RI1FJL Team will be active from Heiss Island, IOTA EU - 014, Franz Josef Land, 15 days, August - Septmeber 2026.
Team - R7AL, RW8A, RW9JZ, UA3QLC, R2DVE, RA4DX.
They will operate on 160 - 10m, CW, SSB, Digital Modes.
QSL via ClubLog OQRS, LOTW.
DXCC Country - Franz Josef Land.
Heiss Island – an island of cosmic mystery!
Heiss Island is located far beyond the Arctic Circle and is considered the northernmost point of Russia. This unusual place, shrouded in snow and ice, was discovered in 1901 by the Baldwin-Ziegler expedition. However, it was named after the American polar explorer A. Heiss.
Stars in the aurora borealis, or weather forecasting according to Hayes
Fifty years after its discovery, a huge observatory was built on the island, designed not only to observe the stars, but also to launch meteorological rockets. During the existence of this facility, meteorologists have made almost 2,000 successful launches. The study of the sky and weather forecasting did not end there, and over time, scientists began to explore the depths of the ocean and seismic activity on land. The island's territory is also convenient for observing the aurora borealis. In the 1990s, the enterprise was abandoned, and restoration began only in 2004.
Where life was bustling and civilization flourished
Franz Josef Land, as the island is also known, is not uninhabited, but it cannot boast of a large population. Mostly scientists live here, near the observatory. The settlement consists of modest wooden houses surrounding the circular freshwater Lake Kosmicheskoe. The name was not chosen at random. It is believed that the lake acquired its almost perfect geometric shape as a result of a meteorite impact. Given that the lake water is fresh, a water pipe was even laid from it. The settlement has a laboratory, a library, and even a post office. It is the northernmost post office in the world.
The harsh climate of the Arctic
The permafrost of Heise Island manifests itself in endless snowy expanses. The average temperature here is -12 degrees Celsius. Polar nights last 125 days, while polar days last 140. Summer lasts no more than four weeks, during which time the air warms up to zero degrees. As many polar scientists say, even the dirt is clean in this place. Due to the low temperature on Franz Josef Land, there are no pathogenic bacteria. By pure chance, scientists discovered a pattern: dogs born in this place died within a week of arriving on the continent. They simply did not develop immunity to infections that do not exist on Heise.
In addition to dogs, polar bears are often seen wandering carelessly on the island. They rarely come into contact with humans, but can sometimes be overly aggressive when hungry. Among the marine mammals are seals, sea hares, harp seals, and walruses. Birds also love these lands, as they are not disturbed while nesting here. White gulls and burgomasters are often seen. Surprisingly, plants such as polar poppies, saxifrages, and buttercups are also found here, albeit rarely. The highest point is the Hydrographers' Ice Dome, which is 242 meters high.
Russian-French science
An island belonging to the French is located in close proximity to Heise. Scientists from both countries joined forces and began studying the influence of the Sun and other cosmic phenomena on atmospheric processes in 1967. An MP-12 meteorological rocket was used for the experiments. All tests and scientific work were very successful thanks to modern equipment. During the heyday of this collaboration, an increasing number of researchers and their families came to Franz Josef Land. One of these expeditions failed to reach the island. The twin-engine IL-14 lost control and crashed nose-first into the ground. The plane itself, which has been preserved in almost its original condition, serves as a reminder of this tragedy.
Silent population
Today, only four people live on Heise. This was reported by National Geographic Russia correspondent Andrei Kamenev, who visited the island in 2012. Meteorologists said that there were five of them, but tragedy struck one of the research team members, Mikhail Eremin. Disregarding safety rules, he left the house alone and was attacked by a polar bear. Former colleagues took the journalist along the path that the victim had taken. Today, it is a kind of tourist attraction.
Interestingly, the “local residents” can easily be called silent, but this is not due to problems with their speech apparatus. They simply do not talk to each other. From their separate stories, the correspondent found out that they also celebrate holidays separately. In their opinion, this atmosphere has a positive effect on research, as there is no need to be distracted by extraneous factors. Unlike Heise, entire families live on the neighboring islands of the archipelago and even have children there. The children are taught individually, and then their relatives send them to the mainland.
Franz Josef Land has only begun to recover from its desolation in recent years. More and more expeditions are coming here to see the most unusual natural phenomena and breathe in the frosty and incredibly fresh air.