O. Y. Schmidt Museum of the History of Arctic Exploration

About museum

The Murmansk Museum of the History of Arctic Exploration named after Otto Schmidt was opened on April 24, 1971. This came about thanks to the initiative of the first director and the teachers of School No. 46, who, under the “My Motherland — the USSR” program, involved students in researching the life and work of Otto Schmidt. He led legendary expeditions on icebreaking steamships. The schoolchildren turned to leading local history museums, the All-Union Geographical Society, and even relatives of Otto Schmidt for information. After a year of research the students managed to collect so much material that a museum needed to be opened. Active scientific research takes place here, and the museum collections contain more than 2,000 exhibits, including photographs, books, and letters of well-known researchers. The museum presents 15 exhibitions, and the materials are constantly being supplemented.