Polar Bridge: An Arctic Odyssey

Hans B. Neumann is a history lecturer at Scarborough College, University
of Toronto.

This book details the joint Soviet-Canadian polar expedition by
cross-country ski, from March to June of 1988. The expedition started in
the Soviet Union, crossed the North Pole, and finished on the Canadian
side of the Arctic. Of the expedition’s members, four were Canadian
and nine were Soviet. Only one of the Canadians was passably able to
communicate in Russian, and only some of the Soviets knew some English.

Short biographical sketches of all the expedition’s participants
precede the main text, which is based on daily voice recordings made
during the expedition. It is in diary form, and includes only the
impressions of the Canadian members. (Comparing their views with those
of the Soviet members would have been interesting.) The book concludes
with a lengthy appendix, which offers fascinating insight into the
intimidating logistics required for such an expedition. An eight-page
section of color photographs illustrates the daunting adventure.

The text, mostly purely narrative, is interesting. As with books of
this kind, transmitting a riveting picture of such an undertaking is
difficult unless the participants are skilled writers. However, the
entries offer a fascinating glimpse into the cultural, political, and
psychological differences that separated not only the two sides but also
the individuals of the expedition.

Above all, this joint venture was an awesome physical and sporting
accomplishment (the motivation for which is very difficult to transmit),
covering some of the harshest terrain on our planet. Sadly, although
binational and multinational co-operation are vitally important to
safeguard the Arctic, the “polar bridge” is unlikely to become
permanent.