Search for the vessel Willem Barents. Results of the expeditions of the Russian Geographical Society and the Ministry of Defense of Russia to survey Severny Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in 2024 and 2025

At the end of the 16th century, the Dutch made a number of attempts to find a Northeastern passage to India and China. The most famous was the third expedition of Willem Barents (1596/97). Unable to find a way to China, Barents wintered on Novaya Zemlya, and his ship froze in the ice. After wintering, the Dutch left the frozen ship at Cape Spory Navolok and got out on two boats. In the 20th century, the wintering site was repeatedly visited by expeditions that conducted archaeological excavations and research, but all attempts to find the Barents vessel underwater were unsuccessful. In 2024 An expedition of the Russian Geographical Society and the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Northern Island survey of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago surveyed the coastal waters and recorded three objects similar to wooden beams lying on the bottom at a depth of about 2-3 m. In 2025, a survey was conducted in the same area using an underwater towed metal detector, during which a spot of 150x50 m was recorded. with powerful magnetic signals. The researchers suggest that these may be fragments and cargo of the sunken ship of the Barents. The found place is located about 350 m from the shore and slightly north of the area of the previous searches carried out by D.Kravchenko. This discovery gives hope that the Barents vessel will be found during the upcoming underwater archaeological research.