Editing Sadko (1913 icebreaker) (section)

===Sannikov Land expedition===
In the summer of 1937, ''Sadko'' sailed from [[Murmansk]] with Nikolay Ivanovich Khramtsov as expedition leader, N.M. Nikolaev as captain of ''Sadko'', and [[Vladimir Wiese|Vladimir Vize]] (1886-1954) as scientific director. Also taking part in this expedition was a [[Polikarpov Po-2|Polikarpov U-2SP]] floatplane capable of landing on and taking off from the ice. The original goal was to sail to Henrietta, Zhokhov and Jeanette Islands in the [[De Long Islands|De Long group]], search for [[Sannikov Land]] and carry out scientific research.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S.S.R. Opens Far North |first=Calvin S. |last=White |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/05/16/archives/ussr-opens-far-north-in-siberia-the-russians-are-developng-land-and.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=16 May 1937 |access-date=4 November 2011}}</ref> The purpose of the expedition was also to find out how the [[Northern Sea Route]] could be used for regular shipping. But the Soviet naval authorities changed the plans and the ice-breaker was sent instead to help ships in distress in the [[Kara Sea|Kara]] and [[Laptev Sea]]s.

''Sadko'', however, became itself trapped in fast ice at 75°17'N and 132°28'E in the region of the [[New Siberian Islands]]. Other two Soviet icebreakers, [[Icebreaker Sedov|''Sedov'']] and [[Icebreaker Malygin (1912)|''Malygin'']], in the same area researching the ice conditions, became trapped by sea ice as well and drifted helplessly.

Owing to persistent bad weather conditions, part of the stranded crew members and some of the scientists could only be rescued in April 1938. They were evacuated using ANT-6-4M-34R ''Aviaarktika'' aircraft (a specialized Arctic variant of the Tupolev [[TB-3]] four-engine bomber) under the command of the famed Soviet Arctic aviator Anatoly Dmitrievich Alekseev (1902-1974). It was only on 28 August 1938 that the icebreaker [[Icebreaker Yermak|''Yermak'']] could free two of the three ships stuck at 83°4'N and 138°22'E, ''Sadko'' and ''Malygin''. The third ship, ''Sedov'', had to be left to drift in its icy prison and was transformed into a scientific [[Soviet and Russian manned drifting ice stations|Polar Station]].