It was spring 1926.
The news spread all over the world:
"Amundssen is going to cross the Arctic Ocean in a dirigible!"

Rual Amundssen, leader and organizer of the flight over the North Pole on the Norway dirigible.

      An Italian dirigible of semi-stiff construction, which needed to be modified, was chosen for the flight. Its designer, Umberto Nobile, became the captain. The dirigible was called Norge, or Norway. The starting point was a place called Champino, near Rome. It was decided that Rual Amundssen would be waiting for the dirigible in Spitsbergen. And from New Alesund in Spitsbergen, over the North Pole, he would fly over to Point Barrow in Alaska.

      However, the route chosen by the Norway came as a surprise for many people, because it lay via Leningrad. A mere glance at the map was enough to see that visiting this Russian city on the way to Spitsbergen meant that the dirigible would have to make a big detour. What was the reason for it?

Umberto Nobile (at left) with his favourite dog Titina by the dirigible. Salizi, 1926.

      To get the answer to this question, we corresponded with Norway. At our request, Fred Inge Prestang from the library of the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromso found some publications which were unknown in Russia. We learned that even Nobile himself was apprehensive about taking the shortest route from Italy to Spitsbergen along the western coast of Europe. Having studied the weather conditions along the route, he realized that a long flight over the Barents Sea would be too risky, because it was one of the stormiest seas in the world. The Atlantic coast of Europe was notorious for storms, too. Moreover, there were only a few places in Europe equipped for land servicing airships. It was possible to stop at Trondheim in Central Norway for refuelling, but, in case of a storm, waiting at the mooring mast in the open air until it was over could be too dangerous for the dirigible, and there was no covered hangar. Therefore, at a meeting in Oslo in July 1925, it was decided to make a stop in Russia on the way to the Arctic, because the flight over Russia would provide the opportunity to cross the uncertain Barents Sea by the shortest means. Besides, Leningrad possessed the necessary equipment, qualified staff and, most importantly, an old hangar that would provide safe shelter in case of unfavourable weather conditions.

      In order to find out from the Soviet government the possibilities and conditions for the flight into Russia, Nobile went to Leningrad.

      Leningrad met him with grey rainy weather and deserted streets with decaying palaces, poorly dressed citizens and numerous beggars. However, the authorities expressed their readiness for cooperation. The Commander of the Leningrad Air Forces took Nobile to Gatchina to look at an old airship shed that hadn't been in use for a long time. The authorities assured Nobile that the shed would be repaired and that they would bear all the expenses and go to all the trouble necessary for arranging the arrival of the expedition.

      Finally, the following route of Amundssen's expedition was officially adopted: Rome - Pooleham (England) - Oslo - Leningrad - Vadse (Norway) - New Alesund (Spitsbergen). The total distance was 6900 km.

      The Chief Geophysical Observatory in Leningrad established regular radio communication with the expedition and started transmitting reports on the weather, the wind and the nebulosity.

      A huge airship shed survived at the village of Salizi near the town of Gatchina, not far from Leningrad. Built in 1909 for a Russian dirigible, it had fallen into decay over so many years. Within the shortest time possible, it was restored for the arrival of the airship.

      On the evening of 15 April, when dusk fell, the patrol on the roof of the airship shed trumpeted piercingly. After some twenty minutes even the naked eye could discern a dull spot moving in the sky. It was getting bigger and clearer. From one end of the huge field to another thousands of people roared "Hurrah!" And in total darkness the crew of the local aeronautics school quickly and efficiently directed the Norway dirigible into the shed.

The Norway dirigible is leaving the hangar in Salizi for the flight over the North Pole.

      Rual Amundssen was waiting for the airship in Spitsbergen. Here, in Leningrad, it was being carefully prepared for the most difficult stage of the journey. From early morning till late at night mechanics cleaned, oiled and checked the engines. The Leningrad plant Salolin delivered hydrogen balloons for the dirigible to the shed. The science and experiment department of the aeronautics school analysed the gas on the airship. A special committee set up at the geophysical observatory established radio communication with northern air stations and collected the information necessary for the dirigible's flight. At the Pulkovo airport the chronometer of the Norway's captain was being very carefully regulated.

      The residents of Leningrad warmly greeted the Amundssen expedition. In one of the photographs from that time one can see the crew of the dirigible with local scientists. The photograph was taken at midday in April when a meeting of the Academy of Sciences arranged a celebration in honour of the bold spirits who were going to conquer the North Pole. The surviving documents speak of the meetings of the Norway crew with geographers, hydrographers, polar explorers and the young people of Leningrad. "The celebration of the Norwegians at the university," says one of the documents, "was very hearty. The appearance of the Norwegian members of the expedition headed by Risser-Larssen in one of the lecture-rooms of the Faculty of Geography was met with a great ovation."

A day came when pilot Risser-Larssen reported to Amundssen from Leningrad that all the necessary repair work had been completed and that the airship was ready for further flight. A few days later, on 5 May, the following commands sounded in the airship shed:
      - Haul up the ropes! Free stride! Right side - pull away! Ready! Left after-part - pull away! Right after-part - pull in! Pull in one more time!

On 5 May, at 10:30 a.m. the dirigible flew over Leningrad: it flew over Palace Square (then called the Uritsky Square), flew along Nevsky Prospect (then called the 25th of October Prospect) and headed for the North.

      It took only a few minutes. At 9:30 in the morning, to the sounds of a ceremonial march, the Norway dirigible left the hangar and slowly started gaining height. When it flew over the port, ships signaled. At about midday, the dirigible flew over Leningrad, saying goodbye to the city that had given it such a warm welcome.

      During the flight, Leningrad writer and journalist Alexander Lebedenko was on board the Norway.

      From aboard the dirigible, with a portable wireless, he transmitted reports to the press. His reports gave an account of the airship's flight and about meeting Rual Amundssen in Spitsbergen.

      This wonderful man immediately struck Lebedenko with his rare combination of iron willpower, energy, consistency, persistence and foresight. Not once did Amundssen tell Lebedenko how highly he appreciated the assistance rendered to his expedition in Leningrad. When on 3 August, 1927 the great Norwegian was passing through Leningrad, he asked the Leningradskaya Pravda newspaper to express his gratitude to all the inhabitants of the city for the "maximum assistance that had been rendered to his expedition."
      "Leningrad did literally everything it could to help realize the flight to Spitsbergen, and from Spitsbergen to the North Pole. Without any exaggeration I can declare that, without this help, the successful realization of my enterprise would hardly have been possible. That is why I'm happy that I have had the chance to visit Leningrad myself."