Fedor Konyukhov

Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov (genus. Alone he made 5 round the world voyages, 17 times crossed the Atlantic - once on a rowboat.

The first Russian to visit all the Seven Peaks, alone at the South and North Poles. Winner of the national award "Crystal Compass" and a number of world records.

There are many interesting facts in the biography of Konyukhov, which we will talk about in this article.

So, before you is a short biography of Fedor Konyukhov.

Biography of Konyukhov

Fedor Konyukhov was born on December 12, 1951 in the village of Chkalovo (Zaporozhye region). His father, Philip Mikhailovich, was a fisherman, as a result of which he often took his son with him on a fishing trip.

Childhood and youth

All of Konyukhov's childhood was spent on the coast of the Azov Sea. Even then, he showed great interest in travel. He took great pleasure when his father allowed him to operate a fishing boat.

When Fedor was 15 years old, he decided to cross the Sea of Azov in a rowboat. And although the path was not easy, the young man managed to achieve his goal. It is worth noting that before that he was seriously engaged in rowing, and also had the skills of sailing.

Konyukhov loved to read adventure books, including the novels of Jules Verne. Having received a certificate, he entered a vocational school as a carver-instructor. Then he graduated from the Odessa Maritime School, specializing in navigator.

After that, Fedor successfully passed the exams at the Leningrad Arctic School. Here he continued to master the maritime business, dreaming of new travels in the future. As a result, the guy became a certified ship engineer.

For 2 years, Konyukhov served on a large special landing craft of the Baltic Fleet. He took part in a number of covert operations. An interesting fact is that later he will enter the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, after which he will be able to serve as a priest.

Travels

The first major expedition of Fyodor Konyukhov took place in 1977, when he was able to travel on a sailing ship in the Pacific Ocean and repeat the route of Bering. After that, he organized an expedition to Sakhalin - the largest island in Russia.

At this time, the biography of Konyukhov began to nurture the idea of conquering the North Pole alone. He understood that it would be extremely difficult for him to achieve this goal, as a result of which he began serious training: he mastered dog sledding, took time to exercise, learned to build snow dwellings, etc.

A few years later, Fedor decided to conduct a training trip in the direction of the Pole. At the same time, in order to complicate the task for himself, he set off on skiing in the middle of the polar night.

Later, Konyukhov conquered the North Pole together with the Soviet-Canadian travelers, under the leadership of Chukov. And yet, the thought of a solitary trip to the Pole haunted him. As a result, in 1990 he realized his old dream.

Fyodor set off on skis, carrying a heavy rucksack with food and equipment over his shoulders. After 72 days, he managed to conquer the North Pole, becoming the first person who was able to single-handedly reach this point on Earth.

An interesting fact is that during this expedition Konyukhov almost died during the collision of huge ice floes. Having achieved his goal, the man decided to conquer the South Pole. As a result, in 1995 he was able to do it, but even this did not fade away his love of travel.

Over time, Fedor Konyukhov turned out to be the first Russian to complete the Grand Slam program, conquering Everest, Cape Horn, the North and South Poles. Prior to that, he single-handedly climbed the peaks of Mount Everest (1992) and Aconcagua (1996), and also conquered the Kilimanjaro volcano (1997).

Konyukhov has participated in international bicycle races and rallies many times. In 2002 and 2009, he made a caravan journey along the famous Silk Road.

In addition, the man repeatedly repeated the routes of the famous conquerors of the taiga. An interesting fact is that over the years of his biography, he made a total of about 40 sea expeditions, among which the following were the most striking:

one crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat with a world record - 46 days and 4 hours;
the first person in Russia to make a solo round-the-world voyage on a yacht without stopping (1990-1991).
crossed one Pacific Ocean in a 9-meter rowing boat with a world record of 159 days and 14 hours.

In 2010 Konyukhov was ordained a deacon. In his interviews, he repeatedly said that during various trials he was always helped by prayer to God.

In mid-2016, Fyodor Konyukhov set a new record by flying around the planet in a hot air balloon in 11 days. During this time, he covered over 35,000 km.

Less than a year later, together with Ivan Menyailo, he set a new world record for the time of a non-stop flight in a hot air balloon. For 55 hours, the travelers covered over a thousand km.

During his travels, Konyukhov painted and wrote books. As of today, he is the author of about 3000 paintings and 18 books. In his writings, the writer shares his impressions of travel, and also reveals many interesting facts from his own biography.

Personal life

The first wife of Konyukhov was a girl named Love. In this marriage, the couple had a boy Oscar and a daughter Tatyana. After that, he married Irina Anatolyevna, Doctor of Law.

In 2005, the Konyukhovs had a common son, Nikolai. It is worth noting that sometimes spouses go on trips together. In his free time, Fedor shares his experience with novice travelers.

Fedor Konyukhov today

The man continues to travel. From December 6, 2018 to May 9, 2019, he managed to make the 1st safe passage in the history of ocean rowing in a rowboat across the Southern Ocean. As a result, he set a number of world records:

the oldest single rower - 67 years old;
the largest number of days in the Southern Ocean - 154 days;
the greatest distance traveled in the 40s and 50s latitudes - 11,525 km;
the only person to have crossed the Pacific Ocean in both directions (east to west (2014) and west to east (2019)).

In 2019 Fyodor Filippovich published a new book “On the Edge of Opportunities”. This work is a travel diary, which describes in detail the solitary voyage of a Russian around Antarctica in 2008.

In his notes, Konyukhov tells how he found a way out of difficult situations, coping with loneliness, fear and powerlessness on the way to Cape Horn.

Fedor Filippovich has an official website - "konyukhov.ru", where users can get acquainted with his achievements and projects, as well as see the latest photos and videos. In addition, he has pages on Facebook, Instagram and Vkontakte.