Fyodor Konyukhov facts for kids
Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov (Russian: Фёдор Филиппович Конюхов) is a well-known Russian adventurer, explorer, and artist, born on December 12, 1951. He is famous for his incredible journeys to some of the most extreme places on Earth. He has traveled across oceans, climbed towering mountains, and even flown around the world in a balloon. He is also an Eastern Orthodox priest.
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About Fyodor Konyukhov
Fyodor Konyukhov was born in a village called Chkalovo, in Ukraine. His father was a fisherman, and his grandfather was also an explorer. Fyodor studied at nautical schools to learn about ships and how to navigate. He also served in the Soviet Navy. After his time in the navy, he became a talented painter and sculptor. He is also a priest in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Artistic Achievements
Fyodor Konyukhov is not just an explorer; he is also a talented artist.
- In 1983, he became the youngest member to join the Union of Artists of the USSR.
- He is also a member of the Moscow Union of Artists, working with graphic arts and sculpture.
- He has won the Gold Medal of the Russian Arts Academy.
- He has created more than 3,000 paintings and has shown his art in many exhibitions around the world.
- Fyodor Konyukhov was the first priest of the Russian Orthodox Church to successfully climb Mount Everest. He even took an icon (a religious image) of St. Nicholas with him to the top.
- In 2015, he became a Global Ambassador for Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors, helping to protect animals.
Amazing Journeys and Records
Fyodor Konyukhov is the only person to have reached many extreme points on our planet. He has been to the North Pole three times, the South Pole, and the Pole of Inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean. He has also climbed Mount Everest twice and sailed around the world four times, going past Cape Horn. He is also the first Russian to climb the three highest peaks in the world: Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga.
Sailing Adventures
Fyodor Konyukhov has completed many challenging sailing trips.
- In 2000, he took part in a solo, non-stop race around the world called "Vendée Globe." He had to stop in Sydney, Australia, because of a technical problem with his yacht. He is still the only Russian sailor to have competed in this tough race.
- In May 2008, he became the first person to sail solo around Antarctica in a sailboat. This amazing journey took him 102 days.
Rowing Across Oceans
Konyukhov has set world records for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
- He crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat called URALAZ in just 46 days.
- He also set a record for the longest distance rowed in 24 hours in the same boat, covering 110 miles (about 177 km).
Flying Around the World in a Balloon
On July 23, 2016, Fyodor Konyukhov became the second person ever to fly around the world in a special hot-air helium balloon.
- The only other person to do this was American Steve Fossett in 2002.
- Konyukhov completed his flight in just over 11 days, which was faster than Fossett's 13 days.
- The balloon he used was named Morton. It was specially built in England and was very tall, about 60 meters (197 feet) high.
- The small cabin, called a gondola, was made of carbon fiber. It held his bed, food, water, oxygen, and all his navigation and communication gear.
- His journey started in Northam, Australia, on July 12, 2016.
- He flew east across Australia, the Pacific Ocean, South America, and then across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
- He landed back in Australia, completing his trip around the world.
- His planned route was about 33,000 kilometers (20,500 miles), but he ended up flying about 34,000 kilometers (21,126 miles) because of an unexpected turn towards the Antarctic Circle.
- He set a new record for the fastest round-the-world flight in a balloon, completing it in 272 hours and 11 minutes.
- In 2019, he announced he plans to travel even higher, into the stratosphere, in a balloon.
Other Expeditions
Fyodor Konyukhov has also completed many other challenging expeditions.
- In March 2000, he finished the IDITAROD dog race, which is 1,150 miles (1,850 km) long, from Anchorage to Nome. He finished in 15 days and won the "Red Lantern" award for finishing last, which is a tradition in the race.
- In May 2007, he crossed the Greenland Ice Cap from east to west with a dog sled. He covered about 800 kilometers (500 miles) in just over 15 days.
- In April–May 2013, he led a dog sled expedition from the North Pole to Canada. He and his partner, Viktor Simonov, crossed the Arctic Ocean in 46 days.
- In 2011, Konyukhov explored Ethiopia, traveling more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
The Explorers Grand Slam
Fyodor Konyukhov is the first Russian mountaineer to complete the "Seven Summits challenge." This means he climbed the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. He is also the first Russian traveler and only the third person in the world to complete "The Explorers Grand Slam." This means he has visited both the North Pole and the South Pole, in addition to climbing the Seven Summits.
Here are some of the mountains he climbed:
- 1992: Mount Elbrus (Europe/Russia)
- 1992: Mount Everest (Asia)
- 1995: Mont Blanc (Europe)
- 1996: Vinson Massif (Antarctica)
- 1996: Aconcagua (South America)
- 1997: Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa)
- 1997: Mount Kosciuszko (Australia)
- 1997: Denali (North America)
- 1999: Puncak Jaya (Oceania)
On May 19, 2012, Fyodor Konyukhov climbed Mount Everest again with a Russian team. This climb was to celebrate 20 years since the first Russian team reached the top of Everest in 1992.
Awards and Recognition
Fyodor Konyukhov has received the Order of Friendship of Peoples for his achievements.
See also
In Spanish: Fiódor Kóniujov para niños
