Sannikov Land

“The Land of Sannikov” is a science-fiction novel written by the Russian geologist, paleontologist, geographer, and writer V. A. Obruchev.

The book is based on a legend of northern peoples about the existence of a mysterious warm land in the Arctic Ocean. A blessed island—an oasis amid the ice—covered with forests and meadows enclosed by vast mountains. Here live fossil creatures: mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, cave bears, and woolly rhinoceroses; primitive tribes also inhabit the island.

Although Sannikov’s Land does not actually exist, Obruchev explains from a scientific standpoint the possibility of a warm island in the realm of permafrost. Thrilling adventures are combined with a detailed description of the surrounding nature, the structure of the soil, the animal world, and the everyday life and customs of the indigenous peoples.