History of the ship "Mikhail Somov". MIKHAIL SOMOV - research vessel - where is located in real time according to Marine Traffic, technical characteristics Vladivostok comes to the rescue
March 15, 1985 the ship "Mikhail Somov" was blocked in the ice of Antarctica. The diesel-electric ship was forced to drift off the Hobbs Coast. The crew of the vessel waited 133 days for their release. To save the polar explorers, an expedition was equipped on the icebreaker "Vladivostok"
The ship "Mikhail Somov" got its name in honor of the famous Soviet polar explorer Mikhail Mikhailovich Somov. The research expedition ship was laid down in October 1974 by order of the State Committee for Hydrometeorology and Hydrology of the USSR, and launched in February of the following year.
The diesel-electric ship took part in more than 20 expeditions to Antarctica, where the hydrometeorological and ice regimes of the Southern Ocean were studied, as well as hydrographic work, research in physics and mechanics were carried out sea ice. In addition, the ship delivered winterers to the Antarctic stations, as well as food and various cargoes.
133 days of "captivity"
In 1985 "Mikhail Somov" worked as part of the 30th Soviet Antarctic Expedition. In mid-February, the ship entered New Zealand to purchase food and supplies. Then it was supposed to go to the area of Russkaya station in the Ross Sea.
On March 7, the diesel-electric ship approached the fast ice, at a distance of 25 miles from the station. The unloading of supplies began, but it soon became clear that this threatened to fall into ice captivity. In mid-March, a hurricane passed in the area of the Somov parking lot, which lasted three days.
On March 15, a 133-day ship drift in the Pacific ice mass began. It was decided to evacuate the sick and part of the crew from the ship, so only a group of volunteers remained on board. According to some reports, the decision to send a rescue expedition was made after the Western media reported on the ship. The government commission decided to send the Vladivostok icebreaker to Somov. The expedition was led by Artur Chilingarov.
On July 26, 1985, Vladivostok broke the ice around the diesel-electric ship and freed its crew from a long blockade. Both vessels entered clear water on 11 August. Many participants of this expedition were awarded state awards. Thus, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 14, 1986, for the exemplary fulfillment of the task of releasing the research expedition ship "Mikhail Somov" from the ice of Antarctica, the skillful leadership of ships during rescue operations and during the drift period and the courage and heroism shown in this, to the head of the rescue expedition on the icebreaker "Vladivostok" Artur Chilingarov was awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
The ships themselves also received awards ("Vladivostok" - the Order of Lenin, "Mikhail Somov" - the Order of the Red Banner of Labor). Actually high level An analysis of the incident was initiated, however, according to the results of the audit, no one was punished.
"Second life" of the ship
After these dramatic events, "Mikhail Somov" was sent for repairs, after which he continued to work. Not everyone knows that in the summer of 1991, as part of the next Antarctic expedition, the ship again fell into ice captivity in the area of Molodyozhnaya station. However, after a short drift, the ship managed to free itself.
In the mid-1990s, the Mikhail Somov made its last Antarctic voyage. He was replaced by a new vessel for work in Antarctica - "Akademik Fedorov". In 1999, the ship was transferred to the balance of the Northern Directorate for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring environment. It is currently used to supply Russian scientific expeditions in the Arctic, as well as for holding scientific research arctic ice.
Life's film reviewer is about a fresh Russian disaster film, which takes place on a Soviet icebreaker.
Petrov (Pyotr Fedorov) is a young and sociable captain of the Mikhail Somov diesel icebreaker. The sailors took the Antarctic polar explorers from the wintering and are already heading north, when suddenly an accident occurs: a person drowns in icy water. Because of this, a new captain, the gloomy Semchenko (Sergei Puskepalis), is brought onto the ship by helicopter. At the same time, the ship is jammed with heavy ice, and Semchenko decides to drift off the coast of Antarctica, that is, just stand and do nothing. This drift will last almost four months.
Russian big-budget cinema in 2016 was transformed in an unpredictable way. Two most important autumn releases at once: the films "" and "Icebreaker" were shot by independent festival directors. The director of this tape is Nikolai Khomeriki, he, for a second, twice participated in the highbrow Un Certain Regard program of the Cannes Film Festival. Apparently, the producers felt the demand not for a banal action, but for an intellectual and expensive movie. Moreover, the demand is not necessarily public: it may be easier to get funds for production from the State Film Fund. "Duelist", by the way, eventually failed in the collections.
The "Icebreaker" is still more likely to win the love of a windy cinema audience. Still, the conquest of the Arctic and Antarctic is a good reason for the everyday patriotism of a post-Soviet citizen. Heroes-polar explorers were honored by the entire Union, along with cosmonauts and Stakhanovites. Yes, and the story of a four-month standing in the ice is quite well-known: in 1985, all Western media wrote about it. Moreover, it was because of the interest from foreign reporters that, according to rumors, the indecisive bureaucrats launched the rescue operation.
The clumsy Soviet state apparatus and its henchman Semchenko are exposed in the "Icebreaker" as the main villains. Sincere, simple-hearted and numerous sailors (Vitaly Khaev, Alexander Yatsenko, Alexander Pal later joins them), along with the main character Petrov, are actively oppressed by the captain, who at the same time urges everyone to sit on the icebreaker and not try to save themselves. Puskepalis, who knows how to play a stern man in extreme circumstances since the time of the film "How I Spent This Summer", professionally poisons honest workers: he breaks the guitar on which Pal played Tsoi, forbids playing the canonical slot machine "Battleship" and so on.
In other words, most of all, the smart director Khomeriki was worried about the totalitarian nature inherent in the consciousness of the Soviet leader, which the state instilled in everyone. The captain wants to constantly control all aspects of the life of the society subordinate to him, which is probably why he so wants the icebreaker to stand still. For fear of getting a scolding from Moscow, he forbids studying the ice in front of the ship, and even more so undermining it with dynamite. As a result, a hundred adult men, stuck on a gradually cooling ship, sit back and seem to be gradually losing their minds.
Such a concept, apparently, did not fit in the minds of the producers of the film for $ 10 million. The director has to dilute the static action with useless side lines about the two captains' wives. Petrov's wife (Olga Filimonova) is raising her son in a communal apartment and wants to get a divorce, but she, as a journalist, is sent on another icebreaker to her husband. But the pregnant wife of Semchenko for some reason is hysterical and does not want to lie in a depressive Soviet hospital in order to give birth without complications.
Much more interesting, but just as inappropriate look attraction inserts. The scene full of unrest of catching a man from the open sea, for example, was filmed beautifully, including under water. But the strange scene in which Pyotr Fedorov walks on ice floes, falls down and intimidates a badly drawn sea lion, was clearly attached to the film with difficulty. It also looks like a giant collapsing iceberg, which somehow follows the ship around the Southern Ocean. To the credit of the authors, there are not so many such misfortunes that did not exist in reality with sailors.
And in general, the film deliberately has little to do with the events of 1985. In fact, all that remains of that polar feat is a long drift and rescue with the help of another icebreaker. The ship "Mikhail Somov" itself turned into "Mikhail Gromov", Captain Rodchenko, who is still alive, was renamed Semchenko as a preventive measure. In general, even the most stubborn historians will not be able to accuse the scriptwriters of distorting real events: after all, the story is rather inspired by real events, and not based on them, as the poster claims. But, one must think, the fear of the sailors, stuck in the middle of an icy wasteland sparkling in the sun, was as strong as on the real Mikhail Somov.
In the twentieth century of the last century Russia occupied one of the highest lines in the ranking of shipbuilders. The country had everything at its disposal: warships, tourist liners, ice drifts etc. Many scientific expeditions were financed by the state and bore fruit: the discoveries made by Soviet sailors are still famous today.
But things didn't always go smoothly. Various curious situations unsettled sailors. And the worst case in the entire shipping practice was in 1985, when ice drift "Mikhail Gromov" stood 133 days in the ice Antarctica. This real story, reading which you are surprised at the courage and valor of Soviet sailors.
Some historical facts
Ice drift "Mikhail Somov" named after a scientist who explored the ice shores MM. Somov. This ship is a prototype ice drift "Mikhail Gromov". Laid down in mid-October 1974, and in February 1975 the ship was launched. The customer was the State Committee for Hydrology and Hydrometeorology the USSR.
Over the entire period of operation on the ice drift, more than twenty scientific expeditions were carried out. Scientists studied the ice and hydrometeorological regimes of the Southern Ocean, making landings on the shores Antarctica. The ship was intended not only for expeditions, but also for the delivery of various provisions to researchers.
Icebreaker "Mikhail Gromov"
In ice captivity
Most shocking story ice drift "Mikhail Gromov" took place in 1985. Real events that caused serious problems occurred one after another. The main task of the ice drift was to provide food for researchers located at the Russkaya station, which is located by the sea Ross.
Scientists knew very well that these areas of the ocean are famous for their thick ice that envelops the ocean. But the ship was station "Russkaya" at a time when a severe winter had already begun, and the ice was becoming thicker and heavier every day. At that moment, all foreign ships were already leaving the station, but the Soviet navigators needed to complete the shift of winterers and deliver the necessary things.
In March 1985 year true story ice drift "Mikhail Gromov" is just beginning. The winds increased, the temperature dropped, and the ship was stuck at the sea for a long time. Ross. There was no hope of salvation on their own, so you just need to wait for help from other ships.
The story of the heroic rescue of the ice drift
After unsuccessful attempts to get out on their own, it was decided to wait for help. On the radio found out that "not far" is Ice drift "Pavel Korchagin". Unfortunately, he will not be able to come to the rescue, because by the standards of Antarctica, the distance was about five hundred kilometers between the ships.
A little later there was such a statement that the ice drift remained abandoned. However, this statement is erroneous and in fact it was not at all true. But at the beginning of April it was already known that "Mikhail Gromov" remained in the ice for an indefinite period. On the "Korchagin" more than seventy people were evacuated, and only volunteers who decided to fight to the end remained on the stuck ship. There were 53 of them in total, headed by Valentin Rodchenko.
Near the ice drift in the middle May 1985 the ice gradually began to crack, giving researchers hope for salvation. However, it wasn't there. The winds only intensified, pulling the ice drift to the south.
A huge contribution to the salvation of scientists was made by people from the Ministry the USSR. It was thanks to their order that a rescue operation was organized on the ice drift "Vladivostok". Truth, "Mikhail Gromov" had already been standing in the ice for quite a long time, therefore, saving him was an almost impossible task. In early June 1985, the rescue ship moved to help compatriots. The head of the operation was Gennady Anokhin.
With difficulty, the crew of "Vladivostok" was able to reach the coast New Zealand, taking fuel and moving on. In mid-July, the carriage passed next to "Pavel Korchagin". Then he continued his way to the stuck ice drift. A few days later, a rescue helicopter was delivered to "Gromov", bringing medical workers and supplies of provisions.
July 26, 1985 is a fateful day. It was at this time" Vladivostok" approached the ice drift stuck with the researchers. Then he was taken under the wiring. Three weeks later, both ships entered the open waters of the ocean, crossing the ice barrier.
After a short respite in New Zealand, the ice drifts headed home: "Vladivostok", oddly enough, to Vladivostok, and " Gromov to Leningrad. Orders of Courage were awarded to all who participated in the rescue.
Still in service
In times of collapse the USSR the ice drift again found itself in the fetters of ice. In this case, the rescue operation was not delayed, and the ship was saved in just a few weeks.
IN this moment "Mikhail Gromov" not erected as a monument. It is still used as a deliverer of provisions and fuel to researchers. Antarctica. Even after so much time, it works fine. And yet, Soviet engineers knew how to make things that could last for decades.
In 1985, at the very dawn of perestroika, the Soviet Union experienced an epic similar to the legendary rescue of the Chelyuskinites in the 1930s. As then, the expedition ship was covered with ice, saving people became the business of the whole country. With information about the ship caught in ice captivity, the releases of the Vremya program, the main information program of the country, began.
30 years later, the story of the rescue of the ship "Mikhail Somov" will become an occasion for the creation of an action-packed film "based on real events." However, a feature film is still a feature film. real story"Mikhail Somov" is no less, and perhaps in some ways more heroic than its screen reflection.
In October 1973, by order of the State Committee for Hydrometeorology and Hydrology of the USSR in Kherson shipyard A diesel-electric ship of the Amguema type of project 550 was laid down.
The new ship, designed for ice navigation with a solid ice thickness of up to 70 cm, was the 15th and the last in the family of this project.
The ship, on which the State flag of the USSR was raised on July 8, 1975, was named in honor of Mikhail Mikhailovich Somov, the famous polar explorer, head of the North Pole-2 polar station and head of the first Soviet Antarctic expedition.
First drift
"Mikhail Somov" was transferred to the disposal of the Research Institute of the Arctic and Antarctic. The ship was to ensure the delivery of people and cargo to Soviet scientific stations in Antarctica. The first flight of Somov began on September 2, 1975.
Navigation in both the Arctic and Antarctica is difficult and sometimes very dangerous. For ships that operate in these areas, "ice captivity" is an unpleasant, but quite common thing. Drift on ships ice-bound, traces its history back to the first explorers of the Arctic.
Modern ships, of course, are much better equipped, but they are not immune from such situations.
In 1977, for the first time, Mikhail Somov found himself in ice captivity. Carrying out an operation to supply and change personnel at the Leningradskaya Antarctic station, the ship lost the ability to move in the zone of 8-10 grade ice. On February 6, 1977, the drift of Mikhail Somov began in the ice of the Ballensky ice massif.
As already mentioned, this situation is unpleasant, but not catastrophic. Moreover, both personnel and cargo were transferred from the ship to Leningradskaya.
The ice situation began to improve by the end of March 1977. March 29 "Mikhail Somov" escaped from captivity. During the 53-day drift, the ship covered 250 miles.
Ice trap in the Ross Sea
The story that made "Mikhail Somov" famous all over the world happened in 1985. During the next voyage to Antarctica, the ship was to ensure the supply and change of winterers at the Russkaya station, located in the Pacific sector of Antarctica, near the Ross Sea.
This area is famous for its extremely heavy ice massif. The Somov flight was delayed, and the ship approached the Russkaya very late, when the Antarctic winter was already beginning.
All foreign ships are trying to leave the region by this time. "Somov" was in a hurry to complete the change of winterers and unload fuel and products.
On March 15, 1985, there was a sharp increase in wind, and soon the ship was blocked by heavy ice floes. The thickness of the ice in this area reached 3-4 meters. The distance from the ship to the ice edge is about 800 kilometers. Thus, "Mikhail Somov" was firmly stuck in the Ross Sea.
With the help of satellites and ice reconnaissance, the situation was analyzed. It turned out that under the prevailing conditions, Somov would independently emerge from the ice drift no earlier than at the end of 1985.
During this time, the diesel-electric ship could be crushed by ice, like the Chelyuskin. For this extreme case, a plan was worked out to create an ice camp, where the crew members had to wait for rescue.
In relative proximity to the Somov, another Soviet ship, the Pavel Korchagin, was on duty. But "proximity" was considered by the standards of Antarctica - in fact, hundreds of kilometers lay between the ships.
Vladivostok comes to the rescue
Later, a statement will appear - “Somov” was left to the mercy of fate, it was too late to start saving people. This, to put it mildly, is not true. In April, when it became clear that the situation would not be resolved in the near future, 77 people were evacuated by helicopters from Mikhail Somov to Pavel Korchagin. 53 people remained on the ship, led by Captain Valentin Rodchenko.
In May, hope appeared - cracks appeared in the ice mass around the Somov. It seemed that it was about to be able to escape, but instead the winds began to demolish the ice field and the ship to the south.
On June 5, 1985, the Council of Ministers of the USSR decides to organize a rescue expedition on the icebreaker Vladivostok.
It took only five days to prepare, load equipment, helicopters, and fuel. June 10 "Vladivostok" came to the rescue.
The crew led by the captain Gennady Anokhin was a formidable task. And it was not only the severity of the ice around the Somov.
Vladivostok, like all icebreakers of this type, had an egg-shaped underwater part (to push it out during compression). At the same time, the ship had to pass through the “roaring” forties and “furious” fifties latitudes, where the icebreaker, due to the instability of the structure, could itself get into big trouble.
Nevertheless, Vladivostok reached New Zealand, took on board a cargo of fuel, and moved to the shores of Antarctica.
"Flint" Chilingarov
The leader of the rescue expedition was the head of the Personnel Department and educational institutions Goskomgidromet Artur Chilingarov. Among the polar explorers, the appointment of the "official" caused, to put it mildly, conflicting opinions.
But here is what one of the participants of the rescue expedition, a TASS correspondent, recalled in one of the interviews Viktor Gusev: “I have a very high opinion of Chilingarov. With some features of a Soviet functionary, for me this is a person from the century geographical discoveries. He is a scientist, and a traveler, and just a passionate person ... And I was shocked in New Zealand. We went there on an icebreaker, took the required amount of fuel. We went to the Somov and got caught in a storm! The icebreaker is not adapted to this - it was thrown from side to side ... It was sick for three days! At some point I thought: it would be nice if I died now. I still remember this disgusting splash of water! Three cans of apple juice were broken, the cabin was in pieces, the washbasin was torn off ... The cooks were lying, all the icebreakers. And Chilingarov moved around and cooked for those who wished - although there were few who wanted to. Ate one. Flint".
Viktor Gusev is now known to everyone as a sports commentator on Channel One. But his sports career began just after the epic with the rescue of Mikhail Somov.
barrel battle
Everyone had to show heroism in this operation, and its outcome more than once hung in the balance. A dramatic situation has developed with fuel barrels loaded in New Zealand.
In a long interview with Sport-Express, Viktor Gusev recalled: “In a storm they began to be washed overboard. Chilingarov mobilized everyone, including me. Barrels were tied to anything that could be tied. Chilingarov said: “I calculated! If we lose half of the barrels, the rest will be enough, let's move on. If it's 51 percent, you have to go back.” They fixed it in such a way that they lost forty percent. The rest was really enough.”
On "Mikhail Somov" at that moment they were diligently saving food and fuel. For the sake of saving fuel, even laundry and a bath were carried out only twice a month. The crew freed the propeller and rudder from ice, sorted out the engines - after all, in the event of a failure of these systems, Somov would not have been helped by any outside support.
On July 18, 1985, Vladivostok met with Pavel Korchagin, after which it moved through the ice to the captured Somov.
July 23, 1985 Mi-8 helicopter under the control of a pilot Boris Lyalin landed next to Mikhail Somov. The helicopter delivered medics and emergency supplies.
Ordinary miracle
But about 200 kilometers before Somov, Vladivostok itself got stuck in the ice.
From an interview with Viktor Gusev to the Interlocutor: “It was a truly critical situation. Then I saw and took part in what I would never have believed if someone had told me. A giant rope with an anchor was lowered from the icebreaker. We all went out on the ice in the middle of this Antarctic, made a hole and, having anchored into it, the whole team began to rock our “Vladivostok” ... It turned out that rocking is a fairly common practice. But if once someone managed to pull an icebreaker out of the ice in this way, we didn’t succeed.”
But in the morning a miracle happened. The ice field, as if showing respect for the courage of people, receded from Vladivostok.
On July 26, 1985, something happened that the entire Soviet Union was waiting for with bated breath. Moscow received a message: “On July 26 at 0900, the Vladivostok icebreaker approached the last ice barrier in front of the Mikhail Somov. At 11.00 I rounded him up and took him under wiring.
There was no time for rejoicing - the Antarctic winter with severe frosts could at any moment close the trap again. "Vladivostok" began the withdrawal of "Mikhail Somov" from the zone heavy ice.
Order for an icebreaker
On August 13, the ships crossed the edge of the drifting ice and went out into the open ocean. Six days later, the crews of the ships, like heroes, were met by the inhabitants of New Zealand Wellington.
After a four-day rest, the ships each set off on their own route - "Vladivostok" to Vladivostok, "Mikhail Somov" to Leningrad.
Drift "Mikhail Somov" lasted 133 days. In memory of this heroic epic, a commemorative medal was minted.
The head of the expedition Artur Chilingarov, the captain of the Mikhail Somov Valentin Rodchenko and the pilot Boris Lyalin became Heroes of the Soviet Union, other members of the expedition were awarded orders and medals. Correspondent Viktor Gusev, for example, received the medal "For Labor Valour". In addition, the TASS management granted his long-standing request to be transferred to the sports editorial office.
It is interesting that not only people were awarded, but also ships. The icebreaker "Vladivostok" was awarded the Order of Lenin, and the diesel-electric ship "Mikhail Somov" was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
"Somov" is still in service
In 1991, "Mikhail Somov" again found himself in ice captivity. In July, during the emergency evacuation of the expedition from the Molodezhnaya Antarctic station, the ship was caught in ice. On August 19 and 20, when the whole country was carried away by the State Emergency Committee, the pilots took the polar explorers and the Somov crew back to the Molodezhnaya station.
This time, no one sent an icebreaker to help the ship, but he was lucky - unlike the Soviet Union, Mikhail Somov survived, and on December 28, 1991, he safely left the ice drift.
31 years after its most famous adventure, the Mikhail Somov diesel-electric ship continues to work in the interests of Russia. It is used to supply Russian scientific expeditions in the Arctic, to deliver personnel, equipment and supplies to scientific stations, border outposts and other facilities, as well as to conduct scientific research on the Arctic ice.
History can praise not only personalities, but also objects. In the maritime field, there are a huge number of outstanding ships, whose names are known throughout the world. But not always ships became popular due to military battles. There were also those who gained fame for other reasons. We are talking about the vessel "Mikhail Somov".
research scientist
It is worth starting a story about this icebreaker with its name. Like most other ships, this one was named after a famous Soviet explorer. Mikhail Mikhailovich Somov was born in 1908 in Moscow. He devoted many years to his beloved work, became a doctor geographical sciences, and in 1952 he was awarded the Golden
The father of the future researcher was a fish farmer and a professor at one of the country's universities. Mikhail Mikhailovich himself, after graduating from the institute, began to teach there. Already at the age of 30, he had the opportunity to go on an Arctic expedition.
During the war, he participated in ice operations in the White Sea Flotilla. Several times he helped ships pass the Arctic, and later defended the small village of Dikson from a German cruiser.
After the war, Mikhail Somov managed to return to scientific activity. He defended his thesis, headed the polar station "North Pole 2". In 1955, he had the opportunity to become the head of the first Soviet Antarctic expedition. Subsequently, he was the commander of research trips more than once.
Birthday
Mikhail Mikhailovich died in 1973. In the fall of the following year, the State Committee for Hydrometeorology and Hydrology of the USSR ordered the project. They became the ship "Mikhail Somov". The ship was launched only in February 1975. In the summer of this year, the State Flag of the USSR was hoisted on the ship. On this day, the future conqueror of ice was officially "born". Immediately he was transferred to the management of the Research Institute of the Arctic and Antarctic. And in the fall of 1975, the first flight took place.
First difficulties
At that time, navigation through the "ice lands" was difficult and dangerous. Despite the fact that the drift was always unpleasant for the team, it was a fairly common thing. It was probably also surprising that the Mikhail Somov icebreaker fell into a drift only two years after its first trip.
It happened in 1977. The task of that flight was to supply and change the personnel of the Arctic station "Leningradskaya". But just on the way to this mission, the ship encountered ice with a concentration of 8-10 points. He stopped moving and hoped for the best. A little later, the first ice drift in the life of Mikhail Somov began on the Ballensky massif.
The ship's crew was not at a loss. They even managed to complete the task. After almost two months, the icebreaker was able to break out of the trap. For 53 days of "captivity" he swam more than 250 miles.
high-profile event
But the really high-profile event happened only in 1985. Then the icebreaker "Mikhail Somov" went to the Ross Sea. The Russkaya station was located nearby, which needed supplies and a change of personnel.
Even then it was known that this Pacific sector of Antarctica is famous for its dangerous "surprises". The ice masses were very heavy, so the ship spent a lot of time and arrived at the station much later. It so happened that the Antarctic winter was already beginning at the destination.
The time has come difficult. But "Mikhail Somov" could not leave his compatriots. The ship had to unload fuel and products, as well as change personnel.
Start of trouble
Further events unfolded quickly. Already on March 15, the ship fell into an ice trap. A strong wind arose, and the team was blocked by heavy ice floes. The strong cover of the sea was 3-4 meters thick. It became clear that getting out quickly would not work.
The rescue operation has begun. Now it was necessary to calculate, with the help of satellites and aerial reconnaissance, the approximate time for the release of the Mikhail Somov icebreaker. The ship, presumably, could only get out of captivity by the end of 1985.
In addition to the fact that during this time the team could significantly decrease in number, there were still problems and be completely crushed. In addition, such a story has already happened with Chelyuskin. It was clear that a plan had to be developed to form an ice camp where the crew would have to move to await rescue.
Doing nothing is not an option
Later it became known that the Pavel Korchagin ship was not far from the captured team. But “not far” was quite a subjective term. By the standards of Antarctica, it was indeed close, but in fact there were hundreds of kilometers between the ships.
At that time, the news channels of the country were only talking about the fate of the team. It was necessary to urgently save the ship "Mikhail Somov". Drift at any moment could ruin the lives of dozens of people. Then allegations began that the ship was abandoned to the mercy of fate and it was already too late to save someone.
Actually, it was just a rumor. Already in April, 77 people were transported by helicopters to the Pavel Korchagin ship. 53 polar explorers still remained on the ship. Among them was Captain Valentin Rodchenko. Already in May, cracks in the ice around the ship became noticeable. There was hope for salvation. But it got even worse. The wind carried the ship to the south.
Help
Already in the early summer of 1985, the government decided to send the Vladivostok icebreaker on a rescue expedition. In a matter of days, the ship came to the aid of colleagues. In just 5 days, fuel supplies, equipment and helicopters were loaded onto the ship.
But the captain of the Vladivostok faced an extremely difficult task. Gennady Anokhin had to steer the ship in such a way that he himself would not have to be rescued. Otherwise, the history of the Mikhail Somov icebreaker would have ended there.
The problem was that the vessel of the Vladivostok type had an egg-shaped underwater part. This was done so that in case of danger the ship would independently be pushed out of the traps. But Gennady Anokhin was faced with the task of not only getting to the Mikhail Somov, but also overcoming the famous latitudes: the fortieth and fiftieth, which were famous for their fury and danger.
"Vladivostok" successfully reached New Zealand, where he received more fuel and went to Antarctica.
Famous personalities
The history of "Mikhail Somov" made it possible to meet such brave people as Viktor Gusev. The first at that time was the head of the rescue operation and on the "Vladivostok" got to the captives. The second is a now famous sportscaster. Few people know, but his career began after the incident with the famous icebreaker.
So, when Chilingarov was appointed head of the rescue operation, the polar explorers were not happy. Some even treated it with hostility. But it was Gusev who later spoke in defense of the official. He said that Chilingarov is not just a scientist and traveler, he is an expert in his field, and most importantly, he is devoted to him.
The commentator later told a story that still amazes. It turns out that after sending "Vladivostok" from New Zealand, the ship was overtaken by a storm. In addition to the fact that the crew was not used to such events anyway, the ship was not at all prepared for bad weather. The icebreaker swayed from side to side. Three suffered from seasickness. The cooks couldn't do anything. And only Chilingarov calmly moved around the ship, cooking, if someone asked.
Misfortune after misfortune
While the ship "Mikhail Somov" survived as best she could, the "Vladivostok" was still struggling with the storm. At this time, the fuel barrels that the team received in New Zealand began to wash overboard. Chilingarov announced to the polar explorers that if they lose 50% of the fuel, then they will be able to reach the captives, but if 51%, then the ship will have to return.
Gusev recalls that everyone who could stand on their feet rushed to tie the barrels. And they did it to whatever was possible. As a result, it turned out that less than half of the fuel was lost, and the remaining was enough to get to Mikhail Somov.
Sacrifices for salvation
Fuel and food were scarce indeed. The team had to save resources as much as possible in order not only to survive themselves, but also to save their colleagues. It was decided to wash and bathe only twice a month. For days on end, the crew kept cleaning the propeller and rudder from ice. We had to be as careful as possible, because not only our own lives, but also those of our colleagues were at stake.
A month after the departure, "Vladivostok" was able to get to the ship "Pavel Korchagin". Now the course was kept on the diesel-electric ship "Mikhail Somov". A week later, an MI-8 helicopter reached the captives, bringing on board doctors and the necessary resources.
Courage and bravery
There were about two hundred kilometers to the ship. "Vladivostok" falls into an ice trap. to this day he remembers how the crew of the ship went on the ice. A huge rope was lowered from the ship. The crew made a hole, brought an anchor into it and began to rock the ship. This practice has already been used by polar explorers, perhaps even successfully. But the rescue expedition was not lucky this time.
Such events could not go unnoticed. Nature decided to give sailors a chance, and in the morning the glaciers left the Vladivostok alone. The polar explorers did not even have time for joy. It was necessary to urgently rescue colleagues.
The entire Soviet Union watched the events in Antarctica. On July 26, at 9 am, Chilingarov and his team reached the captive "Mikhail Somov". Two hours later, the ship was rounded up and taken under wiring.
We had to hurry. An Antarctic winter could take both crews by surprise. The ship "Mikhail Somov" had to be withdrawn from the heavy ice. Almost 3 weeks later, the icebreakers went out into the open ocean, and after 6 days they reached Wellington, where they were greeted like real heroes.
New Adventures
It so happened that "Mikhail Somov" was destined for the third time to fall into the ice drift. It happened at the wrong time - in 1991. In the summer, the crew set off to rescue the Molodezhnaya station. There he evacuated the polar explorers aboard the ship. But on the way home, he again became a prisoner of the ice. In mid-August, the pilots went to rescue the team.
The entire crew had to be returned back to the Molodezhnaya station. And only a couple of days later, the Il-76MD aircraft was able to free 190 polar explorers. The ship continued to be trapped right up to 28 December. So no one came to his aid, it was due to difficult situation in the country. And if "Mikhail Somov" was able to escape on his own, then the Soviet Union forever remained "under the cold political ice."
In service
In 2000, they repaired the ship and sent it to the Northern UGMS. To this day, "Mikhail Somov", whose photo remains in the memory of many, serves for the benefit of polar explorers. In the first year after its revival, it successfully completed two voyages, delivering cargo to polar stations.
The next year there were seven such expeditions. In addition to auxiliary flights, research flights have also resumed. In 2003, the icebreaker set off on a journey under the program "Pechora - Shtokman 2003", and also made a trip to the Arctic in order to supply researchers with everything they need.
For 16 years, he completed dozens of flights, which were associated not only with the help of polar stations, but also with research tasks. It now delivers equipment and supplies to stations and frontier outposts, and helps carry out Arctic ice surveys. The ship proudly bears the name of the famous scientist Mikhail Somov, and continues to make its contribution to science.
Awards
Icebreaker like him famous explorer also received an award. After a difficult and courageous expedition in 1985, Mikhail Somov received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for having heroically withstood the ice drift in Antarctica for 133 days.
At the same time, the captain of the ship, Valentin Rodchenko, was awarded: he became a Hero of the Soviet Union. The rest of the crew members were not forgotten either.
