Russian Arctic National Park has opened its 2015 field season. This year, experts will continue to improve the eco-path, carry out general cleanup of man-made pollution of the past years on high-latitude islands and reconstruct the facilities of the polar station that operated on Hooker Island between 1929 and 1959. 

This season's first field team, which involved five national park employees, landed on the Franz Josef Archipelago from the 50-Let-Pobedy nuclear icebreaker, according to the national park website.  

"There is much less snow on Hooker Island as compared with past years. The polar station with the base withstood the winter: no destruction caused by weather or polar bears has been registered. The master of the Arctic [the polar bear] has not visited the station," Andrei Kunnikov, head of the team and head of the park's ecological information department, said.

According to Russian Arctic Park Director Roman Ershov, the team is getting down to their planned work.

The post office that opened last year is ready to serve arctic tourists, offering a wide range of postcards and souvenirs. 

The Russian Arctic Park was founded in June 2009. Visitors can see a walrus rookery on Apollonov Island, visit House Eira, built in 1881 on Bell Island, admire the first capital of the Soviet archipelago, Tikhaya Bay Station, see a bird kingdom on Rubini Rock, and walk across a reserve of stone balls on Champ Island.