ARKHANGELSK, February 4. /TASS/. Specialists of the Russian Arctic National Park studied and classified records of the so-called Blue Book from the first Soviet polar station on Franz Josef Land, head of the park's Historical and Cultural Heritage Conservation Department Evgeny Ermolov told TASS. Blue Book is the station's guestbook, where prominent polar explorers and researchers left notes. The book also contains notes on events beyond regular reports, such as the birth of children and the choice of their names.
"We've read and classified the records, re-typed them, translated some of them, because some of the records were, for example, in German," the historian said. "The Blue Book is the book of honored guests visiting the Tikhaya Bay polar station. It was started, apparently, right during the first wintering, in 1929, when the station was founded. The book was being updated until 1960, because the last record there reads the polar station is closed. It was on an inventory of documents that were taken away."
After the book was taken from the Hooker Island, it got lost. And a few years ago, quite incidentally, employees of the Arctic Museum and Exhibition Center (St. Petersburg) saw it on an online auction. Unfortunately, some notebooks have been lost, and the records now begin from 1932. There are a few other gaps, but the final record is anyway dated September 18, 1960.
At first, the book was mostly used to keep signatures of guests: captains, expedition leaders, pilots, and reporters. Famous polar pilot Mikhail Vodopyanov left a full-page record on May 13, 1936. Back then, it was for the first time that planes managed to make it from the Mainland to Franz Josef Land. Two planes landed in Tikhaya Bay on the Hooker Island.
"Those planes took off at the central airfield in Moscow and it took them almost a month to make it to Franz Josef Land. They flew via Arkhangelsk, Amderma, and Cape Zhelaniya. This was the first experience of such Arctic flights, and the next step was to get prepared for a flight to the North Pole. They were looking for an airfield. This is a super-important, valuable record. In fact, there is always a big story behind any record, which is very interesting," the expert continued.
The names presented in the Blue Book make the history of the Soviet development of the Arctic: Ivan Papanin, Mikhail Pinegin and many others. At some point, the station managers began making notes in the book.
Marriages, children, and relationships at the polar station
The Blue Book contains a lot of material to study, the scientist said. Some records are criticism of what could not be reflected in official reports. Anton Motnenko, who led the fifth winter camp in Tikhaya Bay (1933-1934), noted that the station was in poor condition, saying that slogans are fine, but in addition to them it is necessary to organize working further on.
"Such moments also come up. If you look at what happened under the leadership of Motnenko, the situation wasn't easy. They suffered an epidemic as soon as they got to the station, and could not keep records because everyone was sick. Another situation was when they had to put one person under arrest, and he remained imprisoned for a very long time. So, the wintering was not too smooth," the historian said.
The polar explorers updated standard reports, but formal documents could not reflect all aspects of the life at the station - weddings or the birth of children. Such notes were also recorded in the Blue Book.
"People get married, say, in the fall, then they have a baby in the spring, in April," the scientist continued. "The station's chief was leader of the pack, like the captain on a ship, so he could do everything within his authority, including registering marriages. Sure, certificates, issued at the polar station, were not quite official. When back on mainland, the couple was to obtain an official certificate from the authorized registry office. In birth certificates of children born at the station, the place of birth read: "Tikhaya Bay, Franz Josef Land," even though the documents were issued somewhere in Leningrad, not on Franz Josef Land."
The book keeps a few dozen records about the life of the polar station. In 1955, the Lenfilm crew shot stills for the Two Captains film at Tikhaya Bay. They lived on the Hooker Island for 75 days. "They cared and offered attention and warmth to the crew, the warmth that could keep people warm in any frost," the expert quoted the book. "If the Soviet audience could get an idea of the Arctic through this film, this is also due to the team of polar explorers who helped us with advice, friendship, and deeds. As we are leaving the station, on behalf of the Lenfilm Film Studio, we would like to thank the polar station staff, who supported our work in the harsh Arctic conditions."
The Russian Arctic National Park's base operates on the Hooker Island during the summer season, and the tradition of the Blue Book continues there. A reprint copy is available at the station, and visitors are invited to leave notes there.
About the National Park
The Russian Arctic National Park is the northernmost specially protected natural area of Russia and Eurasia. The park unites the northern part of the Severny Island (the Novaya Zemlya archipelago) and the entire Franz Josef Land archipelago.