Kolomeitsev Nikolai Nikolaevich 
(16.07.1867–06.10.1944) 
 

Russian naval officer, vice-admiral, Arctic explorer. 
Born in the village of Pokrovka, Kherson Province, into a military family. In 1887, Kolomeitsev graduated from the Marine School, after which he completed a one-year course at the Kronstadt Astronomical Observatory. 
For many years he was engaged in the hydrographic description of the White Sea, working in the film crew of the White Sea hydrographic expedition. In 1893, as part of the expedition of Lieutenant L.F. Dobrotvorsky investigated the mouth of the Yenisei. From 1897 to 1899 Kolomeytsev was in reserve, sailed on the ships of the Voluntary Fleet from Russian European ports to Vladivostok and back. 
Returning to military service, Kolomeytsev was assigned to the Varyag cruiser under construction in Philadelphia, but was soon recalled and incorporated into the Russian Polar Expedition E.V. Toll as commander of the expedition ship "Zarya". During the organizational period, he led the work on reworking and adapting the vessel to the polar swimming, having spent the winter of 1899 - 1900. in Norway. Under his leadership, the vessel passed to the place of the first wintering off the coast of Taimyr. His relationship with Tolle did not develop because of differences in views on the style of leadership: Officer Kolomeitsev was not satisfied with Toll’s democratic relations with his subordinates. The leader of the expedition decided to replace the commander of the vessel. Kolomeytsev with mail, accompanied by Kayura S.I. Rastorguev was sent to the mainland. The exit took place in February 1901. It was planned that they would reach the Taimyr River and get to populated places by it. However, due to the imperfection of the cards they had after two attempts to find Taimyr, it was not possible, and they had to return to the ship. In the third attempt, undertaken in April, Kolomeytsev and Rastorguev moved along the coast to the mouth of the Yenisei. Ten days they were accompanied by A.A. Byalynitsky-Birulya. A month later, they came to Dikson, and after another 10 days - to Golchikha, passing, thus, about 800 km.

In all three campaigns Kolomeitsev was shooting. After the first hikes, a previously unknown river appeared on the map, and in the third hike, the western coast of Taimyr was practically in modern outlines. From Golchikha on deer they moved to Dudinka, and from there along the Yenisei to Krasnoyarsk. There Kolomeytsev bought coal for the expedition and sent it by ship to Dickson.

Since 1903 Kolomeytsev commanded the icebreaker "Yermak" instead of M.P. Vasilyev, seconded to the Pacific Fleet. Later, Kolomeytsev himself went to the Far East as part of the squadron of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky. He brilliantly proved himself in the Tsushima battle, when, commanding the destroyer, he saved the squadron headquarters. For the fighting, he was awarded a golden saber with the inscription "For Bravery" and the Order of  St. George, 4 degrees. The award list reads: “For the feat of courage and self-sacrifice rendered in the battle on May 14, 1905, in the Tsushima Strait, when, on the destroyer “Buiniy”entrusted to him, about 200 people picked up from the water at the death of the "Oslyabya" battleship, a hail of shells, approached the battleship Prince of Suvorov, filled with flames, and took off the commander of the squadron”.  
Kolomeitsev devoted several pages in the book of A.S. Novikov-Priboy "Tsushima". 
After the death of the destroyer Kolomeytsev was on the cruiser "Dmitry Donskoy", was seriously wounded and captured. 
In the time remaining before the world howl, Kolomeitsev managed to do a lot for Russia both as a polar explorer and as a commander and as an educator and educator. He participated in the development of technical specifications for the construction of an icebreaking ship of the type "Taimyr" and plans for a future expedition to the Arctic Ocean, graduated from the Marine Academy and was its professor, commanded the battleship "Slava". During the First World War, in the rank of Rear Admiral Kolomeytsev, he commanded a division of cruisers in the war-torn Baltic, the Peipsi Fleet and defensive positions along the Pskov-Narva line. In October 1917, he was dismissed due to illness and retired with the rank of vice admiral. 
In early 1918, Kolomeitsev was arrested and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. After his release, he emigrated to Finland, crossing the ice of the Gulf of Finland, in the civil war he took the side of the whites, and then emigrated to France. Until the end of his days, Kolomeytsev, remaining an implacable anti-Bolshevik, led an active social work: he was a member of the Council of Elders of the All-Diaspora Association of Maritime Organizations, was Vice-Chairman of the Union of St. George Cavaliers, and collaborated in Russian and French maritime publications.

The merits of Kolomeitsev in front of Russia, in addition to the Order of St. George, were awarded orders of St. Anna of the 3rd degree (20.5.1895), St.Stanislav 1(10.4.1916) and 3rd degrees with a sword (26.3.1904), St. Vladimir of the 3rd degree ( 1913) and 4 degrees with swords and bow (10/11/1904). In addition, he was awarded the British Order of Victoria of 4 degrees (1908) and the French Order of the Legion of Honor of the Commander's Cross (1914). 
Passing through the arctic trials, the Tsushima battle, World and Civil wars, Kolomeitsev died in Paris: he returned from the funeral of his wife and when crossing the street in a darkened city fell under a truck of American occupation forces. Until recently, it was believed that he was buried in the cemetery of Saint-Genevieve de Bois. However, thanks to the search of the Moscow historian Nikita Anatolyevich Kuznetsov, it turned out that the Kolomeytsev couple was buried in the Bagnoux cemetery (C imetiere parisien de Bagneux) , located south of Paris on Avenue Marx-Dormois in the city of Bagneux O-de Sen. In 1974, the deadline for renting a burial site expired, but it was not until 1985 that the grave was destroyed and a new one appeared in its place. 

According to the "Find a grave" website, Kolomeitsev is buried in the cemetery of Saint Genevieve de Bois. It can be assumed that he was reburied there after the destruction of the grave in the Bagno cemetery.
Islands in the Nordensheld archipelago in the Kara Sea. Described, mapped and named in 1939 by the expedition of the GU GUSMP on the hydrographic vessel "Nord" under the direction of A.I. Kosoy. 
Mountain on the peninsula Zarya in the Kara Sea. 
The mountain on the island of Rastorguev in the group of the Kamenny Islands.

Strait between the islands of Baranova and Horseshoe in Minin's skerries in the Kara Sea. In 1967 named by the hydrograph V.A. Troitsky. 
Bay on the peninsula Zarya on the northern shore of Taimyr. Called by E.V. Toll in 1901. 
The river flowing into the Bay of Walter on the coast of Taimyr. Named in 1901 by E.V. Toll.