Artur Chilingarov
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Artur Chilingarov (b. 1939, Leningrad) is a Russian polar explorer and politician of Armenian descent. He is a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1986 and the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 2008.
[edit] Biography
In 1963 he graduated from the Arctic faculty of the Leningrad Marine Institute named after admiral S.O. Makarov. As an engineer-oceanologer was directed to Tiksi observatory of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. In 1965 was elected as the first secretary of Bulonsk district committee. In 1969 appointed as the head of the research station “North Pole-19” and in 1971 Chilingarov headed the Bellingshausen Station of the 17-th Soviet Antarctic Expedition.
Since 1974, during 5 years, he was working in the West sector of the Arctic as a head of the Amderminsk Administration of hydrometeorology and environment control. Under his direction new forms of Arctic operative navigation support were implemented; for the first time experimental works on cargo transfer to fast ice during wintertime were carried out in Yamal Peninsula. His experience in navigation support on the Northern Sea Route Chilingarov summarized in his dissertation for a scientific degree of a kandidat of geographical sciences.
In 1985 he headed the special expedition on research vessel Mikhail Somov, which was ice-blocked in the Southern Ocean. For successful performance of salvation operations in extreme conditions and shown organizational abilities and courage A. Chilingarov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on February 14, 1986.[1] In January 2007 Arthur led helicopter expedition to Antarctica, joined by FSB chief Nikolay Patrushev, and visited South Pole and Amundsen-Scott station.[2]
During the 2007 Russian North Pole expedition, Chilingarov, accompanied by five other explorers from different countries, descended to the seabed 13,980 feet below the North Pole in order to plant the Russian flag there and gather the specimens of the bottom ground.[3] In regard to the territorial claims in the Arctic, Chilingarov was quoted as saying, "The Arctic is Russian. We must prove the North Pole is an extension of the Russian landmass".[4]
On January 10, 2008 Artur Chilingarov was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation for "courage and heroism showed in extremal conditions and successful completion of High-Latitude Arctic Deep-Water Expedition." [5]
[edit] Awards
Apart from the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Hero of the Russian Federation titles A. Chilingarov is awarded with Orders of Lenin, Order of the Red Banner of Labour, Order of the Badge of Honor, with many medals. He is a laureate of the USSR State Prize and the author of more than 50 scientific publications. He was elected into all the State Dumas and served as Deputy Chairman of the Third State Duma.
