The second voyage of “Arctic Floating University” returned to Arkhangelsk
The second voyage of the «Arctic Floating University — 2013» finished last Friday. The vessel «Professor Molchanov» made a trip of totally 4150 miles across the White, Barents and Kara Seas.
Representatives of the Northern (Arctic) Federal University, the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring and government of the Arkhangelsk region came to congratulate all participants of the expedition on a meeting.
— I want to tell all members of the expedition, that the University is proud of you. You have become real explorers of the Arctic. You were not afraid of salty winds, storms, you conducted research... I want to thank you once again and wish you success in the academic work, — said Natalia Chicherina, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Development of NArFU.
After the official meeting a press-conference was held on board of the ship «Professor Molchanov». It was attended by the head of the first «Arctic Floating University» in 2013 Constantine Zajkov, vice-rector for scientific work of NArFU Constantine Boholitsyn, representative of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Leonid Vasilev and head of the second expedition Natalia Byzova. The press-conference was attended by journalists from many television channels and periodicals of Moscow.
According to Constantine Zajkov, «Arctic Floating University» is a unique project because it combines educational and scientific components. Students learn about new methods of work, gain new skills and immediately apply this knowledge in practive.
— The «Floating University» is not a guided tour, — explained the rector Constantine Bogolitsyn. — This is serious work; the voyage requires a strict plan of research on different programs. Furthermore, it includes a serious educational component.
The head of the expedition Natalia Byzova told a lot of interesting things about it. She said, that the second voyage was planned go across the waters of the Barents and Kara Seas. But due to ice conditions in the Kara Sea, the route had to be adjusted, so the expedition visited only the north-eastern part of the Kara Sea. But in the second voyage «Professor Molchanov» reached 76 degrees east longitude.
The second expedition continued oceanographic, meteorological, hydro-chemical research started by the previous voyages of the «Arctic Floating University». The expedition visited the Kanin Peninsula, the Cape Desire and reached the ice Harbor (this is the most north-eastern part of the national park «Russian Arctic»). The participants saw the wintering camp of Willem Barents, where a memorial cross was erected.
Vladimir Tyurin
