Dedicated to the 180th anniversary of the RGS, the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Brazil, and the 20th anniversary of the BRICS, the international expedition continued its journey along the Northern Sea Route. Starting in Brazil on the opening day of the first Expedition and Tourism Center of the RGS abroad, the Bermudan ketch «Brotherhood» has already covered more than 7,000 nautical miles. The purpose of the expedition is to complete the route in difficult Arctic conditions, as well as to exchange cultural traditions, and promote the principles of sustainable development. For the first time in 10 years, a yacht, although ice-class, plans to pass the NSR in one navigation.
The expedition started on April 12, 2025, in the city of Salvador, crossed the Atlantic Ocean in three months and reached Murmansk. The captains are experienced circumnavigation yachtsmen Aleixo Belov and Sergei Shcherbakov. During the crossing of the Northern Sea Route, the expedition members plan to make stops in Dikson, Tiksi, and Pevek, the next major stop is planned in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. At each stop on the route, the explorers hold meetings with the local population and journalists, as well as regional branches of the RGS.
«'Brotherhood-2025’ is a symbol of international cooperation beyond borders and circumstances,» said Sergei Shcherbakov, one of the expedition leaders and a representative of the Omsk Regional Branch of the RGS. «The expedition is dedicated to several significant dates, and one of them is the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. As we know, Brazil is the only country in Latin America that took part in the fighting as part of the anti-Hitler coalition. I am sure that our crew will successfully fulfill their mission: they will tell the world about Russia, its history and values, and the crew will also make a film about the trip.»
The owner of the yacht is yachtsman and traveler Aleixo Belov. The explorer was born in 1943, and at the age of five he emigrated to Brazil with his parents, where he connected his life with the sea. Belov independently built a yacht with a length of more than 20 meters, and now it is being used for the circumnavigation of the RGS.
«I am a long-time friend of Russia and I am actively developing joint projects and expeditions with the Russian Geographical Society. It is a great honor for me to become a part of the circumnavigation,» said Aleixo Belov. «I have made such voyages alone more than once, but now I am going in a crew with Russians — this is a particularly valuable experience.»
One of the most important stops of the expedition is Dikson. This is the only city outside the Urals where fighting took place in 1942. The German battleship «Admiral Scheer» attacked the port, but the garrison repelled the attack. Defense Day is celebrated here every year on August 27. The «Brotherhood-2025» expedition will arrive here on July 27, symbolically one month before the memorable date.
«The RGS is involved in the polylogue of cultures under the auspices of the BRICS in word and deed. We are implementing specific projects, create a framework for 'people’s diplomacy’,» says Natalya Belyakova, Director of the Expeditionary and Tourism Development Department of the RGS. «The opening of the RGS’s Expedition and Tourism Center in Salvador is a good example of systematic work.»
The expedition of the RGS will end in Brazil in early 2026, having covered more than 45,000 km. At the moment, the expedition crew has decided to circle the Novosibirsk Islands and Wrangel Island from the north due to the difficult ice conditions in the NSR straits.
