Philip Konyukhov. Traveler Fedor Konyukhov: biography, personal life, family, children (photo)

Name: Fedor
Middle name: Filippovich
Surname: Konyukhov
Date of Birth: 12.12.1951
Place of Birth: Chkalovo village, Ukraine
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Eastern horoscope: Rabbit
Occupation: traveler
Growth: 180 cm

Fedor Konyukhov is a unique person who made traveling his profession. He conquered the most inaccessible peaks, the most inaccessible corners of the planet, he swam across the oceans and each time proved his incredible capabilities. Millions of people know him precisely as a traveler. In fact, this is a multifaceted person, a good artist, an amazing author, and he also bears the dignity of a clergyman.

Photo by Fedor Konyukhov

Childhood, youth, education

Fedor Konyukhov's childhood passed on the coast of the Sea of Azov. His parents were ordinary people, his father constantly went to sea and was engaged in fishing, his mother had household duties. All five children were busy, helping their parents with the housework. Father often took Fedor with him to the sea. The boy was very fond of looking at seascapes, pulling out fishing nets. It was then that dreams of great travels were born in him. Inspired by his dream, at the age of 15 he committed an unprecedented act for a teenager. Several years of preparation, enhanced swimming and rowing allowed Fedor to embark on a boat trip along the Sea of Azov and cross it.

Fedor Konyukhov received several educations. He has a technical school in the city of Bobruisk, the profession of a navigator (a nautical school in Odessa), and also Konyukhov became a graduate of the Arctic school in Leningrad. The traveler did not neglect military service either. Due to a conflict with colleagues from the Baltic Fleet, he had to leave and serve as a sailor on a boat in the waters of Southeast Asia.

All life is a journey

It is difficult to even imagine how much time Fedor Konyukhov spent on expeditions. He began his great activity as a traveler in 1977. The first thing he did was follow the route of Vitus Bering. Conquering the Pacific Ocean, he swam to the shores of Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and then there was Chukotka. The fearless Konyukhov sailed alone and, moreover, imitated conditions on his ship similar to those in which travelers performed their exploits several centuries ago.

Two Poles

Groom approached the task of carrying out an expedition to the North Pole thoroughly. The indefatigable traveler took years of training, research, participation in expeditions of Canadian scientists, in the ski expedition of the USSR. And in 1990, the first person to reach it alone was at the North Pole. The campaign was difficult and dangerous, Konyukhov carried heavy equipment, he even nearly died. But after 72 days, the pole was conquered, and the traveler himself was already making new plans.

Konyukhov went to explore the South Pole in 1995. In the Antarctic expedition, he very carefully studied the state of the body, the influence of external factors on it. Two months after the start, the Russian tricolor was hoisted at the southernmost point of the world. The data collected as a result of the expedition, discoveries and research made a great contribution to science.

On the peaks

After completing the trip to the South Pole, the Grand Slam program replenished the traveler's asset: North Pole - South - Everest (I climbed Everest in 1992).

In his business, Fedor Konyukhov repeatedly became the first. So it happened with the conquest of the "seven peaks", the seven highest points of the continents (became the first in the CIS):

1992 - Elbrus, Europe;
1992 - Everest, Asia;
1996 - Wilson massif, Antarctica;
1996 - Aconcagua, South America;
1997 - Kosciuszko Peak, Australia;
1997 - Kilimanjaro, Africa;
1997 - McKinley, North America.

By land

Overland expeditions have become an indispensable part of the traveler's life. There were a lot of them and each of them contributed to the study of natural phenomena and human abilities. The most large-scale campaigns of Konyukhov were:

ski expedition in Chukotka in 1981;
hiking in the Ussuri taiga, 1985;
Soviet-American bike ride Nakhodka - Moscow - Leningrad, 1989;
travel by SUVs Nakhodka - Moscow, 1991 (Russian-Australian project);
Great Silk Road, 2002;
Great Silk Road, stage 2, 2009;

By sea and air

Fedor Konyukhov realizes his childhood dream of sea adventures all his life. It is travel by sea that occupies a significant part of his activity. Dozens of swims, five round-the-world voyages, seventeen crossings of the Atlantic, a crossing of the Pacific in a rowboat. At the same time, a number of expeditions are records. In the summer of 2016, Konyukhov circumnavigated the world in a hot air balloon and landed with a new world record.

Many things happened on his way: illnesses, ship hijacking, and unforeseen situations, but nothing stops Konyukhov. He continues his adventures, and moves only forward, towards new discoveries. His life is a journey, the search for something new, and only the desire to achieve his goal fills his path with meaning.

Social activities, creativity, family

Fedor Konyukhov has no less talent in the artistic genre. He paints pictures, and during his travels. His works are shown at exhibitions and arouse genuine interest. Back in 1983, he entered the Union of Artists of the Soviet Union. In 1996 he was admitted to the Moscow Union of Artists, and in 2012 he took the place of an academician at the Russian Academy of Arts.

From the pen of Konyukhov the author came out extraordinary scientific research and discoveries, as well as works about personal experiences and impressions during the expeditions. He is a talented author, for which he was admitted to the Writers' Union of Russia.

Another interesting fact of the biography of this unique person is his church activities. Since 2010, he has been a priest (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate).

Interestingly, in the pursuit of amazing discoveries, Fedor Konyukhov did not forget about simple family happiness. His second wife is a doctor of jurisprudence. Fyodor Filippovich and Irina Anatolyevna have a common son, and the traveler also has two children from his first marriage. Now he already bears the proud title of grandfather of five grandchildren.

Konyukhov was the first to conquer the five poles of the world;
winner of UNESCO awards, UNEP;
honorary resident of several cities (Nakhodka, Miass, Italian Terni);
in Tobolsk, a prize is awarded to them. F. Konyukhova.

Last update: 02/07/2017

Tuesday, February 7, at 09:03 Moscow time, Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov and master of sports in aeronautics Ivan Menyailo, aboard a hot air balloon, took off from the Yuzhny airfield, the city of Rybinsk (Yaroslavl region). The task of the pilots is to set an absolute world record for the duration of a flight in a hot air balloon and stay in the air for more than 51 hours.

The current world record for the duration of a hot air balloon flight is 50 hours 38 minutes, set by the Japanese pilots Michio Kanda and Hirazuki Takezawa February 1, 1997. The crew took off in Canada and landed in the US.

To successfully set a new world record for a non-stop flight, Konyukhov and Menyailo need to avoid crossing air borders with foreign countries - depending on the direction of the wind, the balloon can be blown towards Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania. In this case, the pilots will have to go to land. In addition, the flight will have to be stopped if the balloon intrudes into the airspace of Moscow, as well as in the event of heavy snowfall.

AiF.ru provides a biography of Fedor Konyukhov.

Fedor Konyukhov. Photo: AiF / photo by Evgeny Talypov

Dossier

Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov is a Russian traveler, writer, artist, pilot of a free balloon, archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Born on December 12, 1951 on the shores of the Sea of Azov, the village of Chkalovo (Troitskoe), Priazovskiy district, Zaporozhye region, Ukraine. Father - Philip Mikhailovich, a descendant of Pomor fishermen from the Arkhangelsk province, mother - Maria Efremovna, a native of Bessarabia.

A graduate of the Odessa Naval School with a degree in navigation. Graduate of the Bobruisk Art School (Belarus). A graduate of the Leningrad Arctic School with a degree in ship mechanics.

From 1974 to 1995 he lived in the city of Nakhodka, Primorsky Krai. Honorary resident of the city of Nakhodka (Primorsky Territory). From 1995 to the present day he lives in Moscow.

In 1983 he was admitted to the Union of Artists of the USSR. Since 1996, a member of the Moscow Union of Artists (MOA), section "Graphics", since 2001 also a member of the MA section "Sculpture".

Free balloon pilot. Sea captain. Yacht captain.

From 1998 to the present day - Head of the Laboratory for Distance Learning in Extreme Conditions (LDOEU) at the Modern Humanitarian Academy, Moscow.

On May 23, 2010, on the day of the Holy Trinity, he was ordained a deacon. On December 19, 2010, on the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, he was ordained a priest in his small homeland in St. Nicholas Church in Zaporozhye. Was ordained Bishop of Zaporozhye and Melitopol Joseph (Maslennikov).

Full member of the Russian Geographical Society.

Achievements:

Visited the following poles:

· The first Russian who managed to complete the Grand Slam program (North Pole, South Pole, Cape Horn, Everest).

· He was the first in the CIS to complete the Seven Peaks of the World program, having visited the peaks of all continents (including Asia - Everest, Europe - Elbrus).

· Fifteen times crossed the Atlantic on sailing yachts.

· Crossed the Atlantic Ocean alone on a rowing boat "Uralaz" with a world record of 46 days 4 hours (in the "autonomous" category).

· The first solo circumnavigation of the world on a yacht without stops in the history of Russia (1990-1991).

· Record holder of the Antarctica Cup Race Track sailing trip around Antarctica in the solo yachtsman class.

· He crossed the Pacific Ocean alone on a K9 rowing boat (Konyukhov 9 meters - the length of the boat) with a world record of 159 days 14 hours 45 minutes.

· Set a world record for the duration of a flight on a 3950 m³ hot air balloon - 32 hours 20 minutes.

· July 23, 2016 Konyukhov completed a solo non-stop flight in a balloon around the Earth. The full flight took 11 days, the aeronaut covered about 34.7 thousand kilometers and thus set a new world speed record. Prior to this, such a difficult round-the-world trip had been ventured only twice. In 1999 the Swiss Bertrand Picard and Englishman Brian Jones flew 40 thousand kilometers from Switzerland to Egypt in 19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes, and the American Steve Fossett in 2002 circumnavigated the world in 13 days, 8 hours and 33 minutes. Konyukhov, like Fossett, circled the globe, starting and finishing in Australia, but he did it much faster.

Family status:

Married to Irina Anatolyevna Konyukhova. Three children: sons Oscar and Nicholas, daughter Tatiana. Grandchildren: Philip, Polina, Arkady, Kate, Ethan and Blake.

Photo.

Awards and titles:

Honored Master of Sports.

Member of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation. He was awarded the Order of Friendship of the Peoples of the USSR for the transarctic ski expedition "USSR - North Pole - Canada" (1988).

He was awarded "for activities that contribute to the prosperity of the Chelyabinsk region, increasing its authority in the Russian Federation and abroad" with the highest award - the distinction "For services to the Chelyabinsk region".

Awarded the gold medal of the Russian Academy of Arts, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts.

Awarded the UNEP "GLOBAL 500" award for his contribution to environmental protection. Listed in the encyclopedia CHRONICLE OF HUMANITY.

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

He was awarded the gold medal of the Russian Geographical Society named after Miklukho-Maclay for crossing the Pacific Ocean on a rowboat.

Expeditions:

1977 - research expedition on the yacht Chukotka (Alcor) of the Far Eastern Higher Medical School along the route of Vitus Bering.

1978 - research expedition on the yacht of the Far Eastern Higher Medical School "Chukotka" along the route of Vitus Bering; archaeological expedition.

1979 - the second stage of the research expedition on the yacht of the FVEMU "Chukotka" along the route Vladivostok - Sakhalin - Kamchatka - Commander Islands; climbing the Klyuchevskiy volcano; author of memorial plaques to Vitus Bering and his team, installed on the Commander Islands.

1980 - participation in the international regatta "Baltic Cup - 80" as a member of the crew of the Far Eastern Higher Medical School (Vladivostok).

1981 - crossing Chukotka on a dog sled.

1983 - ski scientific and sports expedition in the Laptev Sea. The first polar expedition in the group of Dmitry Shparo.

1984 - rafting on the Lena River; participation in the international regatta for the Baltic Cup - 84 as a member of the crew of the Far East International Medical University (Vladivostok).

1985 - expedition through the Ussuri taiga in the footsteps of V. K. Arseniev and Dersu Uzala.

1986 - skiing during the polar night to the Pole of relative inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean.

1987 - ski expedition to Baffin Island (Canada) as part of the Soviet-Canadian expedition (preparation for a trip to the North Pole).

1988 - Member of the transarctic ski expedition of the USSR - North Pole - Canada. Start: Severnaya Zemlya, Sredny Island, Cape Arctic March 3, 1988 - the group reached the North Pole on April 24, 1988 and finished in Canada, Worth Hunt Island on June 1, 1988.

1989 - Member of the first Russian autonomous expedition "Arktika" led by Vladimir Chukov to the North Pole. Launch March 4, 1989 from the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago, Shmit Island. The expedition reached the North Pole on May 6, 1989.

1989 - joint Soviet-American transcontinental bike ride Nakhodka - Moscow - Leningrad; leader of the run from the Russian side; start June 18, 1989 - finish October 26, 1989.

1990 - the first solo ski trip to the North Pole in the history of Russia. Launched from Cape Lokot, Sredny Island, March 3. Reached the Pole on May 8, 1990. Travel time - 72 days.

1990 (autumn) - 1991 (spring) - the first solo round-the-world non-stop voyage in the history of Russia on the yacht "Karaana" on the route Sydney - Cape Horn - Equator - Sydney (Australia) in 224 days.

1991 - organizer of the Russian-Australian rally on SUVs along the route Nakhodka - Moscow; filming of the documentary "Through the Red Unknown" by SBS (Australia); start August 5, 1991 - finish September 15, 1991

May 14, 1992 - climbing Everest (Asia) together with Evgeny Vinogradsky (Yekaterinburg) as part of the Seven Summits of the World program.

1993-1994 - round-the-world expedition on a two-masted Formosa 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. Start March 25, 1993 Taiwan Island, Kilun Bay - Finish August 26, 1994 Taiwan Island.

1995-1996 - the first solo trip to the South Pole in the history of Russia, followed by an ascent to the highest point of Antarctica - the Vinson Massif (5140 m). Launched from Hercules Bay on November 8, 1995 - reached the South Pole on January 6, 1996. Reached the South Pole in 64 days, alone, autonomously.

January 19, 1996 - climbing the Vinson Massif (Antarctica) as part of the Seven Summits of the World program.

March 9, 1996 - climbing Aconcagua (South America) as part of the Seven Summits of the World program.

February 18, 1997 - climbing Kilimanjaro (Africa) as part of the Seven Summits of the World program.

April 17, 1997 - climbing the Kosciuszko Peak (Australia) as part of the Seven Summits of the World program.

May 26, 1997 - climbing McKinley Peak (North America) together with Vladimir Yanochkin (Moscow) as part of the Seven Summits of the World program.

1997 - participation in the European regattas Sardinia Cup (Italy), Gotland Race (Sweden), Cowes week (England) as part of the crew of the Grand Mistral maxi-yacht (80 feet), skipper Sergey Borodinov.

1998-1999 - participation in the American single round-the-world race "Around Alone 1998/99" on the yacht Open 60 "Modern Humanitarian University" (design Nandor Fa), the third solo round-the-world voyage.

2000 - participant in the world's longest dog sled race Iditarod through Alaska on the route Anchorage - Nome, 1800 km. Received the National Bank of Alaska "Red Lantern" award.

2000-2001 - the first participation in the history of Russia in the French single non-stop round-the-world sailing race "Vendee Globe" on the yacht Open 60 "Modern Humanitarian University".

2002 - organization of the first camel caravan expedition in the history of modern Russia "In the footsteps of the Great Silk Road - 2002". The expedition passed through the territory of Kalmykia, Astrakhan, Dagestan, the Stavropol Territory and the Volgograd Region. Passed 1050 km. The caravan consisted of 13 camels; start April 4, 2002 - finish in Elista June 12, 2002.

2002 - the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in the history of Russia on the URALAZ rowboat. A world record was set - 46 days 4 hours (in the category of a single crossing). Route: Canary Islands (La Gomera island) - about. Barbados, 3000 miles; start October 16, 2002 - finish December 1, 2002. The Uralaz boat is in the museum, on the territory of the Golden Beach complex, on Lake Turgoyak.

2003 - joint Russian-British transatlantic record crossing with a crew on a 100-foot maxi-catamaran "Scarlet Sails Trading Network" along the route Canary Islands (La Gomera island) - about. Barbados. A world record for multi-hull vessels on this route was set - 9 days.

2003 - joint Russian-British transatlantic record crossing with a crew on a 100-foot maxi-catamaran "Scarlet Sails Trade Network" on the route Jamaica (Montega Bay) - England (Lands End). The length of the route is 5100 miles. A world record for multi-hull vessels on this route was set - 16 days.

2004 - single transatlantic record crossing from east to west on the 85-foot maxi-yacht "Scarlet Sails Trading Network" on the route Canary Islands (La Gomera Island) - Barbados (Port St. Charles). Set a world record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a maxi-yacht under the control of one person - 14 days and 7 hours.

2004-2005 - solo circumnavigation on the 85-foot maxi-yacht "Scarlet Sails Trade Network" on the route Falmouth (England) - Hobart (Tasmania) - Falmouth (England). The first solo circumnavigation of the world in a maxi-class yacht across Cape Horn in the history of world sailing. Fourth successful solo circumnavigation of the world.

2005-2006 - project "Around the Atlantic Ocean". Fedor Konyukhov with a Russian crew made the transition on a yacht along the route England - Canary Islands - about. Barbados - about. Antigua - England. The total number of miles traveled is over 10,000 nautical miles.

2006 - organization of testing of an experimental polar iceboat (trimaran on skis under sail) "Modern Humanitarian Academy" on the east coast of Greenland.

2007 - crossing Greenland on dog sleds from the east coast (Isortok village) through the ice dome to the west coast (Illulisat village), along the Arctic Circle. A record was set for crossing Greenland on this route - 15 days and 22 hours.

2007-2008 - participation in the Australian race around Antarctica - "Antarctica Cup" along the route Albany (Western Australia) - Cape Horn - Cape of Good Hope - Cape Luin - Albany (Western Australia), in the category "single yachtsman", non-stop. Maxi-yacht "Trading network" Scarlet Sails "" - 102 days.

2009 - in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, the second stage of the international expedition "Following the Great Silk Road - 2009" started on the route Mongolia - Kalmykia (Elista).

2011 - expedition "9 highest peaks of Ethiopia".

May 19, 2012 - as part of the Russian team "Seven Summits of the World" Fedor Konyukhov climbed to the top of Everest along the Northern Range (from Tibet). Fedor Konyukhov became the first priest of the Russian Orthodox Church to climb Mount Everest.

2013 - together with Viktor Simonov (Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk) crossed the Arctic Ocean on a dog sled along the route: North Pole - Canada (Worth Hunt Island). Start April 6, finish May 20, 2013.

2013-2014 - made a Pacific crossing by rowing boat from continent to continent, without calling at ports, without outside help in a record time - 160 days - along the route Chile (Con Con) - Australia (Mululuba), overcame 9400 nautical miles (17,408 kilometers).

2015 - setting the Russian record for the duration of the flight on a thermal balloon "Binbank" class AX-9 with a volume of 3950 cubic meters - 19 hours 10 minutes.

2016 - setting a world record for the duration of a flight on a thermal balloon "Binbank" with a volume of 3950 cubic meters - 32 hours 20 minutes.

2016 (February) - a joint expedition with Viktor Simonov on dog sleds "Onega Pomorie - 2016". Passed 800 km along the route Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia (national park "Vodlozersky") - Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region (national park "Onega Pomorye").

Russian traveler - extreme, artist, journalist, yacht captain, priest Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov was born on December 12, 1951 in the fishing village of Chkalovo on the shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov in the family of a hereditary Pomor fisherman from the Arkhangelsk province.

Fedor Konyukhov graduated from the Odessa Naval School and the Leningrad Polar School as a navigator-navigator and ship mechanic, as well as from an art school in the city of Bobruisk (Belarus), specializing in woodcarving.

In the 1970s studied at the seminary in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).

Fedor Konyukhov from childhood showed a desire to travel. He carried out his first expedition at the age of 15 - he crossed the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov on a fishing rowing boat. And by the age of 50 he had made more than 40 unique expeditions and ascents.
For more than 20 years, as a tester of the ultimate human capabilities, Konyukhov participated in expeditions to the North and South Poles, climbed the highest mountains of the planet. He made four voyages around the world, crossed the Atlantic fifteen times, once in a rowboat.

Konyukhov is the first Russian who managed to complete the Grand Slam program (North Pole, South Pole, Everest) and the first traveler in the world who reached the five poles of our planet: the North geographic (three times), the South geographic, the Pole of relative inaccessibility in the North Arctic Ocean, Everest (pole of heights) and Cape Horn (pole of yachtsmen).

He described his impressions of travel in books and paintings. Konyukhov is the author of more than three thousand paintings, a participant in Russian and international art exhibitions. Many of his works have been acquired by museums around the world and private collectors.

In 1983, Fedor Konyukhov was admitted to the Union of Artists of the USSR, since 1996 he has been a member of the Moscow Union of Artists (MOA) section "Graphics", since 2001 he has been a member of the MA section "Sculpture".
Konyukhov is a laureate of the Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts, Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts.

Member of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation. Author of nine books, including "And I saw a new sky and a new earth", "Fyodor Konyukhov's diaries about the sailboat race "Around Alone", "Under scarlet sails", "My spirit on the deck of the Karaana", "Rower in the ocean" , "All birds, all winged", "The road without a bottom", "The ocean is my abode".

Konyukhov is a full member of the Russian Geographical Society.
Since 1998, he has been the head of the Laboratory for Distance Learning in Extreme Conditions (LDOEU) at the Modern Humanitarian Academy.

In 1989 he was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports for the solo conquest of the North Pole.
Fedor Konyukhov was awarded the Order of Friendship of the Peoples of the USSR, the UN Environmental Prize "Global-500" (UNEP "GLOBAL 500") - for his contribution to environmental protection (1998). Winner of the UNESCO Prize "For Fair Play" (1999).
Listed in the "Chronicle of Humanity" encyclopedia, thousands of articles have been written about him in newspapers and magazines around the world.

Konyukhov is an honorary resident of the city of Nakhodka (Primorsky Krai, Russia), the city of Terni (Italy) and the village of Bergin (Kalmykia, Russia).

On May 22, 2010 Fedor Konyukhov accepted the rank of subdeacon. The ordination was performed during a visit to Zaporozhye by Metropolitan Vladimir of Kyiv and All Ukraine. On May 23, 2010 Konyukhov was elevated to the rank of deacon in Zaporozhye by Bishop Joseph of Zaporozhye and Melitopol.

On December 19, 2010, on the feast of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, in the St. Nicholas Church of Zaporozhye, Bishop Joseph of Zaporozhye and Melitopol was a priest.

Father Fyodor continues to travel, but if earlier he traveled as a scientist, as an athlete, set world records, now as a missionary.

Fedor Konyukhov is married for the second time, he has three children. The first wife - Lyubov, lives in the USA, the second wife - Irina - Doctor of Law, Professor.

The eldest son Oscar (born in 1975) is the executive director of the All-Russian Sailing Federation.

Daughter Tatyana (born in 1978) lives in the USA.
The youngest son is Nikolai (born in 2005).

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

Fedor in his diaries twice recalls our acquaintance. We met in Moscow, in a very beautiful place. I then wrote the book "Man and Power" and interviewed the intelligentsia. There is such a very interesting person Anatoly Zabolotsky - this is the director of photography of Shukshin's films. When we met, he was no longer filming movies, but temples flooded in Siberia. I really wanted to talk to him about power and its proximity to man. And so I came, took a very good interview, and I had to leave, when suddenly he received a call. After the call, he ran into the room and exclaimed with delight: “Irina, stay, Fedor Konyukhov will come soon!” I answered: “Well, Anatoly Dmitrievich, I won’t embarrass you,” and I thought that a taciturn, gloomy and reserved person would come now, since he was a traveler. And Zabolotsky says: “No, Ira, you stay, God himself sends him to you.” And so it turned out.

That evening he accompanied me to the subway. He turned out to be very talkative, he talked a lot about his travels, about his trip to the State Duma and to the South Pole. I recorded everything on audio and even wrote an article about him, which, however, the editor did not take. I was outraged by the fact that the government does not support travelers well.

When we met and introduced ourselves, Fedor said that he was three hundred years old. Then he clarified: “I mean, how many years have I been preparing my expeditions. Here, count: the South Pole - 20 years, Everest - 10 ... ”We calculated this in total, it turned out three hundred.

The day after we met, we had our first date, where he offered me his hand and heart. We then talked for 24 hours - the whole day and did not notice how time ran. He told everything about himself: where, what, where and, most importantly, what he wants to do. He said that he puts his projects and expeditions in the first place in his life, and warned that he would travel all his life. And in extreme expeditions too. He offered me to accept him for who he is, and I accepted. Not immediately, but accepted.

Loneliness is a conditional concept. Fedor and I, even during separation, are still together. The more we live, the more we feel it. It takes some time to live with a person to understand this law. Yes, there seems to be no physical presence, but you still feel a person nearby. Years pass - and you begin to feel your loved one at a distance. You feel everything, you even see the picture where he is at that moment. This is given if, of course, you are cordially close to this person, connected with him by prayer. Therefore, over the years, the problem of loneliness did not become. In order to get to know Fedor, I traveled with him. But this is not my calling.

Why would I ruin my life and the lives of my children? If I am a mother, then I should be with children. They must have a family hearth, and someone is forced to become its keeper. If both parents travel, what about the family, the education of children, their upbringing? There are, of course, traveling families, Fedor and I met them. Once we met a girl who has been with her parents on a yacht since birth. She crawled up the mast like a monkey. But this is an exceptional case. It is difficult for such children to be in society. It happens that parents break their lives with their way of life. We went the classical way: there should be a classical family with Orthodox traditions. Therefore, I am “on the shore”, as the guardian of the family hearth. I only travel when children can travel with us.

The problem was different: it was important that he prepared all the expeditions consciously, not to risk in vain. So that each expedition was worked out so that he was sure, and we believed in him, so that there were no doubts. It is important for the traveler's wife to see him off with faith, to wait with faith, not to doubt him - this helps him a lot. The problem is not separation, but whether we believe in this person and whether we understand that this is his calling. We want happiness for our loved ones, and happiness consists not only of the fact that we are nearby. You can be close, in the same room, but not be together and even interfere with each other, generate tension. This is what we were trying to avoid.

I had a girlfriend - the wife of a sea captain. The family celebrated each return from the flight, for the sake of which my friend took a vacation. But when he retired, they separated because they did not learn how to be together. They began to have problems, each appreciated their space.

Although Fedor and I are now parting, we know that there is our own space for two. No matter how it is, no matter how each one lives with his own tasks during the period of expeditions and separations, we understand that there is a place where we will always be together. Now he travels less. Now my youngest son and I are lucky in that he sees his father longer.

Fedor has big, big projects, but he prepares them for about a year (for example, like flying in a hot air balloon). Of course, this is new for us - life, when we are more together than apart. The lack of joint life is now being compensated, we have waited for this. But just because of the example of my girlfriend, I think that someday he will stop traveling, because he is not getting younger, but getting older. We must try to make this period become happiness, and not something unexpected, incomprehensible and alien.

We build our lives in such a way that we try not to wean from each other. Meeting after separation, we are looking for a common field of activity, a common space in which we are united. And not so that one is busy with his own business, the other with his own. That's what's important to build.

At the moment he is in Moscow, waiting for me at home. I was persuaded to stay in Yekaterinburg, but I shortened my trip for a day to see him. Now he is busy preparing for a new achievement - he wants to set a record: to stay in the air on a glider for 120 hours. Therefore, it often happens in Kislovodsk, on experimental flights.

Some wives are offended by their husbands because they do not understand them - they do not know their favorite color, favorite food, favorite flower ... Tell us! Don't wait for your husband to find out about it himself. Tell him about yourself, about who you are, and he will gladly give you your favorite flowers if you explain to him which ones you like. I try not to wait, but to go forward.

We try to be together. This means that he is not indifferent to what is happening to me, and I - to what happened to him. At the beginning of our family life, we agreed that everyday life would not be the reason for our disagreements. Of course, everyday life arises: both material problems and uneven workload during his expeditions, but this is not the main topic of our communication. We protect our relationships. When he arrives, I do not say that a pipe has leaked in the apartment or that I have no money to repair the rooms. I try to tell him what he expects from me. That's what I taught him. I didn’t succeed right away, because he is an independent person, constantly busy with projects. But gradually I told him who I am, what my needs are, what I love.

Fedor says that we have been together for thirty years, and I agree with him, although the real dates do not correspond to this. The children and I calculated that two-thirds of this period was occupied by his expeditions. One third is time together. Now the situation is changing, he is more with us. Maybe later this ratio will become fifty-fifty, and by the end of our life it will be completely opposite to what it was at the beginning. Time is not important - for thirty years we have been able to save the family and we want to be close.

Konyukhov Fedor Filippovich- A person whose profession is travelling. Konyukhov F.F. probably the most famous of the representatives of this profession in modern Russia.

Fedor was born in December 1951 in the Zaporozhye region. His father was a Pomor of the Arkhangelsk region and, of course, was associated with navigation.

Fedor was drafted into the army for the Baltic Fleet. Hazing flourished and once a young soldier was forced to defend himself from the "grandfathers". Of course, it was not possible to continue serving in this place, and Fedor decided to go to Vietnam, where he served as a sailor when delivering ammunition to one of the warring parties.

Subsequently, Fedor used his skills while studying to be a professional navigator-navigator. He also learned the profession of a carver-incruster and received a spiritual dignity.

Fedor shares his travel and life experience by painting pictures - he was a member of the Union of Artists. He describes his adventures in books - at the moment he is the author of 9 works.

Fedor has circled the globe five times already. To do this, he used different types of floating craft. One journey took place on a rowboat. Probably, it was a more adult experience, since at the age of 15 the teenager had already crossed the Sea of Azov by boat.

Grooms did not make the first, trial, trips alone. All subsequent tried to perform "solo". Yes, and many fellow travelers, who at first agreed to a joint trip, subsequently refused, considering Fedor's plans to be extremely dangerous. One of the few group ascents is the conquest of Chomolungma.

Subsequent expeditions took place in order to answer a number of scientific questions. This is the study of the work of a number of medicines, methods of nutrition in extreme conditions. It also tests life support and emergency rescue systems.

Fedor financially supports a number of both state institutions and private companies.
Fedor's travels are closely followed by his wife Irina. Has three children and five grandchildren.

Achievements of Fedor Konyukhov:

Over forty trips. A number of them are unique and have not yet been repeated by anyone.
I visited all five extreme poles of the Earth.
He set several world records related to the speed of crossing the oceans.
He tested and showed what possibilities the human body has, put in extreme conditions.
Author of more than 3000 works of art. Some of them are collectible.
She shares her experience of survival in extreme conditions by working in a distance learning laboratory.
He has eight prestigious, including international, awards.

Dates from the biography of Fedor Konyukhov:

1951, December 12 was born in the Zaporozhye region
1990 first solo trip to the North Pole
1988 awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples
1995 trip to the South Pole
2010 received a spiritual order

Interesting Fyodor Konyukhov Facts:

Has a collection of gifts received for his travels. So, S. Mironov presented the traveler with a mineral found with his own hand.
He is an honorary citizen of several cities.
Very rarely, but removed in commercials.
There are several competitions for teenagers named after the traveler.
Lives in extreme conditions between trips in Primorsky Krai. It can tolerate extreme cold and heat for an ordinary person.
In 2001, while swimming, he developed an acute kidney disease. With the help of remote consultations of doctors, the acute process was stopped, and the journey was over.