On September 18, a historical expedition "Following in Vladimir Klavdievich Arsenyev’s Footsteps" started on Mount Brat in the city of Nakhodka. The group, led by traveler Fedor Konyukhov and entrepreneur Ivan Molchanov, plans to ride horses along the route laid out by the famous researcher of the Far East, ethnographer, writer, and full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society of 1900-1906.
The path lies through the Sikhote-Alin mountain range and the coastal areas of the Sea of Japan. The final point of the expedition will be the village of Kavalerovo (Primorye Territory), the meeting place of Vladimir Arsenyev and Dersu Uzala. The total distance is more than 500 km.
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The idea of organizing this expedition was born during the international camel expedition "Across the Seven Emirates" in January 2024. Fedor Konyukhov and Ivan Molchanov took part in it as well.
As the expedition headquarters emphasized, an important aspect of the trip is the installation of three “Seismo-MeteoPro” stations at key points of the route: Mount Brat, Mount Snezhnaya, and the Dersu-Uzala Rock. These stations will allow to monitor seismic activity and climate change in the region.
One of the key points of the route will be the ascent to Mount Snezhnaya, from where the Ussuri River originates. The expedition is aimed at re-exploring Arsenyev's routes, which will allow to conduct environmental monitoring and assess the impact of human activity on the nature of the region over time.
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In addition to the scientific and environmental component, the expedition aims to draw attention to the preservation of the historical heritage of the Far East and the popularization of cultural tourism.
On the eve of September 16, the opening of the first lighthouse chapel in the Far East took place in the village of Yuzhno-Morskoy on Cape Peshchurov. Fedor Konyukhov presented an icon painted according to his sketches specifically for placement in the chapel, and a sculpture of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Mysgornovsky, the patron saint of sailors and travelers, made in bronze, was installed next to it.
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Primorye Territory occupies a special place in the life of the famous traveler. Konyukhov lived in Nakhodka for 23 years. From here, he made more than a dozen expeditions, including a ski trip across the Arctic Ocean along the USSR – North Pole – Canada route as part of the “Komsomolskaya Pravda” expedition led by Dmitry Shparo, reaching the North Pole on skis alone, a solo circumnavigation on the yacht "Karaana", a second circumnavigation on the yacht “Formoza”, climbing Everest, a solo ski trip to the South Pole. Fedor Konyukhov is an honorary resident of Nakhodka.
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Before the start of the current expedition, the traveler instructed the residents of Primorye Territory to carefully preserve Mount Brat and expressed the hope that future generations will be able to thoughtfully make use of the legacy that he lays down with this expedition.
Nikolai Sumarokov