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. The special microclimate causes a rare diversity of life forms in these seemingly lifeless spaces. This area is called the pearl of the Arctic. Most of the national park is located at latitude 76. The park includes the northern tip of the Northern Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and a group of small rocky islands around it - the Big and Small Oran Islands, the Gulf Stream Islands, the Big and Small Nameless Islands, Gemskerk and Loshkina Island. Everyone who comes to this region experiences the indescribable feelings of a pioneer.

TO INDIA THROUGH THE NORTH POLE

The discoverers of these lands were Pomeranian hunters, who hunted fish and sea animals from the 12th century and left their camps here. Pomeranian conspicuous crosses, the remains of fires and log houses 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 north-eastern passage to the countries of the East. The first person who managed to get so far to the North was Commander V. Barents. The famous Dutchman for the first time managed to walk along the northwestern coast of Novaya Zemlya, and two years later with his team he decided to go around it from the north, but his ship was covered in ice off the northeastern coast. Commander Barents died, unable to withstand the return journey after the winter. The remains of his winter quarters in Ice Harbor with a memorial plaque and cross are today one of the main attractions of the “Russian Arctic”.

Europeans persistently 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 brave feeders set off on their journey. In 1760-1761, S. Loshkin was the first in history to circumnavigate Novaya Zemlya on his boat in more than two years. Navigator F. Rozmyslov, Pomor Y. Chirakin and their companions compiled the first detailed maps and descriptions of mountains, lakes, and 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 today.

FIGHT AND SEARCH, FIND AND DON’T GIVE UP

The shores of Novaya Zemlya provided 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 reach the North Pole, spent his first winter on the way at 76th latitude in Pankratyevskaya 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 companions, walked only 200 km, died and was buried at Cape Auk on Rudolf Island.
In the sea near the shores of Franz Josef Land, on the ice-covered ship “St. Anna”, the expedition of G.L. found its mysterious end. Brusilova.
The last route of the “Hercules”, the ship of V. A. Rusanov, passed here, and the northern coast of Novaya Zemlya keeps the secret of its last wintering place. The mysteries of the missing expeditions of three captains attract more and more researchers.
Traces of sites, crosses, and astronomical signs are found on these shores every year, revealing unknown pages of Arctic exploration.

KINGDOM OF ICE, STONE AND WINDS

The center of Severny Island of Novaya Zemlya is covered with a powerful ice dome up to 1 km thick, completely hiding the mountainous terrain. The outlet tongues of glaciers descend to the coast of the Barents Sea into fjord valleys or break off into the open sea, giving rise to icebergs. From the ship you can see the high overhanging wall of the glacier, playing with shades of blue and gray, covered with cascades of meltwater and cut by menacing cracks. This ice mass breaks along them, and then giant floating blocks crash into the sea, extremely dangerous for sailors.
Along the western coast lie the Mendeleev Mountains and the Lomonosov Ridge - a chain of high rocky nunataks 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 terraced plains rising to the foothills, fast rivers with narrow steep rocky valleys, rapids and waterfalls form a landscape of unique beauty. Several rivers, for example the 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 especially successful days of the warmest month, August, the water temperature in shallow waters can rise to 18 °C. In winter, rivers and lakes freeze to the bottom.
In literature, New Earth is sometimes called the Land of the Winds. The weather there is famous for its instability. The mountain range running along the entire length of Severny Island plays the role of a frontal section of air flows, which causes frequent changes in cyclones and anticyclones, and rapid wind increases to storm levels. Winter begins already in October, with frosts down to -40 ° C, frequent snowstorms and blizzards. 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 terms of ice than Kara, but it is characterized by a stormy and fickle temperament, frequent and strong winds, dangerous storms, waves can reach a height of 10-11 m.

SURVIVORS ON PERMAFROST

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 melts for only two months a year - and during this 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 alive with bright spots 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 croup, saxifrage, poppy and cinquefoil bloom. On gravelly areas, crustose lichens are common, forming amazing patterns; leafy and bushy lichens grow fancifully between the stones. The shoots of tiny polar willow are hidden among the mosses. In depressions of the relief between low ridges, in depressions where rain and melt water accumulates, and around lakes, swamp communities with the participation of sedge, cotton grass, and ox grass develop. Along the seashore, on sandy-pebbly and clean sands, halophilic (salt-loving) plant groups were formed with the dominance of anesthesia, some species of sedge, bluegrass and other plants. They stretch along the water's edge, above the surf strip.

FLYING TO THE NORTH

Most of the birds living in these areas are migratory. In early spring, they return to the Arctic from Southern and Western Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean to nest. Only a few species of birds dare to winter in the “Russian Arctic”. Terrestrial species include polar owls and tundra partridges, and marine species include guillemots and guillemots.
In the Arctic spring, in June, after the mating season, small passerines - Lapland plantain, snow bunting, horned lark, common wheatear, common redpoll - build their nests under hummocks, in accumulations of dry grass, under willow bushes. Feathered predators - the buzzard and snowy owl - place their nests on hilltops and slope cliffs, which are the earliest to be cleared of snow. At the beginning of August, most of the chicks grow up, become feathered, and by the middle of the month they are already flying and can get food on their own.
Inhabitants of freshwater lakes, streams and swampy lowlands - ducks, geese, geese (bean bean, white-fronted), swans (little and whooper), mergansers, loons, waders - build nests near the water. There they also get food: herbaceous vegetation, fish, small invertebrates. The most diverse species here are representatives of the duck family - 12 species. Closer to autumn, many broods swim and feed on the lakes, along with their parents, preparing for migration. Among waders, the most common are phalarope, sandpiper, dunlin, and sand lance.

BIRDS AND THE SEA

Marine bird species dominate the avifauna of the islands; their populations are in relatively good condition. Here they are not threatened by hunting, egg collection, erosion of the marine food supply, or pollution. Anyone who finds themselves 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.
Arctic auks nest in the shelters of rock crevices and rocky screes; most of its Russian breeding 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 slopes of the continental shelf. In total, about 70 colonies of auks with a total number of approximately 0.5 million birds have been described on the islands.
His neighbor on the rocks, the Arctic guillemot, is a homebody. He leads a coastal lifestyle and is quite happy with the fish he catches near the rocks. It does not even embark on winter migrations, spending the winter right here, in the clearings and polynyas. The thick-billed (or short-billed) guillemot is undoubtedly the queen of bird colonies. These birds spend almost all their time at sea, and only go out onto the rocks to raise their young. They do not nest outside bazaars. The bird looks like a small penguin, but a penguin that can fly well, both in the air and under water. Guillemots fly quickly and low over the water; they can neither soar nor glide like seagulls. But they dive 100 m, hunting for small fish. Guillemots, like guillemots, remain to spend the winter in ice polynyas in the waters of the archipelago. In total, more than 20 colonies have been described on the archipelago. Cape Bystrov on Jackson Island is home to the northernmost known thick-billed guillemot colony.
Five species of gulls and four species of Arctic skuas have been recorded on the archipelago - medium, great, long-tailed and short-tailed, but of these only the short-tailed skuas nest constantly, albeit 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 lies here.

WITH A BEAR NEIGHBORHOOD

The mammal fauna of the “Russian Arctic” is not numerous in composition - only 11 species, but most Most of the representatives of this list are very extraordinary creatures. Polar bear, Atlantic walrus, narwhal, bowhead whale, minke whale, Novaya Zemlya reindeer - all these animals have Red Book status.
There is an unwritten rule at polar stations: if you want to go into an empty building, first check to see if there is a polar bear there. One of the largest and most dangerous predators on the planet coexists with humans, migrating across islands and ice, coming close to polar stations and villages, especially in the summer months. In the “Russian Arctic” there is one of the most important breeding grounds for its Kara-Barents population. On Franz Josef Land in different years there are from 150 to 200 dens.
Lemmings live everywhere in the tundra; their tracks are especially noticeable near water bodies and in damp areas, where they eat out narrow grooves-paths (up to 5-7 cm wide) in the moss-grass cover and run along them. Usually such paths end at burrows. The arctic fox makes its burrows in steep and elevated dry areas. One section of the territory is used by animals for burrowing for many decades; over the summer, a family of arctic foxes produces 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, and do not hesitate to profit from garbage dumps near villages.

WATER OF LIFE

The sea, like the land, begins to “bloom in the summer months, when phytoplankton rapidly reproduces under the sun’s rays, providing food to the entire trophic chain. Zooplankton migrates to the surface and reproduces intensively, attracting schools of planktivorous fish. The bottom 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 - bearded seals, ringed seals, harp seals, beluga whales, and Atlantic walruses. 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 of 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 in recent decades indicate the beginning of a very slow recovery. In all ice-free waters during the summer feeding period - from mid-April to mid-October - minke whales, or minke whales, are found. These same waters are also home to one of the most mysterious cetaceans - the narwhal. The waters of Franz Josef Land are the site of the most regular encounters of narwhals in the Russian Arctic. Animals stick to drifting ice, not avoiding areas with significant depths.

general information

Total area of ​​the Russian Arctic Park- 1,426,000 hectares.

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. Mammal fauna - 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 over the Barents Sea, and the other over the Kara Sea - the cape is considered the point of their separation. And Cape Flissingsky of the Northern Island of Novaya Zemlya is the easternmost point of Europe.
■ For the first time, the centuries-old glacial domes of Novaya Zemlya were discovered and described by Captain Sedov, who conducted the first detailed survey of these places precisely at latitude 76 - exactly where the lands of the national park now lie.
■ Century-old continental ice occupies more than 85% of the surface of the islands. The rate at which it is melting and being destroyed everywhere in the Arctic is faster than the annual growth rate of young 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 shapes and hummocks saves you from freezing. A dense cuticle protects leaves, bud scales protect overwintering buds, tissue cells accumulate soluble carbohydrates over the summer, which prevent the formation of cell-destroying ice crystals.

■ In cold seas, sea ice creates a special habitat. Life goes on everywhere: on its surface, in its thickness, and on the lower side, 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 hunting ground, for seals it is a place of rest, birth and raising of offspring.

■ Female narwhals typically do not have a tusk and the upper teeth remain hidden in the gums. However, the Hamburg Zoological Museum houses the skull of a female narwhal with not 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 sometimes mortal danger, has always attracted people. Some were drawn to the northern latitudes by a passion for geographical discoveries, some by rich opportunities for fishing and sea animals, some simply wanted to become famous, and others to demonstrate their heroism and perseverance.

It has been established that back in the 11th-12th centuries, Novgorodians went to Novaya Zemlya, a group of islands located between the Barents and Kara seas. In 1596, Willem Barents sailed around 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 Big and Small Oran Islands, Fr. Loshkina, Fr. Gemskerk and a number of other islands. The land area of ​​the “Russian Arctic” is 632,090 hectares, and the water area is 793,910 hectares.

The national park is located on the territory of the Arkhangelsk region (municipal formation of the Novaya Zemlya urban district). There is no permanent resident population in the “Russian Arctic”.

The unique location of the national park, spread out 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 short distance from the mainland and higher winter temperatures lead to a greater diversity of life forms than in other Arctic territories.

On the territory of the “Russian Arctic” you can find polar bears, walruses, seals, harp seals, arctic foxes and even reindeer. During the short server summer, plants, of which there are 64 species, turn their leaves towards the polar sun. The Oran Islands, with their gently sloping cliffs, are a paradise for many polar birds. Up to 20 species of birds breed here, 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 visited the “Russian Arctic” gained more than just good impressions. They felt like pioneers and undoubtedly received answers to the eternal questions that tormented them. After all, where else can these answers be found - only among centuries-old ice.

State nature reserve of federal significance "Franz Josef Land"

The birthday of the reserve is considered to be April 23, 1994, when the order of the Russian Government approved the protected status of the Franz Josef Land archipelago and part of the marine area. This document allocates the entire territory of the archipelago - 1,635,300 hectares - for the land part of the reserve. The total area of ​​the specially protected natural area is 4,200,000 hectares.

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

The existence of these lands was predicted by the Great Pomor M.V. Lomonosov, however, due to their remoteness (distance to the North Pole - 900 km, the Kola Peninsula - 1200 km, Novaya Zemlya - 360 km) and inaccessibility, the archipelago was discovered only in 1873 by the expedition of K. Weiprecht and J. Payer. It was named in honor of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I. In the 20th century, man left a noticeable mark on the archipelago: fuel barrels, worn-out equipment - 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 changes 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 of the archipelago occupy only 0.4% of its area. Only 4 islands (George Land, Wilczek Land, Graham Bell, Alexandra Land) have areas exceeding 100,000 hectares.

85% of Franz Josef Land is covered by glaciers, making it the most glaciated landmass in the Russian Arctic.

All islands of the archipelago belong to the climatic zone of the Arctic deserts. The average temperature in January is -24°C, in July - from -1.5-0°C. 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 a few other places, these islands are chosen by the owners of the Arctic - polar bears - to give birth and raise their babies. Walruses, ringed seals, bearded seals 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, the sea unicorn - the narwhal, and the beluga whale. 15 species of birds hatch their chicks on the numerous rocks of the archipelago.

The functions of protecting the Franz Josef Land reserve, organizing work to restore its original appearance and preserving cultural heritage are currently carried out by the Federal State Budgetary Institution 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 region from an environmental point of view in the western sector of the Arctic; 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 waters of Franz Josef Land are a key area of ​​the modern range of the Svalbard population of the bowhead whale, the rarest marine mammal of the North Atlantic. Franz Josef Land is the area where whales are most frequently encountered and their year-round habitat. Thanks to the animals preserved here, the Svalbard population began to slowly restore its numbers and range.

The waters of Franz Josef Land are the site of the most regular encounters of narwhals in the Russian Arctic.

Franz Josef Land is the most important area for the maintenance and reproduction of the Atlantic walrus, which, thanks to the presence of stationary polynyas, lives on the archipelago 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 northern Barents Sea is inhabited by a single population of walruses, and, thanks to the expanded reproduction of the group of walruses preserved on Franz Josef Land, in recent decades there has been a restoration of numbers and recolonization of the Svalbard islands by the animal.

The islands are an important breeding ground for polar bears of the Kara-Barents Sea population. In summer, there is an increased polar bear population density here 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 little auks is concentrated here.

Franz Josef Land is home to the world's most northern known breeding colonies of thick-billed murres.

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

Russian Arctic National Park

This is the northernmost and first largest specially protected natural area in Russia. The area of ​​the national park is 8.8 million hectares. Date of creation - June 15, 2009.

The park is located on two polar archipelagos in the Arkhangelsk region: Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land, which can rightfully be called “the end of the earth.” There is no permanent resident population in the “Russian Arctic”.

New Earth

The southern cluster of the national park includes the northern part of the Northern Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the Greater and Lesser Oran Islands, Fr. Gemskerk, o. Loshkina and a number of others. This is the territory of the municipal formation “City District “Novaya Zemlya”.

Many centuries ago, the Pomors called the extreme northern point of Novaya Zemlya - Cape Zhelaniya - “income”: a place beyond which it would be both dangerous and difficult to walk on the sea and fish. It has been established that in the 11th-12th centuries Novgorodians went to Novaya Zemlya. In 1596, Willem Barents sailed around the northern tip of Severny Island and wintered on its eastern coast. During the Soviet years, a polar meteorological station operated at Cape Zhelaniya; a complex of defensive structures from the Great Patriotic War, as well as fishing camps of the first half of the 20th century, have been preserved to this day.

Cape Zhelaniya, where the field base of the “Russian Arctic” is located, is the confluence of two seas: the Kara and Barents. The Barents Sea, which washes the cape from the west, does not completely freeze under the influence of the warm North Atlantic current. The Kara Sea in the east, on the contrary, is covered with solid ice for many months.

The group of characteristic and especially memorable objects in the southern part of the national park includes the Lomonosov Mountains and the Mendeleev Mountains

Novaya Zemlya's relatively short distance from the mainland and higher winter temperatures lead to a greater diversity of life forms than in other Arctic territories. There are 11 species of mammals found on the islands and in the waters of Novaya Zemlya: polar bears, Atlantic walruses, ringed seals, bearded seals, harp seals, beluga whales, whales - the bowhead (polar) whale and the Minke whale (minke whale). These are all marine species. There are only three land animals: the arctic fox, the hoofed lemming and the reindeer. The islands of the archipelago with their gently sloping cliffs are a real paradise for 48 species of birds (most of them are marine or semi-aquatic). Of these, 18 species (kittiwakes, glaucous guillemots, fulmars, thick-billed guillemots, puffins, etc.) nest here, the status of a dozen more species requires clarification

Fish: on Novaya Zemlya, within the boundaries of the park, lies the northern limit of the distribution of the Novaya Zemlya migratory char.

During the short arctic summer, plants turn their leaves towards the polar sun, of which there are 87 species (vascular). In this part of the national park there are also more than 50 species of ground lichens, 65 species of mosses (leaf and liver mosses), 18 species of algae and 39 species of fungi.

The northern cluster of the “Russian Arctic” is the Franz Josef Land archipelago (FJL). This is a group of 192 islands. The archipelago is part of the Talazhskoye municipality of the Primorsky district of the Arkhangelsk region.

The length of the archipelago from west to east is 375 km, from north to south – 234 km. From here it is closer to the North Pole than to the “mainland”: from the extreme northern point of the northernmost island of the archipelago - Cape Fligeli of Rudolf Island to the “top” of the planet is only 900 km.

Until August 2016, the Franz Josef Land archipelago was part of the territory of the federal state nature reserve of the same name, created on April 23, 1994. Since 2010, the reserve has been under the management of the Russian Arctic National Park. On August 25, 2016, according to the Decree of the Russian Government, the reserve was liquidated: its territory became part of the national park.

The Franz Josef Land archipelago is located in the northeastern part of the Barents Sea and is the northernmost landmass of Eurasia. On an administrative-territorial basis, it is part of the Primorsky municipal district of the 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 Kola Peninsula is 1200 km, to Novaya Zemlya - 360 km) and inaccessibility, the archipelago was discovered only in 1873 by the Austro-Hungarian expedition of Karl Weyprecht and Julius Payer. It was named after the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I.

In the 20th century, man left a noticeable mark on the archipelago: fuel barrels, scrap metal, coal, household and industrial waste. Therefore, in the 21st century, an Arctic “cleanup” began on the territory of the “Russian Arctic”, the goal of which is to return the fragile, vulnerable nature of the high latitudes to its original appearance

The Franz Josef Land archipelago is the most glaciated landmass in the Russian Arctic: 85% of its 192 islands are covered with glaciers.

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

All islands of the archipelago belong to the climatic zone of the Arctic deserts. The average temperature in January is -24°C, in July - -1.5-0°C. 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. Here, as on Novaya Zemlya, 11 species of mammals live. Among a few other places, these islands are chosen by the owners of the Arctic - polar bears - to give birth and raise their babies. ZFI is the second most important “maternity hospital” for polar bears. Atlantic walruses, ringed seals, bearded seals, bowhead whales, beluga whales, and white-faced dolphins are marine mammals that have chosen Franz Josef Land and the archipelago as their home. Here you can meet the sea unicorn - the narwhal - a rare sea animal, which is a symbol of the “Russian Arctic”. 18 species of birds hatch their chicks on the numerous rocks of the archipelago, and in total 50 species of birds have been registered in the FFI, most of them are seabirds.

There are no freshwater fish on Franz Josef Land.

The flora of Franz Josef Land is represented mainly by mosses and lichens: there are 167 species of lichens, more than 30 species of liver mosses, about 120 species of green mosses and 94 species of mushrooms.

Due to the harsher climate, there are fewer vascular plants than in the north of Novaya Zemlya - about 50 species. Representatives of the saxifrage, cruciferous and clove families predominate. Here, just like on Novaya Zemlya, in the summer saxifrage, poppies, polar poppies, etc. have time to bloom.

The “Russian Arctic” is islands remote from the continent in the Arctic Ocean. You can visit the hard-to-reach protected area during a sea cruise. Tourists to high latitudes are attracted by untouched unique landscapes - glaciers, snowfields and waterfalls; the famous spherical concretions (“spherulites”) of Champa Island; undisturbed ecosystems; fauna that can be observed in its natural habitat; as well as a rich historical and cultural heritage, including about 200(!) monuments and memorial sites of not only national but also international significance. And it is on the islands of the “Russian Arctic” - Hooker and Hayes (ZFI) - that the northernmost post offices in the world operate!

The Russian Arctic National Park was created on June 15, 2009. Then it included the northern part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the islands of Big and Small Oransky, Loshkina, Gemskerk and a number of others. In 2016, it included the territories of the Franz Josef Land 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 home to many animals. Five species - the white 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 population of the bowhead whale, the rarest marine mammal of the North Atlantic.

The “Russian Arctic” is home to polar bears, Atlantic walruses, seals, bearded seals, arctic foxes, reindeer, beluga whales, the polar subspecies of auks and others. The numerous rocks of the park are inhabited by about 20 species of birds, five of which remain here for the winter. The park contains the only proven nesting sites in Russia for the Atlantic subspecies of the brant goose, the main nesting sites for the Greenland subspecies of the common eider, as well as periodic sites for the short-billed bean goose.

The inaccessibility and harsh climate of the park's territories allowed the populations of many animals to survive and preserved the pristine beauty of these places, despite the fact that people knew about the islands already in the 11th-12th centuries. Novgorodians came here, attracted by the opportunity for a rich harvest of fish, animal skins, “fish tooth” (walrus tusk), poultry 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, which is why many sailors found themselves locked in ice.

Russian Arctic National ParkThe main task of the park is to preserve and restore the unique nature of the Russian Arctic. Its seemingly lifeless, icy, calm expanses are home to 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. The history of the Great Patriotic War is connected with this. On Alexandra Island, the Germans built the meteorological base "Treasure Hunter" (Schatzgraber). According to the Wehrmacht's plan, she was supposed to monitor the weather so that the German fleet would attack Lend-Lease convoys arriving at the ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk only in suitable weather. For a long time, the exact location 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 entered the island of Alexandra Land and accidentally stumbled upon this base. They discovered well-camouflaged shelters with a coastline. It immediately became clear what kind of base this was and for what purpose it existed. It was mined according to all the rules. It looked like people had just left. The houses were suitable for living, so it was cleared of mines, and for the first years, employees of the Soviet polar station on Alexandra Land lived here until a weather station with normal houses was built.

Now on the territory of the “Russian Arctic”, namely on the islands of Hooker and Huis, the northernmost post offices in the world operate.

As often happens, people left a lot of garbage on the islands of the “Russian Arctic”, which has a negative impact on the environment of the park. In this regard, employees of the national park, together with volunteers, carry out 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 the acting. Director of the Russian Arctic National Park Alexander Kirilov.

Today, to visit these lands, you don’t have to be a military man or a research scientist, you can just come on an excursion. Tours of the "Russian Arctic" are carried out from June to September, when weather conditions 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".

Location: Russia, Arkhangelsk region, part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and the Franz Josef Land archipelago.

Square: 1.5 million hectares

Specialization: preservation and study of rare species of animals and natural objects and complexes.

"Russian Arctic" is one of the youngest national parks in Russia. Under his management is the state nature reserve of federal significance “Franz Josef Land”, formed on April 23, 1994, the area of ​​which exceeds 7 million hectares, of which 80% is marine waters.

The national park carries out active environmental protection activities - this includes eliminating accumulated environmental damage in the Arctic and preserving such rare species of animals as the polar bear. All these projects have been supported by the Russian Geographical Society since 2010.

Thus, in April 2013, with grant support from the Russian Geographical Society, scientists began the program “Study of the role of the Franz Josef Land reserve in preserving populations of rare species of marine mammals and polar bears.” Until September, employees of the Russian Arctic National Park studied the islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, which are a kind of “last refuge” for animals displaced from everywhere by civilization and exposed to climate change.

Diet for a polar bear

During the spring and summer stages of the expedition, scientists studied Alexandra Land, Graham Bell Island, the waters of the White, Barents and Kara Seas from ships and helicopters and traveled more than 400 kilometers on snowmobiles to collect data on walruses, cetaceans and the largest land predator - the white bear

Today, the number of polar bears does not exceed 20-25 thousand individuals worldwide. The reduction in the area of ​​ice cover in the Arctic seas and changes in the age structure of sea ice are forcing polar bears to spend more time on the coast and on islands; there is probably a redistribution of animals within their range. Remaining on the shore for a long time, polar bears are deprived of access to their main food source - seals that live on the sea ice (ringed seal and bearded seal). Hungry predators can come out to people more often, causing conflict situations, rather than putting themselves in danger. To preserve this species, the Russian Geographical Society has been supporting the Polar Bear project since 2010., the goal of which is the conservation and study of these predators in the Russian Arctic, the development of non-invasive methods for collecting biological material (shed guard hairs, excrement) for genetic studies of the population structure of the species in Russia.

The summer of 2013 in the Arctic was very different from the average long-term statistics - the amount of ice decreased noticeably. Such changes cannot but affect the inhabitants of the region. During the expedition, scientists did not see a single sea ice floe. And since the life of local seals - seals and bearded seals - is closely connected with the ice, it is not surprising that these animals have never been encountered by researchers. At the same time, seals are the basis of the polar bear’s diet. With their departure, predators began to be seen at bird markets, where they tried to pick out little auks from under stones, and at walrus rookeries. What is noteworthy is that the scientists saw the largest number of bears - 11 individuals - on one of the islands precisely at the walrus rookery.

Whales in the hole

Spring and summer expeditions to Franz Josef Land helped identify new concentrations of the rare Svalbard population of bowhead whales, listed in the International Red Book, which in itself is a scientific achievement.

Whales live in the waters of the archipelago all year round. It is in the waters of the reserve and its immediate surroundings that the only known stable summer feeding areas for bowhead whales are located, and the polynyas are their regular wintering grounds. Monitoring work in the Russian Artica National Park, carried out in recent years, including with grant support from the Russian Geographical Society, has convincingly shown that the waters of Franz Josef Land are a key habitat for bowhead whales, which must be preserved for the conservation of these animals.

Expedition results

Despite the small amount of ice and the short spring field season, scientists assess the results of the work as good. Among other things, the researchers mapped the distribution of marine mammals and polar bears in the Franz Josef Land Nature Reserve. Scientists have collected a lot of material about pinnipeds, in particular walruses - this is new information on their biology and distribution on the archipelago. For example, for the first time, data has been collected that most fully covers the entire summer population of the Atlantic walrus on Franz Josef Land, and information has been obtained on the interannual variability of the number of animals in rookeries. And the material collected on the population genetic characteristics of Atlantic walruses can play an important role in understanding the conservation status of the group living in the reserve.

During the spring-summer season of 2013, scientists developed methodological approaches, tested new technical means, such as small aircraft for observations in the Arctic, and purchased equipment for monitoring animal populations. Thanks to all this, the researchers intend to continue to carry out the work they have begun.

Among the results of the work, it is worth highlighting the fact that the research carried out partly formed the basis for the proposal to transfer the Franz Josef Land reserve to the status of a national park. The proposal to change the category is due to the fact that the reserve regime makes it difficult to manage this specially protected natural area, especially the protection of its natural complexes.

However, transferring the reserve to the category of a national park can significantly reduce the area of ​​protected territory. Currently, according to documents, the area of ​​the reserve is 4.2 million hectares. However, in reality it occupies a territory 2.5 times larger: in 2006, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute carried out a mathematical calculation using the coordinates of corner points, according to which the area of ​​the reserve exceeded 11 million hectares. The sea area of ​​Franz Josef Land is 9.407 million hectares, which is 3.5 times more than the 2.591 million hectares stated in the documents.

Scientists see a solution to the problem in the creation of a marine protective zone, which should cover important habitats of marine mammals and polar bears, as well as the most important areas of the marine ecosystem for these animals, for example, french polynyas.

Work continues

This year, employees of the Russian Arctic National Park continue the work they started and have already carried out field work on Alexandra Land and Franz Josef Land to monitor the wormwood fauna, populations of marine mammals and polar bears. It is planned to continue work on studying the population genetic structure of the Atlantic walrus herd, monitoring the polar bear population using genetic methods, as well as monitoring walrus rookeries using remote sensing.