Valerian Albanov (1881–1919)

V srpnu 1912 se bývalý námořní poručík Brusilov vydal na svém škuneru Sv. Anna do Ochotského moře, aby tam lovil velryby, mrože, tuleně a lední medvědy. Naplánoval si svou výpravu na jednu plavební sezónu, to znamená na tři až čtyři měsíce. Nepočítal však se všemi zákeřnostmi polárni zimy, netušil, že místo bohatého úlovku ho čeká pozvolné umírání v pustinách Ledového oceánu. Jeho loď vmrzla do plujícího ledu a byla unášena stále dál k polárnímu kruhu bez naděje na vyproštění a záchranu. Žádná z pozdějších expedic po ní už nenalezla stopy.… (meer)

In 1912, the Saint Anna, a Russian exploration vessel sailed from what is now Murmansk with the goal of navigating the Northeast Passage. If it had succeeded it would have been only the second time this was achieved. The became trapped in polar ice and drifted north. After being icebound for two winters and having abandoned all hope of rescue, Albanov - the navigator of the vessel - built kayaks and sledges and set off with 13 men towards Franz Joseph Land, while 20 remained behind, never to be seen again.

In his book based on his diary published in 1917, Albanov recounts the journey back to civilization. His is a well written and eminently readable story of a harrowing journey taking three month to a shelter left behind from previous expeditions where the two surviving men were eventually picked up by a barely seaworthy vessel returning to civilization after two years. The focus of the narrative is on the journey itself. Of the men and their characters and interaction, there is very little information, save for some ranting about their shortcomings.

In their introduction, Jon Krakauer and David Roberts give a bit of background to the expedition and put it into context with other such undertakings. In the epilogue they reveal some of the content of the diary of the other surviving man, that give a bit more perspective on what happened. That diary was never published - Konrad being a commoner. They also introduce a bit of research into the background and aftermath of the expedition.

All in all a very nice read, but not as gripping as Lansing's Endurance, mostly due to the lack of visibility of the individuals along for the travel.
… (meer)

Most readers of polar exploration are familiar with accounts of ill-fated explorers such as Scott and Shackleton. The diary of Russian explorer Valerian Albanov was only recently discovered in a French translation buried in a library, translated into English and published in 2000. It tells of an incredible journey of survival as he and some of his crew set out from his ice-locked ship in hopes of finding aid.

This, then, is an autobiography in the form of a diary or journal written by Albanov. Whereas other expeditions have been written in absentia, decades after the fact, this account is important because Albanov himself describes his incredible journey. The writing/translation is well written, and each day holds danger, despair, hope and challenge. It is difficult to put this book down.… (meer)