Originally published in 1952, this book was the first detailed study of the development of the Northern Sea Route spanning the coastal waters above Siberia. The subject was one of great economic and logistic importance because of the shorter journey that a continuous freight-route across the arctic would afford. The book offers a synthesis of information from Russian journals and periodicals, collected at a time when access to academic sources was often restricted. It is a document of remaining historical interest on the subject of polar exploration.