Not by bread alone: issues of food supply for Arctic expeditions of the 18th – 20th centuries

Abstract

Introduction. The article discusses the solution to the food problem when organizing Arctic expeditions in the 18th-20th centuries. Based on the analysis of several Arctic expeditions, three main approaches to food supply for Arctic expeditions have been formed: large initial reserves along with the delivery of new provisions; limited but varied reserves with further reliance on hunting and subsistence; a comprehensive scientific approach to solving the problem, taking into account the achievements of the food industry. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are highlighted. The purpose of this article is to summarize the experience of food supply of domestic and foreign Arctic expeditions of the 16th – 20th centuries. Materials and methods. A literature search on the issues of food supply solutions when organizing and conducting Arctic expeditions was carried out in the bibliographic databases of the Russian Science Citation Index, Scopus, Web of Science, as well as using archival data from the Russian State Administration of the Navy, the Russian State Historical Archive, and the State Archive of the Russian Federation. As a result of the research and comparison of the results of polar expeditions, we came to the conclusion that, to a large extent, the success of the Arctic enterprise depended on how competently and responsibly the leader approached solving the food issue.