In 1898, while exploring Permian deposits along the rivers Sukhona and Northern Dvina, a rich collection of therapsid reptiles was found in sandy lenses near the village of Novinki. These fossils were remarkable for their completeness and preservation. Bones of both known and unknown prehistoric terrestrial vertebrates of that time were extracted from the ground. V. P. Amalitsky, being the discoverer, named them: Kotlassia, Dvinia, Dvinosaurs, and Inostrancevia, the last of which was named in honor of his teacher A. A. Inostrantsev.

The skeleton of Pareiasaurus karpinskii was reconstructed by V. P. Amalitsky. The results of the excavations exceeded all expectations and caused a sensation in the scientific community. These findings were recognized as a "national treasure," and V. P. Amalitsky gained worldwide fame. Numerous remains of the Northern Dvina fauna, including skeletons, skulls, and individual bones, make up the Northern Dvina gallery of the Paleontological Museum in Moscow, representing one of the richest and finest collections of ancient vertebrates in the world.