The author (now deceased), a former colleague of Shmidt's on some of his most famous arctic operations, summarizes his contribution to arctic science and to the development of the Soviet Arctic. Highlights included his participation in the voyages of theSibiryakov(1932) and of theChelyuskin(1933–1934) through the Northern Sea Route, his role as head of Glavsevmorput, and his coordination of the establishment and evacuation of Papanin's drifting stationSevernyy polyus 1in 1937–1938.