Development of the Northern Sea Route in the Practice of the Committee of the Siberian Railroad

The development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) was an integral part of the program of auxiliary enterprises of the Committee of the Siberian Railroad (CSR). The first attempt to use the NSR for the transportation of construction and railroad cargo failed. The reasons were in a hurry, poor organization, lack of financial, material and human resources and the absolute unexplored NSR. It was decided to withdraw this enterprise from the general program of the CSR and assign the responsibility for organizing a long-term research hydrographic expedition of the NSR to the maritime ministry.