The ''Georgiy Sedov'' (russian: Георгий Седов) was a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
ice-breaker fitted with steam engines. She was originally the
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
seal fishery support vessel ''Beothic'' and was renamed after
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n captain and polar explorer
Georgy Yakovlevich Sedov in 1915.
This icebreaker became famous as the first Soviet
drifting ice station
A drifting ice station is a temporary or semi-permanent facility built on an ice floe. During the Cold War the Soviet Union and the United States maintained a number of stations in the Arctic Ocean on floes such as Fletcher's Ice Island for rese ...
, the culmination of a decade of high-latitude exploration.
Vessel History
''Beothic'' was built in 1908–09 at
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and was engaged as a support vessel in sealing until her sale to the Imperial Russian Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 1915. Renamed ''Georgiy Sedov'', she was inherited by the new Soviet government following the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
.
In 1929 icebreaker ''Sedov'' went on the "High-latitude Government Expedition" to
Franz Josef Land
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, image_caption = Map of Franz Josef Land
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carrying Soviet scientists.
In the summer of 1937
icebreaker ''Sadko'' sailed from
Murmansk
Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') i ...
. Its original goal was to sail to Henrietta, Zhokhow and Jeanette Islands, in the
De Long group and carry out scientific research. The purpose of the expedition was to find out if the Northern Sea Route could be used for regular shipping and to explore the complex
Nordenskiöld Archipelago
The Nordenskiöld Archipelago or Nordenskjold Archipelago (russian: Архипелаг Норденшельда, Arkhipelag Nordenshel'da) is a large and complex cluster of islands in the eastern region of the Kara Sea. Its eastern limit lies ...
. The Soviet naval authorities changed the plans and the ice-breaker was sent instead to help ships in distress in the
Kara
Kara or KARA may refer to:
Geography Localities
* Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture
* Kára, Hungary, a village
* Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township
* Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province
* Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in Da ...
and
Laptev Sea
The Laptev Sea ( rus, мо́ре Ла́птевых, r=more Laptevykh; sah, Лаптевтар байҕаллара, translit=Laptevtar baỹğallara) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between the northern coast of Siberia, th ...
s. The ''Sadko'' became trapped in fast ice at 75°17'N and 132°28'E in the region of the
New Siberian Islands
The New Siberian Islands ( rus, Новосиби́рские Oстрова, r=Novosibirskiye Ostrova; sah, Саҥа Сибиир Aрыылара, translit=Saña Sibiir Arıılara) are an archipelago in the Extreme North of Russia, to the north o ...
. Another two Soviet icebreakers, the ''Sedov'' and the ''
Malygin'' which were in the same area researching the ice conditions, became trapped by sea ice as well and drifted helplessly. Owing to persistent bad weather conditions, part of the stranded crew and some of the scientists could only be rescued in April 1938. Only on August 28, 1938, could the
icebreaker ''Yermak'' free two of the three ships at 83°4'N and 138°22'E. The third ship, the ''Sedov'', had to be left to drift in the ice and was transformed into a scientific polar station.
''Sedov'' kept drifting northwards in the ice towards the
Pole
Pole may refer to:
Astronomy
*Celestial pole, the projection of the planet Earth's axis of rotation onto the celestial sphere; also applies to the axis of rotation of other planets
*Pole star, a visible star that is approximately aligned with the ...
, very much like
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (; 10 October 186113 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian. He led the team t ...
's ''
Fram
Fram may refer to:
Ships
* ''Fram'' (ship), an arctic exploration vessel from Norway
* MS ''Fram'', expedition cruise ship owned by Hurtigruten Group
Places and geography
* Fram, Paraguay, a town in Itapúa, Paraguay
* Fram Formation, a se ...
'' had done in 1893–96. In doing so they achieved a record northern latitude in 1939.
[Francis E. McMurtrie and Raymond V.B. Blackman, ''Jane's Fighting Ships 1949-50'', p. 297. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1949] There were 15 crew aboard, led by Captain
Konstantin Badygin
Captain Konstantin Sergeyevich Badygin (or Badigin, russian: Константин Сергеевич Бадигин; 30 November 1910 – 15 March 1984) was a Soviet naval officer, explorer, author, and scientist.
Biography
Konstantin Sergeye ...
and W. Kh. Buinitzki. The scientists aboard took 415 astronomical measurements, 78 electromagnetic observations, as well as 38 depth measurements by drilling the thick polar ice during their 812-day stay aboard the ''Sedov''. They were freed between
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
and
Svalbard
Svalbard ( , ), also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range ...
by the icebreaker ''
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
'', the biggest icebreaker of the Soviet fleet at that time, on January 18, 1940.
Fate
Withdrawn from service in 1967, ''Sedov'' was scrapped at
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
by Eckhardt & Co.
See also
*
Professor Vize
Vladimir Yulyevich Wiese (russian: Владимир Юльевич Визе; 5 March 1886 – 19 February 1954) was a Russian scientist of German descent who devoted his life to the study of the Arctic ice pack. His name is associated with the ...
*
Konstantin Badygin
Captain Konstantin Sergeyevich Badygin (or Badigin, russian: Константин Сергеевич Бадигин; 30 November 1910 – 15 March 1984) was a Soviet naval officer, explorer, author, and scientist.
Biography
Konstantin Sergeye ...
References
*
*
Albert Hastings Markham
Admiral Sir Albert Hastings Markham (11 November 1841 – 28 October 1918) was a British explorer, author, and officer in the Royal Navy. In 1903 he was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. He is also remembered for desig ...
, ''Arctic Exploration'', 1895
* Armstrong, T., ''The Russians in the Arctic'', London, 1958.
Early Soviet ExplorationHistory of Russian Arctic Exploration
{{DEFAULTSORT:Georgiy Sedov (icebreaker)
Icebreakers of the Soviet Union
Kara Sea
Laptev Sea
Polar exploration by Russia and the Soviet Union
1908 ships
Arctic exploration vessels
Ships built on the River Clyde