We have successfully completed a cultural and historical project on commemorating early XX century Russian Arctic explorers during the first stage of the 2015 expedition in an abandoned settlement called Rynda. It used to be a major fishermen settlement but now it is officially inexistent. The majority of the buildings, local church included, are tumbled down.

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The photographers and the LMSU Marine Research Center experts erected a memorial cross and a flag-post in tribute to the 100-year anniversary of completion of the 1914 Georgy Sedov and Georgy Brusilov Arctic expeditions. On August 15, 1914, the ship, Svyatoy Muchenik Foka (Saint Martyr Foka), brought survivors of Georgy Sedov expedition, as well as Valerian Albanov and Alexander Konrad from Georgy Brusilov expedition, exactly to the village of Rynda. Thus, another page of the heroic history of the Arctic explorers ended. Earlier, in November 2014, during the Murman Coast expedition we have attempted to fix up the commemoration site in Rynda. However, severe arctic climate, strong winds and storms prevented us from landing ashore. This year, the event put the exhibition participants in good heart. They thoroughly chose the location, which had to be windproof on the one hand and on the other hand be exposed enough. Stony soil refused to cooperate, but eventually joined efforts allowed to erect the cross and the flagpole. It took around 5 hours. After honoring the memory of the heroes and admiring their bravery and determination, the expedition participants returned to the vessel and continued the trip.

There is a curious coincidence: two of the Kartesh crewmembers have the same surname as two of the Russian Arctic explorers. The chief mate's name is Andrey Sedov, and the ship engineer's name is Vladimir Rusanov. This must be the good omen!