Sannikov Land

Sannikov Land (Земля Санникова) is a 1926 Russian/Soviet Science Fiction / Speculative Fiction / Action Adventure novel by Vladimir Obruchev, and a 1973 film adaptation by Albert Mkrtchyan and Leonid Popov. The story is based on the legends about Sannikov Land, an island in the far north of the Arctic Ocean that is warmed by a volcano and inhabited by a tribe called the Onkilon. It is similar to the works of Jules Verne or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The scientist and settler Alexander Ilyin (Vladislav Dvorzhetsky) persuades goldmine owner Trifon Perfilev to sponsor an expedition to find gold in Sannikov Land. Perfilev agrees, and Ilyin gathers an expedition consisting of himself, officer-adventurer Yevgeny Krestovsky (Oleg Dal), Katorga runaway and former doctor Gubin, and Ignatiy, Perfilev's servant, who is told to kill the other adventurers if they do find gold.

The motley crew sets out, and finally reaches Sannikov Land, which is indeed warmed by a volcano. Thanks to this warming, the island is inhabited by the Onkilon, who greet the adventurers. But things do not go as planned. The volcano is cooling down, and when it cools, Sannikov Land will enter a deep freeze, and no adventurer, Onkilon, or living creature of any kind will survive. Only Ilyin will return to the mainland....

The film was a big success, and was seen by 41 million viewers in 1974.


 * Adaptation Displacement
 * Adventurer Archaeologist
 * Apocalypse How: On the low end of Class 0. The eruption (in the novel) or freeze (in the film) will kill everyone and everything on Sannikov Land.
 * Cataclysm Climax
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive: Perfilev.
 * Crowning Music of Awesome: "There is just a flash" sung by Oleg Anofriev.
 * Gentleman Adventurer
 * The Great White North
 * Grim Up North
 * Hero Looking for Group
 * Living Relic: In the original novel, Sannikov Land was also populated by Neanderthals and mammoths.
 * Lost World
 * Noble Savage: The Onkilon.
 * Oh Crap: When they realize the volcano is cooling.
 * Psycho for Hire: Ignatiy.
 * Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
 * Scenery Porn: Filmed in the Gulf of Finland and in the Valley of the Geysers on Kamchatka.
 * Science Marches On: There is no Sannikov Land. Doesn't stop the story from being good though.
 * Snow Means Death