Amundsen vs. Scott: the story of the deadly battle for the South Pole.

The history of great geographical discoveries is full of tragedies. The travelers who were the first to take on the unknown often paid with their lives.

One of the most dramatic stories was the conquest of the South Pole, which turned into a fierce battle between two teams of travelers, and which ended in complete triumph for one and became an unconditional disaster for the other.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the main goals of the discoverers became the poles of the planet - North and South.

But Cook's evidence was rather dubious, so preference was given to Peary. However, further study of the materials of his expedition cast doubt on whether he, too, reached the Pole. The problem was the imperfection of the instruments of that time, which could lead to a serious deviation from the real location, measured in tens of kilometers.

Applicant from Norway

Among other contenders for victory in the “race to the pole,” the Norwegians stood out. Researcher Fridtjof Nansen went to storm the North Pole at the end of the 19th century, but failed. took over the baton from Nansen Roald Amundsen.

Roald Amundsen. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Even in his youth, Amundsen showed interest in exploring the Arctic and Antarctic, and systematically began to prepare himself for a career as a traveler, not only expanding his knowledge base, but also improving his physical fitness.

In 1897-1899, the aspiring polar explorer Amundsen participated in the Belgian Antarctic expedition, where one of his colleagues was Frederick Cook, who a decade later would clash with Robert Peary in the battle for the North Pole.

Amundsen also set his sights on the North Pole. Since 1907, he has been raising funds for the preparation of the expedition. By the beginning of 1909, he managed to raise enough money and enlist the support of the Norwegian government.

Amundsen was making preparations when, in September 1909, Cook and Peary laid claim to primacy at the North Pole. The Norwegian realized that he had lost in any case, which means that at the northern “top of the world” he would only be second, if not third.

Then Roald Amundsen radically changes the task, announcing that he intends to be the first to reach the South Pole.

As already mentioned, the Norwegian by that time had an expedition to Antarctica under his belt. However, his intention seemed to be a bluff. The race to the South Pole had its own favorite.

British Empire Officer

In 1901, Great Britain organized the second expedition in its history to Antarctica. An officer of the British Navy was appointed head of the expedition. Robert Scott. It must be said that Scott was not an enthusiast of polar research, but he approached the assigned task with all responsibility, achieving great results.

And this despite the fact that the British did not have serious experience working in such conditions. For example, they did not know how to handle dog sleds and were poor at skiing, which greatly surprised the Norwegians, to whom the British turned for advice.

Later, the lack of such skills will play a fatal role in the “race to the pole.”

Robert F. Scott. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Following the results of the first expedition, Robert Scott wrote: “We were terribly ignorant: we did not know how much food to take with us and what kind of food, how to cook on our stoves, how to pitch tents and even how to dress. Our equipment was completely untested, and in conditions of general ignorance, the lack of system in everything was especially felt.”

Nevertheless, Scott undertook a journey towards the South Pole. This was a test attempt - the leader of the expedition himself intended to get as far as possible, moving until it would pose a threat to life. The British turned back, reaching 82 degrees 11 minutes south latitude. There were as many as 850 kilometers left to the South Pole, but at that time no one had moved further than that in Antarctica.

In 1907, a former member of Robert Scott's expedition Ernest Shackleton led a new attempt to reach the South Pole. He did not reach his goal, but advanced to 88 degrees 23 minutes south latitude - about 180 kilometers remained to the pole.

Duel in Antarctica

This struck a nerve with Scott; he believed that priority should remain with him. In June 1910, he launched a new expedition to Antarctica, declaring that his main goal would be "to reach the South Pole, and to secure for the British Empire the honor of this achievement."

The Briton knew about the emergence of a competitor, but did not take Amundsen’s intentions seriously, believing that the Norwegian simply did not have enough experience to implement his plan. This is what most observers who followed the new “race to the pole” believed.

During the first expedition, Scott noted, not without surprise, the high efficiency of using dog sleds. Despite this, in the second expedition the teams made up only part of the transport. The main focus was on horses and the use of a technical innovation - motor sleighs. Once again, the British did not pay enough attention to ski training.

Motor sleigh of the British. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Amundsen, drawing on the rich experience of the Norwegians in the northern polar expeditions, assembled a large team of sled dogs. Naturally, all members of his expedition were excellent skiers.

On January 4, 1911, Robert Scott's expedition set up a base camp in Antarctica, 1381 km from the pole. Their route was reconnoitered to the point that Shackleton reached - 88 degrees 23 minutes south latitude.

On January 14, 1911, Amundsen's team set foot on Antarctica. His camp was located in Whale Bay, and 1285 km of unexplored route stretched before him.

"Without fear or panic"

Both teams began preparations for the trip to the Pole, knowing only in general terms about each other's intentions.

But on February 4, the ship of Scott's expedition, moving along the coast, entered Whale Bay and discovered the Norwegians. Amundsen was doing well, which could not be said about the British - the acclimatization of the horses was delayed, one of the snowmobiles was broken, and in general the preparation left much to be desired.

The news of Amundsen's presence shocked Scott and his team. Member of Scott's expedition Apsley Cherry-Garrard recalled that among his comrades there were even thoughts about going to the Norwegian camp and dealing with them. Scott himself was also confused, but was able to pull himself together, writing in his diary: “The most correct and reasonable thing for us would be to behave as if nothing had happened. Go forward and try to do everything in our power for the honor of our homeland - without fear or panic."

By this time, the Briton had already begun to understand that Amundsen’s bet on dogs was more correct. However, he believed that his advantage of a proven route was more important.

The news that two teams of researchers are preparing to launch almost simultaneously caused a great stir in the world. Never before has the race for geographical discovery been so similar to a sporting competition. Far from Antarctica, few people thought that not only the priority of discovery, but also human lives were at stake.

Expedition of Roald Amundsen. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Road through the Devil's Dance Floor

After spending a period of harsh Antarctic winter in base camps, Amundsen and Scott “went to the start.” The Norwegians began theirs on October 19, 1911, and Scott, due to problems with horses and bad weather, was able to start almost two weeks later, on November 1.

The British were in a bad mood, their thoughts were occupied not only with the difficulties of the journey, but also with the question of where their competitors were. The Norwegians were much more confident in their abilities.

Amundsen lost dogs, but the number of teams taken on the campaign did not make the situation catastrophic. For Scott, things were going very badly - another motor sleigh, on which a big bet was made, was broken, the horses began to die, and soon the main “engine” became the muscular strength of the people. In his notes, Scott again complained that even in these conditions his comrades were disdainful of skiing.

Amundsen's position was not ideal. After latitude 85, the Norwegians found themselves in a zone of deep cracks at an altitude of 3030 meters above sea level. It was with great difficulty that we managed to cross the glacier located in this area. The mood of the expedition members can be guessed thanks to the names they gave to these territories - the Devil's Glacier and the Devil's Dance Floor.

And yet, by December 6, 1911, they had reached the point that Shackleton had reached. This means that there were less than 200 kilometers left to the desired goal.

December 14, 1911 at about three o'clock in the afternoon Roald Amundsen, Helmer Hansen, Sverre Hassel, Oscar Wisting And Olaf Bjoland reached the South Pole. The conquest of the pole was celebrated by smoking cigars and planting the Norwegian flag.

Norwegians at the South Pole. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

"Sincerely yours, Roald Amundsen"

Amundsen approached the matter carefully. Remembering the inaccuracy of the instruments, over the next three days he circled around the surrounding area, taking more and more measurements, “surrounding” all possible points of the pole.

Leaving the Pole, Amundsen left there “Pulheim”, which translated means “Polar House” - a tent with a Norwegian flag. Inside were papers addressed to the King of Norway and a letter to Robert Scott:

"Dear Captain Scott, as you are likely to be the first to reach this place after us, I kindly request that this letter be forwarded to the King Haakon VII. If you find any of the things in this tent useful, feel free to use them. I sincerely wish you a safe return. Sincerely yours, Roald Amundsen."

Scott had no information about this. Not knowing that he had lost, on January 3, 1912, he parted with the auxiliary detachment, moving towards the Pole. His team included Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Edgar Evans And Lawrence Oates.

Members of the English expedition. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

On January 15, the British defeated the so-called “Last Depot,” from which less than 30 miles remained to the Pole. The very next day they came across the remains of a camp and many dog ​​tracks.

“Here we understood everything. The Norwegians beat us to the pole and were the first to reach the Pole,” Scott wrote in his diary.

On January 17, 1912, Robert Scott's team reached Amundsen's tent and managed to read his letter. The British were crushed - all their efforts were in vain, they lost.

Later, Amundsen would be reproached for his letter to Scott, believing that it completely demoralized the already exhausted people.

“For God’s sake, don’t leave our loved ones!”

"Great God! This is a terrible place, and it’s already terrible for us to realize that our labors have not been crowned with winning the championship. Of course, coming here also means something, and the wind may become our friend tomorrow! Now - a dash home and a desperate struggle for the right to deliver the news first. I don’t know if we can make it?” Scott wrote in his diary.

On February 2, Edgar Evans suffered a severe head injury when he fell into a crevasse. His comrades did not immediately understand that the situation was serious. Evans was moving worse and worse, but tried to hold on. On February 17, he fell again, lost consciousness, and died a few hours later.

On March 15, Lawrence Oates, who could no longer walk due to severe frostbite on his legs, asked to be left on the glacier to give his comrades a chance to escape. No one could decide on this, and then Ots simply crawled out of the tent with bare feet. They did not interfere with his actual suicide.

On March 21, 1912, Scott and his two surviving companions stopped less than 20 km from a life-saving warehouse for equipment and food. Their forces were exhausted, and further advance became impossible due to a severe snowstorm.

On March 29, Robert Scott made his last entry in his diary: “Every day we planned to go to the warehouse, which was 11 miles away, but the blizzard did not subside behind the tent. I don’t think we can hope for the best now. We will endure until the end, but we are weakening, and death, of course, is close. It's a pity, but I don't think I can write anymore. For God’s sake, don’t leave our loved ones!”

Scott's expedition. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

“Scott’s sad fate aroused extraordinary interest in my reports.”

The search party will find the tent of Scott and his comrades only on November 12, 1912. Apparently, the head of the expedition was the last to die - this follows from the fact that all the records of the participants in the campaign lay next to him.

The dead were left in place, erecting a high pyramid of snow above the tent.

Amundsen was giving lectures all over the world and accepting numerous awards when, in February 1913, the world learned of the fate of Robert Scott.

“I would sacrifice fame and all the money if I could save Scott from a terrible death in this way,” the Norwegian said in an interview.

However, in correspondence with his brother, he expressed completely different thoughts: “Scott’s sad fate aroused extraordinary interest in my reports. Attendance, which had begun to fall, again soared to unattainable heights.”

People love drama. The death of Scott's team made the history of the race to the South Pole even more titillating to the nerves of ordinary people; the winner, Amundsen, gladly received dividends.

Roald Amundsen. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

The Mystery of the Barents Sea

However, money for Amundsen was not the main thing in life. A man who devoted his life to polar research remained faithful to this cause to the end. He also reached the North Pole, becoming the first person in the world who managed to visit both “tops of the earth.” In the 1920s, Amundsen became one of the first to use airships for Arctic exploration.

He never started a family and children. In 1928, 55-year-old Amundsen, who announced that he had finished his career as a polar explorer, decided to take part in the search expedition Umberto Nobile, whose airship "Italy" crashed in the Arctic. On June 18, he flew out in search of the Latam seaplane along with several companions. What happened next is not known exactly. In the fall of 1928, first the float and then the gas tank of the missing seaplane were discovered. Experts, having studied them, came to the conclusion that the plane crashed after losing a float. The crew members who survived the landing tried to carry out repairs, but in the stormy sea the seaplane capsized and all the people died. The grave of the first conqueror of the South Pole, Roald Amundsen, was the waters of the Barents Sea.

On December 14, 1911, Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen reached the Earth's South Pole. A month later, Robert Scott's expedition hoisted a British flag at the pole next to the Norwegian one.

Faster, higher, stronger

On the threshold of the new, 20th century, when the sun seems to have been written off as unnecessary by electricity, when the force of gravity is nullified by the airship, when distance is denied by the radio wave, human capabilities seem to also be approaching superhuman. The world is rapidly transforming in time and space, and previously unimaginable outskirts of the planet are becoming closer. The beginning of the twentieth century is the last wave of truly great geographical achievements and discoveries, a special place among them is the conquest of the Earth's poles, an ambitious scientific endeavor coupled with political passion.

Open South to return to North

Inspired by the English traveler John Franklin, the Norwegian Roald Amundsen, at the age of 15, decided to become a “crusader of polar exploration” and “suffer for his cause,” dreamed of connecting his whole life with the North.

Amundsen in his youth

“The worthy task of continuing the national tradition of our ancestors, explorers of the Norwegian Sea and the Arctic Ocean, will be accomplished!” - the Norwegian public rejoiced in November 1908. The already famous 36-year-old polar explorer, the national pride of the young independent kingdom, Roald Amundsen, who recently returned to his homeland, presented a detailed plan for a seven-year drift in the ice of the Arctic Ocean at a meeting of the Norwegian Geographical Society. Amundsen has already glorified his name by being the first to navigate the Northwest Passage, and now, having enlisted the support of the great Fridtjof Nansen, he intends to drift with the ocean ice across the North Pole on his “Fram”. It was emphasized that the expedition would have enormous scientific significance. The enterprise was a success even at the idea level. Everyone supported him: scientists, industrialists, the government, for the first time Amundsen did not have to worry too much about the financial side of the matter.

Dr. Mirko Junge

Layout of the "Fram" after perestroika in 1909

On June 7, 1910, the Fram, in accordance with the route, left Christiania - present-day Oslo - and headed to Cape Horn in order to, having circled Africa and Eurasia, pass through the Bering Strait, pick up the necessary current and enter the Arctic Ocean. Only on the way to Africa, during the only stop in Madeira, 20 crew members and almost a hundred dogs learn: yes, they will conquer the Pole. But different!

No matter how Amundsen talked about the scientific significance of his voyage, the whole plan collapsed overnight, six months before departure, when the news spread around the world that the American Robert Peary had reached the North Pole. Amundsen does not hide in conversations with his loved ones: the meaning of his expedition has been lost, and he intends to return to the Arctic only after achieving an achievement not inferior to Peary’s record.

"Fram" under sail

Amundsen doesn't exist

The North Pole has been surrendered, but you can still fight for the South Pole. In parallel with Amundsen’s preparations, Great Britain was purposefully preparing an expedition to the South Pole. It was headed by a naval officer who had already gained fame as a polar explorer, Robert Scott. In 1901-1904, supported by the Royal Geographical Society and personally by President Clements Markham, Scott led the second British National Antarctic Expedition, also known as Discovery (after the name of the ship).

Robert Scott, leader of a rival expedition

Inspired by Peary’s achievement and aware of the “political” responsibility of the moment, this time the British set themselves the goal of not only conducting scientific research, but also, using the experience of compatriot Ernest Shackleton, who was already approaching the Pole, to hoist the British flag at the 90th parallel of south latitude .

Leaving Madeira, Amundsen knew about the ambitions and plans of the British, and therefore considered it necessary to send a telegram to Scott in New Zealand with the news that the Fram team would take part in this competition. When deciding to change direction, the usually quick and decisive Amundsen carefully weighed every plus and minus. As for the deceived creditors, here he put everything on the line and was calm - to return triumphant, then there would be no question of anger, or not to return at all. However, as for the plans of other expeditions - British and Japanese - Amundsen decided for himself: the latter did not lay claim to the Pole, and Scott’s route was thought out, organized and, most importantly, different from the Norwegian one, so his decision in no way contradicts the laws of so-called research ethics.

Amundsen's plans did not please Scott, but, having learned about them, he made the only right decision - to act as if Amundsen did not exist. “My plan would have been upset if I had started racing with him,” Scott explained to himself and his comrades throughout the expedition, “besides, it’s not like we came here for that reason!” I’m only afraid that because of this our expedition will lose a lot in the eyes of the public, but we need to be prepared for this. After all, what’s important is what gets done, not people’s praise!”

Fram on the high seas

Let's drink to the dogs!

Having reached Antarctica, the two expeditions began preparations for the trip. Scott's camp was set up in the western part of the mainland. Amundsen, even during preparation, decided that the team would stop at the Ice Barrier - a giant stationary glacier descending from the mountains to the sea - in Whale Bay. Firstly, it is closer to the pole, and secondly, due to the characteristics of Antarctica, the weather on the coast should be less severe than on the mainland.

Each expedition had its own, conceptually different organization. Amundsen had relatively few people, but many dogs. It was on them that the polar explorer relied. Through personal observations, he found out that this is the best animal for polar work. This is both the optimal means of transportation and food. Amundsen calculated the number of them needed to reach the pole and return to camp. It was precisely calculated when which dog would have to die, becoming food for people and their relatives. The issue with food was simplified; besides, the detachment had previously set up several warehouses with food and everything necessary on the way to the Pole.

Together with dogs

Scott's strategy was radically different. Firstly, he decided to try out the know-how of that time - motor sleighs. The idea is fresh and in the spirit of the times, but the first, still far from perfect, motor sleighs were not at all adapted to the extreme conditions of Antarctica. Secondly, if Amundsen relied on dogs, but Scott brought with him... horses. The Scottish ponies did not feel as bad as they might seem at first glance, but taking into account the climate and terrain, they were significantly inferior to the agile, agile dogs. When Scott's ship Terra Nova entered Whale Bay during the preparation stage, Amundsen offered his opponent half of his animals, but he refused. The British decided to take provisions for themselves and their animals with them.

Thus, when Scott set out on November 1 - almost 10 days after Amundsen - he had with him fifteen men, two motor sleighs, two of the five dog teams and ten ponies. “The progress of the expedition resembled a motley river flotilla of different-sized ships of very different speeds,” historians will later sneer.

Triumph of tragedy, tragedy of triumph

The path to a dream is often more pleasant and important than achieving the dream itself. On December 14, 1911, five Norwegians - Roald Amundsen, Olaf Bjoland, Helmer Hansen, Sverre Hassel and Oscar Wisting - reached the South Pole, planting the Norwegian flag on it. They studied the place within a radius of 10 km, carried out magnetic and meteorological studies, pitched a tent in which they left a letter to the British asking them to inform the King of Norway about their achievement, first of all, if they died on the way back.

Scott's squad will discover the message in a month. “The Norwegians were ahead of us - they were the first to reach the pole. A terrible disappointment, and I feel pain for my faithful comrades. We changed our minds and talked about a lot. Tomorrow we must go further, to the Pole, and then hurry home, at all possible speed. The end of all our dreams; it will be a sad return,” wrote Scott, only when he saw the Norwegian flag in the distance. He diligently described every part of his expedition until March 29, 1912. These notes will be read eight months later by members of the search expedition, who will discover four corpses in a tent halfway to the camp (the fifth, Lawrence Oates, who had frostbitten feet, left the tent one day and never returned), as well as tens of kilograms of rock samples. In the diary, the expedition leader reports extremely unfavorable weather, the depletion of the detachment - there was not enough food; through each entry - moral depression and powerlessness, but the detachment accepted death with dignity.

“Scott and his companions died upon returning from the Pole not at all due to grief caused by the fact that we were ahead of them, but because they inevitably had to die of starvation due to insufficient food supplies,” the pragmatic - no, experienced - Roald later insisted Amundsen. “The difference between both expeditions was precisely the advantage of dogs over the vehicles of the other expedition.”

They made fun of Amundsen's dogs for a long time, suggesting, for example, at a gala reception at the Royal Geographical Society that they should raise glasses in their honor. “...I would sacrifice a lot, even glory, to bring them [Scott’s squad] back to life... My triumph in Antarctica is overshadowed by the thought of tragedy,” Amundsen later admitted. "She's following me."

Conquerors of the South Pole on the deck of the Fram

The world did not rejoice at the Norwegian’s triumph either. Roald Amundsen managed to navigate the Arctic Northeast Passage (Northern Sea Route) and test the capabilities of aviation while carrying out polar research. He became the first to visit the two poles of the Earth. Amundsen died in the Arctic in 1928, going to rescue those members of the Umerto Nobile expedition who survived the crash of the airship Italia.

105 years after the conquest of the South Pole, in historical literature, the works of biographers, journalism and the press, there are still different points of view as to who emerged from this race, the Norwegian and the Englishman, who turned out to be a hero, who a villain. A vain sportsman-adventurer who put people's lives on the line and challenged the British gentleman. Or a mediocre, incompetent leader who, with his own death, discredited the achievement of the last Columbus, Roald Amundsen.

Amundsen in Alaska. 1923

“Feats accomplished in the polar countries must be considered in the light of the explorer’s previous life,” the Norwegian was sure. Polar exploration is closely related to morality, and a person’s character can better prove the truth of his achievements than kilometers or degrees of latitude, he believed. Amundsen proved the truth of his achievements with his life, Scott - with his death. From this point of view, no one came out as a loser in the pursuit of the South Pole.
Vladislavna Bondina

On December 14, 1911, the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen conquered the South Pole, reports.

During the Norwegian polar expedition (1910-1912), led by Amundsen, important scientific results were obtained. Scientifically, the expedition examined the Transantarctic Ridge, taking some geological samples; Amundsen's assumption about its extent was subsequently confirmed. The expedition studied in detail the surface of the Ross Ice Shelf and the South Pole Plateau, as well as the Edward VII Peninsula. The expedition delivered an extensive set of meteorological data. The Fram crew carried out a number of important oceanographic and glaciological studies (891 water samples and 190 plankton samples were taken) in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean.

At first Amundsen wanted to conquer the North Pole, but he radically changed his mind after Frederick Cook and Robert Peary announced that they had reached the pole.

The expedition to the South Pole took place in intense competition with the English expedition "Terra Nova" of Robert Falcon Scott, whose expedition had a political goal: "reaching the South Pole in order to bring the honor of this achievement to the British Empire."

It is worth noting that Scott’s team reached the pole 33 days after Amundsen and died on the way back, 264 km short of reaching the base.

“Roald Amundsen,” noted the Norwegian writer Thor Sannes, “was a new type of polar explorer. He was not a scientist engaged in the study of circumpolar regions, like Nansen or Nordenskiöld. His main goal was pioneering records, as a result he managed to solve in 1903-1906 years the task of passing the Northwest Passage on the yacht "Gjoa".

In a political sense, the expedition brought many problems to Norwegian-British relations: the British considered Antarctica as their priority area, and the death of Scott led to an extremely negative attitude towards Amundsen himself.

Amundsen's expedition marked the end of the "golden age" of polar exploration: the capabilities of the dog sled as a means of transport and research in extreme conditions had been exhausted. It is no coincidence that on June 11, 1914, Amundsen received an aviator's diploma, having by that time flown 20 hours. In the future, Amundsen will actively use seaplanes and airships.

From Amundsen’s point of view, the trip to the South Pole was only a stage of his Arctic expedition, however, due to the events of the First World War, he set out on a trip to the North Pole in 1918 on the ship Maud.

Let us add that in early December, a Kazakh expedition called the “Pole of Independence” set off for the South Pole. This is the second expedition of the Kazakh Geographical Society and it is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Independence of our republic.

“On December 16, on the day of celebrating the anniversary of the country’s independence, the national flag of Kazakhstan will be hoisted at the highest point of Antarctica – Vinson Peak, at an altitude of 4,892 meters,” noted Tolegen Tastanbekov, chairman of the KazGeo presidium, before sending the team.

Many significant events took place on this day.

Next news

On December 14, many significant events took place that went down in history. About the most interesting of them - in the material "360 Moscow Region".

On December 14, those who participated in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident are honored. The explosion occurred on April 26, 1986, and 20 years later a special day was established. The date chosen was December 14 - the day the construction of the protective sarcophagus over the fourth block was completed. More than 650 thousand people from all over the Soviet Union took part in eliminating the disaster. On this day, rallies, flower-layings and prayer services are held throughout the country.

On December 14, 1893, on Red Square in Moscow, in the presence of the Governor General of the city, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich Romanov and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, the grand opening of the Upper Trading Rows took place. This building is now known to Muscovites and guests of the city as GUM. It was built in 1890-1893 according to the design of the architect Pomerantsev and engineer Shukhov. The gigantic three-story building, designed in pseudo-Russian style and consisting of three longitudinal passages with deep basements, housed more than a thousand shops. The design of the floors - arched steel trusses with glazed sixteen-meter spans - was invented by the author of the famous Moscow tower, Shukhov. In addition to the passages, the building had three large halls. Finnish granite and Tarusa marble are used in the exterior decoration. In 1952-1953, the building was thoroughly restored and named the State Department Store. Now the shopping complex no longer belongs to the state, but the name GUM is still used today together with the older one - “Upper Trading Rows”. GUM is one of the largest shopping complexes in Europe and is an architectural monument of federal significance.

On December 14, 1911, Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole of the Earth. Since childhood, the brave Norwegian traveler dreamed of adventures and expeditions to the north. In 1889, his idol became the famous polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen, who had just returned from his Greenland expedition. Young Amundsen was shocked by reports of Nansen's trek across the ice-covered island, and he dreamed that one day he would become the same famous traveler. In 1897, his dreams began to come true: as an assistant to the captain, Amundsen went on an expedition to the South Pole on the ship Belgica. On this journey, Amundsen was able to become familiar with the harsh conditions of the circumpolar zone in order to better prepare for his first independent expedition. Having purchased a small ship, the Gjoa, in 1903 he set off on an Arctic expedition that discovered the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Amundsen returned back to Norway only in the fall of 1906, and was immediately recognized as a national hero.

After his triumphant return, the active Norwegian began to prepare for a trip to the North Pole. But the expedition was not destined to take place, because during preparations for it, news arrived that the American Frederick Cook had already become the first person to reach this place. Amundsen changed his plans and in August 1910 went to Antarctica to open the road to the South Pole. He really wanted to be there first. On January 13, 1911, the Fram moored at the Ross Ice Barrier. Amundsen's team began preparing for the expedition, training, checking every detail again and again, and placing food depots along the planned route to the Pole. On October 19, 1911, Amundsen and his expedition set off. The detachment chose a time-tested method of transportation - dog sleds. On December 14, the brave Amundsen achieved his goal and hoisted the Norwegian flag over the South Pole and the endless snowy plain of Antarctica. He was ahead of Robert Scott's English expedition by a whole month.

On December 14, 1947, the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was issued “On carrying out monetary reform and the abolition of cards for food and industrial goods.” The card system for the supply of industrial and food products, which was forcedly introduced in the Soviet Union at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, operated for more than six years. According to the new document, all cash of citizens and organizations was to be exchanged for new banknotes of the 1947 model in a ratio of 1:10. Non-cash money was exchanged on preferential terms. Deposits up to three thousand rubles remained unchanged; up to ten thousand rubles were exchanged at the rate of 3:2; more than ten thousand rubles were divided into three parts: the first - three thousand rubles, exchanged 1:1, the second - seven thousand rubles - 3:2, the rest of the deposit - over ten thousand rubles - 2:1. On the eve of the abolition of cards, prices for goods included in food rations were raised. This made it possible to repeatedly reduce prices in 1948-1953, which improved the standard of living of Soviet people. In addition, the conversion of government loans was carried out. The price scale remained the same, neither the domestic nor the international exchange rate of the ruble changed. Its gold content also remained the same. The reform had a significant impact on the economy of the Soviet Union. The decrease in the money supply increased the purchasing power of the ruble by approximately 2.5 times, and prices for food products decreased by 47% over the next seven years.

On December 14, 1503, French astrologer, physician, pharmacist and alchemist Michel de Nostrade, better known as Nostradamus, was born. He received a Master of Arts degree, studied to become a doctor, and studied astrology. The hobbies of the future predictor almost led Nostradamus to the stake and forced him to flee from the Inquisition to Italy. It was in this country that his prophetic gift manifested itself. Only years later did Nostradamus decide to publish his visions. Many of them turned out to be not as far from the truth as it might seem at first glance.

On December 14, 1924, director, screenwriter, producer, theater and film actor Raj Kapoor, who is called the “Indian Charlie Chaplin,” was born. His first appearance on stage happened at the age of 6, his first film role at 11, and later he became an assistant director at a film studio. In his films, Raj Kapoor touched upon such important topics as juvenile delinquency, the fate of refugees, caste inequality, etc. Kapoor has dozens of films to his credit, in most of which he was not only the director, but also the leading actor. Among the famous films are “Fire”, “The Rainy Season”, “The Tramp”.

On December 14, 1931, Soviet engineer, creator of the T-80 tank Nikolai Popov was born. He graduated from seven classes, studied at a special Air Force school, and worked in Leningrad in a tank design bureau. In 1972, Nikolai Popov became the general designer of SKB Transmash. Under his leadership, not only military vehicles were created, but also household ones - the K-701 agricultural tractor, a set of machines for the logging industry, as well as lifting installations for repairing oil and gas wells.

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“I have the honor to inform you that I am leaving for Antarctica - Amundsen”
This telegram was sent by the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen to the head of the English expedition, Robert Scott, and this was the beginning of the drama that played out in the southern polar latitudes 100 years ago...

December 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of one of the important events in the series of geographical discoveries of the twentieth century - the South Pole was reached for the first time.

The Norwegian expedition of Roald Amundsen and the English expedition of Robert Scott succeeded.

The pole was discovered by Amundsen on December 14, 1911, and a month later (January 18, 1912) it was reached by Scott's group, which died on the way back to the Ross Sea.

The geographic south pole, the mathematical point at which the Earth's imaginary axis of rotation intersects its surface in the Southern Hemisphere, is not located in the central part of the Antarctic continent, but closer to its Pacific coast, within the Polar Plateau at an altitude of 2800 m. The ice thickness here exceeds 2000 m The minimum distance to the coast is 1276 km.

The sun at the pole does not set below the horizon for six months (from September 23 to March 20–21, excluding refraction) and does not rise above the horizon for six months,

but until mid-May and from the beginning of August, astronomical twilight is observed, when dawn appears in the sky. The climate near the pole is very harsh. The average air temperature at the pole is -48.9 °C, the minimum is -77.1 °C (in September). The South Pole is not the coldest point in Antarctica. The lowest temperature on the Earth's surface (-89.2 ºС) was recorded on July 21, 1983 at the Soviet scientific station "Vostok". The American scientific station Amundsen-Scott is located at the geographic point of the South Pole.

The English navigator James Cook in 1772-75 twice came quite close (less than 300 km) to Antarctica. In 1820, the Russian expedition of F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev on the ships “Vostok” and “Mirny” came almost close to the shores of Antarctica. Extensive scientific work was carried out in Antarctic waters, currents, water temperatures, depths were studied, and 29 islands were discovered (Peter I, Alexander I, Mordvinov, etc.). The expedition ships circumnavigated Antarctica. In 1821-23, the hunters Palmer and Weddell approached Antarctica. In 1841, the English expedition of James Ross discovered an ice shelf (Ross Glacier, where the path to the Pole began). Its outer edge is an ice cliff up to 50 m high (Ross Barrier). The barrier is washed by the waters of the Ross Sea. By the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, many expeditions carried out work off the coast of Antarctica, collecting data on depths, bottom topography, bottom sediments, and marine fauna. In 1901-04, the English expedition of Scott on the Discovery vessel carried out oceanological work in the Ross Sea. The expedition members penetrated deep into Antarctica to 77°59" S. Oceanological research was carried out in the Weddell Sea in 1902-04 by the English expedition of Bruce. The French expedition of J. Charcot on the ships "France" and "Pourquois-Pas" conducted in 1903-05 years and 1908-10 oceanographic research in the Bellingshausen Sea.

In 1907-09, the English expedition of E. Shackleton (of which R. Scott was a participant) wintered in the Ross Sea, conducted oceanological and meteorological research here and made a trip to the south magnetic pole.

Shackleton also made an attempt to reach the geographic pole.

On January 9, 1909, he reached latitude 88° 23" and, being 179 miles from the pole, turned back due to lack of food. Shackleton used short horses of the Manchurian breed (Siberian ponies) as draft force, but during the ascent to the glacier Beardmore ponies had their legs broken, were shot and kept as food for use on the return journey.

The South Pole was first reached on December 14, 1911 by a Norwegian expedition led by Roald Amundsen.

Amundsen's original goal was the North Pole. The expedition ship Fram was provided by another great Norwegian, Fridtjof Nansen, who made the first ever drift across the Arctic Ocean on it (1893-1896). However, having learned that the North Pole had been conquered by Robert Peary, Amundsen decided to go to the South Pole, which he notified Scott about by telegram.

On January 14, 1911, the Fram arrived at the expedition landing site chosen by Amundsen - Whale Bay. It is located in the eastern part of the Ross Ice Barrier, located in the Pacific sector of Antarctica. From February 10 to March 22, Amundsen was busy creating intermediate warehouses. On October 20, 1911, Amundsen with four companions on dogs set out on a campaign to the south and on December 14 was at the South Pole, and on January 26, 1912 he returned to base camp. Together with Amundsen at the South Pole were the Norwegians Olaf Bjaland, Helmer Hansen, Sverre Hassel and Oscar Wisting.

Robert Scott's expedition on the ship Terra Nova landed on January 5, 1911 on Ross Island, in the western part of the Ross Glacier. From January 25 to February 16, warehouses were organized. On November 1, a group of British led by Scott, accompanied by auxiliary detachments, reached the Pole. The last auxiliary detachment left on January 4, 1912, after which Robert Scott and his comrades Edward Wilson, Lawrence Oates, Henry Bowers and Edgar Evans moved on, towing sleighs with equipment and provisions.

Having reached the Pole on January 18, 1912, on the way back Scott and his comrades died from hunger and deprivation.

The last entry in Scott's diary (It is a pity but I do not think I can write more - R. Scott - For God's sake look after our people - It's a pity, but I don't think I can write anymore - R. Scott - For God, do not forsake our loved ones) refers to March 29.

The reasons for the tragic outcome of Scott’s expedition and the prerequisites for Amundsen’s successful campaign have long been discussed in various literary sources, ranging from Stefan Zweig’s extremely emotional short story “The Struggle for the South Pole” (in my opinion, very biased) and ending with the publications of Amundsen himself and scientific articles based on on modern knowledge about the climate of Antarctica.

Briefly they are as follows:

Amundsen had an accurate calculation of forces and means and a strict attitude towards success; Scott's lack of a clear plan of action and his mistake in choosing transport can be seen.

As a result, Scott returned in February-March, that is, at the beginning of the Antarctic autumn, with lower temperatures and snowstorms. It was because of a severe eight-day snowstorm that Scott and his comrades were unable to walk the last 11 miles to the food warehouse and died.

Without pretending to be an exhaustive review of the reasons and prerequisites, we will still consider them in a little more detail.
The beginning of the way
The Norwegian expedition found itself in more favorable conditions than the English one. The Fram site (the base camp of the Amundsen expedition) was located 100 km closer to the pole than Scott’s camp. Dog sleds were used as a means of transport. However, the subsequent road to the Pole was no less difficult than that of the British. The British followed the path explored by Shackleton, knowing the place of ascent to the Beardmore Glacier; the Norwegians crossed the glacier along an unexplored path, since Scott’s route was unanimously recognized as inviolable.

Ross Island was located 60 miles from the ice barrier, the journey to which already at the first stage cost the participants of the English expedition enormous labor and losses.

Scott placed his main hopes on motor sleighs and Manchurian horses (ponies).

One of the three snowmobiles specially made for the expedition fell through the ice. The remaining motor sleds failed, the ponies fell into the snow and died from the cold. As a result, Scott and his comrades had to pull the sleigh with equipment themselves 120 miles from the Pole.

The most important issue is transport
Amundsen was convinced that dogs were the only suitable mounts in snow and ice. “They are fast, strong, intelligent and capable of moving in any road conditions that a person can go through.” One of the foundations for success was the fact that when preparing intermediate food warehouses and on the way to the Pole, Amundsen also took into account the meat of dogs carrying food.

“Since the Eskimo dog produces about 25 kg of edible meat, it was easy to calculate that each dog we took to the south meant a decrease of 25 kg of food both on the sleds and in the warehouses. ...

I set the exact day when every dog ​​should be shot, that is, the moment when it ceased to serve us as a means of transportation and began to serve as food.

We adhered to this calculation with an accuracy of approximately one day and one dog.” Fifty-two dogs went on a hike, and eleven returned to base.

Scott believed not in dogs, but in ponies, knowing about their successful use in expeditions to Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen. “A pony carries the same load as ten dogs, and consumes three times less food.” It's right; however, the pony requires bulk feed, unlike pemmican-fed dogs; In addition, the meat of a dead pony cannot be fed to other ponies; a dog, unlike a pony, can walk on crusty crust without falling through; finally, a dog can withstand frosts and snowstorms much better than a pony.

Scott had previously had bad experiences with dogs and came to the erroneous conclusion that they were unsuitable for polar travel.

Meanwhile, all successful expeditions were carried out using dogs.

Pole team member Lawrence Oates, who was responsible for the horses, became convinced that dogs were better adapted to polar conditions than ponies. When he noticed how the horses were weakening from cold, hunger and hard work, he began to insist that Scott slaughter the weakest animals along the route and leave their carcasses in storage for the next season as food for dogs, and if necessary, for people. . Scott refused: he hated the thought of killing animals.

Scott also had a negative attitude towards the killing of dogs in Amundsen’s squad, speaking out against cruelty to animals.

By the way, the same fate befell the dogs during Nansen’s campaign to the North Pole and during the transition to Franz Josef Land in 1895, but no one accused him of cruelty. This is the high price one has to pay to achieve success, and often to survive.

I feel no less sorry for the unfortunate ponies who first, on the road, suffered from seasickness, and then, falling into the snow and suffering from the cold, pulled the sleigh. They were doomed from the very beginning (Scott understood this perfectly well: in the polar group, food for the ponies was taken “one way”) and every single one of them died, and on December 9 the last ones were shot and... went to feed both dogs and people in Scott’s group. In Scott’s diary upon returning from the Pole we read: “It is great happiness that our rations are replenished with horse meat (February 24).”

When preparing food warehouses and on the trip to the Pole, they used motor sleighs (until they failed due to cracks in the cylinder block), and ponies, and... those same dogs. Scott's diary entry for November 11: "The dogs are working great." From December 9: “The dogs are running well, despite the bad road.”

However, on December 11, Scott sends the dogs back and is left without vehicles.

The change in seemingly unshakable principles suggests that Scott did not have a solid, clear plan of action. For example, it was only during the wintering of Terra Nova in Antarctica that some members of the route groups started skiing for the first time in their lives. And here is the entry in the diary dated December 11: “Everywhere... there is such loose snow that with every step you sink into it up to your knees...

One means is skis, and my stubborn compatriots have such a prejudice against them that they did not stock up on them.”

A very strange statement for the leader of the expedition - a simple statement of fact.

From the information below you can see how different the pace of movement of the Amundsen and Scott groups was. Scott launched 13 days later than Amundsen; at the Pole the lag was already 22 days. To the site of the last camp, which became the grave of Scott and his comrades, the lag was 2 months (it was already winter). Amundsen returned to base in just 41 days, which indicates the excellent physical condition of the participants.

Start from the base Pole Total Start from the pole End of the route Total Total
Amundsen 10/20/1911 12/14/1911 56 12/17/1912 1/26/1912 41 97
Scott 11/1/1911 17/1/1912 78 19/1/1912 21/3/1912 62 140

Searching for food warehouses
By preparing food warehouses at the preliminary stage of the expedition, Amundsen protected himself from searching for them in case of poor visibility on the way to the Pole and back. For this purpose, a chain of poles was stretched from each warehouse to the west and east, perpendicular to the direction of movement. The poles were located 200 m from each other; the length of the chain reached 8 km. The poles were marked in such a way that, having found any of them, it was possible to determine the direction and distance to the warehouse. These efforts were fully justified during the main hike.

“We just encountered the weather with fog and blizzards that we had counted on in advance, and these noticeable signs saved us more than once.”

The British stacked ice houris along the way, which also helped to navigate when returning, but the lack of perpendicularly located chains of signs sometimes made it difficult to find warehouses.

Shoes
Having tested ski boots during a trip to set up the first warehouse and identified their shortcomings, the Norwegians altered their boots, making them more comfortable and, most importantly, spacious, which made it possible to avoid frostbite. A little later, the British also took up this matter. Frostbite on the feet of Scott's group on the way back was most likely due to general exhaustion.

Kerosene story
The story with kerosene, which accelerated the fatal outcome in Scott’s group, is very indicative.
Here are Scott's diary entries.
02/24/1912: ...We reached the warehouse... Our supplies are in order, but there is not enough kerosene.
26.02 Fuel is terribly low...
2.03. ... We reached the warehouse... First of all, we found a very meager supply of fuel... With the strictest economy, it can barely be enough to reach the next warehouse, which is 71 miles away...

Instead of the expected gallon (4.5 L) of kerosene, Scott found less than a quart (1.13 L) in the can. As it turned out later, the shortage of kerosene in warehouses was not at all the result of an incorrect calculation of the need for fuel. This happened because, under the influence of low temperatures, the leather gaskets in the cans of kerosene shrank, the seal of the container was broken, and some of the fuel evaporated. Amundsen encountered similar kerosene leaks in extremely cold temperatures during his voyage through the Northwest Passage and made every effort to avoid them on his expedition to the South Pole.

Fifty years later, at 86 degrees south latitude, a hermetically sealed kerosene canister belonging to Amundsen was found.

Its contents have been completely preserved.

Cold resistance
In my opinion, the exceptional ability of the Norwegians to withstand low temperatures without losing strength and maintaining efficiency was of no small importance. This applies not only to Amundsen's expedition. The same can be said, as an example, about the expeditions of another great Norwegian, Fridtjof Nansen. In the book “Fram in the Polar Sea”, in the part where Nansen and Johansen’s campaign to the North Pole is told, we read lines that amazed me (remembering that they lived in a canvas tent, warmed only by a primus stove and only during cooking):

"21 March. At 9 am it was -42 ºС. Sunny, beautiful weather, perfect for travel.

March 29. Last night the temperature rose to -34 ºC, and we spent such a pleasant night in a sleeping bag as we have not had for a long time.

March 31. A south wind blew and the temperature rose. Today it was -30 ºС, which we welcome as the onset of summer.”

As a result, the Norwegians moved at the expected speed in weather conditions (for example, during a snowstorm on the way to the Pole), in which the British were forced to wait out, or at least significantly lose momentum.

“A terrible disappointment!.. It will be a sad return... Farewell, golden dreams!” - these are Scott's words spoken at the pole. Would Scott's group have survived if there had not been a "terrible disappointment" and the British had been the first to the Pole? Let's assume that Peary would not have reached the North Pole by 1910. In this case, Amundsen would certainly have set off on the Fram on a new drift into the Arctic Ocean with his original goal of reaching the North Pole. It seems to me that this “virtual” issue deserves attention. There is an opinion that

the main reason for the death of Scott’s group was the poor morale of its members,

as well as difficult route and climatic conditions. And if it weren’t for the race with Amundsen... However, an analysis of the events that took place allows us to draw a different conclusion.

The route conditions of Amundsen's group were no less difficult. Overcoming the glacier while climbing the Polar Plateau, the Norwegians encountered giant zones of cracks, which the British did not have. And a tight schedule during the return (alternating 28- and 55-kilometer day trips until returning to base) allowed Amundsen to return before the onset of autumn. The main reason for the death of Scott’s group is, first of all, the wrong choice of vehicles that does not correspond to the goal. The consequence of this was a loss of momentum and - due to a later return - exposure to difficult climatic conditions of the approaching winter (air temperature dropped to -47 ºС). Added to this circumstance was overwork and exhaustion of the participants.

These conditions increase the risk of frostbite - and everyone had frostbite on their feet.

The situation was further aggravated by the fact that Evans (February 17) and Ots (March 17) died during the return. Returning under such conditions was beyond human capabilities. There was practically no real chance of escape.

Scientific significance of expeditions
The assessment of the scientific results of the expeditions of Amundsen and Scott was to a certain extent affected by the drama of the events. In addition, there were no scientific workers on the wintering staff of the Norwegian expedition.

This sometimes led to preconceived notions about the "unscientific" nature of Amundsen's expedition.

Indeed, the British Antarctic expedition achieved more results in its scientific program than Amundsen's expedition. However, it turned out that the observations made by Amundsen's group make it possible to extend the conclusions of English researchers to much wider areas. This applies to geological structure, relief, meteorology. It was Amundsen's observations that made a significant contribution to the modern principles of calculating the ice mass budget of the Antarctic ice sheet. There are other examples. A true researcher will not evaluate which of the expeditions is “more scientific”; he will use the results of the work of both.

Despite the “terrible disappointment,” Scott acted actively upon his return, without losing the will to live.

The pages of the last notebook of Scott's diary are impressive evidence of true courage and enormous willpower.

Amundsen's expedition is still an example of the most accurate calculation of forces and means. So, while still in Norway and drawing up a plan for the campaign, he wrote down in 1910 (!): “Return to base camp after conquering the South Pole - January 23, 1912.” He returned on January 26.

The estimated time on the previously untraveled journey to the Pole and back, 2500 km of “the most difficult road on earth,” coincided with the actual time to within three days.

Even in the 21st century, such accuracy of calculations can be envied.

Roald Amundsen dreamed all his life of reaching the North Pole, but discovered... the South Pole. He died on June 18, 1928, somewhere in the area of ​​Bear Island, flying to rescue the expedition of U. Nobile, whose airship crashed while returning from the North Pole.

On Ross Island, at its southern tip, a cross was erected in memory of Robert Scott and his comrades Edward Wilson, Lawrence Oates, Henry Bowers and Edgar Evans, on which their names and motto are inscribed: To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield - “Fight and search, find and not give up.”