Willem Barentsz' ship has been found in the Arctic

An expedition of the Russian Ministry of Defence and the Russian Geographical Society has found the remains of the ship, believed to belong to De Witte Swaen (White Swan), the vessel, on which the Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz made his last expedition. 

As reported by the press-office of the Northern Fleet, the discovery was made on the archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, where the expedition arrived on board the large marine dry-cargo transport "Yauza" of the Northern Fleet.



Willem Barentsz (1550-1597) was a Dutch navigator and explorer known for his Arctic expeditions. He was born in the Netherlands and became one of the first European explorers of the northern seas.



Facts about Willem Barentsz:

Barentsz made three significant expeditions in search of a northern sea route to Asia, hoping to find a shorter way across the Arctic Ocean.

In 1596, he discovered the Svalbard archipelago, which became an important base for subsequent Arctic exploration. He also explored the coast of Novaya Zemlya.



In 1597, during his third expedition, his ship got stuck in the ice off the coast of Novaya Zemlya. The crew spent the winter on an island that was later named in his honour — Barentsz Island. Due to lack of food and harsh conditions, Barentsz and many other members of the expedition did not survive the winter, dying of starvation.



Barentsz is considered one of the first explorers of the Arctic, and his work contributed to further exploration and mapping of northern waters. A sea, islands and other geographical objects were named in his honour.



Not long ago enthusiasts from Holland built a replica of De Witte Swaen. More information about the vessel can be found on the official website of the project https://www.debarentsz.nl/.