The Russian North is an inaccessible and poorly explored territory. However, it never ceases to attract with its magnificence. The reserved lands of Karelia, Obonezhie, Vologda need protection and care. National Park "Russian Arctic" is designed to preserve the natural and cultural wealth of the exclusive part of the Russian North.

Possessions of the "Russian Arctic"

In order to realize the potential of Russia in the Arctic, preserve the special nature of the North and conduct scientific research in 1999, the deputies of the Arkhangelsk Regional Assembly decided to organize the Russian Arctic National Park. It was planned to unite natural complexes in the Barents Sea, on Franz Josef Land and in the north of Novaya Zemlya. Ten years later, Vladimir Putin ordered the establishment of the Russian Arctic National Park. The territory of the park includes many protected islands, among which Fr. Gemskerk, about. Loshkina, about. North, Oran Islands. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe "Russian Arctic" is about 1.5 million hectares: most of the water area (about 790 thousand hectares).

Sanctuary "Franz Josef Land"

Franz Josef Land is one of the most in the world, the archipelago is actually adjacent to the "Russian Arctic". The archipelago's lands have been considered reserved since 1994, when the Franz Josef Land State Nature Reserve was established. The reserve, which is protected by the "Russian Arctic", was established to preserve the pristine nature, solve environmental problems, and reproduction of resources. An important task is to protect the local fauna from human influence.

The lands of the archipelago are inhabited by polar bears, for which nature has created a favorable atmosphere for the establishment of offspring.

Walrus rookeries occupy significant areas of the reserve. On the islands of Apollo and Stolichki, you can see rare Atlantic walruses in the rookery. Numerous here

Unique microclimate

"Russian Arctic" (the national park has a unique microclimate. The location of the park is peculiar. It is washed by two Barents and Kara seas. At the same time, the southwestern part of the Barents Sea is always free of ice, the Kara Sea, on the contrary, does not freeze only in summer near estuaries This feature of nature creates an exceptional microclimate in the park, in which there is such a variety of fauna, which is not found in any other Arctic territory.

Fauna

"Russian Arctic" is a national park with very few permanent inhabitants. There are only 11 species of animals, but they are all unique. Most of them are found in the Red Data Book of Russia: Atlantic walrus and new earth deer, bowhead whale and polar bear, narwhal and minke whale. The park plays an important role in the protection of the Kara-Barents polar bear population. Arctic foxes (on dry hills) and lemmings (near water bodies) live in the tundra zones of the park.

The Russian Arctic is an important habitat for the bowhead whale and its Svalbard population.

At the beginning of the 20th century, this rare mammal was on the verge of extinction. The population is now increasing. Marine mammals such as the bearded seal, ringed seal, Atlantic walrus, seal, and narwhal are found in coastal waters.

Avifauna

The avifauna of the park is the largest in the Russian North. Conditions on the territory are favorable for permanent habitation and seasonal nesting. There is enough food here, especially in the warm season, there are many places for nesting, there are practically no predators. Terrestrial are the tundra partridge and snowy owl. Guillemots, polar guillemots, lyuriki, kittiwake, white gull, glaucous gull and other bird species nest on the rocky shores of the islands.

With all the diversity of avifauna, representatives of different populations rarely settle together. Lyuriks inhabit coastal areas and do not leave them even for winter quarters. Guillemots, on the contrary, only nest on the coast, and spend the rest of the time at sea, like gulls and kittiwakes. Glaucous predators and skuas settle near large nesting sites of seabirds that serve them.

The Russian Arctic National Park (Arkhangelsk) is also attractive for migratory birds. They arrive from southern countries in early spring, during the mating season. All passerines, with the exception of snow buntings, are migratory. Horned lark, Lapland plantain, wheatear, and tap dance nest in dry grass and under the Duck family is also represented in the "Russian Arctic", there are 12 species of them. Together with other freshwater birds, they nest and feed on Arctic lakes and streams. In September, colonies replenished with chicks migrate to warm places.

Cultural and historical heritage

National Park "Russian Arctic" is a place with a special historical and cultural heritage. Here are concentrated objects that have a connection with the history of the discovery of the Arctic. It is known that in the 11-12 centuries fishing was carried out on the territory of the park, there was a hunt for walruses for their tusks, for polar foxes for their exceptional fur, for birds with rare feathers. The first European navigator to reach Novaya Zemlya was the Englishman Hugh Willoughby. His ship set out in 1553 to look for the northern passage from Europe to China. Reaching the south of Novaya Zemlya and making a stop at the mouth of the Varzina River, the entire crew died under mysterious circumstances, possibly from carbon monoxide. The famous Dutch navigator Willim Barents reached Novaya Zemlya in the late 16th century. He sailed near the northern coast of Novaya Zemlya, wintered on the island with the crew. On the way back, the navigator became fatally ill with scurvy. The crew returned home with valuable scientific observations.

The first Russian navigator to set off for Novaya Zemlya was Fyodor Rozmyslov. He spent about a year on the expedition, during which he made notes, described the territory and its features, conducted meteorological observations and geodetic work. Its crew reached the mouth of the Matochkin Shara and had to return to Arkhangelsk. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Novaya Zemlya archipelago began to be visited more often, especially by Russian researchers. In 1909, Vladimir Rusanov, a Russian sailor, made the first reliable cartographic description of Novaya Zemlya. In Soviet times, various studies were carried out on the territory of the present park.

Ecotourism is currently developing here.

Everyone can visit the Russian Arctic National Park. Photos and videos can be taken from cruisers sailing from Murmansk and during numerous berths on the shores of the islands.

Russian Arctic is a national park in the Arkhangelsk region. Located in the northern part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Created on June 15, 2009. The national park includes reserve lands with a total area of \u200b\u200b1,426,000 hectares, of which land - 632,090 hectares, sea areas - 793,910 hectares.

Reasons and goals for creating the park

The region is home to the largest bird colonies in the Northern Hemisphere (guillemots and eiders), walrus rookeries, polar bears, bowhead whales, Arctic foxes, harp seals and seals. Vegetation is represented by some types of mosses, lichens and a small number of flowering plants. The park is created to preserve the unique nature of the Arctic.

The territory of the national park is interesting not only for its nature. The cultural heritage of the national park is also unique: there are places and objects associated with the history of the discovery and development of the Russian Arctic since the 16th century, in particular, associated with the activities of the Russian polar explorers Rusanov and Sedov, as well as the parking lot of the Dutch navigator Willem Barents, who discovered these lands for Western Europeans, and Russian Pomors, who were there long before him.

Thus, this region is of great interest for the development of ecological scientific and educational tourism. In 2009, Vladimir Putin invited the ministers to spend their next vacation in this park or in other similar places.

FSBI "National Park" Russian Arctic "also protects the territory of the state nature reserve of federal significance" Franz Josef Land ", as well as measures to preserve biological diversity and maintain in the natural state of protected natural complexes on the territory of this reserve.

Nature

Significance of the Franz Josef Land archipelago for maintaining populations of birds and mammals

Franz Josef Land and the adjacent water area 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 from the environmental point of view, the region of the western sector of the Arctic, it is home to five species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the International Red Book.

The archipelago is home to a significant part of the Russian and world populations of the ivory gull, a rare aboriginal arctic species; the largest colonies of this gull in the Barents Sea are known on the islands.

The water area of \u200b\u200bFranz Josef Land is a key area of \u200b\u200bthe modern range of the Svalbard population of bowhead whales, the rarest marine mammal in the North Atlantic. Franz Josef Land is the area of \u200b\u200bthe most frequent sightings of whales and their year-round habitat. Thanks to the animals that survived here, the Svalbard population began to slowly restore its numbers and range.

The water area of \u200b\u200bFranz Josef Land is the place of the most regular meetings 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, 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 northern Barents Sea is inhabited by a single population of walruses, and thanks to the expanded reproduction of the group of walruses that have survived on Franz Josef Land, in recent decades, the population has been recovering and the animals are recolonizing the Spitsbergen islands.

The islands are home to an important reproduction center for the Kara-Barents Sea polar bear population. In summer, there is an increased density of the polar bear population compared to neighboring areas. Secondly, the archipelago plays an important role in the conservation and maintenance of the ornithological diversity of the Russian Arctic.

Most of the Russian breeding population of the Atlantic fulmar subspecies and the polar Lyurik subspecies are concentrated here.

Franz Josef Land is home to the world's northernmost breeding colonies of thick-billed guillemots.

The archipelago contains the only proven nesting sites of the Atlantic subspecies of the brent goose in Russia, the main nesting sites of the Greenland subspecies of the common eider, as well as the places where the short-billed bean goose occasionally stays.

| National Park Russian Arctic

National Park Russian Arctic

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

It has been established that even in the XI-XII centuries, Novgorodians went to Novaya Zemlya - a group of islands located between the Barents and Kara Seas. In 1596, Willem Barents circled the northern tip of the Severny Island and wintered on its eastern coast. And nowadays, on June 15, 2009, the Russian Arctic National Park was created here.

The territory of the national park includes the northern part of the North Island of the Novaya Zemlya Islands, the Big and Small Oran Islands, about. Loshkina, about. Gemskerk and a number of other islands. The land area of \u200b\u200bthe "Russian Arctic" is 632,090 hectares, the water area is 793,910 hectares.

The national park is located on the territory of the Arkhangelsk region (the 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 vastness on the Eurasian border, determines a number of its features. The Barents Sea, washing 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 other hand, is covered with solid ice for many months. The relatively small distance from the mainland and higher winter temperatures cause a greater variety 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 64 species turn their leaves to the polar sun. The Oran Islands, with their gentle cliffs, is a true 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 Lomonosov Mountains and Mendeleev Mountains belong to the group of characteristic and especially memorable objects of the "Russian Arctic". There are amazingly beautiful polar landscapes here.

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

State nature reserve of federal significance "Franz Josef Land"

April 23, 1994 is considered to be the birthday of the reserve, then the reserve status of the Franz Josef Land archipelago and part of the sea area was approved by the order of the Russian Government. The entire territory of the archipelago - 1,635,300 hectares - is allocated by this document for the land part of the reserve. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe 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 land area in 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 the inaccessibility of 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, a man left a noticeable mark on the archipelago: fuel barrels, used technology - not the most attractive, but no less noticeable features of Franz Josef Land.

Geographically, Franz Josef Land is a group of 191 islands, 375 km long from west to east, and 234 km from south to north. Continuous relief-forming processes can lead to a change in the number of islands. So, in 2008, a new island was discovered near the island of Northbrook, 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 an area exceeding 100,000 hectares.

85% of the Franz Josef Land area is covered with glaciers; this is the most glacial land area in the Russian Arctic.

All the islands of the archipelago belong to the climatic zone of the arctic deserts. The average January temperature 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 education of their babies. Walruses, ringed seals, bearded seals are amazing species of mammals that have chosen Franz Josef Land and the water around it as their home. In the sea, near the reserve, you can find bowhead whale, sea unicorn - narwhal, beluga whale. On the numerous rocks of the archipelago, 15 species of birds are hatching.

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

Franz Josef Land and the adjacent water area 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 from the environmental point of view, the region of the western sector of the Arctic, it is home to five species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the International Red Book.

The archipelago is home to a significant part of the Russian and world populations of the ivory gull, a rare aboriginal arctic species; the largest colonies of this gull in the Barents Sea are known on the islands.

The water area of \u200b\u200bFranz Josef Land is a key area of \u200b\u200bthe modern range of the Svalbard population of bowhead whales, the rarest marine mammal in the North Atlantic. Franz Josef Land is the area of \u200b\u200bthe most frequent sightings of whales and their year-round habitat. Thanks to the animals that survived here, the Svalbard population began to slowly restore its numbers and range.

The water area of \u200b\u200bFranz Josef Land is the place of the most regular meetings 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, 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 northern Barents Sea is inhabited by a single population of walruses, and thanks to the expanded reproduction of the group of walruses that survived on Franz Josef Land, in recent decades, the population has been recovering and the animals are recolonizing the Spitsbergen islands.

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

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

Most of the Russian breeding population of the Atlantic fulmar subspecies and the polar Lyurik subspecies are concentrated here.

Franz Josef Land is home to the world's northernmost breeding colonies of thick-billed guillemots.

The archipelago contains the only proven nesting sites of the Atlantic subspecies of the brent goose in Russia, the main nesting sites of the Greenland subspecies of the common eider, as well as the places where the short-billed bean goose occasionally stays.

The Russian Arctic National Park was established on June 15, 2009. Then it included the northern part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the Big and Small Oransky islands, Loshkina, Gemskerk and a number of others. In 2016, it included the territory of the Franz Josef Land reserve, and with them the northernmost land area of \u200b\u200bEurasia - 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, full of tranquility, open spaces inhabited by many animals. Five species - ivory gull, bowhead whale, narwhal, Atlantic walrus and polar bear of the Kara-Barents Sea population - are listed in the international and Russian Red Data Books. By the way, the narwhal, or, as it is also called, the sea unicorn, is the symbol of the "Russian Arctic". Most often, it can be found in the waters of Franz Josef Land, which is also the modern range of the bowhead whale population, the rarest marine mammal in the North Atlantic.

"Russian Arctic" is a home for polar bears, Atlantic walruses, seals, bearded seals, polar foxes, reindeer, beluga whales, polar lurik subspecies and others. The numerous rocks of the park are inhabited by about 20 species of birds, five of which remain here for the winter. On the territory of the park there are the only proven nesting sites of the Atlantic subspecies of the black goose in Russia, the main nesting sites of the Greenland subspecies of the common eider, as well as the places of the periodic stay of the short-billed bean goose.

The inaccessibility and harsh climate of the park's territories made it possible for 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, who were attracted by the possibility of a rich fishing for fish, 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, washing 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 other hand, is covered with continuous ice for many months, which has left many navigators trapped in the ice.

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 times of the Great Patriotic War is connected with this. On the island of Alexandra, the Germans built the Schatzgraber meteorological base. According to the plan of the Wehrmacht, she had to monitor the weather so that the German fleet attacked the Lend-Lease convoys arriving at the ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, only in suitable weather for this. For a long time, the exact location of the base was unknown, and they learned about its existence only because they accidentally intercepted the message, thanks to which it was possible to establish its approximate location.

Only after the war did Soviet explorers come to the island of Alexandra Land and accidentally stumbled upon this base. They found well-camouflaged coastal hideouts. It immediately became clear what kind of base it was, for what purpose it existed. She was properly mined. It looked like people had just left. The houses were habitable, so it was cleared of mines, and for 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 Huysa, there are the northernmost post offices in the world.

As often happens, after people on the islands of the "Russian Arctic" there is a lot of garbage, which has a negative impact on the environment of the park. In this regard, workers 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 later used to return the original appearance to other protected areas of Russia, for example, in Kamchatka,” notes the acting director. Director of the Russian Arctic National Park Alexander Kirilov.

Today, to visit these lands, you do not need to be a military man or a research scientist, you can just come on an excursion. Tours in the "Russian Arctic" are carried out from June to September, when the weather conditions are most favorable for visiting the park for 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 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 board Akademik Shokalsky.

National Park "Russian Arctic"

This is the northernmost and first-largest specially protected natural area in Russia. The area of \u200b\u200bthe 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 permanently residing 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 Big and Small Oran Islands, about. Gemskerk, about. Loshkina and a number of others. This is the territory of the municipal entity "City District" Novaya Zemlya ".

Many centuries ago, the Pomors called the extreme northern point of Novaya Zemlya - Cape Zhelaniya - "income": a place beyond which to walk on the sea and carry out fishing is both dangerous and difficult. It has been established that in the XI-XII centuries Novgorodians went to Novaya Zemlya. In 1596, Willem Barents circled the northern tip of the Severny Island and wintered on its eastern coast. In Soviet times, a polar meteorological station operated on Cape Zhelaniya; a complex of fortifications from the Great Patriotic War, as well as fishing camps of the first half of the 20th century, have survived to this day.

Cape Zhelaniya, where the Russian Arctic field base is located, is the confluence of two seas: Kara and Barents. The Barents Sea, washing 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 Lomonosov Mountains and Mendeleev Mountains belong to the group of characteristic and especially memorable objects in the southern part of the national park.

The relatively small remoteness of Novaya Zemlya from the mainland and higher winter temperatures lead to a greater variety of life forms than in other Arctic territories. On the islands and in the waters of Novaya Zemlya, 11 species of mammals are found: polar bears, Atlantic walruses, ringed seals, bearded seals (bearded seals), harp seals, belugas, whales - bowhead (polar) whale and Minke's whale (minke whale). All these are marine species. There are only three land animals: Arctic fox, hoofed lemming and reindeer. The islands of the archipelago, with their gentle cliffs, are a real paradise for 48 species of birds (most of them are marine or semi-aquatic). Of these, 18 species (kittiwakes, glaucous gulls, 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 Novaya Zemlya anadromous 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 (leafy and liverworms), 18 species of algae and 39 species of mushrooms.

The northern cluster of the "Russian Arctic" is the Franz Josef Land archipelago (FFI). It is a group of 192 islands. The archipelago is part of the Talazhskoye municipal formation of the Primorsky District of the Arkhangelsk Region.

The length of the archipelago from west to east 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 "crown" of the planet, only 900 km.

Until August 2016, the Franz Josef Land archipelago was part of the territory of the eponymous state nature reserve of federal significance, 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 Government of Russia, the reserve was liquidated: its territory entered the borders of the national park.

The Franz Josef Land Archipelago is located in the northeastern part of the Barents Sea and is the northernmost land area in 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 the inaccessibility of the archipelago was discovered only in 1873 by the Austro-Hungarian expedition of Karl Weiprecht 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: barrels from fuel, scrap metal, coal, household and industrial waste. Therefore, in the XXI century, the Arctic "cleanup" began on the territory of the "Russian Arctic", the purpose of which is to return the fragile, vulnerable nature of high latitudes to its original appearance

The Franz Josef Land Archipelago is the most glacial land area 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 in the archipelago occupy only 0.4% of its area. Only 4 islands (Georg Land, Wilczek Land, Graham Bell, Alexandra Land) have an area exceeding 100,000 hectares.

All the islands of the archipelago belong to the climatic zone of the arctic deserts. The average January temperature is -24 ° С, in July - -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. Here, like on Novaya Zemlya, 11 species of mammals live. Among the few other places, these islands are chosen by the owners of the Arctic - polar bears - for the birth and education of their babies. FFI is the second most important "maternity hospital" for polar bears. Atlantic walruses, ringed seals, bearded seals, bowhead whales, beluga whales, 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 - the rarest marine animal, which is the symbol of the "Russian Arctic". On numerous rocks of the archipelago, chicks of 18 bird species are hatched, and a total of 50 bird species have been registered at the FZI, most of them are seabirds.

There are no freshwater fish in 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 more severe 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, saxifrages, grains, polar poppies, etc. have time to bloom in summer.

"Russian Arctic" are islands in the Arctic Ocean, remote from the continent. 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 globular nodules ("spherulites") of Champa Island; undisturbed ecosystems; wildlife that can be observed in natural habitat; as well as a rich historical and cultural heritage, including about 200 (!) monuments and memorial sites not only of national but also of international importance. And it is on the islands of the "Russian Arctic" - Hooker and Hayes (FFI) - that the northernmost post offices in the world operate!