Arctic Travel Forum

As an arctic fanatic I have spent days and weeks in my life studying maps and books about the area. One of the things on which there seems to be doubts is if Nova Zembla (you know, those two long islands above Russia :p) is populated or not. Some maps mention a few very tiny settlements (weather stations or real villages ??) on the southern island, Matockin Sar is one name I remember clearly. Other maps however mention no settlements, only scientific posts without permanent population.

Is there any towns on the islands, and how should I picture the towns and the way of life there?



Second part of my question is Dikson, a tiny settlement on the extreme North of the Russian mainland, far above the arctic circle. It is indicated on almost every decent map, though I have consulted hundreds of resources on Russia but no travel guide seems to give any decent info on the town. I wonder if it is a true isolated village, or just a weather post?

Wikipedia mentions Dikson but describes "little is known about the town". Now that's an understatement !

Hi - I'm actually planning to make a motorbike trip to Nova Zembla... or the closest I can get to it. I'm looking for some information on road conditions etc...

Here is another resource I found http://novaya-zemlya.biography.ms/

The USSR exploded a hydrogen bomb on Novaya Zemlya. Not only is that area still very radioactive, the surface of the island was reportedly more smooth than a mirror because it was melted by the fusion reaction in the explosion. I doubt that there are any populates settlements whithin the area. It's a shame that they would waste such an big island for that purpose, though.

Hi,

I share your fascination with the arctic, and have done a limited amount of research on the area. As others have mentioned, noone lives on Novaya Zemelya anymore, the indigineous people (the nenets) were forced to leave by the Russian government before the nucleur tests were carried out. It would be difficult to get permission to visit, your best bet would be joining a scientific research party I imagine.

There's probably not much to Dikson. Like you I'd like to go there and see it for myself one day, but it'd be extremely difficult to get to. I'd imagine you'd have to hire a 4x4 and take a local guide, and it'd takes days to get to. All adds to the appeal though doesn't it?!

Do you speak any Russian? That'd be a good start. Perhaps there are people on VT who would have ideas about how to make the contacts you'd need to get to the far north.

Good luck - let me know if you ever make it!

In 2005 ihave a trip with the vessel Mikehail Somov to Nova Zemlya and also the Franz Jozef Islands and back to Dikson. You can only with a special permit to this places. In my case a travel with the Russian Meteorological Institute to visit the wheather stations and also to place a monument of Willem Barents on Nova Zemlya, a dutch man who tried a new route a long time ago( more then 400 years ago) Dikson is a small town with a airport and also harbour I have heard there is no overland route. De town is small and the young people are leaving now the town because there is no work. There are 2 streets with shops and mostly they are closed only when wanted to buy then are going to open. There no hotel and you can sleep in a goverment house.(empty flat from people wich leave the town!) Nova Zemlya so far i kwown have a few weather stations and in the north only a bad working automatic wheather station. In the south there is a small militairy activtes. If you want more information then email

Hi,

I am currently writing an essay on Dikson but the data I have found so far are so very sparse that I have almost dopped the Idea again.

I would therefore really appreciate it if you could tell me a little more of Dikson. The people, its history, the local business, the habour, people visiting. Anything really you would care to share would be excellent.


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Best regards,
bjawnie

if wikipedia doesn't know then no one knows.