The name of Fridtjof Nansen is familiar to many due to the Nansen passport, which became the only document for millions of emigrants in the 20th century, including many Russian exiles such as Denikin and Rachmaninoff. This passport granted them the right to asylum and residence in European countries, but it also served as a kind of label for stateless individuals.

Fridtjof Nansen was a renowned Norwegian polar explorer, a doctor of zoology, and the founder of the science of physical oceanography. His achievements and areas of activity are numerous: he was not only a scientist but also a public figure, a humanist, and a philanthropist. Nansen played a key role in the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway, leading to the final sovereignty of his country. However, his contribution to saving the lives of Russian migrants and those who suffered from famine in the USSR in the 1920s and 1930s is particularly significant.

As the High Commissioner of the League of Nations for Refugees in Europe, Nansen primarily dealt with Russian emigrants forced to leave their homeland. In 1921, the Nansen passport was specifically created for them, which later began to be issued to other refugees as well. Upon learning about the famine in the Volga region, Nansen decided to help, but due to the complex political situation, the League of Nations did not support his initiative. The Bolsheviks were not inclined to cooperate with the League of Nations, which, in turn, feared accusations of supporting Bolshevism. As a result, Nansen provided assistance to the starving as a private individual, which still saved many lives. In 1922, he was awarded the Nobel Prize, and in 1930, at the age of 68, Nansen passed away.