Yevgeny Korotkevich Yevgeny Korotkevich Yevgeny Sergeyevich Korotkevich () (1918 – 1 February 1994) was a Soviet scientist and polar explorer, Hero of Socialist Labor, and Doctor of Geographical Sciences. He was one of the leading scientists of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) in the field of glaciology and geography of polar countries. Yevgeny Korotkevich participated in and headed many Arctic expeditions. In 1947-1955, he was engaged in scientific research on New Siberian Islands, Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, Spitzbergen, Kara Sea islands, Taymyr Peninsula. Since 1955, Korotkevich's scientific and organizational activity was closely associated with the studies of
Novaya Zemlya are still used for airfields today. The Soviet Air Force maintained a presence at Rogachevo on the southern part of the southern island, on the westernmost peninsula (). It was used primarily for interceptor aircraft operations, but also provided logistical support for the nearby nuclear test area. Novaya Zemlya was the site of one of the two major nuclear test sites managed by the USSR, used for air drops and underground testing of the largest of Soviet nuclear bombs, in particular the October 30, 1961 air burst explosion of Tsar Bomba, the largest, most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated. The