It is known that Novgorodians went to Novaya Zemlya, a group of islands located between the Kara and Barents Seas, in the 11th-12th centuries. Willem Barents circled the North Island from its northern part and spent the winter on its eastern shores in 1596. And already today, on June 15, 2009, it was organized national park "Russian Arctic".

national park is one of the youngest protected areas in Russian Federation. In December 2010 park "Russian Arctic" replenished with a state nature reserve of federal significance "Franz Josef Land"- the most northern territory of the land of Eurasia.

General information, relief and climate of the Russian Arctic National Park

National Park "Russian Arctic" often referred to as "Pearl of the Arctic". Its territory, in general, is 14,260 square kilometers, which is equal to 6,320 square kilometers of land and 7,940 square kilometers of the territorial waters of the Russian Federation. Ice of continental origin covers more than 85% of the surface of the islands.

The park is dominated by polar arctic climate, which is characterized by temperatures close to zero or negative values ​​of the annual radiation balance. Summer is cold and short, lasting from June to August. Winter, on the contrary, is severe and long: it begins in mid-October and ends in March.

The national park is located in the Arkhangelsk region. There are no permanent residents in the protected area.

National Park "Russian Arctic" and its vegetation

The protected area contains unique, almost untouched ecosystems. Vegetable world represented by some types lichens, mosses, as well as a small number of flowering plants.

Russian Arctic National Park and its wildlife

The animal world is rich and varied. The water area of ​​the Arctic is inhabited throughout the year by bowhead whale and narwhal. Large flocks of birds nest on steep and high capes, thereby forming bird rookeries. These are mainly eiders and guillemots.

Novaya Zemlya hosts very rich rookeries of arctic mammals: arctic foxes, walruses, harp seals and seals. One of the most important centers of reproduction and habitat is located there. polar bear, which belongs to the marine Kara-Barents population. This animal belongs to specially protected animal species and is listed in the Russian Red Book.

Goals and objectives

the main objective National Park "Russian Arctic"− preserve the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the Western sector of the Russian Arctic. In addition to the reserving functions typical of any national park, "Russian Arctic" the task of cleansing the territory is urgent.

IN national park unfolds at a rapid pace ecological tourism . The park is also designed to ensure ecological balance in a large Arctic territory.

The location of the Russian Arctic National Park is unique - on the meridian between Europe and Asia and between the two polar seas. From the west, its territory is washed by the Barents Sea, which does not freeze under the influence of the warm North Atlantic Current. The Eastern Kara Sea, on the contrary, is almost always covered with ice. A special microclimate determines the rare diversity of life forms in these seemingly lifeless expanses. This area is called the pearl of the Arctic. Most of the territory of the national park is located on the 76th latitude. The park includes the northern tip of the Severny Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and a group of small rocky islands around it - the Big and Small Orange Islands, the Gulf Stream Islands, Big and Small Unnamed, Gemskerk and Loshkin Island. Everyone who comes to this region experiences indescribable feelings of a pioneer.

TO INDIA VIA THE NORTH POLE

The pioneers of these lands were Pomeranian hunters who hunted fish and sea animals from the 12th century and left their camps here. Significant Pomeranian crosses, the remains of fires and log cabins were discovered and described in the 16th century by the first expeditions of Europeans - the British and the Dutch, who did not at all seek to discover the northern lands, but were looking for a northeastern passage to the countries of the East. The first who managed to get so far to the North was Commander V. Barents. For the first time, the famous Dutchman managed to pass along the northwestern coast of Novaya Zemlya, and two more years later, with his crew, he decided to go around it from the north, but his ship was covered with ice off the northeastern coast. Commander Barents died, unable to withstand the return journey after wintering. The remains of his winter hut in Ice Harbor with a memorial plate and a cross are today one of the main attractions of the Russian Arctic.

Europeans stubbornly tried to break into India through the North until the beginning of the 19th century. But the Russian sovereigns were also interested in their northern possessions, and the brave feeders set off on their journey. In 1760-1761, S. Loshkin on his boat for more than two years was the first in history to circumnavigate Novaya Zemlya. Navigator F. Rozmyslov, Pomor Ya. Chirakin and their companions were the first detailed maps and descriptions of mountains, lakes, the nature of the islands. Following them, already in the 19th century, F. Litke, P. Pakhtusov, A. Tsivolka led ships to Novaya Zemlya, their expeditions collected materials that we still use.

FIGHT AND SEARCH, FIND AND DON'T GIVE UP

The shores of Novaya Zemlya gave shelter to the participants of the three most famous lost expeditions to the Arctic: Sedov, Brusilov and Rusanov.
All three set off in 1912. G. Ya. Sedov, who sought to achieve North Pole, spent the first wintering on the way at the 76th latitude in Pankratievskaya Bay and explored the northern part of Severny Island. Tikhaya Bay on Hooker Island of the archipelago became his last stop - it was from there that he went to the North Pole on a dog sled with two satellites, walked only 200 km, died and was buried at Cape Auk on Rudolf Island.
In the sea near the coast of Franz Josef Land, on the ice-covered ship "Saint Anna", the expedition of G.L. Brusilov.
The last route of the "Hercules" - the vessel of V. A. Rusanov - passed here, and the Northern coast of Novaya Zemlya keeps the secret of its last wintering. The mysteries of the missing expeditions of the three captains beckon more and more new researchers.
Traces of camps, crosses, astronomical signs are found every year on these shores, revealing unknown pages exploration of the Arctic.

THE KINGDOM OF ICE, STONE AND WINDS

The center of the Severny Island of Novaya Zemlya is covered with a powerful ice dome up to 1 km thick, which completely hides the mountainous terrain. The outlet tongues of glaciers descend to the coast of the Barents Sea in the valleys-fjords or break off into the open sea, giving rise to icebergs. From the side of the ship you can see a high overhanging wall of the glacier, playing with shades of blue and gray, covered with waterfalls of melt water and indented with menacing cracks. This ice mass breaks along them, and then giant floating blocks, extremely dangerous for sailors, crash into the sea with a roar.
Along the western coast lie the Mendeleev Mountains and the Lomonosov Ridge - chains of high rocky nunatak peaks surrounded by ice. They are very picturesque and belong to the group of especially interesting and memorable objects of the "Russian Arctic". Here you can find amazingly beautiful polar landscapes. Coastal plains-terraces ascending to the foothills, fast rivers with narrow steep rocky valleys, rapids and waterfalls form a landscape of unique beauty. Several rivers, such as Grishina Shara, even form real canyons with walls up to 100 m high. The territory of the "Russian Arctic" is rich in large and small fresh lakes. On particularly successful days of the warmest month, August, the water temperature in shallow water can rise to 18 ° C. In winter, rivers and lakes freeze to the bottom.
Novaya Zemlya in the literature is sometimes called the Land of the Winds. The weather there is famous for its instability. The mountain range, which runs along the entire length of Severny Island, plays the role of a frontal section of air currents, which causes frequent changes of cyclones and anticyclones, and rapid wind intensification to storm values. Winter begins already in October, with frosts down to -40 ° C, frequent snowstorms and snowstorms. Summer is short - July and August - with an average temperature of +6 °C. Between the coasts of the Barents and Kara Seas, the difference in average temperature exceeds five degrees. less severe in relation to ice than Kara, but it is distinguished by a stormy and unstable temper, frequent and strong winds, dangerous storms, waves can reach a height of 10-11 m.

PERMAFROST SURVIVAL

Plants of the High Arctic are real record holders for survival in more than extreme conditions. At a depth of less than a meter lies permafrost.
The snow cover disappears for only two months a year - and for this a short time plants need to have time to go through all the most important stages of their life cycle: bloom, leave seeds or spores, germinate with rhizomes, gain biomass. After the snow melts in early July, the tundra briefly comes to life with bright patches of lichens, the green of grasses and sedges, and the delicate colors of arctic flowers. The vegetation cover of the islands is sparse, occupying no more than 5-10% of the land surface. On the steep slopes, flowers of grits, saxifrage, poppies and cinquefoils bloom. On gravelly areas, crustaceous lichens are common, forming amazing patterns; foliose and fruticose lichens fancifully grow between stones. Among the mosses, shoots of a tiny polar willow are hiding. In relief depressions between low ridges, in depressions where rain and melt water accumulates, and around lakes, swamp communities develop with the participation of sedge, cotton grass, and oxen. Halophilic (salt-loving) plant groups have formed along the seashore on sandy-pebbly and clean sands, with dominance of skaltic grass, some species of sedge, bluegrass and other plants. They stretch along the water's edge, above the surf.

FLYING TO THE NORTH

Most of the birds living in these parts are migratory. In early spring, they return to the Arctic from the South and Western Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean for nesting. Only a few species of birds dare to spend the winter in the Russian Arctic. From land - polar owl and tundra partridge, from sea - guillemots and polar guillemots.
In the Arctic spring, in June, after the mating season, small passerines - Lapland plantain, snow bunting, horned lark, common wheatear, common tap dance - build their nests under tussocks, in accumulations of dry grass, under willow bushes. Feathered predators - Rough-legged Buzzard and Snowy Owl - place their nests on the tops of hills and slopes, which are the first to be freed from snow. In early August, most of the chicks grow up, become covered with plumage, and by the middle of the month they are already flying and can independently get food.
Inhabitants of freshwater lakes, streams and swampy lowlands - ducks, geese, geese (bean goose, white-fronted), swans (small and whooper), mergansers, loons, sandpipers - build nests near the water. There they also get food: herbaceous vegetation, fish, small invertebrates. Representatives of the duck family are the most diverse here - 12 species. Closer to autumn, many broods swim and feed on the lakes, preparing for migration together with their parents. Among the waders, the most common are the phalarope, sandpiper, dunlin, and gerbil.

BIRDS AND SEA

Marine bird species predominate in the avifauna of the islands, their populations are in a relatively safe condition. Here they are not threatened by hunting, collecting eggs, undermining the marine food supply, pollution. Everyone who finds himself in these places is amazed by the size and richness of the bird colonies - the largest in the Russian Arctic. Each bazaar is an apartment building for thousands of guillemots, guillemots, little auks, and gulls.
In the shelters of rock crevices and screes, the polar little auk nests - most of its Russian nesting population is concentrated on the archipelago. To reach areas rich in their favorite food - small planktonic crustaceans, these birds are able to fly up to 200 km above the water area - to the zone of the ice edge or the slopes of the continental shelf. In total, about 70 little auk colonies with a total number of approximately 0.5 million birds have been described on the islands.
His neighbor on the rocks, the polar guillemot, is a homebody. He leads a coastal lifestyle, he is quite satisfied with the fish he catches from the rocks. He does not even embark on winter migrations, wintering right here, in the leads and polynyas. The thick-billed (aka short-billed) murre is, of course, the queen of bird colonies. These birds spend almost all their time at sea, and get out on the rocks only to raise their offspring. They do not nest outside the bazaars. The bird looks like a small penguin, but a penguin that can fly well, both through the air and under water. Guillemots quickly and low rush over the water, they can neither soar nor plan like seagulls. But they dive to 100 m, hunting for small fish. Guillemots, like guillemots, remain to winter in ice openings in the waters of the archipelago. In total, more than 20 colonies have been described in the archipelago. Cape Bystrov of Jackson Island hosts the northernmost known colony of thick-billed guillemots.
Five species of gulls have been recorded in the archipelago, four species of Arctic skuas - medium, large, long-tailed and Arctic skuas, but of these only Arctic Skua nests constantly, although in very small numbers. Its nests are usually located near colonies of seabirds, which serve as the main source of food for predatory skuas. Most of the Russian breeding range of the Atlantic subspecies of the fulmar is concentrated on the islands - its northeastern limit passes here.

WITH THE BEAR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The fauna of mammals of the "Russian Arctic" is not numerous in composition - only 11 species, but most The number of representatives of this list are very extraordinary creatures. Polar bear, Atlantic walrus, narwhal, bowhead whale, minke whale, Novaya Zemlya reindeer - all these animals have the status of the Red Book.
There is an unwritten rule at polar stations: if you want to enter some empty building, first of all check if there is a polar bear there. One of the largest and most dangerous predators on the planet is adjacent to humans, migrating over islands and ice, coming close to polar stations and villages, especially in the summer months. One of the most important breeding centers of its Kara-Barents population is located in the "Russian Arctic". On Franz Josef Land in different years there are from 150 to 200 lairs.
Lemmings live everywhere in the tundra, their traces are especially noticeable near water bodies and in damp areas, where they eat away narrow grooves-paths (up to 5-7 cm wide) in the moss-grass cover and run along them. Usually such paths end at holes. On steep and elevated dry areas, the arctic fox arranges its burrows. One area of ​​the territory has been used by animals for burrowing for many decades; over the summer, a family of arctic foxes brings offspring: from one to several puppies. Arctic foxes eat lemmings, eggs and chicks of birds, dead animals and fish thrown ashore by the sea, sea animals, do not disdain to profit from the garbage dumps near the villages.

WATER AREA OF LIFE

The sea, like the land, begins to “bloom in the summer months, when phytoplankton flourishes under the rays of the sun, providing food for the entire food chain. Zooplankton migrates to the surface and intensively breeds, attracting schools of planktivorous fish. The benthic fauna is characterized by high quality diversity (over 2500 species) and abundance, mainly due to bivalves and gastropods, polychaetes, echinoderms, crustaceans, sponges, hydroids, bryozoans and ascidians. The ichthyofauna of the water area is not particularly rich in species composition (69), but in terms of biomass it is quite capable of feeding all the inhabitants of the islands.
In the waters of the coastal bays of the islands, marine mammals are common and often visible - the bearded seal (beared seal), ringed seal, harp seal (bald whale), white whale, Atlantic walrus. The water area of ​​the national park is a key area of ​​the modern range of the Svalbard population of the bowhead whale, the rarest marine mammal in the North Atlantic. By the beginning of the 20th century, the population was on the verge of extinction and for some time was even considered extinct. Observations of recent decades indicate the beginning of a very slow recovery. In all ice-free water areas during the summer feeding period - from mid-April to mid-October - there is a minke whale, or whale Minke. One of the most mysterious cetaceans, the narwhal, also lives in these waters. The water area of ​​Franz Josef Land is the place of the most regular sightings of narwhals in the Russian Arctic. Animals adhere to drifting ice, not avoiding areas with significant depths.

general information

The total area of ​​the park "Russian Arctic"- 1,426,000 ha.

Water area-793 910 ha.

Ecosystem - arctic deserts. There are 64 species of flowering plants, 78 species of lichens and 93 species of mosses.

Phytoplankton includes 308 species of algae, zooplankton - about 200 species and forms of invertebrates.

The fauna of benthic invertebrates includes 2499 species, the ichthyofauna - at least 69 species of fish. Up to 20 species of birds nest in the park. The fauna of mammals - 11 species.

Curious facts

■ If you spread your arms to the sides, standing on Cape Zhelaniya, a high, sharp and steep cliff on the northernmost point of the Severny Island of Novaya Zemlya, then one of them will be above the Barents Sea, and the other - above the Kara Sea - the cape is considered the point of their division. And Cape Flissing Island of Severny Novaya Zemlya is the easternmost point of Europe.
■ For the first time, the age-old ice domes of Novaya Zemlya were discovered and described by Captain Sedov, who conducted the first detailed survey of these places just at the 76th latitude - exactly where the lands of the national park now lie.
■ Secular continental ice occupies more than 85% of the surface of the islands. The rate at which it is melting and eroding everywhere in the Arctic outstrips the annual growth of new ice. Experts believe that the glaciers of the North are rapidly shrinking, and if this rate continues, then in about 300 years the glaciation of these islands may disappear.
■ A number of adaptations help plants survive in polar latitudes. Dwarfism allows you to spend the winter under the snow, the formation of pillow forms and bumps saves from freezing. A dense cuticle protects the leaves, bud scales - wintering buds, tissue cells accumulate soluble carbohydrates over the summer, which prevent the formation of ice crystals that destroy cells.

■ In cold seas, sea ice creates a special habitat. Life goes everywhere: both on its surface, and in the thickness, and from the underside, which for a number of organisms is like an inverted bottom. On the underside of old pack ice, diatoms form "mats" on which swarms of zooplankton graze. For polar bears, sea ice is a place of hunting, for seals it is a place of rest, birth and rearing of offspring.

■ Female narwhals generally do not have a tusk and the upper teeth remain hidden in the gums. However, the Hamburg Zoological Museum keeps the skull of a female narwhal with not even one, but two powerful long tusks.

| Russian Arctic National Park

Russian Arctic National Park

Since ancient times, the Arctic has been a mystery and, despite the sometimes mortal danger, has always attracted people. Someone was attracted to the northern latitudes by a passion for geographical discoveries, someone by rich opportunities for fishing and sea animals, someone just wanted to become famous, and someone else wanted to demonstrate their heroism and perseverance.

It has been established that as early as the 11th-12th centuries, Novgorodians went to Novaya Zemlya - a group of islands located between the Barents and Kara Seas. In 1596, Willem Barents rounded the northern tip of Severny Island and wintered on its eastern coast. And in our time, on June 15, 2009, the Russian Arctic National Park was created here.

The territory of the national park includes the northern part of the Severny Island, the Novaya Zemlya Islands, the Large and Small Orange Islands, about. Loshkin, oh. Gemskerk and a number of other islands. The land area of ​​the "Russian Arctic" is 632,090 hectares, the water area - 793,910 hectares.

The national park is located on the territory of the Arkhangelsk region (municipal formation of the urban district "Novaya Zemlya"). There is no permanently residing population in the "Russian Arctic".

The unique location of the national park, which spreads its expanses on the Eurasian border, determines a number of its features. The Barents Sea, which washes the territory of the park from the west, does not completely freeze under the influence of the warm North Atlantic Current. The Eastern Kara Sea, on the contrary, is covered with solid ice for many months. The relatively small distance from the mainland and higher winter temperatures result in a greater diversity of life forms than in other Arctic territories.

On the territory of the "Russian Arctic" there are polar bears, walruses, seals, harp seals, arctic foxes and even reindeer. In a short server summer, plants, of which there are 64 species, turn their leaves towards the polar sun. The Orange Islands with their gently sloping cliffs are a real paradise for many polar birds. Here, up to 20 species of birds breed their offspring, and 5 species dare to stay for the winter.

The group of characteristic and especially memorable objects of the "Russian Arctic" includes the Lomonosov Mountains and the Mendeleev Mountains. Here you can find amazingly beautiful polar landscapes.

Those who have visited the "Russian Arctic" have acquired something more than just good impressions. They felt like pioneers and undoubtedly received answers to the questions that tormented them. eternal questions. After all, where else can you find these answers - only among the age-old ice.

Franz Josef Land State Natural Reserve of Federal Importance

April 23, 1994 is considered to be the birthday of the reserve, when the order of the Government of Russia approved the protected status of the Franz Josef Land archipelago and part of the sea area. Under this document, the entire territory of the archipelago is assigned to the land part of the reserve - 1,635,300 hectares. The total area of ​​the specially protected natural area is 4,200,000 ha.

The Franz Josef Land archipelago is located in the northeastern part of the Barents Sea and is the northernmost landmass of Eurasia. According to the administrative-territorial basis, it is part of the Primorsky municipal district Arkhangelsk region.

The existence of these lands was predicted by the great Pomor M.V. Lomonosov, however, due to their remoteness (the distance to the North Pole is 900 km, the Kola Peninsula is 1200 km, Novaya Zemlya is 360 km) and inaccessibility, the archipelago was discovered only in 1873 by the expedition of K. Vayprecht and Yu. Payer. It was named after the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef I. In the 20th century, man left a noticeable mark on the archipelago: fuel barrels, used equipment are not the most attractive, but no less noticeable features of Franz Josef Land.

Geographically, Franz Josef Land is a group of 191 islands, stretching 375 km from west to east and 234 km from south to north. Constantly ongoing relief-forming processes can lead to a change in the number of islands. So, in 2008, a new island was discovered near Northbrook Island, named after the Arctic captain Yuri Kuchiev.

It is interesting to note that 71% of the total number of islands in the archipelago occupy only 0.4% of its area. Only 4 islands (Georg Land, Wilczek Land, Graham Bell, Alexandra Land) have areas exceeding 100,000 ha.

85% of the area of ​​Franz Josef Land is covered with glaciers, this is the most glaciated landmass in the Russian Arctic.

All the islands of the archipelago belong to the climatic zone of the Arctic deserts. The average temperature in January is -24°С, in July - from -1.5-0°С. In winter, the thermometer can drop below -50°C.

Despite the truly harsh climate, the archipelago is not a lifeless space. Its nature is unique and charming in its own way. Among the few other places, these islands are chosen by the owners of the Arctic - polar bears - for the birth and upbringing of their babies. Walruses, ringed seals, sea hares are amazing species of mammals that have chosen Franz Josef Land and the waters around it as their home. In the sea, near the reserve, you can meet the bowhead whale, sea unicorn - narwhal, white whale. On the numerous rocks of the archipelago, chicks of 15 species of birds are hatched.

The functions of protecting the Franz Josef Land reserve, organizing work to restore its original appearance and preserve cultural heritage are currently carried out by the Russian Arctic National Park.

Franz Josef Land and its adjacent waters play an exceptional role in ensuring the reproduction and sustainable existence of many populations of Arctic species.

Firstly, Franz Josef Land is the most important area in the western sector of the Arctic from a conservation point of view; five species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the International Red Book live here.

A significant part of the Russian and world populations of the ivory gull, a rare native Arctic species, breeds on the archipelago; the largest colonies of this gull in the Barents Sea are known on the islands.

The water area of ​​Franz Josef Land is a key area of ​​the modern range of the Svalbard population of the bowhead whale, the rarest marine mammal in the North Atlantic. Franz Josef Land is the area of ​​the most frequent sightings of whales and their year-round habitat. Thanks to the animals preserved here, the Svalbard population began to slowly restore its numbers and range.

The water area of ​​Franz Josef Land is the place of the most regular sightings of narwhals in the Russian Arctic.

Franz Josef Land is the most important area for the maintenance and reproduction of the Atlantic walrus, which, due to the presence of stationary polynyas, inhabits the archipelago all year round. A significant part of the East Atlantic subpopulation of the subspecies is concentrated here. As in the case of the polar bear, the north of the Barents Sea is inhabited by a single population of walruses, and, thanks to the expanded reproduction of the walrus grouping that has survived on Franz Josef Land, in recent decades, the number of walruses has been restored and recolonized by the animal on the islands of Svalbard.

The islands are an important center of reproduction of the polar bear of the Kara-Barents Sea population. IN summer time there is an increased density of the polar bear population compared to neighboring areas.

Secondly, the archipelago plays an important role in preserving and maintaining the ornithological diversity of the Russian Arctic.

Most of the Russian breeding population of the Atlantic subspecies of the fulmar and the polar subspecies of the little auk is concentrated here.

Franz Josef Land is home to the northernmost known breeding colonies of the thick-billed murre in the world.

The archipelago contains the only proven nesting sites in Russia for the Atlantic subspecies of the black goose, the main nesting sites for the Greenland subspecies of the common eider, as well as the sites of the short-beaked bean goose.

The Russian Arctic National Park was established on June 15, 2009. Then it included the northern part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the islands of Big and Small Oransky, Loshkin, Gemskerk and a number of others. In 2016, it included the territories of the Franz Josef Land nature reserve, and with them the northernmost landmass of Eurasia, the Franz Josef Land archipelago.

The main task of the park is to preserve and restore the unique Arctic nature of the Russian Arctic. Its seemingly lifeless, icy, calm expanses are inhabited by many animals. Five species - the ivory gull, the bowhead whale, the narwhal, the Atlantic walrus and the polar bear of the Kara-Barents Sea population - are listed in the international and Russian Red Books. By the way, the narwhal, or, as it is also called, the sea unicorn, is a symbol of the "Russian Arctic". Most often it can be found in the waters of Franz Josef Land, which is also the modern habitat of the bowhead whale population, the rarest marine mammal in the North Atlantic.

"Russian Arctic" is home to polar bears, Atlantic walruses, seals, sea hares, arctic foxes, reindeer, white whales, the polar subspecies of little auk and others. Numerous rocks of the park inhabit about 20 species of birds, five of which stay here for the winter. On the territory of the park there are the only proven nesting sites in Russia for the Atlantic subspecies of the black goose, the main nesting sites for the Greenland subspecies of the common eider, as well as the places of periodic residence of the short-beaked bean goose.

The inaccessibility and harsh climate of the park allowed the populations of many animals to survive and preserved the original beauty of these places, despite the fact that people knew about the islands already in the 11th-12th centuries. Novgorodians came here, who were attracted by the possibility of a rich fishery, animal skins, "fish tooth" (walrus tusk), birds and eider down. In addition to the harsh climate and low winter temperatures (sometimes the thermometer drops below -50 ° C), the local waters have an insidious feature. The Barents Sea, which washes the territory of the park from the west, does not completely freeze under the influence of the warm North Atlantic Current. The Eastern Kara Sea, on the contrary, is covered with solid ice for many months, because of which many sailors found themselves locked in ice.

National Park "Russian Arctic"The main task of the park is to preserve and restore the unique nature of the Russian Arctic. Its seemingly lifeless, icy, calm expanses are inhabited by many animals.

However, in the 20th century, thanks to technological progress, people found a way to survive in the harsh climatic conditions of the Russian Arctic. This is related to the history of the Great Patriotic War. On the island of Alexandra, the Germans built the meteorological base "Treasure Detector" (Schatzgraber). According to the plan of the Wehrmacht, she had to monitor the weather so that the German fleet attacked Lend-Lease convoys arriving at the ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk only in suitable weather. For a long time, the exact position of the base was unknown, and they learned about its existence only because they accidentally intercepted a message, thanks to which it was possible to establish its approximate location.

Only after the war, Soviet researchers went to the island of Alexandra Land and accidentally stumbled upon this base. They found well-camouflaged coasting shelters. It immediately became clear what kind of base it was, for what purpose it existed. She was mined in accordance with all the rules. Everything looked as if the people had just left. The houses were habitable, so it was cleared of mines, and the first years the employees of the Soviet polar station on Alexandra Land lived here until they built a weather station with normal houses.

Now on the territory of the "Russian Arctic", namely on the islands of Hooker and Huys, the northernmost post offices in the world operate.

As often happens, after people on the islands of the "Russian Arctic" there is a lot of garbage left, which has Negative influence on the environment of the park. In this regard, the employees of the national park, together with volunteers, carry out an annual cleaning of the territory.

"The experience gained during the elimination of environmental damage on the islands of Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land was subsequently used to restore the original appearance of other protected areas of Russia, for example, in Kamchatka," notes acting. director of the national park "Russian Arctic" Alexander Kirilov.

Today, to visit these lands, one does not have to be a military man or a research scientist, one can simply come on an excursion. Tours in the "Russian Arctic" are carried out from June to September, when weather are most favorable for visiting the park by an unprepared person. The following routes are planned for 2017:

1. Murmansk - Franz Josef Land - North Pole - Franz Josef Land - Murmansk on the ship "50 Years of Victory".
2. Helsinki - Murmansk - Franz Josef Land - North Pole - Franz Josef Land - Murmansk - Helsinki on the ship "50 Years of Victory".
3. Longyearbyen - Franz Josef Land - Longyearbyen on the ship Sea Spirit.
4. Anadyr - Chukotka - Wrangel Island - New Siberian Islands - Severnaya Zemlya - Franz Josef Land - Murmansk on the ship "Akademik Shokalsky".
5. Longyearbyen - Murmansk - Franz Josef Land - Severnaya Zemlya - New Siberian Islands - Wrangel Island - Chukotka - Anadyr on the ship "Akademik Shokalsky".