Center of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. A port city located on the coast of the Anadyr Bay of the Bering Sea. Population 11,073 (2006), 13,045 (2010), 14,326 (2015), 15,604 (2018)

Anadyr from the word "Onandyr" - the Chukchi river, "Anadyrsk" - a prison from the times of Semyon Dezhnev and Kurbat Ivanov ( mid-seventeenth century). Local Chukchi population calls the city V'en "zev, entrance" or Kagyrlyn "entrance, mouth", which reflects its location at a narrow neck that opens the entrance to the upper part of the Anadyr estuary.

The city of Anadyr was founded as the most northeastern outpost Russian Empire- Novo-Mariinsk in August 1889.
Its foundation is dictated by the geopolitical interests of the Russian state, due to the aggravation in the second half of the 19th century of contradictions between Russia, the USA and England in the North Pacific. The reason for the exacerbation was the increase American expansion first in territorial waters, and then, after the sale by the tsarist government in 1867 of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to the United States of America, and on the northeast coast of the Russian Empire. It was not possible to limit the penetration of Americans into Chukotka by cruising military ships off its coast. And then the tsarist government, by decree of July 9, 1888, in order to consolidate statehood in the remote northeastern outskirts of the Russian Empire, established a new independent administrative unit- Anadyrsky district, having allocated for this part of the territory from the Gizhiginsky district. Among the priority tasks that the first head of the newly created Anadyr district Leonid Grinevetsky, was the foundation of its center.

At first, the post, and then the village was known under two names: Novo-Mariinsk and Anadyr, and dragged out its miserable existence. Despite this, here, on the outskirts of Russia, the routes of scientists of various profiles began to intersect more and more often. It is known that the first head of the Anadyr district, L.F. Grinevetsky, as well as N.L. Gondatti. Along with a rich scientific heritage dedicated to Chukotka, a true description of Novo-Mariinsk was left by the largest ethnographer, an exiled Narodnaya Volya member V.G. Tan-Bogoraz, who became a professor in Soviet times, a member of the Committee for the Affairs of the Peoples of the North.
Profitable geographical position Novo-Mariinsk gradually attracted the attention of Russian and foreign merchants, gold prospectors, and fishermen. After the discovery in 1906 by the American prospector Nadeau, a Frenchman of Canadian origin, a few tens of kilometers from the county center, in the basin of the Volchya River, a small placer of gold, a Discovery joint-stock mine was formed to develop it. T. Birich, the son of a prominent Kamchatka businessman P. Birich, opened in Novo-Mariinsk a branch of the firm "Churkin and K" from Vladivostok. On the banks of the estuary, two large fishing trips were organized - Erikson and Grushetsky. The latter was the owner of the Pacific industries, which had their own steamships at their disposal. Indigenous people also began to settle here.
In 1914, one of the most powerful radio stations in Russia was built in Novo-Mariinsk, on which long-wave spark transmitters were installed, which made it possible to provide reliable communication with Petropavlovsk, Okhotsk, and Nome.

Before the revolution of 1917, there were warehouses, a prison, and several houses on the left bank of the Kazachka River. Construction in Novo-Mariinsk was carried out on the right bank. There were 30-40 houses here, the new house of the county chief, warehouses, a bathhouse, a medical assistant's station, yarangas, and a chapel. Above, on the bank of the estuary, there was a post office and a radio station.

The revolutionary events of 1917 did not bypass Novo-Mariinsk. In 1919, the First Revolutionary Committee of Chukotka was created here. In 1920, after a counter-revolutionary coup and the execution of the Revolutionary Committee, the Anadyr district executive committee was elected, reorganized in 1921 into the Narrevkom. In the same year, a union of workers and employees was created in Anadyr - the first trade union organization in Chukotka.

The rapid growth of Anadyr began after the formation of the Chukotka National District in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee "On the organization of national associations in the areas of settlement of the peoples of the North" of December 10, 1930.
Anadyr became the center of the Chukotka national district in 1932.
In 1934, by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the village of Anadyr was renamed into a city, but it received the official status of a city many years after the Great Patriotic War– in 1965. In 1935, the Anadyr permafrost station of the USSR Academy of Sciences was organized.

On January 1, 1941, 3,100 people lived in Anadyr. Many Anadyr residents took part in the construction of a military airfield to ferry military aircraft from Vancouver to the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, raised funds for the construction of military equipment, and sent parcels with warm clothes to front-line soldiers.
In 1943, the first graduation of young Chukotka teachers took place in Anadyr. Among them were 3 Chukchi, 4 Eskimos, 1 Chuvan. On January 3, 1947, the district library was opened in the village of Anadyr. The village library has existed here since 1924, although this fact has not been documented anywhere.
In 1949, the Anadyr district industrial complex began its work. On May 1, 1953, the first issue of the Sovetken Chukotka newspaper was published. In 1954, on the basis of a decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, a construction department was created - SMU-1, later renamed SSK-4. In 1955, a port office was organized in Anadyr on the shore of Melkaya Bay. He had two boats, three kungas, a car. In 1958, the District House of Folk Art and a music school began their work in Anadyr. In 1961, an agricultural technical school was opened on the basis of the school of collective farm personnel in Anadyr.
In 1961, the Anadyr seaport was formed. In 1963, the House of Culture was put into operation in Anadyr, in the construction of which the public and youth took an active part. 1963 - the construction of a dam on the Kazachka River was completed, which made it possible to carry out water supply to Anadyr. The dam is 1300 meters long and 16 meters high. In 1964, VGChPU was created.

In 1964, the first Anadyr automatic telephone exchange was put into operation.
On January 12, 1965, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, the center of the Chukotka National District - the village of Anadyr - was transformed into a city of regional subordination.
This year 97 children were born in Anadyr. In total, more than 5 thousand people lived in Anadyr.
On October 31, 1967, the Anadyr TV Center hosted the first telecast. In 1967, the first four-story residential building was built in Anadyr (Lenina, 36). In 1967, a monument to V.I. Lenin. On August 7, 1968, the professional Chukchi-Eskimo national ensemble "Ergyron" was created.
Since 1973, the production of the brewery began.
In 1978, the construction of a new meat and dairy plant began.
In 1980, Anadyr became the administrative center of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (on the basis of the Law "On Autonomous Okrugs of the RSFSR", the Chukotka National Okrug was transformed into an autonomous one).
In 1994, the Chukotka District College of Arts began its work in the capital of the district.

After a decline in socio-economic development, characterized by a decline in living standards and a mass exodus of the able-bodied population from the northern regions, which began with the collapse Soviet Union and continued until the end of the 20th century, since 2001, a period of "second" birth, intensive renewal and development began in Anadyr.
On August 11, 2004, the world's largest monument to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was unveiled in Anadyr.

Today we will continue our virtual journey through the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and pay attention to the other side of the Gulf of Anadyr, which is also fraught with many attractions. However, sights in the classical sense of the word are rare in Chukotka, but Amazing places shrouded in a halo of mysticism, magic and beauty - as much as you like.

Gudym. In obese Soviet times on weekends and holidays, they washed the asphalt in it with a fire truck ...

Near the village "Coal Mines" the largest airport in the region is located - "Carbonic". And from the main entrance of Chukotka, restored during the time of Abramovich, only 20 minutes. by car to the former secret base armed forces of the USSR "Anadyr-1". In the 60s of the last century, at the peak of the confrontation between Moscow and Washington, the Soviet government decided to create a number of secret military units with nuclear weapons - the so-called. "northern nuclear shield". And the appearance in Chukotka of an object with intercontinental ballistic missiles was not long in coming. Combat duty of the nuclear missile deterrent system lasted until "perestroika". During this time, two military camps have grown in a picturesque valley between low hills: the main one - No. 5 (Gudym) and the auxiliary one - No. 2.

Gudym today is a sad and at the same time amazing sight.

The scope of construction of buildings, roads, landfills, tankodrom and other buildings, according to the speed of construction for the regions "permafrost" was unprecedented. But the most amazing building erected on the outskirts of Gudym, of course, "Portal"- an underground command post for controlling nuclear missile launches, located in the depths of one of the hills. The imposing dungeon, the upper level of which can still be penetrated today, strikes the imagination with the scale of the device, the degrees of protection and the presence of a well-preserved narrow-gauge railway.

Barracks of the town №2

According to these and many other parameters, Gudym is considered "first among equals" from among the abandoned military bases in the territory former USSR. Today, there is not a soul there, and only rare scrap collectors and adventurers disturb the peace of the ghost town. IN better times several thousand people lived here, mostly members of the families of military personnel who were supplied with "mainland" by category "BUT", such as the apparatus of the Central Committee of the CPSU. The provision at the highest level affected all spheres of life, even the teachers of Gudym's only school came from Moscow. However, all this idyll suddenly sank into oblivion with Gorbachev's coming to power. First, nuclear weapons were removed from there, then the supply conditions changed, and finally, with the destruction of the Union, very dark times came for the inhabitants of Gudym. The disbandment of the facility dragged on until 2002 and wait "dead city" continues to keep his secrets all alone. Today Gudym is an excellent set for a disaster movie. Post-apocalyptic landscape with picturesque ruins of military facilities - one of the best places for industrial tourism from the category " made and forgotten in the USSR".

Boxes and barrels

Washbasins

Be h interchangeable sentry of John

Several of the following sights of the Anadyr region add up to a similarity "Golden Ring", especially since the entire route is directly related to the precious metal. From the Gudymsky hills originates the Golden Range with the highest point - the city of John (1014 m.), Stretching for 70 km. deep into the Anadyr lowland. And the first unusual place, except for the natural splendor of the mountain range, is the village of Zolotorye, located on the southern spurs of the ridge of the same name. At the very beginning of the last century, resourceful Yankees began to mine gold here. industrial way, and after the establishment of Soviet power in Chukotka, they were replaced by domestic gold miners. Today, the mines, as well as the scattering of former miners' settlements, are abandoned. At times "developed socialism", Zolotogorie, being the center of gold mining in the Anadyr region, was the same closed place as Gudym. Now, in these foothills, in addition to curious bears, you can also meet a person: the preserved artifacts of the Soviet past and the contrasting views of the Golden Ridge against the background of the surrounding tundra attract more and more tourists every summer.

Golden Mountains and the city of John

The next Chukotka point after Zolotorye "Golden Ring", Perevalnye lakes - graceful reservoirs, so named because of the location on both sides of the mountain pass. The narrow gorge and wonderful views made this remote place a real pearl of the Anadyr region.

The last point of the route, the very heart "Golden Ridge"- Zolotaya (925 m) has an excellent observation deck. In good weather, Anadyr and its environs, Mikhail Hill and Mount Dionisia are visible from its top. And although the Chukchi landscapes are a topic for a separate, big conversation, it can be said with confidence that any trip to this lost world is unthinkable without a eulogy to the local beauties.

The road to the village Miner

Returning to Anadyr, before turning to Coal Mines, you can turn into another abandoned village located on the shore of Melkaya Bay near the Vtoraya Gorka hill. This is Shakhtyorsky - an urban-type settlement, which almost completely repeated the sad fate of Gudym. The reforms of the 90s brought to naught all production, including the oldest fish cannery in Chukotka, built in 1929. Abandoned to the mercy of fate, the inhabitants sought to move as quickly as possible, if not to "big land" , then at least in Anadyr and in 1998 the leadership of the district began to implement the decision on the complete liquidation of Shakhtyorsky.

settlement Miner

In addition to inspiring landscapes in the style of urban cyberpunk, Shakhtyorsky has a unique monument of the Soviet era, which has miraculously survived to this day. This is a small, dilapidated obelisk to the first Chukchi pilot Timofey Elkov. In addition to it, a lot of artifacts from the Soviet period have been preserved here: household utensils, books, children's toys, household appliances, cars and even airplanes. Cape Observation is located near the village, from where wonderful views of Anadyr and the entrance to Kanchalan Bay open.

According to the latest data, the monument will be updated and moved to the village. Coal Mines

Resorts of the Bering Sea

This side of the Anadyr estuary, where the diversity of amazing and harsh Nature is intertwined with the aesthetics of decadence, surpasses the metropolitan area in the abundance of remarkable places. And although the crisis phenomena in our life are a constant value, Chukotka makes us fully feel the variability of our world. Here one feels more deeply the inexorable time, which sooner or later will bury any hopes of the conformist for "enduring values". At one time, this was subtly noticed by the famous relative of Abramovich - King Solomon, expressing the whole essence in the well-known phrase-prophecy: "This too shall pass"...

Windmills in Chukotka

When you fly over Europe, you see a scattering of lights, cities, ribbons of roads. The flight over the expanses of Siberia creates an amazing illusion: the planet seems uninhabited.

Anadyr

The first thing you notice at the airport is a small, dirty pile of snow that hasn't melted yet. And it's summer!

The airport is located only 10 km from the city, but the path from the gangway to the hotel is unusual. It is impossible to get to Anadyr by land: planes land and take off on the other side of the huge Anadyr estuary. When this water surface is ice-bound, minibuses run along winter roads, turning their wheels over a multi-meter water column. You can also pay extra for a seat in a helicopter that picks up wealthy polar explorers from the airfield. As for our flight, all its passengers were transported upon arrival by small river boats.

At one of them we met Stepan Selezny from the Chernihiv region. It turned out that he was on his way to work and had been working in Chukotka for many years together with a team of builders, in which almost all of them were from Ukraine. Working hands are needed in the North, they pay well here, so even Turks and Canadians work. But Ukrainian workers are not entirely legally employed - at least some of them.

In Anadyr itself, the accentuated diversity of house coloring is surprising: modern five-story buildings here stand on piles, as if on needles - these are special foundations for permafrost, and local buildings are made up of multi-colored blocks - blue and burgundy, brown and green, yellow and blue ... Tones muffled, dim, and this is understandable: the general background of the leaden sky is no longer so pressing on the eyes. Sometimes a huge photograph flaunts on the entire wall - a portrait of an Evenk beauty, flying birds or sailboats in the sea.

Weather in Chukotka

Chukotka was not lucky at all with the climate: neighboring Alaska is much warmer and sunnier. The fact is that the northern winds blow exactly on the local shores, which makes the winter even more severe. Summer is hot, but always very short.

There is often a strong, simply incredible wind on the coast, so everything here is fixed, tied in knots. The most common detail of the outfit, both male and female, is the hood. Be sure to take care of this whim of the local fashion for yourself. The wind can rise suddenly, its record gusts reach 80 m / s. You need to fasten tightly, up to the throat, to the top button.

The wind can end just as suddenly. Only a slight tinnitus remains. And if you go deep into the continent, on one of the proposed tours - on all-terrain vehicles in summer, on reindeer in winter - you will be pleasantly surprised: there, behind the wall of hills, the wind is like wind, quite familiar to a European.

Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

A doctor from Moscow, with whom we flew to Anadyr, told a curiosity similar to a joke about the Chukchi realities. According to him, local residents who are not very educated consider the oligarch Roman Abramovich ... a living god! This was allegedly even recorded in one of the sociological surveys conducted in Chukotka.

During Putin's rule, Abramovich was twice appointed governor of this region. Subsequently, President Medvedev terminated his powers ahead of schedule with the wording "of his own free will", but a few days later the businessman was elected a deputy of the local legislature, where he wins with a truly record number of votes (96.99%) and then he is unanimously elected to the post of chairman of the Duma of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

The trick is that the things and phenomena brought here personally by Roman Abramovich, in some way really resemble the gifts of higher powers. It was with his arrival that the local people learned what mobile communications are, plastic cards for salaries, charter flights and much more.

Oligarch Abramovich remains a speaker to this day legislative assembly Chukotka... Although he lives in London.

Polar Star

People in Anadyr are still well settled: the city is located 200 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. This circle is just the latitude on the globe. There is no definite feature on the terrain like the Great Wall of China, although there are signs, monuments and arches on the tracks - mainly for tourists.

The ancient Greeks first reached the border of the Arctic, and they were not at all surprised that the summer sun in the Norwegian Sea was not going to hide behind the horizon. Since 100 years before their significant trip, one of Plato's students proved the existence of this phenomenon on his fingers.

At the latitude of the circle, the polar day lasts only once a day, on June 21-22, that is, the sun does not set once a year. And in the northern regions of Chukotka, daylight reigns for about a month, in June-July. And in winter, the daylight does not rise at all.

"How do you live in the middle of the polar night?" We were surprised many times. “Just like on a polar day,” the locals shrugged their shoulders. - I woke up - it means morning. The working day ends - evening.

It was not possible to admire the aurora borealis, since it is extremely rare during short summer nights and is more typical for autumn and spring. But the maid in the hotel, the Evenka girl Tinil (she allowed to call her Tatyana), spoke about another related phenomenon that happens to people in these northern regions. It is spoken "call of the North Star", or simply "meryachka". It happens that a whole team of builders will suddenly wake up at night, get out of the wagons into the street and also go into the tundra without opening their eyes. Or the Chukchi will all move out of the camp and go towards the ghostly fire.

This strange disease, which was studied by Bekhterev, affects people with an unstable psyche and poor health. It manifests itself in the fact that during flashes in the sky a person temporarily turns off, ceases to perceive the environment, but hears strange voices, sounds, magical singing, sees angels. So he goes towards them - always to the north, towards the radiance.

Problems of Chukotka

However, the Far North attracts many not only with a ghostly light. Having enlisted here for a year, then returning home, people sometimes do not find a place for themselves, they are drawn again and again to these parts. It's not just about the beauty of landscapes: for example, building houses, you can get a lot of money here.

In Chukotka they drink a lot - visitors and natives, and not only "to keep warm." The natives of the North have a special organism: it does not have an enzyme that breaks down alcohol. Therefore, they are very easy to drink, which the colonialists have used for many centuries. Poisoning with "scorched" vodka is one of the main causes of death in Chukotka. In settlements far from Anadyr, a “drunken Friday” has even been introduced, something like a soft dry law. This means that liquor is only sold at three last days weeks. Another phenomenon - whether this is related to the problem of alcoholism or not, is unknown - but the growth rates of the number of sexually transmitted diseases in recent years in Chukotka are horrifying. They are several times larger than the national ones.

Permafrost

It was there that we went from the center of the Autonomous Okrug to a pre-paid tour. It included an internal flight Anadyr-Egvekinot and back. The travel programs were called in a very Soviet way: “Visiting reindeer breeders” with an overnight stay in a camp, “Visiting sea hunters” with accommodation in the Chukchi village of Uelkal. The cost of tours is $ 3-7 thousand per person, depending on the conditions of additional comfort.

A traveler in Chukotka needs a lot of patience and special endurance, where one should always be ready for extreme weather events. Of all the places I know, including the Siberian taiga, the peninsula holds the palm (or dwarf birch?) championship in terms of the number of midges. In addition to mosquitoes, it is teeming with: small midges, black flies, gadflies and God knows what flying ghouls. A smart tourist is one who is properly dressed, and this is all kinds of anti-mosquito equipment: windbreakers, encephalitis, mosquito hats, etc. and all this is in the local distribution network. But still it is worth stocking up in advance with both clothes and chemicals. It is more reliable and in many cases cheaper.

How to go to Chukotka

The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug belongs to the border zone of Russia, and an appropriate regime operates on its territory. That is, foreigners must issue a pass there, and this is more difficult than obtaining a visa to some countries. Entry permits are issued by the Federal Border Service of the FSB of Russia on the basis of personal applications of citizens or petitions of enterprises, for example, travel agencies. It is important to know exactly your future route, since movement through the territory of Chukotka takes place with mandatory registration at all (!) Points of stay.

What to see in Chukotka

Anadyr- a port city in the extreme north-east of Russia, administrative center Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Located on the shores of the Bering Sea Bay in the permafrost zone.

Polar Lights - optical phenomenon in upper layers atmosphere, the glow of individual sections of the night sky, which is rapidly changing. Duration - from several minutes to the whole day.

golden ridge- a snow-covered mountain range on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, extends along the coast of the Gulf of Anadyr. The highest peak is John Peak (1012 m). In these mountains in 1905 they found industrial gold reserves, hence the name.

arctic tundra- treeless natural zone, extends to the north of the taiga zone.

Chukchi etiquette

Do not be surprised if at the entrance, wherever you go (shop, entrance of the house ...) you will not immediately be able to miss each other. We are accustomed to let those who leave the premises first, and then enter ourselves. Here, on the contrary, they first give a person the opportunity to get into the heat. This Chukchi trait is from long frosty winters.

polar cuisine

Traditionally, venison is served at parking lots in local settlements. Note: here you can taste it not only in its “pure” form, but also buy sausages or eat venison soup.

Interestingly, the cost of 1 kg of this meat in the capitals of the world reaches € 60-70. Chukchi reindeer herders “rent” it for 27 rubles per kilo (about 10 UAH). On the market in Anadyr, it costs 120-130 rubles.

In Chukotka, they like to eat young shoots of the polar willow, wild onion and sorrel. And, of course, berries: cloudberries, blueberries, lingonberries, rose hips.

Among the spices, we liked pupukit root - it tastes like coriander. In general, vegetable seasonings in the Chukchi cuisine, perhaps, are no less than in Indian. Pelkumret, Lemkut, Iechavtin, Ipien - these are some of the names of local roots and herbs.

The works of recent years (Ainana et al., 1999; 2000; 2001; Mymrin, 2000, and others) show that the life support of the indigenous inhabitants of the Chukotka Peninsula is made up of wildlife resources, harvested and used by the indigenous people in traditional ways.

In the last two or three years, the list of species used by traditional fisheries includes bowhead and gray whales, beluga whales, walruses, bearded seals, akiba, and spotted seals. In a number of villages, a polar bear is regularly hunted.

The second place in the life support of the indigenous people is occupied by fish, and among them are mainly marine and anadromous fish species. In the first place among the fish, it is probably necessary to put the polar cod (cod), which (with a massive approach to the shores) is caught by all the inhabitants of the villages, from children to very old people.

In second place (in terms of catch volume) should be char. This species is caught in the sea, in estuaries and lagoons along the Chukchi coast everywhere. The fishing period is determined by the time of summer feeding of charrs, descending into the sea in May-June and returning to the rivers in August-September, that is, about three months. In winter, char is caught in the rivers much less.

Among salmon, pink salmon is caught in significant quantities along the coast, and chum salmon is caught in smaller quantities. Even less and not everywhere the inhabitants of the coast catch sockeye salmon, coho salmon. Chinook is caught only occasionally.

From purely marine fish, navaga is mined in significant quantities. It is usually caught during the ice period. Everywhere in small quantities flounder and goby are caught. In a number of places they take smelt, capelin, cod and a number of other marine species.

except listed species, a number of freshwater fish species are caught in rivers and lakes.

Invertebrates play an important role in the diet of indigenous people. They catch, and more often they collect on the shore, different types crabs (blue crab, polar crab), several types of molluscs, sea squirts. In significant quantities, in all the villages of the coast, residents use the bodies of mollusks taken from the stomachs of hunted walruses in their diet.

The indigenous inhabitants of the coast use in large quantities several types of seaweeds, called by the common collective word "seaweed". Each inhabitant consumes tens of kilograms (in wet weight) of seaweed during the year.

Of the terrestrial animals, the hare, fox, wolverine, wolf, and brown bear are most often hunted. The extraction of these species is most often carried out in the coastal part.

In the absence of federal and regional support in providing jobs and basic food indigenous people Chukotka Peninsula is engaged in self-sufficiency. In recent years, the main role in the diet of residents has been played by marine mammals, and among them are walruses, whales (grey whale, to a lesser extent - bowhead whale) and several species of seals. All whales and pinnipeds are taken from local watercraft (boats, whaleboats, leather canoes). The weapons used are carbines and hand-held harpoon guns received as humanitarian aid from Alaskan whalers.

Fat and meat of sea animals has a high calorie content. Historically, the body of the indigenous population is adapted to feeding on the proteins and fats of marine animals, and there is always an acute physiological demand for this food, even in the presence of European food. The meat is used for food in raw, boiled, frozen, dried form. There are a number of original methods for harvesting and storing meat and fat products of marine mammals. From the extracted animals, almost everything is used in food, with the exception of bones, some parts of the intestines and some other organs.

The methods of harvesting and using various types of fish, which occupy an important place in the diet of the population, are not particularly original and are widely known. In the presence of salt, salmon are salted for storage and use in the winter. Part of the fish, in the presence of refrigerators and permafrost, is frozen. A widely used method of storing fish is by drying it without salt.

Aerial surveys in the Gulf of Anadyr, carried out in the 80s and 90s by the Magadan branch of TINRO, our own aerial surveys in the 80s showed that large groups of walruses, the number of which exceeds 50 thousand heads, are wintering in the Gulf of Anadyr. There are also concentrations of beluga whales, bowhead whales, and polar bears. According to MO TINRO, the number of Akiba here exceeds 125 thousand individuals. Tens of thousands of bearded seals, spotted seals and lionfish winter here. The high abundance of whales and pinnipeds is due to the high density of food objects for all types of marine mammals.

In the spring and autumn months, accumulations of humpback whales and minke whales are noted in the Anadyr Bay. Along the coast from Cape Bering to Cape Chukotsky, during the ice-free period, sea lions are observed, forming a number of coastal haulouts in this section of the coast.

St. John's wort observers from the coastal villages of the Gulf of Anadyr, carrying out a program of observations of marine mammals, in 1999 and 2000 during the autumn months noted groups of fishing vessels off the coast of the Chukotka Peninsula in the Gulf of Anadyr.

On August 10, 2000, observers from the village of Enmelen recorded that there were 10 fishing boats at Cape Chirikov. In the period from 25 to 30 August, 5-6 fishing boats were in the same area every day. On September 21-22, 2000, 4 fishing vessels were observed in the same area. On October 12, 2000, six fishing vessels were in the area from Cape Bering to Cape Chirikov. Observers from the village of Nunligran noted hieroglyphs on board the fishing boats. According to the information of the regional fish protection inspectorate, Korean vessels were fishing.

It should be noted that in the area of ​​Cape Chirikov on the Redkin Spit there is the largest walrus rookery in Russia, where the number of animals in summer and autumn reaches from 5-10 thousand to 20-30 thousand in different years.

A similar picture of the location of fishing vessels and, probably, fishing in the Gulf of Anadyr and directly in the coastal zone of the Chukotka Peninsula was observed in 1999.

The newspaper of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug "Krainiy Sever" in 2000 repeatedly published information about the plans of the Okrug administration to develop commercial ship fishing in the coastal zone of Chukotka. For these purposes, crabs, shrimp, trawlers were specially purchased - four or five vessels in total. As you can see from the materials above, this does not limit the fishing of third-party vessels and companies. The authorities refer to the federal legislation on the exclusive right of the subject of the federation (in this case, the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug) to fish and other water resources in the 12-mile coastal zone. At the same time, the authorities forget, as always, about the right of indigenous peoples to live and survive at the expense of these same marine resources.

There is no doubt that in the shallow Anadyr Bay, where depths range from 20–40 to 60–80 meters, in a matter of years, with the existing fishing zeal and the absence of reasonable and legislative brakes, the main resources of fish and invertebrates will be undermined. What will happen to local fish resources, how many species of marine mammals will exist, for which the Anadyr Bay is a kind of home (there is a massive pup of bearded seal, akiba, spotted seal, part of the population of lionfish, walrus), apparently, no one is interested. Already in 2000, the local coastal population of the Chukotka Peninsula experienced difficulties with fishing. The Chukotka branch of TINRO does not hesitate to issue essentially unlimited recommendations for fishing and other seafood. By the way, in the past decades, fishing was not carried out in the Gulf of Anadyr.

The economic ruin of the people of Chukotka can be supplemented by the ruin of the resource base of people's existence. In this situation, people will not have any choice in life.

The area with the world's richest resources of marine mammals, the preserved sea-animal culture of the indigenous population, is in danger.

To prevent an impending catastrophe, it is necessary to take measures to prevent fishing and invertebrates in the Gulf of Anadyr (to the north of 62 degrees north latitude). This water area should be preserved as a feeding, breeding and wintering area for many species of marine mammals, some of which are in a threatening state. And also as an area with resources of marine mammals, fish and other resources vital for the life and traditional employment of the indigenous people of Chukotka. By the way, part of the resources of marine mammals in the Gulf of Anadyr is used by the population of a number of coastal settlements in Alaska.

The indigenous people of Chukotka will have to survive in their history another onslaught of modern barbarians, equipped with the latest technology for destruction natural resources. There is a lot of hard work ahead to preserve the unique natural complex of Beringia.

If you have long wanted to go away from civilization and forget about the existence of the Internet, then you have come to the right place. In this post, the author will tell you in detail about traveling around Chukotka, give a couple of tips and suggest some interesting routes.

Time
There is no time in Chukotka. In a sense, it's not like it doesn't exist at all. It is, but it is measured here not in hours and minutes, but in days of travel, intervals between meals, accomplished deeds, and God knows what else. The more interesting the trip, the more you want to see the sights and wildlife, the more "classic mechanical time" you will need. A simple and at the same time extremely complex axiom for a person "from the mainland". For example, it may take more than a week to get to the district center, and it is not known how long it will take to then get from the district center to some national village. This year in Provideniya I waited for a plane for a week, did not wait and left on a boat. And the plane flew to Anadyr only on the 11th day. It is not possible to fight against time, one must learn to be able to wait.
Another hypostasis of time while traveling in Chukotka is its extensibility. In two days (if you are not in settlements) you will no longer perceive the days of the week, you will simply no longer need them, and after a few more days you will completely lose count of the calendar numbers. Due to the fact that in the summer in Chukotka there is a polar day, and the surrounding space is so different from everything that you lived before, your biological clock will say that you have 28, 35 or even 48 hours in a day.
A remark from the life of Chukchi tourists: "What? Was it the day before yesterday? And I thought a week ago."

Weather.
The main character in Chukotka is the weather. It is she who decides whether you will go, or you will curse the service and idleness at the airport or hotel. Chukchi weather, a very capricious girl. May change several times a day. It is especially capricious in eastern Chukotka (Providensky, Chukotsky, Iultinsky regions) and in the former Beringovsky region. Bad weather in the east of Chukotka is mostly associated with fogs and clouds, in which aircraft do not fly. In this case, traveling by boat is the only way out in time to get there or from there. In Beringovsky, wind is added to the cloudiness. It is there (Cape Navarin) that the most windy place is located not only in Chukotka, but throughout Russia. In continental Chukotka (Bilibino, Markovo) there is almost always flying weather, but it is very cold there in winter (beyond -50) and very (by local standards) warm in summer (beyond +20). In Pevek, the weather is much better than in Anadyr, but the "southerner" (wind blowing at a speed of 30-40 m / s) can make you sit at home for a couple of days. Anadyr is not the coldest or windiest place in Chukotka, but when these figures are combined even in their averages, it becomes very nasty. In winter, the wind is almost always 5-10 m/s and the temperature is 25-35 degrees. In summer (July-August), the average temperature is 15 degrees, but the wind is still the same 5-10 m/s.
A replica from the life of Chukchi tourists:
Why aren't we flying?
- The weather at the point of arrival is bad.
- How long before him?
- 230 km.
- This can not be. After all, the sun is shining here, it's hot (+27 in the sun), you probably don't finish something.

It was difficult for me to explain (and failed) that 200 km. in Chukotka it's a different world. In Anadyr, the weather can be excellent, almost calm, and at the airport (20 km away) a blizzard can blow. In winter, I drove a Ural along the road from Amguema to Egvekinot (90 km.). At point "A" the weather is fine, at point "E" the weather is good, and in the middle of the way we got into a snowstorm and returned back. The weather factor should always be kept in mind when planning a trip to Chukotka. If time matters for the traveler, then the number of days of your route must be divided by 2. One part is an active journey, the second part is "on the road".
In general, modern travelers, tourists and just people visiting Chukotka are very lucky with the weather. 25-30 years ago, Chukotka was much "severe". Blizzards are stronger, winters are snowier, frosts are stronger, summers are colder. There are benefits from global warming.
It is best to travel around Chukotka from July to the first half of September, let's call it the summer season. And from April to the first half of May - the winter season. For lovers of photography, one should go to Chukotka from the end of August to the first half of September. The madness of colors has no limits. You need to understand very clearly that lovers of good weather should go anywhere, but not to Chukotka. And even in the most favorable months for travel, it can be rainy.
From personal experience: One year in the middle of June, after the snow had melted, it began to rain in Providence. In September it stopped and it began to snow.

border zone
If you think that you are a citizen of Russia and can move freely around your country, I will upset you. You can in the country, but not in Chukotka. A special border regime has been introduced on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The word "introduced" should not mislead anyone. It was not introduced yesterday, it just hasn't been canceled since the Soviet era. Here, and partially here, I have already spoken about the special regime for entering the territory of Chukotka. I'll tell you from a practical point of view how to enter.
We, residents of Chukotka, present a passport at the entrance, in which the cherished letters “PZ” (border zone) are on the registration page, which make our stay in the territory legitimate. Also freely, you can come to citizens who are on a business trip upon presentation of a travel certificate. What is most interesting, when entering it is checked, when leaving it is not. All other citizens can come to Chukotka on a tourist voucher or at the invitation of a private person, issued by the Border Department. Tour operators registered in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug have the right to issue tour packages. Today there are 3 tour operator companies in Chukotka, including the one in which I work (of course, the best one).

Transport
You can get to Chukotka only by plane. It is possible, of course, summer period on a dry cargo ship from Vladivostok, but this is not a regular transportation, but a separate adventure.
You can fly to Chukotka "from outside" at 3 airports:
1) To Anadyr. Four times a week from Moscow. This is the most common direction for arriving in Chukotka. There are almost never any problems with air tickets from Moscow. Especially if you order them in advance. The problem is the price. Ticket prices from 12 to 50 thousand in economy class. On average, in the summer, tickets cost 25 thousand rubles.
Planes of local airlines "ChukotAvia" fly from Anadyr to all regions of Chukotka. This is Anadyr's strategic transport advantage over other "air gates" of Chukotka.
2) To Pevek. Once a week from Moscow. On this route, there may already be problems with tickets. The price is 25-50 thousand rubles. From Pevek, there are already fewer options to get to the rest of Chukotka by air. Helicopters fly from here to the national villages of the Chaunsky district, to Cape Schmidt, as well as planes to Anadyr and Bilibino (once every two weeks).
3) In Bilibino. 3 times a week from Magadan. They fly on small planes AN-24 and if I'm not mistaken AN-12. The ticket price is around 25-30 thousand. From Bilibino, by air you can only get to the villages of the Bilibinsky district, and by plane to Anadyr and Pevek (once every 2 weeks).
ChukotAvia should be discussed separately. This is the only regular air carrier in Chukotka. Airfare prices are subsidized from the regional budget, but despite this, the cost of the ticket is simply fantastic. Five hundred kilometers separating Providence from Anadyr will cost 18,000 rubles one way! For this money, you will be offered to carry your things from the airport to the plane as a load. But here the catch is not even the cost of the ticket, but its availability. In the summer, and often in the winter season, you simply won’t get them. They've already been taken apart! The regularity of messages also does not contribute to the development of tourism (people would be taken on vacation, not to tourism). The frequency of flights to most destinations is 1 time per week. In some directions (Pevek, Bilibino) - 1 time in two weeks.
Now a few words about the alternative. She, alternatively, is not rich. In the summer season, the motor ship "Kapitan Sotnikov" runs from Anadyr along the coast. The schedule of its flights appears a month in advance. Therefore, there can be no talk of any medium and long-term planning here. Add to this the fares for transportation, although they are cheaper by 30% of the aircraft, but there can be no question of any comfort. Seating chairs, one latrine (toilet) and a buffet with constant queues for "Doshirak" and beer. And all right, if the traveler goes by boat to the village of Egvekinot or the village of Beringovsky - 12 running hours. But if you go by sea to the village of Provideniya - 24 hours, or even worse in the village of Lavrentia (36 hours) - get ready! Yes, and about pitching and seasickness, too, should not be forgotten.
Speaking of non-regular transportation, for which, for obvious reasons, you need to negotiate privately, you can name dry coal carriers that serve the villages of Chukotka (Provideniya, Egvekinot, Lavrentiya) in the summer. The charter of a motorboat and a boat is appropriate in continental Chukotka (the Anadyr River, Mal. Anyui, Omolon, Kanchalan, Amguema) and on the east coast (Providensky and Chukotsky regions). This type of transport is small and, as a rule, does not carry more than 3-4 passengers. You can also charter a helicopter. Here, a wealthy freighter is already offered a choice of 2 companies: Chukotavia (200,000 rubles per hour) and Bilibinoavia (170,000 hours). True, the second company, located in Bilibino, has a smaller air coverage radius (it is not economical for Bilibino residents to work in eastern Chukotka). The automobile mode of transport is relevant in Bilibinsky, Chaunsky and Iultinsky districts, where there are dirt roads. But their network is very limited. The most reliable and passable form of transport is all-terrain vehicles. But! Finding a good all-terrain vehicle, and in addition with a good all-terrain vehicle, is a whole problem. Because most of them are operated by organizations that are reluctant to release their transport units for other than their core purpose.

Money.
Now I will say heresy. Money in Chukotka does not matter. Values ​​in the sense that they have, say, in Moscow or Vladivostok. My Moscow tourists were very surprised when they could not find a taxi to get from one village to another.
A remark from the life of Chukotka tourists: "We offered him a double tariff (10 thousand)! But he was too lazy to get up and go in the morning!"
Even if you conclude an agreement for the provision of, for example, transport services, you may be refused, or you may arrive (arrive, sail) on another day / days. There are a hundred reasons why they didn't do it, even for good money. No, Chukotka is not the territory of altruists, it’s just that, besides money, there should be something else here: personal acquaintance, mutual interest (for example, the driver is also a fisherman and wants to go fishing in the place where you are going), patronage from the administration, you are a celebrity and etc. At the same time, in Chukotka they can take you, accommodate, feed, provide assistance and not charge a penny for it at all. Even offended when you offer money. This attitude towards money, of course, is not the norm, but it is the place to be.
Chukotka is a very expensive region. Maybe the most expensive in Russia. Rosstat, for example, reports that the highest living wage is in Bilibino. Prices in stores are the first culture shock that occurs in people who first come to Chukotka. 9 out of 10 visitors will definitely take pictures of local price tags in stores. Bananas 400 each, apples 200 each, an egg (120 in Anadyr, 220-250 in Bilibino).
A remark from the life of Chukchi tourists: "And how do you live here?"
Even if you have money, but it is on a plastic card, there may be problems with cashing it out. There are very few ATMs, sometimes one per village. It may run out of money. The connection may be disconnected. And yes, it may or may not work. The same problem applies to payment for goods in stores. Therefore, it is best to have money in cash.
In terms of price, tours to Chukotka by world tour operators operating in this region are equated to Antarctica. Therefore, if you are considering Chukotka as a tourist destination, be prepared for obviously high prices for tourist products. The cost of tours is different, depending on the area, complexity, number of days and other factors. Due to the fact that tourism in Chukotka is not yet a branch of the economy, there is no infrastructure and a massive flow of tourists, each tour is exclusive. The cost of the tour can be from 100,000 to 400,000 rubles per person, excluding the cost of tickets to Anadyr.
A tourist "not organized" will spend a smaller amount, but will face transport and logistical problems. Solving these problems in the first place takes time, which is so "expensive" for people from the mainland, whose annual vacation is at best 30 calendar days.

Services
There is no service in Chukotka. You need to be ready for this right away. Those rare manifestations of comfort and quality of domestic services that can be offered to you are best perceived as a gift, as "manna from heaven", and not as a norm. And this is at prices, as in good hotels or restaurants in Moscow.
Cafes and restaurants.
In the best case, you will have a choice where to go to the "first" cafe, or to the "second". Often in district centers there is only one catering establishment. And the menu is very limited. Although if we talk about quality, then in most cafes the food is delicious. The price for lunch is on average 500-600 rubles. If you stay in a city or village for several days, you can make yourself an individual order of dishes for the next day. Most often, visitors want to taste dishes of national cuisine. Not a single institution prepares them. At best, the menu has venison or local fish, which, however, will be prepared for you according to the classic recipe. Chukchi or Eskimo cuisine is very specific and you can taste dishes only in national villages, visiting local residents. In the national villages there are no catering points at all.
Hotels.
Here the situation is better than with food. There are hotels in every district center. The best hotel complex in the village of Egvekinot is cottage houses. There are apartment-type hotels, there are ordinary ones. Price: 3000-4000 rubles per person per day. In the summer, during professional work in hotels, there may not be hot water. There are no hotels in the villages. Accommodation in rented apartments for vacationers or together with the owners.
Communication and Internet.
Mobile communication is available in almost all settlements of Chukotka: Megafon, Beeline, MTS. The most popular operator "MegaFon", is in all regional centers. In national villages, Beeline is sometimes the only mobile operator. The call quality is very mediocre, but you can talk. Internet is also available in almost all settlements, with one "but". It is in schools. Some regional centers have Internet salons or clubs. But it is best to access the Internet through a mobile USB modem. Internet speed is extremely slow. Communication may be interrupted. Therefore, running a LiveJournal in Chukotka is a very troublesome, nervous and even ignoble task (except for Anadyr).
cultural institutions
There are local history museums in all regional centers of Chukotka. They employ real professionals and connoisseurs of the history and culture of Chukotka. Museum visits are a must. It is from them that one can and should begin acquaintance with one or another region of Chukotka. In addition to museums, you can visit the House of Culture or the Club, in which, having agreed with the head of the institution, you can watch a rehearsal of folklore groups or folk amateur groups. Actually, this is the end of the list of "cultural" institutions.
Other.
Other services include baths, which are available everywhere (200-250 rubles per session), visiting the pool requires a medical certificate (Provideniya, Bilibino), gyms and sports grounds, open and closed ice rinks (Egvekinot, Provideniya, Pevek, Bilibino, Coal Mines). There are cinemas in Pevek, Egvekinot and Provideniya. In the last two villages, these are mini-halls (projection cinemas). The repertoire, of course, is 2-3 months old. Ticket price (250-300 rubles). They are visited poorly, because the "novelties" have long been revised on disks or, even more cynically, they have already been played on local television. In Provideniya and Egvekinot in winter (from late December to early May) you can go skiing. The steepest and most difficult slope in Provideniya.

Anadyr.
Everything that was described above has almost nothing to do with Anadyr. Anadyr is Chukchi Moscow, everything is here, and this is all the very best. Anadyr is not like the rest of Chukotka. Anadyr has a choice. There are 5 hotels in the city, one of which is 3*. Lots of restaurants and cafes. Most of them work in the evenings as nightclubs and "taverns". Anadyr has the most "democratic prices" for all goods and products in Chukotka. And as a result, here is the largest assortment. There are ATMs and you can pay with plastic cards in some stores. There are several monuments here (including the world's largest monument to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker) and a masterpiece of wooden architecture Holy Trinity Cathedral. In the modern, by all standards, cinema "Polyarny" only novelties are shown, including premiere Russian screenings (ticket price 200-350 rubles). Indoor ice rink, proudly called the "Ice Palace" (250 rubles). The fastest taxi order in terms of execution time (100 rubles per person). Those wishing to buy souvenirs can be recommended to the Art Gallery and the "Souvenirs" shop, which presents the widest assortment of souvenirs in Chukotka. There are snowmobile and bicycle rentals. And finally, here is the "fastest" Internet (compared to the rest of Chukotka). The only minus of Anadyr, for the traveler, is its location. It is located on the opposite side of the estuary from the airport. In summer, you can get from the Airport to the city by car and ferry (minimum price 500 rubles), in winter by car (1000 rubles) along the winter road. Worst of all is in the off-season (from October to the end of December and from mid-May to the end of June), when you can get over either by helicopter or on an air cushion (3500 rubles).

Souvenirs.
Everyone who comes to Chukotka, like any traveling person, wants to take away some souvenir from here as a keepsake. Preferably thematic, somehow connected with Chukotka. I want to upset right away - the main Chukchi souvenirs - bone products, are very expensive. Expensive in any sense of the word and well-being. A small craft made of bone - 5-7 thousand. Walrus tusk with a pattern or engraving from 25-30 thousand to .... That is, if they are considered as works of art (and most of them can be safely attributed to such), it is not very expensive, but as a souvenir ... A recent hit , a walrus penis can be considered a kind of brand of Chukchi souvenirs. He, attention (!) - bone (60-100 cm). The minimum price of such a souvenir (8-10 thousand). You can export only artistically processed bone products (by presenting a sales receipt from the store). Although, if desired, you can take out in single copies and raw. Magnets, mugs, T-shirts and other traditional souvenirs in a large assortment can be purchased only in Anadyr. In areas with this tight.
Among the original souvenirs that are sold in Chukotka, I can only include two - "Eskimo ball" - which was traditionally played by the Eskimos and coastal Chukchi, handmade, made in the traditional way: deer skin sewn with deer veins.

Where to go?
After the decision has already been made that Chukotka is exactly the region where "I simply have to get to", stands up main question where to go? Chukotka is France and Great Britain combined. The territory is easy to visualize on the map, but it is difficult to imagine the real size. Therefore, it is necessary, first of all, to formulate the purpose of the trip: what do I want to see? It is impossible to see all of Chukotka in two weeks. Not for any money. Yes, this is not worth doing, even for the sake of sports interest.
The most interesting thing in Chukotka, for the sake of which you can and should travel across the whole country, sit in airports, shake in all-terrain vehicles, and then freeze from the cold, shiver in the rain and pay a lot of money for all this - these are not wild animals (which can be seen in zoo) or the traditional culture of indigenous peoples (whose life can be watched at home on video on "NG" or "BBC") - this is a feeling of another world. Pure "experience". Everything is different here (than in the Central strip of Russia). At first, when you travel around Chukotka, the feeling of "mechanical time" disappears, then the person gets off the "information needle" and gradually there is inner silence, calmness and clear understanding homemade truth of life. All this is seasoned with a sauce of harsh landscapes, the absence of people, the threat of meeting with a bear and a low sky, which, having climbed a hill, you can reach with your hand.
In this regard, the feelings experienced by a Russian tourist who first came to Chukotka are much stronger than those of foreigners. For them, Chukotka is "Siberia", a part of Russia, in which "everything is not like in people."

The classic tourist is always focused on the list of attractions offered to him on the tour. "On Monday you will see the one built then, and on Tuesday we will go to the place where Makar did not drive calves, and so on." In Chukotka, with very rare exceptions, there are no classic sights. And geographical names, in almost 100% of cases, will not say anything. Actions can be described: fishing, hunting, rafting, bathing in hot springs. This is not the information that a person traveling in Chukotka needs. She is empty. How, for example, to describe the sunrise in the lakes and swamps of the Anadyr lowland, when thousands of birds begin mating dances and fly north in endless flocks? And the hills? How to describe them? Even if you manage to describe, then still no one will understand anything. Traveling around Chukotka is first and foremost based on sensory perception. Here, it is important to understand that we are not on a classic tour, where everything is clearly planned and fixed, we are on a journey. And on a journey, you never know how it will end. If you are not a fisherman, hunter or collector of ethnographic material, I would advise you to kindle a fire with the tour program and trust your guide, who will show you the best and most interesting, because for him (although he has been to these places a hundred times) this is the same trip, as well as for you.

If you have less than a week left and you just want to visit Chukotka, the best travel option is Anadyr and its environs. The neighborhood is a radius of 100 km. Here you can see a bear, which tourists really want to see, and which guides really don’t want to see, and elk, and wolverine, and bighorn sheep. And also go fishing, visit abandoned settlements, make bicycle and hiking routes to the mountains, ride a boat along the rivers and "to the sea". And, in fact, walk around Anadyr itself.

The optimal travel time in Chukotka is 2-3 weeks. Three weeks is even better. More travel options.
The most interesting, from my point of view, for tourism is the Providensky district. These are the famous fjords of Providence Bay, seeing which from the top of the hill in good weather will already be enough to understand that it was not in vain that you came to the ends of the earth. There is fishing (char, crab, shrimp, cod, navaga, flounder), and swimming in hot springs, and watching walruses, whales, and seals. If desired, and watching the hunting of marine hunters for a whale. Acquaintance with the Eskimo culture, way of life, beliefs. Abandoned military camps "Invasion Army". Hiking and cycling tours. In winter, ski tours and skiing. Bird markets and rookeries of walruses and seals. All this is located very compactly and within daytime availability.

Providence Bay

The hallmark of the Iultinsky district is the intersection of the Arctic Circle and the 180th meridian, where a monument is erected. This is the place where GPSs "go crazy", and according to some tourists, "the energy of the earth" is felt there. Fishing is also good here (char, crabs, grayling). You can perfectly raft along the Amguema river to the Arctic Ocean. Visit Iultin - the largest closed village in Chukotka, the largest tin mine in the USSR at one time. Visit a reindeer herding brigade, live in a yaranga. The Iultinsky region has the highest mountains in Chukotka (1854 m). On the coast of the Arctic Ocean, one can observe walrus rookeries and polar bear migrations.

In the vicinity of the village of Egvekinot. 10 km. from the Arctic Circle

The capital of the Chaunsky district is the northernmost city of Russia - Pevek. Not far from Pevek, the northernmost cape of Chukotka is Shelagsky. In the Chaunsky district, you can visit the Tumannaya weather station, where the film "How I Spent This Summer" was filmed. In the Chaunsky district, it is easiest to get on a visit to the Chukchi reindeer herders, to live the life of a nomad. The deepest and most mysterious lake of Chukotka, and of the entire North-East of Russia, is also located in this area - Lake Elgygytgyn, in which two species of endemic char are found. You can also see the northernmost petroglyphs in the world only here. A special story is the former settlements of Chukotlag, the most terrible place of the Gulag. Here, during the war years, uranium ore was mined for experiments on creating atomic bomb. This is the area of ​​labor and literary glory of Oleg Kuvaev. The novel "Territory", just about the Chaunsky district and the search for "big" Chukchi gold.

Lake Elgygytgyn

Bilibinsky district. It is special for Chukotka: trees grow there. Sharply continental climate. The world's northernmost nuclear power plant (which you won't be allowed into). Here you can perfectly organize rafting along the Small and Big Anyui, Omolon - these are all tributaries of the Kolyma. The largest and largest population of moose in Russia is found here. Here is the only active volcano in Chukotka ( last time erupted in the 16th century), the lava river from which stretched for 40 km. The Bilibinsky district has the richest vegetation in Chukotka.

S. Keperveem, Maly Anyui river

Chukotsky region is the easternmost region of our country. It is here that Cape Dezhnev and the village of Uelen are located, in which all foreigners and extreme tourists cross the Bering Strait. In the same place in Uelen, the world-famous bone carving workshop is located. The best mushers and seal hunters in Chukotka live in this region. Lora hot springs are by far the largest and most equipped in Chukotka. Here, as in the Providensky district, you can taste the national Chukchi-Eskimo cuisine. Visit a reindeer breeding team and the only fox farm in Chukotka. And also in the Chukotka region there is an abandoned one of the oldest settlements of Chukotka - the Eskimo village of Naukan (near Cape Dezhnev).

Lorin hot springs

Anadyrsky district is the largest district of Chukotka. Today it includes the former Markovsky, Beringovsky and Anadyrsky districts itself. The village of Markovo is the oldest Russian settlement in Chukotka. Not far from the village of Semyon Dezhnev, he founded the Anadyr prison. The largest river in Chukotka, the Anadyr, flows exclusively through the Anadyr region. Great place for rafting. The most picturesque village, in my opinion, is Vaegi, located not far from the village of Markovo. Almost all animals of Chukotka are found in the region (with the exception of musk oxen and polar bears). Fishing and hunting, reindeer herding brigades, abandoned villages and weather stations - all this is the Anadyr region.

In the valley of the Mukarylyan river

If you want to really feel Chukotka try to minimize mechanical movement. Maximum physical travel. Transfer by car or boat, and then travel on foot, rafting or bike tour - in the summer, skiing or dog sledding - in the winter. This is the only way to truly appreciate the distances and feel the beauty of nature. Traveling by transport, in my opinion - money down the drain. The eye is "blurred" from the landscapes, there is no unity with nature, as if you are traveling by train: cozy and comfortable, and nothing remains of the journey. I strongly recommend that you include mountain hiking tours in your travel routes, with overnight stays in tents and beams (fisherman's and hunting lodges).
If after reading all this you have not lost the desire to come to Chukotka, my advice is: "It's not important where, it's important with whom." The most valuable thing here is the people. And if you are lucky, you will definitely meet real people who will tell you and show you the real Chukotka. Which you will definitely fall in love with, and will strive to come here again.

Chukchi-Eskimo ensemble "Atasikun" at the folk festival "Ergav" in the village. Lawrence