Continuation. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6.
Pavel Vavilov, who was to become the first Soviet Robinson, served as a fireman on the icebreaking steamer Alexander Sibiryakov. The vessel was not young, but it was also called into service with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Having received several light weapons, the Sibiryakov set off to supply the polar weather stations with supplies.
This continued without incident until the fateful day in the Kara Sea – August 24, 1942 …
Fascist pirates
On that day, the old man “Sibiryakov” collided with the newest German cruiser “Admiral Scheer” in the Dixon region. The Nazis hunted for the northern convoys, and therefore badly needed accurate maps. They hoped to find the secret documents on board the Soviet ship. Therefore, coming closer under the American flag, the “pirates” raised the swastika and ordered to surrender. In response, the Sibiryakov opened fire.
The Germans flew into a rage and unleashed the full power of their main guns (280 mm) on the icebreaker, and then sent a boarding team. But the crew of the Sibiryakov opened the Kingstones, repeating the feat of the Varyag.
Some of the sailors managed to lower the boat, but were captured almost immediately.
After a short battle, a German boat removed 18 survivors from the boat. But, it turns out, it was the 19th. The same fireman …
Survivor
After the death of “Sibiryakov” Pavel Vavilov with several comrades in misfortune found himself in icy water. They began to be sucked into a giant funnel. Vavilov desperately grabbed a piece of wood, which saved his life – soon Paul was pushed to the surface again.
An empty boat swayed a couple of tens of meters on the waves. With the last of his strength, numb, the sailor got to her, climbed aboard and immediately stumbled upon a comrade shot by the Nazis. The fireman changed into his dry clothes and passed out …
He was unconscious for two or three hours. When I came to my senses, the first thing I did was look around – the cruiser was no longer on the horizon. Then he searched the boat. He found a keg of fresh water, a box of biscuits, a pair of axes, several boxes of matches, and a revolver with a pack of cartridges. This was too little for survival, so the sailor began to collect at least some surviving cargo from the surface of the water. So in the boat were a bag of bran, a sleeping bag and a bale of fur clothes.
A rocky islet – Belukha – towered nearby. The sailor directed the boat to him …
Island of bad luck
It was difficult to imagine a worse island for survival. A kilometer-long piece of stone – without water and vegetation, but with unpleasant neighbors – a family of polar bears. They had to escape from them at the top of an abandoned lighthouse.
The shelter was also so-so – it was blown by all the winds, but a more or less comfortable lodging for the night made it possible to arrange several sheepskin coats from the saved bale.
When the bears went to storm the lighthouse, the sailor fired back from a revolver. True, the bullets were clubfoot like mosquito bites …
Several times Vavilov saw passing Soviet ships, waved his arms, fired into the air, but remained unnoticed.
The days passed, hopes faded, the bears grew bolder, and the nights colder. Vavilov awaited September and the first severe frosts with horror. He understood that he might not survive them. In addition, the food was coming to an end – the stew of biscuits, bran and melt water turned out to be thinner … The few firewood found on the island also ran out. The last pile was kept at the top of the lighthouse.
Finally, luck smiled at Vavilov again. The steamer Sacco approached the island. The sailor lit that very last fire. If this signal is not noticed, it will mean only one thing – a certain and very quick death …
… The steamer slowed down.
Help is coming
A dinghy was lowered from the Sacco, but could not dock because of the strong surf. Only fifty meters remained until the rescue, but the boat turned back. It seems that the despair on Robinson's face could be seen from the ship without binoculars …
In the morning, a seaplane flew in, but could not land again because of the storm. But he threw off a bag with groceries, cigarettes and a note that the sailor would definitely be taken away.
The plane flew in every day, and every time it could not land. Only on the fourth day, one of the best northern pilots, Cherevichny, successfully landed the side near the coast and finally took the sailor. Vavilov's polar odyssey ended after 37 days …
Someone, after such tests, would have decided to stay away from the sea. But Pavel Ivanovich returned to the fleet, went on icebreakers during and after the war …
A dry cargo ship is named after him, as well as a piece of land in the Kara Sea. And the island of Vavilov is more adapted for survival than Belukha, on which a heroic sailor fought for life.
QUESTION – RIB
But what about the Chelyuskinites?
The question of the laurels of the first Soviet Robinsons is still controversial. Many attribute to them the crew of the steamer “Chelyuskin”, who survived for two months on the ice after the sinking of the ship on February 13, 1934.
Others consider the pioneers of the Soviet Robinsonade four winterers at the North Pole-1 station, who worked on a drifting ice floe for about a year.
Regarding the Papaninites, everything is simple – they are not people who have been shipwrecked, but a well-organized, equipped and specially landed group of polar explorers in a certain wilderness. They definitely do not fit the definition of Robinsons.
And the Chelyuskinites? They were also well equipped (they managed to unload a lot of supplies from the sinking Chelyuskin, including bricks and planks for building barracks). They knew exactly where to look for them, and therefore the isolation from the mainland did not last long – on March 5, a reliable air bridge had already opened. So they were rather colonists than Robinsons. Although this does not diminish the scale of their feat at all.
