Mahn
Ivan
Ivan
19.01.1983
Man Ivan Alexandrovich
The ship's captain, who died on 19.01.1983 in Moscow, bequeathed to bury his ashes in Antarctica
***
The diesel-powered motorship Ob was moored to Antarctica’s coast on January 5, 1956. It was the first time Russian people set foot onto the ice of the sixth continent. The first Soviet Antarctic expedition began. Ivan Alexandrovich Mahn, sea captain, veteran and polar explorer, was in charge of the ship.
Ivan was born in 1903. He was left fatherless at a young age and moved to Saratov with his mother. That young man possessed many talents. He studied at college, learned to play the piano and became a sailing instructor. At one point Ivan’s music teacher suggested he would make a choice between the piano and yachts. The future captain chose the latter without hesitation. However, he did not leave music behind, as he was a decent piano player and enjoyed opera very much.
In 1921 the famous polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen came to Saratov. He was a humanist, friend of Russia and head of Foundation for Famine Relief of the Volga Region. After meeting Nansen, Ivan set the seal on becoming a sailor.
Having graduated from the Odessa National Maritime Academy, Mahn travelled on board the Anastas Mikoyan ship. On it, he came to the Arctic for the first time. The vessel delivered cargo to Chukotka shores.
The 30-year-old sailor had two polar navigations under his belt, as well as winter at the Pevek village and an incredible 1500 km crossing of many days on skis and dog sleds. After unloading, Ivan’s ship went to the Bering Sea, and the man himself stayed at Pevek to get through paperwork. He thought he could catch up to the Mikoyan on a ship of opportunity. That was not meant to happen.
The navigation that autumn ended early. Mahn and his two colleagues had to gather on the ship on their own. They procured a dog team from Chukchi hunters, loaded the sled with provisions, prepared weapons and started out eastward. The men would get up at 4 a.m. in order to cover 60 km a day. They travelled by oceanside, sometimes on bay ice, from cape to cape, and then via mountains. On December 14, Ivan and his colleagues climbed a summit and saw the Providence Bay with ships at anchorage. They made it!
Mahn became captain at 32 and led ships via the Northern Sea Route. After the war began, Ivan started bringing cargo from the USA under the Lend-Lease Act.
In summer 1943, his ship ran aground at Chuckotka’s shores. The crew quickly unloaded the vessel, got it afloat again and conducted repairs. Just a month later it got another shipment. However, in accordance with the strict regulations of the time, the captain was sentenced to 7 years in prison. In his final plea at court, Mahn asked to send him to the frontline, so that he could redeem himself.
He was posted at the Black Sea, where pitched battles were raging at the time. Ivan brought landing troops to Novorossiysk, witnessed bombing, torpedo attacks and passed through belts of mines.
In a few months the conviction was expunged, and Mahn became captain once again. It was him who brought the first ship, the Kalinin steamer, to liberated Odessa.
After the war, captain Mahn carved out a glittering career for himself. His colleagues called him a skillful mariner who ‘as head of passenger liners had no rivals’. He was captain of the Black Sea, and received a high-up position at the Ministry in due time. But a desk job was not to his liking. Antarctica kept calling.
Here is an excerpt from Mahn’s report to the Minister of the Navy: ‘This is to inform you that I was offered to take part in the first Antarctic expedition by its administration and that of the Northern Sea Route, as captain of the diesel-powered ship Ob. Having a clear understanding of the responsibility that task entails, I will put every effort and use all my knowledge in being an efficient force in its performance. My 20 years of experience in leading ships and navigation on different seas, including those in the Arctic, will be of positive value…’
On February 4, 1956, the state opening of the Mirny station took place. After that, the Ob left Antarctica. Captain Mahn would come back to the continent four more times.
Ivan died in 1982. His ashes, according to last will and testament, were buried on Buromsky island in Antarctica. It is the largest cemetery of the sixth continent. ‘He came here for the last time, he came here to stay,’ explorers said.
The ship's captain, who died on 19.01.1983 in Moscow, bequeathed to bury his ashes in Antarctica
***
The diesel-powered motorship Ob was moored to Antarctica’s coast on January 5, 1956. It was the first time Russian people set foot onto the ice of the sixth continent. The first Soviet Antarctic expedition began. Ivan Alexandrovich Mahn, sea captain, veteran and polar explorer, was in charge of the ship.
Ivan was born in 1903. He was left fatherless at a young age and moved to Saratov with his mother. That young man possessed many talents. He studied at college, learned to play the piano and became a sailing instructor. At one point Ivan’s music teacher suggested he would make a choice between the piano and yachts. The future captain chose the latter without hesitation. However, he did not leave music behind, as he was a decent piano player and enjoyed opera very much.
In 1921 the famous polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen came to Saratov. He was a humanist, friend of Russia and head of Foundation for Famine Relief of the Volga Region. After meeting Nansen, Ivan set the seal on becoming a sailor.
Having graduated from the Odessa National Maritime Academy, Mahn travelled on board the Anastas Mikoyan ship. On it, he came to the Arctic for the first time. The vessel delivered cargo to Chukotka shores.
The 30-year-old sailor had two polar navigations under his belt, as well as winter at the Pevek village and an incredible 1500 km crossing of many days on skis and dog sleds. After unloading, Ivan’s ship went to the Bering Sea, and the man himself stayed at Pevek to get through paperwork. He thought he could catch up to the Mikoyan on a ship of opportunity. That was not meant to happen.
The navigation that autumn ended early. Mahn and his two colleagues had to gather on the ship on their own. They procured a dog team from Chukchi hunters, loaded the sled with provisions, prepared weapons and started out eastward. The men would get up at 4 a.m. in order to cover 60 km a day. They travelled by oceanside, sometimes on bay ice, from cape to cape, and then via mountains. On December 14, Ivan and his colleagues climbed a summit and saw the Providence Bay with ships at anchorage. They made it!
Mahn became captain at 32 and led ships via the Northern Sea Route. After the war began, Ivan started bringing cargo from the USA under the Lend-Lease Act.
In summer 1943, his ship ran aground at Chuckotka’s shores. The crew quickly unloaded the vessel, got it afloat again and conducted repairs. Just a month later it got another shipment. However, in accordance with the strict regulations of the time, the captain was sentenced to 7 years in prison. In his final plea at court, Mahn asked to send him to the frontline, so that he could redeem himself.
He was posted at the Black Sea, where pitched battles were raging at the time. Ivan brought landing troops to Novorossiysk, witnessed bombing, torpedo attacks and passed through belts of mines.
In a few months the conviction was expunged, and Mahn became captain once again. It was him who brought the first ship, the Kalinin steamer, to liberated Odessa.
After the war, captain Mahn carved out a glittering career for himself. His colleagues called him a skillful mariner who ‘as head of passenger liners had no rivals’. He was captain of the Black Sea, and received a high-up position at the Ministry in due time. But a desk job was not to his liking. Antarctica kept calling.
Here is an excerpt from Mahn’s report to the Minister of the Navy: ‘This is to inform you that I was offered to take part in the first Antarctic expedition by its administration and that of the Northern Sea Route, as captain of the diesel-powered ship Ob. Having a clear understanding of the responsibility that task entails, I will put every effort and use all my knowledge in being an efficient force in its performance. My 20 years of experience in leading ships and navigation on different seas, including those in the Arctic, will be of positive value…’
On February 4, 1956, the state opening of the Mirny station took place. After that, the Ob left Antarctica. Captain Mahn would come back to the continent four more times.
Ivan died in 1982. His ashes, according to last will and testament, were buried on Buromsky island in Antarctica. It is the largest cemetery of the sixth continent. ‘He came here for the last time, he came here to stay,’ explorers said.
Фото из архива семьи
