The Lena (russian: Ле́на, ; evn, Елюенэ, ''Eljune''; sah, Өлүөнэ, ''Ölüöne''; bua, Зүлхэ, ''Zülkhe''; mn, Зүлгэ, ''Zülge'') is the easternmost of the three great
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
n rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean (the other two being the
Ob and the
Yenisey
The Yenisey (russian: Енисе́й, ''Yeniséy''; mn, Горлог мөрөн, ''Gorlog mörön''; Buryat: Горлог мүрэн, ''Gorlog müren''; Tuvan: Улуг-Хем, ''Uluğ-Hem''; Khakas: Ким суғ, ''Kim suğ''; Ket: Ӄук, ...
).
Permafrost
Permafrost is ground that continuously remains below 0 °C (32 °F) for two or more years, located on land or under the ocean. Most common in the Northern Hemisphere, around 15% of the Northern Hemisphere or 11% of the global surface ...
underlies most of the
catchment
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
, 77% of which is continuous. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .
The Lena is the
eleventh-longest river in the world, and the longest river entirely within Russia.
Course
![Operational Navigation Chart D-7, 6th edition](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Operational_Navigation_Chart_D-7%2C_6th_edition.jpg)
Originating at an elevation of at its source in the
Baikal Mountains
The Baikal Mountains or Baikal Range (russian: Байкальский хребет, ''Bajkaljskij hrebet''; bua, Байгалай дабаан, ''Baigalai dabaan'') are a mountain range that rises steeply over the northwestern shore of Lake Bai ...
south of the
Central Siberian Plateau
The Central Siberian Plateau (russian: Среднесибирское плоскогорье, Srednesibirskoye ploskogorye; sah, Орто Сибиир хаптал хайалаах сирэ) is a vast mountainous area in Siberia, one of the Gre ...
, west of
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal (, russian: Oзеро Байкал, Ozero Baykal ); mn, Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur) is a rift lake in Russia. It is situated in southern Siberia, between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...
, the Lena flows northeast across the
Lena-Angara Plateau
The Lena-Angara Plateau ( rus, Лено-Ангарское плато), is a plateau in Siberia. Administratively it is in the Irkutsk Oblast, Russian Federation. The plateau is named after the Lena and Angara rivers, of which it forms the waters ...
, being joined by the
Kirenga
The Kirenga () is a river in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia. The name originated in an Evenki word. The length of the river is . The area of its basin is .
There are many settlements in the river valley. The Baikal Amur Mainline follows and crosses ...
,
Vitim
Vitim (russian: Витим) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
Modern localities
*Vitim, Sakha Republic, an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Lensky District of the Sakha Republic
* Vitim, Republic of Buryatia, a ...
and
Olyokma
, image = Olyokma river.jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption = View of the river
, pushpin_map = Russia Sakha Republic
, pushpin_map_size =
, pushpin_map_caption= Location in the Sakha Republic, Ru ...
. From
Yakutsk
Yakutsk (russian: Якутск, p=jɪˈkutsk; sah, Дьокуускай, translit=Djokuuskay, ) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one ...
it enters the
Central Yakutian Lowland
The Central Yakutian LowlandJohn Kimble (ed.), ''Cryosols: Permafrost-Affected Soils'' or Central Yakutian Lowlands (russian: Центральноякутская равнина; sah, Саха сирин ортоку намтала), also known as ...
and flows north until joined by its right-hand tributary the
Aldan Aldan may refer to:
;People
*Gille Aldan, the first bishop of Galloway, Scotland
* Andrey Aldan-Semenov (1908–1985), Russian writer
*Duke Aldan, a fictional character in '' Langrisser IV'' video game
;Places
*Aldan, Russia, a town in the Sakha R ...
and its most important left-hand tributary, the
Vilyuy
The Vilyuy ( rus, Вилю́й, p=vʲɪˈlʲʉj; sah, Бүлүү, ''Bülüü'', ) is a river in Russia, the longest tributary of the Lena. About long, it flows mostly within the Sakha Republic. Its basin covers about .
History
The river is fir ...
. After that, it bends westward and northward, flowing between the
Kharaulakh Range, part of the
Verkhoyansk Range
The Verkhoyansk Range (russian: Верхоянский хребет, ''Verkhojanskiy Khrebet''; sah, Үөһээ Дьааҥы сис хайата, ''Üöhee Chaangy sis khaĭata'') is a mountain range in the Sakha Republic, Russia near the settle ...
, in the east and the
Chekanovsky Ridge
The Chekanovsky Ridge (russian: Кряж Чекановского; sah, Чекановскай томтороот) is a range of mountains in the Bulunsky District, Yakutia, Russian Federation. The area of the range is uninhabited.
The range wa ...
in the west. Making its way nearly due north it expands into a large delta and ends in the
Laptev Sea
The Laptev Sea ( rus, мо́ре Ла́птевых, r=more Laptevykh; sah, Лаптевтар байҕаллара, translit=Laptevtar baỹğallara) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between the northern coast of Siberia, th ...
, a division of the Arctic Ocean, south-west of the
New Siberian Islands
The New Siberian Islands ( rus, Новосиби́рские Oстрова, r=Novosibirskiye Ostrova; sah, Саҥа Сибиир Aрыылара, translit=Saña Sibiir Arıılara) are an archipelago in the Extreme North of Russia, to the north o ...
. The
Lena Delta
The Lena (russian: Ле́на, ; evn, Елюенэ, ''Eljune''; sah, Өлүөнэ, ''Ölüöne''; bua, Зүлхэ, ''Zülkhe''; mn, Зүлгэ, ''Zülge'') is the easternmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean ...
is in area, being traversed by seven main branches, the most important being the Bykovsky channel, farthest east.
Basin
The area of the Lena river basin is calculated at and the mean annual discharge is 489 cubic kilometers per year. Gold is washed out of the sands of the Vitim and the Olyokma, and
mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus'', one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks and, ...
tusks have been dug out of the delta. There are numerous lakes in the floodplain of the river. Lakes
Nedzheli
Nedzheli (russian: Ниди́ли or Ниджили; sah, Нидьили, ''Nicili'') is a lake in Kobyaysky District, Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia.
The lake is a protected area of regional significance. Geography
Nedzheli is located near t ...
and
Ulakhan-Kyuel
Ulakhan-Kyuel, also spelled as ''Ulakhan-Kyuyel'' or ''Ulakhan-Kyuyol'' (russian: Улахан кюэль, Улахан Кюель or Улахан-Кюёль; sah, Улахан Күөл, ''Ulaxan Küöl'') is a lake in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia ...
are the largest in the basin of the Lena.
Tributaries
The
Kirenga
The Kirenga () is a river in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia. The name originated in an Evenki word. The length of the river is . The area of its basin is .
There are many settlements in the river valley. The Baikal Amur Mainline follows and crosses ...
flows north between the upper Lena River and Lake Baikal. The
Vitim
Vitim (russian: Витим) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
Modern localities
*Vitim, Sakha Republic, an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Lensky District of the Sakha Republic
* Vitim, Republic of Buryatia, a ...
drains the area northeast of Lake Baikal. The
Olyokma
, image = Olyokma river.jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption = View of the river
, pushpin_map = Russia Sakha Republic
, pushpin_map_size =
, pushpin_map_caption= Location in the Sakha Republic, Ru ...
flows north. The
Amga makes a long curve southeast and parallel to the Lena and flows into the Aldan. The
Aldan Aldan may refer to:
;People
*Gille Aldan, the first bishop of Galloway, Scotland
* Andrey Aldan-Semenov (1908–1985), Russian writer
*Duke Aldan, a fictional character in '' Langrisser IV'' video game
;Places
*Aldan, Russia, a town in the Sakha R ...
also curves roughly parallel to the Lena until it turns east and flows into the Lena north of Yakutsk. The
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a popul ...
, a tributary of the Aldan, drains an area almost to the Sea of Okhotsk. The T-shaped
Chona
The Chona ( rus, Чона; sah, Чуона) is a river in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is a right hand tributary of the Vilyuy, and is long, with a drainage basin of .
The Russian Geographical Society organized ...
-
Vilyuy
The Vilyuy ( rus, Вилю́й, p=vʲɪˈlʲʉj; sah, Бүлүү, ''Bülüü'', ) is a river in Russia, the longest tributary of the Lena. About long, it flows mostly within the Sakha Republic. Its basin covers about .
History
The river is fir ...
system drains most of the area to the west.
The main tributaries of the Lena are, from source to mouth:
*
Tutura
The Tutura (russian: Тутура) is a river in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is a tributary of the Lena with a length of and a drainage basin area of .
The settlement of Chikan is located by the Tutura, near the confluence with the Chikan rive ...
(right)
*
Ilga Ilga or ILGA may refer to:
* Ilga (river), a river in Russia, tributary of the Lena
* International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, or ILGA
* Illinois General Assembly, in the United States
* Ilga, a Latvian feminine given na ...
(left)
*
Kuta
Kuta is a tourist area, administratively an urban village (''kelurahan''), and the capital of Kuta District, Badung Regency, southern Bali, Indonesia. A former fishing village, it was one of the first towns on Bali to see substantial tourist de ...
(left)
*
Tayura (right)
*
Kirenga
The Kirenga () is a river in Irkutsk Oblast in Russia. The name originated in an Evenki word. The length of the river is . The area of its basin is .
There are many settlements in the river valley. The Baikal Amur Mainline follows and crosses ...
(right)
*
Pilyuda
The Pilyuda (russian: Пилюда) is a river in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is a tributary of the Lena with a length of and a drainage basin area of .
The river flows across an uninhabited area of the Kirensky District. Orlova village is loc ...
(left)
*
Chechuy
The Chechuy (russian: Чечуй) is a river in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is a tributary of the Lena with a length of and a drainage basin area of .
The river flows across an uninhabited area of the Kirensky District. Puschino village is loca ...
(right)
*
Ichera
The Ichera (russian: Ичера or Ичёра) is a river in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is a tributary of the Lena with a length of and a drainage basin area of .
The river flows across an uninhabited area of the Kirensky District. Ichera vil ...
(left)
*
Chaya (right)
*
Chuya
The Chuya (russian: Чуя; alt, Чуй, ''Çuy'') is a river in the Altai Republic in Russia, a right tributary of the Katun ( Ob's basin). The Chuya is long, and its drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing ...
(right)
*
Vitim
Vitim (russian: Витим) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
Modern localities
*Vitim, Sakha Republic, an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Lensky District of the Sakha Republic
* Vitim, Republic of Buryatia, a ...
(right)
*
Peleduy
Peleduy (russian: Пеледуй; sah, Пеледуй) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Lensky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 5,243. Geography
Peleduy is located on the ...
(left)
*
Nyuya
Nyuya (russian: Нюя; sah, Ньүүйэ, ''Ñüüye'') is a rural locality (a '' selo''), the administrative centre of and one of two settlements, in addition to Turukta, in Nyuysky Rural Okrug of Lensky District in the Sakha Republic, Rus ...
(left)
*
Derba
The Derba (russian: Дерба), also known as Derbe (russian: Дербе; sah, Дьэрбэ, ''Cerbe'') or Dzherba (russian: Джерба), is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is a tributary of the Lena with a length of — co ...
(left)
*
Ura (left)
*
Bolshoy Patom
The Bolshoy Patom (russian: Большой Патом), "Big Patom", is a river in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is the 11th longest tributary of the Lena with a length of and a drainage basin area of . (right)
*
Cherendey (left)
*
Biryuk (left)
*
Olyokma
, image = Olyokma river.jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption = View of the river
, pushpin_map = Russia Sakha Republic
, pushpin_map_size =
, pushpin_map_caption= Location in the Sakha Republic, Ru ...
(right)
**
Chara
*
Markha (left)
*
Tuolba
The Tuolba (russian: Туолба) is a river of Sakha Republic, eastern Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Its source is in the Aldan Highlands and it is a right tributary of the Lena, The Tuolba runs through the village of Alex ...
(right)
*
Sinyaya
lv, Zilupe be, Сінюха
, image =Zilupe pie Zilupes pilsētas.jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption = Zilupe (Sinyaya) near Zilupe, Latvia
, source1_location = Lake Osveya
, mouth = Velikaya
, m ...
(left)
*
Buotama
, image = Круиз Якутск - Ленские столбы - Тикси - Якутск, 2017 (047).jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption = View of the river
, pushpin_map = Russia Sakha Republic
, pu ...
(right)
*
Menda (right)
*
Myla (right)
*
Tamma
The Tamma (russian: Тамма; sah, Тамма) is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is a tributary of the Lena with a length of and a drainage basin area of .
The Tamma is the largest river of Megino-Kangalassky District. The ...
(right)
*
Lyutenge (right)
*
Suola (right)
*
Aldan Aldan may refer to:
;People
*Gille Aldan, the first bishop of Galloway, Scotland
* Andrey Aldan-Semenov (1908–1985), Russian writer
*Duke Aldan, a fictional character in '' Langrisser IV'' video game
;Places
*Aldan, Russia, a town in the Sakha R ...
(right)
*
Batamay Batamay (russian: Батамай) is the name of several rural localities in the Sakha Republic, Russia:
*Batamay, Kobyaysky District, Sakha Republic, a '' selo'' in Kirovsky Rural Okrug of Kobyaysky District
* Batamay, Lensky District, Sakha Repu ...
(right)
*
Belyanka (right)
**
Munni
The Munni (russian: Мунни; sah, Мунньи, ''Munñi'') is a river in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia, a right tributary of the Belyanka, of the Lena basin. It has a length of and a drainage basin area of .
There are no settlemen ...
*
Lyapiske
, image = Круиз Якутск - Ленские столбы - Тикси - Якутск, 2017 (388).jpg
, image_caption = Shores of the Lyapiske in its last stretch, near its confluence with the Lena
, source1_location ...
(right)
*
Tympylykan
The Tympylykan (russian: Тымпылыкан, sah, Тымпылыкаан, ''Tımpılıkaan'') is a river in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia. It is a left tributary of the Lena. Its length is and the area of its basin is .
The basin of t ...
(left)
*
Dyanyshka
, other_name = Kobycha
, image = Muosuchan ONC C-6.jpg
, image_caption = ONC chart section with the Dyanyshka in the upper left
, source1_location = Verkhoyansk Range, confluence of rivers Dektende and Birandy ...
(right)
*
Tyugyuene
The Tyugyuene (russian: Тюгюэне or Тюгене; sah, Түгүөнэ, ''Tügüöne'') is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is a tributary of the Lena with a length of and a drainage basin area of . The river marks the borde ...
(left)
*
Sitte (left)
*
Khanchaly
The Khanchaly (russian: Ханчалы; sah, Ханчылы, ''Xançılı'') is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is a left tributary of the Lena with a length of . Its drainage basin area is .
The river flows across the Gorny, ...
(left)
*
Kenkeme
The Kenkeme (russian: Кенкеме; sah, Кэҥкэмэ, ''Keŋkeme'') is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is a tributary of the Lena (river), Lena with a length of — together with the Yagas-Yyaabyt at its head— and a drain ...
(left)
*
Lungkha
The Lungkha (russian: Лунгха; sah, Луҥха, ''Luŋxa'') is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is the 14th longest tributary of the Lena with a length of — counting its Yychaky tributary. Its drainage basin area is .
A3 ...
(left)
*
Namana
The Namana (russian: Намана; sah, Намана) is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is the 17th longest tributary of the Lena with a length of . Its drainage basin area is .
There are no settlements located by the river, bu ...
(left)
*
Vilyuy
The Vilyuy ( rus, Вилю́й, p=vʲɪˈlʲʉj; sah, Бүлүү, ''Bülüü'', ) is a river in Russia, the longest tributary of the Lena. About long, it flows mostly within the Sakha Republic. Its basin covers about .
History
The river is fir ...
(left)
**
Chona
The Chona ( rus, Чона; sah, Чуона) is a river in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is a right hand tributary of the Vilyuy, and is long, with a drainage basin of .
The Russian Geographical Society organized ...
*
Linde (left)
*
Undyulyung (right)
*
Nuora
The Nuora (russian: Нуора; sah, Нуора) is a river in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia, a right tributary of the Tumara, of the Aldan basin, part of the Lena basin. It has a length of and a drainage basin area of .
The Nuora flows ...
(left)
*
Begidyan (right)
*
Khoruongka
The Khoruongka (russian: Хоруонгка, sah, Хоруоҥка, ''Xoruoŋka'') is a river in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia. It is a left tributary of the Lena. Its length is and the area of its basin is . The Khoruongka flows across ...
(left)
*
Sobolokh-Mayan
, image =
, image_caption =
, source1_location = Orulgan Range
, source1_coordinates =
, source1_elevation =
, mouth = Lena
, mouth_location =
, mouth_coordinates =
, mouth_elevat ...
(right)
*
Muna
Muna may refer to:
Places
* Muna (Mikulovice), a World War II POW camp and ammunition factory in the Czech Republic
* Muna, Estonia, village in Rõuge Parish, Võru County, Estonia
* Muna, Iran, village in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Mu ...
(left)
*
Menkere (right)
*
Motorchuna
The Motorchuna (russian: Моторчуна) is a river in Yakutia (Sakha Republic), Russia. It is a left tributary of the Lena with a length of . Its drainage basin area is . Since its river basin is uninhabited, the Motorchuna is one of the mos ...
(left)
*
Molodo (left)
**
Syungyude
The Syungyude (russian: Сюнгююдэ, sah, Сүҥгүдэ, ''Süŋgüde'') is a river in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia. It is the largest tributary of the Molodo, of the Lena basin. Its length is and the area of its basin .
The Syung ...
*
Natara
The Natara (russian: Натара) is a river in Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia. It is a tributary of the Lena, having a length of and a drainage basin area of . There are no settlements in its basin.
Course
The Natara is a right tributary o ...
(right)
*
Uel-Siktyakh (right)
*
Kuranakh-Siktyakh (right)
*
Eyekit
The Eyekit (russian: Эекит, sah, Эйэкит) is a river in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia. It is a left tributary of the Lena. Its length is from the sources of the Buor Eyekit. The area of its basin including the latter is .
The ...
(left)
*
Bulkur (left)
History
It is commonly believed that the Lena derives its name from the original
Even-Evenk name ''Elyu-Ene'', which means "the Large River".
![Parokhod na Lene](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Parokhod_na_Lene.jpg)
According to folktales related a century later, in the years 1620–1623 a party of Russian fur hunters under the leadership of
Demid Pyanda sailed up
Nizhnyaya Tunguska
The Nizhnyaya Tunguska ( rus, Ни́жняя Тунгу́ска, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪjə tʊnˈɡuskə, meaning "Lower Tunguska") is a river in Siberia, Russia, that flows through the Irkutsk Oblast and the Krasnoyarsk Krai. The river is a right tribut ...
, discovered the Lena, and either carried their boats there or built new ones. In 1623 Pyanda explored some of the river from its upper reaches to the central
Yakutia
Sakha, officially the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia),, is the largest republic of Russia, located in the Russian Far East, along the Arctic Ocean, with a population of roughly 1 million. Sakha comprises half of the area of its governing Far Eas ...
. In 1628 Vasily Bugor and 10 men reached the Lena, collected '
yasak
''Yasak'' or ''yasaq'', sometimes ''iasak'', (russian: ясак; akin to Yassa) is a Turkic word for "tribute" that was used in Imperial Russia to designate fur tribute exacted from the indigenous peoples of Siberia.
Origin
The origins of yasa ...
' (tribute) from the 'natives' and then founded
Kirinsk in 1632. In 1631 the ''
voyevoda
Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the m ...
'' of
Yeniseysk
Yeniseysk ( rus, Енисейск, p=jɪnʲɪˈsʲejsk) is a town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. Population: 20,000 (1970).
History
Yeniseysk was founded in 1619 as a stockaded town—the first town on the Yenisei ...
sent
Pyotr Beketov
Pyotr Beketov (russian: link=no, Пётр Иванович Бекетов, c. 1600 – c. 1661) was a Cossack explorer of Siberia and founder of various fortified settlements in the region, which later developed into modern cities such as Yakutsk, ...
and 20 men to construct a fortress at
Yakutsk
Yakutsk (russian: Якутск, p=jɪˈkutsk; sah, Дьокуускай, translit=Djokuuskay, ) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one ...
(founded in 1632). From Yakutsk other expeditions spread out to the south and east. The Lena delta was reached in 1633.
Two of the three groups of survivors of ill-fated
Jeannette expedition reached Lena Delta in September 1881. The one led by engineer
George W. Melville
George Wallace Melville (January 10, 1841 – March 17, 1912) was an American engineer, Arctic explorer, and author. As chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering, he headed a time of great expansion, technological progress and change, ofte ...
was rescued by native
Tungus
Tungusic peoples are an ethno-linguistic group formed by the speakers of Tungusic languages (or Manchu–Tungus languages). They are native to Siberia and Northeast Asia.
The Tungusic phylum is divided into two main branches, northern (Evenic or ...
huntsmen. Of the group led by
Captain George W. De Long only two of the men survived, the others died of
starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, dea ...
.
Baron Eduard Von Toll
Eduard Gustav Freiherr von Toll (russian: Эдуа́рд Васи́льевич Толль, translit=Eduárd Vasíl'evič Toll'; 1902), better known in Russia as Eduard Vasilyevich Toll and often referred to as Baron von Toll, was a Russian ge ...
, accompanied by
Alexander von Bunge
Alexander Georg von Bunge (russian: Алекса́ндр Андре́евич Бу́нге; – ) was a Russian botanist. He is best remembered for scientific expeditions into Asia and especially Siberia.
Early life and education
Bunge was b ...
, led an expedition that explored the Lena delta and the islands of
New Siberia
New Siberia (russian: Но́вая Сиби́рь, ; English transliteration: ''Novaya Sibir'', ; sah, Саҥа Сибиир, translit=Saña Sibiir) is the easternmost of the Anzhu Islands, the northern subgroup of the New Siberian Islands ...
on behalf of the
Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences in 1885. In 1886 they investigated the New Siberian Islands and the
Yana River
The Yana ( rus, Я́на, p=ˈjanə; sah, Дьааҥы, ''Caañı'') is a river in Sakha in Russia, located between the Lena to the west and the Indigirka to the east.
Course
It is long, and its drainage basin covers . Including its longest ...
and its tributaries. During one year and two days the expedition covered , of which were up rivers, carrying out
geodesic
In geometry, a geodesic () is a curve representing in some sense the shortest path ( arc) between two points in a surface, or more generally in a Riemannian manifold. The term also has meaning in any differentiable manifold with a connection. ...
surveys en route.
The
Lena massacre was the name given to the 1912 shooting-down of striking goldminers and local citizens who protested at the working conditions in the mine near
Bodaybo
Bodaybo ( rus, Бодайбо, p=bədɐjˈbo) is a town and the administrative center of Bodaybinsky District in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It is located from Irkutsk, the administrative center of the oblast.
Geography
The town is located in the ...
in northern Irkutsk. The incident was reported in the Duma (parliament) by
Kerensky and is credited with stimulating revolutionary feeling in Russia.
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov may have taken his alias, ''Lenin'', from the river Lena, when he was exiled to the
Central Siberian Plateau
The Central Siberian Plateau (russian: Среднесибирское плоскогорье, Srednesibirskoye ploskogorye; sah, Орто Сибиир хаптал хайалаах сирэ) is a vast mountainous area in Siberia, one of the Gre ...
.
Delta
![Lena River Delta - Landsat 2000](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Lena_River_Delta_-_Landsat_2000.jpg)
At the end of the Lena River there is a large delta that extends into the Laptev Sea and is about wide. The delta is frozen
tundra
In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless moun ...
for about seven months of the year, but in May the region is transformed into a lush
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
for a few months. Part of the area is protected as the
Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve
Lena Delta Nature Reserve (russian: Усть-Ленский государственный природный заповедник) is a ''Zapovednik'' (“scientific nature reserve”) located in the delta of the Lena River in Sakha Republic, in ...
.
The Lena delta divides into a multitude of flat islands. The most important are (from west to east): Chychas Aryta, Petrushka, Sagastyr, Samakh Ary Diyete, Turkan Bel'keydere, Sasyllakh Ary, Kolkhoztakh Bel'keydere, Grigoriy Diyelyakh Bel'kee (Grigoriy Islands), Nerpa Uolun Aryta, Misha Bel'keydere, Atakhtay Bel'kedere, Arangastakh, Urdiuk Pastakh Bel'key, Agys Past' Aryta, Dallalakh Island, Otto Ary, Ullakhan Ary and Orto Ues Aryta.
Turukannakh-Kumaga is a long and narrow island off the Lena delta's western shore.
One of the Lena delta islands, Ostrov Amerika-Kuba-Aryta or Ostrov Kuba-Aryta, was named after the island of
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
during Soviet times. It is on the northern edge of the delta.
Further reading
*
Alexander von Bunge
Alexander Georg von Bunge (russian: Алекса́ндр Андре́евич Бу́нге; – ) was a Russian botanist. He is best remembered for scientific expeditions into Asia and especially Siberia.
Early life and education
Bunge was b ...
&
Eduard von Toll
Eduard Gustav Freiherr von Toll (russian: Эдуа́рд Васи́льевич Толль, translit=Eduárd Vasíl'evič Toll'; 1902), better known in Russia as Eduard Vasilyevich Toll and often referred to as Baron von Toll, was a Russian ge ...
(1887), ''The Expedition to the New Siberian Islands and the Yana country, equipped by the Imperial Academy of Sciences''.
*
Jeffrey Tayler
Jeffrey Tayler is a U.S.-born author and journalist. He is the Russia correspondent for the ''Atlantic Monthly'' and a contributor to several other magazines as well as to NPR's All Things Considered. He has written several non-fiction books abo ...
(2006), ''River of No Reprieve: Descending Siberia's Waterway of Exile, Death, and Destiny''
See also
*
Lena Cheeks
The Lena Cheeks (russian: Ленские щёки) is the name of a stretch of the Lena with peculiar rock formations in Kirensky District, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia.
This feature of the Lena basin is a tourist attraction regularly visited by river c ...
*
Lena Pillars
Lena Pillars ( rus, Ле́нские столбы́, Lenskiye Stolby; sah, Өлүөнэ туруук хайалара, ''Ölüöne Turūk Khayalara'') is the name given to a natural rock formation along the banks of the Lena River in far eastern ...
*
Lena Plateau
The Lena Plateau, also known as Prilensky Plateau ( rus, Приленское плато, ''Prilenskoye Plato''; sah, Өлүөнэтээҕи хаптал хайалаах сир), is one of the great plateaus of Siberia. Administratively it is m ...
*
List of rivers of Russia
Russia can be divided into a European and an Asian part. The dividing line is generally considered to be the Ural Mountains. The European part is drained into the Arctic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Caspian Sea. The Asian part is drained into ...
*
List of longest undammed rivers
This is a list of the longest dam, undammed rivers of the world, ordered by length.
{, class="wikitable sortable"
!
!River
!data-sort-type = number, Length
!data-sort-type = number, Drainage area
!data-sort-type = number, Average Discharge ...
*
Tukulan
Tukulans ( rus, Тукуланы; sah, Тукулаан) are relief forms shaped by aeolian processes of the Central Yakutian Lowland, Yakutia, Russian Federation. They are sand dunes of a characteristic type mainly found along the valley of th ...
*
William Barr
William Pelham Barr (born May 23, 1950) is an American attorney who served as the 77th and 85th United States attorney general in the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump.
Born and raised in New York City, Barr ...
, writer of ''The First Soviet Convoy to the Mouth of the Lena''.
*
References
*
External links
*
Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (ArcticGRO)NASA Earth Observatory page on flooding on the Lena RiverInformation and a map of the Lena's watershedPermafrost in the Lena Delta* Alfred Wegner institute (AWI) Publications
Berichte zur Polar- und Meeresforschung (Reports on polar and marine research)- free, downloadable research reports on the biology, geology, oceanography, hydrology, paleontology, paleoclimatology, fauna, flora, soils, cryology, and so forth of the Lena Delta, Laptev Sea, and other parts of the Arctic Circle.
{{Authority control
Rivers of Irkutsk Oblast
Rivers of the Sakha Republic