November 07, 2024

Vanished Land


Vanished Land
Franz Josef Land, Russia. Franz Josef Land, Russia. Wikimedia Commons.

On November 1, the Russian Geographical Society announced Russia had lost land, but not due to the war in Ukraine. An island of the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, part of Arkhangelsk Oblast, has sunk due to climate change. 

The disappearance of Mesyatsev Island was detected through satellite imagery. Students and researchers from RISKAT, an interregional project to find changes in the Earth from space under the direction of Moscow Aviation Institute associate professor Alexey Kucheiko, discovered the phenomenon.

Said Kucheiko, "In the zone of the Eva-Liv island of the archipelago of the Franz Josef Land in the Arctic, an ice formation called the Mesyatsev Island has disappeared. We have followed this [phenomenon] from 2020 to 2022. Now, the island has completely melted, which will require a correction in navigation maps."

The Mesyatsev island was formed in a peninsula of the same name as a result of a glacier melting in the Eva-Liv island before 1995. The creation of the island was detected through satellite images.

In August 2015, Mesyatsev Island had a surface area of 53 hectares (about 150 acres). By August 2024, the island had shrunk to only three hectares (about eight acres). A month later, it had completely disappeared from satellite images.

The Russian Geographical Society published on its website, " The [research] group put forward the following hypothesis: in the Arctic regions climate change leads to the melting of glaciers and rising sea levels. This causes an erosion of the coastline and, as a result, the disappearance of some landforms." The report also notes that additional research is needed to confirm the disappearance of Mesyatsev island and identify possible changes in the seabed.

According to Carbon Brief, Russia is the fourth-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. Its oil and gas industry fuels the country's carbon emissions. Despite promises from President Vladimir Putin that the country would move towards carbon neutrality, Russia's emissions have risen in recent years

As its land melts, Russia has cracked down on climate justice activists, designating 38 organizations as "foreign agents" and banning Greenpeace.

You Might Also Like

Greenpeace Declared
  • May 21, 2023

Greenpeace Declared "Undesirable"

The Russian General Procurator announced Greenpeace has been declared an "undesirable organization," banning it in Russia.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955