelsk, dogs were purchased at a greatly inflated price - simple mongrels. Fortunately, a pack of beautiful sled dogs arrived in time, bought in advance in Western Siberia."
Doctor P. G. Kushakov, already during the expedition, described the situation with supplies in his diary: “We were looking all the time for lanterns and lamps, but they didn’t find anything. They also did not find a single teapot, not a single traveling saucepan. Sedov says that all this was ordered, but, in all likelihood, not sent … The corned beef turns out to be rotten, it cannot be eaten at all. When you cook it, there is such a cadaverous smell in the cabins that we must all run away. The cod was also rotten."
Wintering "St. Foki "near Novaya Zemlya
Hike
In August 1912, the expedition on the ship "Holy Great Martyr Foka" left Arkhangelsk to the Pole. After leaving Arkhangelsk, G. Ya. Sedov renamed the "Holy Great Martyr Foku" into "Mikhail Suvorin". Sedov expected to get to Franz Josef Land in the same year. But the delay in leaving and especially difficult ice conditions in the Barents Sea forced the expedition to spend the winter on Novaya Zemlya.
Wintering has significantly depleted material resources and tired people. However, scientists used this difficult time for the most important scientific research. In Foki Bay, where the expedition wintered, regular scientific observations were made. Trips were made to the nearest islands, Cape Litke, the northeastern coast of Novaya Zemlya was described. All these works were carried out in extremely difficult conditions. Georgy Sedov himself walked in 63 days from the wintering place near the Pankratyev Peninsula, along the coast to Cape Zhelaniya and further to Cape Vissinger (Flissinger) - Goft, in both directions, about 700 kilometers. At the same time, a route survey was carried out at a scale of 1: 210,000 and four astronomical and magnetic points were determined, discrepancies with previous maps were found. Sedov for the first time rounded the northern tip of the northern island of Novaya Zemlya on a sleigh, and his companions Vize and Pavlov were the first to cross the island at 76 ° north. latitude. Pavlov and Vize found out the geography of the inner part of Novaya Zemlya in the area of continuous glaciation, and conducted other important studies. On the results of wintering on Novaya Zemlya, G. Ya. Sedov noted in his diary that the expedition had done "a great deal of scientific work in many branches of science."
In June 1913, Captain Zakharov and four sick crew members were sent to Krestovaya Bay to transfer the materials of the expedition and mail to Arkhangelsk. The letter to the "Committee for Equipping Expeditions to the North Pole and for Exploration of the Russian Polar Countries" contained a request to send a ship with coal and dogs to Franz Josef Land. Zakharov's group on a boat, first by dragging over snow and ice, and then on oars, overcame more than 450 kilometers and, passing the Krestovaya Bay Bay, reached Matochkin Shara. From there I took a regular steamer to Arkhangelsk. It is interesting that the expedition of G. Sedov at that moment was already considered dead.
Georgy Sedov aboard the schooner "Mikhail Suvorin" ("St. Fock")
Only in September 1913, "Mikhail Suvorin" was freed from the ice that bound him. There was almost no fuel on board, and it was not possible to replenish supplies. The ice fields could wipe the ship, smash it, or carry it away. However, Sedov decided to go to Franz Josef Land. Off the coast of Franz Josef Land, the ship was again covered with ice. For wintering, a bay was chosen, which Sedov called Tikhaya. In his diary, he wrote: “It cost the old, decrepit ship to reach these latitudes, especially since on the way in the Barents Sea we met so much ice that no expedition seemed to have encountered (a belt 3 ° 3 'wide), and if we add here a very limited supply of fuel and a rather low speed of the ship, then we can safely say that our expedition has truly accomplished a feat."
The bay was really "Quiet", convenient for wintering. The ship could come close to the shore. However, the situation with life supplies became critical. There was no fuel. They burned the fat of killed animals, burned wooden objects on the ship, even the bulkheads between the cabins. The main food was porridge. Scurvy appeared among the members of the expedition. It was escaped only by those participants of the campaign who ate meat from walruses, bears, and even dog meat that drank bear blood, obtained by hunting. Most, including Sedov, refused such food. As a result, Georgy Yakovlevich from a cheerful and energetic person turned into a silent and sick person. He often became ill. But he still dreamed of reaching the pole.
On February 2 (15), 1914, Sedov and the sailors G. V. Linnik and A. M. Pustoshny accompanying him went to the North Pole on three dog sleds. In this regard, Sedov wrote: “So, today we are approaching the pole: this is an event both for us and for our homeland. This day has long been dreamed of by the great Russian people - Lomonosov, Mendeleev and others. It was a great honor for us, little people, to fulfill their dream and make a feasible ideological and scientific conquest in the polar study for the pride and benefit of our fatherland. May this order, may this, perhaps, my last word serve you all as a memory of mutual friendship and love. Goodbye, dear friends!"
Sedov was ill. On the way, his illness intensified. He was choking with coughing and often fainted. This trip was caused by despair, he did not want to give up his dream. Although reasonably understood that the expedition had failed. In the last days, he could no longer walk, but sat tied on a sled so as not to fall. In oblivion, he sometimes said: “everything was lost,” but did not want to go back. Before reaching Rudolf Island (the northernmost of the islands of the Franz Josef Archipelago), on the eighteenth day of the campaign, Sedov died on February 20 (March 5) 1914 and was buried on Cape Auk of this island. Linnik and Pustoshny were able to return to the ship. "Foka" in August 1914 reached the Rynda fishing camp on Murman and the remaining members of the expedition escaped.
During the expedition of G. Ya. Sedov in St. Petersburg and abroad, they wrote a lot and talked about the need to provide assistance to the Russian polar expeditions - Sedov, Brusilov and Rusanov (the expeditions of G. L. Brusilov and V. A. Rusanov were killed). The head of the Russian Geographical Society P. P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, the famous polar explorer F. Nansen and others spoke out decisively about this. It was possible to provide timely assistance to the expedition of Georgy Sedov, but this was not done. The members of this expedition Pavlov, Vize, Pinegin wrote to the Minister of War on their return: “Sedov's demand for help in the form of sending a ship with coal in 1913 … was not satisfied. The latter ruined Sedov's plans and was the cause of all the disasters of the expedition …"
