THE SECOND RUSSIAN YOUTH EXPEDITION
TO THE NORTH POLE

The second Russian Youth Expedition to the North Pole was completed with magnificent victory. On April 22, 2009, in the morning the team of seven girls and boys under the leadership of Matvey Shparo and Boris Smolin hoisted the Russian Flag at the North Pole. The participants also raised the flag of Moscow and the flags of those Russian regions, the representatives from which participated in this Expedition: the Republic of Chuvashia, the Republic of Mordovia, Pskovskaia, Sverdlovskaia and Tomskaia regions.

On April 16, 2009 in the evening the Youth Expedition started from the Russian drifting Station Barneo. The courageous skiers began their route from the point with the coordinates: 89° N, 150° E. They had to travel 110 km to the cherished destination 90° N, the meeting place of all meridians. The team needed less than six days to cover this distance.

The sun, which never set together with bad weather were predominating over the region of the North Pole. The temperature dropped to -26° C with the wind speed up to 25 m/sec. This frost can be compared with the temperature -45° C without wind. Low visibility and frequent snow storms complicated the life of the young explorers, but the ice drift was always favourable and this allowed to make one day ahead of the planned schedule.

Seven girls and boys were selected on the basis of the results of the All-Russia Competition, announced in December 2008. The team included young sportsmen from six regions of Russia, one of the participants was a teenager with hearing impairment, a student of the Moscow Remedial School. Yuri Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow, sent the Letter of greetings to the young participants.

The second Youth Expedition also took place in the Anniversary Year – thirty years ago the Polar Expedition under the leadership of Dmitry Shparo for the first time in history reached the North Pole on skis. Our countrymen added a glorious page to the history of the Arctic exploration. The names of the Russian Arctic pioneer explorers, famous Russian and Soviet polar seafarers, pilots, scientists are well known and recognized in the world.

Also see YouTube.com:

• This is our Arctic!
• The second Russian Youth Expedition to the North Pole
• Training M.Shparo and B.Smolin in the Longa Strait (spring 2007).