Nikolay Urvantsev

Nikolay Urvantsev
Urvantsev in the 1920s

Nikolay Nikolayevich Urvantsev (Russian: Николай Николаевич Урванцев; 29 January [O.S. 17 January] 1893 – 20 February 1985) was a Soviet geologist and explorer. He was born in the town of Lukoyanov of Nizhny Novgorod Governorate, Russian Empire to the family of a merchant. He graduated from the Tomsk Engineering Institute in 1918.

Urvantsev was among the discoverers of the Norilsk coal basin and Norilsk copper-nickel ore region in 1919-1922 and was among the founders of Norilsk town.

In 1922, while leading a geological expedition, Urvantsev found evidence of the mysteriously disappeared Amundsen's 1918 Arctic expedition crew members Peter Tessem and Paul Knutsen. Urvantsev recovered the mail and scientific data that the two ill-fated Norwegians had been carrying. The valuable documents were lying abandoned on the Kara Sea shore near the mouth of the Zeledeyeva River.[1]

In 1930-1932 Urvantsev, together with Georgy Ushakov, explored the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago where they discovered a number of islands. He published a book about the expedition, At the Severnaya Zemlya. He also explored other remote areas of Russia, Taimyr and Central Siberian Plateau.

In 1933-34 the newly formed Glavsevmorput’ (Chief Administration of the Northern Sea Route) sent the steamer Pravda to Nordvik on the historical first oil exploration expedition to Northern Siberia. This venture was led by Nikolay Urvantsev who travelled on the Pravda along with his wife, Dr. Yelizaveta Ivanovna. She was the officer in charge of the medical care of the expedition.

During the Stalinism era Urvantsev was several times wrongfully accused of wrecking. He was convicted and had to serve in Karlag (Karaganda labor camp system) and Norillag (Norilsk labor camp system).

Urvantsev was fully exonerated in 1954. Until his death he worked as Chair of the Arctic Geology Department in the Scientific Research Institute of Arctic Geology (НИИГА, now All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of World Ocean Geology and Mineral Resources, VNIIOkeanologiya, ВНИИОкеанология).

He was the recipient of two Orders of Lenin and several medals and the honorary title of Honored Worker of Science. The USSR Geographical Society elected him an Honorary Member and awarded him the Great Gold Medal.

See also

References

  1. ^ William Barr, The Last Journey of Peter Tessem and Paul Knutsen, 1919
  • William Barr, The First Soviet Convoy to the Mouth of the Lena.



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • List of Russian explorers — The Russian Empire at its peak in 1866, including the spheres of influence; this territorial expansion largely corresponds to the extent of contiguous exploration by Russians. This is a list of explorers from the Russian Federation, Soviet Union …   Wikipedia

  • Severnaya Zemlya — For other uses, see Severnaya (disambiguation) and Zemlya. Severnaya Zemlya Russian: Северная Земля Severnaya Zemlya, Russia …   Wikipedia

  • List of Russian people — The Millennium of Russia monument in Veliky Novgorod, featuring the statues and reliefs of the most celebrated people in the first 1000 years of Russian history …   Wikipedia

  • Nikifor Begichev — Nikifor Alekseevich Begichev (Bigichev) (Russian: Никифор Алексеевич Бегичев (Бигичев) (February 7 (N.S. February 19), 1874 – May 18, 1927) was a Russian seaman and polar explorer. Twice awarded by the Big Golden Medal of the Russian Academy of… …   Wikipedia

  • Severnaya Zemlya — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Localización de las Islas Sévernaya Zemlyá …   Wikipedia Español

  • List of Russian Earth scientists — Vasily Dokuchaev, the founder of soil science This list of Russian Earth scientists includes the famous geographers, geologists, oceanographers, meteorologists, ecologists and other representatives of Earth sciences from the Russian Federation,… …   Wikipedia

  • Roald Amundsen — Infobox Person name = Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen image size = 250px caption = Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen birth date = birth date|1872|07|16 birth place = Borge, Østfold, Norway death date = c. death date and… …   Wikipedia

  • Komsomolets Island — Infobox Islands name = Komsomolets image caption = Komsomolets Island, Russia image size = locator Location map|Russia|lat=80.566667|long=94.483333 map custom = yes native name = остров Комсомолец native name link = Russian language nickname =… …   Wikipedia

  • October Revolution Island — Coordinates: 79°30′N 97°00′E / 79.5°N 97°E / 79.5; 97 …   Wikipedia

  • Georgy Ushakov — Georgy Alexeyevich Ushakov ( ru. Георгий Алексеевич Ушаков) (January 17(30), 1901 December 3, 1963) was a Soviet explorer of the Arctic, Doctor of Geographic Sciences (1950).In 1926, Georgy Ushakov founded the first Soviet settlement on the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”