In the ceremony, three of the expedition participants, among them Mr. Chilingarov, were awarded Hero of Russia medals. Another three of the explorers got other medals from the president. In the North Pole expedition the explorers planted a Russian flag on the Artic seabed. It is hard for us to stop now we will do everything for the cause, Mr. Chilingarov said. The expedition leader, who is also member of the Russian parliament, pledged to continue to the work to prove that the disputed areas in the Arctic are Russian.
