Russian Arctic National Park presents virtual tour of Tikhaya Bay
© RIA Novosti. Vera Kostamo

Russian Arctic National Park presents virtual tour of Tikhaya Bay

Those self-isolating at home can take a virtual tour of the historic Tikhaya Bay on Hooker Island, Franz Josef Land. Russian Arctic National Park has presented a panoramic walk around one of its most remote areas.

"Due to the current epidemiological situation and the threat of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection in Russia, most people throughout the country are currently isolated from the outside world. In order to help people spend their free time productively, many museums and world galleries have opened their virtual doors. Our park is no exception and it gives all Arctic lovers the chance to take a tour of the famous Tikhaya Bay, a remote area that is hard to reach even when life gets back to normal," said director of Russian Arctic National Park Alexander Kirilov.

Video

The national park's press service said that the Tikhaya Bay project is based on videos and panoramic images prepared by the park's employee, wildlife photographer Nikolai Gernet. The virtual tour was created by the digital agency, many-time winner of national IT competitions in the IT in Culture and Tourism category.

"The 360-degree video is part of our project with the national park. Our studio has developed the software for the VR headset that allows users to visit other islands of Franz Josef Land Archipelago. The work was very interesting and involved many experts, from designers and video editors to software developers. We plan to expand the project with photos and videos, add a virtual tour guide and provide the user with freedom of movement in a modeled virtual area," said Ivan Ovsyankin, managing partner of the digital agency.

The national park press service added that there are now plans to create virtual tours of the Cape Zhelaniya (Novaya Zemlya), the Ernst Krenkel Observatory on Heiss Island, Franz Josef Land, and other areas of the national park.