Maritime Madams: Maria Klenova

Maria Klenova (1898-1976) was a Russian and Soviet marine geologist who, over her nearly 30-year-long career, researched polar regions, marine geology, and advanced the field of Russian marine science. She was the first woman scientist to conduct research in Antarctica.

For Further Reading: 

• The Legendary Maria Klenova
• The First Women in Antarctica
• Ten Pioneering Women of Antarctica

This month, we’re talking about Maritime Madams. Whether through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harnessed the power of the bodies of waters that cover our earth. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Wamanica. This month we're talking about maritime Madams. Whether
through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harness
the power of the bodies of water that cover our earth. Today,
we're talking about a woman who mapped the marine world,
from the tips of icy Soviet mountains to the deepest

(00:27):
reaches of the Barren seabed to rarely see nooks and
crannies of Antarctic glaciers. Her works earned her the moniker
the mother of marine geology. Let's talk about Maria Klenova.

(00:47):
Maria was born in eighteen ninety eight in Irkutsk, a
large city in Siberia, a huge region mainly in Northern Russia,
full of vast expanses, harsh climates, and lots of snow.
In the nineteen twenty Maria became part of a new
class of women called to study at the Soviet State
Oceanographic Institute, a career that had previously been reserved for men.

(01:09):
Thus began her career in marine geology, the study of
the Earth's ocean floor. Maria focused on the floor of
the Barren Sea, a large shallow body of water split
along the northern coasts of Russia and Norway. Using measurements
collected by colleagues out at sea, Maria set to creating
a topographical map of the area under the water. In

(01:32):
nineteen thirty three, she produced the first seabed map of
the Barren Sea, complete with an analysis of the seabed's
geological history. During World War II, Maria put her knowledge
to use as the head of the Department of Marine Geology.
She and her team produced hundreds of maps of northern
seabeds to guide Soviet military operations. Maria's biggest challenge came

(01:54):
in nineteen fifty seven. That year, scientists around the world
were planning their research exhibitions for the International Geophysical Year,
a year and a half long project to study the
Earth's atmosphere, surface, and oceans. Thousands of scientists from twelve
countries planned projects with a special emphasis on the planet's
southernmost tip, Antarctica, and yet not one woman was registered

(02:19):
among them. At that time, there were many bands in
place that kept women from visiting the Great White Continent
unless they were married to male explorers. Maria had been
turned away from previous ocean expeditions. Because of her gender,
the idea of women entering these male dominated spaces like
whaling boats was shocking to society. But Maria wouldn't miss

(02:40):
out on this opportunity. She got herself a spot on
the first Soviet Antarctic expedition and became the first woman
to carry out work at Antarctica. In preparation for the
International Geophysical Year, the Soviets first needed to establish a
station from which to research. Maria was part of that group,

(03:01):
spending nineteen fifty five in nineteen fifty six on the
east coast of Antarctica, they set up a station called Merne. Then,
in nineteen fifty seven, with Arctic work already under her belt,
Maria set off on the research vessel Obi. She and
the crew broke the ice along the Antarctic coast and
Macquarie Island, following the crags of the frozen land to

(03:24):
create an image of the seabed below. She became the
first woman to step on Macquarie Island. Later on, her
literally groundbreaking work in the Antarctic would help create the
first Antarctic Atlas. It was a four volume work published
in the Soviet Union that laid out previously uncharted areas

(03:44):
of the Antarctic coast. After finishing up with the OBI,
Maria headed to Wellington, New Zealand, and then back up
to the Soviet Union. There she kept working on making
maps of the seabed from all she'd learned from the
North Pole to the South. Maria died in nineteen seventy six. Today,
Maria continues to mark the world she spent her life mapping.

(04:07):
She has lent her name to Clonova Peak in Antarctica's
Sentinel Range, Greenland's oceanographic Clenova Valley, Brazil's Clonova Seamount, and
for good measure, Cleonova Crater on Venus. All month, we're
talking about maritime Madams. For more information, find us on
Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan,

(04:31):
my favorite sister and co creator. Talk to you tomorrow.