Mutafi Nikolay Nikolaevich 
(1910–22.12.1941)

Famous arctic geologist, honorary polar explorer. 
Born in Simferopol in the family of immigrants from Greece, who emigrated to Russia at the end of the XIX century. His father was a professor of chemistry. Mutafi's parents were victims of repression in 1937 and died somewhere in Kazakhstan. Rehabilitated in 1954. 
After graduating from school, Mutafi went to Leningrad and entered the geological exploration faculty of the Leningrad State Institute. Since then, all of his research and production activities were associated with the Arctic. As a student, he participated in field work, first on the Timan Ridge in 1930, then on Novaya Zemlya. In 1931  together with geologist D. Panov and topographer Koltsov, Mutafi made a 1: 100,000 scale survey near Serebryanka Bay in the south-west of the northern island, in 1932 crossed the northern island from east to west. After receiving his diploma in 1933, he entered the VAI (later ANII) as a geologist and search engine of the East Novaya Zemlya expedition. 
Expedition led by B.V. Miloradovich, left Arkhangelsk on the ship "Arkos" on July 16. Due to the numerous visits to the wintering stations, only on August 8 they arrived at Cape Desires, and on August 13 they were transferred to the Ice Harbor area, from where they began geological and topographic surveys. As a collector, E.K.Sychugova, Mutafi’s future wife, worked as a collector. Shooting covered the strip width of 5 km from the coast, Mutafi made routes parallel to the coast. At the end of September, they began to turn off work and on October 4th they left the Cape of Desire. The report of Miloradovich, published in 1936, notes the special role of Mutafi and Sychugova in the successful conduct of work. 
The young geologist continued geological surveys on Novaya Zemlya and in the following 1934, but already as part of the West Novaya Zemlya expedition. Mutafi made a great contribution to the study of the magmatic formations of the New Earth and the identification of the features of its mineralization, together with a group of geologists he discovered a significant polymetallic manifestation. In a short time he became one of the largest experts on the geology of this archipelago, and it is not by chance that he was instructed to give a scientific commentary on the geological articles of V.A. Rusanov on the Novaya Zemlya. 
In 1935  Mutafi switched to geological studies related to the development of the Norilsk ore region. He led the wintering expedition of the Mining and Geological Administration of the Northern Sea Route to the lower reaches of the Pyasina River, which was regarded as a transport artery for the Norilsk Combine. Mutafi conducted a geological and topographical survey along the lower reaches of the Pyasina and the coastal 250-kilometer zone of the Taimyr Peninsula from the mouth to the Mikhailov Peninsula. One of the results of the survey was the discovery of a good quality coal deposit in the area of  the Pyasina River, 80 km from its mouth. From this field to the pier in the 1930s, a narrow-gauge railway was built. Coal was used in Norilsk for technical and household needs. Mutafi’s studies have begun systematic work on the study of the natural wealth of Taimyr. 
Ironically, the arrest and conviction of the parents, fortunately, did not affect the son. In that most terrible year of 1937, he became a delegate to the XVII International Geological Congress, held in Moscow. 
In 1938-1939 he again led the geological work on Taimyr. The expedition headed by him conducted a preliminary exploration of the previously discovered field and discovered new coal outputs. 
At the age of 29  Mutafi received a degree in Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, having defended a thesis entitled “The geological structure of the west coast of Novaya Zemlya”. The official opponent A.P. Gerasimov, who noted the excellent professional training of the applicant, a wide scientific outlook and the depth of the material. It should be said that Professor Gerasimov has always been very strict and principled in the assessment of the work sent to him for review. He dullly rejected gray dim works, but was cordial and friendly when he found a spark of talent in the author. 
In 1940, “for many years of fruitful scientific work in the development of the North”, Mutafi was given the title “Honorary polar explorer”, especially valued by polar explorers, and in the same year he was awarded the medal “For Labor Difference”. He was included in the scientific and technical meeting of the Mining and Geological Administration for the review and testing of geological reports.

In 1941  Mutafi was to continue work on Novaya Zemlya with the task of exploring the silver-lead deposit in the Matochkin Shar area, which was discovered in the first years of his research in the archipelago. 
On June 15  the party retired to the field site, but the war began. On June 22  they were caught in Arkhangelsk, on July 1  he was already in Leningrad, and on July 11 he was dismissed in connection with his enlistment in the ranks of the national militia, which he served for a month. Mutafi returned to the institute, as before, despite everything, he came to work every day, continuing his studies. The emaciated, weakened he ruled his last manuscripts, typographical prints with a pencil, as the ink froze, without interrupting even during alarms and shelling. December 22  he did not come, the body could not stand it, the heart stopped. His wife buried him in the family section of the Shuvalovsky cemetery. 
The surname Mutafi is immortalized in St. Petersburg on a memorial plaque in the building of the VNIIOkeangeologiya (formerly NIIGA, assignee of the Mining and Geological Administration of Glavsevmorput) on Embankment river Moyka, 120. 
Peninsula in the west of Lake Taimyr. 
Mountain in the southern part of the northern island of Novaya Zemlya. 
The mountain on the shore of Maka Bay in the west of the northern island of Novaya Zemlya.

Glacier in the east of the northern island of Novaya Zemlya.

A cove on the east coast of the northern island of Novaya Zemlya, north of Icy Harbor. Named by the staff of the Novaya Zemlya party of the VAI in 1933. 
Bay in the west of the Gulf Reineke of the southern island of Novaya Zemlya. In 1934  it was named by the head of the expedition of the North-West Geological Prospecting Trust V.А.Kuklin.