A SOURCE FOR THE NEW CENTURY

He was among the first.
A hundred years ago, Russian scientist Feodosii Chernyshev claimed,
"Only multilateral scientific research by specialists of our northern areas can reveal their industrial significance.
It is extremely undesirable to postpone this undertaking."

A not Found in the Archives

Larisa Seselkina,
Department Head of the Russian State Historical Archives

        Research and development of the Russian Far North was usually done under state control. And that normally influenced the results. Evaluation of the role of the state and information about geographical discoveries made by 20th century Russian sailors and scientists in the Arctic are contained in a note by Feodosii Nikolaevich Chernyshev…

A Few Words About the Author

        F. N. Chernyshev (1856 - 1914) was a geologist and paleontologist. He was educated at the St Petersburg Mining Institute. In 1882, he began work at the Geological Committee, where he became the Director of the Institute in 1903. In 1900, he was appointed Director of the Geological Institute of the Academy of Sciences and from 1908 to 1911 was professor of paleontology at the Mining Institute. The geography of his research is very broad, including the Urals, the Arctic, central and southern areas of European Russia, Siberia, Altay and Central Asia. He also directed work aimed at the research and creation of a detailed geological map of the Donetsk basin. Further, he headed the Russian section of the Russian-Swedish exhibition in Shpitsbergen. A mountain range in the Northern Urals was named after him, as well as a glacier in Zabaikalye, a bay in New Land and a bay in the Taymyr peninsula.F. N. Chernyshev (1856 - 1914) was a geologist and paleontologist. He was educated at the St Petersburg Mining Institute. In 1882, he began work at the Geological Committee, where he became the Director of the Institute in 1903. In 1900, he was appointed Director of the Geological Institute of the Academy of Sciences and from 1908 to 1911 was professor of paleontology at the Mining Institute. The geography of his research is very broad, including the Urals, the Arctic, central and southern areas of European Russia, Siberia, Altay and Central Asia. He also directed work aimed at the research and creation of a detailed geological map of the Donetsk basin. Further, he headed the Russian section of the Russian-Swedish exhibition in Shpitsbergen. A mountain range in the Northern Urals was named after him, as well as a glacier in Zabaikalye, a bay in New Land and a bay in the Taymyr peninsula.

A Few Words About the Discovery

        The draft of this note, the extracts of which we are publishing here, is kept in St Petersburg, in the library of the Geological Committee of the Russian State Historical Archives. Even though it is undated, its content allows us to assume that it was written during preparation for the expedition to the Arctic archipelago of New Land in the summer of 1895.
        An unplanned exhibition of the Geological Committee, its organization was requested from the Governor of Archangelsk by the Minister of Agriculture and State Property. The Mining Department and the Geological Committee founded in 1882, were within the jurisdiction of the Minister, who in his report to the Tzar, spoke about the necessity of sending out a New Land expedition because "with the establishment of permanent sea passages in the Kara Sea, the mineral deposits on the islands, especially coal, acquire special meaning and therefore, geological research of this little explored part of the Russian Empire is of considerable scientific and practical interest".
        May 1, 1895. A reply from His Majesty arrived with his approval to send Chernyshev to New Land and to finance the expedition from the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and State Property allocated for prospecting mineral resources. Before the expedition, Chernyshev did a lot of preliminary work. He became acquainted with all the literary and documentary sources witnessing the geological structure of the islands; he visited Stockholm, where he studied materials collected in New Land by Swedish researcher N. Nordensheld and the with the help of Governor of Archangelsk and the Mezensk Police Superintendent, he hired workers and guides.

A Few Words About Travelogues

        The travelogues of Chernyshev and his companion Morozevich, also preserved in the archives, describe the expedition, which took place in the short northern summer of 1895, between June 2 and September 8.
        The travelers reached the shores of New Land on June 10, where the "Vladimir" steamboat brought them from Archangelsk to the region of Maly Karmankyly. Then they walked to the Matochkin Shar Strait separating the southern and the northern islands. The "Dzhigit" clipper awaited them there, and aboard it they traveled to Krestovaya Guba on the northern island, where they searched for coal. The scientists spent the entire month of August on the southern island. On foot they explored its western coast, washed by the Barents Sea, to the eastern coast and back. They sailed from Maly Karmankyly along Goose Land to Kostin Shar on its southern end, where they researched the beds of New Land rivers. The journey ended at Southern Goose Nose. From there, the participants of the expedition returned to Archangelsk by the "Vladimir" steamboat.

Feodosy Chernyshov

        ...Examining the historical succession of attempts to research our vastly important arctic islands, we notice first the difference between explorations in the first half of the 19th century and in its second half. While during the first period, Russia's representatives Litke, Pakhusov, Tsivolka, Ber, Shrenk and others occupied a glorious place in the history of the Russian arctic islands, in the second, the Russian work falls behind to second place.
        One must admit that even today, the late academician Ber could justly level the reproach that he made in 1837 to the organizers of our polar expeditions, that they had forgotten that the more varied the tasks of those expeditions, the more fruitful their results were to society. It's impossible to ignore the extreme irregularity of the data collected during New Land and Vaigach research. . Thanks to the documents of Litke, Pakhusov, Tsivolka and others, we have depictions of an exact coastline. As a result of the explorations of Ber and Shenk and more recent Russian research, as well as from foreign expeditions, we have relatively satisfactory information about the flora and fauna of New Land and Vaigach. The New Land geological structure has yet to be studied.
        Only thorough geological research can provide us with information on New Land mineral resources--gold, silver, quicksilver, coal and others-- which is sometimes mentioned in books and by the Pomors. Given the many purely scientific aspects of Russian geology that ought to be studied, the nature of warm and cold currents near New Land which are of great importance to navigation in our polar seas, as well as the influence of the one thousand mile long New Land on the climate of our northern countries, there is sufficient reason to warrant a new government financed expedition to New Land.
        Depending on the extent of the allocated resources, the research could include a vast area and last for 18 months, during which a complete study of Kolgui, Vaigach and New Land could be conducted. The northern part of the latter can, of course, be researched only to the extent that the condition of the ice allows.
        The research area could also be broadened in yet another direction. After having explored the commercially viable southern part of Timan with its rich oil wells, part of the expedition could take the winter footpath across the Pechora region and proceed to the Arctic Ocean where it would join the rest of the research party coming by sea from Archangelsk.
        Without a doubt, only multilateral, expert scientific research of our northern areas can reveal their industrial significance and provide a stable start for its practical exploitation. On the other hand, an expedition such as the one proposed above, would enhance opportunities for Russian people on the Arctic Ocean. There's no dearth of scientists suitable for such an expedition. The examples of Pakhtusov and Tsivolka, who dedicated their entire lives to the research of our distant northern lands, are an inspiration for any Russian arctic researcher. Further, we mustn't postpone this undertaking, as foreign researchers are more and more insistently striving to get to our polar areas. A number of scientific expeditions are already in the making. It would be very unfortunate if Russia lost the chance to complete the description of our northern islands begun by Russian explorers under extremely difficult conditions and at the cost of many lives. What a disgrace to have their research completed by outsiders under much better conditions!
        The Imperial Academy of Sciences, as the major scientific institution in our country as well as the most experienced in this area, is the most suitable organization to take on the responsibility and management of this new expedition to New Land...