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Calm water of the Northern Dvina at dawn

Historical research expedition

Northern Dvina Delta Cemetery Expedition

A journey to find a forgotten burial ground marked on a pre-revolutionary map. With an 1828 map and modern GPS navigation, our team of three set out into the remote delta of the Northern Dvina.

The quest

  • The discovery

    We found a pre-revolutionary map from 1828 showing a cemetery in the Northern Dvina delta. The location intrigued us: a forgotten place lost to time.

  • The team

    I organized the expedition with two fellow researchers, Daniil Buguy and Saveliy Byzov. Together we combined historical knowledge, navigation skills and determination to reach this remote place.

  • Navigation challenge

    Using satellite GPS and comparing it with the century-old map, we plotted our route through the tangled delta waterways to find the exact location.

The journey

  1. Early morning departure

    We set out at dawn with our boat, the historical map, GPS equipment and supplies for a full day in the delta.

  2. Shallow waters

    The shallow channels forced us to push the boat by hand for several kilometres: exhausting, but necessary.

  3. GPS triangulation

    With the satellite navigator and the old map, we carefully narrowed down the cemetery’s location in the overgrown terrain.

  4. The discovery

    After half a day of travel we found it: old gravestones hidden under moss and forest growth, silent witnesses to history.

  5. Documentation

    We documented the chapel foundation and the gravestones, photographing inscriptions and measuring the site for future research.

Key findings

  • Old gravestones

    Several tombstones with inscriptions still visible, dating from the late 1800s.

  • Chapel foundation

    Remains of an old chapel, matching the historical records.

  • Historical inscriptions

    Readable names and dates confirming the pre-revolutionary era.

Photos

  • The startMy grandpa’s pier.
  • GPS navigationModern technology meets historical cartography.
  • Delta waterwaysThe challenging route through shallow waters.
  • Old gravestoneWeathered tombstones covered in moss and time.
  • Happy explorerMe at the discovery site :)
  • Map of 1828The pre-revolutionary map that led us here.