At the helm of the Russian Icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn en route towards the North Pole stands Captain Alexandr Erpulev. After weeks of heavy icebreaking, the ship had navigated to the northernmost position ever achieved during winter but had yet not reached its final destination, the German research vessel Polarstern. This portrait, taken in February 2020, captures Erpulev in full concentration on completing his nautical masterstroke.