

The picture tells about the feat of Russian scientists who are sent to Svalbard as part of the Russian-Swedish expedition in order to measure the actual size and shape of the globe.
Cinematography
Svalbard itself—bleak, beautiful, indifferent to human suffering.
Acting
Merzlikin's unraveling—dignity eroding like permafrost.
Director
Mikhail Malakhov
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on real 19th-century Russian polar expeditions where scientists genuinely went mad measuring arc lengths.
The title 'Archipelago' refers to Svalbard's islands but also the fragmented, disconnected mental states of the crew.