№ 556-560. Polar explorers

R.L.Samoylovich (1881-1940). A polar explorer, a doctor of geographical sciences, a professor. The fist commander of the Northern scientific operation expedition (1920-1925), director of the Institute of exploring the North (1925-1930). The mission commander on the icebreakers "Krasin" (1928), "Rusanov" (1932), "Sedov" (1934), "Sadko" (1936 and 1937-1938). The commander of the scientific part of the expedition on the airship "Count Zeppelin" (1931). The stamp features the picture of R.L.Samoylovich. On the left there is a composition devoted to the rescue party to save the aircrewmen of an Italian airship "Italy" in 1928: the icebreaker "Krasin" in the arctic ice; the distressed members of the expedition; the plane of the flier B.G.Chukhnovskiy on the ice; the map of the course of the rescue party (the region of the Spitsbergen Archipelago).

V.Yu.Vize (1886-1954).A meteorologist, an oceanographer, an Arctic explorer, an associate of the USSR Academy of Sciences. A participant of the expedition of G.Ya.Sedov (1912-1914), expeditions on the icebreakers "Taimyr" (1921-1922), "Malygin" (1924, 1928, 1931), "Sedov" (1929), "Sibiryakov" (1932), "Litke" (1934). V.Yu.Vize was the author of some works on oceanography, meteorology, the history of the Arctic exploration. The stamp features the picture of V.Yu.Vize. On the left there is a composition devoted to the scientific activity and practice of V.Yu.Vize. In the centre of the picture there is an icebreaker "Litke" which for the first time covered the Northern sea-lane in one sailing from East to West in 1934. During this sailing V.Yu.Vize worked a lot. In the foreground there is a polar station in the Tikhaya Bay in Franz Josef Land Archipelago, where V.Yu.Vize was in the expedition of G.Ya.Sedov. Above there is a map with the Northern sea-lane marked.

M.M.Somov (1908-1973). An oceanographer, a polar explorer, a doctor of geographical sciences, Hero of the Soviet Union (1951). He captained the expeditions "Sever"( 1948-1949) (Central Arctic air exploration), the anchorless station "Severny Polus - 2" (1950-1957), the first Soviet antarctic expedition (1955-1957). M.M.Somov was one of the pioneers who discovered the submarine ridge in the Northern Ocean (1948). He was the author of the works on the ice regime of the arctic seas and ice forecasts. The stamp features the picture of M.M.Somov.In the left part of the stamp there is a picture of diesel electric ship "Ob'", which took part in scientific exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The upper part of the stamp features An-2 aircraft on the background of the outline map of Antarctica, with a dot showing the location of the Mirniy Observatory.

P.A.Gordiyenko (1913-1982). A polar explorer, an honoured actor of science and technics of the USSR, a professor. A participator in the hydrologic expeditions to the Chukot Peninsula, the chief of the polar station "Schmidt Cape" (1938-1942). In 1941-1982 P.A.Gordiyenko worked in the Arctic Research Institute. He participated in nine highlatitude air expeditions "Sever", commanded the drift of the research station "Severny Polus - 4" (1955-1956), was the commander of the hydrologic party of diesel electric ship "Lena" (1956-1957). He was the author of some scientific works on the exploration of the Northern Ocean and arctic seas. The stamp features the picture of P.A.Gordiyenko.On the left there are the images of the icebreaker "Murmansk" and Li-2 aircraft.

A.F.Tryoshnikov (1914-1991). A polar explorer, an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Was the head of a lot of polar expeditions. Commanded the anchorless station "Severny Polus - 3" (1954-1955) and antarctic expeditions (1967-1968). In 1957 he founded an explorative station "Vostok" on the South geomagnetic pole. A.F.Tryoshnikov was the author of scientific works devoted to Arctic and Antarctic, participated in the creation of "The Arctic Atlas" (1966-1969). President of the USSR Geographical Assosiation (1978-1991).The stamp features the picture of A.F.Tryoshnikov. On the left there is a convoy of cross-country vehicles in Antarctic, a signpost marking the South geomagnetic pole. The upper part of the stamp features Il-14 aircraft on the background of the outline map of Antarctica, with a dot showing the location of the station "Vostok".

On the margins of the minor sheet there are pictures characterizing the work of polar explorers, and landscape sketches. The upper margin of the sheet features a procession of ships in Kara sea (1929) which started the regular exploitation of the Northern sea-lane, polar bears living in Arctic, a polar aircraft, a polar station on the island Dixon (the 1920s). In the left part of the sheet there are arctic shores, arctic sea animals - morses, an arctic helicopter. In the lower part of the stamp there are arctic birds - royal penguins, the buildings of the Russian scientific Mirniy Observatory in the eastern Antarctic, and an expeditionary ship "Michail Somov". In the right part of the stamp there are antarctic shores and an aerological device.