From Northeast Passage to Northern Sea Route: Reflecting Through the Millennium

Abstract

The article dwells on the history of the Northeast Passage/Northern Sea Route exploration and development throughout the millennium (up to the early 20th century) as well as on the study of this process in Russian and foreign literature. The author characterizes the historical milestones in Arctic navigation, in particular the idea that emerged in the early 16th century of a possible passage between Europe and Asia, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean along Russia’s northern Eurasian coast, which was later called the Northeast Passage. The paper compares the results of scientific investigations and pursuits to find a through passage from Europe to Asia by Russian sailors and foreign expeditions, as well as studies the exploration of its various parts and how the navigation was organized. It is indicated that A.E. Nordenskiöld’s and B.A. Vilkitsky’s expeditions proved the possibility of a through passage from Europe to Asia, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean through the Russian Arctic. This contributed to the transformation of the Northeast Passage into the Northern Sea Route and stimulated its commercial use, management and development of the necessary infrastructure, but exacerbated the geopolitical rivalry in the Arctic. It is emphasized that the commercial use of this maritime route in the late 19th century, as well as its increased military and strategic importance in the early 20th century, led to the replacement of the term Northeast Passage with Northern Sea Route. Further, the paper studies the development of the European sector, infrastructure and protection of the Northern Sea Route and the rapid growth in cargo volume during World War I. In addition, the article describes the international research megaproject on the route’s history, which resulted in the publication of a collective monograph in 2022.