Modern traveler Fedor Konyukhov. Biography of Fedor Konyukhov

• Name: Fedor
• Surname: Filippovich
• Surname: Konyukhov
• Date of birth: 12.12.1951
• Place of birth: village 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.

Photo by Fedor Konyukhov

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.

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.

All life is a journey

It is difficult to even imagine how much time Fyodor Konyukhov spent on expeditions. He began his extensive travel career in 1977. The first thing he did was follow the route of Vitus Bering. Conquering the Pacific Ocean, he sailed to the shores of Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and then Chukotka. The fearless Konyukhov sailed alone and, moreover, imitated on his ship conditions similar to those in which travelers performed their exploits several centuries ago.

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.

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.

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).

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 2016, Konyukhov circumnavigated the world in a hot air balloon and landed with a new world record.

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.

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.

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).

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.

• Konyukhov was the first to conquer the five poles of the world;
• winner of UNESCO awards, UNEP;
• honorary resident of several cities (Nakhodka, Miass, Italian Terni);
• in Tobolsk the prize is awarded to them. F. Konyukhova.

Name: Fedor Konyukhov

Age: 65 years old

Place of birth: With. Chkalovo, Ukraine

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 71 kg

Activity: traveler, explorer

Marital status: married

Fedor Konyukhov - biography

“I have lived for three hundred years,” the traveler likes to repeat jokingly. Having studied Konyukhov’s biography, you understand how right he is.

Fedor Konyukhov was born in 1951 on the Azov coast in the family of a fisherman. As soon as he took his first steps, he went to sea with his father, learned to read, and became interested in the books of Jules Verne. He slept in the hayloft all year round, swam in the sea, and ran 54 kilometers every day. I even drank salt water - it is so rich in minerals!

Fedor Konyukhov - education

When Fedor realized that he was ready for real tests, he crossed the Sea of ​​Azov on a rowing boat. Alone, at less than 16 years old! The father shed tears of pride, and the grandfather gave his grandson the cross of Georgy Sedov, the legendary polar explorer. Years will pass, and Konyukhov will fulfill his dream - he will reach the North Pole alone.

After school, Fedor graduated from the Odessa Naval School with a degree in navigation, then went to Leningrad, where he studied to become a ship mechanic. Later he received his education at the Leningrad Seminary - “so as not to get lost in the spiritual world.”

To repay his debt to the Motherland, Konyukhov ended up in the Baltic Fleet. From there - to the war in distant Vietnam, then to Nicaragua and El Salvador. In total, he spent two and a half years under bullets. For many, such “adventures” would last a lifetime...

It is not surprising that the legendary explorer did not have his own home for a long time: after all, his home is the entire globe. Konyukhov conquered the five poles and all the peaks of the world. On a rowing boat he crossed the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean, without a single stop he made a round-the-world voyage on a yacht... The number of unique expeditions of Konyukhov has long exceeded four dozen.

For many years now, journalists have been asking the traveler one question: why does he risk his life again and again? He has many answers, each more interesting than the other. “Civilization is a lie,” reflects Fyodor Filippovich. “People live in such a bustle that they don’t even have time to think about their essence! For some, it’s madness to cross the ocean in a small boat, but for me it’s madness to work every day in an office with 9 am to 6 pm."

And yet you shouldn’t think that for Konyukhov, traveling is just a way to escape from everyday problems. For him, this is an attempt to expand human capabilities. “When traveling, you tame your own fears, the strongest of which is the horror of death,” says Konyukhov. - If you knew how many corpses are on the top of Everest! Some of the climbers died from the cold, some from lack of oxygen, some fell asleep from fatigue and... did not wake up. And you’re going up against all odds!”

Moreover, in his wanderings he realized that there was simply no loneliness as such, that everything around him was alive - the sky, the ocean, even the rocks. “On the open sea, I talked with dolphins, and they swam after my boat for hours,” admires Konyukhov. “He fell silent, finished, and they were gone, they went into the abyss.”

Dozens of times he was on the verge of death: when in the ocean he was waiting for rescuers in the hold of an overturned yacht, hanging over a bottomless abyss in the Himalayas, drifting on the ice floes of the Arctic, delirious from tropical fever in Somalia... What helped him survive? As Konyukhov himself states, unconditional faith in God. “All my travels are the path to the Almighty. I thought that I would become a priest at 50, but I was ordained at 58.” A completely logical step for a man who had five clergymen in his family on his father’s side...

Around the world in 11 days

Having conquered mountains, deserts and oceans, Konyukhov thought about the sky. If American Steve Fossett flew around the Earth in a hot air balloon in 13 days, then so can he.

The dream came true in July 2016. The flight was a record in two respects: it was successful on the first attempt (for the American only on the sixth) and lasted only 11 days.

Preparations for the flight lasted more than a year, an international team worked on the project - about 50 people from a dozen countries. The balloon was built in the UK, equipped with instruments in Belgium, burners were purchased in Italy, and the autopilot system was developed in Holland. Konyukhov’s second pilot, who controlled the flight from the ground, was his son Oscar. He dedicated his life to sailing.

In 11 days he ate only one cookie...

What seems incomprehensible to many, Konyukhov explains simply: it was God’s will. “I took a cross with the relics of 46 saints on the flight,” the aeronaut said at the first press conference. - How could I break with such a shrine? Here we are!”

True, Konyukhov still returned from the flight saddened. If you can circle the globe in 11 days, how small and fragile it is. “But humanity continues to fight,” the record holder sighed.

There is only one entry in Konyukhov’s work book: “professional traveler,” and even that is without dates. Despite the lack of Moscow registration, he receives a pension - about six thousand rubles. “And I don’t need any more! - he smiles. - Money is eternal unfreedom. And why do I need them? I visit Moscow once every couple of years.”

In the capital of Russia, near the Paveletsky railway station, Konyukhov has his own creative workshop. In 2004, with her, Fyodor Filippovich built a chapel in honor of the dead sailors and travelers. One of the memorial plaques lists researchers of the 20th century, many of whom Konyukhov knew personally and always remembers them during church services. At the same time, he doesn’t like talking about the past: what’s the point of living in the past if there are so many accomplishments in the future?

Father Fyodor greeted the proposal to talk about the role of the father in the family with a cheerful laugh: “What are you talking about! What a role! You cut me without a knife.”

The famous traveler rarely visits Moscow, and in his workshop there is always a line of people wanting to discuss work issues, receive a blessing, or just get to know each other. But he still found time for an interview.

Archpriest Fyodor Konyukhov - traveler, writer, artist.
Born on December 12, 1951. Graduated from the Odessa Naval School, Bobruisk Art School, Leningrad Arctic School.
Sea captain. He made four trips around the world, crossed the Atlantic fifteen times on sailing yachts, once on a rowing boat "Uralaz".
The first person in world history who managed to reach the five poles of our planet: the Northern Geographical (three times), the Southern Geographical, the Pole of relative inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean, the top of Everest (the height pole), Cape Horn (the yachtsman's pole).
The first Russian who managed to complete the “7 Summits of the World” program - to climb the highest peak of each continent.
Member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. Member of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation. Author of fourteen books.
In 2010 he was ordained to the priesthood.
Married. Has three children and six grandchildren.

I put all of myself into my son Nikolai, he is a joy to me. But if I don’t travel, if I don’t move towards anything, don’t strive for anything, how will I differ from the dead? I have to push others, inspire others with my zeal.
I must be an example for my son Nikolai.
I will tell him: “Don’t be ashamed of your father’s actions.”
He won't say that I swam in vain. He will understand me. And I will pray to the Lord about this.

(from the book “Under Scarlet Sails” by Fyodor Konyukhov,

which included diary entries

from solo sailing 2004-2005)

— Father Fedor, what was your first childhood impression of the sea?

- I don’t remember. I don’t remember how I learned to swim either. I grew up on the Sea of ​​Azov. I was even born on the shore. Mom said: “I went to collect crustaceans in the morning, and gave birth there.” Our family is all priests and sailors. And from the age of 8 I already knew that I would be a traveler, like Georgy Yakovlevich Sedov. My grandfather took part in his first expedition to Novaya Zemlya.

Grandfather said that before becoming a traveler, you need to learn to be a navigator, and I went to the Odessa Naval School. Then he graduated from the Leningrad Arctic School.

— In Soviet times, they probably talked about your traveler relatives, but did they talk openly about your priestly relatives?

— My relative Archpriest Nikolai Konyukhov was killed on December 29, 1918. They poured water on him in the cold, and when he lost consciousness, they shot him. Under Soviet rule, my parents tried not to mention this anywhere - they were afraid. Even when I went to study at the Theological Seminary in 1969, my dad said: “Don’t talk too much about the fact that you had priests in your family.”

Now, of course, I am proud of my ancestors. I pray and ask their forgiveness for the fact that we were embarrassed and afraid to talk about them.

Memorial plaques in the courtyard of Fyodor Konyukhov’s workshop in Moscow. Photo: Vladimir Eshtokin, foma.ru

— How did it happen that you went to study at the seminary?

- It turned out very simply. I got in and that’s it. That’s how I knew from childhood that I would travel, and I also knew that I would be a priest. It seemed to me that at about 50 years old I would stop traveling and serve in the parish. Well, at the age of 58 I was ordained.

— When you were little, your mother said that you would be a very lonely person. Why?

- A mother always sees her child. According to my habits.

— So you were a loner as a child?

- Not like being alone. I have always been busy doing what I like. I love to draw, I have talent. Bad, not enough, but there. This is mine. That's why I studied painting. It's the same with travel. No one is forcing me to go swimming. I just like it there, it’s my world. And I did not become a priest in order to make a career in the Church. I am a priest because it is in my blood.

— Were you the “black sheep” in the family? Not like other children?

- No, no, no! I'm not a black sheep. We are two sisters, three brothers. I'm average, but I've always been a leader. I started it, and the others obeyed me. And even when everyone grew up and moved away, if it was necessary to make some family decisions, the parents said: “Fedka will come. As he says, so it will be.”

Fedor Konyukhov, late 1980s

— It is believed that in Soviet times there was a very harsh upbringing. The children were not spoiled.

- Why didn’t you pamper? How many children under Soviet rule smoked, drank, and ended up in prison!

-What saved you from a bad road?

“The goal saved me.” Since childhood, I knew that I had to reach the North Pole and continue the work of Georgy Yakovlevich Sedov. Grandfather said: “You must justify the Azov fishermen.” He loved Sedov very much and told me a lot about him. I always regretted that I was not with him on the last expedition. Grandfather died when I was eight years old. All the time that I remember him, he was lying on the bench, paralyzed. In the summer it was rolled out into the garden. It was he who taught me to write diaries. I have his cross. (Takes it out from under his cassock.) It's already worn out. Silver.

At school they said: “Oh, Fedka Konyukhov, he will be a traveler.” So they made concessions to me in many subjects. But if I was bad at math, I crammed it, because I knew that I wouldn’t get into the naval profession. I had a goal. When you live with purpose, you have it all.

And we need to cultivate integrity in children. There must be romance, patriotism. Then the person will not think about smoking, drinking, or money.

— What do you think is the first thing children should do? Sports?

— I am Soviet myself, I am a master of sports in many sports. But when they say that everyone should play sports, I listen and think: “You’re saying it wrong! Wrong!" How many honored masters of sports drank themselves to death and went to prison, especially in the 90s. Why? Because you also need to have spirituality for sports. We just teach sports, but what can an athlete do without spirituality? Just hit their faces and that’s it. You don’t just have to teach, you have to understand the child. I have schools for travelers in Miass and Totma, where children enter after a special selection. We give them everything to try: sailing, climbing rocks, going on hikes... The Lord God pointed a finger at each person, gave each person a talent. But not everyone follows this talent. Here at the school of travelers we give a little bit of everything. And take pictures and draw. It is not necessary to become a photographer or an artist, but at least you need to know the basics. The guys keep diaries, write poetry, and play the guitar.

My daughter graduated from art and music school. And now she works as a nurse. You can take it to a variety of exhibitions and concerts. She listens to both classical and rock.

— Is fatherhood a blessing or a burden?

- Children are happiness. Just like grandchildren. You know, I set so many world records, I wrote the same paintings and books. But today is a record, and tomorrow it has already been broken; today books are admired, but tomorrow they have already been forgotten. And children, grandchildren - this is eternity, it cannot be compared with anything.

— Have you traveled with your children?

- Certainly. I drove a yacht across the Atlantic Ocean with my eldest son, walked with him around Cape Horn, walked across the Pacific Ocean, across the Indian Ocean. We sailed across the Atlantic Ocean several times. But I wouldn't want my children to be travelers.

- What about them?

- They're great. They say: “We understand that we will never be like dad.” They have their own destiny.

— Do they also have a goal, like you did?

- Eat. Not the same as mine. The youngest son wants to be a military man. Now he will be admitted to Suvorovskoe. And the eldest is like a manager. Wants to organize expeditions. He was also the president of the Sailing Federation.

— What did traveling together give you?

- Well, they just began to understand me better, there was more confidence. As my wife, son and I were crossing the Atlantic Ocean, a storm began. I understand that the situation is serious, and they are calm. They say: “Well, you’ve walked around the world.” They have this: if dad is at the helm, then everything will be fine. But I know that anything can happen, and it can happen with me.

— If one of the children was bullied in kindergarten or at school, did you stand up?

“I tried not to walk.” My wife dealt with this. If I came, I was usually perceived as Konyukhov, as a traveler, and not as a father. With such an attitude, it is difficult to resolve any personal issues. But I always told my sons that they need to be able to stand up for themselves.

— Is life harder for your children now than it was for you at their age?

- Not really. I think it wasn’t hard for me or for them. We must always agree with what is. We had one childhood, they have another. We had some difficulties, they had others. You know, there will never be heaven on earth. Was life easy for our grandfathers? No. Neither do our parents. Life will never be easy! There are wars going on all the time. All the time. My grandfather fought in the First World War, my father in the Second. My uncle fought in Korea in 1953, my brother in Afghanistan. I served in Vietnam. True, he did not fight, he served as a mechanic on a ship. Wars pass through my family all the time.

Priest and traveler Fyodor Konyukhov. Photo: Maxim Korotchenko, maxik2k.livejournal.com

— What is your favorite children's game?

— As a child, I loved playing Robinson Crusoe.

- How did you play?

— My island was in a swamp.

- So, alone again?

- No. I had a team. I am the captain.

Fedor Konyukhov with his wife, children and grandchildren. Photo from personal archive

Interviewed by Alexander Gatilin.

This interview is part , implemented by the online magazine “Batya”, the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation and the publishing house “Nikea”. You can read the full interview at

Fyodor recalls our acquaintance twice in his diaries. We met in Moscow, in a very beautiful place. I was then writing the book “Man and Power” and interviewing the intelligentsia. There is such a very interesting person Anatoly Zabolotsky - this is the director of photography for Shukshin’s films. When we met, he was no longer filming films, but temples flooded in Siberia. I really wanted to talk to him about power and its closeness to a person. And so I came, had a very good interview, and was about to leave when suddenly he got a call. After the bell rang, he ran into the room and exclaimed with delight: “Irina, stay, Fyodor Konyukhov will come now!” I answered: “Well, Anatoly Dmitrievich, I won’t embarrass you,” and I thought that now a taciturn, gloomy and withdrawn person would come, since he was a traveler. And Zabolotsky says: “No, Ira, you stay, God himself sends him to you.” And so it turned out.

That evening he accompanied me on the subway. He turned out to be very talkative, talked a lot about his travels, about his trip to the State Duma and to the South Pole. I recorded everything on audio and even wrote an article about him, which, however, the editor did not take. There I was indignant at the fact that the authorities do not support travelers well.

When we met and introduced ourselves to each other, Fyodor said that he was three hundred years old. Then he clarified: “I mean how many years have I been preparing my expeditions. Here, do the math: the South Pole - 20 years, Everest - 10...” We did the math together, and it came out to three hundred.

The next day after we met, we had our first date, on which he proposed his hand in marriage to me. We then talked for 24 hours - a whole day and did not notice how the time passed. He told everything about himself: where he came from, what he did, and, most importantly, what he wanted to do. He said that he puts his projects and expeditions first in his life, and warned that he would travel all his life. And on extreme expeditions too. He invited me to accept him as he is, and I accepted. Not right away, but I accepted it.

Loneliness is a conditional concept. Fedor and I, even during separation, are still together. The more we live, the more acutely we feel this. You need to live with a person for some time to understand this law. Yes, there seems to be no physical presence, but you still feel the person nearby. Years pass - and you begin to feel your loved one at a distance. You feel everything, you even see the picture of where he is at that moment. This is given if, of course, you are heartily close to this person, connected with him by prayer. Therefore, over the years, the problem of loneliness has disappeared. In order to get to know Fedor, I traveled with him. But this is not my calling.

Why should I ruin my life and the lives of my children? If I am a mother, then I should be with the children. They must have a family hearth, and someone is forced to become its keeper. If both parents travel, what about the family, the children’s education, their upbringing? There are, of course, traveling families; Fedor and I met them. Once we met a girl who has been on a yacht with her parents since birth. She crawled along the mast like a monkey. But this is an exceptional case. It is difficult for such children to be in society. It happens that parents ruin their destinies with their lifestyle. We took the classical path: there should be a classical family with Orthodox traditions. Therefore, I am “on the shore”, as the keeper of the family hearth. I only travel when my children can come with us.

The problem was different: it was important that he prepared all expeditions consciously and did not take unnecessary risks. So that each expedition was worked out in such a way that he was confident, and we believed in him, so that there were no doubts. For the wife of a traveler, it is important to see him off with faith, wait with faith, and not doubt him - this helps him a lot. The problem is not separation, but whether we believe in this person and whether we understand that this is his calling. We want happiness for our loved ones, and happiness does not only come from the fact that we are nearby. You can be close, in the same room, but not be together and even interfere with each other, creating tension. This is what we tried to avoid.

I had a friend - the wife of a sea captain. The family celebrated every return from a flight, and my friend took a vacation for it. But when he retired, they separated because they did not learn to be together. They started having problems; everyone valued their space.

Although Fedor and I are breaking up now, we know that we have our own space for two. No matter how it is, no matter how everyone lives with their own tasks during the period of expeditions and separations, we understand that there is a place where we will always be together. He travels less now. Now my youngest son and I are lucky in that he sees his father longer.

Fedor has big, big projects, but he prepares them for about a year (for example, like a hot air balloon flight). Of course, this is new for us - life when we are more together than apart. The lack of living together is now being compensated for, we have been waiting for this. But just because of the example of my girlfriend, I think that one day he will stop traveling, because he is not getting younger, but getting older. We must try to make this period become happiness, and not something unexpected, incomprehensible and alien.

We build our lives in such a way that we try not to get out of the habit of each other. When we meet after separation, we look for a common field of activity, a common space in which we are united. And it’s not like one is busy with his own business, the other with his own. This is what is important to build.

At the moment he is in Moscow, waiting for me at home. They tried to persuade me to stay in Yekaterinburg, but I shortened the trip by a day to see him. Now he is busy preparing for a new achievement - he wants to set a record: to stay in the air on a glider for 120 hours. Therefore, he often visits Kislovodsk on experimental flights.

Some wives are offended by their husbands because they don’t understand them - they don’t know their favorite color, favorite food, favorite flower... Tell us! Don't wait for your husband to find out about it himself. Tell him about yourself, who you are, and he will be happy to give you your favorite flowers if you explain to him which ones you like. I try not to wait, but to meet halfway.

We are trying to be together. This means that he is not indifferent to what is happening to me, and I am not indifferent to what happened to him. At the beginning of our family life, we agreed that everyday life would not be the reason for our disagreements. Of course, everyday life arises: material problems, and uneven workload during his expeditions, but this is not the main topic of our communication. We take care of our relationships. When he arrives, I don’t say that a pipe is leaking in the apartment or that I don’t have money to repair the rooms. I try to tell him what he expects from me. I taught him the same thing. I didn’t succeed right away, because he is an independent person, constantly busy with projects. But gradually I told him who I am, what my needs are, what I love.

Fedor says that we have been together for thirty years, and I agree with him, although the actual dates do not correspond to this. The children and I calculated that two-thirds of this period was occupied by his expeditions. One third is time together. Now the situation is changing, he is with us more. Maybe later this ratio will become fifty to fifty, and by the end of our life it will be completely opposite to what it was at the beginning. Time is not of the essence - in thirty years we have been able to keep our family together and we want to be close.

Fedor Konyukhov's biography briefly and interesting facts from the life of the Russian traveler - extreme sportsman, artist, journalist, yacht captain, priest - are presented in this article.

Fedor Konyukhov short biography

Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov was born on December 12, 1951 in the village of Chkalovo, which is located on the shores of the Azov Sea. His father was a hereditary fisherman from the Arkhangelsk province.

Konyukhov studied at the Odessa Naval School and the Leningrad Polar School, Bobruisk Art School, specializing in wood carving.

Afterwards, in 1970, he studied at the Leningrad Seminary. He served in the army, staying in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Vietnam. Fedor also served as a sailor on ships of the Baltic rescue fleet and on trawlers, catching fish in the Pacific Ocean.

Ever since childhood, Konyukhov showed a love of travel. For 20 years, as a tester of the limits of human capabilities, he took part in expeditions to the South and North Poles.

Fyodor describes all his vivid impressions from his travels in paintings and books. He is the author of more than 3,000 paintings and a participant in international and Russian art exhibitions. Many of his works are currently in private collections and museums. In 1983, Konyukhov was accepted into the Union of Artists of the USSR, and in 1996 he became a member of the Moscow Union of Artists in the “Graphics” and “Sculpture” section (since 2001). In addition, Fyodor Konyukhov holds the titles of laureate of the Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts and Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts.

He is the author of 9 books entitled – “The Diaries of Fyodor Konyukhov about the Sailing Ship Race “Around Alone”, “And I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth”, “My Spirit on the Deck of the Karaana”, “Under Scarlet Sails”, “The Rower in the Ocean” “,” “Road without a bottom,” “All birds, all winged,” “The ocean is my abode.”

In 1998, the traveler headed the laboratory for distance learning in extreme conditions at the Humanitarian Academy. And a year later he was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports, awarded the UN Global 500 environmental prize, the Order of Friendship of the Peoples of the USSR, and the UNESCO Prize for Fair Play.

In 2010, Fyodor Konyukhov became a subdeacon, and on May 23 of the same year he was ordained a priest in the Zaporozhye St. Nicholas Church.

Today, Father Fedor never tires of traveling, although no longer as a scientist or athlete, but as a missionary.

As for his personal life, he is married for the second time. His first wife was Lyubov, who now lives in the USA. And Konyukhov’s second and last wife was Irina, a professor and doctor of legal sciences. They are raising two children from a previous marriage and one child in common - sons Oscar, Nikolai and daughter Tatyana.

Fedor Konyukhov interesting facts

• He made his first expedition at the age of 15. Fedor crossed the Sea of ​​Azov in a rowing boat. In total, he carried out more than 50 expeditions, participating in dog sled races and traveling around the world four times.
• He is the first Russian to complete the Grand Slam program (bypassing the South Pole, North Pole, Everest). And he was the first traveler to reach the 5 poles of the planet - the Southern Geographical, Northern Geographical, the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean, the Pole of Heights (Everest) and the Yachtsmen's Pole (Cape Horn).
• In addition to being a writer, Konyukhov also writes poetry and music for organ performance.
• He also draws well - his paintings are exhibited at home and abroad.
• In 1983 he was accepted into the Union of Artists. In this organization, he was the youngest member of this organization.
• In 2010, Fyodor Konyukhov was ordained a priest in his homeland, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church awarded him an order for his work for good.