The Russian Arctic accounts for about one-third of the entire country, with a staggering 24,140 kilometers of coastline along the Arctic Ocean. The crème de la crème of the Russian Arctic is the remote and seldom-visited Franz Josef Land, the world’s northernmost archipelago. Made up of 192 islands comprising more than 16,000 square kilometers, this uninhabited island chain has, until recently, been locked beneath ice for much of the year. Franz Josef Land is not only one of the most scenic and wildlife-rich locations in the Arctic Ocean, but also steeped in expedition history.