A Visit to the "Island of Geese"

Nowadays helicopters are very expensive in Russia, as elsewhere. Hence, this summer there are only three flights to the camp. To be able to see for themselves the island of Kolguev, the research camp and the study sites, a small group of German “friends of the geese” arrived in Nar’yan-Mar on 24.06.08 and flew the following day to the island. However, at first everybody had to be patient; the weather stations announced fog in Tobseda and around parts of Kolguyev. The meant that the helicopter might not be able to fly. For a little bit more than one hour everybody had to be patient, then, the helicopter was able to leave.

The helicopter flight to Kolguev

By means of a GPS-data-logger our flight to Kolguev could be stored and later tracked on a map. Besides this, Volker Breit, a fellow-passenger on the flight, took numerous photos during the flight. To look at the tracked flight route, please click <LINK http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=http://www.blessgans.de/fileadmin/Dateien/pics_Kolguyev/Kolguev_2008/Kolguyev250608.kmz> here</link> or on the photo.

 

Brief stop at Tobseda

Tobseda, a virtually abandoned fishing village on Kolokolkova-Bay, lies near a big colony of Barnacle geese. Since 2002, goose researchers from Russia, the Netherlands and even Germany have spent each summer investigating the life of this colony. This year only a small team of three people has been living in Tobseda. However, with our arrival Olga Anisimova will strengthen the team there. In July more people are expected to join the team in Tobseda.

Flight to and over Kolguev

For a good three-quarters of an hour, the helicopter flew over the sea toward Kolguyev. Real fog lay along the coast of Kolguyev, however, a few hundred metres inland the view was clear. Extremely little snow was to be seen, despite the fact that it had been snowing heavily just two weeks before.

At the camp

At the end of May, Alexander Kondratyev, Elmira Zainagutdinova, Christian Ketzer, Pyotr Glazov, Yuri Anisimov and Fedor Kazankiy had landed on Kolguyev and begun immediately to build the camp on Ambarny Creek - the same camp site as in 2007. At the beginning of June, whileYuri Anisimov and Dimitry Ochinashko had begun journeying to the large Barnacle goose colony on the Lower Pechanka River, the others had worked on survey counts in the vicinity of the camp and made observations in the northern part of the island.
After the Pechanka River came into view, the helicopter briefly flew in a big curve and circled over the camp-valley. At first, we made a big circle over the camp, then approached the place marked for landing. When the helicopter had nearly landed, it overshot the mark again; the radio communication to the airport had been interrupted. Thus, there was another circling around and only after this were we able to disembark. Two hours in the camp in beautiful sunshine gave us an insight into the everyday operation and immediate surroundings of the field station.

 

Impressions

This group photo was taken just a few moments before take-off. From left to right: Pyotr Glazov, Christian Ketzer, Igor, Alexander Kondratyev, Eberhard Schneider, Fedor Kazankiy, Elya Zainagutdinova, Sergey, Alyona, Helmut Kruckenberg, Sabine and Volker Breit, and Wolf Schneider.

Flight to Bugrino

Various information was exchanged: what was done prior to the visit, how does this year differ from last year, which marked geese had been observed, and lots more. Then post was exchanged: the helicopter brought in numerous letters and took out numerous others, as well as two CDs of photos and text of the 2008 research <LINK 324>experiences</link> to-date.
At noon the helicopter took off again. However, it unexpectedly headed not to the mainland coast, but firstly to Bugrino, the village in the south of the island. Here Pyotr Glazov was set down to carry out other investigations and investigations of the south of the island. After one week of work around Bugrino, Pyotr will fly on a regularly scheduled flight to Nar’yan-Mar, thence to the Taimyr, and will return in August to Kolguev.

Bugrino - the only settlement on Kolguev

Bugrino, a settlement of about 400 inhabitants – primarily Nenets people, lies in the south of Kolguyev. Every 10 days there is a regularly scheduled helicopter flight from Nar’yan-Mar to Bugrino.
Bugrino has a relatively long history. In 1858 just 100 Nenets were living on Kolguyev. They followed a traditional way of life, moving around the island hunting and fishing. Their main stopping place, "Bugrino" became the administrative centre of the island. In the market in Bugrino, Nenets regularly sold meat, game, fish and furs or traded them for weapons, alcohol and other products from the mainland.
Today the settlement consists of numerous timber buildings, amongst which is a solid helicopter landing. On June 25, an Orthodox priest from Nar’yan Mar blessed a big wooden cross that had been erected in the settlement. It will be used during Church services.

Return to Nar’yan-Mar

We landed in Bugrino just long enough to drop off Pyotr before the helicopter continued its flight toward the open ocean and its return to the mainland. Our flight crossed the Malozemel’skaya Tundra and the Pechora-River delta. Nar’yan Mar lies on the shore of the Pechora. Formerly a small, quiet harbour town, its life has been changed enormously in recent years with the coming of the hustle and bustle of the oil and gas industry, and has become a modern, well-built city.

Picture gallery Nayarn

© photos und text Helmut Kruckenberg, translation Marjorie Bousfield