Toll's Last Venture: The Russian Polar Expedition, 1900-1903
In 1900-1902, Eduard Toll headed an expedition of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences to the New Siberian Islands, The Russian Polar Expedition, on ship Zarya (Заря). The main aim of the expedition was to find the legendary Sannikov Land. During this voyage and especially during the winterings near the northwestern part of the Taymyr Peninsula and western part of the Kotelny Island, Eduard Toll conducted an extensive hydrographical, geographical, and geological research.
Due to severe ice conditions the expedition was forced to spend two winters in the region of the bleak New Siberian Archipelago. In the end, Eduard von Toll traveled to Bennett Island by sledge and kayak along with three expedition members.
Ship "Zarya" attempted to reach Bennett Island to evacuate Toll's party but was unable to do so because of severe ice conditions. Apparently, Toll made a decision to go south to the continent but no further traces of the four men have ever been found.
Two search parties were dispatched in the spring 1903. One of them, under engineer Mikhail Brusnev, searched the shores of the New Siberian Islands and the other, naval commander Aleksandr Kolchak traveled by whaleboat to Bennet Island. They did not find the lost explorers but they found the diaries and the collections of the Zarya expedition, which shed light on the tragic fate of Baron Eduard von Toll and his companions.
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