MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. The Northern Sea Route is among the most important transport corridors in the world, and the decision to enhance it has proved its value, stated Sergey Naryshkin, Chairman of the Russian Historical Society and Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
According to him, the existence of such a distinctive passage is Russia’s "natural strategic benefit." "Reflecting on the past, we can assert that the strategic move to enhance the Northern Sea Route has fully proven its value. Russia has established itself as a leading Arctic power, and the route spanning from Sakhalin to Kaliningrad is evolving into one of the most essential transport pathways worldwide," he said at a round table on the development history of the Northern Sea Route.
The lead
Naryshkin recalled that this crucial shipping route spans the coastlines of six seas, linking European and Far Eastern ports into an integrated transportation network.
He noted that Russia began establishing its dominance in Arctic exploration during the 12th and 13th centuries, when the Arctic Ocean was first explored by pioneers. "In the 17th century, the Chukchi voyage, led by the Cossack ataman Semyon Dezhnyov, resulted in a groundbreaking yet unfortunately underappreciated discovery by uncovering a navigable strait dividing Eurasia and North America," he stated.
"Under Peter the Great, gathering and organizing knowledge about the Arctic Ocean became a national priority. Historians recognize that the emperor personally wrote the instructions for Vitus Bering's first Kamchatka expedition. Subsequently, members of the Great Northern Expedition charted nearly the entire Russian Arctic coastline, including Alaska," Naryshkin noted.
He also recalled that in 1765, the renowned Arctic expedition led by Vasily Chichagov was conducted based on a project developed by Mikhail Lomonosov.
"Building on the groundwork laid before the revolution to study the northeastern maritime corridor, the Soviet authorities initiated its organized economic utilization. In 1932, the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route was formed, and its head, Otto Yulievich Schmidt, became the first in the world to navigate the entire Northern Sea Route in one journey," he stated.
Heroes
Naryshkin highlighted that during the Great Patriotic War, the Arctic became a significant theater of operations, with the Northern Sea Route serving as a crucial lifeline for supplying the Red Army with arms, military equipment, and strategic resources from allied nations.
"Polar convoys played a crucial role in thwarting the plans of Hitler's command, which sought to isolate the Soviet Union. They became a symbol of unity among the states of the anti-Hitler coalition," he emphasized.
"Today, on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, it is especially important to remember this heroic chapter in the history of the Russian Arctic," he added.
Naryshkin pointed out that the successful development of the Northern Sea Route in the post-war period continued largely due to the emergence of the nuclear icebreaker fleet, which celebrated its 65th anniversary last year. "Today our country has eight nuclear icebreakers, which ensure year-round operation of the Northern Sea Route, and is building several more," he emphasized.
Among the priorities
Recognizing the monumental importance of the Northern Sea Route, the Russian Historical Society regards the promotion of its history as a key objective, Naryshkin emphasized.
The Northern Sea Route is a shipping route, the main maritime communication line in the Russian Arctic. It runs along the northern shores of Russia along the seas of the Arctic Ocean. The NSR connects European and Far Eastern ports of Russia, as well as the estuaries of navigable Siberian rivers into a single transportation system. The length of this line is 5,600 kilometers from the Kara Strait to Provideniya Bay.