Aleksandr Alekseyevich Borisov was the first Arctic painter, writer, public figure, and researcher of the Arctic, who made a significant contribution to transport and economic development of the North.

The artistic path of the peasant boy Aleksandr was not at all simple. His first painting lessons were taught by the monks of the Solovetsky Monastery, where he worked in an icon painting workshop. He studied at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts at the Academy of Arts under the tutorship of such completely different artists as Ivan Shishkin and Arkhip Kuindzhi.

In 1894, Borisov made his first trip to the Arctic Circle as a draftsman as part of the expedition of the Finance Minister of the Russian Empire Sergei Witte. Subsequently, the Far North and the Arctic Ocean became the main theme in his work. No wonder he was called the first brush of the Arctic. Borisov’s second, independent trip took place in 1896: the artist spent three months on the coast of the White and Barents Seas, and visited Novaya Zemlya.

Enthusiastic reviews of his works were written by Ilya Repin and Viktor Vasnetsov.

Pavel Tretyakov purchased 65 works from the artist. Two of them were subsequently sent to Yakutia for the future art gallery. These were the “Northern Landscape” and the “Settlement Malye Karmakuly. Matochkin Strait”.

The latter depicts a hilly open area. It is completely bare: not a single tree or bush can be seen. There are only low clouds and, somewhere in the distance, small islands of snow approach the foothills. It is polar summer. At the very top of the hill there is a small church dedicated to the patron saint of travelers, Nicholas the Wonderworker. A little lower is a large izba (a dwelling). At the foot of the hill there are light, portable Nenets chums (temporary dwellings) and narty (sleds).