Kolyuchin Island, a remote and desolate landmass in Russia's Chukchi Sea, has evolved from a site of human habitation to a sanctuary for polar bears. Located approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) north of the Chukotka Peninsula, the island spans about 4.5 kilometres (2.8 miles) in length and 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) at its widest point and isn't far from the USA.

The island's geographical isolation and harsh environment have made it a challenging place for humans to live, but the very same conditions make it an ideal habitat for Arctic wildlife. Its history of human occupation dates back over a thousand years, and archaeological evidence indicates that the island was home to early Indigenous peoples, likely Chukchi tribes, who used the island as part of their seasonal hunting routes. However, permanent settlements on the island were not established until much later in the 20th century, when Soviet scientists saw its potential as a research outpost. In 1934, the Soviet Union established a polar station on Kolyuchin Island as part of their scientific efforts to map the Northern Sea Route, a key waterway that links the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

The station was instrumental in studying Arctic ecosystems, climate conditions, and marine biology, contributing valuable research to Soviet and global scientific knowledge.

The research station continued its operations throughout the mid-20th century, with scientists conducting a variety of studies ranging from meteorology to biology. However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union and changes in research priorities, the station was abandoned in 1992. After this closure, Kolyuchin Island fell into disuse, with no permanent human settlement taking place on the island thereafter.

The absence of humans led to it quickly becoming an unintentional wildlife refuge, and the most notable new inhabitants of the island are polar bears, which have increasingly begun to use the island as a temporary habitat. The surrounding Chukchi Sea and pack ice are home to one of the world’s most important polar bear populations, but as the ice recedes due to climate change, polar bears are being forced to adapt by searching for alternative environments.

With its abundance of seals and other Arctic wildlife, Kolyuchin Island has become an attractive location for the bears, as they use the derelict buildings left behind by the abandoned station as shelter, especially during the summer months when the ice melts, leaving them without their traditional hunting grounds.

Photographer Dmitry Kokh captured a striking series of images in September 2021, documenting the bears as they explored the abandoned station, climbing on rusted structures and even peering through the windows of old buildings. His photos drew attention to the growing interaction between wildlife and human-made structures in the Arctic.

Because the island is located within the Arctic climate zone, it is characterised by long, extremely cold winters and short, cool summers. The average winter temperature hovers around a painfully low -25°C (-13°F), with extreme lows reaching -40°C (-40°F). During the summer, temperatures can rise slightly, but they rarely exceed 5°C (41°F). This short, cold summer period is crucial for wildlife on the island, as it is the time when polar bears and other Arctic species are most active in their search for food.

The surrounding Chukchi Sea is typically covered by sea ice from late autumn through early spring, and the ice is thickest during the winter months. However, with rising global temperatures and the ongoing effects of climate change, the ice pack has been thinning in recent years, forcing polar bears to travel longer distances and adapt more quickly to increasingly unusual environments.

The island's tundra landscape is sparse and hardy, with few trees and a limited amount of vegetation. Arctic grasses, mosses, and lichens cover much of the ground, providing a food source for herbivores like reindeer and other grazing animals.

Few other species of wildlife live there, making it a quiet and relatively undisturbed environment for the polar bears. In the summer months, a range of Arctic seabirds, including puffins and guillemots, nest on the island's cliffs.

Although Kolyuchin remains largely inaccessible and inhabitable due to its location and the harsh climate, occasional research expeditions and wildlife monitoring teams visit the island. These visits are generally focused on studying the polar bear population and documenting the effects of climate change on Arctic ecosystems.

The Russian government has taken some steps to protect the Arctic region, including establishing wildlife reserves and limiting human activity in sensitive areas.

But the rapid changes in the environment continue to pose extreme challenges to those trying to preserve native flora and fauna. Conservationists have in recent years raised concerns about the long-term viability of polar bear populations if climate change continues at its current pace.