MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. "This is the planet’s crown, its top. The world is by your feet," this is what Captain of the 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) nuclear-powered icebreaker Ruslan Sasov told me. He has a most rare occupation in the world. The huge vessel is sailing in the Barents Sea towards the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole. Onboard the icebreaker are 70 teenagers - winners of the Big Change national contest among school students. The chance to travel at the age of 15 to the North Pole - to see a polar bear, to dip into the Arctic Ocean - is one of the biggest prizes for the victory.
Not a cruise. It’s an expedition
The participants in the ten-day expedition - "Icebreaker of Discoveries" - are getting to the Murmansk airport from across the country. The icebreaker is departing for a "teenager" voyage for the fourth time now.
From the bus I can see the typical Northern nature: the low grey sky (even though it’s summer), bright violet strokes of fireweed along the road, and strikingly thin birches.
The departure is two days later, from the Murmansk port. The 50 Let Pobedy’s size is impressive. A huge vessel, which cannot be seen from one point. Nearby are other Russian icebreakers - of the world’s only civil nuclear fleet - the Yamal, with a shark smile on the bow, and the newest Arktika.
We pass formalities, get into cabins, and then finally, the Farewell of Slavianka (a Russian patriotic march, written by Vasily Agapkin), then a deafening-loud horn, and then the kids, shouting: "Mom, I’m to the Arctic!" The icebreaker is departing. The participants are on the deck, and here comes a flow of questions: "Will we see bears?" "Icebergs?" "Will I be sea-sick?" It would not be correct to say only kids have endless questions. No, the adults, excited about the most unusual trip in their lives, seem to become kids and expect miracles.
We all are told right away that the main person onboard is the captain. Like on any other ship. "Right now, we have six nuclear-powered icebreakers, each of them having two captains," said Captain Ruslan Sasov.
He came to the fleet more than 30 years ago. The biggest dream had been to become a sea captain. "I’ve been the captain of the 50 Let Pobedy for the fourth year. My first voyage as a captain was on the Yamal, but then I returned to my native [icebreaker]. Why native? Because I’ve been working on it since it was launched. Back then, I was the second mate. In 2006, I was a crew of the maiden voyage. The first crew of the 50 Let Pobedy nuclear-powered icebreaker," he said.
The icebreaker fleet’s job is to work on the Northern Sea Route. Icebreakers are the main part of work in the Arctic. No ship can sail without an icebreaker. And yet, even among the Russian nuclear fleet vessels, the 50 Let Pobedy is unique. It is ten meters longer than the earlier icebreakers - due to the ecology unit. The icebreaker is 160 meters long, and it has a spoon-shaped bow.
Additionally, the icebreaker offers bigger comfort for tourists. Sightseeing voyages to the North Pole began in the 1990s. First tourists sailed onboard the Rossiya, the Sovetsky Soyuz, and the Yamal. Nowadays, only the 50 Let Pobedy serves tourist expeditions.
"We have a video salon, a musical salon on the stern, a library, a souvenir shop, a luggage department, a massage room, a hairdresser. We also have a restaurant, a reception," the captain told us. I must say something about the restaurant. It was a surprise to see onboard an icebreaker on a ten-day voyage with cut off communication an all-you-can-eat buffet. A chef has been invited for it from St. Petersburg.
And yet, this trip is not a cruise. "It is an expedition to the North Pole. And this is how I refer to you all - "expedition" members. And now you are already the crew members. We all must be like one family. That’s the only way here, at sea," the captain said. Who would argue? He is absolutely correct. In order to see he’s correct, just get to the deck - what’s around you? - the endless northern sea.
"I’m going to the North Pole"
The Icebreaker of Discoveries expedition for winners in the Big Change’s second season is organized by Rosatom. "I have participated in Big Change, won, but could not imagine I would get an invitation to the expedition. I immediately told my parents: "I’m going to the North Pole." They could not believe it. But anyway said it’s a tough opportunity, and did allow, they let me go," said one of the youngest participants, Kamilya Yunusova, aged 15, from Naberezhnye Chelny.
During the expedition, specialists of Rosatom’s Corporate Academy and a network of information centers on nuclear energy organized many master classes, scientific lectures and training programs. The teenagers learned how nuclear icebreakers work, about the nuclear sector, studied conflict management, and have received an answer to the question about how to get employment with Rosatom.
The corporation’s experts stressed the sector needs the talented youth, mostly in new technology spheres. According to Maxim Dergachev of the ElectroChemPribor center of competences, the corporation has been working on laser and addictive technologies. "Rosatom is very interested in human resources, in young specialists in this sphere," he said. "This is the purpose of such educational master classes, lectures. This is why we present these technologies to teenagers."
Captain Sasov says the kids’ voyages are an honor and they are more important than regular trips, and hopes this tradition will become annual. "When kids are here, for us it’s more joy and honor: we are serving the winners, smart, beautiful kids. They will live, implement dreams and plans we have not managed to fulfil." Young travelers struck him as people with wide interests, and he is happy to tell them about the nuclear reactor, about the safety, about his work, and, of course, about what’s there on the pole.
Polar bear on ice
"I’ve never suffered that long period of ‘non-talking.’ When away from home - to camps or forums - I always called my parents," Kamilya Yunusova said. "The first day was tough: I kept checking for notifications. By the evening, I realized it was useless: no Internet, no connection. Anyway, the program here is so busy and people are so interesting that it [dependence] fades away. I make many videos to remember everything. It’s good we are without telephones here - an information detox. A chance to enjoy what’s around."
The expedition’s agenda is truly busy. The participants are offered an educational program, which consists of three tracks - "Opening Technologies," "Opening the Arctic," and "Opening Ourselves." An experienced polar discoverer and a member of a long expedition to the Antarctica, Viktor Boyarsky, tells the audience about his adventures, about surviving in severe conditions, about the sled dogs that were equal-rights travel mates.
He is the person, who every morning wakes up everyone on the local radio, recites poems or tells us about the situation around the icebreaker.
Three-time Olympic champion, Artistic swimmer Alla Shishkina conducts exercises, shares success secrets, speaks about ten-hour workouts and about her life after the big sports. Mikhail Korelsky of the National Park (about whom everyone on the icebreaker says "our Nicholas II" because of the specific beard and chic mustache) offers several master classes on making clay polar bears.
Meanwhile the view overboard remains unchanged - the endless water and the horizon. On the third day, at last, the pitching gives way to rolling, instead of water we can see huge ice blocks, which the ship literally turns out. On the same day, over the loudspeaker we hear at last: "Polar bear at the port side."
Three seconds to get prepared, and everyone rushes to decks. The icebreaker slows down (despite the huge size, it can stop practically at once) and specifically for the young travelers makes two circles around the bear. It is a true pleasure to see the King of Arctic in its natural environment, still keeping a safe distance to remain in a secure place.
The predator jumps deftly from one ice floe to another, turns back to the icebreaker and runs away. Its legs twist funny. Later on, the Russian Arctic National Park representatives will give more details about these animals in their film "I am a polar bear". The park’s specialists always accompany visitors to the pole, caring for the safety of people and of the animals, most of which are on the Red Data Book.
We are sailing through ice for another two days. Without looking at the watch, it’s next to impossible to tell the time. The shimmering ice, the round-the-clock sun: the polar day. It is extremely complicated to get used to the absence of nights. The crew and those who’s traveling for more than the first time keep saying we are endlessly happy to have this weather - sunny, rare fogs and no precipitation whatsoever. The unpredictable Arctic this time was very welcoming.
Hitting the ice
In the morning on July 23, the icebreaker reached the pole. Viktor Boyarsky every five minutes measures the distance to the pole. The long-awaited 90 degrees, the icebreaker gives a long horn and stops. It’s not easy to realize I am at the geographical conjunction of all meridians. First steps over the bright-blue ice. The air is frosty, the ribbed clouds as if reflect the ice. Nothing of the kind can be seen even in the northernmost part on the mainland. In this maiden polar nature, with striking sizes and without limits, the bright icebreaker looks like a weird toy, and our pictures look like photoshopped images.
The teenagers go down to walk on ice, to make the shortest trip round the globe, circling the "90 Degrees" sign, to unfold the meridian tapes stretching them right from the 90-degree mark, to be initiated into polar explorers by the captain, to leave a capsule with a message for participants in the next Icebreaker of Discoveries’ voyage. And of course, to take a million pictures - to remember it all.
Evelina Valova from Izhevsk said she could feel the trip was special only when she found herself standing on ice. "When I was walking down the gangplank, nothing moved inside, I wasn’t expecting much. But when only I could feel the crunch under my feet, tears sprang out, because I could not believe this was happening to me. I couldn't realize that that was the sun, that this is the highest point on the globe. It’s unbelievable. Well, if asked when I was happy, I will answer - at that very moment," the 18 year-old said, showing a tiny bottle with water she collected at the North Pole. "I sincerely believe this is a good sign, like a talisman. I’ve taken a picture with Viktor Boyarsky, which is also very important to me. Now I can say I have already lived my life for a reason. This 100% is my most unusual journey."
Maria Popova (16 years old) from Moscow is overwhelmed with the voyage: "Being at the point of 90.00.00 - I couldn’t have dreamed about it. It’s an unrealistic dream. It, I believe, is like going to the space. I’ve taken this teddy bear and a hat which I wore at all events in my life. Now, they have traveled to the North Pole with me. And together with this hat, I’ve won Big Change. What a cool impression it is."
Adults have similar emotions. Alla Shishkina said she had anticipated walking on ice, to be able to feel it.
"I’m not at all disappointed. I really liked it. Today the weather is still gorgeous, warm. I can see the power of this icebreaker, I can touch it. You know, even at the Murmansk port we couldn’t see the hull fully, we couldn’t see how it’s made. I still can’t believe such a machine has been created by people. These emotions can’t be compared with anything else, and this trip definitely will be on the golden list of my adventures. Quite many people in the world can say they’ve visited the countries, where I’ve been. But to visit the North Pole is positively a chance not for everyone. And I believe that I am special," the champion added.
Pole records
Viktor Boyarsky is not so excited about the expedition: with a kind smile, like a father, he is watching the participants, takes pictures, and is always happy to answer questions. Who can know better about the pole than he - the person, who has been to the pole for more than 70 times? "Each time, it’s like opening a pole of yours. This time, it’s different because there are different people with me. The teenagers, who come here for the first time in their lives. I appreciate it and it’s interesting to me to be able to show, to tell what my life is all about. My emotions come from their reactions, from their joy. I become joyful, too," he said.
Another champion in visits to the pole is, of course, the captain. "In the position of the captain, it is my fourth time, and over the life - about the 50th," he said, showing a table, like a rating, which registers the number of pole voyages made by every captain and every icebreaker. Being on that table is an honor, the captain added.
Big Change’s voyage for school students takes place in the jubilee, 45th, year since the first nuclear-powered icebreaker reached the North Pole. On August 17, 1977, the Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker came to the North Pole. Yuri Ostrovershenko, who is 70 now, has participated in that expedition and also in Big Change’s expedition.
Back then, during the first expedition, the crew could not be sure where they were sailing. "The voyage was not public. We planned a high-latitude trip. Only when already at sea did we learn we were heading for the pole. The ice situation was awful. Heavy ice. Nothing to compare with what we have now. All the time, the icebreaker had to retreat, to push forward, it got trapped a few times," he said.
There wasn’t really much excitement, he continued. "Unlike today. Now, the teenagers are walking, they participate in various events. We had it very modestly. We raised the mast, the flag, walked around the pole, then had a bit of football. We didn’t take the event as something special. Though, when we returned, and saw the square in Murmansk was packed with people, we began to realize that was something extraordinary," he said. Later on, he visited the pole with cruises for more than 60 times.
To taste the ocean
The captain stresses - the traditions, tourists observe on the North Pole, originate from first expeditions. A most extreme tradition is to dip into the Arctic Ocean. However, not every visitor is lucky. This time, though quite many travelers were about to follow the tradition, nobody was allowed to do so because the ice condition was far from best.
"On the North Pole, I wanted to plunge into the ice hole, but unfortunately we couldn’t make it. But we did find our way. We washed faces, and secretly even have sipped the water. Thus, I’ve tasted the Arctic Ocean," Lera Polyntseva, an active sunny-soul from the Volgograd Region, laughed.
Captain Sasov has dipped only once. "I was a senior mate then. The health was great, strong. Of course we put on a safety belt. Well, once, I believe, is enough. Some, however, used to swim to the hull, touched it. Such a thing, you know."
A well-known superstition reads: "A woman aboard is trouble." Luckily, it’s in the past. In our crew there were two ladies - an operator and the third mate. Among captains of nuclear icebreakers there are no women. As yet.
We spent a day on the pole: taking pictures, making video of a flashmob, and making BBQ onboard the icebreaker, plus enjoying the most scenic views.
Bird Rookery sounds accompany return voyage
The return voyage is not that exciting. The first emotions and shocks calm down, the icebreaker is well-known. We can barely imagine that in a few days we will return into summer. However, our surprises continue.
On the way back, the icebreaker sails between islands near Franz Josef Land and stops by the famous Bird Rookery - a rock where thousands of birds are nesting. Huge sea gulls, the icebreaker’s companions, are chattering loudly. Here are plump guillemots - they resemble small penguins who all of a sudden know how to fly. What is so special in that rock to them?
We are back in Murmansk: hassle; homes block the views of space and horizon; telephone calls. I hold firmly a clay bear, which I’ve made instructed by our "Nicholas II." It reminds me of the sun-filled sky, the clouds merging with the blue ice, and the joyful children’s hullabaloo.