Modern traveler Fedor Konyukhov briefly. Biography of Fedor Konyukhov

25.11.2023

The childhood of Fyodor Konyukhov

Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov was born on the shores of the Azov Sea in the Ukrainian village of Chkalovo, Zaporozhye region, into an ordinary peasant family. The father of the future traveler, Philip Mikhailovich, came from a family of Arkhangelsk Pomor fishermen, and his mother, Maria Efremovna, was a native of Bessarabia.

The family was large - three sons and two daughters. From early childhood, Fedor got used to hard rural work in the fields and gardens. The father fished in the Sea of Azov and often took his son with him. Fedor happily served as helmsman and helped pull out the nets. Konyukhov’s father fought in the Great Patriotic War, reached Budapest with Soviet troops and often shared stories with his children related to the military part of his biography.

Konyukhov was also told many interesting things by his grandfather Mikhail, a lieutenant colonel in the tsarist army. Mikhail Konyukhov served in the same garrison with Senior Lieutenant Georgy Sedov, the famous Russian polar explorer. Shortly before his last expedition to the North Pole, which ended in tragedy, Georgy Sedov left Mikhail Konyukhov with a pectoral cross with a request to give it to the strongest and bravest of the children who could reach the Pole. Fyodor Konyukhov had a chance to fulfill Sedov’s will - he visited the North Pole three times, one of which reached the extreme point of the planet alone, with Sedov’s cross on his neck.

Fyodor had a thirst for travel, especially sea travel, from early childhood. Standing at the helm of a fishing boat, Fedor peered into the Azov distance and dreamed of visiting the opposite bank of Azov. At the age of fifteen, he made his first expedition - he crossed the Sea of Azov on a rowing boat alone. I prepared for this for several years - I devoted almost all my free time to rowing, sailing and swimming. He was also actively involved in football and athletics, and slept in the hayloft almost all year round. Fyodor also loved to read and voraciously “swallowed” books by Jules Verne, Stanyukovich, Goncharov and other marine writers and travelers.

Fedor Konyukhov set a new record

Education and service of Fedor Konyukhov

Already in his senior year, Konyukhov realized that the sea was his calling. After graduating from school, there were no questions about where to go - Konyukhov went to the Odessa Naval School (specialty ship mechanic). Fedor did not stop there and entered the Leningrad Polar School, receiving a second specialty upon graduation - navigator. Fedor served in the Baltic Fleet in the Kaliningrad region. During his service, as a result of one of the conflict incidents with senior soldiers, Fedor ends up in a guardhouse, from where a captain of the third rank, who selected the most courageous sailors for special forces, takes him to Vietnam. For two and a half years, Fedor served as a sailor on a boat in a special detachment whose task was to supply ammunition to the Viet Cong.

After the service, Fedor graduated from vocational school No. 15 in the city of Bobruisk in Belarus, specializing in inlay carving.

Arctic expeditions of Fedor Konyukhov

Expeditionary research activities began in 1977. This year Fedor is organizing a passage on a sailing yacht along the route of Vitus Bering in the North Pacific Ocean. Being a patriot, the explorer sought to reproduce all the conditions in which our compatriots, more than three hundred years ago, sailed on fragile boats, discovered islands and bays, explored America and founded settlements there.

Then there were expeditions pursuing similar goals - Kamchatka, Sakhalin Island, Commanders. Fedor spent a long time in Chukotka, mastering the science of dog sledding, building ice huts and surviving in extreme polar conditions. By this time, the goal was set - to reach the North Pole alone. Preparation for the expedition took several years. The unprecedented journey was preceded by a ski trip to the Pole of relative inaccessibility during the polar night, participation in the Canadian expedition to Baffin Island, the trans-Antarctic Soviet-Canadian ski expedition USSR - Pole - Canada, the first autonomous expedition to the North Pole "Arctic" as part of V. Chukov's group. Thus, by the time he began his own solo forced march, Konyukhov had already visited the North Pole twice.

In 1990, having gained sufficient experience in polar research, Fedor set off to his cherished goal on skis. In addition to the heavy backpack, the traveler was towing a sledge with provisions and equipment. Fedor slept right on the ice in a tent and sleeping bag. The path was difficult - constantly had to overcome hummocks and ice holes, but Konyukhov was steadily approaching the Pole. 200 km before the cherished goal, Fedor almost repeated the fate of Georgy Sedov - during ice hummocking, the traveler almost died. However, on the 72nd day of the journey, Fedor still reached the North Pole, becoming the first person in the world to make such a journey alone. It was then that Konyukhov fulfilled Sedov’s will.

Antarctic expedition

Konyukhov's next goal was the South Pole. In 1995, the brave explorer went on a solo expedition to Antarctica, eventually reaching the extreme southern point of the planet on the 59th day of the trip and planting the Russian flag there. While moving towards the Pole, Konyukhov conducted a number of studies: measuring the natural radiation field of Antarctica, the physical state of the body in extreme conditions of high altitude (above 5 thousand m), lack of oxygen, strong winds and low temperatures.

As a result of the expedition, Konyukhov wrote several scientific papers that made an invaluable contribution to the development of polar science. For his research activities and scientific works after this expedition, Konyukhov was accepted as an honorary member of the Russian Geographical Society.

Climbing

It is not only the circumpolar regions that attract the attention of the intrepid explorer. Having visited the South Pole, Fedor completed the “Grand Slam” program - visiting the North and South Pole and Mount Everest. Konyukhov became the first Russian to complete the Grand Slam.

The history of Konyukhov’s ascents under the “Seven Summits of the World” program begins in 1992, when the traveler single-handedly conquered the highest point in Europe - Mount Elbrus. In the same year, together with Evgeny Vinogradsky, Fedor climbed Everest, the highest point in Asia and the planet. As part of his Antarctic expedition, on January 19, 1996, the researcher conquered the highest point of the southern continent - the Wilson Massif. In March of the same year, the climber climbed Aconcagua alone in South America, and in 1997 he completed the program with a solo ascent of the Kilimanjaro volcano in Africa, the Australian Kosciuszko Peak and, together with Vladimir Yanochkin, conquered the most difficult peak - the North American Mount McKinley.

In 2012, Konyukhov once again climbed Everest as part of the Russian team that climbed Chomolungma to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the first conquest of Everest by a Soviet mountaineering team.

Land expeditions

In 1981, Fyodor Konyukhov crossed Chukotka on a dog sled in preparation for conquering the North Pole. Preparing for the polar march, Fedor chose between two transportation options - skis and dog sled. As a result, he recognized skiing as more promising. In 1985, Fedor organized a walking expedition along the route of the famous taiga explorers V. Arsenyev and Dersu Uzala.

In the summer and autumn of 1989, Konyukhov supervised the joint Soviet-American bicycle ride across the USSR Nakhodka - Moscow - Leningrad. The second run from Nakhodka to the capital of Russia, this time on SUVs, Russian-Australian, took place in the summer of 1991. In 2002, Fyodor Konyukhov organized the first camel caravan expedition in Russian history following the Great Silk Road in Kalmykia, Dagestan, Astrakhan, Volgograd regions and Stavropol Territory. In 2009, the expedition continued - the second stage of the research took place along the route Kalmykia - Mongolia.

Sea expeditions and trips around the world

Sea travel occupies the largest part of Konyukhov’s research activities. Fedor made more than forty unique sea expeditions, crossed the Atlantic Ocean 17 times alone, and once on a rowing boat in autonomous mode in 46 days, setting an absolute world record. Fedor traveled around the world six times. One of these trips on a yacht took place non-stop, non-stop. There were also “serious”, according to the traveler, adventures - during one of the trips around the world, Fedor became seriously ill and was hospitalized in the Philippines. At this time, pirates stole his yacht to a neighboring island. To return the ship, Konyukhov had to temporarily become a sea robber himself - he stole a boat from drunken pirates in order to return his yacht. Fedor is a regular participant and winner of extreme marine races on sailing and rowing vessels.

Creation

In his travels, Fedor is engaged not only in research activities. He draws and writes books. In total, more than 3 thousand paintings came out of his brush. Since 1983, Konyukhov has been a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. At the time of his admission to the Union of Artists he was the youngest member of the USSR Union of Artists. Fedor is also a member of the Moscow Union of Artists and Sculptors and is an honorary academician of the Russian Academy of Arts. Based on the results of his expeditions, Fedor wrote nine books. Konyukhov is a member of the Writers' Union and the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation.

Fedor Konyukhov. Arctic 2013. Prelude

Religious rank

On May 22, 2010, Fyodor Konyukhov received the rank of subdeacon of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Konyukhov was ordained subdeacon by Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine. After being ordained, Fedor began to devote less time to travel and expeditions, but did not stop this activity completely. In December 2010, in Zaporozhye, Konyukhov, who by that time had graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, was ordained a priest and sent to serve in the Zaporozhye diocese.

Family of Fedor Konyukhov

Fedor Konyukhov is married to Irina Anatolyevna Konyukhova, professor, Doctor of Law. They have three children - a common son Nikolai, Fyodor's eldest son Oscar and daughter Tatyana - children from their first marriage. Oscar Konyukhov also travels, goes in for sailing, and is the executive director of the Sailing Federation of the Russian Federation.

Fyodor has six grandchildren - Polina, Philip, Arkady, Ethan, Blake and Kate.

Fedor Konyukhov is a legendary Russian traveler. He circumnavigated the world five times, crossed the Atlantic 17 times, once in a rowing boat. Fedor describes his travel impressions, as well as interesting notes and reflections in the books “My Travels” and “My Travels. The next 10 years."

Hermit life taught me to be content with little. Life in the ocean is harsh, but it is illuminated by the light of eternity. The lights of big cities, the shine of diamonds in the windows of jewelry stores - everything fades before this eternal universal light.

I have always been a believer, our family is like that: my grandfather is a priest and his brother too - he was even canonized as a new martyr. I remember at school (and I studied in our fishing village) I argued all the time with the literature teacher. He asked her: “Tell me, Tatyana Semyonovna, how can you say that there is no God, but Pushkin believed in him!”

People are afraid of inner freedom, they are looking for a reason and someone who would hold them and not let them go. This is better for them than being free.

If anyone wants to know my world, let them look at my paintings. They will tell him a lot. After all, I gave up many nights to storms, I froze on the way to the Pole in order to draw this or that line on paper or canvas just like that. I was not indifferent when creating them. So, be attentive to them. Not everyone is destined to go to the Pole or sail around the world, but everyone can see what the artist who visited there wanted to say.

If you have a precise goal and it is interesting not only to you, if your plans inspire the people around you, then they will help you.

For me, the meaning of existence is in something higher. There are people in the world who have devoted almost their entire lives to arranging their life, furnishing their apartment with everything necessary. This, too, may perhaps be the meaning of existence. But it is precisely because I reject such an existence that I finally set out on this journey. I live openly. Since I appeared on this Earth, why don’t I see Everest and Cape Horn, reach the North and South Pole, go around the world on a yacht?.. I didn’t come to just one place, I came to this Earth. Since childhood, I dreamed of knowing this world, seeing and feeling the whole Earth. I want to try everything. Our land is not so big that we would refuse to visit its extreme points, not to walk its entire length and breadth. I am an artist and philosopher. I have the right to paint pictures only after seeing what I paint, to write books about what I felt...

I am a romantic, an adventurer. For me, being at sea for a long time will not be difficult, since I love it, almost like a beloved woman. I want to circumnavigate the globe three times without visiting any ports, but I am not aiming for any records. I want to be in the ocean alone with the winds and restless waves, talk with the birds and animals that inhabit the oceans, feel the rotation of the Earth and read morning and evening prayers every day, looking at the rising and setting sun. That's what pulls me on this giant journey.

We always live on the verge of death. How little a person needs for the thread of his life to be broken. This must be looked at without undue fear, but with full awareness. A clear thought about the frailty of life is not a reason to give up, but a reason to appreciate and love every moment of life, to live today, now, and not in dreams of what will happen to you tomorrow, to live, experiencing life to the fullest and full-blooded.

Real life passes quickly and death approaches us. Death can suddenly overtake us when we are not yet ready. Therefore, a person must always diligently fulfill the commandments of God. Therefore, in real life you don’t need to be proud of anything and you don’t need to be partial to anything.

Famous Russian traveler, writer, artist, clergyman, free balloon pilot. Archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Fedor Konyukhov. Biography

Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov born on December 12, 1951 in the Zaporozhye village of Chkalovo (later Troitskoye) in Ukraine, on the shores of the Azov Sea in a simple peasant family. In addition to Fedor, his parents - Philip Mikhailovich, a descendant of Arkhangelsk Pomor fishermen, and a native of Bessarabia Maria Efremovna there were two more sons and two daughters.

Since childhood, Fedor was preparing to become a traveler: he learned to swim, dive, bathed in cold water, walked on a boat with a sail and oars, Fedor often visited the Sea of Azov on fishing trips with his father, who always told his offspring about the Great Patriotic War and urged them to take care of their native land and work honestly.

Realizing that the sea and travel were his life, Konyukhov studied in the Belarusian Bobruisk at vocational school No. 15 (later Bobruisk State Vocational and Technical Art College), receiving a diploma as an inlay carver. He graduated from the Odessa Naval School with a specialty as a navigator. And then he received an education as a ship mechanic at the Leningrad Arctic School. Along the way, he also studied at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary.

Fyodor Konyukhov’s grandfather, a lieutenant colonel in the tsarist army, once told his grandson about a colleague from his garrison - Georgiy Sedov, who, before his tragic trip to the Arctic, left him an Orthodox cross, asking him to give the memento to the strongest of his descendants, so that he could bring his idea to life. As a result, Fedor fulfilled his promise - he visited the North Pole three times, including with that very cross.

Fedor Konyukhov. Career as a traveler and explorer

In 1966, being 15 years old, he first went on an expedition on a rowing boat and crossed the Sea of Azov, and in 1977 he organized a yachting trip in the North Pacific Ocean - along the route Vitus Bering and other sailors. While traveling, Konyukhov learned how his compatriots discovered lands and bays several centuries ago and founded settlements there.

Fedor's interest in research never leaves him. He also carried out scientific activities during campaigns to Kamchatka, Commanders, and Sakhalin. Wherever Konyukhov appeared, he was always curious about the life of people, learning about how they survive in difficult northern conditions.

Before the assault on the North Pole, Fedor, as part of D. Shparo’s group, made a ski trip to the Pole of relative inaccessibility during the polar night, and also walked along Baffin Island with Canadian travelers. The researcher also has a trans-Arctic ski crossing (USSR - North Pole - Canada) and participation in the first autonomous expedition "Arctic" to the North Pole, led by V. Chukov.

In 1990, having gained experience in polar skiing by that time, Fedor set off on an independent voyage to the North Pole, which he reached after 72 days, thereby realizing his dream and fulfilling his covenant Georgy Sedov.

In 1998, Fedor Konyukhov became the head of the laboratory of distance learning in extreme conditions (LDEL) at the Moscow Modern Academy of the Humanities.

In 1995, Konyukhov single-handedly crossed the ice desert of Antarctica and on the 59th day of a very difficult journey he reached the South Pole, planting the Russian tricolor there for the first time. At the same time, as part of the trip, he fulfills the instructions of the Ministry of Atomic Energy, measuring the natural radiation field of Antarctica on the way to the pole, and the request of doctors - he evaluates his physical and psychological condition, and carries out other observations.

Konyukhov makes many of his expeditions alone, but also participates in groups. So, in 1989, he himself organized a Soviet-American bicycle ride along the route Nakhodka - Leningrad, and in 1991 - a Soviet-Australian motor rally - Nakhodka - Brest. However, the leitmotif of a yacht captain's travels is the sea and the ocean.

Konyukhov is the only Russian who has circumnavigated the world three times alone. In 1990-1991: the sailor started from Sydney, where he returned after 224 days. In 1992: he sailed on a large two-masted yacht along the route Taiwan - Singapore - Indian Ocean - Red and Mediterranean Seas - Gibraltar - Atlantic - Hawaiian Islands - Taiwan, visiting all continents and completing it in 508 days. The third circumnavigation, which lasted from September to May 1999, covered the entire World Ocean (50 thousand km) and passed along the route: the port of Charleston - Cape Town - Auckland - Punta del Este - Charleston.

In May 2012, together with the Russian team “7 Summits”, Konyukhov made his second ascent of Everest. In 2013, he had an expedition from Karelia to the southern point of Greenland via the North Pole. From December 2013 to May 2014, he traveled across the Pacific Ocean on the rowing boat Turgoyak and went from the Chilean port of Concon to Brisbane in Australia in 160 days. This was the best result for such a single crossing.

By 2016, the famous wanderer had made over fifty unique expeditions and ascents. Experts in the Russian Federation and abroad believe Fedora Konyukhova the most versatile of professional travelers, who has dozens of diverse hikes, including in the mountains. For example, in honor of the 850th anniversary of Moscow, he climbed the mountain peaks of all continents of the Earth, spending five years of hard work on this.

On July 12, 2016, Konyukhov set off on his solo flight around the world in a Morton balloon, starting at the Australian Northam airfield. The route was the same as its predecessor Steve Fossett, which made a record flight in 2002. But Fyodor Filippovich beat this world achievement: his aircraft landed safely in western Australia on July 23, 2016, and the result of circumnavigation was 11 days, 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Fedor Konyukhov about the flight on the Morton: For me, the main record is completing a circumnavigation of the world on the first try. It took my predecessor, American pilot Steve Fossett, six attempts in 2002. The balloon flew around the world in a record time - 11 days and 6 hours - on the first try. To finish off I was able to fly over Northam airfield and cross my start line which was unique! Imagine, the ball flew almost 35,000 kilometers and reached the starting point. Moreover, using only wind flows. For balloonists this is the highest class.

Konyukhov assures that there was no moment when he regretted his idea, since such a flight had been his dream for two decades:

I knew it would be difficult and dangerous, but it couldn’t be any other way. More than five thousand people have climbed Everest, but only two have flown around the world alone in a hot air balloon - Steve Fossett, and now me.

At the end of 2016, the Russian traveler received the highest award in the field of aeronautics: the International Aeronautics Association FAI-Breitling named him “Pilot of the Year.” Such a prize was awarded to a Russian for the first time in 110 years of its existence.

Fedor Konyukhov: This is a very big award for me. But I am pleased that it belongs to our country, Russia, for which I always stand.

In December 2016, at the Shevlino airfield near Moscow, Konyukhov began to take his first steps in the field of gliding, because he set himself a new task: to gain experience and knowledge for subsequent preparation for setting a world altitude record on a glider.

Fedor Konyukhov: It’s never too late to learn. I am turning 65 years old, and I am pleased to begin mastering a new type of aircraft for me - a glider. I hope that with the support of the Russian Gliding Federation we will be able to implement several beautiful projects in this sport...

Fedor Konyukhov. Creativity and spiritual activity

The traveler, in addition to the main passion of his life, also writes poetry and music for the organ, and composes works of art. While on expeditions, Konyukhov certainly expresses his vision of the world in notes and paintings, of which the author already has over three thousand.

In 1983 he was admitted to the Union of Artists of the USSR, and since 1996 he became a member of the Moscow Union of Artists. Fedor Filippovich is a participant in Russian and international exhibitions. Since 2012, he received the status of academician of the Russian Academy of Arts.

In 2010, on the day of the Holy Trinity, Fyodor Konyukhov was ordained a deacon, and in December of the same year, on the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, he was ordained a priest in his small homeland in the St. Nicholas Church of Zaporozhye.

The traveler was awarded the Order of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, 1st degree - for exemplary and diligent work for the benefit of the Holy Orthodox Church of God.

Fedor Konyukhov. Achievements and awards

Order of Friendship of Peoples - 1988. Order of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, 1st degree, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for exemplary and diligent work for the benefit of the Holy Orthodox Church of God. Gold medal of the Russian Academy of Arts. Gold Medal named after N. N. Miklouho-Maclay of the Russian Geographical Society - 2014. UNEP Global 500 Award for contribution to environmental protection. UNESCO Prize for Fair Play. Prize and Order of Friendship of Peoples “White Cranes of Russia” - 2015.

Fedor Konyukhov the first on planet Earth to reach the five poles of the Earth (North geographic - three times; Southern geographic; pole of relative inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean; height pole - Chomolungma; yachtsmen's pole - Cape Horn). In addition, he is the first Russian to complete the Grand Slam program and the first in the CIS to complete the Seven Summits program.

In 1990-1991, the traveler made the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world on a yacht in Russian history alone. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean alone on a UralAZ rowing boat, setting a world record - 46 days and 4 hours, as well as the Pacific Ocean (world record - 159 days 14 hours 45 minutes).

Fedor Konyukhov - Honored Master of Sports of the USSR in sports tourism; honorary resident of Nakhodka (since 1996), the village of Bergin, the city of Miass, Terni (Italy).

Fedor Konyukhov. Personal life

The wife of a famous traveler - Irina Anatolyevna Konyukhova - Doctor of Law, Professor. The couple has two children: a son Oscar Fedorovich(b. 1975) and daughter Tatyana Fedorovna(b. 1978).

In the fall of 2015, it became known that Konyukhov acquired 69 hectares of land in the Zaoksky district of the Tula region, on which he planned to build an entire village, nine chapels, the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, a children's travel school and a sports and tourist camp, as well as a travel history museum, a hotel complex, library, etc. The site where it was decided to create the village of Fyodor Konyukhov is located three kilometers from the Oka River.

Fedor Konyukhov: It’s a pity, of course, that there is no longer a single free area along the banks of the Oka. If the village overlooked the water, we would set up a children's sailing school or open a rowing section.

The goal of the project is, first of all, to create a unique and cozy place for like-minded people to live and communicate, including travelers, writers, artists who are tired of the “concrete jungle,” people who value an active lifestyle and love wild nature, etc. The village itself is conceived not only as a place of residence Fedora Konyukhova, but also as a museum of the great traveler.

Fedor Konyukhov. Books

"My spirit is on the deck of the Karaana"
"All birds, all winged"
"Oarsman on the Ocean"
"Road Without Bottom"
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth...”
“How Admiral Ushakov made the Black Sea Russian”
"Antarctica"
"How I became a traveler"
"Sails knock the stars out of the sky"
"Alone with the Ocean"
"The ocean is my abode"
"Under Scarlet Sails"
"My travels"
"Pacific Ocean"
"The power of faith. 160 days and nights alone with the Pacific Ocean"
"My travels. The next 10 years"
"My path to truth"

Fedor Konyukhov. Expeditions

1977 - research expedition on a yacht along the route of Vitus Bering
1978 - research expedition on a yacht along the route of Vitus Bering; archaeological expedition
1979 - the second stage of a research expedition on a yacht along the route Vladivostok - Sakhalin - Kamchatka - Commander Islands; climbing the Klyuchevsky volcano
1980 - international regatta “Baltic Cup” as part of the DVVIMU crew
1981 - crossing Chukotka by dog sled
1983 - scientific and sports ski expedition to the Laptev Sea. The first polar expedition as part of Dmitry Shparo's group.
1984 - international regatta for the Baltic Cup as part of the DVVIMU crew; rafting on the Lena River
1985 - expedition through the Ussuri taiga in the footsteps of Vladimir Arsenyev and Dersu Uzal
1986 - ski crossing into the polar night to the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean as part of an expedition
1987 - ski trip to Baffin Island as part of a Soviet-Canadian expedition
1988 - trans-Arctic ski expedition along the route USSR - North Pole - Canada as part of an international group
1989 - the first Russian autonomous expedition "Arctic" under the leadership of Vladimir Chukov to the North Pole; Soviet-American transcontinental bike ride Nakhodka - Moscow - Leningrad
1990 - solo ski trip to the North Pole (the first in Russian history) in 72 days
1990-1991 - solo circumnavigation on a yacht without stops along the route Sydney - Cape Horn - Equator - Sydney in 224 days (the first in Russian history)
1991 - Russian-Australian motor rally along the route Nakhodka - Moscow
1992 - climbing Elbrus (Europe); climbing Everest (Asia)
1993-1994 - around the world expedition on a two-masted ketch along the route Taiwan – Hong Kong – Singapore – We Island (Indonesia) – Victoria Island (Seychelles) – Yemen (port of Aden) – Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) – Suez Canal – Alexandria (Egypt) – Gibraltar – Casablanca (Morocco) – Santa Lucia (Caribbean Islands) – Panama Canal – Honolulu (Hawaii Islands) – Mariana Islands – Taiwan
1995-1996 - autonomous solo trip to the South Pole (the first in the history of Russia; in 64 days)
1996 - January 19: ascent to the Vinson Massif (Antarctica); March 9: Climbing Aconcagua (South America)
1997 - February 18: climbing Kilimanjaro (Africa); April 17: climbing Kosciuszko Peak (Australia); May 26: climbing McKinley Peak (North America); European regattas Sardinia Cup (Italy), Gotland Race (Sweden), Cowes week (England) as part of the crew of the maxi-yacht Grand Mistral
1998-1999 - American solo round-the-world race Around Alone on the yacht Open 60 (third solo round-the-world race)
2000 - The world's longest sled dog race, the Iditarod, crosses Alaska from Anchorage to Nome.
2000-2001 - French single round-the-world sailing race (non-stop) Vendee Globe on a yacht (the first in Russian history)
2002 - caravan expedition on camels “In the footsteps of the Great Silk Road (the first in the history of modern Russia); crossing the Atlantic Ocean by rowing boat (the first in Russian history; world record - 46 days 4 hours) along the route Canary Islands - Barbados
2003 - Russian-British record transatlantic passage with a crew along the route Canary Islands - Barbados (world record for multihull ships - 9 days); Russian-British record transatlantic passage with a crew on the route Jamaica - England (world record for multihull ships - 16 days)
2004 - single transatlantic record crossing from east to west on a maxi-yacht along the route Canary Islands - Barbados (world record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean - 14 days and 7 hours)
2004-2005 - solo circumnavigation on a maxi-yacht along the route Falmouth - Hobart - Falmouth (the first solo circumnavigation in the history of world sailing on a maxi-class yacht via Cape Horn)
2005-2006 - project “Around the Atlantic Ocean”. As part of the Russian crew, sailing on a yacht along the route England - Canary Islands - Barbados - Antigua - England
2006 - tests of an experimental polar iceboat on the east coast of Greenland
2007 - crossing Greenland by dog sled from the east to the west coast (record 15 days 22 hours)
2007-2008 - Australian race around Antarctica along the route Albany - Cape Horn - Cape of Good Hope - Cape Luin - Albany (102 days; single yachtsman, non-stop)
2009 - the second stage of the international expedition “In the footsteps of the Great Silk Road” (Mongolia - Kalmykia)
2011 - expedition “Nine Highest Peaks of Ethiopia”
2012 - May 19: climbing to the top of Everest along the Northern Ridge (Konyukhov became the first priest of the Russian Orthodox Church to climb Everest)
2013 - crossing the Arctic Ocean on a dog sled along the route: North Pole - Canada
2013-2014 - Pacific crossing on a rowing boat without calling at ports in a record 160 days (Chile (Con Con) - Australia (Moololuba)
2015 - Russian record for flight duration on an AX-9 class hot-air balloon (19 hours 10 minutes)
2016 - world record for duration of flight in a hot air balloon (32 hours 20 minutes); dog sled expedition “Onega Pomorie”; solo round-the-world flight in a Morton balloon (the fastest round-the-world flight for any type of balloon: 11 days 4 hours 20 minutes - an absolute world record)

Domestic and foreign experts consider Fedor Konyukhov the most versatile of professional travelers. He has about forty different types of hikes to his credit, including in the mountains. Having no special mountaineering training, but possessing great physical endurance and perseverance in achieving his intended goal, he decided, in honor of the 850th anniversary of Moscow, to climb the mountain peaks of all continents of the Earth. It took five years of persistent work. As a workout, I ran to Klyuchevskaya Sopka, 4,750 meters high, and believed in myself. Then there were the Caucasian peak Elbrus (5642 m), the Asian Everest (8848 m), the Australian Mount Kosciuszko (2230 m), and the South American Aconcagua (6960 m). Of course, Everest was the most difficult to climb, but the three peaks were interesting, mysterious and difficult in their own way. The long-extinct African volcano Kilimanjaro (5895 m), glorified by Ernest Hemingway, especially attracted the attention of the Russian traveler. Rising upward from the tropical zone, he gradually experienced a change in climatic and weather conditions. If at the foot there was vegetation scorched by the sun, then from 3-4 kilometers the evergreen tropical forest begins, even higher - alpine meadows, then rocks and, finally, the kingdom of ice and snow. As an artist, he could not stop admiring the beauty of nature, made sketches, and took a lot of photographs. But the most difficult and dangerous for the climber were the ice-rocky mountains: the North American McKinley (6193 m) and the Antarctic Vinson Massif (5140 m). There is deep snow, treacherous cracks in the ice, and a fierce cold wind that chokes your breath. And having safely descended (in some places he had to crawl) from the massif, he almost died from cold and hunger - for more than three days the plane could not fly for him due to a severe blizzard.

The traveler makes most of his trips alone, but he also willingly takes part in collective expeditions. And he himself organized and led two interesting transcontinental runs: the Soviet-American bicycle race along the route Nakhodka - Leningrad (1989) and the Soviet-Australian automobile race - Nakhodka - Brest (1991). On a long journey across the Russian expanses, Fedor showed his foreign fellow travelers many natural attractions: cedar forests, Lake Baikal, mighty Siberian rivers, the Ural Mountains, new cities. The results of these runs were reports, documentaries, photo albums released in our country and abroad.

And yet, the main line of travel for a yacht captain is the sea and ocean. And he, the only Russian, made three circumnavigations of the world alone. The first of them was in 1990 - 1991 on the yacht “Karaana”. It took off from the Australian port of Sydney and returned there after 224 days. Moreover, he chose the most difficult route: between the “roaring” forties and the “furious” fifties latitudes, where the wind was predominantly favorable and where the first Russian circumnavigators Ivan Kruzenshtern, Mikhail Lazarev and others sailed. But at the same time, the route was cold and sometimes stormy winds with snow or rain, dangerous encounters with whales and icebergs, especially in the Drake Passage, near Cape Horn. But the sailor overcame everything, although he lost 11 kilograms.

A year later, Konyukhov set off on a second circumnavigation of the world along a different, equatorial route: Taiwan - Singapore - Indian Ocean - Red and Mediterranean Seas - Gibraltar - Atlantic - Hawaiian Islands - Taiwan, calling at all continents. The solo voyage on the large two-masted yacht Formosa lasted 508 days and was associated with a dramatic and at the same time heroic event. In the Philippines area, the captain became very ill and was hospitalized. Meanwhile, pirates stole his yacht to another island. But Fedor is not a timid person. After all, he served on a Baltic landing ship and carried out command assignments in the jungles of Vietnam and Nicaragua. To find the Formosa on a distant island, they had to steal a boat from other pirates. And the daredevil tied up the drunken robbers found on board the yacht and loaded them onto their rubber boat.

Taking part in the international sailing race "Around the World - Alone", he completed his third circumnavigation of the world, sailing the yacht "Modern Humanitarian University". At first, 39 applicants from many countries signed up for the competition, but only 16 ships took the start; the rest dropped out for various reasons, including those that did not pass the 2,000 nautical mile qualifying run. Fedor passed the test, but was hit by three hurricanes. It was especially difficult for him in the fight against Hurricane Daniel in the Bermuda area. For three days the yacht lay on board, and the captain had to make incredible efforts to straighten it.

The race covered the entire World Ocean with a length of 27 thousand nautical miles, i.e. 50 thousand kilometers, and passed along the route: the American port of Charleston - Cape Town (South Africa) - Auckland (New Zealand) - Punta del Este (Uruguay) - Charleston. (It’s interesting that all these points were flown by supra

ha Irina, son Oscar - for moral support of Fedor. And they helped him troubleshoot technical problems on the yacht).

In total, the yachtsmen were on the road for eight months, from September 1998 to May 1999. We experienced the tropical heat and piercing wind of the Antarctic, dodged steel ships and icebergs and constantly drove forward, not knowing sleep or peace. Some ships had up to 15 different breakdowns, and Konyukhov’s yacht did not escape this. In the dark, he collided with a sleeping whale, as a result of which the steering wheel was bent. When approaching Cape Horn, a dolphin jumped on board, which rarely happens in sailing practice; the skipper barely managed to push the heavy and slippery body of the sea guest into his native element. And off the coast of Brazil, he barely fought off modern filibusters with the help of a flare gun.

Unable to withstand the conditions of the extreme race, seven participants left the race. Fedor Konyukhov finished third. A government telegram from Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov arrived in America addressed to him. “We are pleased,” it said, “that such a legendary traveler lives in Moscow and continues the traditions of our compatriots in exploring the planet.”

At the request of F. Konyukhov, he is registered to participate in the international sailing race “Windy Globe 2000”, the start of which is scheduled for November 5, 2000. The main feature of this global competition is that it is held non-stop, without a single port call! And another thing that attracts Konyukhov here: he needs to go around Antarctica, and he has long wanted to go the way of the discoverers of the sixth continent, Russian naval officers Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. This will be the fourth circumnavigation of the courageous navigator. And before that, he managed to take part in the international Iditarod 2000 sled dog race through snowy Alaska, along the path of gold miners of the 19th century.

The hikes and expeditions of this wonderful traveler give a lot to our science, sports, tourism, and the whole society. They show what can be achieved by a person who is well prepared physically and mentally, who knows how to maintain health and performance, sometimes in difficult situations. And it's no surprise that the 48-year-old explorer plans to travel until 2020.

Replenishing his knowledge, he studies at the Faculty of Law of the Modern Humanitarian University, where he also runs a laboratory for distance learning in extreme conditions.

Fyodor Konyukhov always writes and draws a lot, even during hikes. He is a member of the Union of Artists and a member of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation. In 1999, three of his books were published: “And I saw a new sky and a new earth”, “Le Havre - Charleston” and “How Antarctica was discovered”; The almanac “Russian Traveler” was previously published. These are basically the author's diary entries, but they are perceived as adventure stories.

The name of Fyodor Konyukhov is among the outstanding figures of science and technology in the international encyclopedia “Chronicle of Humanity”. The traveler was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples and a UNESCO diploma for his contribution to the cause of ecology. He is an Honored Master of Sports, a yacht captain.

23.05.2015

Fedor Konyukhov is not only a Russian traveler, artist, but also a writer, and also... a priest. Fyodor is the author of fourteen books, including “Alone with the Ocean”, “Sails knock down the stars from the sky”, “The Ocean is my abode”, “how Admiral Ushakov made the Black Sea Russian.” Grooms completed four circumnavigations of the world and crossed the Atlantic 16 times. His name is included in the “Chronicle of Humanity” encyclopedia. Fedor Konyukhov is the first person in the world who reached the five poles of our planet, the first Russian who managed to complete the “Grand Slam” and “7 Summits of the World” programs. For more than 15 years, Fedor Filippovich has been heading the laboratory for distance learning in extreme conditions at the Modern Humanitarian Academy.

On the satellite map I’m looking for Konyukhova Bay: Arkhangelsk, a little to the left of Severodvinsk, and closer to the north, where the White Sea bay cuts into the land, there is a geographical point, or rather a lip. Fyodor Konyukhov spoke about these places: “I am a Pomor myself, originally from the Arkhangelsk region. Not far from Solovki there is Konyukhov Bay, the village of Konyukhovka. All my great-greats are there.”

The grandfathers and great-grandfathers of Fyodor Konyukhov looked after horses - it was not for nothing that the surname appeared; they were both sailors and fishermen. Five of Feodor's direct ancestors were canonized saints. There were many heroic people in his family: priest Simon Konyukhov, who was shot in 1918, Archpriest Nikolai Konyukhov - in December 1918, in the cold, they poured water on him until his body froze, Archpriest Pavel Konyukhov, who died in prison in the 30s... Pomors have always been distinguished by special character traits - fearlessness, restraint, independence of action, and a habit of danger. Fyodor Konyukhov installed a kind of memorial plaque in memory of famous people. And not only about them...

KONYUKHOV'S CHAPEL

On Sadovnicheskaya Street, not far from Paveletsky Station, there is a small chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It was built by Fyodor Konyukhov in memory of the fallen travelers. He invested money from the sale of his paintings into the construction: “I always dreamed that there would be a Pomeranian temple in Moscow, the kind that was built in the 17th century, from salted logs brought from the shores of the White Sea. The chapel is standing.”

On the walls are horseshoes and anchors found in different seas. The marine theme is in everything, even in the round porthole windows. At the walls of the temple there are bronze sculptures of Fyodor Ushakov, Ermak Timofeevich, Lavrenty Zagoskin, Semyon Tyan-Shansky, Pavel Nakhimov and many others. “What was the first one? This is who you should kneel before,” Fedor points to the sculptures.

Much of what happens in the life of Fyodor Konyukhov does not fit into the usual framework. At the presentation of a new book, people approach him not only for an autograph, but also for a blessing. After the service in the church, the parishioners do not disperse, but together discuss yachting competitions, talk about new traveler routes... Whatever Fedor talks about, his kindness and love for nature, for all living things on the planet, are conveyed to his listeners.

TO THE NORTH POLE

Fyodor Konyukhov grew up on the shores of the Azov Sea. Since childhood, he dreamed of visiting the North Pole. For training, I made myself skis from barrel staves. I went out into the steppe - and the dream became closer. My imagination pictured huge ice floes, hummocks, endless snow, and I imagined myself as the main man of the expedition - like Georgy Sedov.

His grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel of the Tsarist Army Mikhail Konyukhov, often told how he lived near the White Sea, was a fisherman, and how he ended up on an expedition with the famous explorer of the North G.Ya. Sedov. The polar explorer gave his friend his Orthodox cross and ordered him to give it to his son or grandson, who would continue the work he had started. Georgy Sedov died before reaching the North Pole. Fedor decided that he would definitely get there, and fulfilled this will. He visited the North Pole three times, and once alone, with that cross around his neck.

CAPTAIN AT FIFTEEN

“Somehow I got ready...” With these words, Fyodor began the story, as if we were talking about something ordinary, everyday. But this is Konyukhov! He continued: “...swim across the Sea of Azov.” This phrase revealed a boy’s dream of conquering the seas and oceans. What about skis, he built a boat with his own hands, tore off boards from an old cowshed. The father saw the boat, unsuitable for sailing, and chopped it up with an axe. Then “his own captain” sailed on a “tuzik” - a small rowing boat. I took a compass, a thermos, salted fish...

I didn’t lose my way, and seven days later I arrived in Kerch. I swam back along the shore. When his son returned home three weeks later, his father pulled him away with a rope. But after the voyage, the desire to become a sailor only grew stronger. Before that, I couldn’t choose whether to become an artist or a sailor. The sea and the pitching were not afraid. I submitted documents to the Odessa Naval School, studied, and became a navigator. Then he studied at the Leningrad Arctic School. He also became a professional artist - he graduated from the Bobruisk Art School, and had the opportunity to study in France...

SAILOR OR ARTIST?

In the gymnasium of the St. Alexis Hermitage there is an icon painted by Fyodor Konyukhov. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the patron saint of travelers, is depicted in full growth, holding a yacht and Cape Horn in his hands. Cape Horn is a landmark for seafarers; Jules Verne wrote about it in his novel “The Shipwreck of the Jonathan.” This place is called the ship graveyard. Hurricanes, whirlwinds, unpredictable cyclones... Previously, it was believed that only sailors who had rounded Cape Horn and survived could wear an earring in their right ear. Cape Horn is also in his painting created during the voyage. The traveler painted more than three thousand paintings. The highest peaks of the world are captured, including Everest. “Many people think that an artist creates canvases while sitting in a warm studio. Not everyone is like this! My works are events that I have experienced and felt,” says our hero.

Every day Konyukhov keeps a diary. In notes made on a solo trip to the North Pole, he talks about the incredible dangers that had to be overcome. One day he fell chest-deep into icy water, “sensing imminent death behind him,” and began to pull his body onto the ice floe. Then he recalled: “I was thinking about one thing. If God wants me to stay alive, then how will I depict the blizzard in the Arctic Ocean in my paintings?

FEAR IS A GOOD FEELING

Konyukhov celebrated his birthday more than once while traveling. Before the expedition, friends gave gifts, sealed in bags with the inscription: “Fedya, open only on holidays” - for birthdays, for New Year, for Easter. Loneliness gave me the opportunity to contemplate myself, check, experience, delve into my past, dream about the future. Prayers helped. Konyukhov perceives nature and man in an indissoluble unity. What makes you go on the most difficult expeditions alone? Isn't it scary?

“Expeditions are my dream,” shares Fedor Konyukhov. -I’ve been traveling for almost fifty years. I wouldn't want to put other people's lives in danger. I'm preparing an expedition - it's already getting scary. Can you imagine if a person did not have a feeling of fear? What about pain? What about love? It would no longer be a person. Fear is a very good feeling. I am currently preparing an expedition around the world in a hot air balloon. The altitude at which airplanes fly. It's already scary..."

THROUGH THE EYES OF AN EYEWITNESS

Konyukhov's paintings are an eyewitness account of the natural world. They often contain coordinates, like a geographic map. Dog sled hikes, cross-country skiing, camel caravan expeditions, automobile rallies, and ocean voyages formed new artistic images. Konyukhov went to distant lands to obtain verified information and to tell about what he saw with his own eyes. During expeditions, the artist makes pencil sketches, sometimes at temperatures of minus 40-50 degrees, and makes notes about color.

Wanderer's DREAMS

At 63 years old, Konyukhov is mastering ultralight aviation - learning to fly a small plane, this is necessary for a new expedition. Fedor Konyukhov’s plans are to climb Mount Ararat and make a film there about the remains of Noah’s Ark, and dive into the depths of the Mariana Trench in a submersible. He also talks about what he and his wife Irina dream about: “In Japan, there lived an old woman who planted a million cedar trees during her 90 years of life. Even such a movement was formed. We also want to plant three hundred apple trees, grow a garden and give it to the children of the St. Alexis Hermitage. Our children studied here. We love deserts."

Olga SHKABELNIKOVA

Fyodor Konyukhov's biography briefly and interesting facts from the life of the Russian traveler - extreme sportsman, artist, journalist, yacht captain, priest - are presented in this article.

Fedor Konyukhov short biography

Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov was born on December 12, 1951 in the village of Chkalovo, which is located on the shores of the Azov Sea. His father was a hereditary fisherman from the Arkhangelsk province.

Konyukhov studied at the Odessa Naval School and the Leningrad Polar School, Bobruisk Art School, specializing in wood carving.

Afterwards, in 1970, he studied at the Leningrad Seminary. He served in the army, staying in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Vietnam. Fedor also served as a sailor on ships of the Baltic rescue fleet and on trawlers, catching fish in the Pacific Ocean.

Ever since childhood, Konyukhov showed a love of travel. For 20 years, as a tester of the limits of human capabilities, he took part in expeditions to the South and North Poles.

Fyodor describes all his vivid impressions from his travels in paintings and books. He is the author of more than 3,000 paintings and a participant in international and Russian art exhibitions. Many of his works are currently in private collections and museums. In 1983, Konyukhov was accepted into the Union of Artists of the USSR, and in 1996 he became a member of the Moscow Union of Artists in the section “Graphics” and “Sculpture” (since 2001). In addition, Fyodor Konyukhov holds the titles of laureate of the Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts and Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts.

He is the author of 9 books entitled – “The Diaries of Fyodor Konyukhov about the Sailing Ship Race “Around Alone”, “And I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth”, “My Spirit on the Deck of the Karaana”, “Under Scarlet Sails”, “The Rower in the Ocean” “,” “Road without a bottom,” “All birds, all winged,” “The ocean is my abode.”

In 1998, the traveler headed the laboratory for distance learning in extreme conditions at the Humanitarian Academy. And a year later he was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports, awarded the UN Global 500 environmental prize, the Order of Friendship of the Peoples of the USSR, and the UNESCO Prize for Fair Play.

In 2010, Fyodor Konyukhov became a subdeacon, and on May 23 of the same year he was ordained a priest in the Zaporozhye St. Nicholas Church.

Today, Father Fedor never tires of traveling, although no longer as a scientist or athlete, but as a missionary.

As for his personal life, he is married for the second time. His first wife was Lyubov, who now lives in the USA. And Konyukhov’s second and last wife was Irina, a professor and doctor of legal sciences. They are raising two children from a previous marriage and one child in common - sons Oscar, Nikolai and daughter Tatyana.

Fedor Konyukhov interesting facts

He made his first expedition at the age of 15. Fedor crossed the Sea of Azov in a rowing boat. In total, he carried out more than 50 expeditions, participating in dog sled races and traveling around the world four times.
He is the first Russian to complete the Grand Slam program (bypassing the South Pole, North Pole, Everest). And he was the first traveler to reach the 5 poles of the planet - the Southern Geographical, the Northern Geographical, the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean, the Pole of Heights (Everest) and the Yachtsmen's Pole (Cape Horn).
In addition to being a writer, Konyukhov also writes poetry and music for organ performance.
He also draws well - his paintings are exhibited at home and abroad.
In 1983 he was accepted into the Union of Artists. In this organization, he was the youngest member of this organization.
In 2010, Fyodor Konyukhov was ordained a priest in his homeland, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church awarded him an order for his work for the good.