ALONG THE ROADS OF LIFE

The Road of Life Is Impossible without Them!

Ivan KOSTYLEV,
Head of the Admiral S.O. Makarov State Naval Academy

        At one of the international forums about the problems existing in the Arctic, a graduate of our Academy of those years when it was still called the Higher Engineering Naval Academy, Vice-Chairman of the State Duma, Arthur Nikolaevitch Tchilingarov, called the Northern Sea Route "the Road of Life." This is a true and precise definition. But without highly qualified, multi-faceted specialists who have been trained to work in polar conditions, it is impossible to solve the significant problems facing the Arctic Region today. The Road of Life is unachievable without them.
        In pre-war years, a specialized higher education establishment, the Hydrographical Institute, dealt with training such specialists. It trained polar navigators as well as hydrographers, oceanologists, meteorologists and other specialists who were to provide navigational safety and to forecast meteorological and ice conditions. After the Great Patriotic War, such specialists were trained in our S.O. Makarov. High School. At that time it was the main, if not the only, provider of qualified specialists for the Arctic Sea Route. As little as five years ago at least 25 students were admitted to study to become future hydrographers, oceanologists and hydrometeorologists, and none of those professions appeared to be redundant.
        There is an Arctic Faculty in the S.O. Makarov State Naval Academy (as our High School has since been named). But contrary to common sense and in spite of realistic demands it does not provide the training of specialists, which is badly needed in the Arctic. Moreover, it has not been taken into consideration that due to the lack of such badly needed specialists and under the pressure of higher authorities, the Academy was forced to merge the Arctic and Navigation Faculties. But if, as they say in the Government and State Duma, common sense wins and the Arctic Sea Route is revived, the Arctic Faculty will have to be enlarged and strengthened. For each of the three leading specialities no fewer than 25 students should be admitted annually, or even more. But only twenty are studying now!
        Before the war, a profession related to the Arctic was associated with romance and the heroism of polar discoverers and pioneers. Unfortunately, it is not very popular with today's applicants. The reason for this is that the applicants for the academy are already aware that their opportunities after graduation are far from being bright. Our mass media regularly mentions labour outflow from the North caused by unpaid polar premiums and benefits without which it is difficult to support a family. We cannot say we have a lack of entrants. But some of them come here because they are afraid of intense competition at other faculties and look forward to changing their faculty later.
        We are trying to find the solution to the problem in direct agreements with Far North enterprises and industries, which are interested in attracting young specialists, and not only for the Arctic. For instance, one of our first contacts was established with the Murmansk Shipping Company. We are ready to train hydrographers, hydrometeorologists, oceanologists, ecologists, navigators, mechanics and engineers, electricians and other specialists required for iceboats, including nuclear icebreakers.
        A completely new direction in training programs was born in connection with the development of mighty gas and oil shelf deposits in the Arctic. The academy faced the challenge of training sailors for working in a new oil fleet. We are negotiating with the company "Lukoil - Arctic - Tanker" the possibility of training of specialists. Without this, the essential task of federal importance, i.e. the development of hydrocarbon materials deposits cannot be fulfilled. The project of navigational and hydrographic provision for safety and sea navigation management and operating technological complexes in various hydro and meteo conditions (ecologically safe) has been developed with the involvement of specialists from the State Naval Academy. A constantly functioning meteorological service is necessary to provide safety for the navigation of icebreakers, oil platforms, oil tankers and other ships for sailing in icy conditions. This service also needs to be provided with highly qualified specialists.
        I am quite sure that by means of joint efforts of lawmaking among executive federal and local authorities we will be able to overcome all the difficulties of solving this problem of state importance, i.e. training specialists for the development of the Arctic.