The famous traveler Fyodor Konyukhov was born in the Zaporozhye region in 1951. The boy grew up in a large family, there were five children in total. The Konyukhov family lived in a village, and therefore Fedor grew up and learned physical labor from childhood. Fyodor Konyukhov’s family lived right on the shores of the Azov Sea, which always attracted and fascinated him. The desire to fish and swim arose quite early, and already at the age of 15 he crossed the sea on a boat on his own.
Konyukhov’s father Philip, was at the front during the Great Patriotic War, and told many stories of that difficult time. Fedor’s grandfather was also a lieutenant colonel in the tsarist army, who had the opportunity to serve together with the famous explorer Georgy Sedov.
Traveler education. He graduated from the nautical school in Odessa, then studied at the polar school in Leningrad. Further, Konyukhov is studying at a theological seminary. When he graduated from intelligence school in the city of Kaliningrad, he was called up to serve in the ranks of the Soviet army. Among other things, Fedor has served in such hot spots as Singapore and Vietnam.
In Belarus, Konyukhov received the specialty of a carver-instructor, graduating from the Bobruisk Art School.
Personal data
- Name: Fedor
- Middle name: Filippovich
- Last name: Konyukhov
- Date of Birth: 12.12.1951
- Place of birth: village of Chkalovo, Ukraine
- Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
- Eastern horoscope: Rabbit
- Occupation: traveler
- Height: 180 cm
Fedor Konyukhov is a unique person who has made travel his profession . He conquered the most inaccessible peaks, the most inaccessible corners of the planet, he swam across the oceans and each time proved his incredible capabilities. Millions of people know him as a traveler. In fact, he is a multifaceted person, a good artist, an amazing author, and he also holds the rank of clergyman.
Childhood, youth, education
Fyodor Konyukhov spent his childhood on the coast of the Azov Sea. His parents were simple people, his father constantly went to sea and was engaged in fishing, his mother had responsibilities at home. All five children were busy helping their parents with housework. Father often took Fedor with him to the sea. The boy loved to look at seascapes and pull out fishing nets. Then dreams of big travels arose in him. Inspired by his dream, at the age of 15 he committed an act unprecedented for a teenager. Several years of preparation, intensive swimming and rowing training allowed Fedor to embark on a boat trip along the Sea of Azov and cross it.
Konyukhov paints pictures and is also the author of books
Fedor Konyukhov received several educations. He has a technical school in the city of Bobruisk, the profession of a navigator (nautical school in Odessa), and Konyukhov became a graduate of the Arctic school in Leningrad. The traveler did not neglect his military service. Due to a conflict with colleagues from the Baltic Fleet, he had to leave and serve as a sailor on a boat in the waters of Southeast Asia.
Konyukhov’s courage and courage are admired
Biography
Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov was born on December 12, 1951 into a large peasant family. Philip Mikhailovich and Maria Efremovna Konyukhov had five children. The family lived in the village of Chkalovo, Zaporozhye region.
The head of the family, a hereditary fisherman, worked in a fishing cooperative on the Sea of Azov. Maria Efremovna was a housewife. The woman devoted her entire life to her family.
From an early age, Fedor loved the sea, and his father often took him fishing.
The boy loved to read. He read books about great travelers and naval commanders and dreamed of someday going out to the open sea, discovering new shores, and visiting distant countries. During his school years, Fedor went in for sports, believing that these skills would be useful to him on long-distance expeditions. He had no doubt that he would fulfill his dream and become a great traveler. After school, Konyukhov entered the Odessa Naval School. This was followed by studies at the Leningrad Arctic School. Fedor received a diploma as a navigator. He was confident that the knowledge and skills acquired at the school would certainly bring him closer to achieving his cherished goal, to become a navigator.
Two Poles
Konyukh approached the task of carrying out an expedition to the North Pole thoroughly. The tireless traveler took years of training, research, participation in expeditions of Canadian scientists, and in a ski expedition of the USSR. And in 1990, the first person reached the North Pole alone. The hike was difficult and dangerous; Konyukhov carried heavy equipment and almost died. But after 72 days the pole was conquered, and the traveler himself was already making new plans.
Expeditions often take place in the harshest conditions
Konyukhov set off to explore the South Pole in 1995. During the Antarctic expedition, he very carefully studied the state of the body and the influence of external factors on it. Two months after the launch, the Russian tricolor was hoisted at the most southern point of the world. The data, discoveries and research collected as a result of the expedition made a great contribution to science.
Fedor Konyukhov’s wife: “If all families are like ours, chaos will arise in the world”
The other day, the wife of Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov came to Yekaterinburg. This is a nonsense man who has completed five circumnavigations of the world and crossed the Atlantic 17 times. Irina Konyukhova presented her book about her husband to residents of the Ural capital - these are diary entries for the last 20 years, made during the days of his expectation, which add up to years.
The image of Mother Irina Konyukhova, which I had formed from the Internet - a very religious and humble woman, dissipated in the first minutes when, upon entering, she took off her scarf, saying that it would be the same with me. Her attitude towards her own life is captivatingly reasonable. She directly says that they do not have a family model that is worth emulating; she does not deny that she suspected her husband of carelessness and did not immediately learn to live with him. But at the same time, she always understood that she had met a man with a spark that could not be extinguished.
Photo: Alexey Kunilov
“This is the fourth book about our family,” says Mother Irina. — I wrote the first book at Fyodor’s request, when we had lived together for three years and he was going on a long voyage. Of course, I saw him off very hard, and he said: “Write letters to me, and I will write to you.” I was thinking about what to call the book, and I remembered that when we met, he said: “I am three hundred years old.” That’s what she called it: “300 years, 3 years of life.”
- Why 300 years?
“He prepared all his expeditions for a long time. Each one feels like decades of life. After mine, we published two books under his authorship - “The Road Without Bottom” - this is his period of the sled dog race in Alaska. The third book is called "Oarsman on the Ocean." Then he set a world record by crossing the ocean in a rowing boat. He said: “Wait for me 100 days,” but he came in 43. This is a phenomenal result. Naturally, his and my diaries were of interest to the publisher. After the third book, I decided to take a break. I thought that I needed to live for some time before having the right to share my experience, I wrote short stories, short stories, and even published novels. Fedor continued to write his diaries. Last year we thought about our anniversaries: he turned 65 years old, I turned 55. And he asked to write another book about him. By that time I had accumulated a lot of diaries - it had been 22 years since I wrote a little. I decided to collect them, it turned out to be a thousand pages. The book ended up with 300 left to make it easy to read. Another reason why I decided on this publication is that in 2010 I became a mother, and they really liked the short stories that I gave to my parishioners. They asked: “Mother, do you have anything else?” Then I thought that the best book is a story about yourself, because you write it with your heart.
Photo: from personal archive
— In one of your interviews, you said that when you first met, Fyodor said that he did not promise you either prosperity or peace, but promised to love you all your life. Can love exist when there is no peace?
— Man is designed in such a way that he lives in a state of development, and development cannot be peace. And family means development together. Each of us has our own path, and you should never think that everything will be as you imagine. But it’s all the more interesting to live not according to some templates. Family is a lot of work, mental and psychological. I don't like the word "sacrifice". Here it is different - knowing yourself through family.
— Your family life is just beyond any patterns. Surely those around you have tormented you with questions about how difficult it is to live when your husband is constantly away from home?
“You shouldn’t look at our family as a role model.” Definitely, a classic family should be different. If all families are like ours, the world will be in chaos. But it happens that a person has a calling - he is a polar explorer, a geologist, or like my husband, a traveler. Such people are forced to spend a lot of time away from their families. And then another model of relationships arises. In her, the role of the wife increases. And her task, in the absence of her husband, is to compensate for this absence by telling a story about him. Teach the family to live his life. We learned this. Fedor's expeditions are family projects. This is not how it is positioned in the press, and it is not necessary. We both understand that the core of family life is a different model. Therefore, where possible, we are together. We see him off and meet him. In August we will have a family expedition, we are going to the Altai Mountains, and in addition to our family, three more families with children are going with us. I've been dreaming about this for a long time.
Honeymoon trip. Photo: from personal archive
— When you met Fedor, did you understand his position in life, did you know that travel came first for him?
- Yes, he honestly warned that this is the main thing.
— Nevertheless, did you understand that you could build such a model of life?
- Not right away. There was a moment when I realized that I needed to think about this. What was unexpected for me was his declaration of love and his honest conversation that he would spend his whole life working on his projects. It so happened that after meeting and a stormy month of dating, he left for six months. During the expedition I did not receive any communication. I needed to make a choice: to unite with him and, of course, get married, or try to live a different destiny. Six months gave the answer to the question. Of course, a man and woman entering into an alliance must agree on the shore and sincerely talk about what their desires and needs are. If they hide something from each other or think that they will remake the second half, this is a deep misconception. This is where all the conflicts come from.
Photo: Alexey Kunilov
— Is it important to get married?
- Important. For those couples who are really determined to always be together, this helps to maintain the union. Heaven is already holding you. On the one hand, you are given more trials, on the other hand, in difficult times God always holds you and warns you against rash actions.
— How to distinguish a test of strength from a situation when people need to disperse?
“I give the following advice to women who come to me: “Learn to live with an open heart.” Then it will prompt you. And at the moment when you doubt whether to be with this person or not, imagine that he is not on this earth. If you are hurting and cannot imagine life without him, this is a clue that you need to do everything possible to maintain this love. Everyone has their own tactics: someone breaks up for a while, takes a break in the relationship. It's OK. You are still together in thoughts.
Photo: Alexey Kunilov
— You are a doctor of science, a teacher of international law, and your career has been going well. I read that for the sake of your family you were forced to refuse good job offers.
- I had such a test. I met my husband when I was in the prime of my career. After working in Switzerland under a contract, I had prospects for working in the OSCE and UNESCO. But at the moment when I had to sign a contact for work, which meant I was deprived of a certain freedom, trouble happened to Fedor. He almost died off the coast of Australia and sent me a letter in which he said that he would be leaving the fourth unfinished trip around the world, he was really looking forward to me in Australia and asked me to stay with him for a month because he wanted to think about his future. That expedition was prepared very quickly and impulsively by him. He made a mistake and admitted it, but I had to refuse this project and, of course, I chose it. I have prepared another project for him and me. We flew to Paris, I worked there with graduate students at the Sorbonne, and he began painting canvases. He revived himself as an artist, he had time to recover and reflect. I don't regret doing this. This was a test of our family's strength. Such is life, that we will always be given a choice, there is no such thing that everything is perfect at once and the heavens will distribute it, that today you fly to a conference, and tomorrow you meet your husband.
— How long did his longest expedition last?
— The longest is a year. The most difficult thing for both of us was his fifth circumnavigation of the world, when I was expecting a child. He found out about this a week before departure, and returned two weeks before the birth. I felt that it would be a boy, and we gave him a name in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - Kolya . We have five common children and ten grandchildren. The youngest son is 11 years old. He studies at the Moscow Suvorov Military School.
Photo: from personal archive
— How does he feel about the fact that dad is often not around?
- Like other children. At the moment when he reached conscious age, a small rebellion was brewing. Then there was my story about dad. Then I invited Fedor to take him on his expeditions. So before school they had a men's expedition to the Shantar Islands. This is a very dangerous region - bears, killer whales. They were crossing on a rubber boat and were almost capsized. There they built a chapel and erected a cross. Nikolai felt the spirit of his father, and from then on he stopped rebelling, began, like me, to pray, wait and rejoice at Fedor’s successes. Not without tears and suffering, but already consciously.
— Did you have a moment of your own rebellion?
- Was. Especially when there were impulsive projects that did not take place, but took a lot of energy. I feel in my heart and speak frankly when he is in a hurry with the expedition. There was such a moment... when I accompanied him on his fourth unfinished voyage, my legs gave out. He was shocked by what was happening to me. But it was a premonition of what might happen. After that expedition, he became more cautious, and over the years we have less and less contradictions.
Silk Road, 2002. Photo: from personal archive
— How detailed are you in the preparation of his projects?
“He really likes it when I personally put food in boxes on the yacht before an expedition. We put gifts, surprises, letters between them. Especially when he sails on a yacht for a long time and captures Christmas, his birthday, and New Year. It is very important that a piece of our warmth be present with him. Together with him, we hang icons and photographs on the yacht, and create a mini-house for him. Assembling it on an expedition is part of the project, the key to its success.
- How long did it take you to understand this person?
— I understood him immediately. On our first date, I was fascinated by the fact that he is a very open person. He told everything about himself: about his family, about his childhood, about his plans. And to learn to live with him in a way that is harmonious for him and for me - this came over the years.
- How did you meet?
— We met in a beautiful place, in the house of Anatoly Zabolotsky , director of Shukshin’s . I was then writing the book “Man and Power,” and I was interested in the opinion of the intelligentsia, especially those who join the faith. At that time, Anatoly Dmitrievich no longer made films, but he did such an ascetic thing - he filmed flooded churches in Siberia. I myself am from Siberia, and it was very interesting for me to communicate with this person. When I heard that guests were coming, I hurried to leave, and Anatoly Dmitrievich said: “Stay, Irochka, God himself is sending you Fyodor Konyukhov.” I remembered these words. I thought a gloomy man would come. But when Konyukhov appeared at the door, I understood what Anatoly Dmitrievich meant. It was love at first sight.
The Konyukhovs with their children and grandchildren. Photo: from personal archive
— How does your life change when Fedor is around?
“We have a rule: for the first three days, when he returns from the expedition, we are only together. I don't plan anything for these days. It happens that with his return we go to Sergiev Posad, sometimes we stay at home and meet with our children and grandchildren. Then we go somewhere together. Now Fedor has become a priest. We have a house in the Svyato-Aleksievskaya Hermitage. After each project, we build a chapel, put up a cross, and thank God for keeping him alive. Very often on expeditions he makes a vow to build something. When he was flying in a hot air balloon, he made a vow to build a chapel to Fyodor Ushakov .
— Is Fedor at home now?
“He arrived yesterday, but I couldn’t refuse the Ekaterinburg diocese to come here, and he understands that. He flew in from Kislovodsk, where he did training flights on a glider. He wants to set a record - to climb to a height of 11 kilometers. We will meet for one day, and then he flies to Germany, also according to the glider project.
— Was it not the case that during long separations you became unaccustomed to each other?
- This is a very correct question, because separations also have a point of no return. When you are just learning to wait, your family has more experience of physical communication than spiritual communication, you need to be very sensitive to this moment, you cannot underestimate it. Therefore, we agreed with him that we will not cross this point of no return, reach the point where everyone is already living their own lives.
Fedor Konyukhov with his son and wife in Mongolia, 2009. Photo: from personal archive
— This is the experience of every family. He and I agreed that we would not be apart for longer than his trip around the world. Plus we communicate every day if there is a connection. I am flying to see him off and meet him. And all this creates a feeling of greater intimacy. In my first experience, when he left for a year, I flew to him for stopovers. These meetings were very important because doubts went away and the strength to continue living and waiting arose. Therefore, I advise everyone to be more careful about separations - this is a very delicate issue.
— Was the material side of life once a stumbling point?
— Of course, there were such periods. It’s more difficult for young couples starting from scratch; after all, we were already mature people when we met. And I was a widow, so I had already learned to live on my own. We agreed from the beginning who bears the financial burden and how. And we constantly communicate about this and solve some problems. But the main thing on which we have always been united is that everyday life should not become the reason for our disagreements. To be honest, at one time I had a big financial burden. Now Fedor is beginning to participate in financial matters; he does not have the financial problems that he had before. Somewhere I feel better. The main thing is not to suspect each other of carelessness and irresponsibility, and if you suddenly suspect this, you must say so. Don't hold grudges.
“Didn’t you suspect him of being careless?”
— There was a dialogue about this. But they didn’t get to the point where a person keeps it inside and it destroys the marriage.
— What do you think is common between you and the wife of some serious leader?
- The wife of such a man should live in his world, such a woman should be a believer, then she will feel that there is a spark in her husband that cannot be extinguished. At the same time, such a woman must have her own personal interests. Then she will understand what realization means. And, of course, she should do charity work - thank her for the fact that, despite such moral stress, she is given this benefit.
Photo: Alexey Kunilov
— There are things in the family that are of fundamental importance to you. Fyodor may not be around for a long time, but at the same time he gives you something most important.
- This is his concern for his family. His devotion and gratitude. If indifference to the family continues to arise, I will never accept it.
— Based on the experience of your parishioners, can you say what, in your opinion, are the main mistakes of modern women?
— Of course, there is a problem of feminization. But here, too, men have a misunderstanding of the modern woman. The woman of the 20th century and the woman of today are two different people. She should not be viewed as an enemy of the man in the family; on the contrary, she is a helper. She can understand her husband better because she has a profession. She knows well what it means to make money. Men must give freedom to a woman, then she becomes a comrade-in-arms, and not just a beloved wife. As for a woman, she must return to her nature and remember that her scales are unequal and family and home always outweigh. You need to be frank with your husband and talk about your dreams. And the husband must get used to listening, and not just talking about himself. This is the foundation of a family boat that will survive a hurricane.
“Married to” section Martin Fenner's wife, Julia; Olaf Lange's wife - Sandy Brondello; Anton Shipulin's wife - Louise; Sergei Chepikov's wife, Elena; Anton Bakov's wife - Marina; Victor Sheptia's wife - Svetlana; Sergei Isaev's wife - Irina; Alexander Levin's wife - Galina; Alexander Pantykin's wife is Marianna.
Plot
“Married to...” Interviews with the wives of famous Sverdlovsk residents.
On the tops
After completing the trip to the South Pole, the “Grand Slam” program added to the traveler’s assets: North Pole – South Pole – Everest (climbed Everest in 1992).
Everest 2012
In his field, Fedor Konyukhov repeatedly became the first. This is what happened with the conquest of the “seven peaks”, the seven highest points of the continents (became the first in the CIS):
- 1992 – Elbrus, Europe;
- 1992 – Everest, Asia;
- 1996 – Wilson Massif, Antarctica;
- 1996 – Aconcagua, South America;
- 1997 – Kosciuszko Peak, Australia;
- 1997 – Kilimanjaro, Africa;
- 1997 – McKinley, North America.
By land
Land expeditions have become an indispensable part of a traveler's life. There were a lot of them and each of them contributed to the study of natural phenomena and human abilities. The largest campaigns of Konyukhov were:
- ski expedition in Chukotka in 1981;
- Hiking trip through the Ussuri taiga, 1985;
- Soviet-American bicycle ride Nakhodka - Moscow - Leningrad, 1989;
- travel by SUV Nakhodka - Moscow, 1991 (Russian-Australian project);
- The Great Silk Road, 2002;
- The Great Silk Road, stage 2, 2009;
By sea and air
Fyodor Konyukhov has been realizing his childhood dream of sea adventures throughout his life. It is travel by sea that takes up a significant part of his activity. Dozens of swims, five circumnavigations of the world, seventeen crossings of the Atlantic, crossing the Pacific Ocean on a boat with oars. At the same time, a number of expeditions set records. In the summer of 2021, Konyukhov circumnavigated the world in a hot air balloon and landed with a new world record.
World trip 2016
A lot has happened on his way: illness, ship hijacking, and unforeseen situations, but nothing stops Konyukhov. He continues his adventures, and only moves forward, towards new discoveries. His life is a journey, a search for something new, and only the desire to achieve his goal fills his path with meaning.
Sea expeditions and trips around the world
Sea travel occupies the largest part of Konyukhov’s research activities. Fedor made more than forty unique sea expeditions, crossed the Atlantic Ocean 17 times alone, and once on a rowing boat in autonomous mode in 46 days, setting an absolute world record. Fedor traveled around the world six times. One of these trips on a yacht took place non-stop, non-stop. There were also “serious”, according to the traveler, adventures - during one of the trips around the world, Fedor became seriously ill and was hospitalized in the Philippines. At this time, pirates stole his yacht to a neighboring island. To return the ship, Konyukhov had to temporarily become a sea robber himself - he stole a boat from drunken pirates in order to return his yacht. Fedor is a regular participant and winner of extreme marine races on sailing and rowing vessels.
Social activities, creativity, family
Fyodor Konyukhov has no less talent in the artistic genre. He paints pictures, and during his travels. His works are shown at exhibitions and arouse genuine interest. Back in 1983, he joined the Union of Artists of the Soviet Union. In 1996 he was accepted into the Moscow Union of Artists, and in 2012 he took the place of academician at the Russian Academy of Arts.
Now he devotes most of his life to spiritual activities
From the pen of Konyukhov, the author, extraordinary scientific research and discoveries were published, as well as works about personal experiences and impressions during expeditions. He is a talented author, for which he was accepted into the Union of Writers of Russia.
Another interesting fact in the biography of this unique person is his church activities. Since 2010, he has been ordained as a priest (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate).
With wife and son
It’s interesting, but in pursuit of amazing discoveries, Fyodor Konyukhov did not forget about simple family happiness. His second wife is a Doctor of Law. Fyodor Filippovich and Irina Anatolyevna have a common son, and the traveler also has two children from his first marriage. Now he already bears the proud title of grandfather of five grandchildren.
Religious rank
On May 22, 2010, Fyodor Konyukhov received the rank of subdeacon of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Konyukhov was ordained subdeacon by Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine. After being ordained, Fedor began to devote less time to travel and expeditions, but did not stop this activity completely. In December 2010, in Zaporozhye, Konyukhov, who by that time had graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, was ordained a priest and sent to serve in the Zaporozhye diocese.
