Fridtjof Nansen was a traveler, scientist, diplomat, and Norwegian political figure. A symbol of courage, will, and humanism. Nansen is a symbol of Norway itself. However, one should not forget that Nansen was still an ordinary man, with weaknesses and desires characteristic of him: dozens of legends circulated about the romances of the handsome polar explorer. Nansen had a difficult character; all his life he was tormented by a wide variety of contradictions, and his contemporaries considered him an anarchist. It is no secret that Nansen's mottos were “Against the current!” and “Burning bridges behind oneself!” Despite the wide fame of Fridtjof Nansen, much about him has been forgotten, and some things are entirely unknown to our contemporaries. Nansen was an outstanding biologist, a political figure who did much to help Norway gain independence in 1905, and a diplomat who managed to “obtain” a king for his country. Incidentally, the “royal post” was offered to Nansen himself, but he refused, declaring that he was “too great an egoist and preferred to retain complete freedom of action and be a free man.” Moreover, Fridtjof Nansen was a fine artist. He illustrated almost all his books himself, and on expeditions he never parted with a pencil and sketchbook. This and much more is recounted in the book by the Scandinavian studies scholar Natalia Budur, “Nansen: Man and Myth.”