MD: Diane Publishing Co., Silver Spring, 2002. — 188 p. — (International Ocean Atlas and Information Series, Volume 5).
Within the last 300 years, Russia has become a powerful maritime country, whose interest since the time of Peter the Great has been closely connected to both marine communications and the use of biological, mineral, and energy resources of the world ocean. At all times, Russian seamen – hydrographers, cartographers, oceanographers, biologists – were noted for their courage and willingness to sacrifice themselves. They were always persistent in attaining the identified goals and open for international cooperation. The names of outstanding seafarers became immortalized as they were given to numerous places on geographical maps of the globe as well as to modern Russian research vessels. The challenges of investigating the marine environment, including those of shipbuilding and the use of research vessels, were of considerable interest and importance to the Government at all times. Since the end of the 19th century, marine data has been made more available to meet the requirements of both the national economy and the obligations of the Russian Navy. These data include tables of tides; atlases of surface and deep-sea currents; charts of sea-ice conditions and drifting ice; vertical profiles of temperature, salinity, density, and velocity; fields of storm surges; information on the content of dissolved gases and pollutants in sea water; data on different aspects of ocean–atmosphere interaction; and other products of marine research. During the mid-to-late 20th century, both national and international scientific communities recognized the Soviet research fleet as the best in the world.
