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It was reported in the January issue of this journal (Barr 2007) that in mid-September 2006, Russian divers had discovered a sunken wreck on the bed of the Chukchi Sea that was almost certainly that of the Soviet steamer Chelyuskin which, while attempting the first accident-free, one-season transit of the Northern Sea Route, was crushed by the ice and sank on 13 February 1934. The divers were able to recover two relatively small components from the wreck: a metal deck stanchion that would have supported part of the ship's rail, and a ventilation grille. These components were sent to the ship's builders, Burmeister and Wein of Copenhagen, for positive identification. Experts with that company have now confirmed that these were indeed parts of the steamer Chelyuskin (Pravda 2007; Vremya 2007; RIA Novosti 2007).
The official announcement of this confirmation was released at the opening of an exhibition to commemorate the voyage of Chelyuskin , held on the anniversary of her sinking, on 13 February 2007 (Vremya 2007). The two recovered components of the ship were on display, as also were photos, archival documents and some relevant personal effects of the ship's company including, for example, a knife used by Otto Shmidt, (Fig. 1) expedition leader and head of Glavsevmorput' (Glavnoye Upravleniye Severnogo Morskogo Puti) [Chief Directorate of the Northern Sea Route] for cutting kolbasa [sausage] at the camp on the ice after the ship sank.Fig. 1
Otto Yul'yevich Shmidt, head of Glavsevmorput' [Chief Directorate of the Northern Sea Route] and leader of the Chelyuskin expedition.