RUSSIA: Arctic Squeeze

Of that hardy, hairy crew who prowl for Soviet glory north of Russia's long Arctic coast line, hardiest and hairiest is jungle-bearded Otto Tulyevich Schmidt, chief editor of the Soviet Encyclopedia, professor of hydrology, chemistry and Arctic science. Two years ago the middle-aged professor led the icebreaker Sibirya-kov to a great Soviet feat: first navigation of the "northeast passage" from Archangel to Vladivostok in one year. Last August he tried it again with the icebreaker Chelyuskin, setting out this time from Murmansk, through the empty wastes of the Barents and Kara...