The sea surrounding the Arkticheskiy Institut Islands is covered with packed ice in the long winter and the climate is severe.

[1] This island group belongs to the Krasnoyarsk Krai administrative division of the Russian Federation and is part of the Great Arctic State Nature Reserve, the largest nature reserve of Russia.

The Russian name uses the genitive case to illustrate the islands' relationship to the institute, while the English name uses the nominative case and the relationship is inferred using word order.

Transliterations like "Ostrova Arkticheskovo Instituta" as well as translations like "Arctic Institute Islands" may be used as an alternative, especially by Russian speakers writing for an English speaking audience.

[2][3] Sidorova Island was named after Siberian trader and goldmine owner Mikhail K. Sidorov (1823-1887), who had a vision for the development of trade along the Northern Sea Route.