Otto Yulyevich Schmidt (1891–1956) was a Soviet mathematician, geographer, geophysicist, astronomer, professor, member of the Academy of Science of the USSR, a Hero of the Soviet Union (1937), an explorer of the Pamir Mountains and the Polar Circle.
Schmidt was one of the creators and an editor-in-chief of the
Great Soviet Encyclopedia. He initiated the founding of an academic geophysics institution. In 1930–1934, he led the famous arctic expeditions on
Georgy Sedov,
A. Sibiryakov and Chelyuskin steam icebreakers.
Otto Schmidt was an honorary member of the Russian Geographical Society; he made a major contribution to the exploration of the northern polar territories. In 1932, Schmidt was the head of the expedition on the A. Sibiryakov steam icebreaker, which made a non-stop voyage along the Northern Sea Route without wintering for the first time in history.
On 27 June 1937, under a Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Otto Schmidt was awarded a title of the Hero of the Soviet Union for spearheading establishing the North Pole-1 drifting ice station.
The postcard with an original stamp depicts a portrait of Otto Schmidt against the background of the Tupolev TB-3 aircraft. The main image features Schmidt's expedition on the
A. Sibiryakov steam icebreaker.
Additionally, FSUE PTC “Marka” will manufacture a special cancellation postmark for Moscow.
Design: F. Sukhinin.
Circulation: 15,000 copies.
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