Explorer Mikael Strandberg

I´ve been very lucky to be able to travel all over the world lecturing about theKolyma Expedition. I´ve been to New York, London, Kuala Lumpur, Dubrovnik, Berlin and many more. The last one was in Poland this past weekend. It was a very short version, to fit into Marcin´s press conference. But I did get time to show the film from the Siberian Expedition. And the response, which is so important for me, especially since the audience in many way have been affected by Stalins gulags, was so full of passion, feelings and awe in many ways. And most of all, they like my way to take away my own self and the macho part, and showing the lifes of people who live in the area. After every of these lectures outside of Scandinavia, I feel so happy that I´ve been able to build a bridge between cultures. the mission will continue. Some reviews:

“It was the best time in my life, Mikael, you have helped me to focus on the important things of my Expedition to the Kolyma. You are an amazing person. ”

Marcin Gienieczko

“You have an amazing ability to

present all the dramas and traumas

of your expeditions in a lighthearted

– but not flippant – way

which enhances the toughness of the

situations in which you found (got)

yourself. You have a great sense of

timing, humour and ‘cool’ which is unusual

in a language not one’s own. You

took about 20 years and 50,000

kilometres to have learned ‘almost

nothing’ but your demeanour and

presentation show that you ‘know’

more than anyone I have met. Your

lecture at our company is one of the best

ever. We look forward to

having you back soon, Michael.”

Marc Freedman, Chanderley Enterprises

“You are the funniest, most inspirational speaker I´ve ever heard.”

Alicia V. Stephens, American Museum of Natural History, New York

“Dear Mikael, for me the best part of the weekend was meeting you. I believe that you embody the point of exploration, which does not often happen these days. I also like the idea of having you back here and Moscow as well so I will follow up.”

Lorie Karnath, chairman and boardmember Explorers Club, Berlin

“Dear Mikael, I have seen every Monday lecture for the last twenty years and I have once been the president of the Royal Geographic Society

myself. This is the best lecture I´ve seen in twenty years.

I have seen all the great once, but they couldn´t tell a story like you. Now, you´re one of the great ones!

It was remarkable!

The Earl Jellicoe

“Your lecture is one of the most inspirational I have heard in my 29 years at the Royal Geographical Society. ”

Shane Winser, chairman Expedition Advisory Board

“Last year we had Michael Jordan in Singapore, this year with had Mikael Strandberg in Kuala Lumpur. Two truly amazing lectures, sportsmen and human beings.”

David King, vice president UT Star.com

“It was a remarkable lecture! Mikael´s a great storyteller and it is very important everything he has to tell us about

that part of the world. We don´t know anything a people´s every day life in such an extremely cold temperatures. He

captivates his audience immediately, has great humour and a lot of charm.”

Dr Rita Gardner, director of the RGS

“Great news your lecture turned out to be such a success… just so sorry I was there to lead the applause! I had a lot of

friends there who all said it was the best lecture they’ve heard! Beating Buzz Aldrin! ”

Oliver Steeds, ABC correspondent Peking

“Mikael, I was lucky enough to find a seat in the packed Ondaatje Theatre last night at the RGS to hear your fantastic lecture.

Good to see you looking well after such a trip, and the fact that you haven´t changed a bit, after such a life changing experience.

Many of the explorers who return after a trip are not as quite as they were before leaving, they always seem a little to confident.

have you ever thought about stand up comedy? I have never laughed as much as on Monday! your Essex accent is spectacular!”

Justin Hobson,picture Library manager at the RGS

“Mikael, it was the funniest, most informative and exciting lecture I´ve heard in years. Yoú do really know how to

captivate your listners. And thank you for your great work for all native tribes. It was interesting to hear your story about

the white male explorer wanting tobe a hero, when actually people live in these temperatures daily! You have a charisma

very few people have and I think it is because your down-to-earth, lack of badges from millions of sponsors and one

immediately feels that you are a genuine bushman and human being. Congratulations and hope to see you again at the RGS!”

John Murray, publisher at Cambridge Books

“Mikael, during the last ten years I haven´t come across the interest you´ve stirred. A ten minute applaude,

I can´t remember when that last happened! I think it was Borge Ousland a few years back. But this doesn´t happen very

much. Congratulations!”

Steve Brooks , Boultbee&Brothers

“I have heared lectures all over the world for the last twenty years. Only two people have stirred my emotions the way

you did. Both austronauts.”

Alexandra Foley, FoleyPR

“Incidently, I got multiple complimentary comments following your talk. One email simply said ‘best ever’.”

Jonathan Wilson, Exxon Oil, London

However, following various comments made by guests
following the Library lecture last Monday evening, only a few said that they
had ever witnessed a lecture to compare with Mikael Strandberg’s journey
along the Kolyma River in North-East Siberia.

Mikael’s library lecture, given to a joint meeting of the British Chapter of
The Explorers Club and The Travellers Club was full to capacity and there
was an expectation that something unique was about to be witnessed.  The
audience of seasoned travellers seated in what had been the Queen Mother’s
favourite room in London were to be far from disappointed.

Nobody could have imagined the extreme hardship, cold and danger that
Strandberg and his companion had experienced on his last major expedition.
The beauty of the river, the friendliness of the people seemed oddly
misplaced with the horrors and evil that took place in that part of Siberia
during the Soviet era.  Many of the locals still longed for past days where
security and a social system provided for most of their basic needs and
Mikael’s lecture made it clear that many still yearned for the return of the
security and certainty that the State had provided prior to the transition
to a semi-capitalist society.

Mikael’s lecture is crafted like a nordic epic and in some ways that is
exactly what it is.  A mixture of a quest for the meaning of life, trials,
tribulations, fearce animals, spells and  signs.  It is about the search for
oneness with nature, survival, harmony and the fellowship of man.

Strandberg is an explorer of extremes.  His humour is infectious and crosses
any language barrier.  But most important, he is an astute observer of
cultures, many of which are likely to be lost in the next generation or
two.  His expeditions are not only adventurous, they are also a record of
things past that may never be eye-witnessed again.  Communication is
Mikael’s craft and long may that continue.

Barry Moss FRGS
Chairman, British Chapter of The Explorers Club and Member of The Travellers
Club

Matt Harris, Explorers Club, London writes:

The element of his lecture that stuck out the most was that his expedition was not about himself – it was about the people he met along the way, their reaction to him, his interaction with them and the relationships he built up with them. As many of the land based the firsts have been eaten up by now (Everest, Poles etc.) isn’t modern exploration about forging relationships, bridging cultural divides and educating those unlikely, unwilling or unable to undertake difficult journeys (whether you want to call hem expeditions or not) ?

If you’re lucky enough to see Mikael give a talk then go and see him and meet him, he’s a great guy and very amenable and has a really great outlook on life and I’d hate to see him stop exploring and coming back and telling us his great stories.