Deliveries of cargoes by sea to Novaya Zemlya archipelago have now acquired great relevance in connection with the creation of a complex of military towns that make up the “Arctic Shield”. Located in remote arctic areas, settlements where the military from the navy and other units are serving need constant support of sea transport.
One of these settlements is Rogachevo, a village on Novaya Zemlya archipelago. It is located near the village of Belushya Guba and together they are situated on the Gusinaya Zemlya Peninsula, forming a single entity. Sea freight traffic to Rogachevo began to be in demand in Soviet times, when the air regiment was based here. A school was even built in the village for the children of the military.
During the 1990s, all this fell into disrepair and sea transport almost stopped to come to Rogachevo. However, due to the resumption of defense programs in the Arctic, settlements and bases created in Soviet times appeared to be useful. Two villages on the archipelago have merged into a municipal formation and since 2014 have been official places where the forces of the command “North” are based.
Sea transportation to Rogachevo usually takes place during the summer navigation. In Belushya Guba there is a pier suitable for unloading goods, but more often small ships are used for raiding shipments directly at the sea on an unprepared shore. Previously, all these work concerning cargo delivery ashore were very difficult for personnel of the military unit based on Novaya Zemlya. Now the sea delivery to Rogachevo is simplified, since modern technology is used, the cargo packing and its transportation have been improved. New methods and equipment allow during a short summer time to make a lot of trips from the mainland to the archipelago and fully provide wintering supplies to the employees lodging there.
Novaya Zemlya has a single motorway connecting Rogachevo and Belushya Guba. There is a ban on movement on foot and on skis — polar bears inhabit the archipelago and this can be dangerous. Sometimes a ship is chartered to deliver cargo to both settlements. In some cases, equipment and other goods are transported to Rogachevo from Belushya Guba by sea — this is due to the lack of large vehicles for the transportation of equipment.
The delivery of passengers and small cargoes to Gusinaya Zemlya is equipped with
