Time zone of Alaska and Chukotka. Tasks by time zones. Chukotka: the easternmost mainland settlement
One of the memorable events in Russian history: a century and a half ago, Russia sold Alaska to the United States. Chukotka is separated from Alaska by only a narrow . Last year, the anniversary year, this “negotiation” was widely discussed on the pages of newspapers and on Internet blogs and regrets were expressed about the vast northern territory rich in resources being sold in vain. Journalists and bloggers compared the successes of various Far Eastern and Siberian regions with the achievements of Alaska. In recent years, many television viewers have been enthusiastically following life in Alaska through popular TV series: “Gold Rush. Bering Sea”, “Gold Rush. Alaska” and a number of others, which clearly show what kind of “land” Russia has lost.
This map shows that the area of Chukotka is 2.4 times smaller than Alaska:
This year marks ten years since our article was published in the Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Development of resource regions (the example of Alaska and Chukotka)." This publication shows how much development has progressed in these remote Arctic regions over the past decade. In 1992, during the post-perestroika “thaw” in relations between the United States and Russia, I was able to visit this northern state and get many vivid impressions. And in Chukotka I worked in geological parties and expeditions from 1979 to 1989, for almost five years I was registered in the village of Maiskoye, located almost in the center of the peninsula (today a gold mine of the same name operates successfully here). However, the main goal of this publication is to show possible ways of sustainable development based on a comparative analysis of the characteristics of two adjacent regions. Russian North. This article was written as a result of analysis and synthesis of the author’s materials, as well as data available to the author, published in the scientific and periodical press, Internet sites and the author’s expert assessments.
In the last decade, Russia’s geopolitical interests have been consistently moving to the East and North – to the Asia-Pacific region and the Arctic. The Russian government plans in the near future to create a powerful mineral resource complex in the northeast of the country - in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Magadan region and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (ChAO). But if the territories of the first two subjects of the Russian Federation have been comparatively studied geologically (diamond and South Yakut mineral resource complexes, the Yana-Kolyma gold province of the world level), then Chukotka (like Alaska) today is one of the few regions of the world where especially there is a high probability of new major geological discoveries. The priority and main direction of the strategy of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (as well as of Alaska) is the development of the mineral resource base (MRB).
The state of Alaska has accumulated extensive experience in successfully solving complex socio-economic, national-ethnic and geopolitical problems typical of the Arctic regions. For many decades, the level of well-being of the population has steadily increased. The state's economy is based on the extraction of mineral resources, primarily oil and gas, zinc, lead, gold, silver and coal. Alaska is a rapidly developing resource region, the achievements of which can serve as an example for the Arctic regions of Russia and, in particular, the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
CHUKOTA AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT (RUSSIA)
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (ChAO) – subject Russian Federation, located on the peninsula of the same name, is part of the Far Eastern Federal District. From 1977 to 1991 it was part of the Magadan region, currently it is the only Autonomous Okrug, not part of another subject of the Russian Federation. The Chukotka Autonomous (until 1980 - national) Okrug was formed on December 10, 1930. It borders on the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Magadan Region and Kamchatka region, as well as with the US state of Alaska along the Bering Strait. Administrative center– Anadyr (15.6 thousand people, 2018), founded in 1889. The most significant settlements are Bilibino, Pevek, Egvekinot.
ChAO is located on the extreme northeastern tip of the Eurasian continent and cuts like a wedge between the Pacific and Arctic oceans, washed by the East Siberian, and stretching from the lower reaches of the Kolyma in the west to the east, and includes the islands of Wrangel, Aion, Arakamchechen, Ratmanov, Herald and etc. The area of the district is 721.481 thousand km 2. Most of the district is located in the eastern hemisphere, a smaller part is in the western hemisphere, and about half of the territory is beyond the Arctic Circle. The climate in Chukotka is harsh, subarctic, on the coast - marine, in the interior - continental. Winter lasts up to 8–9 months. Average temperature January from –15°С to -39°С, July – from +5°С to +10°С. Precipitation is 200–500 mm per year. Permafrost is widespread everywhere.
In terms of the rate of population outflow in post-Soviet times, the ChAO ranked first in Russia. In 1985, 152 thousand people lived here. During the perestroika years, the population decreased by more than three times, in 2018 – 49,348 people. (population density – 0.07 people/km 2). Indigenous people– Chukchi, Eskimos, Evens, Chuvans (total about 16 thousand people in 2018). A new round of population decline in the district can be predicted in connection with the planned increase in the retirement age for northerners. The region is still closed to the public, which also does not contribute to the growth of the district's population and the development of tourism.
According to Rostat, the GDP (GRP) of the ChAO in 2016 amounted to 66.1 billion rubles. - about 1 billion dollars at the average exchange rate for the year, and per capita - 1323.2 thousand rubles. ($19,696 thousand). It should be noted that in the last ten years, the growth of GRP in the district is directly related to the growth in gold and silver production and the volume of geological exploration financed by private companies (new mines were commissioned: Dvoinoy, Maysky). Residents associate socio-economic achievements in the district with the work of Roman Abramovich’s team. Year-round roads Pevek - Bilibino, Pevek - Egvekinot were built, the housing stock of several Chukotka settlements and the city of Anadyr was reconstructed. The construction of a power line connecting Chukotka with Kolyma power plants has begun, and a new federal road is being designed from the Kolyma federal highway to the city of Bilibino. In Pevek, preparations for the launch of a floating nuclear power plant are being completed, and port facilities are being modernized. The Northern Sea Route has been revived. An Australian company is rapidly developing the Bering coal deposit, export coal production reached 700 thousand tons in 2017. The new Bering coal port has almost been built.
The new Arctic mines of Chukotka produce 28 tons of gold and 170 tons of silver per year:
Rumors and myths about the wealth of Chukotka began to interest Russian industrialists from the end of the 17th – beginning of the 18th century. After the founding of the Yakut fort in 1632 Russian explorers they went further and further east to Chukotka - “meeting the sun”, and then to Alaska. In 1900, retired Guard Colonel V.M. Vonlyarlyarsky together with geologist K.I. Bogdanovich received “the exclusive right to explore and associated development of gold and other minerals on the Chukotka Peninsula for five years.” After this and a number of other expeditions, in 1908 the first 265 kg of gold were mined in the Volchya River basin. But only in the 30s of the last century, in connection with the development of the Northern Sea Route by the USSR, the powerful development of the region began. From 1933 to 1938, geologists of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route (GUSMP) discovered a number of rich ore and placer deposits of tin and tungsten (Valkumey, Iultin, Pyrkakay, etc.), from which more than 200 thousand tons of tin and 90 thousand . t. t tungsten. Currently, these mines are mothballed. It should also be noted that ChAO has historically mined coal for its own needs. To date, total production has amounted to more than 30 million tons.
In the 50s, Chukotka became famous for the discovery of large placer gold deposits, from which about 1000 tons of gold have been extracted to date. By the 1980s, numerous ore deposits had been discovered, of which about 200 tons of gold and 2,000 tons of silver were mined in the last decade. The cities and towns in the region that emerged in the USSR established their own technical and creative elite. Famous writers and O. Kuvaev glorified the harsh region in books that became widely popular. Based on Oleg Kuvaev's book, the acclaimed feature film "Territory" was recently made (released in 2015). The film, like the book, is based on real events and tells the story of the discovery of a large alluvial gold deposit in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. And today the prophetic remark of the writer is relevant:
“To get into the Territory, you have to get on a plane. Twenty years ago this was also an extraordinary feat on the road. But now you will arrive without incident. When you get tired of sitting in an airplane seat for almost a day and blowing out your ears after landing at godforsaken airfields, you will encounter the first surprise. Your flight will end on a different planet from which it began.”
O. Kuvaev “Territory”
However, the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug still remains one of the most geologically promising regions of the country, where, unfortunately, the search, exploration and production of many minerals is being curtailed. It can be said that market-based geological exploration reforms have still not been able to cope with the harsh conditions of the polar region. The stagnation of geological exploration of the subsoil has led to a massive outflow of geologists from the district. If before 1990 4–5 thousand people worked here in geological exploration, today there are only 200–250 people. Recently, the last geological exploration enterprise (FSUE "Georegion"), which employed 40–50 employees, was liquidated on the territory of the ChAO. It is planned that regional mapping and prospecting work in the district will be carried out by geological parties of Magadangeologiya as part of the Rosgeologiya holding.
In the economy of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (ChAO), the gold mining industry historically occupies central place. In modern Russian gold mining, the share of ChAO is 12.2%, and its share in all-Russian reserves is 3%. To date, the level of gold mining in the district has developed within the range of 25–28 tons, silver – 160–200 tons per year. The results of metallogenic analysis show that in new, undeveloped areas of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the most industrially interesting are rich epithermal Au-Ag deposits (such as Kupol, Dvoinoy, Valunistoye), Au-sulfide disseminated deposits (Maiskoye, Tumannoe, etc.), Au-Bi deposits associated with granitoid intrusions (Kekurnoye, etc.), gold-quartz deposits in turbidites (Sovinoe, Skvoznoye, etc.), Cu-Au-porphyry (Peschanka) and pyrite-polymetallic deposits (not yet discovered), coastal-marine and technogenic gold placers. Thus, the ChAO has great metallogenic potential for the development of a mineral resource base (MRB).
This graph shows the dynamics of gold production in the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug:
The pace of gold production in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is comparable to that of the state of Alaska. Currently, only five of the eight main gold ore deposits are being developed in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. In 2019, it is planned to introduce two more facilities - Klen and Kekura. The Peschanka deposit will apparently be developed after 2030. The potential of Chukotka placer gold resources is also far from being exhausted. Today, the real estimate of alluvial gold reserves in the district is about 60 tons. However, as a result of the successful operation of the mines, the existing gold reserves will be worked out within 10–15 years. Over the past five years, 17 areas promising for the discovery of new gold and silver deposits with a total resource potential of about 1,200 tons of gold and more than 7,000 tons of silver have been transferred to mining companies for use. This allows us to expect a significant increase in reserves by 2025. Over the past five years, financing of geological exploration work (GRR) at the expense of private companies has increased fourfold - to 2 billion rubles. per year.
Potential copper resources of Chukotka:
At the same time, it should be noted that the Chukotka deposits of other types of mineral raw materials are currently “uncompetitive”, with the exception of oil, gas and coal (for local needs and for export) in comparison with similar deposits on the “mainland” (as local residents of Chukotka and Magadan call the rest part of Russia). Those who came to Chukotka large companies(Polymetal, Kinross Gold, Tigers Relm Coal, Highland Gold), which received large and rich deposits of gold, silver and coal from the state practically free of charge, strive to develop them on a rotational basis. As a result of this approach to the development of SMEs in the region in the last decade, despite the revival of gold mining, the beginning of coal mining in the Bering region and the restoration of the Northern Sea Route, the gradual outflow of the population “to the mainland” continues.
If you look at the world map on the Internet, the journey from Russia to America will take about one hour on foot. The two countries are separated by the Bering Strait, which is 3.7 kilometers wide. To the left of it is Chukotka with an area of about 700,000 square meters. km, and on the right is Alaska, almost twice its size. There is also a difference in population. Very few people live on Russian territory, among whom are mainly representatives of the peoples of the small North. But the population of the youngest American state is 15 times larger. Despite the close proximity of the countries, there are differences in the level and quality of life. But this should be discussed in more detail.
Chukotka
In calm and calm weather, the opposite banks are visible from both territories. For local residents valid visa-free regime, so from Chukotka you can get to Alaska without any problems. However, it is much easier to do this from Moscow. And this despite the distance. And until the summer of 2018 there was another problem. Even Russians could not get to Chukotka without special permission border service FSB. But today this requirement has been eliminated, so traveling throughout the country has become much easier.
Most of Chukotka's territory is uninhabited. Long before the outbreak of World War II, there were two Eskimo villages here, but all the local residents migrated to Alaska in search of better living conditions. Only 30 indigenous people remained, adhering to the traditions of their ancestors, but the Soviet government forcibly resettled them to the mainland.
Today there is only one border outpost in Chukotka, manned by only 12 people. Entry is prohibited, and entry is only possible with a special permit and accompanied by a military escort. Food, fuel, medicine, ammunition and other necessary items are delivered by helicopters.
Alaska
It once belonged to Russia, but in 1867 the peninsula was sold to the United States of America. Most of Alaska is wildlife, untouched by human hand. The state capital is Anchorage, with a total population of approximately 291,000 people. In general, there are quite a lot of towns here, more like villages, since they have less than 1,000 inhabitants.
Despite the fact that Alaska is governed by the United States, many communities do not have centralized electricity supply, so homes are powered by diesel generators. And the housing is heated using ordinary stoves and firewood, which are in abundance here. There are no problems with education and medicine. Every city has at least one school and hospital.
Alaska's westernmost community
The closest city to Russia is Wales, located on Cape Prince of Wales. Only 145 people live here. The infrastructure in the settlement is rather poorly developed. Local residents travel for food, fuel and basic necessities on dog sleds and snowmobiles. Until the end of the 80s, 10 kilometers from the city there was naval base, but then it was closed.
There was also a secret military facility with equipment for listening to submarines on Fairway Rock near Wales. But in the mid-90s it was closed due to the threat radioactive contamination, emitted by nuclear generators.
But here local population it never went anywhere. Despite the fact that the houses do not have electricity, running water or central heating, people continue to live in these areas, where you can easily meet bears, wolves and other wild animals.
The easternmost settlement of Chukotka
On Cape Dezhnev there is a small village of Uelen. It has only three streets and is home to about 620 people. The standard of living in the settlement began to change in the early 2000s. When Abramovich was governor of the region, people were provided with modern cottages built using Canadian technology.
The infrastructure is developed quite well. The village has kindergarten, school and hospital. There are no shops, but everything you need is delivered on dry cargo ships once a year, when weather conditions and climatic conditions. In 2011, local residents received mobile communications and the Internet. However, the signal quality is not very good due to the distance from the mainland, so interruptions occur periodically.
Standard of living in Uelen
The cost of food in the settlement is several times higher than in Moscow. For example, a liter of Lyubimy juice costs as much as 150 rubles, and a can of canned tomatoes costs 450. The price level for fermented milk products is even higher. This is due to the difficulty of regular food supplies and too short terms suitability.
But the locals aren't complaining too much. Their main activity is fishing and hunting. The forests are full of game, mushrooms and berries, and the ocean and rivers are rich in fish, so there are no problems with food. As for wages, the average salary is 27,000 rubles.
In 2017, a desalination station was built in Uelen, supplying people drinking water, the situation with which was simply catastrophic. This is a big breakthrough that has significantly improved the quality of life. Previously, residents of the village had to use water from the ocean for all their needs, so they even had to drink salty tea.
Road quality
There have always been problems with this in Russia. There is no railway connection in Chukotka. Cities and settlements connected by highways that are in terrible condition. They have not been repaired since the days of the Soviet Union. The current government doesn't care about this problem. Most of the roads are not paved, but are regular gravel.
Things are much better in Alaska. Total length railways is 760 kilometers. In addition, almost the entire state has well-developed asphalt highways. But there is nothing to be surprised about, because the American government has always done everything for the people.
Salaries and prices in Chukotka and Alaska
This is another question that worries many Russians. According to official data, in Chukotka the average salary is 100,000 rubles. However, in reality, not everything is so rosy. If you look at the open vacancies, you can see that the salary for them is at the level of 50,000 rubles. Thus, wages are almost 50% lower than those stated in economic reports.
In Alaska, regular nurses earn an average of $6,700. In addition, each citizen annually receives government subsidies in the amount of more than 2,000 USD just for living here. But the price level here is slightly higher than in other American states. As for the price level for food and other goods, they are almost the same in Alaska and Chukotka. Therefore, it is not surprising that many Russians dream of moving to live in America.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that Chukotka and Alaska are located nearby and used to be part of the same country, nevertheless today they are two completely different worlds, each of which is beautiful in its own way. People live in both territories, despite the harsh climate and many problems. And yet no one wants to leave here. Both Chukotka and Alaska have preserved pristine nature, captivating with its beauty, which the local population does not want to exchange for any conveniences and benefits of civilization. It is not for nothing that they say that it is not the place that makes the person, but the person the place. You can probably live anywhere, the most important thing is to create all the necessary conditions for this.
1. What date does a resident of Chukotka need to fly to Alaska in order to be there on October 10 at 9 o'clock in the morning (travel time 1 hour)?
2. The ship left the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on September 12 at 8 a.m. local time and arrived in Los Angeles on September 24 at 12 p.m. local time. How many days was he on the road?
3.Your ship leaves San Francisco on Sunday, October 11 at 20:00 and will arrive in Vladivostok exactly 14 days later. Write the text of a telegram to your parents, what date and time to meet you.
4.What do you think is the greatest number of Sundays there can be in February, the shortest month of the year?
5. In what famous fairy tales of French and Russian writers was the idea of what we now call summer time proposed?
6. A telegram was sent from Vladivostok to Moscow at 13:20 local time and delivered to the addressee at 9:15 Moscow time. How long did the telegram take?
Answers:
1. If in Alaska it is 9 am on October 10, then in Chukotka it is already 5 am on October 11. Therefore, we will depart from Chukotka on October 11 at 4 o’clock, and arrive in Alaska on October 10 at 9 am.
2. If in Los Angeles it is September 24, then in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky it is already September 25 at 7 am. The ship was on its way for 13 days (25 - 12 = 13).
3. According to the moving tableWe will determine time zones: according to the Vladivostok calendar, the ship left San Francisco on Monday, October 12 at 14:00. In 14 days, Monday, October 26th will come in Vladivostok. Let’s write it like this: “Meet us on October 26 at 2 p.m.”
4. If you ask this question to a person who constantly lives in one place, he will reason like this. Let's take the maximum possible number of days in February, which occurs in leap years, - 29. If the first day of such February falls on a Sunday, then February 8, 15, 22 and 29 will also be Sundays. Hence there is one answer; the largest number of Sundays in February is five.
If the answer is given by the captain of a ship who regularly, once a week, sails the Bering Strait from Chukotka to Alaska, then he can say the following. The ship leaves Chukotka every Sunday. On the same day, the ship crosses the international date line. Since it moves from west to east, the next day for it will again be Sunday. And so on every week. Consequently, for the ship's crew, the greatest number of resurrections in February may be twice as many as for all other inhabitants of the Earth, namely ten.
5. In Charles Perrault's fairy tale “Cinderella” there are the following lines: “During a ball in the palace, the king, in order to prolong the holiday, ordered the hands of all clocks to be moved back one hour.” Thus, C. Perrault, back in the 18th century, anticipated the idea of introducing an artificial correction to clock readings for practical needs.
Let us recall some details of the fairy tale “The Scarlet Flower” by Sergei Timofeevich Aksakov (1791-1859). At a time when the merchant’s youngest daughter had to return to the beast of the forest, the miracle of the sea, “the sisters conceived a cunning deed, a cunning and unkind deed: they took it and set all the clocks in the house a whole hour ago.” Thus, Aksakov also proposed the idea of introducing an artificial correction to the clock readings.
Currently, more than 70 countries, except Japan, China and some others located close (0 o - 40 o) from the equator (and previously there were 120 countries), move their clocks forward 1 hour every spring, thereby achieving more rational use daylight hours for the next seven months, with the evenings remaining light for a long time and lights in homes can be turned on a little later.
Go to summer time and in the southern hemisphere, this occurs in September - the first spring month of this hemisphere.
6. If in Vladivostok it is 13 hours 20 minutes, and the time difference with Moscow is 7 hours, then in Moscow it is 6 hours 20 minutes. Since the telegram was delivered at 9 hours 15 minutes, then the journey took 2 hours 55 minutes (9 hours 15 minutes - 6 hours 20 minutes = 8 hours 75 minutes - 6 hours 20 minutes = 2 hours 55 minutes).
Diomede Islands. Bering Strait
The Diomede Islands (Gvozdev Islands) are two islands and several rocks located in the middle of the Bering Strait, at a distance of about 35 km from both Chukotka and Alaska. Coordinates 65°46′00″ N. w. 169°00′00″ W. d.
The western island is Ratmanov Island (Big Diomede, Eskimo name Imaklik - “surrounded by water”), has an area of about 10 square meters. km and belongs to Russia, being its easternmost point. The island is part of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Named in honor of naval officer Makar Ratmanov.
Highest point- Mount Roof, 505 meters. It is located slightly south of the geographical center of the island.
Depths off the coast reach 43 meters.
The coast is rocky, with blocky screes, with a narrow strip coastal beach, only north shore relatively flat. A polar station is also located there. There are several rivers, two of them flow from the center of the island to the north, one flows from the top of Mount Roof to the southeast. The length of the island from north to south is 8.7 km, from east to west - 4.7 km. The extreme northern point of the island is Cape Vsadnik, to the east of which is Cape Skalisty. The southernmost point of the island is Cape Yuzhny.
The island's infrastructure is relatively developed, there is a polar station, a border post and many different buildings along the shores of the island and south of the center.
Today there are no representatives of the indigenous population on the island, but border troops are present, since the island is located on the border North America and Asia.
Big Diomede Island is washed by the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, and therefore has a huge strategic importance. Ratmanov Island is a geographical point where New Year in Russia it occurs first, because when it is midnight on the island, on the western border of Russia it is 12 hours 35 minutes of the previous day.
One of the largest bird colonies in the region is located on Ratmanov Island; in total, 11 species of seabirds with a total number of over 4 million individuals have been recorded. In June 1976, a buffy hummingbird was observed here - the only species of hummingbird whose migration has been recorded in Russia.
There is a large walrus rookery on the island, and mass migrations of gray whales occur in the coastal waters
The eastern island (about 5 sq. km) - Kruzenshtern Island (Little Diomede, Eskimo name Ingalik - (“opposite”) and Fairway Rock belong to the United States.
The distance between the islands is 4160 m and the state border of Russia and the USA and the international date line pass between them.
The time difference is 23 hours. So when residents on Little Diomede look across the strait to Big Diomede, they are not just looking at another country, they are “studying tomorrow.” For example, when in the USA it is 9:00 on Saturday on the Little Diomede, then in Russia it is 6:00 on Sunday on the Big Diomede. Because of this, they are sometimes called Tomorrow Island and Yesterday Island.
Both islands have a flat top, steep slopes and a location isolated by rough seas. Permanent fog covers the islands during the warmer months, and in winter, moving pieces of ice collide in open waters, forming an ice bridge connecting the two islands. In times like these, you can practically walk between the United States and Russia. Of course, this can only be done in theory. Crossing the Bering Strait is not permitted by law. However, since 1989, there has been an agreement between the USSR (now Russia) and the USA on visa-free travel for local residents to visit each other.
The islands were originally inhabited by Eskimos, 3,000 years ago. The islands were first noticed in 1648 by the pioneer Cossack Semyon Dezhnev. about which there is a written report dated April 15, 1655. The official discovery is associated with the first expedition to Kamchatka, which took place in 1728. During it, Bering discovered an island called Diomede, as it was found on the day of St. Diomede. In Russian Orthodox Church this is the day of remembrance of the martyr Diomede. And in 1732, the Diomede Islands were first put on the map by Ivan Fedorov and Mikhail Gvozdev. Modern titles were assigned in 1815 by Lieutenant Otto Kotzebue (Krusenstern Island and Ratmanov Island).
When the United States bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, the treaty included Krusenstern Island (Little Diomede). New frontier was carried out between these two islands.
Inupik-speaking Eskimos lived on both islands until the mid-20th century. They engaged in barter trade with Asian and American tribes Therefore, when creating their cultural traditions, they adopted customs that already existed on both continents.
From 1905 to 1933, there was a gradual migration of indigenous people from Ratmanov Island to the neighboring one - american island Kruzenshtern. With the beginning of the Cold War, through the efforts of the Soviet side, the remaining residents were forcibly resettled to the mainland of Chukotka. Big Diomede became a Russian military base
Since 1916, due to weak protection of the northern borders, an American trading post operated illegally on the island, which did not pay customs duties. In September 1925, the border patrol ship Vorovsky arrived at Ratmanov Island, after which the Americans were forced to leave Soviet territory. In 1941, a border post was created on the island.
Little Diomede has developed into a small community of 75 inhabitants, with a church and school. The Eskimos of Little Diomede fish and crab, and hunt beluga whales, walrus, seals and polar bears. Food and mail are delivered by barge from the mainland.
Interesting facts
On November 5, 1933, the steamship Chelyuskin, finishing its passage along the Northern Sea Route, was covered in ice in the Bering Strait near the Diomede Islands - from here its ice drift began. "Chelyuskin" was carried north by ice drift into the Chukchi Sea, where it sank, crushed by ice.
In 2005, a seven-meter Orthodox cross was erected on the island, installed on the highest hill, which is clearly visible to residents of neighboring Alaska and ships passing through the Bering Strait.
On the initiative of Bishop Diomede (Dzyuban) of Anadyr and Chukotka, on August 25, 2005, at the extreme eastern point An Orthodox worship cross was installed in Russia.
Bishop Diomede arrived on the island on board the military ship "Captain Sipyagin". The seven-meter cross is installed on the highest hill of the island, called Skalista, and is clearly visible to residents of neighboring Alaska and captains of ships passing through the Bering Strait. From the place of disembarkation from the ship to Skalistaya - almost three kilometers. Border guards helped carry the parts of the wooden cross. The cross was erected next to the observation post.
According to some plans, it is possible to pass through the island a road tunnel that will connect Eurasia and North America.
The idea of creating a transport artery between Alaska and Russia was first expressed in 1890 by Colorado Governor William Gilpin. He talked about the possibility of building a giant bridge. In the 40s and 60s of the 20th century, this idea was again discussed at the highest level.
“Today, a number of American specialists are raising the question of connecting the coasts of Asia and America with a tunnel along the line of the Diomede Islands located in the Bering Strait,” wrote Corresponding Member of the RAS V.A. LAMIN, General Director of the Joint Institute of History, Philology and Philosophy of the SB RAS. “True, the authors of the modern initiative, unlike its predecessors, are focused primarily on the development of the engineering and technical aspects of the structure: it is assumed that it can be successfully implemented in the first quarter of the 21st century and its financing is not a problem. At the same time, the range of technical and operational parameters of the tunnel is not limited. only by rail. All types of modern communications will be laid in it: from cable communication lines to pipelines and energy transmission systems."
The construction of the tunnel is a far-reaching project. Today, there are no necessary road and railway connections on Russian and American territories. On the American side, a highway with a length of more than 1,200 km will be built. Moreover, construction may slow down due to sharp protests from defenders environment. On Russian territory, the nearest route begins in Magadan at a distance of 1600 km from the tunnel. The situation with railway tracks is not much better.
On the American side, the closest road starts in Prince George. It is necessary to build a rail bed almost 2000 km long.
On Russian territory it will be necessary to build a railway line that will connect the tunnel with the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The cost of this project was estimated at $128 billion. The projected length of the tunnel, which will connect Chukotka and Alaska, is almost 100 km. Construction will take at least 20 years. This is the largest project of its kind in history, noted the German newspaper Die Welt.
The tunnel was supposed to be built in one of the most remote areas of the globe. In the narrowest part of the Bering Strait, Russia and Alaska are separated by only 37 km, and in the area of the Diomede Islands - only 5.8. However, for safety reasons, experts recommended that the tunnel should not be built along the shortest path, so that as a result its length would be 96 kilometers.
According to Viktor Razbegin, who was involved in this project at the Ministry of Economy, we are talking about “one of the very few projects that can radically change the development of the Russian Far East“He believed that “the chances of its implementation are quite good.” The United States, Russia and Canada were close to making a decision on the construction of such a tunnel back in 1998, but discussions were stopped after the default in Russia.
Sources used.
