Novaya Zemlya also known as Nova Zembla is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in northern Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the Northern island. West of Novaya Zemlya is the Barents Sea, and to the east is the Kara Sea. The Russians knew of Novaya Zemlya from the 11th century, when hunters from Novgorod visited the area. For Western Europeans, the search for the Northern Sea Route in the 16th century led to its exploration. The first visit from a Western European was by Hugh Willoughby in 1553. Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz reached the west coast of Novaya Zemlya in 1594, and in a subsequent expedition of 1596, he rounded the northern cape and wintered on the northeastern coast. Barentsz died during the expedition, and may have been buried on Severny Island. During a later voyage by Fyodor Litke in 1821–1824, the western coast was mapped. On Gerhards Mercator large world map from 1597 , it is alredy named as Nova Zemla. Henry Hudson was another explorer who passed through Novaya Zemlya while searching for the Northeast Passage.
Adina Sommer
Antique and Contemporary Art
Winzerer Str. 154
80797 München
telephone
+49 89 304714
business hours:
by appointment
Email
