Vintage 1972 Soviet Book: Life on an Ice Floe (Arctic Diary) – Ivan Papanin | Tsar to Soviet Books

Classic 1972 Soviet Arctic Memoir: "Life on an Ice Floe" by Ivan Papanin

For polar historians, collectors of Arctic exploration journals, and admirers of Soviet aviation history, this 1972 original Soviet hardcover edition in its original dust jacket is a definitive account of high-latitude exploration. Published in Moscow by Mysl (Издательство «Мысль») as part of the academic series "20th Century: Journeys, Discoveries, Research", Life on an Ice Floe: Diary (Жизнь на льдине: Дневник) was written by legendary Arctic leader Ivan Dmitrievich Papanin.

Protected by an illustrated dust jacket showing the Soviet expedition tent on the pack ice, this 304-page edition presents the complete month-by-month personal logbook of the North Pole-1 (Северный полюс-1) drifting expedition.

The 1937 North Pole Drift, Transpolar Flights & Arctic Science Papanin’s diary records the day-to-day realities of establishing human scientific presence at the apex of the globe:

• The "Papaninite" Crew: Detailed entries describing camp life and survival shared by expedition chief Ivan Papanin, radio pioneer Ernst Krenkel («Теодорыч»), marine biologist and oceanographer Pyotr Shirshov, and geophysicist Yevgeny Fyodorov.

• Transpolar Aviation History: Chronicles the station’s role providing critical weather data and radio communication for Valery Chkalov's flight from Moscow across the North Pole to the United States, as well as the tense radio watches maintained following the disappearance of Sigizmund Levanevsky's plane.

• Polar Oceanography & Geophysics: Documents the continuous scientific operations conducted under Arctic conditions, including magnetic theodolite runs, bathymetric cable soundings of the Arctic basin floor, and meteorological observations during the six-month polar night.

• Geographical Commentary: Includes an analytical concluding essay by polar historian and geographer E. M. Suzyumov on the scientific legacy of the first drifting ice station.

Complete Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Жизнь на льдине: Дневник (Life on an Ice Floe: Diary)

• Author: Ivan Dmitrievich Papanin (И. Д. Папанин)

• Afterword: E. M. Suzyumov (Е. М. Сузюмов)

• Editorial Board: E. M. Murzaev (Chairman), N. A. Gvozdetsky, A. V. Zhivago, E. E. Syroechkovsky, N. G. Fradkin

• Series: XX век: Путешествия, Открытия, Исследования (20th Century: Journeys, Discoveries, Research)

• Publisher: "Mysl" Publishing House (Москва)

• Publication Date: 1972 (Moscow, USSR)

• Language: Russian

• Binding: Original publisher's cloth hardcover in pictorial dust jacket

• Page Count: 304+ pages organized by monthly logs

• Classification: Polar Exploration / Arctic History / Soviet Science & Aviation

Condition & Preservation Report

• Dust Jacket Condition: Original color illustrated dust jacket is clean, flat, and complete, exhibiting minor rubbing along the top spine edge and fold perimeters.

• Hardcover Binding: Inner light-grey cloth boards are clean, rigid, and completely square with bright gold foil titling on the cover and spine.

• Binding Integrity: Exceptionally firm, square, and tight text block with intact hinges.

• Page Quality: Interior pages and journal logs are clean and unmarked, exhibiting uniform light cream age-toning typical of early-1970s Soviet publishing paper stocks. Free from marginal notation, underlining, library stamps, or owner signatures.