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 ship "Mikhail Somov".
Researcher Scientist
Start the story of 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 of geographical sciences, and in 1952 he was awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
The father of the future researcher was a fish farmer and 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.
Mikhail Mikhailovich was able to survive the Great Patriotic War and was even awarded medals: "For the defense of the Soviet Arctic", "For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", as well as the Order of the Red Star.
During the war, he participated in the iceoperations 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 surprising that the Mikhail Somov icebreaker only drifted two years after its first voyage.
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 in life began"Mikhail Somov" ice drift 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. In 53 days of "captivity" he swam over 250 miles.
Big 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 was supposed 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 timing of the release of the Mikhail Somov icebreaker. The ship, presumably, could only get out of captivity by the end of 1985.
Besides the fact that during this time the team couldsignificantly 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 team would move to await rescue.
Inaction is not an option
Later it became known that not far from the captured team was the ship "Pavel Korchagin". But “not far” was quite a subjective term. By Antarctic standards, it was indeed close, but in reality there were hundreds of kilometers between the ships.
At that time, the country's news channels 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 south.
Help
Already in the early summer of 1985, the government decides to send the Vladivostok icebreaker to 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 before the captain of "Vladivostok"was 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 story 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, got more fuel there and went to Antarctica.
Famous people
The story of "Mikhail Somov" gave an opportunity to meet such brave people as Artur Chilingarov and 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 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. Besidesthat the crew was not accustomed to such events anyway, the ship was not at all prepared for bad weather. The icebreaker swayed from side to side. For three days, the polar explorers 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 Mikhail Somov was surviving as best it could, the Vladivostok was still fighting 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 his 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.
Sacrifice to save
Fuel and food were really scarce. 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 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, delivering them tomedical board and necessary resources.
Courage and bravery
There were about two hundred kilometers to the ship. "Vladivostok" falls into an ice trap. Viktor Gusev still remembers how the crew of the ship took to 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 so lucky this time.
Such events could not be ignored. 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 urgent to save 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 set offto save the team.
The entire crew had to be returned to Molodezhnaya station again. 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. No one came to his aid, it was due to the difficult situation in the country. And if "Mikhail Somov" was able to escape on its own, then the Soviet Union forever remained "under the cold political ice."
In service
In 2000, they repaired the vessel 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, he successfully completed two flights, delivering cargo to polar stations.
The next year there were already 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 has completed dozens of flights, which were associated not only with the help of polar stations, but also with research assignments. It now delivers equipment and supplies to stations and frontier outposts, and helps carry out Arctic ice surveys. The vessel proudly bears the name of the famous scientist Mikhail Somov, and continues to make its contribution to science.
Awards
The icebreaker, like its famous explorer, also received an award. After a hard and courageous expedition in 1985year "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 ship's captain Valentin Rodchenko was awarded: he became a Hero of the Soviet Union. The rest of his crew were not forgotten either.
