Where is Wrangel located? Wrangel Island: reserve, location on the map of Russia, climate, coordinates

Wrangel Island (Chuk. Umkilir - “island of polar bears”) — Russian island in the Arctic Ocean between the East Siberian and Chukchi seas. Named in honor of the Russian navigator and statesman of the 19th century Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel.

This is a very harsh region. The average temperature in the short summer here is about 0 degrees, and in winter it becomes truly unbearable. weather– a strong wind from the north is so dry that it’s hard to even breathe. The polar night, which lasts from November to the end of January, is unbearably cold. Temperatures drop on average below -20, and sometimes down to -60! The snowstorms that hit the island reach speeds of 140 km/h. On the coast it is very difficult to hide from such an onslaught from the north, and only in the central part of the island, surrounded by mountain ranges, can one count on more favorable conditions.

The island is very interesting for archaeological scientists who discovered here the remains of mammoths that lived about 3-7 thousand years ago. As you know, it was believed that by this time all mammoths had already become extinct, but the find confirms that these prehistoric animals existed side by side with practically intelligent people.

Wrangel Island: photos

Umkilir - Polar bear deposit island

Wrangel Island: where is it located?

It is located at the junction of the western and eastern hemispheres and is divided by the 180th meridian into two almost equal parts. It is separated from the mainland (northern coast of Chukotka) by the Long Strait, about 140 km wide at its narrowest part. Administratively belongs to the Iultinsky district of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

It is part of the reserve of the same name. Is an object world heritage UNESCO (2004).

Wrangel Island: how to get there

Today Wrangel Island is one of the most inaccessible nature reserves in the world. To visit it, you need several special government permits, and getting here is not easy: in winter you have to fly by helicopter, and in summer you have to sail on an icebreaker.

In July-August, from Anadyr you can take a 15-day cruise to Wrangel Island (with disembarkation and 3-day accommodation on the island itself). The cruise is carried out by a small comfortable cruise icebreaker.

Wrangel Island: video

Traveling around Wrangel Island

March 19th, 2010

Wrangel Island - on the border of the East Siberian and Chukchi seas, part of Russian Federation. Area approx. 7.3 thousand km2. Height up to 1096 m. It is located at the junction of the western and eastern hemispheres and is divided by the 180th meridian into two almost equal parts. It is separated from the mainland (northern coast of Chukotka) by the Long Strait, which is about 140 km wide at its narrowest part. Administratively it belongs to the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. It is part of the reserve of the same name. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It received its name in honor of the Russian navigator and polar explorer Ferdinand Wrangel.

The territory of Wrangel and Herald Islands, with the exception of the low-lying plains of Wrangel Island, remained dry throughout the Cretaceous period and the entire Cenozoic era. During powerful Pleistocene transgressions, the territories of the islands were repeatedly separated from the mainland, and during periods of regression of the sea, coinciding with the ice ages, they were part of the vast Beringian landmass, which united the shelves of the East Siberian, Chukotka and Bering seas and connecting Asia and North America. At the same time, the territory of the modern islands was located almost in the center of the Arctic part of Beringia, located north of the modern Bering Strait. It is especially important that throughout the Pleistocene the islands never experienced cover glaciation (there are only traces of mountain-valley glaciation in the central part of Wrangel Island), nor were they ever completely flooded (transgressions covered only the plains of Wrangel Island, and even then no more than half their length). That is, the organic world of the islands has developed continuously since the end of the Mesozoic era.

During the periods of the existence of the Beringian landmass, the territory of the modern islands found itself at the crossroads of migratory flows of plants and animals leading from Asia to America, from America to Asia and from Central Asia to the Arctic region (thanks to the existence during this period of a single “tundra-steppe” hyperzone throughout central arid to the highest latitude regions of Eurasia and North America) and is generally considered to be at the center of the largest area of ​​evolution of modern Arctic biota. During periods of transgressions, when most of shelf land was under water, the islands served as a refugium for many species and communities common on the drained shelves. In addition, periodic isolation contributed to the activation of speciation processes on the islands themselves. All this was the reason for the initially high biological diversity of the territory.

The last separation of the islands from the mainland occurred about 10 thousand years ago, which coincided with the global restructuring of Arctic landscapes - the collapse of a single tundra-steppe zone and the massive expansion to the north of hypoarctic flora and fauna.

The latter, due to island isolation, appeared in a very weakened form on the islands, which, together with the peculiarities of the physical-geographical situation (landscape diversity, while maintaining the “refugia” of continental conditions), ensured the survival of many relict elements here, as populations of individual species, and entire communities.

At the same time, thanks to the same diversity of natural conditions, relatively heat-loving hypoarctic elements survived here, having managed to penetrate the island and other similar territories at the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary, but in most cases disappeared as a result of the late Holocene cooling. Until the mid-Holocene, large mammals remained on the island, including the local subspecies of mammoth, which became extinct over the last 5-2 thousand years.

It is known that about 3.5 thousand years ago the island was inhabited by sea hunters, whose culture is classified as Paleo-Eskimo. The results of studies of the only known Neolithic site on south coast The Wrangel Islands indicate that this ancient population of the island used exclusively marine resources (no remains of terrestrial animals were found in the cultural layer of the site). By the time the Wrangel and Herald Islands were discovered by Europeans, there was no indigenous population on them. There were no traces of large land mammals.

The existence of a large island in this sector of the Arctic Ocean was predicted by M.V. Lomonosov. In 1763, Mikhailo Vasilyevich showed on a map the polar regions north of Chukotka big Island"Doubtful". The location of this supposed landmass turned out to be close to real island Wrangel.

In 1820, the Russian government sent two expeditions to the northern coast of Siberia. One, under the command of Anzhu, to search for the “land of Sannikov” and the other, under the command of Ferdinand Wrangel, to find the mythical “land of Andreev”

With amazing persistence, energy and courage during 1820-1824. Wrangel undertakes a number of trips across the ice on dogs. On some of these trips he is removed by sea ​​ice 250 km north of the coast of Siberia. But all these trips were to no avail. Finally, when meeting with the Chukchi foreman (in Chukchi “kamakai”), he learned from him that “between Cape Erri (Shelagsky) and Cape Ir-Kaipio (Northern), near the mouth of one river, from low coastal cliffs into clear summer days High, snow-covered mountains can be seen in the north across the sea, but in winter they are not visible.

In previous years, large herds of deer came from the sea, probably from there, but, pursued and exterminated by the Chukchi and wolves, now they do not appear. He himself once, in April, chased a herd of deer all day on his sleigh drawn by two reindeer, but at some distance from the shore sea ​​ice became so uneven that he was forced to return.” Other Chukchi confirmed to Wrangel and his companions that “they themselves saw the land on clear summer days from a place called Yakan.”

According to Chukchi legend, the elder of the Onkilons, a people who used to live along the northern shores of Siberia, Krekhai, retired with his people to this overseas land.

Convincing stories from the Chukchi forced Wrangel to attempt to reach an unknown land across the ice on dogs. Having reached Cape Yakan, Wrangel and his assistant midshipman Matyushkin did not see any signs of land in the north. However, Matyushkin decided to make an attempt to reach the island. April 9, 1723 He set out across the ice on three sledges, having provisions for 15 days. The huge ice holes he encountered along the way did not allow him to move further than 16 km from the coast. Thus, this attempt ended in failure. Nevertheless, Wrangel put this land on his map, noting: “The mountains are visible from Cape Yacana in summer time».

Thus, based on the stories of the Chukchi, with great accuracy, the island was first mapped, which later received the name “Wrangel Land”, or “Wrangel Islands”.

For the first time I saw Wrangel Island Collet, who passed by the ship "Herald" and discovered the island called "Herald". From the top of o. He saw the Herald about. Wrangel (August 17, 1849). He failed to land on the island. He quite reasonably notes that the island he saw is a continuation of the land indicated by Wrangel.

The island has been seen by many whalers. It was put on the map by Long, who was passing (August 14, 1867) on the schooner “Nile” in sight of the island. Long first called the land he saw “Wrangel Island.” After much debate, this name was accepted by all outstanding geographers of that time. In 1879 north of the island Wrangel drifted in the ice of De Long on the ship "Zhannetta". "Zhannetta" died in the ice.

Ships were sent to search for “Jeannette.” Two of the braves managed to land on Wrangel Island for the first time. The first to arrive was the Thomas Corwin. On August 12, 1881, the captain of this ship, Hooper, landed at the mouth of the Clark River and declared the island to belong to the United States under the name "New Caledonia." On Skeleton Island at the mouth of the Clerk River he planted an American flag, at the foot of which the New York Herald newspaper and two notes with the following content were left in a bottle

1. “United States Customs Fleet steamship “Corwin”, Wrangel Land, August 12, 1881 (n.s.).

United States Customs Fleet steamship "Corwin" Captain C.L. Hooper landed here to search for traces of the Jeannette. The box with provisions is placed in the second cliff, from here to the north. All is well on the ship."

We arrived here today, having previously landed on Herald Island. On the north-eastern hill of this island, a stone mound was erected in which the report was deposited. The finder is asked to send the contents of the bottle to the editors of the New York Herald.

12 days after the ship “Corwin” to the south-eastern part of the shores of Wrangel Island, having also previously visited the island. Herald, the Rogers has arrived, under the command of Captain Berry. On August 27, three parties were sent from Rogers to search for traces of the death of the Jeannette, to describe the island and its position on the map. The main party under the command of Berry went deep into the island, climbed to its highest point, called “Berry Peak,” and mapped the internal contours of the island. The other two, under the command of Waring and Hunt, almost completely described its coast. The ship stayed off Wrangel Island on September 12, 1881.

From 1881 to 1911, not a single ship was able to approach Wrangel Island. September 2, 1911 (old style) Russian hydrographic vessel “Vaigach” under the command of K.V. Loman dropped anchor off Cape Thomas, the southwestern tip of Wrangel Island. The ship remained off the coast of the island until September 4, 1911 (old style). During this time (within 24 hours), a short excursion to the shore was made, during which geologist I.P. Kirichenko collected geological collections. Dr. Arngold (the ship's doctor on the Vaigach) describes this excursion as follows: “The greatest interest was geological exploration; I call it that because in one day, apart from a cursory examination, nothing could be done. However, we managed to find many fossils, shells different types, plant prints. Everything indicated that there had once been, if not a completely tropical, then at least a warmer climate here, and in the exposed layers of a mountain in the interior of the island, about 20 kilometers from our site, we discovered large deposits of coal.

Dr. Arngold's testimony is the first and only indication of the presence of minerals on the island. Wrangel. In a note by Academician Tolmachev, who processed the geological collections and diaries of I.P. Kirichenko, there is no indication of the presence of coals, nor is there any mention of prints of fossil flora, which Dr. Arngold so definitely speaks of in his diary.

After a short stop at Cape Thomas, "Vaigach" with a sea inventory was the first to go around the island from the north. Enemy and at the top of its northernmost tip he placed an iron sign with a copper plate, on which the year, month and date of Vaigach’s visit to Fr. Wrangel. To the north, no ice was visible anywhere to the horizon.

On January 10, 1914, the Stefanson expedition ship Karluk was crushed by ice. It sank 80 miles from the island. Wrangel and 200 miles from the coast of Siberia. The team under the command of Captain Bartlett, R. Peary's companion during his discovery of the North Pole, safely descended onto the ice, managed to unload food, clothing, dogs, sledges, etc., and headed across the ice on dogs to the nearest land - about. Wrangel. Of the 25 people who were on the Karluk, 8 people died for various reasons, the remaining 17 (including two children, girls 3 and 11 years old) reached the island. Wrangel. On March 18, Captain Bartlett, accompanied by one Eskimo, with seven dogs, having provisions for 60 days, set off across the ice from Fr. Wrangel to the Siberian coast for help for his comrades. Having safely reached the mainland and from there crossed to Alaska, he organized help for the people remaining on Wrangel.

On September 7, 1914, the schooner King and Wing, under the command of Olaf Swenson, approached the island and picked off the people. Among the Karluk team, who lived on the island for six months. Wrangel, there was a geologist Malloch, a Canadian by birth, but since he soon arrived on the island. Wrangel died (May 17, 1914), and before that he was ill, he probably did not do any geological survey.

In 1921, Stefanson sent a party consisting of Gell, Maurer and Knight to the island, under the command of Allan Crauford, the 22-year-old son of a famous Canadian professor; An Eskimo woman went with them as a cook and to sew clothes. The party arrived on the island on September 1, 1921; She only had food supplies for six months and missed the hunting season. The auxiliary vessel was able to arrive only in 1923. The head of the rescue party, Noyce, found only the Eskimo alive. Knight died June 23, 1923; Crawford, Gell and Maurer died trying to cross the ice to the shores of Siberia. Having removed the Eskimo, Noyce left a colony of 13 Eskimos on the island, under the command of prospector exploration geologist Wells. Landing a colony for the purpose of alienating the island was contrary to international laws on polar countries. To restore their rights, remove the colony and plant the Soviet flag on the island. Wrangel in 1924, the Soviet government sent the gunboat "Red October", under the command of hydrograph Davydov. August 12, 1924 at 2:50 a.m. "Red October" dropped anchor in Rogers Bay.

A mast and a hut were discovered on the shore. They immediately began building a new mast; the next day, August 20, 1924, at 12 o'clock. day, the Soviet flag was raised on the island for the first time, and the island was solemnly annexed to the USSR. After raising the flag, Red October went to Doubtful Bay, where it photographed the American colony together with Wells, who had a large geological collection. In 1926, the first Soviet colony was landed on the island, consisting of the head of the island G.A. Ushakova with his wife, Doctor N.P. Savenko and his wife, manager trading post of Pavlov, industrialist Skurikhin with his wife and eight-year-old daughter, industrialist Startsov and about 60 Eskimos.

Head of the island G.A. Ushakov, during his three-year stay on the island, put its coast on the map, and made very important changes to the previous maps of the island, collected a large botanical collection, processed by Academician Komarov, and a geological collection, subsequently processed by P.V. Wittenburg. .

Since during 1927 and 1928 not a single ship was able to approach Wrangel Island due to heavy ice, in 1929 an expedition was sent to the island under the command of Captain K.A. Dublitsky on a powerful ice cutter "F. Litke" with the task of reaching the island and changing the colony. Despite heavy ice, breakage of the propeller blades, a hole through which water rose in the forepeak at three feet per hour, ice cutter “F. Litke" reached the island, bypassing the island from the north. Herald and passing to Rogers Bay by Long Strait. A scientific unit headed by geophysicist Prof. was sent on the ship for scientific work. V.A. Berezkin, consisting of: hydrologist G.E. Ratmanov, zoologist P.V. Ushakov and geomorphologist V.A. Kalyanova [Dublitsky, 1931; Nazarov, 1932; Kalyanov, 1934]. The ship stayed off the island for six days, during which all the scientists did a lot of work for such a short period of time. Kalyanov walked to the upper reaches of the Klerk River, compiled an altitude profile (barometric), collected a collection of geological samples, and found fauna in the inner parts of the island - on the banks of the river. Clerk, took about 300 photographs. He also described the tundra of the interior of the island and the coast from Rogers Bay to Somnitelnaya Bay, collected a botanical collection (45 species), processed by M.I. Nazarov, took three soil monoliths and two fragments of hummocks. The work was greatly hampered by a two-day 8-point snow storm. Due to a strong storm, unloading of the ice cutter was even stopped.

The expedition of the ice cutter Litke removed the chief G.A. from the island. Ushakov and Doctor Savenko with their wives, the wife of the industrialist Skurikhin and their daughter, unloaded a three-year supply of food and left the head of the island, Comrade Mineev, his wife Comrade Vlasova, Doctor E.N. Sinadsky, radio operators Bogaiov and Shatinsky, meteorologist Comrade Zvantsev. From that moment on, regular weather reports began to be received from the island.

In 1932, geologist V.A. flew to the island. Obruchev and topographer K.A. Salishchev, who carried out an aerial topographic survey of the island. Wrangel, significantly correcting the map of the island compiled by sea captain E.D. Bessmertny based on materials from G.A. Ushakova.

As can be seen from the review of the discovery and exploration of the island, the most scanty information is available about its geology. There is no information in the press about mineral resources, with the exception of indications of Dr. Arngold's coal.

Wrangel Island lies within the Siberian shallow continental platform. The depths of the sea separating it from the mainland do not exceed 50-60 m. From the north towards the polar basin, the depths abruptly end. Thus, the Wrangel and Herald islands lie on the edge of the Siberian continental platform and represent a horst on the edge of a fault depression.

In 1948, a small group of domesticated reindeer was brought to the island and a branch of the reindeer-breeding state farm was organized. In addition to the main settlement in Rogers Bay (Ushakovskoye village), in the 60s the village of Zvezdny was built in the bay. Doubtful, where an unpaved alternate airfield was built military aviation(liquidated in the 70s). In addition, a military radar station was established at Cape Hawaii. In the center of the island, near the mouth of the stream. Khrustalny, rock crystal mining was carried out for several years, for which a small village was also built, which was later completely destroyed.

In 1953, administrative authorities adopted a resolution on the protection of walrus rookeries on Wrangel Island, and in 1968, a reserve for the protection of walruses was organized on the island,

polar bears,

nesting grounds of the white goose, brant goose and colonial settlements of seabirds.

For a long time, the island was rarely visited by border guards, until hundreds of butchered walrus carcasses were discovered on its northeastern coast in 1967. Experts, having studied them, agreed that poaching was carried out by foreign fishing vessels. The very next year, an outpost on Wrangel, with a base in the village of Ushakovsky, was set up.

It existed until the end of the 90s of the last century, briefly outliving the once very populous “capital” of Wrangel. Then, due to a lack of funding, Moscow decided to remove the outpost from the island, but as soon as the border guards left Wrangel, scientists of the biosphere reserve created here began to report about mysterious ships passing near the island.

In the absence of sufficient material support, the command of the North-Eastern Border Department decided to set up a post in the summer consisting of several people led by an officer. And then it turned out that the island was indeed visited by foreign guests...

In 1975, an experiment on the acclimatization of musk oxen began. Two groups of animals were brought from North America from Nunivak Island. The first - consisting of 30 individuals - was released into the wild in Taimyr. The second, in the amount of 20 animals, will go to Wrangel Island.

The animals did not immediately adapt to local conditions, and in the first few years the population was halved. However, from the beginning of the 80s, the number of musk ox on the island began to grow steadily, and by 2003 the population reached 600 animals. Moreover, they turned out to be even more adapted to local conditions than reindeer. The reason, according to experts, is simple: in winter, the musk ox mainly feeds on accumulated fat reserves. He needs pasture in minimal quantities.

The well-known advantages of the musk ox over the deer were clearly demonstrated in the winter of 2003-2004, when due to ice on Wrangel Island the deer could not reach the moss moss. From the total herd of eight and a half thousand heads, about 6 thousand deer died. The sight was terrible. The deer lay in herds. And among musk oxen, due to the peculiarities of their winter nutrition, losses were relatively small.
Currently, the musk oxen herd on the island reaches 900 heads and there are plans to relocate part of the herd to the mainland.

On March 23, 1976, Resolution N°189 of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR was signed on the organization of the Wrangel Island state reserve, including Wrangel and Herald islands, to protect the unique natural complexes of the islands. 12/26/83. A resolution was signed by the Magazhan Regional Executive Committee on organizing a 5 km wide protective zone around the islands. By the 80s, the state farm branch on the island was liquidated and the village of Zvezdny was practically closed, and hunting was also stopped, with the exception of a small quota of marine mammals for the needs of the local population. In 1992, the radar station was closed and the only one left on the island locality- Ushakovskoe village.

In 1997, at the proposal of the Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and the State Committee for Ecology of Russia, the area of ​​the reserve was expanded to include the water area surrounding the island with a width of 12 nautical miles, by order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1623-r dated November 15, 1997, and in 1999, around the already protected water area, by decree of the governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug No. 91 of May 25, 1999, a protective zone 24 nautical miles wide was organized.

“Wrangel Island” is the northernmost environmental complex in Russia. Its name comes from the surname of the famous domestic conqueror of the seas, Ferdinand Wrangel, although local residents call the island itself Umkilir - “Land of Polar Bears”.

It is also considered one of the largest nature reserves and covers an area of ​​2.2 million hectares. At the same time, the sea area occupies half of the territory, but only 800 thousand hectares belong to the protected zone. "Wrangel Island" belongs to a couple big islands in the Chukchi Sea - Herald and Wrangel. They are located in the east of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The decree establishing the state reserve was promulgated in 1976.

Peculiarities

Initially, the reserve was created to study the ecosystems of the island regions of the Arctic. In addition, this complex was aimed at preserving rare animal and plant species, including many endemics. Thus, a year before this zone was declared a protected area, a musk ox was acclimatized to it. The modern protection zone was established in 1983, and at sea - in 1999. The last change occurred in 2012, associated with an increase in the coastal protection area.

The main part of the reserve is a mountainous landscape with elements of the Arctic tundra. The island has over a hundred small rivers and streams, as well as approximately 1,000 small lakes. The islands have a windy and frosty climate, which partially complicates the work of scientists and impedes the tourist opportunities of the reserve.

It is characteristic that the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve was the first environmental protection zone in the USSR where fishing activities were allowed among the indigenous population. Some of the island's lands are of value to archaeologists. Here they discovered not only the remains of ancient mammoths, but also the remains of the life of a caveman.

A limited excursion program on the island consists of travel on ATVs and all-terrain vehicles. Tourists visit Doubtful Bay, Devil's Ravine, and Mount Perkantum.

The wealth of flora on the island

The flora of the reserve is unique in the number of endemics. In total, about 500 plant species have been recorded on these lands, which is several times more than the standard indicators of the Arctic tundra. Among the interesting endemics, it is worth highlighting several species of poppy, cinquefoil, cinquefoil, and grasshopper. Scientists also count 300 species of mosses and lichens in this area. The main part of the mountains is occupied by grass, shrub and lichen cover. You can find swampy areas, and in the southern latitudes of the island - forest plantations. The tops of the mountains are rock mounds.

Wildlife of the reserve

Due to severe climatic conditions the fauna of the environmental complex is significantly limited. There are no representatives of amphibians and reptiles in the special zone at all. Fish live only off the coast. The key advantage of the reserve is the large number of birds, including sea birds that constantly build nests on the island. Of interest to researchers are the white goose, brent geese, eiders, and waders. The seashores are distinguished by such an interesting phenomenon as bird colonies consisting of cormorants, kittiwakes and guillemots.

Speaking of mammals, it should be noted that there are many lemmings, deer, stoats, arctic foxes and wolverines. However, the most famous resident of “Wrangel Island” is rightfully considered polar bear. The maximum number of his ancestral dens is located here.

For a long time, scientists have also been monitoring reindeer and musk oxen, which were brought to this territory and underwent acclimatization for a long time.

The coast of the reserve is a walrus rookery, and in the water area itself you can find beluga whales and gray whales.

No, the island is not named after the famous Russian military leader Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel.

It is a rare case when even in a dry academic reference on Wikipedia, the history of this island reads like a detective story.

So, Wrangel Island is a piece of land surrounded by ice in the Arctic Ocean.
The area is about 7670 square meters. km. Extremely severe natural conditions. The average temperature in July is +3 degrees. In January-February it often drops to -37.

The first people, the Paleo-Eskimos, hunted on this island as early as 1750 BC. It is unlikely that the climate of those places was very different from what can be found now, therefore, these hunters had a very difficult time.

More than two thousand years passed before this island was first depicted on maps. The island received its first name, “Land of Kellett” in 1849, thanks to the English navigator Henry Kellett, who described it during his expedition to the Chukchi Sea.

Another 16 years passed and in 1866 the crew of a merchant ship under the leadership of Captain Eduard Dahlmann landed on the island.

The next year, in 1867, by a strange coincidence, the island received a different name, with which it is included in all maps of the world. American explorer and whaler Thomas Long, either unaware of Kellett's discovery, or simply due to a navigation error, names the island in honor of the famous Russian traveler, geographer, statesman, admiral, Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel.

It may seem strange that an American would give a new island the name of a Russian traveler, but given the wide fame of Ferdinand Petrovich, who at that time already had three trips around the world and many other merits, the action seems quite normal.

In 1881, Captain Hooper landed a search party on the island in order to rescue the expedition of George De Long, which went to the North Pole on the ship Jeannette two years earlier and suffered a disaster. At the same time, Captain Hooper plants an American flag on the island and proclaims it the territory of the North American United States. Wrangel Island existed in this status for 30 years, until already in the 20th century, in 1911, the crew of the icebreaking steamship (!) Vaygach approached the island, took photographs of its shore, and established Russian flag, about which a corresponding entry was made in the logbook.

1914
For about six months, from January to September, 15 crew members of the brigantine Karluk lived on the island awaiting a rescue expedition after their ship was crushed by ice 130 kilometers from the coast.

1921
Canadian polar explorer Williamur Stefanson establishes a settlement of five colonists on the island, proclaims the territory the property of Great Britain and raises the flag of the United Kingdom.

For two years the colonists lived on the island without contact with the outside world. Several ships, which during this time tried to bring provisions and equipment to the island, were unable to pass through the ice. And only in August 1923, the only survivor, 25-year-old Ada Blackjack, who had lived in absolute solitude for the last six months, was rescued from the island. The remaining colonists died.

In 1923, another attempt was made to colonize the island, this time by the American geologist Charles Wells, who founded a camp, bringing with him 12 experienced inhabitants of the far north, with women and children. The colony existed for several months, until August 20, 1924, when it was taken out in its entirety by the Soviet warship Red October.

1926
A permanent settlement of 59 people is founded on Wrangel Island under the leadership of Soviet Arctic explorer Georgy Ushakov. The foundation of the polar station is being laid.

1948-1960s.
Reindeer were brought to the island from the mainland, a reindeer herding state farm was organized, 2 more settlements were founded, and several military infrastructure facilities were built.

One of the residents of the village, V. Pridatko-Dolin, describes the state of the settlement in his book “Ushakovskoe: how was it?”:

By the end of the 1970s, there was a village council, a boarding school, a kindergarten and a boiler room, a club-cinema, a reserve office (and later the Wrangel Island reserve) and a modest natural history museum, a store (TZP) and an underground glacier for storing meat products, temporary corral (for the autumn corral and slaughter of deer), post office, hospital, Rogers Bay polar station (Rogers), Rogers airport (for AN-2, MI-2, MI-6, MI-8) and a small air refueling station, a fuel and lubricants warehouse and bulk coal storage facilities, a library, a diesel power station and a bathhouse, and there was electricity in the houses.

During navigation, a temporary berth for barges was in operation. Since the beginning of the 1980s, a radiotelephone communication station, a border outpost, a canteen for reserve employees and air crews, television operated, and a lighthouse was restored on the Ushakov Spit.

But already at the end of the 1980s, military personnel and permanent residents began to leave the island due to lack of funding; in 1992, after the collapse of the USSR, the radar station was closed.

In 1997, all remaining residents of the village, except those who refused to leave their usual home, were transported to Cape Schmidt. A few years later, one of the residents of the village returned, but in 2003 she died as a result of a polar bear attack.

Map of Wrangel Island.

Wrangel Island is a fairly large island, located almost at the junction of the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas of the Arctic Ocean, located approximately 150 kilometers northwest of the Chukotka Peninsula by the Long Strait. The island received its name from the American whaler Thomas Long in honor of the Russian statesman and traveler Wrangel Ferdinand Petrovich. The locals, the Chukchi, called the island Umkilir, which in Russian means “island of polar bears.”

The total area of ​​the island exceeds 7,600 square kilometers.

Wrangel Island is territorially part of the Iultinsky district of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and is subject to the sovereignty of the Russian Federation.

Photo of Wrangel Island from space.

Story.

According to archaeologists, ancient people, namely the Paleo-Eskimo tribes, appeared on the island more than 1700 BC. Most likely, they did not have settled settlements on the island, but visited it only for the purpose of hunting.

At the beginning of 1849, the British explorer Henry Kellett, who had previously discovered, discovered an island previously unknown to Europeans in the Chukchi Sea, which he named Kellett's Land.

In the middle of 1866, the first European landed on this island - the German captain Eduard Dallmann, who traded with the inhabitants of Chukotka and Alaska.

In August 1867, the captain of the American whaling expedition, Thomas Long, having no information about Kellett's discovery, named it in honor of Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel, who had been looking for this island for a long time, but never found it.

In the summer of 1879, not far from Wrangel Island, the route of the American polar expedition of George Washington De Long lay, which tried to reach North Pole on the schooner "Zhannetta". Naturally, this expedition ended unsuccessfully and in June 1881, the steam cutter Thomas Corwin was sent to search for it under the command of Calvin Hooper, who landed on Wrangel Island and, raising it above it state flag The USA declared it the territory of this state.

At the beginning of September 1911, crew members of the Russian icebreaker Vaygach landed on Wrangel Island, carried out a hydrographic survey of the island and raised the Russian flag over it.

Typical landscape of Wrangel Island.

In the fall of 1913, members of the Canadian Arctic expedition landed on Wrangel Island, traveling on the brigantine Karluk, which was sandwiched by ice near the island. Several members of the expedition died; the survivors were rescued only in September 1914 by the Canadian schooner King and Wing.

Canadian polar explorer Vilhjalmur Stefanson founded settlements on the island in 1921, and declared it territorial property of Great Britain. The settlement existed on the island with varying success until July 20, 1924. It was on this day that it was practically forcibly evacuated by the Soviet gunboat“Red October”, whose task was to liquidate the settler camp and establish the jurisdiction of the USSR on the island.

In August 1926, a polar station was founded on Wrangel Island under the leadership of the Soviet polar explorer G. A. Ushakov, where 59 people lived at that time.

In September 1928, an expedition from the Soviet icebreaker Litke landed on Wrangel Island. The expedition at that time included the outstanding Ukrainian prose writer and journalist Nikolai Trublaini (Mikola Trublaini), who colorfully described Wrangel Island in several of his works, in particular “To the Arctic - through the tropics.”

In 1960, according to the decision of the Magadan Regional Executive Committee, a long-term reserve was founded on Wrangel Island, which in 1968 was transformed into a reserve of republican significance.

At the beginning of 1992, the radar station on Wrangel Island was liquidated, while only one settlement remained on the island - the village of Ushakovsky, which was also deserted by the end of 2003.

Western coast of Wrangel Island in spring.

Origin and geography of the island.

Wrangel Island is significant in area, so it geographical coordinates It is customary to determine by the geographical center, namely: 71°14′ N. w. 179°24′W d.

The coastline of Wrangel Island in the south is quite flat, but forms several bays and bays, the largest of which include Yuzhny and Krasina bays. In the north, the coastline forms several spits and peninsulas. The Adrianova and Bruch spits are considered the largest, and the Mushtakov spit with Nakhodka Island form the largest bay in the north of the island - Pestsovaya Bay.

The relief of Wrangel Island is quite diverse. In the north of the island lies the Tundra Academy lowland. Low is also South coast islands. But closer to the center, the low-lying terrain turns into small mountains and plateaus. Among mountain ranges Wrangel Islands should be noted: the Central Mountains, the Evsifeev Mountains, the Nameless and Northern Mountains, as well as the Eastern and Western Plateau. Highest point The island is Mount Sovetskaya, located in the group of Central Mountains, reaching a height of 1096 meters above sea level.

Controversy still rages regarding the origin of the island. According to one version, the island should be classified as tectonic, according to the second - as an island of continental origin.

The geological structure of Wrangel Island consists mostly of basalts and granites interspersed with quartzites. Among the mineral resources, small deposits of coal and marble have been explored here, the development of which is extremely unprofitable due to the distance of the island and climatic conditions.

There are quite a lot of rivers and lakes on Wrangel Island. The largest rivers The islands along their length are Mammoth and Claire. The lakes of Wrangel Island are mostly classified as glacial in origin; the largest of them are lakes Kmo, Gagachye, Komsomol and Zapovednoe.

Mountain areas of Wrangel Island in winter.

Climate.

The climate on Wrangel Island is quite harsh and very typical for Arctic latitudes. For most of the year, masses of arctic cold, dry air pass over the island. In summer sometimes from the side Pacific Ocean more humid and warm air arrives. Dry and moderately heated air masses arrive less frequently from Eastern Siberia.

Winters on the island are long and characterized by fairly frosty weather associated with strong and gusty winds. north winds. The average air temperature in January is approximately −22–25 °C, with the coldest months being February and March. At this time, the temperature can drop even to −30–35 °C, accompanied by frequent and strong snowstorms with strong and gusty winds of 40 meters per second and above.

Summer on the island is quite cool with frequent frosts and snowfalls. July is considered the warmest month of the year. In this period average temperature air averages +2 °C to +4 °C. In the mountainous areas of the island, protected from piercing winds, the climate is slightly warmer and drier.

The average relative humidity on the island is approximately 83 percent, and annual precipitation in the form of snow, light rain and drizzle is approximately 135 millimeters.

Panorama from the sea to the deserted village of Ushakovsky.

Population.

Currently, Wrangel Island is uninhabited. The last resident of the island, living in the village of Ushakovsky, was eaten by a polar bear at the end of 2003.

During times Soviet Union Several settlements were founded on the island, the largest of which was the village of Ushakovsky. At the beginning of 1980, about two hundred people lived in Ushakovsky, among whom were meteorologists, geologists, research scientists, fishermen, military personnel and border guards. Local authorities, a small boarding school, a kindergarten, a boiler room, a post office, a hospital, shops, a local club-cinema, and even a natural history museum functioned here. For a long time, the Rogers Bay polar station and Rogers Airport operated here, where AN-2, MI-6, MI-2 and MI-8 planes and helicopters could land. It is noteworthy that in houses local residents there was electricity from a small diesel power station.

During the 90s of the last century, the island was deserted. All polar government programs were curtailed, and people began to be transported to the continent.

In 1987, a book by the famous Russian political prisoner Moshinsky was published, in which for some reason he talks about a correctional camp on Wrangel Island. The fact is that there have never been correctional facilities on the island, if only because it is almost impossible to deliver special forces here.

Polar bears against the background of the foothills of the Central Mountains of Wrangel Island.

Flora and fauna.

The vegetation of Wrangel Island is very typical for these geographical and climatic places classified as Arctic deserts. In addition to mosses and lichens, a fairly large number of vascular herbaceous plants are found here, of which 135 are classified as rare. Many endemic (Ushakov's poppy, Wrangel's bluegrass, Lapland poppy and Wrangel's cinquefoil) and sub-emdemic (Gorodkov's poppy, grasshopper, Wrangel's grass) plants also grow here. In the intermountain region of the central part of the island small shrubs grow, among which a certain amount of Richardson's willow stands out.

The island's fauna is extremely rich and diverse, from insects to large mammals, even despite the harsh climate.

Insects are represented by several species of bumblebees, mosquitoes, butterflies, flies and gadflies.

More than 20 species of polar birds regularly nest on Wrangel Island, and about 20 more species fly here to nest from other places. Among the permanent inhabitants of the island are snow geese, Icelandic sandpipers, eiders, tules, ragged gulls, glaucous gulls, snowy owls and long-tailed skuas. Among the migratory birds, sandhill cranes should be highlighted, as well as Canada geese and small American passerines - finches.

Among the island's mammals, we should highlight the Vinogradov's lemming, which in these places is considered endemic, the Siberian lemming and the arctic fox. The polar bear lives here in significant numbers, the population of which has especially increased recently; wolves, ermines, wolverines, and foxes are also found here, as well as wild dogs, which were brought here by people as sled dogs. IN Soviet times Reindeer and musk ox were brought to Wrangel Island. Currently, their population has grown significantly. In the coastal areas of the island, seals and walruses, the largest population of which in the Russian Arctic, set up their rookeries.

There were previously no fish in the rivers and lakes of the island due to their shallow waters, but recently there have been cases of people entering the rivers for spawning grounds. large quantity salmon, including pink salmon and chum salmon.

Vegetation of Wrangel Island in July.

Tourism.

Tourism is an alien word for Wrangel Island. Until recently, the island remained forgotten by the Russian authorities, and only in August 2011 the polar ship “Mikhail Somov” approached it, which landed an expedition on the island to clean the coast of the island from barrels of spent fuel. Perhaps this is the first step in reviving the island’s former infrastructure after many years of neglect.

Eastern coast of Wrangel Island.