The opening of the museum at the North Pole
April 24th, 2007
The Polar museum exposition was opened at the North Pole, at the point where 70 years ago Otto Schmidt and the Papanities opened the first polar station. On April 23rd, 2007 the MVK team landed on the geographic North Pole. The white silence was broken by the Russian national anthem that accompanied the MVK team pitching the replica of the 1937 tent. MVK’s tent from the top of the Earth became the centerpiece of the Polar museum.
Years ago Mstislav Rostropovich played for the first polar explorers in the Arctic, and today Denis Shapovalov, pupil of Rostropovich played at the North Pole in honour of the first Polar museum. Denis forced the tale pin into the earth axis, took off his hat and polar coat and tidied his hair. And then accomplished his feat: he played in — 25 C frost, covered from the snowstorm by thin walls of the tent. The storm picked up Bach’s Ave Maria and threw it into the Arctic silence. Denis Shapovalov said some time after: “Music is an international thing, and at that moment the music flew around the whole world”.
“Everyone has his own pole: it is his goal, the so called “top of life”. This project is my pride. I am proud of my country, of Russian scientists; I am proud of myself and of my team. This project shaped our life’s philosophy; it promoted and perfected life and business”. The Project’s author, Alexey Shaburov
The Polar museum worked in Moscow at MVK’s exhibitions
May 17th, 2007
The full exposition of the Polar museum was opened in Moscow, on May 17th, 2007. The first to visit the museum were the exhibitors of MVK exhibitions held in Crocus Expo. The museum’s exposition occupied 700 sq.m.
The Polar museum showed off in the State Duma
June 14th, 2007
On June 2007 the deputies of the Russian State Duma saw the exposition of the Polar museum. Two polar tents were “pitched” in the lobby of the Duma. The first tent, decorated with the “USSR” sign, was an exact copy of the Papanities’ tent that they lived in for 9 long months. The second tent was coloured like the Russian flag and it was brought by the MVK team from the North Pole.
The Special representative of the President of the Russian Federation on issues of the International polar year, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Arthur Chilingarov noticed that “the Polar museum turned out to be a bright page of the International polar year”.
The Polar museum in Ekaterinburg
September 26th, 2007
For the first time the pupils from the Ekaterinburg’s school No. 171 expressed themselves as journalists at the conference dedicated to the opening of the mobile Polar museum.
The mobile Polar museum worked in Ekaterinburg from September 26th to 28th. The Museum was organized by the MVK International Exhibition Company and was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the two heroic expeditions: the first soviet drifting polar station North Pole-1 and the flight of V. Chkalov and M. Gromov through the North Pole. This historical patriotic project aims to tell Russian citizens about our history, our heroes and their heroic deeds.
The Museum displays a part of exhibits exposed at the North Pole, personal things of the first polar explorers, archive documents and video materials, and also the unique artifacts got during the Arktika-2007 expedition, data collected by the MIR-1 and MIR-2 bathyscaphes and results of the scientific station North Pole-35.
The Polar museum in Rostov-on-Don
October 10th, 2007
In October 2007 the mobile Polar museum moved to Rostov-on-Don. This event provoked keen interest among the citizens of the city. More than 700 people came to the opening ceremony of the museum, among them there were the Don Kazaks. Crowds of people gathered even on the street in front of the museum.
The official closing ceremony of the Polar museum
December 4th, 2007
From December 4th to 7th at the Woodex-2007 exhibition the mobile Polar museum and the project the “Role of HISTORY in life and business” were officially closed.
We should note that during the year the project organizers did a great job. The Museum visited many big Russian cities, such as Moscow, Ekaterinburg and Rostov-on-Don. Half a million people visited the museum and saw the unique exhibits, personal things of the first Polar explorers and many other rare interesting things. The exposition was also displayed at the State Duma of the Russian Federation and at the October hall of the House of Unions.
In the final stage the visitors of Woodex-2007 enjoyed a part of the exposition which included unique photo materials and things used by the Soviet explorers of the North Pole.
