Scientific and sports expedition named after Papanina

Scientific-Sports Expedition (NSE) was founded in March 1974 with the assistance of the famous polar explorer I.D. Papanin, based on a group of kayak tourists, members of the Moscow branch of the Geographical Society of the USSR under the USSR Academy of Sciences, to carry out works on fixing on the terrain Geographical center of the USSR land, calculated on the initiative of N.M. Tarasov by Professor P.A. Bakutom.

Since March 1974, Nikolai Makarovich Tarasov has been the permanent head of the expedition. He is a professional journalist, a full-time member of the Moscow Center of the Russian Geographic Society, a founder of the recreational tourism section, a master of sports in water tourism, a veteran of war and labor, and a wonderful organizer.

The main geographical discoveries of the Scientific and Sports Expedition I.D. Papanina:

• Calculation and fixation on the ground of the Land Centre of the USSR (in the sources of the Pokolka River, the left tributary of the Taz River, Tyumen region) – 1974
• Fixing on the ground of the Geographical Center of the Russian State, calculated by D. I. Mendeleev in 1906 (right bank of river Taz, below the mouth of the river B.Shirta) - 1983.
• Calculation and fixation on the ground of the Geographical centre of the territory of the Russian Federation (Evenkia, south-east bank of oz. Vivi) - 1992.

Scientific and sports expedition named after I.D. Papanin she conducted routes along the country's untrodden rivers dedicated to historical dates and geographical discoveries. Thus, in 1982 on the Eastern Trans-Baikal it passed on the rivers Karenga and Vitim (up to st. Kalakan) - on the places described in the novel V. Shishkov «Ugryum - river». In 1986, more than 500-kilometer route was passed, dedicated to the 275th anniversary of M. V. Lomonosov – geological expedition on the Nenets AO of the Arkhangelsk region – city Naryan-Mar – rafting on the Indiga River from the source to the Cheshskaya Guba of the Barents Sea (Chayachy Island). In 1987, the route on the «Golden Kolyma» - in honor of the 60th anniversary of the First Kolyma Geological Exploration Expedition, led by the discoverers of Kolyma gold Y.A Bilibin and V.A Tsaregradsky - along the rivers Maltan - Bohapcha - Kolyma. Installed a memorial sign at the confluence of the Khurenga River into the Maltan River – the place where the expedition began rafting in 1928.

In 1990, the expedition rafted the first rafting trip on the wonderful Taimyr Rivers Kotuykan and Kotuy. The route was dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the Great Siberian expedition. In the mining village of Kayak the first Russian memorial plaque «To the victims of Stalin's repressions» was installed, and in the settlement of Khatanga - a memorial sign to the explorers of Taimyr Peninsula (geological campaign).

Several routes were dedicated to explorers of the Obruchev family. In 1988, a hike through Chukotka. Rafting from Lake Elgygytgyn along the Enmyvaam River and the Belaya River to the Ust-Belaya village on the Anadyr River – city Anadyr. The route is dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the birth of Academician V.A. Obruchev and the expedition of S.V. Obruchev (1934). A memorial sign in honor of S. V. Obruchev was erected on Lake Elgygytgyn and a memorial plaque in honor of V.A. Obruchev on the building of the Chaunskaya geological expedition in the city of Pevek (geological trip). A similar route to the places of research academicians Obruchevs was in 1989 (Lake Karabalyk – river Biy-Khem, Tuva). In 1991 the route across Yakutia from Yakutsk - settlement Ust-Nera - lake Labynkyr, rafting - the first passage on the river Tuora-Yuryakh - the river Indigirka (Oymyakon settlement) - Ust-Nera settlement. The route was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the geologist and traveler S. V. Obruchev (1891 - 1965) and the proclamation of the sovereignty of the Sakha Republic. Installed: a memorial sign in honor of the researchers of Yakutia on the lake. Labynkyr, a memorial sign at the sources of the Indigirka River and a memorial plaque in honor of the 100th anniversary of S. V. Obruchev in the village of Oymyakon (geological campaign).

The expedition includes journalists, scientists, geologists, doctors and engineers. All her participants - water sportsmen - use their summer holidays for expeditions. In the course of expeditions were filmed movies, slide films, photos. On the materials of the hikes were held speeches on TV, publications in newspapers and magazines in our country and abroad. According to the results of works, the expedition annually reported to the Moscow branch of the Geographical Society of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, in the House of Scientists. Sports alloys-firsts formed the basis of the routes of tourist groups, are included in the reference geographical publications.