Polar Expeditions of the Tourist Club “Sampo” at the Turn of the 1970s–1980s

Abstract

Following the dissolution of the USSR, many tourist clubs suffered from a lack of funding and state support. Today, growing interest in domestic travel across Russia is creating conditions for the revival of such clubs, which could draw on the accumulated experience of sports tourism. The study of Arctic expeditions is particularly relevant given the important scientific and educational functions of Arctic tourism. It contributes to the development of methods for ensuring safety in the Arctic, prepares young people for work in challenging conditions, and thereby affects the regional economy and the formation of a positive image of the region. Drawing on sources introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time, this article examines the history of Arctic expeditions undertaken by “Sampo”, the student tourist club of Petrozavodsk State University. The study aims to analyze the development of the club’s Arctic tourism activities during the late 1970s and early 1980s through an examination of oral testimonies and written records, and to assess the impact of these expeditions on the development of sports tourism in Karelia. Adopting a historical-anthropological approach to the study of tourism, the author examines the activities of the expedition leader, reconstructs details of everyday life during the expeditions, and traces the long-term impact of the experience acquired by the club. The study identifies two key factors that contributed to the emergence and development of the Arctic focus of the “Sampo” tourist club: participation in ski marathons across the northwestern regions of the USSR and the incorporation of the expertise of polar explorer V.D. Shatskaya. Five extreme Arctic expeditions undertaken between 1977 and 1981 became a source of unique scientific, practical, and sociocultural experience. Subsequently, four participants in the Arctic expeditions were awarded the title of Master of Sports in Tourism, including the first person in Karelia to receive the title of Master of Sports in ski tourism. The regional student club “Sampo” rose to prominence, attaining a status comparable to that of leading urban and specialized expeditionary groups in the USSR. The dissemination of the club’s sporting expertise by its alumni through youth tourism played an important role in sustaining the network of tourist clubs in Karelia during the 1990s.

For citation: Vasil’eva A.V. Polar Expeditions of the Tourist Club “Sampo” at the Turn of the 1970s–1980s. Vestnik Severnogo (Arkticheskogo) federal’nogo universiteta. Ser.: Gumanitarnye i sotsial’nye nauki, 2026, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 17–28. https://doi.org/10.37482/2687-1505-V524