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 Russians knew of Novaya Zemlya from the 11th century, when hunters from Novgorod visited the area. For western Europeans, the search for the Northern Sea Route in the 16th century led to its exploration. The first visit from a west European was by Hugh Willoughby in 1553. Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz reached the west coast of Novaya Zemlya in 1594, and in a subsequent expedition of 1596 rounded the Northern point and wintered on the Northeast coast. (Barentsz died during the expedition, and may have been buried on the Northern island.) During a later voyage by Fyodor Litke in 1821–1824,