Sannikov Land is a ghost island in the Arctic Ocean, allegedly seen by some explorers north of the New Siberian Islands. It was named after the Russian explorer Yakov Sannikov, who was the first to talk about the existence of the lost continent.
History
The hunter and collector of mammoth bones Yakov Sannikov was the first to see the unknown land. This happened in 1810 during the first Russian expedition to the Novosibirsk Islands. From the northern tip of Kotelny Island, he saw, as it seemed to him, high stone mountains, located at a distance of 70 versts. But Sannikov could not get to them because of the fog and ice.
The scientific community believed Sannikov's message about the discovery of a new island. Since he was an experienced explorer and pioneer, he was able to distinguish a mirage from real earth. It was he who discovered the three islands of the Novosibirsk archipelago - Stolbovoy, Faddevsky, Bunge Land.
In 1824, in order to explore the Sannikov Land, an expedition was set up under the command of Fleet Lieutenant Pyotr Fedorovich Anjou. But he did not find any land.
The Arctic expeditions of Baron Eduard Toll, who, as part of the expedition of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, confirmed the existence of a mysterious land, were also aimed at searching for Sannikov Land. He saw its outlines, but, like Sannikov, he could not swim to the coast. On August 13, 1886, the traveler recorded in his diary:
Promotional video:
“The horizon is perfectly clear. Soon after we took off from the mouth of the Mogur-Uryakh river, in the direction to the northeast, we clearly saw the outlines of four mesas, which in the east connected with the low-lying land. Thus, Sannikov's message was fully confirmed. We have the right, therefore, to draw a dotted line in the appropriate place on the map and write on it: Sannikov Land."
In 1893, Toll again visually fixed a strip of mountains on the horizon, which he identified with Sannikov Land. However, in the same year, the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen passed the Novosibirsk Islands on his ship and reached 79 degrees north latitude, but did not find any traces of Sannikov Land. Nansen wrote:
“[September 20, 1893] We were much to the north of the place where, according to Toll, the southern coast of Sannikov Land should lie, but at about the same longitude. In all likelihood, this land is just a small island, and in any case it cannot go far to the north."
On July 4, 1900, another expedition of the Russian explorer Eduard Toll left Kronstadt in search of Sannikov Land. He wanted to put an end to the dispute about the existence of Sannikov Land. For the equipment of the expedition, the Ministry of Finance allocated an impressive amount for those times - 150 thousand gold. On board were recruited young scientists - energetic enthusiasts for the study of the Far North. The most modern equipment and equipment were purchased. The stock of provisions allowed an autonomous existence of up to 3 years. Toll died in 1902, never realizing his dream.
In 1937, the Soviet icebreaker "Sadko" during its drift passed near the alleged island from the south, and from the east, and from the north - but found nothing but ocean ice. Later, Arctic aircraft were sent to the same area. However, despite all efforts, this search also gave a negative result.
Why did they try to find Sannikov Land for so long?
Confirmation or refutation of the existence of Sannikov Land was fraught with significant difficulties.
The fact is that the New Siberian Islands are located near the very border of the permanent northern ice cap: even in warm years, the ocean in the vicinity of the islands is accessible for navigation for two to three months a year, in late summer and early autumn; in cold years, the islands can remain frozen in ice all summer. A hypothetical new earth at a distance of several hundred kilometers from the New Siberian Islands could have been ice-bound continuously for decades.
Nevertheless, according to a number of researchers, Sannikov Land still existed, but like many Arctic islands, it was made not of rocks, but of fossil ice (permafrost), on top of which a layer of soil was applied. Over time, the ice melted, and Sannikov Land disappeared. This version is also confirmed by the fact that a bank (sandbank) was found at the alleged location of the ghost island. They called it Sannikov's bank.
"Sannikov Land", 1973. Still from the film.
In popular culture
"Saannikov's Land" is a science fiction novel by V. A. Obruchev, written in 1924, first published in 1926. This work tells how the Russian expedition reaches the island where the Onkilons live **. Based on the novel, Albert Mkrtchyan and Leonid Popov shot a large-format color film. In the 1974 premiere, it was watched by over 41 million viewers.
* Ghost Island - at different times depicted on the maps of the island, in fact, do not exist.
** Onkilons (sometimes use the Ankilona variant, from Chukotka an'k'alyt) - a legendary people who previously lived in Chukotka, and then moved to islands in the Arctic Ocean. Translated from Chukchi, this word means "sea people".