Fyodor Konyukhov is the first “professional traveler” in the USSR and Russia, sea captain, free balloon pilot, dog sled rider, mountaineer, writer, priest of the UOC MP. Among Konyukhov’s achievements are five expeditions around the world, 17 crossings of the Atlantic Ocean on sailing yachts and once on a rowing boat.

Fedor Konyukhov was born on December 12, 1951 in the village of Chkalovo, Zaporozhye region. The future traveler spent his childhood on the shores of the Azov Sea. Father Philip Mikhailovich often went to sea to fish and took his son with him. Grandfather Mikhail often shared with his grandson the knowledge he gained from communicating with the famous Russian polar explorer. Mikhail happened to serve with him in the same garrison of the tsarist army. The polar explorer left Konyukhov his own pectoral cross so that it would go to the strongest of his friend’s descendants. My grandfather gave this cross to Fedor.

Even then, the boy began to have a thirst for travel, when Fyodor stood at the helm of his father’s ship and peered into the sea. At the age of 15, the young man took the risk of making his first journey and swam across the Sea of ​​Azov in a boat with oars. True, before this Fedor had to actively engage in rowing and master sailing.

Like any teenager, Fedor enjoyed playing football. Like any village boy, Konyukhov often slept in the hayloft, and also voraciously read adventure novels by Jules Verne and other authors. By the end of school, the young man realized that he wanted to connect his life with the sea.

Fedor entered the Odessa Marine Corps and received the specialty of a ship mechanic. Then he studied at the polar school in Leningrad to become a navigator and served in the Baltic Fleet. For 2 years, Fyodor Konyukhov served in Vietnam as a sailor on a special vessel supplying ammunition to the Viet Cong. During his service he also visited Nicaragua and El Salvador. After returning home, Konyukhov did not leave his studies and received a specialty as an inlay carver at a specialized school in the Belarusian city of Bobruisk.

Trips

The first serious expedition took place in 1977, when a young man sailed in the Pacific Ocean and repeated the route. The first was followed by expeditions to Kamchatka and Sakhalin.

Fedor Konyukhov set a new goal - to conquer the North Pole alone.

Konyukhov prepared for the expedition in Chukotka, mastered dog sledding, learned to build ice huts, and developed other skills for extreme travel - this took several years. Initially, Konyukhov undertook a training trip to the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility. The traveler complicated his task by going skiing during the polar night.

Then Fedor visited Canada, Baffin Island and the North Pole itself as part of a Soviet-Canadian group led by Vladimir Chukov. In 1990, Konyukhov set off on skis, with a heavy backpack and equipment, and after 72 days he reached the North Pole. Overcoming ice holes and hummocks along the road, Fedor almost died during a collision of ice floes. Konyukhov became a pioneer in a solo journey there. In 1995, Fyodor Konyukhov conquered the South Pole, and 59 days later the Russian flag was already flying over the extreme southern point.

There were other routes in the traveler’s biography. Fedor became the first Russian to complete the Grand Slam program, that is, to conquer the North, South Pole and Everest. Previously, in 1992, he climbed Mount Everest alone, in January 1996, Mount Aconcagua, and in 1997, Mount Kilimanjaro.

Among the expeditions in which Fedor Konyukhov participated are the Soviet-American bicycle ride across the USSR Nakhodka - Moscow - Leningrad in 1989, the Russian-Australian off-road rally Nakhodka - Moscow in 1991, and a caravan expedition along the route of the Great Silk Road in 2002 and 2009. Fyodor Konyukhov also makes land expeditions, repeating the path of famous taiga explorers.

During his life, Konyukhov made a total of 40 sea expeditions. Not everything went smoothly during such travels. In addition to the troubles created by natural disasters, Fyodor Konyukhov received unpleasant surprises from people. During one voyage, Konyukhov contracted a tropical infection and was forced to stop in the Philippines. Local pirates took advantage of the forced parking of Konyukhov’s yacht and stole it. After recovery, in order to find his own ship in the sea latitudes, Fedor took possession of the robber’s yacht and caught up with his own.

In July 2016, Fedor Konyukhov set a new record in a hot air balloon in 11 days. The Russian traveler was 2 days ahead of the previous record holder Steve Fossett.

During his travels, Fyodor Konyukhov is engaged in research and creativity: he writes paintings and books. In total, the traveler created almost 3 thousand paintings and published twenty books. In his own works “My Travels”, “Under Scarlet Sails”, “Alone with the Ocean”, “How I Became a Traveler” Fyodor Konyukhov shares his life experiences and events from his travels. The author also has historical works: “Crimean War. Defense of Sevastopol", "Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov", "How Admiral Ushakov made the Black Sea Russian." In the books “My Path to the Truth”, “The Power of Faith. 160 days and nights alone with the Pacific Ocean”, “The Ocean is my abode” Konyukhov covers issues of faith. The traveler introduces readers to his works from the pages of the official website, where he also posts photos of his own paintings.

Fedor Konyukhov is a current member of the Union of Journalists, the Union of Artists and Sculptors, and the Union of Writers of Russia. With his drawings, Konyukhov decorated the publication of the book “Tao Te Ching”, which he considers second to himself after the “Bible”.

In addition to the main work of his life, service in the Orthodox Church became an important page in Fyodor’s biography. Konyukhov received the rank of subdeacon in 2010 on the holiday, the patron saint of travelers and seafarers. After graduating from a theological seminary in the Northern capital, Konyukhov went to serve in Zaporozhye, without leaving sea, land and air travel.

Personal life

Fedor Konyukhov was married twice. His first wife Lyubov gave Fyodor two children - son Oscar (born 1975) and daughter Tatyana (born 1978). Later, the woman moved to the USA, where she settled with her daughter. Konyukhov’s eldest son heads the All-Russian Sailing Federation.

The second wife of the famous traveler is professor, doctor of legal sciences, expert on international law Irina Anatolyevna. The future spouses met in 1995. Irina by that time was also divorced and was raising two sons. Fyodor honestly warned the girl about his hobby, but this did not frighten Irina. For the sake of her beloved, Irina Anatolyevna refused to work at the UN and the European Parliament.

Often the wife herself went on trips with her husband. In 2004, while crossing the Atlantic, the ship carrying Fedor and Irina was caught in a strong storm. After returning home, the Konyukhovs erected a chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker near Fyodor’s Moscow creative workshop. For a long time the couple did not have a child together, but in 2005 the long-awaited son Nikolai was born.

Now Fyodor Konyukhov is a happy grandfather, who has four grandchildren - Philip, Arkady, Ethan, Blake and two granddaughters - Polina and Kate, but this does not stop him from doing what he loves.

Traveler, artist, writer, cyclist, climber, navigator - this is all about Konyukhov. Since 1998, the navigator has been sharing his experience with young followers and running a distance learning laboratory. In the laboratory he teaches young travelers survival techniques in difficult conditions.

Fedor Konyukhov now

Fedor Konyukhov continues to break records. The latest hobby for the traveler was ballooning. In 2017, Fedor spent 55 hours and 10 minutes of continuous time in the air. The previous record of 50 hours 38 minutes belonged to Japanese pilots Michio Kanda and Hirazuki Takezawa, who set it in 1997.

The tireless traveler will not stop there. For summer rafting on rivers, Konyukhov has already chosen a place at the Sheregesh resort in the Kemerovo region, where he managed to visit in January 2018 with his family.

Awards

• 1996 – Honorary resident of the city of Nakhodka
• 1988 – Order of Friendship of Peoples
• 2014 – Gold medal named after N. N. Miklouho-Maclay of the Russian Geographical Society
• 2015 – People’s Friendship Award “White Cranes of Russia” and the order of the same name
• 2017 – Order of Honor

Records

• The first person in the world to reach the five poles of the Earth: the Northern and Southern geographic poles, the Pole of relative inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean, the altitude pole - Qomolungma, the yachtsman's pole - Cape Horn
• The first Russian to complete the Grand Slam program (North Pole, South Pole, Cape Horn, Chomolungma).
• Crossed the Atlantic Ocean alone in a rowing boat with a world record of 46 days 4 hours.
• Crossed the Pacific Ocean alone in a rowing boat with a world record of 159 days 14 hours 45 minutes.

Born 1951

Professional Russian traveler, Honored Master of Sports, yacht captain, mountaineer, polar explorer, artist. Three trips to the North Pole, including one solo trip, four yacht trips around the world, climbing Everest, bike rides from Wrangel Bay to the banks of the Neva and to Brest - these are just the main creative achievements of Konyukhov. In total, he has completed more than 50 different expeditions.

He dreamed of traveling since childhood. At the age of 15, he sailed across the Sea of ​​Azov by boat; his ideal was Chichester, a lone navigator. And he was lucky in life: his childhood dream permeated his whole life, Konyukhov became a professional traveler. Professional, not caste-based. He is disgusted by the arrogance of climbers or the same yachtsmen, who consider people of other hobbies and brave professions to be people below themselves.

In his youth, loneliness (and Konyukhov, as a rule, walks alone) was depressing. Over the years, vanity and ambitions were partially satisfied, and the craving for sports records was replaced by creative passion (for painting and literature), absorbing the entire nature of this irrepressible person and preventing him from falling into melancholy and nostalgia, whether in the midst of a boundless ocean or in an icy desert.

One of his journeys was the conquest of the Kilimanjaro volcano, the highest point in Africa (5985 m), in 1997. The ascent took all four days - after all, the mountain is accessible to any trained person. But it wasn’t about the sporting side of the climb. “The Roof of Africa” became the next point in the program of conquering the highest peaks of all continents. Behind Fedor are the most difficult mountains: Everest, the Vinson Massif in Antarctica, Aconcagua in South America, Elbrus (counting it in Europe, Mont Blanc can be left aside), McKinley in North America. And finally, to complete the “Seven Summits” program, conquer Mount Jaya in Oceania.

“My travels are a desire to know not only nature, but also my soul,” said Konyukhov, returning from a circumnavigation on the yacht “Karaana”, carried out in 224 days in 1990 - 1991. This was the first non-stop solo voyage in Russia. He left Sydney, Australia, and without calling at ports along the most difficult route between the roaring forties and the frantic fifties, with a stop at the equator, he circled the globe. Having experienced, like no one else, the violence of the elements, having encountered face to face the silent and roaring ocean, which, by will and miracle, more than once escaped from the tenacious claws of oblivion, Konyukhov later admitted in his diary: “If you look at the map, you can’t believe that you can climb into such a wilderness in which Easter Island is even closer to people than I am now on a small yacht. Everything is so fragile that as soon as the ocean rises and falls on us properly, my soul will ascend to the bright heavens, and my body will go into the abyss of the waters forever. Below me the depth is an abyss, above me the height is an abyss. Where is the end of it all? Where could you stay safe?

No less dramatic was the solo conquest of the South Pole in 1996 (by the way, the most difficult expedition to organize). The traveler, after 1,350 km of ice desert and 60 days of travel, reached the “heels” of the Earth already on Orthodox Christmas. He planted the Russian flag at the South Pole, for which he received a welcoming telegram from the Russian President. But the polar explorers of the American Amundsen-Scott station, who witnessed his achievement, were the first to congratulate him. After this, Konyukhov became the only person on the planet to conquer all the earth's poles - North and South - and the pole of heights - Everest. And also rounded Cape Horn - a kind of record for sailors, the pole of ships. It's like a Grand Slam trophy for professional travelers, sea and land. And Konyukhov had another conquered point - the Pole of Inaccessibility - a place equidistant from the northern points of the continents in the Arctic Ocean.

Surprisingly, Fedor, even after a grueling ice trek to the South Pole, was in fairly good shape. His hardened body mobilizes very quickly before difficult tests and recovers easily. He did not take the opportunity to fly out of Antarctica, but continued to follow the original plan - to conquer the highest peak of the continent (5140 m) - the Vinson Massif. But even before its conquest, he considered himself to have long ago ascended to the highest point of Antarctica. And he even painted it in paint. And in one of the Moscow salons he said: “Mentally, I have already been to the top of this mountain. And this is the main point. Now all that’s left is to go and look at it.” This is this unusual person - Fyodor Konyukhov. Everything is simple for him: he conceived it, came, conquered...

And on the agenda are the next plans: diving into the Mariana Trench, dog sled races with Eskimos from Greenland to Chukotka via the North Pole, building an unusual and gigantic yacht to conquer all world records, as well as with rich scientific equipment in the image of Cousteau’s “Callipso” ... After all, he can no longer imagine an expedition without a thorough scientific return.

Famous Russian traveler, writer, artist, clergyman, free balloon pilot. Archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Fedor Konyukhov. Biography

Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov born on December 12, 1951 in the Zaporozhye village of Chkalovo (later Troitskoye) in Ukraine, on the shores of the Azov Sea in a simple peasant family. In addition to Fedor, his parents - Philip Mikhailovich, a descendant of Arkhangelsk Pomor fishermen, and a native of Bessarabia Maria Efremovna there were two more sons and two daughters.

Since childhood, Fedor was preparing to become a traveler: he learned to swim, dive, bathed in cold water, walked on a boat with a sail and oars, Fedor often visited the Sea of ​​Azov on fishing trips with his father, who always told his offspring about the Great Patriotic War and urged them to take care of their native land and work honestly.

Realizing that the sea and travel were his life, Konyukhov studied in the Belarusian Bobruisk at vocational school No. 15 (later Bobruisk State Vocational and Technical Art College), receiving a diploma as an inlay carver. He graduated from the Odessa Naval School with a specialty as a navigator. And then he received an education as a ship mechanic at the Leningrad Arctic School. Along the way, he also studied at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary.

Fyodor Konyukhov’s grandfather, a lieutenant colonel in the tsarist army, once told his grandson about a colleague from his garrison - Georgiy Sedov, who, before his tragic trip to the Arctic, left him an Orthodox cross, asking him to give the memento to the strongest of his descendants, so that he could bring his idea to life. As a result, Fedor fulfilled his promise - he visited the North Pole three times, including with that very cross.

Fedor Konyukhov. Career as a traveler and explorer

In 1966, being 15 years old, he first went on an expedition on a rowing boat and crossed the Sea of ​​Azov, and in 1977 he organized a yachting trip in the North Pacific Ocean - along the route Vitus Bering and other sailors. While traveling, Konyukhov learned how his compatriots discovered lands and bays several centuries ago and founded settlements there.

Fedor's interest in research never leaves him. He also carried out scientific activities during campaigns to Kamchatka, Commanders, and Sakhalin. Wherever Konyukhov appeared, he was always curious about the life of people, learning about how they survive in difficult northern conditions.

Before the assault on the North Pole, Fedor, as part of D. Shparo’s group, made a ski trip to the Pole of relative inaccessibility during the polar night, and also walked along Baffin Island with Canadian travelers. The researcher also has a trans-Arctic ski crossing (USSR - North Pole - Canada) and participation in the first autonomous expedition "Arctic" to the North Pole, led by V. Chukov.

In 1990, having gained experience in polar skiing by that time, Fedor set off on an independent voyage to the North Pole, which he reached after 72 days, thereby realizing his dream and fulfilling his covenant Georgy Sedov.

In 1998, Fedor Konyukhov became the head of the laboratory of distance learning in extreme conditions (LDEL) at the Moscow Modern Academy of the Humanities.

In 1995, Konyukhov single-handedly crossed the ice desert of Antarctica and on the 59th day of a very difficult journey he reached the South Pole, planting the Russian tricolor there for the first time. At the same time, as part of the campaign, he fulfills the instructions of the Ministry of Atomic Energy, measuring the natural radiation field of Antarctica on the way to the pole, and the request of doctors - he evaluates his physical and psychological condition, and carries out other observations.

Konyukhov makes many of his expeditions alone, but also participates in groups. So, in 1989, he himself organized a Soviet-American bicycle ride along the route Nakhodka - Leningrad, and in 1991 - a Soviet-Australian motor rally - Nakhodka - Brest. However, the leitmotif of a yacht captain's travels is the sea and the ocean.

Konyukhov is the only Russian who has circumnavigated the world three times alone. In 1990-1991: the sailor started from Sydney, where he returned after 224 days. In 1992: he sailed on a large two-masted yacht along the route Taiwan - Singapore - Indian Ocean - Red and Mediterranean Seas - Gibraltar - Atlantic - Hawaiian Islands - Taiwan, visiting all continents and completing it in 508 days. The third circumnavigation, which lasted from September to May 1999, covered the entire World Ocean (50 thousand km) and passed along the route: the port of Charleston - Cape Town - Auckland - Punta del Este - Charleston.

In May 2012, together with the Russian team “7 Summits”, Konyukhov made his second ascent of Everest. In 2013, he had an expedition from Karelia to the southern point of Greenland via the North Pole. From December 2013 to May 2014, he traveled across the Pacific Ocean on the rowing boat Turgoyak and went from the Chilean port of Concon to Brisbane in Australia in 160 days. This was the best result for such a single crossing.

By 2016, the famous wanderer had made over fifty unique expeditions and ascents. Experts in the Russian Federation and abroad believe Fedora Konyukhova the most versatile of professional travelers, who has dozens of diverse hikes, including in the mountains. For example, in honor of the 850th anniversary of Moscow, he climbed the mountain peaks of all continents of the Earth, spending five years of hard work on this.

On July 12, 2016, Konyukhov set off on his solo flight around the world in a Morton balloon, starting at the Australian Northam airfield. The route was the same as its predecessor Steve Fossett, which made a record flight in 2002. But Fyodor Filippovich beat this world achievement: his aircraft landed safely in western Australia on July 23, 2016, and the result of circumnavigation was 11 days, 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Fedor Konyukhov about the flight on the Morton: For me, the main record is completing a circumnavigation of the world on the first try. It took my predecessor, American pilot Steve Fossett, six attempts in 2002. The balloon flew around the world in a record time - 11 days and 6 hours - on the first try. To finish off I was able to fly over Northam airfield and cross my start line which was unique! Imagine, the ball flew almost 35,000 kilometers and reached the starting point. Moreover, using only wind flows. For balloonists this is the highest class.

Konyukhov assures that there was no moment when he regretted his idea, since such a flight had been his dream for two decades:

I knew it would be difficult and dangerous, but it couldn’t be any other way. More than five thousand people have climbed Everest, but only two have flown around the world alone in a hot air balloon - Steve Fossett, and now me.

At the end of 2016, the Russian traveler received the highest award in the field of aeronautics: the International Aeronautics Association FAI-Breitling named him “Pilot of the Year.” Such a prize was awarded to a Russian for the first time in 110 years of its existence.

Fedor Konyukhov: This is a very big award for me. But I am pleased that it belongs to our country, Russia, for which I always stand.

In December 2016, at the Shevlino airfield near Moscow, Konyukhov began to take his first steps in the field of gliding, because he set himself a new task: to gain experience and knowledge for subsequent preparation for setting a world altitude record on a glider.

Fedor Konyukhov: It’s never too late to learn. I am turning 65 years old, and I am pleased to begin mastering a new type of aircraft for me - a glider. I hope that with the support of the Russian Gliding Federation we will be able to implement several beautiful projects in this sport...

Fedor Konyukhov. Creativity and spiritual activity

The traveler, in addition to the main passion of his life, also writes poetry and music for the organ, and composes works of art. While on expeditions, Konyukhov certainly expresses his vision of the world in notes and paintings, of which the author already has over three thousand.

In 1983 he was admitted to the Union of Artists of the USSR, and since 1996 he became a member of the Moscow Union of Artists. Fedor Filippovich is a participant in Russian and international exhibitions. Since 2012, he received the status of academician of the Russian Academy of Arts.

In 2010, on the day of the Holy Trinity, Fyodor Konyukhov was ordained a deacon, and in December of the same year, on the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, he was ordained a priest in his small homeland in the St. Nicholas Church of Zaporozhye.

The traveler was awarded the Order of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, 1st degree - for exemplary and diligent work for the benefit of the Holy Orthodox Church of God.

Fedor Konyukhov. Achievements and awards

Order of Friendship of Peoples - 1988. Order of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, 1st degree, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for exemplary and diligent work for the benefit of the Holy Orthodox Church of God. Gold medal of the Russian Academy of Arts. Gold Medal named after N. N. Miklouho-Maclay of the Russian Geographical Society - 2014. UNEP Global 500 Award for contribution to environmental protection. UNESCO Prize for Fair Play. Prize and Order of Friendship of Peoples “White Cranes of Russia” - 2015.

Fedor Konyukhov the first on planet Earth to reach the five poles of the Earth (North geographic - three times; Southern geographic; pole of relative inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean; height pole - Chomolungma; yachtsmen's pole - Cape Horn). In addition, he is the first Russian to complete the Grand Slam program and the first in the CIS to complete the Seven Summits program.

In 1990-1991, the traveler made the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world on a yacht in Russian history alone. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean alone on a UralAZ rowing boat, setting a world record - 46 days and 4 hours, as well as the Pacific Ocean (world record - 159 days 14 hours 45 minutes).

Fedor Konyukhov - Honored Master of Sports of the USSR in sports tourism; honorary resident of Nakhodka (since 1996), the village of Bergin, the city of Miass, Terni (Italy).

Fedor Konyukhov. Personal life

The wife of a famous traveler - Irina Anatolyevna Konyukhova - Doctor of Law, Professor. The couple has two children: a son Oscar Fedorovich(b. 1975) and daughter Tatyana Fedorovna(b. 1978).

In the fall of 2015, it became known that Konyukhov acquired 69 hectares of land in the Zaoksky district of the Tula region, on which he planned to build an entire village, nine chapels, the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, a children's travel school and a sports and tourist camp, as well as a travel history museum, a hotel complex, library, etc. The site where it was decided to create the village of Fyodor Konyukhov is located three kilometers from the Oka River.

Fedor Konyukhov: It’s a pity, of course, that there is no longer a single free area along the banks of the Oka. If the village overlooked the water, we would set up a children's sailing school or open a rowing section.

The goal of the project is, first of all, to create a unique and cozy place for like-minded people to live and communicate, including travelers, writers, artists who are tired of the “concrete jungle,” people who value an active lifestyle and love wild nature, etc. The village itself is conceived not only as a place of residence Fedora Konyukhova, but also as a museum of the great traveler.

Fedor Konyukhov. Books

"My spirit is on the deck of the Karaana"
"All birds, all winged"
"Oarsman on the Ocean"
"Road Without Bottom"
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth...”
“How Admiral Ushakov made the Black Sea Russian”
"Antarctica"
"How I became a traveler"
"Sails knock the stars out of the sky"
"Alone with the Ocean"
"The ocean is my abode"
"Under Scarlet Sails"
"My travels"
"Pacific Ocean"
"The power of faith. 160 days and nights alone with the Pacific Ocean"
"My travels. The next 10 years"
"My path to truth"

Fedor Konyukhov. Expeditions

• 1977 - research expedition on a yacht along the route of Vitus Bering
• 1978 - research expedition on a yacht along the route of Vitus Bering; archaeological expedition
• 1979 - the second stage of a research expedition on a yacht along the route Vladivostok - Sakhalin - Kamchatka - Commander Islands; climbing the Klyuchevsky volcano
• 1980 - international regatta “Baltic Cup” as part of the DVVIMU crew
• 1981 - crossing Chukotka by dog ​​sled
• 1983 - scientific and sports ski expedition to the Laptev Sea. The first polar expedition as part of Dmitry Shparo's group.
• 1984 - international regatta for the Baltic Cup as part of the DVVIMU crew; rafting on the Lena River
• 1985 - expedition through the Ussuri taiga in the footsteps of Vladimir Arsenyev and Dersu Uzal
• 1986 - ski crossing into the polar night to the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean as part of an expedition
• 1987 - ski trip to Baffin Island as part of a Soviet-Canadian expedition
• 1988 - trans-Arctic ski expedition along the route USSR - North Pole - Canada as part of an international group
• 1989 - the first Russian autonomous expedition "Arctic" under the leadership of Vladimir Chukov to the North Pole; Soviet-American transcontinental bike ride Nakhodka - Moscow - Leningrad
• 1990 - solo ski trip to the North Pole (the first in Russian history) in 72 days
• 1990-1991 - solo circumnavigation on a yacht without stops along the route Sydney - Cape Horn - Equator - Sydney in 224 days (the first in Russian history)
• 1991 - Russian-Australian motor rally along the route Nakhodka - Moscow
• 1992 - climbing Elbrus (Europe); climbing Everest (Asia)
• 1993-1994 - around the world expedition on a two-masted ketch along the route Taiwan – Hong Kong – Singapore – We Island (Indonesia) – Victoria Island (Seychelles) – Yemen (port of Aden) – Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) – Suez Canal – Alexandria (Egypt) – Gibraltar – Casablanca (Morocco) – Santa Lucia (Caribbean Islands) – Panama Canal – Honolulu (Hawaii Islands) – Mariana Islands – Taiwan
• 1995-1996 - autonomous solo trip to the South Pole (the first in the history of Russia; in 64 days)
• 1996 - January 19: ascent to the Vinson Massif (Antarctica); March 9: Climbing Aconcagua (South America)
• 1997 - February 18: climbing Kilimanjaro (Africa); April 17: climbing Kosciuszko Peak (Australia); May 26: climbing McKinley Peak (North America); European regattas Sardinia Cup (Italy), Gotland Race (Sweden), Cowes week (England) as part of the crew of the maxi-yacht Grand Mistral
• 1998-1999 - American solo round-the-world race Around Alone on the yacht Open 60 (third solo round-the-world race)
• 2000 - The world's longest sled dog race, the Iditarod, crosses Alaska from Anchorage to Nome.
• 2000-2001 - French single round-the-world sailing race (non-stop) Vendee Globe on a yacht (the first in Russian history)
• 2002 - caravan expedition on camels “In the footsteps of the Great Silk Road (the first in the history of modern Russia); crossing the Atlantic Ocean by rowing boat (the first in Russian history; world record - 46 days 4 hours) along the route Canary Islands - Barbados
• 2003 - Russian-British record transatlantic passage with a crew along the route Canary Islands - Barbados (world record for multihull ships - 9 days); Russian-British record transatlantic passage with a crew on the route Jamaica - England (world record for multihull ships - 16 days)
• 2004 - single transatlantic record crossing from east to west on a maxi-yacht along the route Canary Islands - Barbados (world record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean - 14 days and 7 hours)
• 2004-2005 - solo circumnavigation on a maxi-yacht along the route Falmouth - Hobart - Falmouth (the first solo circumnavigation in the history of world sailing on a maxi-class yacht via Cape Horn)
• 2005-2006 - project “Around the Atlantic Ocean”. As part of the Russian crew, sailing on a yacht along the route England - Canary Islands - Barbados - Antigua - England
• 2006 - tests of an experimental polar iceboat on the east coast of Greenland
• 2007 - crossing Greenland by dog ​​sled from the east to the west coast (record 15 days 22 hours)
• 2007-2008 - Australian race around Antarctica along the route Albany - Cape Horn - Cape of Good Hope - Cape Luin - Albany (102 days; single yachtsman, non-stop)
• 2009 - the second stage of the international expedition “In the footsteps of the Great Silk Road” (Mongolia - Kalmykia)
• 2011 - expedition “Nine Highest Peaks of Ethiopia”
• 2012 - May 19: climbing to the top of Everest along the Northern Ridge (Konyukhov became the first priest of the Russian Orthodox Church to climb Everest)
• 2013 - crossing the Arctic Ocean on a dog sled along the route: North Pole - Canada
• 2013-2014 - Pacific crossing on a rowing boat without calling at ports in a record 160 days (Chile (Con Con) - Australia (Moololuba)
• 2015 - Russian record for flight duration on an AX-9 class hot-air balloon (19 hours 10 minutes)
• 2016 - world record for duration of flight in a hot air balloon (32 hours 20 minutes); dog sled expedition “Onega Pomorie”; solo round-the-world flight in a Morton balloon (the fastest round-the-world flight for any type of balloon: 11 days 4 hours 20 minutes - an absolute world record)

Domestic and foreign experts consider Fedor Konyukhov the most versatile of professional travelers. He has about forty different types of hikes to his credit, including in the mountains. Having no special mountaineering training, but possessing great physical endurance and perseverance in achieving his intended goal, he decided, in honor of the 850th anniversary of Moscow, to climb the mountain peaks of all continents of the Earth. It took five years of persistent work. As a workout, I ran to Klyuchevskaya Sopka, 4,750 meters high, and believed in myself. Then there were the Caucasian peak Elbrus (5642 m), the Asian Everest (8848 m), the Australian Mount Kosciuszko (2230 m), and the South American Aconcagua (6960 m). Of course, Everest was the most difficult to climb, but the three peaks were interesting, mysterious and difficult in their own way. The long-extinct African volcano Kilimanjaro (5895 m), glorified by Ernest Hemingway, especially attracted the attention of the Russian traveler. Rising upward from the tropical zone, he gradually experienced a change in climatic and weather conditions. If at the foot there was vegetation scorched by the sun, then from 3-4 kilometers the evergreen tropical forest begins, even higher - alpine meadows, then rocks and, finally, the kingdom of ice and snow. As an artist, he could not stop admiring the beauty of nature, made sketches, and took a lot of photographs. But the most difficult and dangerous for the climber were the ice-rocky mountains: the North American McKinley (6193 m) and the Antarctic Vinson Massif (5140 m). There is deep snow, treacherous cracks in the ice, and a fierce cold wind that chokes your breath. And having safely descended (in some places he had to crawl) from the massif, he almost died from cold and hunger - for more than three days the plane could not fly for him due to a severe blizzard.

The traveler makes most of his trips alone, but he also willingly takes part in collective expeditions. And he himself organized and led two interesting transcontinental runs: the Soviet-American bicycle race along the route Nakhodka - Leningrad (1989) and the Soviet-Australian automobile race - Nakhodka - Brest (1991). On a long journey across the Russian expanses, Fedor showed his foreign fellow travelers many natural attractions: cedar forests, Lake Baikal, mighty Siberian rivers, the Ural Mountains, new cities. The results of these runs were reports, documentaries, photo albums released in our country and abroad.

And yet, the main line of travel for a yacht captain is the sea and ocean. And he, the only Russian, made three circumnavigations of the world alone. The first of them was in 1990 - 1991 on the yacht “Karaana”. It took off from the Australian port of Sydney and returned there after 224 days. Moreover, he chose the most difficult route: between the “roaring” forties and the “furious” fifties latitudes, where the wind was predominantly favorable and where the first Russian circumnavigators Ivan Kruzenshtern, Mikhail Lazarev and others sailed. But at the same time, the route was cold and sometimes stormy winds with snow or rain, dangerous encounters with whales and icebergs, especially in the Drake Passage, near Cape Horn. But the sailor overcame everything, although he lost 11 kilograms.

A year later, Konyukhov set off on a second circumnavigation of the world along a different, equatorial route: Taiwan - Singapore - Indian Ocean - Red and Mediterranean Seas - Gibraltar - Atlantic - Hawaiian Islands - Taiwan, calling at all continents. The solo voyage on the large two-masted yacht Formosa lasted 508 days and was associated with a dramatic and at the same time heroic event. In the Philippines area, the captain became very ill and was hospitalized. Meanwhile, pirates stole his yacht to another island. But Fedor is not a timid person. After all, he served on a Baltic landing ship and carried out command assignments in the jungles of Vietnam and Nicaragua. To find the Formosa on a distant island, they had to steal a boat from other pirates. And the daredevil tied up the drunken robbers found on board the yacht and loaded them onto their rubber boat.

Taking part in the international sailing race "Around the World - Alone", he completed his third circumnavigation of the world, sailing the yacht "Modern Humanitarian University". At first, 39 applicants from many countries signed up for the competition, but only 16 ships took the start; the rest dropped out for various reasons, including those that did not pass the 2,000 nautical mile qualifying run. Fedor passed the test, but was hit by three hurricanes. It was especially difficult for him in the fight against Hurricane Daniel in the Bermuda area. For three days the yacht lay on board, and the captain had to make incredible efforts to straighten it.

The race covered the entire World Ocean with a length of 27 thousand nautical miles, i.e. 50 thousand kilometers, and passed along the route: the American port of Charleston - Cape Town (South Africa) - Auckland (New Zealand) - Punta del Este (Uruguay) - Charleston. (It’s interesting that all these points were flown by supra

ha Irina, son Oscar - for moral support of Fedor. And they helped him troubleshoot technical problems on the yacht).

In total, the yachtsmen were on the road for eight months, from September 1998 to May 1999. We experienced the tropical heat and piercing wind of the Antarctic, dodged steel ships and icebergs and constantly drove forward, not knowing sleep or peace. Some ships had up to 15 different breakdowns, and Konyukhov’s yacht did not escape this. In the dark, he collided with a sleeping whale, as a result of which the steering wheel was bent. When approaching Cape Horn, a dolphin jumped on board, which rarely happens in sailing practice; the skipper barely managed to push the heavy and slippery body of the sea guest into his native element. And off the coast of Brazil, he barely fought off modern filibusters with the help of a flare gun.

Unable to withstand the conditions of the extreme race, seven participants left the race. Fedor Konyukhov finished third. A government telegram from Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov arrived in America addressed to him. “We are pleased,” it said, “that such a legendary traveler lives in Moscow and continues the traditions of our compatriots in exploring the planet.”

At the request of F. Konyukhov, he is registered to participate in the international sailing race “Windy Globe 2000”, the start of which is scheduled for November 5, 2000. The main feature of this global competition is that it is held non-stop, without a single port call! And another thing that attracts Konyukhov here: he needs to go around Antarctica, and he has long wanted to go the way of the discoverers of the sixth continent, Russian naval officers Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. This will be the fourth circumnavigation of the courageous navigator. And before that, he managed to take part in the international Iditarod 2000 sled dog race through snowy Alaska, along the path of gold miners of the 19th century.

The hikes and expeditions of this wonderful traveler give a lot to our science, sports, tourism, and the whole society. They show what can be achieved by a person who is well prepared physically and mentally, who knows how to maintain health and performance, sometimes in difficult situations. And it's no surprise that the 48-year-old explorer plans to travel until 2020.

Replenishing his knowledge, he studies at the Faculty of Law of the Modern Humanitarian University, where he also runs a laboratory for distance learning in extreme conditions.

Fyodor Konyukhov always writes and draws a lot, even during hikes. He is a member of the Union of Artists and a member of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation. In 1999, three of his books were published: “And I saw a new sky and a new earth”, “Le Havre - Charleston” and “How Antarctica was discovered”; The almanac “Russian Traveler” was previously published. These are basically the author's diary entries, but they are perceived as adventure stories.

The name of Fyodor Konyukhov is among the outstanding figures of science and technology in the international encyclopedia “Chronicle of Humanity”. The traveler was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples and a UNESCO diploma for his contribution to the cause of ecology. He is an Honored Master of Sports, a yacht captain.

"Morton" landed in western Australia. Behind are three oceans and three continents! Very soon Fyodor Filippovich will be able to hug his wife and youngest son, who are waiting for his return several hundred kilometers away. The father is met by Oscar Konyukhov, the head of the headquarters of his trip around the world. During the entire 11-day flight, he was in touch with the pilot every hour, worried and nervous about his father, who had to risk his life more than once.

On approach to Australia, Fedor Konyukhov was met by a plane with a support group and guided the balloon to the landing site.

The world record belongs to Russia! Photo: Nail VALIULIN

By the way, it was not possible to land right away - difficulties arose due to a shower of water gushing from the balloon. A few days ago, over the Atlantic Ocean, the ball fell into snow clouds and became covered with a layer of ice.

Behind 34 thousand kilometers Photo: Nail VALIULIN

The low temperatures in which the traveler advanced in the Indian Ocean almost near Antarctica did not allow the shell to thaw. And as soon as the Australian sun began to melt the ice, water poured out of the shell like a shower.

The finish location is predetermined - 100 kilometers northeast of Cape Llewin (the most southwestern point of Australia). Fyodor Konyukhov came in for landing, having already dropped to 2000 meters - after flying 10 kilometers above sea level, for Fyodor Filippovich this is a “children’s” altitude.

CHRONICLE OF LANDING

13.37 After landing, Fedor Konyukhov was terse:

The worst thing was to fly during a thunderstorm over the Indian Ocean, admitted Fyodor Flipovich, before approaching the loop to Antarctica.

After the ball got caught in a snow cyclone and the stove failed, the temperature in the gondola dropped below zero, the water in the bottles froze, it was impossible to get a drink properly and to dissolve dry rations - porridge or soup. Fortunately, the traveler had energy bars in stock, and he sat on them for the last two days before the finish line.

12.00 Fedor Konyukhov is at work even after the finish - he doesn’t rest, he helps “extinguish” the dome. A 56-meter silver cloud lies on the ground - everyone who met Fedor Konyukhov at the landing site is jumping on it - it is urgent to release the helium from the shell. Just a few minutes ago it was floating in the sky, and now it has turned into a large sparkling lake that suddenly appeared in the Australian desert. It took a year to build by specialists from the English company Cameron Ballons; it passed over three continents and three oceans, withstood cyclones, turbulence and snow storms. The final episode of the trip around the world has been successfully completed. The landing was smooth, the pilot was practically uninjured - a few abrasions and bruises do not count.

11.11 Touching the ground! Fedor Konyukhov landed in Australia in the Morton balloon. The round-the-world flight in a hot air balloon around the Earth has ended.

10.18 Fedor Konyukhov's expected finish time is 11-12.30 Moscow time. Now the "recruitment team" by helicopter and cars follows the Morton balloon deep into the Australian continent. Fedor Konyukhov has already crossed the runway near the city of Northam, from where he started on July 12, which means the record for the fastest circumnavigation has been recorded. But the 56-meter balloon still needs to land. After burning out the fuel and dumping the ballast, a 10-ton balloon weighs about 3 tons, but this is still a serious weight. We hope that Fyodor Filippovich’s expedition will end as successfully as it did during all these 11 days and 6 hours.

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Fyodor Konyukhov's balloon reached Australia. The world's largest hot air balloon, the Morton, lands in western Australia

08. 20 - Fedor Konyukhov broke several world records at once. There are still a few hours before the ball lands in western Australia, but it is already clear that Fyodor Konyukhov’s round-the-world flight took less time than the 11 days and 8 hours in which the previous record holder, American Steve Fossett, was able to meet.

8.00 - The balloon began to descend

Chronicle of a round-the-world flight

Australia – Tasman Sea – New Zealand – Pacific Ocean – South America – Atlantic Ocean – Africa – Indian Ocean – Australia

Three... two... one... Take off! At half past two in the morning Moscow time, the 56-meter Morton balloon took flight from a takeoff field near the Australian city of Northam. In the first hour, Fedor Konyukhov managed to gain a height of 3000 meters and head east across the Australian continent. On the first day of the flight, the speed was 60 kilometers per hour, the temperature outside was 12

Fyodor Konyukhov crossed half of the Australian continent in the Morton hot air balloon. For the first time, the pilot worked with burners and instruments in the air - before that he had trained only on the ground. The flight took place at a low speed of 60 kilometers per hour and at an altitude of 7000 meters. Outside the boat - minus 16 Celsius, in the cockpit - minus 7. For the first time, Fyodor Filippovich had a snack on his flight ration - he diluted porridge and vegetable broth in warm water. No incidents, good mood

Fedor Konyukhov and his Morton balloon crossed the first continent - Australia. “I pass over the coastline of Australia, the altitude is 7200 meters, I see ships in the roadstead. Now the land will not be visible for a long time. The Pacific Ocean is ahead! - Fyodor Filippovich wrote to the flight control center. Behind 3560 kilometers

On the fourth day, the wind speed increased to 100 kilometers per hour - this gives Fedor Konyukhov hope of setting a world record, but does not allow him to relax: decisions need to be made very quickly. New Zealand remained on the starboard side. The balloon floats over the Pacific Ocean towards South America

The first 10 thousand kilometers of the journey have been completed! Finally, the Morton ball was able to reach the required speed - 240.5 kilometers per hour. Fedor Konyukhov rushes over the Pacific Ocean at an altitude of 7700 meters.

During the fifth day, Fedor Konyukhov managed to catch up with Steve Fossett's flight schedule. But then a strong cyclone stood in the way of the pilot - a cold front literally blocked the road. Fyodor Konyukhov found himself in the epicenter of bad weather: snow crystals complicated visibility, the temperature dropped sharply, and in front there were huge cumulus clouds that sucked air from the surface of the ocean like into a chimney. If the ball hits them, it may simply burst. The pilot decides to “jump” the thunderstorm front along the tops of the clouds at an altitude of more than 8.5 kilometers. The maneuver was a success! And the first losses: the valve for releasing excess pressure on the oxygen cylinder failed - Konyukhov will have to manually adjust it for the rest of the flight. One of the burners has failed. But he is rushing towards South America!

15,400 kilometers traveled - the Morton balloon over South America. Crossing the Andes and the summit of Aconcagua, 6962 meters high, is one of the most difficult tasks of the journey. The wind over the peaks creates a so-called “rotor” - a reverse air flow that is fatal to the balloon. The only way out is to fly over the peaks. And Fedor Konyukhov succeeded!

Four countries and an entire continent were covered by Fedor Konyukhov on the Morton balloon in one day! The pilot managed to fly over Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil in just 17 hours. Speed ​​- 105 kilometers per hour, altitude 7500 meters. He went out into the Atlantic Ocean. 20,000 kilometers behind, heading for Africa!

The Morton balloon crossed the Prime Meridian over the Atlantic Ocean - a speed of more than 200 kilometers per hour, an altitude of 7700 meters. And at night the pilot found himself in the epicenter of a powerful cyclone! Hail and turbulence hit the dome of the balloon... “Sometimes the balloon throws up 300-400 meters, the autopilot can’t handle it, then the balloon sharply goes down. The task is to hold out until dawn! - reported Fedor Konyukhov. The wind blew out three burners (there are six in total). Due to the frost - 44 degrees, they cooled down and became icy, so they had to fly on three. In the Indian Ocean - the third in the circumnavigation of the world - where the balloon came out, leaving behind Africa - the third continent - bad weather is also raging

In conditions beyond the limits of possibility, 28,000 kilometers were covered, two oceans and three continents behind us! At an altitude of 10 kilometers and a speed of 200 kilometers per hour, Fedor Konyukhov is moving towards Australia. The ball drifts south: “The stove is not working. The devices are all covered in frost. I keep a satellite phone in my bosom, warming it up so I can make a call. I’m walking along the edge of the clouds, I can’t go down. Dragging to Antarctica! - Fedor Konyukhov reported to the ground. “- Waiting for a wind shear to begin to rise towards Australia”

Having pushed off from Antarctica, Fedor Konyukhov entered the finish line on the Morton balloon! The Indian Ocean cyclone passed at a record altitude of 10,614 meters! There is one more test ahead - a narrow 200-meter corridor between the city of Albany and Cape Lewis, into which you need to get the ball. Otherwise he will be carried away to Tasmania

800 kilometers and a few hours to the finish! Everyone who believed that Fedor Konyukhov could fly around the planet on his first attempt is rejoicing! The pilot and his Morton balloon almost set a new world record! 33,699 kilometers are left behind - the finish line is ahead!

In England, a giant balloon the size of a 25-story building is being built for Fyodor Konyukhov. On it he will rise to the height of three Everests. And by sea on a special boat he will make a solo circumnavigation of the world with oars.

The whole world is not enough for them! Fedor Konyukhov and his team are preparing for a flight into near space. The journey begins here, in this workshop. We need to build a balloon like no one has ever done before.

“Even without flying anywhere, this balloon is already a world record, because it is the largest shell in the history of world aeronautics,” notes Oscar Konyukhov.

In the summer of 2016, Fyodor Konyukhov flew around the planet in a huge balloon. The new one will be twice as large. It is a 25-story building in height. The volume of the ball is 100 million liters! Two Boeing 777s can easily fit inside.

“Going up is not so bad, but going down is even more difficult. Because radiation and this giant ball will not descend,” explains Fedor Konyukhov.

Fedor Konyukhov will rise to a height of 25 thousand meters. It's practically three Everests stacked on top of each other. A controlled balloon has never been flown so high before. The current world record is 21 kilometers. To beat it, you need to beat the best designers. Hundreds of questions. For example, how to supply oxygen to a gas burner, because there is practically no oxygen in the stratosphere. Without oxygen there will be no fire, and without heat the ball will not fly.

“Everyone who flies in a hot air balloon is a little crazy, you have to be very careful, attentive to detail, you have to think everything through in advance,” says balloonist Don Cameron.

This is not the only record that Fedor Konyukhov wants to set next year. There are plans for another, no less ambitious project. Therefore, from balloon designers, the traveler rushes to boat builders.

Fyodor Konyukhov will live in this boat for 250 days. He will make a new expedition around the world. But for the first time it will be a circumnavigation of the world by oars! Start in Australia. Heading towards Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, finishing at the same point as the start. It turns out 27 thousand kilometers, no matter what and without any help! You will have to rely only on the strength of your hands and an iron will.

“We studied and tested the material and decided how best to build the boat. After all, we were given the task of building a boat that would withstand the most severe storms,” says Charlie Pitcher.

Charlie Pitcher rowed across the Atlantic himself. He also built Fedor Konyukhov’s first boat. On it, the Russian traveler swam across the Pacific Ocean. The new model is an improved version of the previous one.

This is a whole house, on one side there is a storage room, a balcony and the living area itself: two rooms, a study and a kitchen, with a bedroom in the distance. There is enough space to stretch out while lying down, but you won’t be able to stand up. And no portholes. You walked in, closed the door and that’s it, you don’t see or hear anything.

There are still months of work and testing ahead. But to evaluate the boat, Fyodor Konyukhov only needs a few minutes.

“It’s nice when you create something in life. It’s like a toy, I’m an old man, and I like the toy,” admits Fyodor Konyukhov.

Our viewers will see both the ascent into the stratosphere and the trip around the world in every detail. Channel One is the main information partner of Fedor Konyukhov’s team. The traveler himself hurries to the shore while there is time. In his thoughts he is already there, at sea.