Georgii Sedov

Soviet icebreaker, built in Glasgow in 1909 and purchased by the Russian government in 1916. Length, 77 m; width, approximately 11 m; displacement, 3,217 tons. Named after G. la. Sedov, the Russian arctic explorer.

In 1920 the Georgii Sedov participated in the first Soviet arctic expedition to the mouths of the Ob’ and Enisei rivers. In 1930 the ship was used for an expedition under the direction of O. Iu. Shmidt, V. Iu. Vize, and Captain V. I. Voronin. This expedition was the first to investigate the northern part of the Kara Sea and to discover the islands of Vize, Isachenko, Voronin, and Shmidt, and the Sedov Archipelago (west of Severnaia Zemlia). Under the command of Captain K. S. Badigin (after 1938), the Georgii Sedov drifted through the Arctic Basin from October 1937 to January 1940, collecting extensive data on hydrology, meteorology, and magnetism. For the heroic 812-day drift the entire crew of 15 persons was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Until 1966 the Georgii Sedov was used as a transport vessel in the Arctic seas; in 1967 it was withdrawn from use.

In 1967 a new icebreaker named the Georgii Sedov was built to perform hydrographic work.