It seems that the days of the discoverers have already passed, there are no white spots on the map. But it turns out that in our days you can make trips, explore the unknown corners of the planet. Let all the continents and islands be already discovered, even from outer space you can see the most remote and inaccessible areas, and the inquiring human mind sets new tasks and solves them, organizes expeditions. Who are they, modern travelers of the 21st century?
The names of modern travelers
When we recall the famous pioneers, along with the great Columbus, Magellan, Cook, Bellingshausen, Lazarev and others, we are talking about our contemporaries. The names of Cousteau, Heyerdahl, Senkevich, Konyukhov and other researchers also sound like a hymn to the study of our planet. Modern travelers and their discoveries are a great example to follow.
Jacques Cousteau
Cousteau is the greatest oceanologist, a French research scientist. This is the man who discovered the underwater world for humanity. It was with his hands that glasses were made for scuba diving, the first scuba diving, the first scientific vessel studying the depths of the sea was equipped. He owns the first films shot under water.
For the first time, a person got the opportunity to move freely in the water column and sink to depths of up to 90 m. Under the supervision of Cousteau, the first underwater expeditions were organized. At first it was archaeological research on the ocean floor and photography at depths of several kilometers.
When Cousteau created the "underwater saucer" - a mini-submarine, opportunities for studying the thickness of the water increased dramatically. The continuation was the foundation of temporary underwater scientific stations, where modern travelers lived for several months and could conduct observations directly at sea.
The result of many years of work by Cousteau to study the underwater world were books and films that were very popular: "In the world of silence", "World without the sun", the documentary series "Underwater Odyssey of Cousteau." Since 1957, he headed the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. In 1973, the Cousteau Marine Conservation Society was founded.
Among his honorary awards, the main one he considered the Legion of Honor. Cousteau died in 1997 in Paris.
Tour Heyerdahl
This name is also familiar to anyone who is even a little interested in travel. Tour Heyerdahl became famous for sea voyages undertaken to prove his point of view on the settlement of different parts of the world.
Heyerdahl was the first to put forward the idea that the islands of Polynesia could be populated by immigrants from South America. To prove this theory, modern travelers under his leadership made an unparalleled voyage on the balsa raft "Kon-Tiki" across the Pacific Ocean. Having defeated about 8 thousand km in 101 days, the expedition reached the Tuamotu Islands. At the same time, the raft retained its buoyancy, and if it were not for the storm, it could certainly have reached the coast of Asia.
Then expeditions on reed boats "Ra" and "Ra-2" followed, in which our compatriot Yuri Senkevich took part. The Tigris boat, the sailing of which was to show the possibility of links between Mesopotamia and the Hindustan Peninsula, was burned by the team in protest against military operations off the coast of Djibouti, and the expedition was not completed.
Heyerdahl on many issues did not agree with the scientific world and put forward his theories. For many years he studied the mysteries of Easter Island, especially the origin of the famous stone idols. The tour claimed that these giant statues could be made and delivered to the site by the natives of the island who did not have modern tools for processing stone and vehicles. And the results of his research were sensational, although not recognized by most scientists.
Of the controversial theories of Heyerdahl, we also note the version of the connections between the Vikings and the inhabitants of the Caucasus and Azov. He believed that the Vikings came from the North Caucasus. But to prove this theory he was prevented by death in 2002.
Heyerdahl’s numerous books about his views on exploring the world and traveling, documentaries made about them, still remain very exciting and interesting for any person.
Yuri Senkevich
A modern Russian traveler and the host of the most popular TV show Travel Club, a polar explorer, he participated in the 12th Soviet Antarctic expedition.
In 1969, when organizing an expedition to Ra, Tur Heyerdahl wrote a letter to the USSR Academy of Sciences inviting a doctor with good knowledge of English, experience in expeditions and a sense of humor to participate in it. The choice fell on Senkevich. Cheerful and cheerful, with an optimistic outlook on life and the skills of a medical practitioner, Yuri quickly made friends with Heyerdahl and other team members.
Subsequently, they repeatedly participated in the expeditions of the famous Norwegian. Heyerdahl’s many studies became known to the Soviet television viewer immediately thanks to the TV show conducted by Yuri Senkevich. "Cinema Travel Club" has become for many a window into the world, allowing you to get acquainted with interesting places on the globe. The guests of the program were modern travelers: Heyerdahl, Cousteau, Jacek Palkevich, Carlo Mauri and many others.
Senkevich took part in the medical support of expeditions to the North Pole and to Everest. Yuri Alexandrovich died in 2006 on the set of another television show.
Tim Severin
Many modern travelers repeat the routes of sailors and pioneers of the past. One of the most famous is the British Tim Severin.
He made his first journey in the footsteps of Marco Polo on motorcycles. Leaving Venice, Severin and his comrades crossed almost all of Asia and reached the borders of China. Here the trip had to be completed, since permission to visit the country was not received. This was followed by a study of the Mississippi River (while sailing on it in a canoe and motor boat). The next expedition is on the route of St. Brendan across the Atlantic Ocean.
Inspired by the adventures of Sinbad the sailor, Severin made the transition from Oman to China on a sailing ship, focusing only on the stars.
In 1984, Severin, with a team of 20 rowers, repeated the route of the Argonauts to Colchis (Western Georgia). And the next year he traveled in the wake of Odysseus from the imperishable poem of the same name by Homer.
These are just some of the Severin routes. He wrote fascinating books about his adventures, and was awarded the prestigious Thomas Cook Prize for Sinbad's Journey.
Modern travelers of the 21st century
Despite the fact that the courtyard is the 21st century, the spirit of love for adventure and travel has not died out. And now there are people who cannot sit at home in comfort, they are attracted to the unknown, the unknown.
Among them are modern travelers of Russia. Perhaps the most famous of them is Fedor Konyukhov.
Fedor Konyukhov
To his name is often added the "first". He was the first Russian to visit three poles of the Earth: North, South and Everest. The first to conquer the five poles on Earth - the Pole of Inaccessibility in Antarctica and Cape Horn, considered as such for yachtsmen, were added to the previous ones. He was the first of the Russians to overcome the "Big Seven" - he climbed the highest peaks of all continents, counting Europe and Asia separately.
On his account, many expeditions, mostly extreme. Konyukhov four times traveled on a yacht around the world. Member of the ski transition "USSR - North Pole - Canada".
His books are read in one breath. And plans for the future - around the world travel in a balloon.
Dmitry Shparo
Just a reservation: this is a polar traveler and explorer. Back in 1970, he led a ski expedition to the islands of Komsomolskaya Pravda. Three years later he traveled to Taimyr in search of the warehouse of the famous polar explorer Eduard Toll. In 1979, under his leadership, the world's first ski expedition to the North Pole was completed.
One of the most famous trips - to Canada through the Arctic Ocean as part of a joint Soviet-Canadian expedition.
In 1998, with his son crossed the Bering Strait on skis. In 2008, organized two expeditions to the North Pole. One of them is known for the world's first night ski pole achievement. And the second involved young people aged 16-18 years.
Dmitry Shparo - the organizer of the Adventure Club. The institution conducts marathons throughout the country with the participation of people confined to wheelchairs. The most famous was the international ascent to Kazbek of wheelchair invalids from Transcaucasia, Norway and Russia.
