Mysteries of Mangazeya. Tasks of the expedition were fulfilled in spite of difficulties

The results of the historical and geographical reconstruction of the travel of Russian pioneers of the Far North “Mysteries of Mangazeya - 2019” (the expedition “Mangazeya – New Mangazeya”) were presented in the representational office of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug under the government of Russia.

The scientific director of the expedition, candidate of historical sciences Vyacheslav Kalinin, the deputy head Denis Kalinin and the chief photographer of the project, the deputy head of the expedition Danil Khusainov told about the large-scale event dedicated to history of Russia and Yamal - reconstruction of the Yenisei passage. This is a river route from the medieval settlement Mangazeya, which in the 17th century existed on the Taz River (now the territory of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug) to New Mangazeya in Krasnoyarsk Krai - at the mouth of the Turukhan River, which flows into the Yenisei.

According to the participants of the project, the final stage of the large-scale expedition took place in spring and summer of last year. The travelers overcame more than 500 kilometers from the settlement Krasnoselkoup, which is located near the excavation site of the ancient settlement Mangazeya, to New Mangazeya - the village Staroturukhansk in Krasnoyarsk Krai.

The expedition overcame the most difficult way through the Yenisei (Mangazeisky) Volok (portage) located at the headwaters of the Pokalky River near Perevalnoye Lake. The difficult-to-pass tract, along which during development of Siberia the domestic pioneers laid the portage (the land section) of the river ship route, was called by the participants of the expedition as “Volok of Yerofey Khabarov”. Exactly at this place the famous Russian pioneer, who discovered the Amur River region for Russia, together with his brother Nikifor and his companions made the journey from Mangazeya to New Mangazeya on the Turukhan River at least once. The great Russian pioneer, after whom the city of Khabarovsk is named, lived in the medieval Mangazeya, and then went further to the east.

The expedition of 2019 occurred to be a difficult, larger and more expensive event than the previous project “Mysteries of Mangazeya – 2018”. Nevertheless, five participants fully completed their tasks: they overcame the Yenisei portage and reached New Mangazeya. They spent exactly 10 days on the entire travel, having inspected the area of the portage on Perevalnoye Lake, and then followed the route of Yerofey Khabarov to the Yenisei. During the presentation, a trailer for the film “On the Volok of Yerofey Khabarov” was presented. Its premiere took place a little later in Moscow, at the festival “Primordial Russia”.

Within the main ideas in their film, photo expositions and books the participants of the expedition plan to tell people of Russia about beauty and uniqueness of nature of the North, to reveal forgotten pages of history of the Russian Arctic, to popularize the most interesting geographical, natural and tourist objects of Yamal and to demonstrate the best achievements of culture of northern peoples.