Before the October Revolution and the Soviet
ages across the Kara Sea to import finished goods
takeover in 1917, there were sporadic attempts at
to and export timber from Igarka.
regional exploitation by a few venturesome indi-
In 1932, a new and more powerful government
viduals. Resources such as furs, wool, fish, salt,
department, the Glavnoye Upravleniye Severnogo
and coal were marketable products of the north-
Morskogo Puti (Glavsevmorput), or Chief Admini-
ern frontier that encouraged early enterprise. Whal-
stration of the Northern Sea Route,* assumed the
ing and sealing also encouraged Arctic marine ac-
role to "develop the NSR from the White Sea to
tivity.
the Bering Strait, to equip it, to keep it in good
The devastation of World War I crippled Russia's
order, and to secure the safety of shipping along
economy and created the social discontent that
it" (Arikaynen 1991). Otto Shmidt was installed as
lead to the Soviets' rise to power. The disruption
its first head, and for the remainder of the decade
of the railroad system played an important role in
he dramatically increased freighting along the
initiating regular marine traffic along the northern
route. Under his administration, major additions
coast to distribute food goods. In 1920, a Soviet
were made to the Arctic fleet, which moved be-
agency, the Committee of the Northern Sea Route
tween 100,000 and 300,000 tons of cargo annually
(in Russian, Komitet Severnogo Morskogo Puti, ab-
and employed from 40 to 150 ships per year. Tim-
breviated to Komseveroput) was established to
ber exports from Igarka accounted for as much as
"equip, improve, and study" the entire route from
two-thirds of the total cargo weight; the rest was
Arkhangel'sk to the Bering Strait. The activities of
mainly supply cargo into the growing industrial
this committee were given high priority for estab-
areas of northern Siberia. Soviet shipments in the
lishing a resource transportation system that was
region grew steadily in support of Siberian devel-
regarded as vital to the nation's economy.
opment, and improving icebreaking technology
In 1932 a German, Otto Shmidt, completed the
produced a steady increase in the length of the
entire route in the small Soviet icebreaker Sibiryakov
navigation season (Arikaynen 1991, Armstrong
in just two months. The ship, however, lost its
1992b). These two facts are supported by the fig-
propeller in the ice just short of the Bering Strait
ures in Table 4.
and had to be towed by freighter after emerging
In 1940, before the USSR became involved in
from the ice under improvised sails (Barr 1978).
World War II, a German warship was escorted
Still, the voyage was a remarkable achievement
across most of the NSR for a fee of about 80,000.
and underscored the advanced navigational skills
Hitler 's strategy was to quickly move a patrol ship
and technological capability of the Russians in this
into the Pacific arena undetected. The Komet, an
severe environment. Shmidt's second attempt one
armed raider disguised as a merchant ship, was
year later in a Soviet cargo ship, the Chelyuskin,
the first foreign ship in over 20 years to be granted
ended when the ship was trapped in the ice and
passage, and it was the last foreign transit for more
crushed.
than 50 years thereafter. News of her passage was
The first damage-free transit in a single season
not made public until 1945 with the capture of
was accomplished by the Soviet icebreaker Fedor
secret German documents at the end of the war.
Litke in 1934. The next year she successfully con-
Armstrong (1958) surmised that the Soviets may
voyed the first two freighters through from west
to east. NSR shipping activity increased dramati-
* Various translated names for Glavsevmorput have ap-
cally by 1936 when 14 freighters were escorted
peared in the literature. Arikaynen (1991) gives "Chief
through.
Northern Sea Route Agency," Armstrong (1992b) gives
Soviet resolve and experience in ice navigation
"Chief Administration of the Northern Sea Route," Barr
were unrivaled, and traffic in the Arctic continued
(1991) gives "Directorate of the Northern Sea Route,"
to grow. For example, from 1917 to 1934, there
and Ushakov et al. (1991) give "Main Department of
were only two sinkings out of 178 round-trip voy-
the Northern Sea Route."
Table 4. Soviet shipping activity along the Northern Sea Route (after Ushakov et
al. 1991).
Year
1935
1940
1950
1960
1963
1965
1970
Freight tonnage (000)
246
289
503
1,013
1,390
1,600
2,400
Length of season (days)
93
93
122
128
130
135
145
10
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