Into the stratosphere!
Most of our contemporaries have never experienced the hundredth part of what Fedor Konyukhov saw and experienced, who was born in the Zaporozhye region on the shore of the Sea of Azov and became famous for his unique expeditions. He chose this fate himself, enriched with the mass of knowledge necessary to survive in the mountains and endless snows, in the ocean space or a few thousand meters above the ground
Interviewed by Elena Olkhovskaya photos by Alexander Gulyaev
Recently, another successful record flight of Fedor Konyukhov on a thermal balloon “MORTON” (if someone is more accustomed, then on a balloon, only specially equipped) has come to the end. This flight brought several achievements at once to the treasury of the domestic pioneer and aeronautics. The main task is fulfilled – a new absolute world record for the duration of the flight for a thermal balloon is established – 55 hours and 10 minutes. The crew took off in Canada and landed in the United States.
Konyukhov follows all the travels of the world public – the course of expeditions is usually described on his personal website and social networking pages. During all his expeditions – whether it’s a sailing regatta or climbing Mount Everest, Fedor Konyukhov keeps diaries and necessarily sketches his impressions, from which beautiful pictures are subsequently born. About them and how he feels in each trip alone with the elements, as well as on the nearest plans, Fedor Konyukhov told us during his visit to Dubai at the international tourist exhibition Arabian Travel Market 2017. We were lucky – the famous traveler together with his son Oscar Visited our editorial office, where our conversation took place over a cup of tea.
Fedor, please tell us what are you planning to conquer next?
After the successful completion of the round-the-world balloon flight “MORTON”, together with the British companies Cameron Balloons, we started to produce a thermal balloon for flight to the stratosphere in order to establish a new altitude record. The world record for the heat ball is fixed for India. On November 26, 2005, pilot and businessman Vijaypat Singhya set an absolute record for a thermal balloon, climbing to a height of 21,027 meters. Starting in Mumbai, during the ascent and descent, he flew 50 kilometers and landed in Panshale province. At the time of the flight he turned 67 years old. The previous record was set in the distant 1988 by Per Lindstrand and was 19,811 meters (Texas, USA).
Not just a traveler
Shar-konyuhova Fedor Konyukhov is the archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. He was born on December 12, 1951 on the shore of the Azov Sea, the village of Chkalovo (Troitskoe), Priazovsky District, Zaporozhye Region, Ukraine. Father – Philip Mikhailovich, a descendant of Pomor fishermen from Arkhangelsk province, mother – Maria Efremovna, born in Bessarabia.
A graduate of the Odessa Naval School as a navigator. Graduate of the Bobruisk Art College (Republic of Belarus). He is a graduate of the Leningrad Arctic College, specializing in ship mechanics.
Konyuhov-na-yahte From 1974 to 1995 he lived in the city of Nakhodka, Primorsky Territory. Honored resident of the city of Nakhodka (Primorsky Krai). 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 (MAU), the section “Graphics”, since 2001 also is in the section of the Ministry of Agriculture “Sculpture”.
He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts, the Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts.
Author of more than 3 000 paintings. Participant of Russian and international exhibitions. Member of the Union of Writers of Russia. The author of seventeen books. Full member of the Russian Geographical Society.
Shar-konyuhova2Warrant. Wife Irina Anatolyevna Konyukhova. Son Oscar, daughter Tatyana, son Nicholas. Grandson Philip, granddaughter Pauline, grandson of Arkady, granddaughter Kate, grandson Itan, grandson Blake.
• Pilot free balloon. The captain of the Far Voyage. Yacht Captain. He made four round-the-world voyages, crossed the Atlantic fifteen times on sailing yachts, once on a rowing boat “Uralaz”. Honored Master of Sports.
• konyuhov-v-skafandreAgrated by the Order of Friendship of the Peoples of the USSR for the trans-Arctic ski expedition “USSR-North Pole-Canada” (1988).
• Awarded with the UNEP Award «GLOBAL 500» for his contribution to the protection of the environment. It is entered in the encyclopedia “CHRONICLE OF HUMANITY”.
• Awarded the Order of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Great Martyr
George the Victorious of the first degree for exemplary and zealous works for the benefit of the Holy Orthodox Church of God.
Vozdushnyj-shar The first person in the world to reach the five poles of our planet: North Geographic (three times), Southern Geographic, Pole of relative inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean, Everest (pole of altitude), Cape Horn (pole of yachtsmen).
• The first Russian, who managed to execute the program “Bolsh
