In the central part of the Eurasian continent, between the mouths of the Khatanga and Yenisei rivers, far into the ice of the harsh Arctic Ocean, the Taimyr Peninsula extends with an impressive ledge of land (the map given in this article shows its location). Its continuation is the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago chained to eternal ice, from the extreme point of which (Cape Arctic) to the pole, the distance is only 960 kilometers. The Taimyr Peninsula is washed by the Laptev Sea and the Kara Sea. Here is the northernmost tip of the mainland - Cape Chelyuskin.
Forgotten land
Not every modern student knows where Taimyr is, and this is no wonder, its location does not contribute to the influx of tourists here. This is a very harsh region, here even in summer the temperature does not rise above ten degrees Celsius. The peninsula is located within the Taimyr National District, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. As mentioned above, its extreme northern point is Cape Chelyuskin. The southern border is the northern ledge of the Central Siberian Plateau. The Taimyr Peninsula is more than a thousand kilometers long, and five hundred wide. Its area is more than 400 thousand square kilometers. The entire territory of the peninsula is heavily indented by mountain ranges. Taimyr is located far beyond the Arctic Circle, on the icy edge of the Great Siberian River.
Development history
The history of the development of the Taimyr Peninsula is fascinatingly interesting. Conquerors and discoverers of the North ... How many legendary and sometimes tragic events are hidden behind these laconic mean words! The first Russian researchers of Taimyr in the seventeenth century were the daredevils who came here in search of furs - “soft junk”. So in 1667, a modest settlement called Dudinka appeared on the northern part of the Yenisei. Today it is the capital of the vast national district of Taimyr. In the eighteenth century, the Great Northern Expedition was organized in these parts. The names of many great people are associated with it - Fedor Minin, Semyon Chelyuskin, the Laptev brothers, Vasily Pronchishchev and many others. And a hundred years later, the great natural scientist A.F. Middendorf walked on this land. Later, other, no less well-known researchers of the Arctic visited the coast of the peninsula: F. Nansen, E. Toll, A. Nordensheld.
Twentieth century
In the era of the Soviet state, Arctic exploration began to gain new momentum. So, in 1918, another polar explorer, the legendary R. Amundsen, wintered on the northern shores of the peninsula. In addition, the Russian explorer, who was once called the "legend man" - N. Begichev, also admires his exploits. The northernmost peninsula of Russia owes much to this undaunted man. Many significant events are associated with his name. For example, he discovered unknown islands in the Khatanga Bay, which were named after him, took an active part in Arctic expeditions, more than once saved them from death. Selflessly searched for the tragically dead explorers of the Arctic. And he himself is buried on this earth. In the early thirties, polar explorers Urvantsev N.N. and Ushakov G.A. first entered the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago and made a detailed description of it.
The relief of the Taimyr Peninsula
A huge mountain range of Byrranga stretches along the entire length of the peninsula. It is formed by a system of rocker-like or parallel chains, as well as wavy vast plateaus. The Byrranga Mountains stretch for 1,100 kilometers, their width is more than 200 kilometers. The Taimyr and Pyasin rivers flowing here by their valleys divide the mountain massif into three parts: eastern, with heights of 600-1146 meters; central, with heights - 400-600 meters; western - 250-320 meters. The ridge is composed of rocks of Paleozoic and Precambrian age, among them traps play an important role - these are igneous rocks, which are stacked in the form of steps.
Climatic features of the Taimyr Peninsula
The climate in the Taimyr mountains is very cold, sharply continental. So, the average temperature in January is minus 30-33 degrees Celsius, and in July - plus 2-10. Spring begins in mid-June, and in August the average daily temperature drops below zero. Precipitation in Taimyr falls from 120 to 140 mm per year. The eastern part of the peninsula is completely covered by a glacier, whose total area is 50 square kilometers. The mountains are mostly covered with vegetation, which is characteristic of the stony Arctic tundra - lichens and mosses prevail here.
Taimyr Lake
This body of water is connected to the Taimyr River. The lake divides it into two parts - the Lower (187 kilometers) and the Upper (567 kilometers). The location of this water body is very unique, because it is located far beyond the Arctic Circle. Lake Taimyr is the northernmost real large lake in the world. It is located at the foot of the Byrranga Mountains, its extreme point is located at the 76th degree of northern latitude. From the end of September to June, the lake is covered with ice. The water temperature in the summer rises to plus eight degrees, and in winter - a little above zero.
Peninsula coast
Looking at the Taimyr Peninsula on a map, you can see that there are many small islands near its shores. Some of them have low-lying relief, and some, on the contrary, are high. The islands are round in shape, their shores are rocky and steep, some have small glaciers. The Taimyr Peninsula also in places has steep banks falling into the sea washing them, and in places, on the contrary, it is low-lying and sloping, although mountain ranges consisting of horizontal layers of sedimentary rock rise nearby. East of Cape Chelyuskin, a mountainous country adjoins the sea coast. Further down a considerable distance, the lowlands extend, and then a mountainous country returns again with gently sloping and low-lying shores. The sea surrounding Taimyr is shallow, in places quite extensive shallows lie here. From July to August, it is accessible for shipping, despite the fact that there are stamukes here - these are single blocks of ice; large hummocks and small ice fields. In ancient times, the terrain of this peninsula was under water. This is evidenced by the sea shells found by Middendorf near the Lower Taimyr River. Currently, these mollusks live in the waters of the Arctic Ocean. The northernmost tip of the Taimyr Peninsula is covered with snow almost all year round. Summer here lasts less than six weeks, and snowstorms occur during this period.
Taimyr Nature Reserve
The Taimyr Peninsula is a state nature reserve. It was created in 1979 by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, but due to organizational difficulties, it only began functioning in 1985. The reserve has a cluster system and consists of several parts - the protection zone of the Khatagan region, the main tundra territory (Dikson and Khatagan regions), as well as the Arctic, Lukukinsky and Ary-Mas sections. Its territory covers more than four degrees in latitude, it is represented by the zones of forest-tundra, mountain tundra, the Byrranga massif, the subzone of the Arctic, typical and southern lowland tundra, as well as the marine area of the Gulf of the Laptev Sea.
The main purpose of organizing the Taimyr Nature Reserve was to preserve, as well as study the natural mountain and lowland ecosystems and the northernmost forests on the Lukunsky and Ary-Mas sites. In addition, special attention is paid to the protection of the endemic of our country - the Goose Goose - and the world's largest population of wild reindeer. More recently, in 1995, thanks to the assistance of the UNESCO MAB, the Taimyr Nature Reserve was given biosphere status. The Museum of Nature and Ethnography works here. Anyone can get acquainted with the collection of household items and culture of the indigenous peoples of this territory, as well as with expositions devoted to the nature of the peninsula, there is also a paleontological collection.