N.A. Nordenskiöld’s Polar Expeditions and the Russian Society (To the 140th anniversary of the first voyage through the Northeast Passage)

Abstract

Understanding of the necessity to study the Northeast Passage in the Russian government circles was preceded by a long period of individual enthusiasts’ activities. One of them - N.A. Nordenskiöld made the first navigation from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans in 1878-1879 and proved that the Northeast Passage existed. Nordenskiöld was born in Finland, which was part of the Russian Empire at that period. Despite his emigration to Sweden, the most important part of his activities was the Russian polar seas studies. His expeditions had the great importance for science and became prerequisites for the further polar region research programs. Based on a wide range of historical sources the article examines Nordensheld’s contacts with Russian businessmen, scientific organizations and scientists. Nordenskiöld linked the shipping along the Northern Sea Route to the development of trade in Siberia. Nordenskiöld’s studies coincided with the Russian industrialists M.K. Sidorov’s and A.M. Sibiryakov’s interests so they provided organizational and financial support to the scientist. The Nordenskiöld’s polar expeditions results were scientifically examined by the Russian leading scientific institutions - St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and the Russian Geographical Society, where they were highly evaluated. Creating classical scientific works about the Russian North scientists used Nordenskiöld’s data. S.O. Makarov and D.I. Mendeleev were inspired by Nordenskiöld’s scientific success and proposed a project to study the Arctic region with a new type of ships – icebreakers.