Georgy Ushakov | |
|---|---|
| Георгий Ушаков | |
 Georgy Ushakov before World War II | |
| Born | (1901-01-30)30 January 1901 Lazarevo, Russia |
| Died | 3 December 1963(1963-12-03) (aged 62) Moscow,Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Known for | Arctic explorer |
| Awards | Order of Lenin Order of the Red Banner of Labour Order of the Red Star |
Georgy Alexeyevich Ushakov (Russian:Гео́ргий Алексе́евич Ушако́в; 30 January [O.S. 17 January] 1901 – 3 December 1963) was a Soviet explorer of theArctic.
Ushakov broke new ground when he surveyed and explored Severnaya Zemlya, together with four other Arctic explorers, establishing that it was anarchipelago.[1] He was honoured by being named Doctor of Geographic Sciences in 1950.
In 1926, Ushakov founded the first Soviet settlement onWrangel Island (today calledUshakovskoye) and was its head for three years. In 1930–1932, Ushakov headed theSevernaya Zemlya expedition and established a polar station calledОстров Домашний (Domashniy Island).[2]
In 1929 and 1930 icebreakerSedov carried groups of scientists toFranz Josef Land and later to formerEmperor Nicholas II Land, the last major piece of unsurveyed territory in the Soviet Arctic. In 1926 the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR had renamed the still not fully explored landSevernaya Zemlya (Northern Land).[3] This archipelago was completely mapped under Ushakov, together withgeologistNikolay Urvantsev, surveyorSergei Zhuravlev and radio operatorVasily Khodov thoroughly surveyed Severnaya Zemlya during a 1930–1932 expedition to the archipelago.[4] between 1930 and 1932. Geographic features of the territory were named aftercommunist organizations, events and personalities. About the bleakness of Severnaya Zemlya Ushakov wrote:
I have seen God-forsakenChukotka Peninsula, blizzard-riddenWrangel Island, twice visited fog enshroudedNovaya Zemlya, and I have seenFranz Josef Land with its enamel sky and proud cliffs garbed in blue, hardened glacial streams, but nowhere did I witness such grimness or such depressing, lifeless relief...[5]
In 1935, Ushakov led the first Soviet high-latitude expedition on an icebreakerSadko. The cruises of theSadko went farther north than most; in 1935 and 1936 the last unexplored areas in the northernKara Sea were examined and the littleUshakov Island was discovered. In 1937 the ship was caught in the ice with two others and forced to winter in theLaptev Sea, adding valuable winter observations to the usual summer ones.
In 1932–1936, Georgy Ushakov was employed at theChief Directorate of the Northern Sea Route (Главное Управление Северного Морского Пути).Ushakov then worked at the Chief Directorate ofHydrometeorological Service of the USSR (1936–1940) andSoviet Academy of Sciences (1940–1958).
Ushakov died inMoscow, but was buried onDomashniy Island in Severnaya Zemlya.
Mountains in theAntarctica, a spit and a cape on Wrangel Island, as well as a river onOctober Revolution Island bear Ushakov's name. But perhaps the greatest honor was thatUshakov Island, which was the last piece of undiscovered territory in the Russian Arctic, was named after him.
Ushakov was awarded theOrder of Lenin, theOrder of the Red Banner of Labour, theOrder of the Red Star, and a number of medals.
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