Belkovsky Island: A Remote Arctic Outpost Defined by Ancient Geology and Wildlife

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Located in the remote Laptev Sea, Belkovsky Island stands as the westernmost point of the Anzhu Islands. Discovered by a merchant in 1808, this rugged, tundra-covered landscape serves as a vital sanctuary for walruses and seabirds, while its complex, folded rock strata reveal a deep history of ancient marine environments.

Belkovsky Island is a significant, if isolated, feature of the New Siberian Islands archipelago. Spanning approximately 500 square kilometres, the island reaches a maximum elevation of 120 metres. It is separated from the neighboring Kotelny Island by the Zarya Strait, a passage named in honor of the polar ship Zarya, which was famously commanded by Eduard Toll. Administratively, the island falls under the jurisdiction of Yakutia within the Russian Federation.

The island's physical composition is a testament to geological history, characterized by tightly folded strata from the Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous periods. The Upper Devonian layers consist primarily of clayey marine carbonates, interspersed with limestone, sandstone, and conglomerate. In contrast, the Lower Carboniferous sections are composed of siltstone, argillite, and sandstone, occasionally punctuated by breccia, limestone, and rare rhyolitic lavas. These formations provide a stark, rugged backdrop to the island's surface.

Despite its harsh environment, the island supports a distinct ecosystem. The landscape is dominated by cryptogam tundra, featuring a dense carpet of low-growing grasses, rushes, forbs, mosses, lichens, and liverworts. The soil is typically moist, fine-grained, and often hummocky, providing a stable base for this vegetation. Beyond its flora, the island is a critical habitat for wildlife, hosting large bird colonies and a walrus rookery. These biological features make it a point of interest for researchers studying the dynamics of the Laptev Sea region, as evidenced by documentation of its pebble beaches and sea-ice remnants recorded as recently as August 2002.

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