Archaeological map of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Novaya Zemlya (archipelago)

The island archipelago of Novaya Zemlya is located on the border of the Kara, Barents and Pechora seas, which belong to the Arctic Ocean. The Kara Gate Strait separates Novaya Zemlya from Vaygach Island by approximately fifty kilometers. It is believed that the first explorers and Novgorod merchants called the islands of the archipelago by this general name. Most likely, they believed that the lands they saw across the strait were new. The Novaya Zemlya archipelago consists of the two largest islands, North and South, they are separated by the narrow Matochkin Shar Strait. What do they look like?

In addition, there are small rocks and small islands nearby. Other islands and island groups include: Bolshie Oransky, Gorbovye, Pastukhov, Pyniny and Mezhdusharsky Islands. By the way, the latter is the third in the archipelago in terms of area. The islands of the archipelago are spread over an area of ​​more than 83 thousand square kilometers. The territory of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago belongs to the Russian Federation. Administratively, it is part of the Arkhangelsk region, as a territorial municipal entity. Visit beautiful.

History of Novaya Zemlya

The Englishman Hugh Willoughby, in 1553, led an expedition that was aimed at opening routes through the north to India. He became the first European to see the islands of the archipelago. Gerard Mercator - Dutch cartographer and geographer, published a map in 1595 based on Hugh's notes. Novaya Zemlya appeared on it as a peninsula. In 1596, the expedition of Willem Barents circumnavigated the islands of Novaya Zemlya from the north and spent the winter on Severny Island. In 1653, the Frenchman Pierre-Martin de la Martiniere, together with Danish merchants, visited Novaya Zemlya. They met representatives of the Samoyed tribe, who were local residents, on the shore of the South Island.

Emperor Peter I planned to build a fort on Novaya Zemlya to signify the Russian presence in the archipelago. In 1768-69, Fyodor Rozmyslov, the first traveler and Russian explorer on the islands of Novaya Zemlya, arrived here. Two centuries ago, the Russian Empire officially declared that the islands of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago territorially belonged to it. Then the forced settlement of the islands by Pomors and Nenets began. The village of Olginsky was founded on Severny Island in 1910, at that time it became the northernmost populated area of ​​the Russian Empire.

In 1954, a Soviet nuclear test site was founded on these islands, the center of which was Belushya Guba. In addition, work in this area was carried out at three other sites on the archipelago. Unfortunately, in 1961, the world’s most powerful explosion occurred at this island test site. A 58 megaton hydrogen bomb exploded. Today, the nuclear test site on Novaya Zemlya remains the only operating nuclear test site on Russian territory. Also, the Novaya Zemlya archipelago has a rich history and interesting landscapes.

Origin of the island

The area of ​​the Novaya Zemlya archipelago is quite impressive. The length of the islands of the archipelago is 925 kilometers, and the width reaches 120-140 kilometers. The Eastern Island is the northernmost zone of Novaya Zemlya and belongs to the Great Orange Islands. The Pynin Islands are the southernmost point; they are part of the Petukhovsky archipelago. Cape Bezymyany is the western side, it is located on Yuzhny Island, the Goose Land peninsula. Cape Vlissingsky is the easternmost point on Severny Island, also called the easternmost point in Europe.

The shores of the islands of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago are distinguished by a winding line. There are many fjords and bays formed here, they are perfectly connected to the land. The bays on the western coast are considered the largest, among them: Krestovaya Bay, Mityushikha Bay, Glazov Bay, Mashigin Bay, Inostrantsev Bay, Borzov Bay, Nordenskiöld Bay and Russian Harbor. And in the east there are the lips: Oga, Rusanova, Schubert, Unknown and Bear. The islands of the archipelago have a mountainous terrain, mostly rocky and inaccessible shores. The height of the mountains increases towards the center of the islands. On Severny Island there is an unnamed mountain, considered the highest point of the archipelago. A significant part of this island is covered with glaciers. Closer to the coast, they form small icebergs.

Many small rivers originate in the mountainous regions of the islands: North and South. These rivers flow into the Barents and Kara Seas. Notable lakes include Lake Goltsovoye, which is located in the south of Severny Island. And in the west of Yuzhny Island there is Lake Gusinoye. Experts classify the islands of the archipelago as continental in origin. Most likely, they were formed during the period of continental movement; they are called the same age as the Ural Mountains. There is a hypothesis that Yuzhny Island was a peninsula somewhere before the 16th century. That’s why it used to be marked that way on maps. When the seabed began to subside, it became an island.

Others argue that the islands of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago were part of an ancient geological platform. Basically, the islands of the archipelago consist of granites and basalts, such is its geological structure. The discovered mineral resources include large deposits of iron and manganese ores. In addition to them, deposits of lead, silver, tin and rare earth metals were found.

The climate on these islands is harsh; experts classify it as arctic. Winter days last long enough and they are cold. Strong gusty winds are typical at this time. In winter there are often snowfalls and blizzards, temperatures can drop to -40 degrees. Summer is relatively cold, temperatures rise above +7 degrees. Therefore, the climate of the islands is very cold; you won’t get warm sunshine here. We recommend that you bring warm clothes with you.

Features of the Novaya Zemlya Islands

When a Soviet nuclear test site was created on the territory of the archipelago, the indigenous population who had lived here since the era of the Russian Empire was taken to the continent. The villages were empty, they were occupied by technical and military personnel. They began to ensure the vital functions of the landfill facilities. Today there are only two settlements on Yuzhny Island - Rogachevo and Belushya Guba. But on the other islands of Novaya Zemlya there are no permanent settlements. The total number of people living in the lands of the archipelago is no more than 2,500 people. These are mainly technical personnel, military personnel and meteorologists.

The island ecosystem is classified as a biome that is typical of arctic deserts. This applies to the north of the North and South Islands. The conditions here are not the easiest for plants, so lichens and mosses grow. In addition to them, Arctic herbaceous annual grasses are found in the south of the archipelago, a significant part of them are classified as creeping species. Naturalists pay attention to creeping willow, saxifrage oppositeifolia and mountain lichen. On Yuzhny Island you can see low grasses and dwarf birches. Island mushrooms include: milk mushrooms and honey mushrooms. They are found in lake areas and river valleys. The island's reservoirs contain fish, mainly arctic char.

The fauna is quite modest. Mammals such as lemmings, arctic foxes and reindeer live here. In winter, polar bears live on the southern coast. Marine mammals include: harp seals, walruses, seals and seals. Whale sightings are common in inland bays and coastal waters. The islands were favored by various representatives of the bird world, such as seagulls, puffins and guillemots. They formed the largest bird markets in Russia. Ptarmigan is also found on the islands.

To date, the islands of Novaya Zemlya remain closed to a large number of tourists and travelers. Tourism is not developed in these places, because there is a nuclear test site and other military facilities. To visit the islands of the archipelago, it is necessary to obtain special permission from the Russian authorities, and the strictest secrecy must be observed. Naturalists and scientists are not allowed to enter here, so there is discontent among the world community. Environmental organizations are concerned about the environmental situation on Novaya Zemlya, because nuclear tests were conducted here. Despite the fact that the islands of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago remain one of the closed territories, the world community continues to show interest in them. So far, no one is predicting the exact time of changes in the tourism sector of the Novaya Zemlya islands.

And the meridians are 51°30` and 69°0` east longitude from Greenwich. This land belongs to the Arkhangelsk region. Undoubtedly, it is classified by scientists as a mainland island.

The two main islands are separated by the narrow, winding Matochkin Strait. Of a number of small islands, the largest is Mezhdusharsky Island. Novaya Zemlya serves as the western border. From the south it is washed by the waters of the Kara Gate Strait, separating it from the island. From the west and north-west it is washed by the Murmansk and Arctic Oceans. Within these limits, the two islands form an arc, slightly curved and convexly directed to the west. Since the northern part of Novaya Zemlya has not yet been explored, and even the position of its northern tip cannot yet be definitively established, the total length and area cannot yet be accurately given. Its length is about 1000 km. The greatest width is no more than 130 km. The area is approximately 80,025 square kilometers. Of this number, the southern island accounts for 35,988 square kilometers, and the northern 44,037 square kilometers. Mezhdusharsky - 282 square kilometers. All the rest are about 290 square kilometers.

The length of the Novaya Zemlya coastline is about 4,400 kilometers. The southernmost point is Cape Kusov Nos, located on the island of Kusova Zemlya, separated from Novaya Zemlya by the Nikolsky Shar Strait. From this point there is an ocean coast to the west, and a sea coast to the east. The oceanic coast is distinguished by its highly rugged coastlines, which form a huge number of bays, peninsulas and islands. The southernmost part of the coast is indented by smaller bays. The first significant bay is Sakhanikha Bay (between 55 - 56° east longitude). One of the large Novaya Zemlya Bays, Sakhanikha Bay, flows into the strait. Further to the west is the Chernaya Bay strait, which protrudes far into the island for 30 kilometers. The western and northwestern direction of the coast is maintained until Cape Cherny, starting from here, the coast turns directly to the north, and then to the northwest. It forms a vast bay between the Black and Southern Capes Gusiny. It has rugged shores. The largest of the Novaya Zemlya skeletons, Mezhdusharsky, is located here. It is separated from the shore of Novaya Zemlya by the Kostin Shar Strait, into which one of the most significant rivers of Novaya Zemlya, Nekhvatov, flows. The length of the river is 80 kilometers. To the north of Mezhdusharsky Island there are two large bays: Rogachev and Belushya Bay.

Starting from the southern Cape Goose Nose, the coastline runs almost along the meridian, without forming any significant bays until the northern Cape Goose Nose. This part of the coast, 100 kilometers long, constitutes the westernmost part of Novaya Zemlya. It is called Goose Land. Further to the north, between Cape Goose Nose and Razor Nose, is Mollera Bay, which in turn is indented by many coastal depressions that form good anchorages for ships along with places lying near the islands. Here, in the Gulf of Small Karmakul, there has been a camp for a long time, where several Samoyed families live winter and summer. In the north, Mollera Bay ends with the deep-lying Pukhovaya Bay, into the top of which the Pukhovaya River flows. Next flows the Britvinskaya River. To the north of Cape Britvin there are two large bays: the southern one - Bezymyannaya Bay and the northern one - Gribovaya Bay, separated by a high bay with Mount Pervouzmotrennaya. Further up to the entrance to Matochkin Shar the coast is flat and rocky. The entrance to Matochkin's ball is somewhat difficult, since it can easily be mistaken for Serebryannaya Bay, which lies a little to the north. However, signs have now been placed to make it easier to enter this bay.

Following the western coast further to the north, we encounter Serebryannaya Bay, surrounded by high mountains. Next are the Mityushikha and Volchikha lips. They are located in a deep recess between the shore of Novaya Zemlya and Cape Sukhoi Nos. From the Dry Nose to another outstanding place - the Admiralty Peninsula - the coast of Novaya Zemlya is again indented with bays. The largest of them, starting from the south, is Krestovaya Bay with several islands. This includes two bays of Sulmenev - northern and southern - and Mashigina Bay. There are many bays from the Admiralty Peninsula to the Gorbovy Islands. There are several islands here: Pankratieva, Wilhelma, Krestovy and others.

Further, the coast gradually slopes to the east - to Cape Nassau. The eastern coast does not have as many deep bays and peninsulas jutting out into the sea as the western coast. Starting from the south of Kusov Nos, the coast turns north. Here is the extreme southeastern part of Novaya Zemlya, Cape Menshikov. From here, the coast of Novaya Zemlya gradually retreats to the west, almost without bays, to Abrosimov Bay, which lies slightly south of the 72° parallel north latitude. The Abrosimova River flows into it. From Abrosimov Bay, the coast of Novaya Zemlya takes a northern and north-eastern direction. Here it becomes more rugged all the way to Matochka's ball. From here to the north, the coastline becomes more indented and in some places forms quite significant bays, the largest of which are: Chekina, Neznaneyy, Medvezhiy. To the north of which lies the Krasheninnikov Peninsula and the Pakhtusov Islands (74°25` north latitude). Further, Pakhtusov discovered Cape Dalniy, lying slightly south of 75° north latitude. From where to Cape Middendorf the coast is almost unknown. Beyond it to the north lies Ice Harbor Bay, where the Dutchman Barents wintered in 1598. Further, the coast of Novaya Zemlya rises straight along the northern meridian to Cape Zhelanie. Novaya Zemlya was first discovered by the Novgorodians, probably in the 11th century. But the first written data about it is found in the publication of Hakluyt: “The principal navigations, Voyages and Discoveries of the English Nation” (London, 1859). This describes the first voyage of the English, under the command of Willoughby, east of the North Cape, to search for a north-eastern passage to

The exact date of origin of the name Novaya Zemlya is not known. Perhaps it was formed as a copy of the Nenets Edey-Ya “New Earth”. If so, then the name could have arisen during the first visits to the islands by Russians in the 11th-12th centuries. The use of the name Novaya Zemlya at the end of the 15th century is recorded by foreign sources.

The Pomors also used the name Matka, the meaning of which remains unclear. It is often understood as “nurse, rich land.”

And the land there is really rich, but not in plants, but in animals, which were hunted by commercial hunters. Here, for example, is how the artist A. Borisov wrote about the riches of the Arctic at the end of the 18th century, having visited Yugorsky Shar and Vaigach:

“Wow, how nice it would be to live here in this region rich in fisheries! In our places (Vologda province), look how a man works all year round, day after day, and only barely, with all his modesty, can feed himself and his family. Not so here! Here, sometimes one week is enough to provide for yourself for a whole year, if traders did not exploit the Samoyeds so much, if the Samoyeds were at least somewhat able to preserve and manage this rich property...”

Based on the Pomeranian uterus (compass), the name is associated with the need to use a compass for sailing to Novaya Zemlya. But, as V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko wrote, “Svenske, in his description of Novaya Zemlya, says that the name of the Matochkin Shar strait comes from the word - matochka (small compass). This is not true: Matochkin’s ball is called Matochkin’s in contrast to other small Novaya Zemlya balls, since it crosses the entire Matka, that is, the hardened land of this archipelago.”

In Finnish, Karelian, Veps matka - “path, road”, in Estonian matk “journey, wandering”. The term is widely represented in the toponymy of the North (cf. Matkoma, Matkozero, Irdomatka, etc.), it was mastered by the Pomors, and perhaps the name Matka is associated with it.

Novaya Zemlya is located on the border of two seas. In the west it is washed by the Barents Sea, and in the east by the Kara Sea.

The archipelago consists of two large islands and many small ones. In general, we can say that Novaya Zemlya is two islands: South and North, separated by the narrow Matochkin Shar Strait.

The distance from the northernmost point of Novaya Zemlya (Cape Zhelaniya) to the North Pole is only about one and a half thousand kilometers.

Cape Flissingsky of the North Island is the easternmost point of Europe.

Novaya Zemlya belongs to the Arkhangelsk region, as well as another neighboring Arctic archipelago - Franz Josef Land. That is, residents of the Arkhangelsk region, having visited Novaya Zemlya, will actually not even leave their subject, despite the fact that from Arkhangelsk to Novaya Zemlya in a straight line is about 900 kilometers, almost the same as to Moscow, Estonia or Norway.

The Barents Sea, along which Russian Pomors had been sailing for several centuries, was visited in 1594, 1595 and 1596 by expeditions led by the Dutch navigator Willem Barents and, although he was not even the first foreign traveler to visit Novaya Zemlya, the sea in 1853 was named after him. This name has been retained to this day, despite the fact that in Russia in the old days this sea was called the Northern, Siversky, Moscow, Russian, Arctic, Pechora and most often Murmansk.

Something about the geology and climate of the archipelago

Novaya Zemlya in the west is washed by the relatively warm Barents Sea (compared to the Kara Sea), and due to this the weather there can be quite warm, and even, oddly enough, sometimes warmer than on the coast. Weather forecast on Novaya Zemlya now (in Belushaya Guba), as well as for comparison on the coast (in Amderma):

The so-called “Novaya Zemlya bora” is very interesting and noteworthy - a strong, cold, gusty local wind, reaching up to 35-40 m/s, and sometimes 40-55 m/s! Such winds off the coast often reach the strength of a hurricane and weaken with distance from the coast.

The word Bora (bora, Βορέας, boreas) is translated as cold north wind.

Bora occurs when a flow of cold air encounters a hill on its way; Having overcome the obstacle, the bora hits the coast with enormous force. The vertical dimensions of the bora are several hundred meters. As a rule, it affects small areas where low mountains directly border the sea.

The Novaya Zemlya forest is caused by the presence of a mountain range stretching from south to north along the island. Therefore, it is celebrated on the western and eastern coasts of the South Island. Characteristic signs of a “bora” on the west coast are strong gusty and very cold winds from the northeast or southeast. On the east coast - winds from the west or north-west.

The greatest frequency of the Novaya Zemlya bora is observed in November - April, often lasting 10 days or more. During bora, all visible air is filled with thick snow and resembles smoking smoke. Visibility in these cases often reaches its complete absence - 0 meters. Such storms are dangerous for people and equipment and require residents to use forethought and caution when moving in case of emergency.

The Novaya Zemlya Ridge influences not only the direction, but also the speed of the wind crossing it. The mountain range contributes to increased wind speed on the leeward side. With an easterly wind, air accumulates on the windward side, which, when passing over the ridge, leads to air collapses, accompanied by strong gusty winds, the speed of which reaches 35-40 m/s, and sometimes 40-45 m/s (in the area of ​​the village of Severny up to 45-55 m/s).

New Earth is covered with “thorns” in many places. If I’m not mistaken, this is slate and phyllite (from the Greek phýllon - leaf) - a metamorphic rock, which in structure and composition is transitional between clayey and mica slate. In general, almost everywhere in the south of New Zealand that we visited, the land is like this. That’s why the running dogs here always had wounded paws.

Previously, when Europeans had boots with leather soles, they constantly risked tearing their shoes. There is a story on this topic told by Stepan Pisakhov in his diary: “In the first days, I decided to go away from the camp. She saw Malanya, started shaking, hurried, and caught up. - Where are you going? - To Chum Mountain. Malanya looked at my feet - I was wearing boots - How are you going back? Are you going to roll yourself sideways? - Malanya explained that the shoes would soon break on sharp rocks. - I'll bring you pima. I waited.

Malanya brought new seal pimas with seal soles. - Put it on. In these pymas it’s good to walk on pebbles and you can walk on water. How much do pima cost? - One and a half rubles. It seemed cheap to me. Surprise resulted in a question: “Both?” Malanya laughed a long laugh and even sat down on the ground. Waving her hands, she swayed. And through laughter she said - No, just one! You wear one, I’ll wear one. You step your foot, and I step your foot. So let's go. Malanya laughed and told an old Nenets fairy tale about people with one leg who can only walk by hugging each other - They live there loving each other. There is no malice there. They don’t deceive there,” Malanya finished and fell silent, thought, and looked into the distance of the tale being told. Malanya was silent for a long time. The dogs have calmed down, curled up in balls, and are sleeping. Only the dogs’ ears tremble with every new sound.”

Modern life on Novaya Zemlya

First of all, many people associate Novaya Zemlya with a nuclear test site and testing of the most powerful hydrogen bomb in the history of mankind - the 58-megaton Tsar Bomba. Therefore, there is a widespread myth that after nuclear tests it is impossible to live on Novaya Zemlya due to radiation. In fact, to put it mildly, everything is completely different.

On Novaya Zemlya there are military towns - Belushya Guba and Rogachevo, as well as the village of Severny (without permanent population). In Rogachevo there is a military airfield - Amderma-2.

There is also a base for underground testing, mining and construction work. On Novaya Zemlya, the Pavlovskoye, Severnoye and Perevalnoe ore fields with deposits of polymetallic ores were discovered. The Pavlovskoye field is so far the only field on Novaya Zemlya for which balance reserves have been approved and which is planned to be developed.

2,149 people live in Belushaya Guba, 457 people live in Rogachevo. Of these, 1,694 are military personnel; civilians - 603 people; children - 302 people. Currently, personnel also live and serve in the village of Severny, at the Malye Karmakuly weather station, at the Pankovaya Zemlya and Chirakino helipads.

On Novaya Zemlya there is an Officers' House, a soldiers' club, the Arktika sports complex, a secondary school, the Punochka kindergarten, five canteens, and a military hospital. There is also a food store "Polyus", a department store "Metelitsa", a vegetable store "Spolokhi", a cafe "Fregat", a children's cafe "Skazka", a store "North". The names are just mi-mi-mi :)

Novaya Zemlya is considered a separate municipal entity with the status of an urban district. The administrative center is the village of Belushya Guba. Novaya Zemlya is a ZATO (closed administrative-territorial entity). This means that you need a pass to enter the urban district.

Website of the municipal formation “Novaya Zemlya” - http://nov-zemlya.ru.

Until the early 1990s. the very existence of settlements on Novaya Zemlya was a state secret. The postal address of the village of Belushya Guba was “Arkhangelsk-55”, the village of Rogachevo and the “points” located in the south - “Arkhangelsk-56”. The postal address of the “points” located in the north is “Krasnoyarsk Territory, Dikson Island-2”. This information has now been declassified.

There is also a weather station called Malye Karmakuly on Novaya Zemlya. And in the north of Novaya Zemlya (Cape Zhelaniya) there is a stronghold of the Russian Arctic National Park, where its employees live in the summer.

How to get to Novaya Zemlya

Regular planes fly to Novaya Zemlya. Since November 5, 2015, Aviastar Petersburg has been operating passenger and cargo flights on the route Arkhangelsk (Talagi) - Amderma-2 - Arkhangelsk (Talagi) on An-24 and An-26 aircraft.

For questions regarding purchasing tickets, booking tickets, the date and time of departure for regular civil aviation flights to Novaya Zemlya, you can contact representatives of Aviastar Petersburg LLC on weekdays from 9.30 to 19.00.

Representative of Aviastar tel. +7 812 777 06 58, Moskovskoe shosse, 25, building 1, letter B. Representative in Arkhangelsk tel. 8 921 488 00 44. Representative in Belushya Guba tel. 8 911 597 69 08.

You can also get to Novaya Zemlya by sea - by boat. Personally, we visited there exactly like that.

History of Novaya Zemlya

It is believed that Novaya Zemlya was discovered by Russians already in the 12th-15th centuries. The first written evidence of the presence and fishing activities of Russians on the archipelago dates back to the 16th century and belongs to foreigners. Indisputable material evidence of the long-standing presence of Russians on the archipelago was recorded in 1594 and 1596-1597. in the diaries of De Fer - a participant in the Dutch expeditions led by Willem Barents.

By the first arrival of Europeans to Novaya Zemlya, unique spiritual and fishing traditions of Russian Pomors had already developed here. Novaya Zemlya was visited by fishermen seasonally to hunt sea animals (walruses, seals, polar bears), fur-bearing animals, birds, as well as collect eggs and catch fish. Hunters obtained walrus tusks, arctic fox, bear, walrus, seal and deer skins, walrus, seal, beluga and bear “fat” (blub), omul and char, geese and other birds, as well as eider down.

The Pomors had fishing huts on Novaya Zemlya, but they did not dare to stay there for the winter. And not so much because of the harsh climate, but because of the terrible polar disease - scurvy.

Industrialists brought timber and bricks themselves to build huts. The houses were heated with firewood brought with them on the ship. According to surveys conducted among industrialists in 1819, “there are no natural inhabitants; nothing has been heard of since the beginning of centuries,” i.e. any indigenous inhabitants of Novaya Zemlya were unknown to the fishermen.

Discovery of Novaya Zemlya by foreign navigators

Due to the fact that Spain and Portugal dominated the southern sea routes, in the 16th century English sailors were forced to look for a northeastern passage to the countries of the East (in particular, to India). This is how they got to Novaya Zemlya.

First unsuccessful expedition:

In 1533, H. Willoughby left England and apparently reached the southern coast of Novaya Zemlya. Turning back, the two ships of the expedition were forced to winter at the mouth of the Varsina River in eastern Murman. The following year, the Pomors accidentally stumbled upon these ships with the corpses of 63 English winter participants.

The following unfinished expeditions, but without casualties:

In 1556, an English ship under the command of S. Borro reached the shores of Novaya Zemlya, where it met the crew of a Russian boat. Ice accumulation in the Yugorsky Shar Strait forced the expedition to return to England. In 1580, the English expedition of A. Pete and C. Jackman on two ships reached Novaya Zemlya, but solid ice in the Kara Sea also forced them to sail to their homeland.

Expeditions with casualties, but also achieved goals:

In 1594, 1595 and 1596, three trade sea expeditions headed from Holland to India and China through the northeast passage. One of the leaders of all three expeditions was the Dutch navigator Willem Barents. In 1594, he passed along the northwestern coast of Novaya Zemlya and reached its northern tip. Along the way, the Dutch repeatedly encountered material evidence of the Russians’ presence on Novaya Zemlya.

On August 26, 1596, Barents' ship was sunk off the northeastern coast of the archipelago, in Ice Harbor. The Dutch had to build a dwelling on the shore from driftwood and ship planks. During the winter, two crew members died. On June 14, 1597, abandoning the ship, the Dutch sailed in two boats from Ice Harbor. Near the northwestern coast of Novaya Zemlya, in the area of ​​Ivanova Bay, V. Barents and his servant died, and a little later another member of the expedition died.

On the southern coast of the archipelago, in the area of ​​the Costin Shar Strait, the Dutch met two Russian boats and received rye bread and smoked birds from them. By boat, the surviving 12 Dutchmen reached Kola, where they accidentally met the second ship of the expedition and arrived in Holland on October 30, 1597.

Subsequent expeditions:

Then the English navigator G. Hudson visited Novaya Zemlya in 1608 (during landing on the archipelago, he discovered a Pomeranian cross and the remains of a fire); in 1653, three Danish ships reached Novaya Zemlya.

Further, until 1725-1730, Novaya Zemlya was visited by the Danes, Dutch, and English, and at this point the voyages of foreign ships to the archipelago ceased until the 19th century. The most outstanding of the expeditions were the two Dutch expeditions of V. Barents. The main merit of Barents and De-Fer was the compilation of the first map of the western and northern coasts of Novaya Zemlya.

Study of Novaya Zemlya by Russians

It all started with two unsuccessful expeditions:

In 1652, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the expedition of Roman Neplyuev set off to Novaya Zemlya to search for silver and copper ores, precious stones and pearls. Most of the 83 participants and Neplyuev himself died during the winter south of Dolgiy Island.

In 1671, an expedition led by Ivan Neklyudov was sent to Novaya Zemlya to search for silver ore and to build a wooden fortress on the archipelago. In 1672, all members of the expedition died.

Finally, relative luck:

In 1760-1761 Savva Loshkin first sailed on a boat from south to north along the eastern shore of Novaya Zemlya, spending two years on it. One of his winter quarters was apparently built at the mouth of the Savina River. Loshkin circled the northern coast and descended to the south along the western coast.

In 1766, the helmsman Yakov Chirakin sailed on the ship of the Arkhangelsk merchant A. Barmin from the Barents Sea to the Kara Strait through the Matochkin Shar Strait. Having learned about this, Arkhangelsk Governor A.E. Golovtsyn agreed with Barmin to send the ship with the expedition.

In July 1768, an expedition led by F.F. Rozmyslova went on a three-masted kochmara to the western mouth of the Matochkin Shar Strait to map the strait and measure its depth. The objectives of the expedition were: to pass, if possible, through Matochkin Shar and the Kara Sea to the mouth of the Ob River and to study the possibility of opening a route from the Kara Sea to North America. From August 15, 1768, the expedition carried out measurements and studies of Matochkina Shar. At the eastern mouth of the strait - Tyulenyaya Bay and on Cape Drovyanoy, two huts were built, where, dividing into two groups, the expedition spent the winter. Yakov Chirakin died during the winter. Of the 14 expedition members, 7 died.
Returning to the western mouth of the Matochkin Shar, the expedition met a Pomeranian fishing vessel. The rotten kochmara had to be left at the mouth of the Chirakina River and returned to Arkhangelsk on September 9, 1769 on a Pomor ship.

Of course, the name of Rozmyslov should take one of the first places among the outstanding Russian sailors and Arctic explorers. He not only measured and mapped the semi-legendary Matochkin Shar Strait for the first time. Rozmyslov gave the first description of the natural environment of the strait: the surrounding mountains, lakes, and some representatives of the flora and fauna. Moreover, he carried out regular weather observations and recorded the time of freezing and breaking up of ice in the strait. Fulfilling the assignment given to him, Rozmyslov built the first winter hut in the eastern part of the Matochkin Shar Strait. This winter hut was later used by industrialists and researchers of the archipelago.

In 1806, Chancellor N.P. Rumyantsev allocated funds to search for silver ore on Novaya Zemlya. Under the leadership of the mining official V. Ludlov, in June 1807, two mining masters and eleven members of the ship’s crew set off for the archipelago on the single-masted sloop “Pchela”. The expedition visited the island of Mezhdusharsky, visiting the famous Pomeranian settlement of Valkovo. While studying the islands in the Costin Shar Strait, Ludlov discovered deposits of gypsum.

In 1821-1824. Lieutenant F.P. Litke led four expeditions on the military brig Novaya Zemlya. Expeditions led by Litke made an inventory of the western coast of Novaya Zemlya from the Kara Gate Strait to Cape Nassau. The consolidated ice did not allow us to break further to the North. For the first time, a whole range of scientific observations was carried out: meteorological, geomagnetic and astronomical.

In 1832, difficult ice conditions in the Kara Gates forced the expedition of P.K. Pakhtusov to put the single-masted, deckless large carbass “Novaya Zemlya” for the winter off the southern coast of the archipelago, in Kamenka Bay. The remains of a Pomeranian hut and driftwood found here were used to build housing. As soon as all the expedition members moved to the rebuilt winter hut, from the second ten days of September they began to keep a meteorological journal, entering into it the readings of the barometer, thermometer and the state of the atmosphere every two hours. With the end of winter, multi-day walking routes began with the aim of inventorying and filming the southern shores of the archipelago. The results of the expedition are the drawing up of the first map of the entire eastern coast of the South Island of the archipelago. Thanks to his subsequent expeditions, outstanding results were achieved. Pakhtusov described the southern coast of Matochkina Shar, the eastern coast of the archipelago from the Kara Gate to Cape Dalniy.

Then in 1837 we were on the schooner “Krotov” and the small boat “St. Elisha” expedition of the Imperial Academy of Sciences under the leadership of Academician K. Baer. The ship was commanded by warrant officer A.K. Tsivodka.
In 1838, under the command of warrant officer A.K. Tsivolka, an expedition was sent to Novaya Zemlya on the schooners “Novaya Zemlya” and “Spitsbergen”. The second schooner was commanded by warrant officer S.A. Moiseev. As a result, a number of important studies were carried out; famous domestic and Western European scientists repeatedly addressed the various scientific results of the Tsivolki-Moiseev expedition.

In subsequent years, the Pomors, who continued to fish on Novaya Zemlya, at the request of the famous Siberian industrialist M.K. Sidorov, landed in the places indicated by him, collected rock samples and erected claim posts. In 1870, Sidorov published the project “On the benefits of settlement on Novaya Zemlya for the development of marine and other industries.”

Commercial development of Novaya Zemlya

The history of the creation of fishing settlements on Novaya Zemlya has purely “political roots.” This region has long been “Russian”, but unfortunately there was not a single permanent settlement here. The first Russian settlers in the North and their descendants, the Pomors, came here to fish. But for some reason the “simple Rusaks” believed that their Arctic paradise would always be inaccessible to the “nemchura”, “Germans” - foreigners (“Germans”, i.e. dumb, not speaking Russian, the Pomors called all foreigners). And they were clearly wrong.

It is known that back in the 16th century, soon after the Dutchman Willem Barents and his associates visited the region, Europe became interested in this particular “corner of the Russian Arctic.” And to confirm this, “in 1611 a society was formed in Amsterdam that established hunting in the seas near Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya,” and in 1701 the Dutch equipped up to 2,000 ships to Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya to “beat whales.” According to the information of the famous Siberian merchant and philanthropist M.K. Sidorov, who spent his entire life and fortune just to prove that Russia’s strength lies in the development of Siberia and the North, “before Peter the Great, the Dutch freely hunted whales in Russian territory.”

At the end of the 18th - first third of the 19th century, when the North Atlantic whale and fish stocks had already dried up, and the beaches and shallows of Jan Mayen and Bear, Spitsbergen and other islands lost their once familiar appearance - walruses and seals, polar bears, our eternal competitors in the development of the North, the Norwegians, turned their attention to the undeveloped eastern expanses of the Barents Sea - the islands of Kolguev, Vaygach and Novaya Zemlya, the icy Kara Sea, still “teeming” with Arctic life. The main period of their exploitation of the Novaya Zemlya fields covers approximately a 60-year period - from the end of the second third of the 19th century to the end of the 1920s.

Although Norwegian industrialists appeared in the Novaya Zemlya fisheries several centuries later than Russian sea game hunters and Nenets, the presence of the Scandinavians in the region was very large-scale, and the nature of the exploitation of natural resources was predatory and poaching. In just a few years, they mastered the entire range of Russian fisheries on the Barents Sea side of both islands of Novaya Zemlya, penetrated into the Kara Sea through Cape Zhelaniya, the Yugorsky Shar and Kara Gate straits and onto the eastern coast of the archipelago. Well-equipped and financially secure Norwegian sea game industrialists, who have long hunted whales and seals in the North Atlantic and off Spitsbergen, skillfully took advantage of the experience of the Arkhangelsk Pomors.

When sailing along the coast of the archipelago, the Norwegians relied on navigational and noticeable signs (gurias, crosses) set by the Pomors, and used old Russian camps or their remains as strong points. These camps also served as a signal to the Norwegians that the fisheries were somewhere nearby, since the Pomors usually built camps and huts near them. By the beginning of the 20th century. they even organized several winter quarters on the archipelago.

An entire branch of the Norwegian economy quickly matured in Russian fisheries, and small villages in the northern region of our Scandinavian neighbor, from where fishing expeditions were sent to the Arctic, turned into prosperous cities in a matter of years, creating a good financial foundation for the entire twentieth century.

“The development of fisheries by the Norwegians in the Barents and Kara Seas, on Vaigach and Kolguev contributed to the development of the outlying cities of Norway. Thus, the small town of Hammerfest, one of the northernmost cities in the world in the mid-19th century, had no more than 100 inhabitants in 1820. After 40 years, 1,750 people already lived there. Hammerfest developed its fisheries on Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya, and in 1869 sent 27 ships with a displacement of 814 tons and 268 crew for the fisheries.”

Knowing about the existence in Russia of laws of “coastal law that prohibit foreigners from settling the shores of the islands without the permission of the government,” the Norwegians quite cleverly avoided this legal obstacle. In particular, according to the famous Arkhangelsk Pomor F.I. Voronin, who had been trading on Novaya Zemlya for 30 years, knew of cases when “agents of Norwegian merchants, having their relatives as colonists on the Murmansk coast, extended their plans not only to the island of Novaya Zemlya, but also to Kolguev and Vaygach.

And so, in order to somehow protect themselves from Norwegian expansion in the Russian North, in the 1870s, a plan matured in the bowels of the Arkhangelsk provincial administration - to create settlements on Novaya Zemlya, denoting national interest in this region of the Arctic. Naturally, the good idea was supported in the capital. The go-ahead is coming from St. Petersburg to Arkhangelsk to begin the colonization of the Arctic island. The beginning of the existence of the Novaya Zemlya island hunting industry should be considered the second half of the 1870s, when the Arkhangelsk provincial administration, with state support, founded the first permanent settlement on the archipelago - the Malye Karmakuly camp.

From the very beginning of the creation of settlements on the Arctic archipelago, both the state and the provincial authorities believed that the main occupation of the Nenets on Novaya Zemlya would be fishing activities. The provincial administration even developed and implemented a number of measures to stimulate the involvement of the Nenets in relocating to Novaya Zemlya and supporting their fishing activities.
In the initial period of colonization of Novaya Zemlya, according to the highest royal decree, each pioneer male industrialist was entitled to 350 rubles from the state treasury as “lift” or compensation. At the same time, the settlers were exempt from all government and zemstvo fees for 10 years, and those who wished to move back to the mainland after five years could return to their previous place of residence without prior permission.

In 1892, by order of the Minister of the Interior, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of craft products were to be “credited to a special reserve colonization capital, and the net profit of individual colonists was to be deposited in a savings bank in special personal books.” Each Samoyed hunter was entitled to a special book signed by the governor, in which “the amount belonging to the owner of the book is indicated.” The spare capital was used to provide assistance to the first settlers - to deliver them from the tundra to Arkhangelsk, live there for several months, provide clothing and fishing tools, deliver them to Novaya Zemlya, issue gratuitous cash benefits, etc.

Settlement of Novaya Zemlya (its inhabitants)

The residence of indigenous Samoyeds on Novaya Zemlya before the 19th century, unlike Vaigach (an island located between Novaya Zemlya and the mainland), has not been confirmed.

However, when in 1653 (after Barents and other foreign predecessors) three Danish ships reached Novaya Zemlya, the ship’s doctor of this expedition, De Lamartiniere, in his description of the voyage to the archipelago, pointed to a meeting with local residents - “New Zealanders”. Like the Samoyeds (Nenets), they worshiped the sun and wooden idols, but differed from the Samoyeds in clothing, jewelry and face paint. Lamartiniere points out that they used boats that resembled light canoes, and the tips of their spears and arrows, like their other tools, were made of fish bones.

In the literature there are also references to attempts by Russian families to settle on the archipelago in the 16th-18th centuries. There is a legend that Stroganov Bay, located in the southwestern part of Novaya Zemlya, is named after the Stroganov family, who fled Novgorod during the persecution of Ivan the Terrible. Two hundred years later, in 1763, 12 members of the Old Believer Paikachev family settled on the coast of Chernaya Bay (southern part of the archipelago). They were forced to flee from Kem, refusing to renounce their faith. Both families died, apparently from scurvy.

However, it is reliably known that Novaya Zemlya became inhabited only at the end of the 19th century. In 1867, on two boats, the Nenets Foma Vylka sailed to the southern coast of Novaya Zemlya with his wife Arina and children. The Nenets who accompanied them went back in the fall, and Vylka with her family and the Nenets Samdey remained for the winter. At the end of winter Samdey died. Vylka became the first known permanent resident of the archipelago. He lived on Goose Land, in Malye Karmakuly and on the coast of Matochkina Shar.

In 1869 or 1870, an industrialist brought several Nenets (Samoyeds) for the winter and they lived on Novaya Zemlya for several years. In 1872, the second Nenets family arrived in Novaya Zemlya - the Pyrerki of Maxim Danilovich. The Nenets proved that man can live on Novaya Zemlya.

“In 1877, a rescue station was set up in the settlement of Malye Karmakuly with the aim of providing industrialists with a reliable shelter both during fishing and in case of an unexpected winter, and at the same time to provide assistance to the crews of ships in the event of their wreck near this island.
In addition, to protect the erected buildings and to engage in trades there, five Samoyed families from the Mezen district, numbering 24 people, were then brought to Novaya Zemlya and settled in the Malokarmakul encampment; They were provided with warm clothing, shoes, guns, gunpowder, lead, food supplies and other tools for hunting and crafts.

Sent to Novaya Zemlya to set up a rescue station, Lieutenant Tyagin of the corps of naval navigators met there the same two Samoyed families, consisting of 11 people, who had been wandering around Mollera Bay for eight years.

These Samoyeds were sent here by a Pechora industrialist, and they were supplied with good means for fishing, but they squandered them and, without risking returning to their homeland, completely got used to the New Land. Finding themselves in complete economic dependence on one of the Pomor industrialists, who supplied them with the necessary supplies, in return - of course, at incredibly cheap prices - taking away their craft items, the Samoyeds asked Tyagin to include them in the Samoyed artel brought with the funds of the Water Rescue Society.” . A. P. Engelhardt. Russian North: Travel notes. St. Petersburg, published by A.S. Suvorin, 1897

Expedition of E.A. Tyagin. built a rescue station in Malye Karmakuly and carried out hydrometeorological observations during wintering. Tyagin’s wife gave birth to a child, who became one of the first children born on Novaya Zemlya.

The families of Nenets colonists who settled in Malye Karmakuly elected Foma Vylka as the first inhabitant of the island, headman. He was entrusted with taking care of the human colonists, maintaining order, as well as organizing the unloading and loading of sea vessels. When performing his official duties, Foma wore a white round tin badge over his patched and blubber-salted malitsa, which meant he was a foreman. After Tyatin’s departure, all management of the rescue station passed into the hands of Foma. He fulfilled this duty conscientiously for many years.

The first known inhabitant of Novaya Zemlya - Foma Vylka

Foma Vylka is an interesting person. He was born on the banks of Golodnaya Bay at the mouth of the Pechora River, in a very poor family. At the age of seven, left an orphan, he became a farm laborer for a rich reindeer herder and worked only to be fed.

The owner had a son who was taught to read and write, forced to read and write. Foma saw all this. He asked the young owner - they were the same age - to teach him how to read and write. They went further into the tundra or into the forest, where no one could see them, there they drew letters in the snow or sand, put words together, and read them syllable by syllable. This is how Thomas learned Russian literacy. And one day, when the owner severely beat Thomas, he ran away from the house, taking with him the owner’s psalter...

Moving from pasture to pasture, where many reindeer herders gathered, Foma looked for a beautiful girl and decided to get married. Violating the ancient rituals of matchmaking, he himself asked the girl if she wanted to become his wife. And only when he received her consent, he sent matchmakers. Several years have passed. Thomas came to the ancient capital of the European Nenets, Pustozersk, for a fair. Here he was persuaded to accept Christianity, marry his wife according to Christian rites, and baptize his daughter. Thomas himself had to confess in church. This is where something unexpected happened. The priest asked the confessor, “Didn’t you steal?” Thomas became worried, upset, and even wanted to run away, but finally admitted that in childhood he took the psalter from the owner...

The new owner, to whom Foma hired himself for this work, invited him to go to Vaygach Island at the head of the owner’s fishing team to hunt for sea animals. So for three years Thomas sailed on carbass across the sea to Vaygach and always brought good booty to the owner. Foma's reputation as a successful hunter, a skilled pilot and a good leader of a fishing artel was strengthened. After some time, he began to ask the owner to send him with an artel to fish for sea animals on Novaya Zemlya. The owner approved this plan, assembled an artel, and equipped two sailing boats. On the way to Novaya Zemlya they were met by a strong storm, the rudder of one carbass was torn off, and Foma was washed out to sea. Miraculously, the assistant pulled him on board by his hair. One carbass turned back, the second, driven by Foma Vylka, safely reached the shores of Novaya Zemlya. This is how Foma Vylka and his wife and daughter first came to Novaya Zemlya. A year later their second daughter was born there.

Foma Vylka’s family had to endure many difficulties on Novaya Zemlya. Harsh, endlessly long winters, loneliness. Food was obtained with great difficulty, clothes and shoes were made from animal skins. There was not enough firewood to warm and light the tent a little; they burned blubber - the fat of sea animals.

One day, when the family of another Nenets, Pyrerka Maxim Danilovich, was already living on the island next to Vylka’s family, such an event happened. In late autumn, Norwegian sailors from a broken ship came to the Nenets tents. Their appearance was terrible: exhausted to the point of death, in tattered clothes and shoes. Foma and Pyrerka gladly accepted them into their tents, fed them, warmed them, and provided them with the best places in the tent. The wives sewed them warm fur clothes and shoes. The Norwegians did not eat seal meat, and the Nenets had to specially go hunting in the mountains, kill wild deer there and feed the guest fresh boiled meat. When one of the Norwegians fell ill with scurvy, Foma and Pyrerka forcibly forced him to drink the warm blood of animals and eat raw deer meat, rubbed his legs and body, forced him to walk, did not allow him to sleep much, and thus saved him from death.

In the spring, the Nenets gave the Norwegian sailors a boat, and they left for their homeland. The parting was very touching: they cried, kissed, hugged, the sailors thanked the Nenets for saving them from inevitable death. Gifts were exchanged. They gave Foma a pipe, and he gave them a walrus tusk.

Several years have passed since the sailors left. One day a sea steamer came to Malye Karmakuly. All Nenets colonists were invited to it. The Swedish envoy read and presented a letter of gratitude signed by the Swedish king. Then they began to distribute gifts. The first gift to Foma Vylka was a shotgun and cartridges. They showed how to use it. Foma, with joy, could not resist and immediately hit the head of a floating loon with a shot from his hand, thereby disrupting the order of the solemn ceremony...

Development of Novaya Zemlya

In 1880, M.K. Sidorov, together with shipowners Kononov, Voronov and Sudovikov, submitted a report to the Minister of Internal Affairs on improving the situation in the Northern Territory. It proves the need for proper organization of the resettlement of Russian industrialists to Novaya Zemlya. By the summer of 1880, the armed sailing schooner “Bakan” was transferred from the Baltic to guard the northern lands of Russia. Starting this year, regular steamship flights from Arkhangelsk to Malye Karmakuly are being established.

In 1881, the regulations on the colonization of Novaya Zemlya were approved. From September 1, 1882 to September 3, 1883, under the program of the First International Polar Year, continuous observations of meteorology and terrestrial magnetism were carried out in Malye Karmakuly.

The work of the polar station was supervised by the hydrographer, Lieutenant K.P. Andreev. At the end of April - beginning of May 1882, station employee doctor L.F. Grinevitsky, accompanied by the Nenets Khanets Vylka and Prokopiy Vylka, made the first research crossing of the Southern Island of Novaya Zemlya from Malye Karmakul to the eastern shore in 14 days (round trip).

In 1887, a new camp was founded in Pomorskaya Bay, Matochkin Shar Strait. A member of the Russian Geographical Society, K.D. Nosilov, stayed here for the winter and carried out regular meteorological observations. Hieromonk Father Jonah arrived in Malye Karmakuly with a psalm-reader. Before this, the diocesan spiritual authorities annually sent a priest to Novaya Zemlya in the summer to perform religious services and worship in a small chapel.

In 1888, Arkhangelsk Governor Prince N.D. Golitsyn arrived in Novaya Zemlya. In Arkhangelsk, a wooden church was built especially for Novaya Zemlya, which the governor delivered along with the iconostasis to Malye Karmakuly. That same year, Father Jonah made two trips. One in Matochkin Shar for the baptism of two residents. The second - to the eastern coast of the South Island, to the Kara Sea. Here he found and destroyed a Nenets wooden idol, personifying the patron god of deer hunting. Idols were discovered and destroyed by Father Jonah in other places on the South Island. Father Jonah began teaching Nenets children to read and write and their parents to teach prayers.

On September 18, 1888, the new church was consecrated. The church was equipped with magnificent icons, valuable church utensils and bells. In 1889, a monastic monastery was established by the Nikolo-Karelian Monastery in Malye Karmakuly, with the permission of the Holy Synod. The task of the monks was not only to preach among the Nenets, but also to help change the existing way of life during the transition from nomadic to sedentary life. Jonah's father's many years of work bore fruit. The German colonists willingly visited the temple, and their children read and sang in the church during services.

In 1893, Russian industrialists Yakov Zapasov and Vasily Kirillov and their families moved from the mouth of the Pechora to Novaya Zemlya for permanent residence.

By 1894, the permanent population of Novaya Zemlya consisted of 10 Nenets families of 50 people. This year, Arkhangelsk Governor A.P. visited Novaya Zemlya. Engelhard, who on the Lomonosov steamer brought 8 more families among 37 people who expressed a desire to settle on the archipelago.

A disassembled six-room house was delivered on the ship for the school and residence of Jonah's father and the psalm-reader. This house was built in Malye Karmakuly. Another house was brought for the camp in Matochkin Shar. So, in Malye Karmakuly in 1894 there was a church building, a school, two houses in which the Nenets lived, a building in which a paramedic lived and a warehouse for supplies, a barn where spare building materials were stored, and in winter - a rescue boat. In Matochkino Shar there were three small houses in which the Nenets lived.

According to many geologists: Vaygach Island and Novaya Zemlya are an ancient ridge -! Indeed, together they represent a curved, but solid line, which...
On ancient maps (for example, by Mercator, which will be indicated in the article), Novaya Zemlya was a single island, and even a peninsula, which was connected to the continent in the area of ​​the Yugra Peninsula, that is, the Ural Mountains in ancient times ran in a continuous chain far into the Arctic. The legends about Hyperborea also have their place here, because this ancient ridge continues along the bottom of the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya, that is, geologically - the Urals turn out to be at least another thousand kilometers longer!
What kind of lands were there before the onset of cooling and rising oceans is a question for modern scientists!

And for ordinary people, Novaya Zemlya is known, first of all, for testing the most destructive hydrogen bomb in the history of mankind, or as it is called - Tsar Bomba! The power of the bomb was more than 60 Megatons, which is approximately 30 thousand bombs dropped on Hiroshima! A terrible force, a well of the abyss, but life has shown that those countries that do not have nuclear weapons, in principle, cannot have an independent and independent policy! The nuclear shield is one of the few allies of Russia; once the last nuclear charge or delivery vehicle is cut down or disposed of, we will actually find out what Western democracy is worth!

The shock wave circled the globe several times! And the surface of the landfill was melted and swept clean. Details of the test will be below.

Novaya Zemlya from a satellite, Matochkin Shar Strait visible

GENERAL INFORMATION
Novaya Zemlya is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean and; is included in the Arkhangelsk region of Russia in the rank of the municipal formation “Novaya Zemlya”.
The archipelago consists of two large islands - Northern and Southern, separated by a narrow strait (2-3 km) Matochkin Shar and many relatively small islands, the largest of which is Mezhdusharsky. The northeastern tip of the North Island - Cape Vlissingsky - is the easternmost point of Europe.

It stretches from southwest to northeast for 925 km. The northernmost point of Novaya Zemlya is the eastern island of the Great Orange Islands, the southernmost is the Pynin Islands of the Petukhovsky archipelago, the western is the nameless cape on the Gusinaya Zemlya peninsula of Yuzhny Island, the eastern is Cape Flissingsky of Severny Island. The area of ​​all islands is more than 83 thousand km²; the width of the North Island is up to 123 km,
South - up to 143 km.

In the south, a strait (50 km wide) separates it from Vaygach Island.

The climate is arctic and harsh. Winter is long and cold, with strong winds (the speed of katabatic (katabatic) winds reaches 40-50 m/s) and snowstorms, which is why Novaya Zemlya is sometimes called the “Land of the Winds” in literature. Frosts reach −40 °C.
The average temperature of the warmest month, August, ranges from 2.5 °C in the north to 6.5 °C in the south. In winter, the difference reaches 4.6°. The difference in temperature conditions exceeds 5°. This temperature asymmetry is due to the difference in the ice regime of these seas. The archipelago itself has many small lakes; under the rays of the sun, the water temperature in the southern regions can reach 18 °C.

About half the area of ​​the North Island is occupied by glaciers. On an area of ​​about 20,000 km² there is a continuous ice cover, extending almost 400 km in length and up to 70-75 km in width. The ice thickness is over 300 m. In a number of places, the ice descends into fjords or breaks off into the open sea, forming ice barriers and giving rise to icebergs. The total glaciated area of ​​Novaya Zemlya is 29,767 km², of which about 92% is cover glaciation and 7.9% is mountain glaciers. On the South Island there are areas of arctic tundra.

cruiser Peter the Great near Novaya Zemlya

Minerals
On the archipelago, primarily on the South Island, there are known mineral deposits, mainly ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores. The most significant is the Rogachev-Taininsky manganese ore region, according to forecast estimates - the largest in Russia.
Manganese ores are carbonate and oxide. Carbonate ores, with an average manganese content of 8-15%, are distributed over an area of ​​​​about 800 km², the predicted resources of category P2 are 260 million tons. Oxide ores, with a manganese content of 16-24 to 45%, are concentrated mainly in the north of the region — in the North Taininsky ore field, the predicted resources of category P2 are 5 million tons. According to the results of technological tests, the ores are suitable for producing metallurgical concentrate. All oxide ore deposits can be mined by open pit mining.

Several ore fields (Pavlovskoye, Severnoye, Perevalnoye) with deposits of polymetallic ores have been identified. The Pavlovskoye deposit, located within the ore field of the same name, is so far the only deposit on Novaya Zemlya for which balance reserves have been approved. The balance reserves of lead and zinc in categories C1 + C2 amount to more than 2.4 million tons, and the forecast resources of category P1 are 7 million tons (approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia as of 01/01/2003).
The lead content in ores varies from 1.0 to 2.9%, zinc - from 1.6 to 20.8%. The predicted resources of the Pavlovsk ore field of category P2 in total for lead and zinc amount to 12 million tons (approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia as of 01/01/2003). In addition, silver reserves are assessed as incidental. The development of the deposit is possible by open-pit mining.

The remaining ore fields have been studied much less. It is known that the Northern ore field, in addition to lead and zinc, contains silver (content 100-200 g/t), gallium (0.1-0.2%), indium, germanium, yttrium, ytterbium, niobium as associated components .

Occurrences of native copper and cuprous sandstones are known on the South Island.

All known ore fields require additional study, which is hampered by natural conditions, insufficient economic development and the special status of the archipelago.

In the waters of the seas washing the archipelago, a number of geological structures have been identified that are promising for the search for oil and gas fields. The Shtokman gas condensate field, the largest on the Russian shelf, is located 300 km from the coast of Novaya Zemlya.

Story
In ancient times, Novaya Zemlya was inhabited by an unknown tribe, possibly belonging to the Ust-Poluysk archaeological culture. It is possible that in the mythology of the Samoyeds (Nenets) it was known under the name Sirtya.

Presumably, Novaya Zemlya was discovered in the 12th-13th centuries by Novgorod merchants, but there is no convincing historical and documentary evidence of this. The ancient Scandinavians also failed to prove their primacy in the discovery of the archipelago.

Of the Western Europeans, the first to visit the archipelago in 1553 was the English navigator Hugh Willoughby, who, by order of King Edward VI (1547-1553), led the expedition of the London “Moscow Company” to “find the Northwest Passage” and establish relations with the Russian state.
On the map of the Flemish scientist Gerard Mercator in 1595, Novaya Zemlya still looks like a single island or even a peninsula.

The Dutch traveler Willem Barents in 1596 rounded the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya and spent the winter on the eastern coast of the North Island in the area of ​​​​Ice Harbor (1597). In 1871, the Norwegian polar expedition of Elling Carlsen discovered the preserved Barents hut in this place, in which dishes, coins, wall clocks, weapons, navigational instruments were found, as well as a written report about the winter, hidden in the chimney.

In 1671, the essay “Journey to the Nordic Countries” was published in Paris, the author of which, a nobleman from Lorraine Pierre-Martin de la Martiniere, visited Novaya Zemlya in 1653 on a ship of Danish merchants. Having gone down to the shore of the South Island in three boats, the Danish sailors and Martinier met Samoyed hunters armed with bows who worshiped wooden idols.

The famous Dutch natural scientist Nicolaas Witsen in his book “Northern and Eastern Tartary” (1692) - the first scientific work in Western Europe about Siberia and the Russian North - reports that Peter the Great intended to build a military fort on Novaya Zemlya.

The first Russian explorer of Novaya Zemlya is considered to be navigator Fyodor Rozmyslov (1768-1769).

Until the 19th century, Novaya Zemlya was a virtually uninhabited archipelago, near which Pomors and Norwegians fished and hunted. Neither one nor the other could settle or live on the islands, and Novaya Zemlya remained only a transit point. Minor diplomatic conflicts arose from time to time, in which the Russian Empire invariably declared that “the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago is in its entirety Russian territory.”

Since those who laid claim to it could not live on the archipelago, several Nenets families were transported to Novaya Zemlya. More active settlement of the islands began in 1869. In 1877, the settlement of Malye Karmakuly arose on the South Island. In the eighties of the 19th century, there was already a small colony on Novaya Zemlya.

Belushya Guba Novaya Zemlya

In 1901, the famous polar artist Alexander Borisov arrived in Novaya Zemlya, where he met and took as his guide the young Nenets Tyko Vylka. During a 400-kilometer trip across Novaya Zemlya on dogs, Borisov constantly made sketches. Noticing the talent of a young Nenets who was interested in painting, Borisov taught Tyko Vylok painting. When the artist and writer Stepan Pisakhov was exiled to Novaya Zemlya in 1903, he also noted Vylok’s talent by giving him paints and pencils.

In 1909, polar explorer Vladimir Rusanov came to Novaya Zemlya, who, together with Tyko Vylka and Grigory Pospelov, examined the entire archipelago and compiled an accurate cartographic description of it.

In 1910, the Olginsky settlement in Krestovaya Bay was organized on the Northern Island, which at that time became the northernmost (74°08′ N) populated area of ​​the Russian Empire.

The Novaya Zemlya expedition of 1911, exploring the South Island, came across an extinct settlement of Russian industrialists, the existence of which was unknown until that time. Located on the Black Nose in a bay without a name, not marked anywhere on maps, the village was a sad sight: human skulls, skeletons, and bones scattered in all directions. The crosses standing right there, apparently in the cemetery, are completely dilapidated and decayed, the crossbars have fallen off, and the inscriptions on them have been erased. In total, the expedition counted the remains of about 13 people here. Three more dilapidated crosses towered in the distance.

Novaya Zemlya polar plane - 30s of the last century

Cape Vlissingsky is the easternmost island point of Europe. Located in the northeast of the Northern Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, Arkhangelsk region, Russia.

It is a rocky massif that juts out into the sea, up to 28 meters high. It divides the coastal waters into Emergency Bay (in the north) and Andromeda Bay (in the south).
A little south of the cape, the Andromeda River flows into the sea, behind which is Cape Burunny. To the north along the coast is the relatively large Ovrazhistaya River. Further along the coast is Cape Dever, which borders the Emergency Bay from the north.
The cape was discovered and mapped by the expedition of Willem Barents in 1596, the name is given in honor of the Dutch city of Vlissingen. South-west of the cape in September 1596, the ship of the expedition was frozen in the ice - its participants had to spend the winter on the shore, building a hut from the so-called. "driftwood" (wood thrown up by the sea). They obtained food for themselves, in particular, by hunting polar bears and seals. The next year, from fragments of the ship’s hull, which continued to remain captive in ice, they built two boats and set off on the return journey. During this return, Barents died of scurvy.
This story became the basis for the plot of the Dutch feature film “New Land”, the script of which is based on the memoirs of one of the Barents team members, a participant in the winter camp, Gerrit de Veer.

village Rogachevo Novaya Zemlya

Population
Administratively, the archipelago is a separate municipal entity of the Arkhangelsk region. It has the status of a ZATO (closed administrative-territorial entity). To enter Novaya Zemlya you need a special pass. Until the beginning of the 90s. the very existence of settlements on Novaya Zemlya was a state secret. The postal address of the village of Belushya Guba was “Arkhangelsk-55”, the village of Rogachevo and “points” located on the South Island and the south of the North Island - “Arkhangelsk-56”, “points” located in the north of the North Island and Franz Josef Land - “ Krasnoyarsk Territory, Dikson-2 Island" (communication with them through Dikson was maintained). The administrative center, the urban-type settlement of Belushya Guba, located on the South Island, has a population of 2,149 people (2013). The second settlement on Novaya Zemlya that currently exists is the village of Rogachevo (457 people), 12 km from Belushiya Guba. There is a military airfield here - Amderma-2. 350 km to the north on the southern shore of the Matochkin Shar Strait is the village of Severny (without permanent population), a base for underground testing, mining and construction work. There are currently no populated areas on the North Island.
The indigenous population, the Nenets, was completely evicted from the islands in the 1950s, when a military training ground was created. The population of the villages is mainly made up of military personnel and construction workers.
According to the results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census, the population of Novaya Zemlya is 2,429 people and is concentrated in only two settlements - Belushya Guba and Rogachevo.

Kara Gate Novaya Zemlya

Flora and fauna
The ecosystems of Novaya Zemlya are usually classified as biomes of arctic deserts (North Island) and arctic tundra.
The main role in the formation of phytocenoses belongs to mosses and lichens. The latter are represented by types of cladonia, the height of which does not exceed 3-4 cm.

Arctic herbaceous annuals also play a significant role. Plants characteristic of the sparse flora of the islands are creeping species, such as creeping willow (Salix polaris), saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia), mountain lichen and others. The vegetation in the southern part is mostly dwarf birches, moss and low grass; in areas near rivers, lakes and bays, many mushrooms grow: milk mushrooms, honey mushrooms, etc.

The largest lake is Gusinoye. It is home to freshwater fish, in particular Arctic char. Common animals include arctic foxes, lemmings, partridges, and reindeer. Polar bears come to the southern regions with the onset of cold weather, posing a threat to local residents. Marine animals include harp seal, ringed seal, sea hare, walruses, and whales.
On the islands of the archipelago you can find the largest bird colonies in the Russian Arctic. Guillemots, puffins, and seagulls live here.

Nuclear test site
The first underwater nuclear explosion in the USSR and the first nuclear explosion on Novaya Zemlya on September 21, 1955. Test of a T-5 torpedo with a power of 3.5 kilotons at a depth of 12 m (Chernaya Bay).
On September 17, 1954, a Soviet nuclear test site was opened on Novaya Zemlya with its center in Belushaya Guba. The test site includes three sites:
Black Lip - used mainly in 1955-1962.
Matochkin Shar - underground tests in 1964-1990.
D-II SIPNZ on the Sukhoi Nos Peninsula - ground tests in 1957-1962.
In addition, explosions were carried out at other points (the official territory of the test site occupied more than half of the entire area of ​​the island). New Earth

From September 21, 1955 to October 24, 1990 (the official date of the announcement of the moratorium on nuclear testing), 135 nuclear explosions were carried out at the test site: 87 in the atmosphere (of which 84 were airborne, 1 ground-based, 2 surface-based), 3 underwater and 42 underground. Among the experiments were very powerful megaton nuclear tests carried out in the atmosphere above the archipelago.
On Novaya Zemlya in 1961, the most powerful hydrogen bomb in the history of mankind was exploded - the 58-megaton Tsar Bomba at the D-II site "Sukhoi Nos". The tangible seismic wave generated by the explosion circled the globe three times, and the sound wave generated by the explosion reached Dikson Island at a distance of about 800 kilometers. However, sources do not report any destruction or damage to structures even in the villages of Amderma and Belushya Guba located much closer (280 km) to the test site.

In August 1963, the USSR and the USA signed a treaty banning nuclear tests in three environments: the atmosphere, space and under water. Limitations were also adopted on the power of the charges. Underground explosions were carried out until 1990. In the 1990s, due to the end of the Cold War, testing abruptly came to a standstill, and currently only research in the field of nuclear weapons systems is carried out here (the Matochkin Shar facility).

The policy of glasnost led to the fact that in 1988-1989 the public learned about nuclear tests on Novaya Zemlya, and in October 1990, activists from the environmental organization Greenpeace appeared here to protest against the resumption of nuclear tests on the archipelago. On October 8, 1990, at night in the area of ​​the Matochkin Shar Strait, the Greenpeace ship entered the territorial waters of the USSR, and a group of anti-nuclear activists was secretly sent ashore. After a warning salvo from the patrol ship “XXVI Congress of the CPSU,” the ship stopped and Soviet border guards boarded it. Greenpeace was arrested and towed to Murmansk, then released.
However, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the creation of the test site on Novaya Zemlya, the head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Alexander Rumyantsev, said that Russia intends to continue to develop the test site and maintain it in working order. At the same time, Russia does not intend to conduct nuclear tests on the archipelago, but intends to carry out non-nuclear experiments to ensure the reliability, combat effectiveness and safety of storage of its nuclear weapons.

Amderma Novaya Zemlya

Disposal of radioactive waste
In addition to testing nuclear weapons, the territory of Novaya Zemlya (or rather, the water area immediately adjacent to its eastern coast) was used in 1957-1992 for the disposal of liquid and solid radioactive waste (RAW). Basically, these were containers with spent nuclear fuel (and in some cases entire reactor installations) from submarines and surface ships of the Northern Fleet of the USSR and Russian Navy, as well as icebreakers with nuclear power plants.

Such radioactive waste disposal sites are the bays of the archipelago: Sedov Bay, Oga Bay, Tsivolki Bay, Stepovoy Bay, Abrosimov Bay, Blagopoluchiya Bay, Current Bay, as well as a number of points in the Novaya Zemlya Depression stretching along the entire archipelago. As a result of such activities and the bays of Novaya Zemlya, many underwater potentially hazardous objects (UPHO) were formed. Among them: the completely sunk nuclear submarine K-27 (1981, Stepovoy Bay), the reactor compartment of the nuclear icebreaker Lenin (1967, Tsivolki Bay), reactor compartments and assemblies of a number of other nuclear submarines.
Since 2002, the areas where the POOO is located have been subject to annual monitoring by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. In 1992-1994, international expeditions were carried out (with the participation of specialists from Norway) to assess the degree of environmental pollution; since 2012, the activities of such expeditions have been resumed.

Cape Sedova Novaya Zemlya

DISCOVERY AND RESEARCH OF A NEW EARTH
That Novaya Zemlya was known to Russians earlier than to foreigners is evidenced by the very name “Novaya Zemlya”, under which this island became known to Western peoples, and which remained with it in all foreign atlases. Also, Russian industrialists sometimes served as guides for English and Dutch discoverers on the first voyages to the east, along the northern coast of Russia, informing them that the coast seen in such and such a direction was “New Earth”.

The discoveries on its shores by the first foreign navigators of crosses and huts that had collapsed from dilapidation, also proving this, at the same time indicate that it had been visited by our compatriots for a long time. But the exact time when Novaya Zemlya was discovered by the Russians and in what way remains unknown, both of which can only be assumed with greater or lesser probability, based on certain historical data relating to the Russian North.

One of the Slavic tribes, which had long lived near Lake Ilmen and had Veliky Novgorod as its main city, already at the dawn of its history had a desire to the north, to the White Sea, the Arctic Ocean and further to the northeast, to Pechora and beyond the Ural ridge, to the Yugra region , gradually crowding out their indigenous inhabitants, who belonged to the Finnish tribe and were called by the Novgorodians under the common name “Zavolotskaya Chud”.

Initially, the entire country lying from Novgorod to the north and northeast to the Ural ridge, the Novgorodians gave one common name “Zavolochya”, since this territory was located from Novgorod beyond the “volok” - a vast watershed separating the basins of the Onega, Dvina, Mezen and Pechora from the Volga basin, and through this watershed, during campaigns, the Novgorodians dragged (“dragged”) their ships.

From the beginning of the 13th century, with the expansion of geographical information about the newly conquered country, only the lands lying between the Onega and Mezen rivers began to be called Zavolochye, while others to the northeast and east of the White Sea received separate names. So, for example, on the northern shore of the White Sea there was the volost “Tre” or “Tersky Coast”; the Vychegda River basin was called the “Perm volost”; Pechora River basin - “Pechora volost”. Further beyond Pechory and on the other side of the northern Ural ridge was the Yugra volost, which is believed to have included the Yamal Peninsula. The part of Zavolochye, between the Onega and Dvina rivers, was also called “Dvina Land”.

The primitive inhabitants of Zavolochye were generally separate, with a cult of idolatry, the Finnish tribes - Yam, Zavolotskaya Chud, Perm, Pechora and Ugra (or Ugra):
They lived scatteredly, in small villages, among forests and swamps, along the banks of rivers and lakes, engaged exclusively in hunting and fishing. Surrounded by seas to the north and dense forests to the south, they were completely independent until the enterprising Novgorodians penetrated into their region.

Cape Zhelaniya - northern tip of Novaya Zemlya

The occupation of the region by the Novgorodians was almost exclusively an act of private enterprise. Their movement here, first as conquerors - Ushkuiniks, and then as colonizers - trading guests, went mainly along the rivers, which represented the only and most convenient means of communication in this primitive region, and later the first settlements of the Novgorodians were founded on them.

In Russian chronicles there are indications that the inhabitants of Zavolochye were already tributaries of the Novgorod Slavs in the first half of the 9th century, and the Lapps (Lop) of the Kola Peninsula in the same century were their allies, who came for trade and crafts long before the Varangians were called to Rus'. But later, when the Novgorodians began to appear here as conquerors, Chud did not immediately submit to the new newcomers, sometimes repulsing them by force, sometimes paying off by paying tribute. Only after the conquest of Zavolochye by the Novgorodians did their first settlements appear along the lower reaches of the Dvina, on the shores of the White Sea and the Arctic Ocean.
At the end of the 9th century, there were no Slavs at the mouth of the Dvina, since the Norwegian Viking Otar or Okhter, sent by the Anglo-Saxon king Alfred the Great to the north in order to find out how far the land extended in this direction, and reached the mouth in the second half of the mentioned century Dvina by sea, he found the Biorm tribe here, who, in his opinion, spoke the same language as the Finns. At the same time, Okhter does not mention anything about the Slavs. Unfriendly met by the Biorms and frightened by their large numbers, he did not dare to sail further up the river. The land of the Ter-Finns (Tersky coast), which he saw when sailing here by sea, was not inhabited - he saw only Finnish fishermen and trappers who were temporarily here.

Novgorod settlements are not visible here even at the beginning of the 11th century, since in 1024 another Norwegian Viking, Ture Gund, came by sea and not for the first time to the mouth of the Dvina, where there was a rich trading city of Chudi and where Scandinavian merchants came to trade in the summer. this time the temple of the Chud deity Yumala. Zavolochye was known to Europe at that time under the name of Biarmia or Permia, the main city of which was located near present-day Kholmogory.

But no more than 50 years after the destruction of the Yumala temple by the Norwegians, the first settlements of Novgorodians with their mayors appeared here, to whom the entire local population more or less calmly obeyed. From that time on, Chud partly merged with the new newcomers, became Russified, and partly went further to the northeast and east. At present, only the names of almost the majority of our northern rivers, lakes, tracts and localities of various kinds remind us of it, such as: Dvina, Pechora, Pinega, Kholmogory, Shenkursk, Chukhchenema, etc.

At the beginning of the 11th century, Novgorodians also appeared on the Murmansk coast of the Arctic Ocean. This is evidenced by one Scandinavian runic letter, from which it is clear that no later than 1030, the sea bay of Lygenfjord, not far from Tromso, was considered the border in the north between Russia and Norway. Since it is impossible to think that the aforementioned establishment of boundaries occurred immediately after the appearance of the first Novgorodians here, then we can more likely conclude that they appeared here earlier, namely in the 10th century. The establishment of the border was probably caused by the widespread activity of the aliens that had already begun. Their appearance here earlier than at the mouth of the Dvina can be explained by the fact that the Novgorodians encountered little resistance from the Lapps, since this semi-wild nomadic tribe did not have permanent settlements, but moved from place to place in accordance with the movement of their reindeer for food. Therefore, the squads of Novgorodians could meet resistance only from the sedentary Norwegians. The border was established by agreement between the Novgorod prince Yaroslav the Wise, later the Kyiv prince, with the Norwegian king Olaf the Tolstoy, whose daughter Yaroslav was married to.

Without a doubt, the beginning of Russian navigation in the White Sea and the Arctic Ocean must be attributed to the time of the appearance of the Novgorodians in the Dvina Land and on the Murmansk coast. But there is no information about how far these journeys were. One must think that they were not far away, since the Novgorodians, still little familiar with the sea, had to get used to it for some time in order to set out on a distant, unknown and dangerous journey. And indeed, there is reason to believe that the Novgorodians came to Murman not by sea from the direction of the Holy Nose, but from Kandalaksha, between which and Kola there is only one portage, about a mile long, and it is known that the Novgorodians made their trips mainly by boats along the rivers, dragging them across watersheds - portages.

sunrise in the Kara Sea Novaya Zemlya

The last assumption is confirmed by the fact that Kola was founded by them much earlier than the villages on the Terek coast of the White Sea - Ponoy, Umba and Varzuga. If the Novgorodians were going to Murman for the first time from the White Sea, then these rivers, which they could not help but notice, would also serve as the place of their first settlements. Based on the above, it is unlikely that Novaya Zemlya was discovered by the Russians from this side, that is, from the White Sea.

Most likely, this could have been done from the Pechora or Yugra region, where the Novgorodians also penetrated early, namely in the 11th century, as indicated by chroniclers. Like the inhabitants of Zavolochye, the Yugras also submitted to the Novgorodians, but not immediately - they made repeated attempts to overthrow the yoke of the aliens, as evidenced by the many campaigns of the conquerors here to pacify some of the natives:
Having communicated with the inhabitants - the nomads of the Pechora and Yugra regions - the Novgorodians could then learn and hear about the Novaya Zemlya, familiar to these nomads for a long time. After all, they could get there through the island of Vaygach, separated from the mainland by a narrow strait and not particularly wide from Novaya Zemlya. You can get to Vaygach in winter across the ice on reindeer, and from there Novaya Zemlya can be clearly visible in clear weather.

Whether the campaign of the Novgorodians to the “Iron Gates” means a campaign to the Kara Gates, also called the “Iron Gates”, cannot be said reliably, since in the north there are quite a few places with that name.

Herberstein, in his memoirs about Muscovy, twice mentions a certain country “Engroneland”, located in the Arctic Sea, beyond the Riphean and Hyperborean mountains and beyond the mouths of the Pechora and Ob, relations with which are difficult due to constantly floating ice. But is this Novaya Zemlya, mixed by Herberstein with Greenland, especially since such a mistake on his part is very possible in view of the fact that he compiled the geographical description of this part of Russia from the words of narrators, and his personal knowledge of geography may not have been particularly extensive and clear? In any case, one must think that the Russians, who gave him geographical information about their country, could not call Novaya Zemlya “Engroneland.” He gave the last name, forgetting its real name, reported by the Russians. And he could have heard about Greenland as an icy country and also in the ocean in Europe.

Did the Russian discoverers of Novaya Zemlya know that it was an island and not a mainland? It can be assumed that at first it was considered a continent, and only this can explain its name and, mainly, the presence of the word “earth” in it. In the language of the Northern Pomors it means “hardened coast” - the mainland. She could have made such an impression on the first newcomers there or on those who saw her for the first time since Vaygach. For the enterprising Novgorodians, who were uncontrollably striving in their progressive movement to the northeast and beyond, the large island that appeared before them, still unknown to them, could really seem like “land” - it was so large compared to other islands they had seen before.

But the Novgorodians and their successors, making their voyages to Novaya Zemlya, did not leave any written information about it or about their travels there. They were passed down to posterity through oral traditions, and acquaintance with her took place in the same way. The first printed information about Novaya Zemlya appeared only from the time of its visit by foreign navigators who sought to open the northeastern route to China and India.

Strait Matochkin Shar Novaya Zemlya

LIFE OF A POLAR MONK
Father Innocent, polar explorer monk. Life on Novaya Zemlya
There is a mysterious island in the Arctic Ocean - Novaya Zemlya. From Arkhangelsk it is 1200 kilometers towards the North Pole. And people live there, in relation to whom we are southerners spoiled by warmth and natural bounty. It is here, in the northernmost point of the Arkhangelsk region, that there is the northernmost Russian Orthodox church in the name of St. Nicholas, whose rector has been Abbot Innocent (Russian) for more than 5 years.
The average summer temperature there is +3, the snow melts by the end of June, exposing the moss-lichen gray-brown desert. Melt water accumulates in lakes; there are no trees at all. And in winter - endless snow, whiteness, from which, as science claims, the eyes “starve”. Not much is known about Novaya Zemlya: until recently it was covered in a veil of secrecy. Nuclear test site, closed military zone. Military personnel and their families live there. There is no indigenous population: the Nenets lived here before the creation of the landfill, and then, in the 50s of the last century, everyone was evicted. It is here, at the northernmost point of the Arkhangelsk region, that there is an Orthodox church in the name of St. Nicholas, whose rector has been Abbot Innokenty (Russian) for more than 5 years. “How could you voluntarily go to this northern distance?” - they ask the young clergyman. “But someone had to go!” - Father Innocent calmly answers.
Once upon a time, at the end of the 19th century, on Novaya Zemlya there was a temple, also St. Nicholas, in which missionaries - monks of the Orthodox St. Nicholas Monastery - labored. The old wooden church still exists on the shore of Belushya Bay, a kilometer from the current village. The structure was assembled in Arkhangelsk and transported to this island in the Arctic Ocean. The parishioners were Nenets. More than seven years ago, the command and residents of the village of Belushya Guba asked Bishop Tikhon of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogory to send a priest. And in February 1999, Father Innokenty appeared in the military town of Belushya Guba. Due to the constant unfavorable weather, it was decided to build a church in the village itself; for this purpose, a large room was allocated, the first floor of a residential building - a former cafe. And the life of the parish priest flowed on...

Father Innocent is rarely on the “mainland”, mostly on study leave (the priest receives an education in absentia at a religious educational institution). According to Father Innokenty, the permanent parish of the Novaya Zemlya church is about fifteen people, which is 1% of the entire population of the military town. Mostly women. The community gathered quite quickly, and those who exist can be called active and church-going parishioners. They often confess and receive communion, undergo unction, observe fasts, and read spiritual literature. On many issues they turn to the priest for advice, and problems are solved together. The priest himself visits military units - he is present at oaths of office, conducts conversations, and blesses the premises. Father Innocent has many good friends among the local population, mostly officers. The priest also communicates with residents on local television and regularly gives sermons. This is the best option for education, because Sunday school for children, as experience has shown, cannot exist here. During the school year, children are used to staying at home on weekends: usually the weather is very bad, and you can’t force anyone to go outside. In general, there is nowhere to go in the village; people get used to a sedentary lifestyle.
Father Innocent is a monk. It is more customary for a monk to live within the walls of a monastery, among the brethren, under the leadership of the abbot. Here is a completely different situation. Father Innocent came to the Solovetsky Monastery at a fairly young age, performed obedience in the choir, and was tonsured a monk. Then he served in the Arkhangelsk Church of All Saints until he volunteered to go to Novaya Zemlya. Now the priest lives alone, in an ordinary apartment. In order not to lose physical health at all, he goes in for sports: goes to the gym, swimming pool, because physical activity in this climate and with a sedentary lifestyle is simply necessary. In addition, Father Innocent is constantly studying and preparing for sessions at the theological seminary. He often conducts rehearsals with his choir (this priest loves to sing).

Father Innocent realizes that he is doing an important job. Of course, life and priestly service in the Arctic Circle is a sacrifice, but every person must sacrifice something. The main thing is that now an Orthodox parish has appeared in that remote point, services are held, prayers are offered. People here are already accustomed to the church, and without it it would be difficult for them. And the obedience of the monk Innocent is the work of an ordinary parish priest and missionary, which is superimposed by the hardships and peculiarities of the northern island of Novaya Zemlya.

TSING BOMB TEST
Tsar Bomba (Big Ivan) - tests of a 50 megaton thermonuclear bomb at the Novaya Zemlya test site.
Date of explosion: October 30, 1961

Explosion coordinates:
73 degrees 50"52.93" N (Time zone "November" UTC-1) 54 degrees 29"40.91 E.

The largest hydrogen (thermonuclear) bomb is the Soviet 50-megaton “Tsar Bomba”, exploded on October 30, 1961 at a test site on the island of Novaya Zemlya.
Nikita Khrushchev joked that the original plan was to detonate a 100-megaton bomb, but the charge was reduced so as not to break all the glass in Moscow.
There is some truth in every joke: the bomb was actually designed for 100 megatons, and this power could be achieved by simply increasing the working fluid. They decided to reduce the energy release for safety reasons - otherwise the landfill would suffer too much damage. The product turned out to be so large that it did not fit into the bomb bay of the Tu-95 carrier aircraft and partially stuck out of it. Despite the successful test, the bomb did not enter service; however, the creation and testing of the superbomb had great political significance, demonstrating that the USSR had solved the problem of achieving almost any level of megatonnage of the nuclear arsenal.

"Ivan" is a thermonuclear device developed in the mid-50s by a group of physicists led by Academician I.V. Kurchatova. The group included Andrei Sakharov, Viktor Adamsky, Yuri Babaev, Yuri Trunov and Yuri Smirnov.

The initial version of a bomb weighing 40 tons was, for obvious reasons, rejected by the designers of OKB-156 (developers of the Tu-95). Then the nuclear scientists promised to reduce its weight to 20 tons, and the airplane pilots proposed a program for the corresponding modification of the Tu-16 and Tu-95. The new nuclear device, according to the tradition adopted in the USSR, received the code designation “Vanya” or “Ivan”, and the Tu-95 chosen as the carrier was named Tu-95V.

The first studies on this topic began immediately after negotiations between I.V. Kurchatov and A.N. Tupolev, who appointed his deputy for weapons systems, A.V. Nadashkevich, as the head of the topic. An analysis carried out by strength experts showed that the suspension of such a large concentrated load would require serious changes in the power circuit of the original aircraft, in the design of the cargo compartment and in the suspension and release devices. In the first half of 1955, the overall and weight drawing of the Ivan was agreed upon, as well as the layout drawing of its placement. As expected, the mass of the bomb was 15% of the carrier's take-off mass, but its overall dimensions required the removal of the fuselage fuel tanks. Developed for the Ivan suspension, the new beam holder BD7-95-242 (BD-242) was similar in design to the BD-206, but much more powerful. It had three bomber castles Der5-6 with a carrying capacity of 9 tons each. BD-242 was attached directly to the longitudinal power beams that edged the cargo compartment. The problem of bomb release control was also successfully solved. Electric automation ensured exclusively synchronous opening of all three locks, which was dictated by security conditions.

On March 17, 1956, a resolution of the Council of Ministers was issued, according to which OKB-156 was to begin converting the Tu-95 into a carrier of high-power nuclear bombs. This work was carried out in Zhukovsky from May to September, when the Tu-95V was accepted by the customer and transferred for flight testing. They were conducted under the leadership of S.M. Kulikov until 1959, included the release of a “superbomb” model and passed without any special comments.

The carrier of the “superbomb” was created, but its actual tests were postponed for political reasons: Khrushchev was going to the USA, and there was a pause in the Cold War. The Tu-95B was transported to the airfield in Uzin, where it was used as a training aircraft and was no longer listed as a combat vehicle. However, in 1961, with the beginning of a new round of the Cold War, testing of the “superbomb” again became relevant. On the Tu-95V, all connectors in the automatic reset system were urgently replaced, and the cargo compartment doors were removed, because The real bomb turned out to be slightly larger in size and weight than the mock-up and now exceeded the dimensions of the compartment (bomb weight - 24 tons, parachute system - 800 kg).

The prepared Tu-95B was transported to the northern airfield in Vaenga. Soon, with a special white thermal protective coating and a real bomb on board, piloted by a crew led by pilot Durnovtsov, it headed for Novaya Zemlya. The test of the world's most powerful thermonuclear device took place on October 30, 1961. The bomb exploded at an altitude of 4500 m. The plane shook, and the crew received a certain dose of radiation. The power of the explosion, according to various estimates, ranged from 75 to 120 megatons. Khrushchev was informed about the explosion of a bomb at 100 Mgt, and it was this figure that he mentioned in his speeches.

The results of the explosion of the charge, which received the name Tsar Bomba in the West, were impressive - the nuclear “mushroom” of the explosion rose to a height of 64 kilometers (according to American observation stations), the shock wave resulting from the explosion circled the globe three times, and the electromagnetic radiation of the explosion became cause radio interference for one hour.

The creation of the Soviet super-powerful hydrogen bomb and its explosion on October 30, 1961 over Novaya Zemlya became an important stage in the history of nuclear weapons. V.B. Adamsky and Yu.N. Smirnov, who repeatedly spoke on the pages of our magazine, together with A.D. Sakharov, Yu.N. Babaev and Yu.A. Trutnev were direct participants in the development of the design of this bomb. They also participated in her trial.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
http://yaranga.su/svedenia-novaya-zemla-1/
Pasetsky V.M. Discoverers of Novaya Zemlya. - M.: Nauka, 1980. - 192 p. — (History of science and technology). — 100,000 copies.
Saks V.N. Quaternary deposits of Novaya Zemlya. / Geology of the USSR. - T. XXVI, Islands of the Soviet Arctic. 1947.
Robush M. S. Along the Arctic Ocean. (From travel notes) // Historical Bulletin. - 1890. - T. 42. - No. 10. - P. 83-118, No. 12. - P. 671-709.
Yugarov I. S. Journal for Novaya Zemlya (climate) for 1881 and 1882 / Extract. and comment. M. S. Robusha // Historical Bulletin. - 1889. - T. 36. - No. 4. - P. 117-151. — Under the title: A year on Novaya Zemlya.
E. R. a Trautvetter. Conspectus Florae Insularum Nowaja-Semlja (lat.) // Tr. Imp. St. Petersburg bot. garden - 1871-1872. - V. I. - T. I. - P. 45-88. (~77 MB)
Martynov V. | Novaya Zemlya is a military land | Newspaper "Geography" No. 09/2009
Based on materials from “The First Russian Explorers of Novaya Zemlya”, 1922, compiled by P. I. Bashmakov
http://www.pravda.ru/districts/northwest/arhangelsk/31-12-2004/49072-monah-0/
http://www.nationalsecurity.ru/maps/nuclear/004.htm
http://www.photosight.ru/
http://www.belushka-info.ru/

Novaya Zemlya is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, consisting of two large islands - North and South, separated by the Matochkin Shar Strait. The length of the strait is 107 kilometers, width 1.5-2 kilometers. From January to May, the strait is covered with ice up to one and a half meters thick.

The Novaya Zemlya islands are located in the Arctic basin between the two seas, the Barents (warm) and Kara (cold); both seas belong to the Arctic climate zone.

The southern tip of Novaya Zemlya - Cape Menshikov is located at latitude 70°30" north, the northern part - Cape Zhelaniya at latitude 77° north.

Severny Island and part of Yuzhny Island are located in the Arctic desert zone. About half the surface of Severny Island is occupied by glaciers; their continuous cover extends 400 kilometers in length and up to 70-75 kilometers in width. The thickness of many glaciers exceeds 300 meters. Often glaciers slide into the open sea, giving rise to icebergs.

Due to their geographical location, the islands are a natural frontal divide between the seas, which have a significant impact on the climate.

The archipelago itself is covered with permafrost and ice and has the following characteristics:

The archipelago is composed mainly of Paleozoic rocks, which are covered with Quaternary sediments on top. The most ancient rocks in the Cambrian archipelago are black phyllites, sandstones, shales and conglomerates with a trilobite fauna. In the geological past, the coastal areas of the archipelago were covered with multi-meter thick layers of early Quaternary ice caps. When the glaciers retreated, a gradual rise of the seabed began, which continues today at a rate of about 5-6 mm per year. It is likely that these areas of land were freed from under the sea approximately seven to eight thousand years ago.

The mountains of Novaya Zemlya are mainly located along the coast of the Barents Sea, and the width of the mountain strip on the archipelago varies greatly. If in the area of ​​the Matochkin Shar Strait the mountains are located almost from sea to sea, then as you move away from it to the south or north, this strip narrows. The highest peaks are characterized by a cut, leveled character. The highest unnamed peak of the South Island has an elevation of 1342 meters, located abeam the middle reaches of the Chirakina River. The mountains along the banks of Matochkina Shar rarely exceed 1000 meters (Gefera - 1133 m, Sedova - 1115 m), while there are many such peaks along the width of the peninsula. Here is also the highest peak of the archipelago, 1547 meters high, which does not have a name on the maps, although, according to available information, F. Litke gave it the name Krusenstern. The mountains are deeply dissected by river and glacial valleys.

The rivers of Novaya Zemlya are mostly short (the length of the largest of them does not exceed 130 km), mountainous, with shallow depths, fast flowing, with rocky, rapids beds. The depth of the rivers does not exceed 3 m, the flow speed is 1.5-2 m/s. The most significant rivers on the island. Northern - Gusinaya and Promyslovaya, on the island. Southern - Bezymyannaya, Shumilikha and Chirakina. River flow is seasonal and summer. Rivers freeze to the bottom in winter. Lakes are numerous and vary in size, configuration, genesis, feeding conditions and chemical composition. The lakes on the plain are relict and thermokarst, along the sea coast - lagoonal, separated from the sea by spits and bay bars, in the mountains - glacial or dammed by moraines. The largest lakes have an area of ​​up to 60 km2, a depth of up to 20-30 m, in some cases up to 90 m.

Geography of the Belushi Peninsula

In the southern part of the mainland, the terrain decreases and turns into a slightly hilly plain. The territory of the peninsula is well divided into three natural areas with unequal relief and separated from each other by deep depressions, former straits between Belushya Bay and Rogachev Bay (lagoons). Nowadays they are separated from both bays from the west and east by sandy bridges, and in depressions with steep northern and southern shores there are salt-water lakes (1st Transverse Lagoon and 2nd Gavrilovskaya Lagoon). In the historical past, 200-300 years ago, when Arkhangelsk coast-dwellers went fishing to Novaya Zemlya, these transverse lagoons could be easily navigated by ships from Belushiya Bay to Rogachev Bay and back.

The southern tip of the peninsula is steep, the maximum height of the banks is 10-17 meters. The western part is swampy and contains several small lakes.

In the center of the peninsula, delimited from its northern territory by the 1st Transverse Lagoon, there is an extensive depression with several large but shallow freshwater lakes - the Small and Bolshoi Sidorovskie lakes, and several unnamed ones.

The northern part of the peninsula, the most significant in area and the most elevated with a height of about 38 meters, is limited from the north by Gavrilov Bay, and from the south by the 1st Transverse Lagoon. It has a rugged terrain with several extensive swampy depressions, at the bottom of which are all the modern large lakes (Bolshoye and Maloe Gavrilovsky, Maloe and Bolshoye Ilya Vylki, Maloe and Bolshoye Rogachevsky, Bolshoye Shmidta). These reservoirs are wastewater and flowing, some of them are connected by streams, such as lakes Gavrilovskie and Ilya Vylki. Interesting natural objects are located on the western coast of this part of the peninsula - the Astronomicheskaya, Stvornaya and Sukhaya lagoons, which were recently separated from the sea.