Gatiev Ilya Davidovich  (Dafayevich) 
(1905–30.11.1941)

Arctic geologist, honorary polar explorer. 
Born in the village of Khristianovsky (now Digora) of the Digorsky District of North Ossetia in a peasant family engaged in farming and trade. Father died when the boy was three years old. Revolution and civil war undermined the welfare of the Gatievs. Ilya graduated from two classes of elementary school and from the age of 14 he began working first at seasonal work, then at the local collective farm "Red Partizan", was the head of a rural club. However, the capable purposeful young man did not leave the dream of getting an education. Having undermined the necessary funds, in 1926, he went to Leningrad with a group of comrades in Komsomol and went to Leningrad to work at the State Physics Institute, where he completed a general education course, which gives the right to enter any higher educational institution without exams. In 1929, Gatiyev was already a student of the geological exploration department of the Mining Institute, who graduated in 1934, receiving a degree in geology engineer in surveying and searching.The system of teaching at the Institute of Physics and Information has always been distinguished by the fact that the theoretical knowledge gained by students at lectures was supported by serious work practices that Gatiyev underwent in the Ussuri region (1931), on Novaya Zemlya (1932), in the North Caucasus. The fact that the Cape of Gatiev on the map of Novaya Zemlya appeared precisely in 1932, i.e. The name was given in honor of the student. The case is unprecedented. According to the latest practice, Gatiev defended a thesis project entitled “Geological and petrographic essay and contact-metamorphic copper-magnetite-pyrrhotite deposits in the upper reaches of the Bezingiyi and Chegem rivers in the Kabardino-Balkarian autonomous district in the North Caucasus”. 
After graduating from the institute in 1934, Gatiev joined the All-Union Arctic Institute as a research officer of the second category. His first studies are related to the Northeast of the USSR. He quickly moved into leading roles, a year later becoming the head of the First Chukotka Expedition, then head of the Chukotka-Koryak section of the Geological Department. As a real man, he is always there, where it is the hardest, of him, a man of strong character, no one has ever seen bewildered or inactive in the most difficult situations that a polar geologist is full of everyday life. 
In 1939, Gatiev became the head of the Chukotka geological exploration expedition, and then head of the Arctic geology department. 
In 1940, in connection with the reorganization, Gatiev went to work at the Mining and Geological Department of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route, held the positions of head of department and deputy head of department, was a member of a scientific and technical meeting for reviewing and approving geological reports, deputy chairman of the Editing and Publishing Council of the GSU. In the same year, for outstanding achievements in the development of the Northern Sea Route, he was awarded the Order “Badge of Honor” and awarded the title “Honorary Polar Explorer”, which was especially valued by polar explorers. 
Just before the war, on March 15, 1941, he was appointed head of the Novo-Zemelsky expedition. He left for the field, but the war began, and already on June 30, Gatiyev returned to Leningrad. The military registration and enlistment office refused to call him into the army, since the reservation was extended to polar geologists, but Gatiyev bypasses this obstacle. July 11, he volunteered to join the ranks of the national militia, the military enlistment office here was powerless. 
Gatiev commanded a sapper company, which mined the approaches to our positions, cleared the enemy’s mine routes from attack. Fearlessness, professionalism, ability to lead his subordinates were fully useful to him at the front. He fought August, September, October and November. The trouble came at the end of the last day of November.The last minutes of Ilya Davidovich became known from his comrade in the VAI and on the front Vasily Prokofyevich Tebenkov, the only VAI militia who survived the war.Here are fragments from his letter to the institute dated December 7, 1941: “... With pain in my heart I must inform you about the tragic death of our mutual friend and comrade, Ilya Davidovich Gatiev. For a whole week now I haven’t found a place for myself and can’t forget the unfortunate picture I have witnessed. This misfortune happened about 15-16 hours on November 30 in the village Bugry, on the southern shore of Lake Ladoga ... The bomb of great strength fell literally next to the ID ... The left half of the body was struck with splinters ... A splinter broke his collarbone, broke and crushed the order, and right there, under the order, went into the chest, right into the heart”.  
The comrades buried their commander, and the loyal Tebenkov drew up as far as possible the detailed scheme of the site on which the grave is located. “... I would like, he writes, to be buried as well, and not left in place, as often, unfortunately, still happens”. 
According to the military registration and enlistment office of Kirovsk, Leningrad region, dated February 13, 1987, the remains of I.D. Gatiev, among others who died in this area, was transferred to a fraternal military burial in the village of Sinyavino.

The Surname Gatiev is immortalized in St. Petersburg on a memorial plaque on the building of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute Bering Street, 38, as well as on a memorial plaque in the building of the VNIIOkeangeologiya (NIIGA, assignee of the Mining Directorate of the Main Marine Route). River Moika, 120. 
Cape on the north coast of the Matochkin Shar Strait. The name was given by the expedition of the Northern Geological Trust in 1932.