Whoever the Heroes of the Soviet Union were. Writers, musicians, public figures, and teachers met in their circles. Krenkel Ernst Teodorovich also joined their ranks as one of the best polar explorers and radio operators.
Youth
Krenkel Ernst Teodorovich - Soviet radio operator, polar explorer and member of many expeditions in the Arctic, was born on December 24, 1903 in the city of Bialystok. Then this territory belonged to the Russian Empire, today it is Poland. Being representatives of the working intelligentsia and having a decent income, the Krenkel family did everything to ensure that their children received a decent education.
The move to Moscow took place in 1910. Three years later, the boy began to study at the gymnasium at the Swiss church, however, the outbreak of the war did not give him a chance to finish it. The times were difficult and the young man, not disdaining even the most difficult work, took on it to help his parents. He packed parcels, was a mechanic's assistant, put up posters and helped an electrician. But this was not enough for a capable young man, and already in 1921 he took courses in radiotelegraphy, lasting ninemonths. It was this step that changed his whole life.
Beginning of a career
He got his first job through distribution. It was the Lyubertsy radio station. And this despite the fact that graduates of such courses usually first went to the labor exchange in search of work. Deciding to continue improving his skills, Krenkel entered the radio technical school. After two years of work and study, he abandoned. He was drawn to the sea, and he went to Leningrad with firm intentions to get into the fleet. But instead, he ended up on his first expedition to the Arctic Ocean. Other radio operators did not agree - the salary is small, the duration is a whole year. Ernst was not afraid and went on an expedition.
It turned out that his temperament, goodwill, good sense of humor - just what you need for a real polar explorer. Krenkel's call sign was RAEM, he was known by radio operators and polar explorers throughout the North. In 1929 there was an expedition to the l / n "G. Sedov. After the international expedition on the airship "Graf Zeppelin", and many others that have become significant in the history of the study of the Arctic.
Station "North Pole 1"
In 1936, upon his return to Moscow, Ernst did nothing special for some time. However, already in May 1937, he and three other polar explorers landed on the ice of the North Pole. The leadership of this expedition was headed by I. D. Papanin. They started working at the station "North Pole 1". The work program included observations of various nature: meteorological, oceanographic, geophysical, oceanological.
In order for the observations to be as valuable as possible, all their results had to be promptly and regularly sent to scientific centers. And it depended on radio communications. The Soviet polar explorer and radio operator Krenkel did an excellent job with this task, even despite the difficult weather conditions and heavy workload. He sent all reports four times a day.
He managed, in addition to his main duties, to keep in touch with a huge number of shortwave amateurs. He enthusiastically helped his colleagues on the expedition. The station was drifting, so no one was surprised that one day the ice floe collapsed and the whole team left their tent. The radio station was made after outdoors, but even this did not prevent Ernst from continuing to transmit information. Thanks to this, icebreaking ships nevertheless approached the station and helped the polar explorers. The work of the expedition was deservedly appreciated.
Honoring the memory of ancestors
Krenkel Ernst Teodorovich always remembered the history of his family and was never ashamed of it. His ancestors arrived in Russia from Germany, and he himself was of German origin. They came to watch the sheep. In the 19th century, his ancestor was an ordinary baker who worked in Kharkov. Ernst's father was born in the same city. The father's name was Theodore, but his father, that is, the grandfather of the Soviet polar explorer, was Ernst. The polar explorer also named his son in honor of his father, Theodore, continuing the unspoken family tradition.
Krenkel's grandmother gave her word that her sonTheodore will devote all of himself to God, truly believing that he survived only thanks to the help of the Almighty. So, Theodore entered the theological faculty and even prepared to eventually become a pastor. But suddenly, suddenly, he decided to change his life and moved to the Faculty of Philology. So he became a teacher of Latin and German. Ernst's mother, Maria Kestner, was also a teacher.
Recognized hero
The activities of the Soviet radio operator and polar explorer did not go unnoticed. Krenkel Ernst Teodorovich received the most honorable award - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In addition, among his awards:
• Order of the Red Banner of Labor;
• Two Orders of the Red Star;
• Two orders of Lenin;
But his honorary regalia did not end there. The streets of many cities are named in its part: Moscow, Donetsk, Krasny Klyuch, Yekaterinburg, Mariupol. In addition, a polar hydrometeorological station on the Franz Josef Land archipelago, as well as a bay in the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago near Komsomolets Island, bears his name.
Krenkel Museum
Another very significant tribute to the polar explorer is the opening of a museum named after him. The E. T. Krenkel Museum is located in Moscow. It was created in 2005, and the exhibits were taken from the collection of the Central Radio Club of the USSR. Only 3000 copies. You can get there absolutely free of charge, but only by prior agreement on the time of the visit.
