Petr Golikov
Petr as VP, Logistics, liaises closely with the owners of our ships. He graduated from the Far Eastern Marine Academy in 1970. Upon graduation he was employed by the Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO), Vladivostok, Russia. By 1979, Petr was Chief Mate aboard the Arctic icebreaker Ermak. In 1986, he was promoted to Captain of Icebreakers for FESCO, serving until 1991 aboard Erofey Khabarov and Admiral Makarov in the position of Master.
Petr recommends:
How did your association with Quark Expeditions begin?
"While Master of the FESCO icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov (1992 to 2004), the ship became an expeditionary vessel carrying adventurers under charter to Quark. I conveyed travelers to the Canadian Arctic, several Antarctic regions, and the North and South Magnetic Poles."
Tell us about some of your memorable voyages.
"In August 1993, Kapitan Khlebnikv under my command attempted to complete the first ever circumnavigation of Greenland. The attempt was thwarted by heavy multi-year ice up to 6 meters (6.5 yards) thick. In Antarctica I have sailed virtually the entire coastline, and visited most of the subantarctic islands of the Southern Ocean."
Tell us about your first circumnavigation of Antarctica.
"In 1996, I became the tenth Captain in history to circumnavigate Antarctica and the first ever in command of a passenger vessel."
What honors have you received.
"In 1983, the Ministry of Merchant Marine of the USSR bestowed the title of Honorary Pole Explorer. In 1997, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation bestowed the title of Honorary Merchant Mariner."
