Nikolay Urvantsev

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Nikolay Nikolayevich Urvantsev (Russian: Николай Николаевич Урванцев, 1893–1995) was a Soviet geologist and explorer. He was born in the town of Lykoyanovo of Nizhny Novgorod guberniya, Russian Empire to a family of a merchant. He graduated from the Tomsk Polytechnical Institute in 1918.

He was among the discoverers of the Norilsk coal basin and Norilsk copper-nickel ore region in 1919-1922 and was among the founders of Norilsk.

In 1931-1933 he, together with Georgy Ushakov, explored the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago where they discovered a number or islands. He published a book about the expedition, At the Severnaya Zemlya. He also explored other remote areas of Russia, Taimyr and Central Siberian Plateau.

During the Stalinism era he was several times wrongfully accused of wrecking, was convicted and served in Karlag (Karaganda labor camp system) and Norillag (Norilsk labor camp system), and was fully exonerated in 1954.

Until his death he worked as Chair of the Arctic Geology Department in the Scientific Research Institute of Arctic Geology (НИИГА, now All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of World Ocean Geology and Mineral Resources, VNIIOkeanologiya, ВНИИОкеанология).

He was recipient of two Orders of Lenin and several medals and the honorary title of Honored Worker of Science. The USSR Geographical Society elected nim a Honorary Member and awarded the Great Gold Medal.