Cape Zhelaniya is waiting for tourists. They will see the difference between the Barents and Kara Seas

This summer the Russian Arctic National Park will open the first visitor center for tourists on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. This was announced by the director of the National Park Alexander Kirilov.

“It is planned to organize and open the visitor center on Cape Zhelaniya of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, this will be the first visitor center of the National Park on Novaya Zemlya. This year there is great interest of tourists to visit Cape Zhelaniya”, Kirilov told TASS.

The Cape is washed by the Barents and Kara Seas, and the border between them runs along it. According to the director of the National Park, it is possible even to see it - the color is slightly different. On the Cape there are a lot of picturesque cliffs, where seabirds make nests: kittiwakes, guillemots, murres. It is planned to locate the visitor center on Cape Zhelaniya in one of buildings of the former weather station.

“This warehouse is a wooden building, square, on the station it was used as a tractor warehouse. It was cleared of debris, partially restored, and we will continue restoring the building”, Kirilov said.

In the building it is planned to organize the exhibition dedicated to Novaya Zemlya and Cape Zhelaniya. There are also plans to open a post office.

“We want to open a post office on Cape Zhelaniya, following the example of Tikhaya Bay on Franz Josef Land (the northernmost post office in the country). While tourists have no the opportunity to send postcards from Novaya Zemlya”, the director added.

In the summer of 2020 it is expected that the bigger number of tourists will visit Novaya Zemlya than in previous years. Usually two or three cruise ships come to the archipelago, and there are about 200 visitors. This year, if to consider the plans of tour companies, up to eight ship calls are possible on Novaya Zemlya, what means 600-700 people. In general, according to the director of the National Park, the upcoming season will be the record one for the number of ship calls to the territory of the Russian Arctic National Park and the number of tourists.

“In total, 19 ship calls are expected on our archipelagos. We are visited by companies that did not come before — this is Endurance, among new vessels, except for National Geographic, this is Greg Mortimer. These are new vessels built for the Arctic and Antarctic, and the first voyages will go to Franz Josef Land to the territory of Russian Arctic National Park”, Alexander Kirilov added.

If last year 1306 tourists visited Russian Arctic National Park, this summer the forecast is 2 thousand people.