Vitaly V. Sundakov: biography and photos

Vitaly Vladimirovich Sundakov was born in the southern capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the city of Alma-Ata, on October 7, 1957. He is the author of many books and articles on travel, an expert on integrated security and survival. In his competence, lullabies and extreme climatic zones. He has a number of practical skills on extreme activities. More than seventy districts of Russia realized his children's program "Revival", as it was adopted in children's camps "Eaglet" and "Artek". It is not surprising that many wonder how Vitaly Vladimirovich Sundakov lives.

Biography

One of the most famous Russian travelers began his "activity" as early as twelve years, however, then these trips without the supervision of parents usually ended in the police. Military service was held first in the army, and then in the navy, where he was the commander of the division of the operational group in the crew of the Northern Fleet.

After graduation, he entered the Mykolayiv Pedagogical University, where he graduated from the Philological Faculty, and then to the Faculty of Journalism at Moscow State University. Almost seven years he worked in the field of journalism. At first he was a correspondent of a mediocre circulation, and by the end of his activity in this sphere he had already held the post of deputy editor-in-chief in the journal of the Ministry of the Navy. Then he abandoned his career as a journalist, when he started to create the first "Survival and Safety School" in the country.

The first expedition

Sundakov Vitaly Vladimirovich organized the first expedition almost immediately after the army. Then he lived in Ukraine, in the city of Nikolaev, on the beach. Having cooperated with the local sports and technical diving club "Sadko", which was engaged in the search for ships that died during the Patriotic War, it began its activities. Expeditions were serious, as young people had to restore the picture of the battle and the destruction of ships and aircraft, as well as to search for missing persons. Sadko club received letters from all over the country with sacks, where eyewitnesses and participants in the battles described the events. Together with the participants of Sadko, Sundakov took part in five expeditions.

For a long time after that, Vitaly Vladimirovich Sundakov had no serious sorties, he simply traveled to the Soviet Union for his own pleasure and until 1989 did not think about that the trips should give any results.

Professional Travel

Vitaly Vladimirovich Sundakov believes that an expedition can be called only such a trip, from which a "product" is born, which is useful for society. This can be a scientific study, a report, a work of art or a film. He was always interested in primitive civilizations, so when the borders were opened and the opportunity to explore the life of the primitive tribes still surviving in some parts of the world, Vitaly decided to organize a new expedition. However, this already required a thorough preparation both in the equipment and in the material support, because otherwise you can simply not return home intact.

Before the expedition Sundakov "probes the soil," that is, he makes several trips to the country, whose tribes in the aftermath will study. During these trips he selects equipment, talks with local experts and scientists, studies culture, negotiates with guides. His first expedition to the Amazon Selva was about two years old.

The choice of the route depends not only on the research program, but also on political and economic factors, since the results of the expedition must be in demand. Of course, Vitali presupposes in advance who will need his expedition, and how much it will cost. As a rule, the expedition pays for itself only if earlier Europeans did not go on this route, so most often it chooses such territories. Any "forays" into wild places require serious expenses, for example, the expedition to New Guinea cost Sundakov almost forty thousand dollars, and this is only the lower threshold, Vitaly Vladimirovich Sundakov admits.

Financing

The matter is that in such places there are absolutely no roads, therefore expeditions have to use "one-off equipment". This term should be understood not just some bags, thongs, but, as a rule, motor boats, cars and other transport. They reach a certain place, from where the expedition members are already on foot. "Most often, cars or boats have to be left forever," says Vitaly Vladimirovich Sundakov. In addition, cars stuck in the swamp, in these conditions can not be pulled out.

Abroad

It is not surprising that the financial question for such travelers is always acute, but in Russia they pretended for a long time that there is no Russian traveler named Vitaly Vladimirovich Sundakov. His books were published, projects developed, but there was no support from the state.

Various officials, including high-ranking officials, repeatedly visited the Sundakov family, but nothing came after the words, while other states repeatedly suggested that Vitaly create conditions for his expeditionary activity. The last sentence was so interesting that the traveler even considered agreeing. It came from the US-Mexican corporation DCX, which offered Vitali 150 hectares of land in the Acapulco area, as well as serious funding for the founding of the International Academy of Travel. However, the project was canceled due to an unexpected election result.

A family

Vundal Vladimirovich Sundakov, whose wife and children also sometimes take part in his work, says that the eldest son, Vladislav, visited with him in Mexico, where he shot the film "Journey to the World of Absolute Magic", and the youngest son is not sent on the trip yet, But actively helps in the preparatory work. Eleanor, the wife of a traveler, waits patiently for her husband, but they have an unspoken rule: Vitaly spends three months a year at home, not going anywhere.