The expedition follows in the tracks of Pomors

Novaya Zemlya archipelago, located in the Arctic Ocean, played an important role in the fishing activities of Pomorie – for the inhabitants of the coastal areas of the White Sea. The devel--‐ opment of its natural biological resources, as it is suggested by the most scientists had begun in the XVI century and was based primarily on the production of marine animals. As indicated by the historical sources, in XVIII--‐XIX centuries in the fields in the New Earth (Novaya Zemlya) is constant--‐ ly or occasionally took a part the residents of almost every Pomors village. The development of the New Earth in the initial period Pomory passage through Kara Gate when crossing near the island Vaigach. At the same time the routes of the Pomors ships passed through Petuhovskogo archipel--‐ ago --‐ a group of small islands, which are located in the central district of the southern tip of the New Earth.

Unfortunately, this important in the history of the Pomors trade area of the New Earth (Novaya Zemlya) up to the modern time is very poorly explored and studied. To solve this prob--‐ lem, the Archangel Centre NGO "Russian Geographical Society" (AC RGS) in August 2011, orga--‐ nized a comprehensive expedition "following in the tracks of the Pomors", which held the research of Petuhovskiy islands of the archipelago. Financing of the expeditions works was from the grant of the NGO "Russian Geographical Society".

The project manager has been appointed the chairman of the AC RGS, Ph.D. in Geography, L.U. Vasilyev, the executive project manager – was the Deputy Chairman of the AC RGS, Doctor of Geographical Sciences I.V. Miskevich. The membership of the expeditionary troop included AC RGS were I.V. Miskevich, D.S. Moseyev and L.A. Samokhina. For delivery of the expeditionary force to the islands of the archipelago Petuhovskogo was used the research vessel North UGMS "Professor Molchanov". In the research works of the islands involved the mate of the ship of the Science re--‐ search works --‐ .A.S Solomatov. Also on the island was made landing of the staff of the NarFu named after M.V. Lomonosov media center "Arctic Bridge": the Chief of the media center --‐ A.P. Dolinina and operator M.A. Dolinina. They made videos of nature of the Petuhovskiy Islands archi--‐ pelago, and partly filmed the work of the expeditions AC RGO.

И.В. МИСКЕВИЧ, Д.С. МОСЕЕВ, Л.А. САМОХИНА

ОСТРОВА ПЕТУХОВСКОГО АРХИПЕЛАГА НА НОВОЙ ЗЕМЛЕ В ПРОЛИВЕ КАРСКИЕ ВОРОТА: ИСТОРИЯ, ПРИРОДА, ЭКОЛОГИЯ

The results of the research were published in the monograph by Igor Vladimirovich

Miskevich, Dmitry Sergeevich Moseev, Larisa Anatolievna Samokhina "The Islands of the Petuhovskogo archipelago on Novaya Zemlya in the Kara Strait Gate: history, nature, ecology" (Ar--‐ khangelsk, 2011. P.75).

The Petuhovsky archipelago consists of 22 islands and is located near the southern end of Novaya Zemlya in the Kara Strait Gate on the Barents Sea, more precisely, in the part, which is called the Pechora Sea. Here the coast dwellers (Pomors) could find the shelter from the stormy weather, to replenish water, firewood and food by birds and deer. On the other hand, the Petuhovsky archipelago was like the fishing area of the marine mammals, especially walrus.

In historical terms, Petuhovsky archipelago, despite its proximity to the mainland, is one of the neglected areas of the New Earth. The limited information allows us to suggest active visits to the Petuhovskiy archipelago by Pomors and by the resi--‐ dents of the lower reaches of the Pechora (pustozerami) and Nenets during the fishing in the New Earth. There was an en--‐ campment Petyhi, which, in particular, is mentioned in the work of the famous Russian Arctic explorer F.P. Litke "Four times trip to the Arctic Ocean at a military brig «New Earth "in 1821--‐1824 years." In the 80--‐ies of the XIX century, according to the words of Novaya Zemlya industrialists, Petyhi were included in the list of four main encampments of the New Earth.

According to the authors, the results of a comprehensive interdisciplinary expedition in 2011 allow us to name several conclusions: 1) In the landscapes of the islands in the archipelago Petuhovskiy dominated the areas, which are occupied by petrophytic tundra in other are areas, you can see sedge--‐moss, moss--‐pushitsievyh and moss tundras with inclusions of grassland ecologi--‐ cal communities, there are also large lagoon lakes; 2) flora of the archipelago is characterized by a relatively rich in species composition of plants, including a large number of rare and endangered species, in the presence of comparative abundance of "red book" pink Rhodiola; 3) on the islands of the archipelago diverse ornitofauna, there are colonies of different birds, there is a significant number of protected species on the island Britvin; 4) down on the Island reported the presence of a polar bear andon all the islands surveyed the bones and traces of reindeer; 5) on the Archipelago were discovered the monuments of the fishing activities of Pomors (houris, crosses) with a ten--‐ dency to a concentration of about encampment Petyhi, as well as monuments of the Soviet period the development of the New Earth.

The results of these studies allow us to say that the encampments Petyhi are the oldest en--‐ campments for the development by the Pomors Novaya Zemlya. In the case of oil spills in the wa--‐ ters of the Pechora Sea during the development of offshore hydrocarbon fields there is a threat of defeat Petuhovskogo archipelago ecosystems, affecting, in the first place, water and wading birds and marine mammals. For the preservation of the istorical monuments and the unique nature of the archipelago Petuhovskiy encouraged to continue his study, and consider giving this area of the New Earth status of specially protected areas.

The aspiration of the Archangel scientists comprehensively explore the landscape of the Arctic islands, flora and fauna, the history of their development, of course, deserves a positive as--‐ sessment. For the most part, and this, and other similar expedition reflect increasing social, politi--‐ cal interest in Pomeranian problems in early XXI century, due to a timely topic, as well as Russia's national interests. The results of these Arctic expeditions are not only the research, but also a high cultural, geopolitical significance.

It should be noted that the expedition was carried about the problems of the Pomors be--‐ fore. For example, in 2008--‐2010, the Arkhangelsk Regional Public Organization (AROO) "Pomors Expedition" under the direction of A.A. Shalareva held the ethnographic expedition, during which the participants visited 44 Pomors villages, located on the shores of the White Sea in the city area Kandalaksha --‐ town of Onega. Of these Pomeranian settlement conditional action then could name only 23. One way of revival AROO "Pomors expedition" considers the creation of communi--‐ ties in the villages of Pomors and giving them the status of indigenous people1."Pomors Expedi--‐ tion--‐2012" on the White Sea coast has been a joint research project of the Institute Pomors indig--‐ enous people NArFU and AROO "Pomors Expedition" 2.

Introduction into the scientific cirle the results, which were relevant in the expeditions to study the life of coast--‐dwellers, their stories created a solid base for the full range of interdiscipli--‐ nary research projects, analyzing and summarizing a large range of issues, including discussion re--‐ lated to the identity and rights of indigenous peoples (large and small), granting Russian the status Pomors indigenous people, tolerance, multiculturalism, "place development" the ethnic environ--‐ ment, the new self--‐governing communities, etc.