ARKHANGELSK, July 2. /TASS/. The Mikhail Somov scientific expedition vessel returned to Arkhangelsk from its first voyage in the current navigation. The vessel was used to deliver cargo to 18 hard-to-reach polar stations in the White, Barents and Kara Seas along the Northern Sea Route, press service of the national hydrometeorology service's Northern Branch, Sevhydromet, said.
"The vessel has delivered more than 600 tons of supplies to 18 polar stations of the service's Northern and Murmansk Departments on the coasts and islands of the White, Barents and Kara Seas, a shift team of polar explorers and everything necessary for the upcoming wintering: almost 300 tons of diesel fuel, gas, gasoline, firewood, coal, food, building materials, aerology supplies and equipment," the release reads.
New meteorological masts have been installed at the Sosnovets and Malye Karmakuly stations, and diesel generator sets have been supplied to seven stations. New all-terrain vehicles have been purchased for the Indiga and Kolguev Severny stations. Specialists have serviced three automatic weather stations: Morzhovets, Cape Mikulkin and Sengeysky Shar.
The Arctic Team Student Corps' 20 volunteers, who had lived and worked at the polar stations Zimnegorsky Mayak, Kanin Nos and Kolguev Severny for three weeks, returned home onboard the Mikhail Somov. They were cleaning the Arctic territories, helped Sevhydromet staff in unloading and loading, as well as in station improvements.
A group of young artists has participated in the expedition. Four artists from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Balashikha and Nizhny Novgorod brought sketches with Arctic landscapes and polar stations. The authors will present their works at an exhibition due in the fall.
The Mikhail Somov's next voyage to supply polar stations is due on July 8 - on that day, Arkhangelsk will host a ceremony of the vessel's departure, dedicated to the Mikhail Somov's 50th anniversary.