Travelling to Sannikov Land: is it possible to reach the New Siberian Islands?

04.07.2023 // The story of the New Siberian Islands is closely linked to the mysterious Sannikov Land and dreams of a land with untold riches, lying somewhere far to the North. Every year, people would see flocks of birds head north from the mainland. Each time they would return with countless offspring. People thought this to be proof of fertile and habitable land existing somewhere over there. The search for this land has cost many travellers and explorers their lives.

It first became known in the 17th century that there was land to the north of the mainland. The first documentary evidence of that was provided by Cossack Yakov Permyakov who had sailed from Lena River to Kolyma River. Happening upon an unfamiliar island, he disembarked and rode around the area on a dog sledge. The merchant Ivan Lyakhov decided to continue the search in 1770. He traded in mammoth ivory that always sold for a healthy profit, and hoped for new finds. The merchant's guess turned out to be spot on, as the newly-discovered islands were a treasure trove of mammoth bones. For two centuries, tons of ivory found on the archipelago had been collected there every year.

The search for Sannikov Land was going on until the mid-20th century, but it was never found. Conversely, it was established that there were no islands at its presumed location. However, as it turned out later, Sannikov not had been entirely wrong. As it turns out, some of the islands in the area have an uncommon structure: composed almost entirely of ice mixed with sand, they only have a small layer of alluvial soil on top. Water that washes them makes the islands shrink and sometimes sink altogether, leaving only shoals behind. This explains the mysterious disappearance of the Diomede, Vasilyevsky, and Semyonovsky islands. Sannikov Land may have suffered the same fate. The famous explorer Eduard Toll came to look for it, but he died in the Laptev Sea in 1902, along with two guides and an astronomer. A year later, the future leader of the 'white movement' Alexander Kolchak returned to look for Toll but found only Toll's diary. It was subsequently published in Germany and then in 1959 in Russia. These days, the New Siberian Archipelago, consisting of three groups of islands—Lyakhovskiye, Anzhu, and De Long—is part of the protected zone of the Ust-Lensky State Nature Reserve.

The New Siberian Islands are an Arctic tundra, home to reindeer, lemmings, polar bears, Arctic foxes and a great abundance of birds. The snowy owl and ptarmigan, loons, eiders, brant geese and the Canadian crane can be found here, and in summer the archipelago is home to geese, sandpipers and ducks. Scientists have recorded a total of 34 species of wetland birds on the islands. Narwhals and beluga whales occasionally swim into the water area, while the Laptev walruses, bearded seals, seals and harbour seals live there on a permanent basis. The largest number of animals is concentrated on Anzhu and Lyakhovskiye Islands. Today, scientists observe positive dynamics among the fauna of the islands, red-listed animals are gradually recovering their numbers. These include the Laptev walrus, polar bear, Ross's gull and Bewick's swan.

There are also plenty of fish in the protected areas, including valuable salmon and whitefish. There is no permanent population on the territory of the protected area, but at different times one can meet meteorologists, military men, as well as hunters—they collect mammoth bone.

Today it is possible to visit the New Siberian Islands not only as an employee of a polar station or a career military man, but it requires special preparation and time. There are limited offers in the tourist market to reach this unique place. The most comfortable one is a cruise along the North Sea Route on a small ice-class expedition vessel Akademik Shokalsky. Tourists embark on a nearly month-long journey across the entire Russian Arctic from Murmansk to Anadyr, visiting all the major natural attractions. The New Siberian Islands are on the list of must-see places. From the ship, tourists get to the protected areas by boat, take photos of amazing Arctic landscapes and listen to the guides' stories about the natural diversity of the Ust-Lensky State Nature Reserve.