Matochkin Strait

Matochkin Strait or Matochkin Shar (Russian: Ма́точкин Шар) is a narrow waterway separating Severny and Yuzhny Island on Russia's Novaya Zemlya archipelago. It links the Barents Sea on the west to the Kara Sea on the east in the Arctic Circle. It is under ice cover for most of the year and is navigable only for a short time. It is located in a region of strategic importance, and the surrounding region was a major nuclear test site during the Cold War.

Matochkin is a narrow strait separating Severny and Yuzhny islands on Russia's Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Located north of the Russian mainland, in the northeastern Europe, it links the Barents Sea on the west to the Kara Sea on the east in the Arctic Circle.^[1][2] It is one of the largest sounds in the world.^[3] It is part of Russia's exclusive economic zone in the Arctic.^[4]

Surveys have documented diverse gastropodmolluscs in the region.^[5] Studies also indicate the presence of various benthos community structures in the ecosystem.^[6][7] A 2021 study has indicated that the benthic communities continue to thrive in the region despite the fragility of the environment due to multiple nuclear tests.^[8]

The strait remains frozen for most of the year. Ice begins to form in late October, and it becomes completely frozen in mid-November. The western part of the strait begins to clear in May, once warm water from the west breaks the ice caps. It becomes clearer in June, while the eastern part becomes clear of ice in July. It is navigable from July to October, while the navigation is limited to midsize ships during the ice-free months.^[9][10] A 2024 report indicates the strait remains ice-bound seasonally restricting maritime transit in the region.^[11]

La primera navegación documentada de este estrecho fue realizada por el explorador holandés Willem Barentsz en 1596. Sin embargo, se cree que los comerciantes y cazadores pomor conocían esta región mucho antes de la llegada de este explorador occidental. El nombre del estrecho surgió posteriormente, posiblemente en el siglo XVIII, cuando un habitante local tuvo constancia de haber cazado en la zona.

El estrecho se encuentra en una región estratégica y, durante la Guerra Fría , la zona circundante se convirtió en un importante sitio de pruebas nucleares . ^{[ 9 ]} Se realizaron cerca de 40 pruebas nucleares aquí entre 1961 y 1990, incluyendo la Tsar Bomba , la prueba más grande jamás realizada. Si bien fue abandonada en la década de 1990, el gobierno ruso comenzó a reactivar el sitio de pruebas en la década de 2000 para realizar experimentos hidronucleares subcríticos. ^{[ 12 ]}

• Lista de fiordos de Rusia

73°23′19″N 55°12′56″E / 73.38861°N 55.21556°E / 73.38861; 55.21556