Golomyanniy island Russian Polar Base, Arctic ice melting. MLAE-2011

Russian Arctic Expedition MLAE-2011. Russian Arctic Ocean ice Expedition.

Cloudless sunrise after frigidly cold night. Atmospheric pressure has gone down. Wind is out of the south. Light snowfall. It is splendidly nasty. I am sitting on Golomyanniy island Polar station. Behind are seemingly endless 24 hours of driving over shore ice belt of the island Oktyabrskoy Revolyucii.

Further on, closer to Sredniy island, border guards make us promise to join them tomorrow in banya. And at last, the long awaited “polyarka” Polar Base with sourdoughs – Lutchnko and Omelchenko. Anatoliy is a young father of Svetlana’s two year ols boy. He is leaving for the continent in a few days.

Igor Mihaylovich, on the contrary, has just recently entered the duty and along with two young meteorologists will remain here until spring. It partakes of homecoming. Laughing, they hand us our own forgotten here last time, towels and our two boxes full of metal scrap parts and engine oil are sitting there untouched from last visit. We will stay here for three days to do some maintenance work on vehicles and gear and to rest a bit and will head out once again. Although we are not yet certain if we will move north or south from here. Today’s task is to get in touch with all the competent sources and to get as accurate description of ice situation an movements for today.

Russians in the Arctic. Russian MLAE-2011 Expedition on
Golomyanniy island
Meteo Station
Arctic Research and Development.

We are presently on Golomyanniy.

Water is on three sides of the island. Anatoliy Omel’chenko who is here since the year 1991 and and he says that it is the very first time he sees it at this time of the year. We give ourselves two – three days to make the decision. Fortunately neither vehicles nor the gear require any serious repairs. Both Va’nkov and Zaitcev keep their restless hands busy implementing the improvements modifications thought up during the many long hours spent breaking the ice on the way. We will make the decision and we will immediately make it known to all of  you, our continental friends.

Vasily Elagin

Translated from Russian by Ilya Kovalev

Russian Expedition MLAE-2011 Driving from Russia to Canada through the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole in amphibious "Yemelya" Vehicles built by Vasily Elagin. Kara Sea Arctic Ocean

MLAE-2011 Russian Arctic Exploration. Arctic expedition driving from Russia to Canada over the North Pole in amphibious Yemelya-4 vehicles. Kara Sea, Arctic Ocean

April 16th 2011

Getting through to Severnaya Zemlya has been quite something else. Not since the Pobeda Peak have I had to work this hard. The “warm” Kara Sea apparently had no intent of letting us leave it. Though it is starting to seem as though we are finally parting. I will never forget this pond, though. The view outside is beyond what Roerich could have dreamed up. A pastel-like sunrise, day-night. Outside is bright, ridges, icebergs, shore. We think to reach Golomyanniy Island by tomorrow night. The shore ice belt is solid. Although, every time we begin to dream is exactly when s@#%* happens. We shall try, though. Wind is moderate, inside the vehicles it is warm and in our sleeping bags – even warmer. Overall everything is great.

Sergey Isaev

Translated from Russian by Ilya Kovalev 

2011 Arctic Expeditionary Route Map

View MLAE-2011 Arctic Expedition Route in a larger map