North Pole-1 was the first Soviet manned drifting station

Soviet and Russian manned drifting ice stations

Soviet and Russian manned drifting ice stations are important contributors to exploration of the Arctic. The stations are named North Pole Soviet and Russian manned drifting ice stations are important contributors to exploration of the Arctic. The stations are named North Pole Soviet and...

, primarily used for research.

North Pole-1 was established on May 21, 1937, and officially opened on June 6, some 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from the North Pole

North Pole

The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...

 by the expedition into the high latitudes Sever-1, led by Otto Schmidt

Otto Schmidt

Otto Yulyevich Schmidt was a Soviet scientist, mathematician, astronomer, geophysicist, statesman, academician, Hero of the USSR , and member of the Communist Party.-Biography:He was born in Mogilev, Russian Empire...

. The expedition had been airlifted by aviation units under the command of Mark Shevelev

Mark Shevelev

Mark Shevelev was a Soviet pilot during World War II and was one of founders and Chief of Staff of Soviet Long Range Aviation. Shevelev held the rank of Lieutenant-General...

. "NP-1" operated for 9 months, during which the ice floe

Sea ice

Sea ice is largely formed from seawater that freezes. Because the oceans consist of saltwater, this occurs below the freezing point of pure water, at about -1.8 °C ....

 travelled 2850 kilometres (1,770.9 mi). The commander of the station was Ivan Papanin

Ivan Papanin

Ivan Dmitrievich Papanin was a Russian Polar Explorer, Scientist,Counter Admiral, twice Hero of the Soviet Union awarded nine Orders of Lenin...

. On February 19, 1938 the Soviet ice breakers Taimyr

Icebreaker Taymyr

Icebreaker Taymyr was an icebreaking steamer of 1200 tons built for the Russian Imperial Navy at St. Petersburg in 1909. It was named after the Taymyr Peninsula....

 and Murman took four polar explorers off the station close to the eastern coast of Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

. They arrived in Leningrad

Leningrad

Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...

 on March 15 on board the Icebreaker Yermak

Icebreaker Yermak

Yermak was a Russian and later Soviet icebreaker, the first polar icebreaker in the world, having a strengthened hull shaped to ride over and crush pack ice....

.

The expedition members, hydrobiologist Pyotr Shirshov

Pyotr Shirshov

Pyotr Petrovich Shirshov was a Ukrainian Soviet oceanographer, hydrobiologist, polar explorer, statesman, academician , and Hero of the Soviet Union .Pyotr Shirshov graduated from the Odessa Public Education Institute in 1929...

, geophysicist Yevgeny Fyodorov

Yevgeny Fyodorov

Yevgeny Konstantinovich Fyodorov was a Soviet geophysicist, statesman, public figure, academician , and Hero of the Soviet Union ....

, radioman Ernst Krenkel

Ernst Krenkel

Ernst Teodorovich Krenkel was a Soviet Arctic explorer, doctor of geographical sciences , and Hero of the Soviet Union ....

, and the leader Ivan Papanin, were awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union

Hero of the Soviet Union

The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...

title.