The creation of the documentary "To the Arctic" took five years and required seven large-scale Arctic expeditions. These complex journeys, supported by the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) and Gazprom Neft, were aimed at exploring all Russian Arctic archipelagos. The first expedition started in 2019 aboard the legendary icebreaker "Mikhail Somov", and ended in the fall of 2023 on the hydrographic vessel "Romuald Muklevich".
Plot
Traveler Leonid Kruglov sets off to the northern seas to find a "sea unicorn". But he begins to feel the very "attraction of the Arctic". He remains in this beautiful, but so dangerous place. Over five years, Leonid has traveled around all the Arctic archipelagos. Adventures awaited the researcher both at sea and on land, and in the ice. Kruglov became a witness and participant in a global historical event - the new discovery of the Arctic.
Filming process
The film was shot in the most inaccessible region of the world for five long years. Viewers will see all the beauty of this unexplored region. The creation of the film involved a team of researchers from the Russian Geographical Society, scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences, military hydrographers and surveyors from the Northern Fleet.
The icebreaker "Mikhail Somov", famous for its participation in rescue operations, became not just a decoration, but a full-fledged participant in the filming process, providing an opportunity to create an atmosphere of authenticity and immerse viewers in the world of harsh Arctic everyday life.
The Mi-8 helicopter, specially equipped for operation in low temperatures and limited visibility, made it possible to capture breathtaking panoramic shots of Arctic landscapes from a bird's eye view. These shots not only demonstrate the grandeur and beauty of Arctic nature, but also emphasize the scale of the tasks facing researchers and the film's characters.
The vessel "Romuald Muklevich", specially equipped for researching the seabed and navigational situation, became not just a platform for work, but also a full-fledged participant in the creative process. The ship's crew showed incredible responsiveness and professionalism, helping the film crew in solving logistical issues and providing comfortable working conditions in the open sea.
During the work on the film, the film crew traveled the entire Northern Sea Route four times, saw 150 polar bears, a herd of two hundred belugas in the Barents Sea and 110 thousand walruses on one of the rookeries in Chukotka.
Technical characteristics of the scientific expedition vessel "Mikhail Somov":
- vessel length — 133.13 meters, width — 18.8 meters;
- carrying capacity — 4491 tons, and gross tonnage — 7745 tons;
- accommodates 120 people, 40 of whom are crew members;
- the vessel has a helicopter pad.
Technical characteristics of the hydrographic vessel of project 865 — "Romuald Muklevich":
- full displacement — 3450 tons, standard — 2280 tons;
- length — 85.6 m, width — 15.2 m, draft — 5.0 m;
- full speed — 15 knots;
- cruising range — 11,000 miles at 12 knots;
- endurance — 45 days;
- crew — 58 people, scientific group — 12 people.
Earlier, www1 reported that the "Ivan Papanin" "combat icebreaker" was accepted into the Russian Navy.
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