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Chukotka Autonomous Region
Bering Air www.beringair.com offers charter flights from Nome to Provideniya on either a Piper Navahoe, taking 80 minutes or a Beach King Air 200, taking 60 minutes. Flights are weather dependent and each airplane carries nine passengers. There are from one to three Aeroflot a week from Provideniya to Anadyr depending upon the season. Charter flights can also be arranged from Nome to Anadyr. Contact us for rates or further flight information.
There are no hotels in Provideniya or the surrounding areas.
World Wise Ecotourism Network
It is very hot in the summer but with lots of fog on the Chukotka coastline. The winter is extremely cold and the coast is surrounded by ice starting in late September.
The Chukotka Autonomous Region is Russia's easternmost region. On the map Chukotka resembles an elongated triangle pointing to the east, towards America. The region is located in both the eastern and western hemispheres, on both sides of the Arctic Circle and is simultaneously the remotest part of northeastern Eurasia, the southernmost point of the Arctic Ocean and the far north of the Pacific Ocean. In the Bering Strait, Chukotka borders the U.S. At one point the distance between the Chukchi Islands and the neighboring Alaska Islands is only 5 km.
The Chukotka Autonomous Region was formerly part of the Magadanskaya Oblast. In 1992 the Russian Federation recognized its separation. Chukotka covers 284,000 miles in comparison to Alaska's 570,000. Its population is 163,900 which includes 11,106 Chukchis and 1,452 Eskimos, the two native groups that inhabit the area. The Chukchi are believed by anthropologists to have crossed the Bering Sea to settle in the United States. The rest of the population can be called Russian, although it is comprised of various ethnic groups from all over Russia. Because of its remote location and the worsening of the economy, many inhabitants are currently leaving the region. Most of the native population relies on subsidies from the Federal Government. Tourism, which could provide an income for the region's native population, only takes place in the summer and has lately been hindered by burdensome and time consuming government regulations.
"Much of Chukotka consists of alpine and low-bush tundra. Trees, including larch, pine, birch, poplar and willow, occur only in scattered locations in the valleys of major rivers. The shores of the Bering Sea and the Arctic Sea are bare tundra, and around the town of Provideniya on Chukotka's tip, there are no trees. But you can see Chukotka's gentle mountains from anywhere on the peninsula. The Andyrsky Mountains, running east-west with elevations of over 6,500 feet (2,000m) separate the watersheds of the Bering and Chukchi Sea. The Chukotsky Mountains run parallel to the east, extending to the peninsula's easternmost area. The highest point in Chukotka, Mount Matachingai, is just north of the village Egveknot in the Chukotsky Mountains. The easternmost part of Chukotka on the Provideniya Cape is especially mountainous and rugged. Much of the terrain in Chukotka shows the efforts of glaciation during the last ice age; for example, a huge ice field extending south from Mount Matachingai carved out present day Holy Cross Bay. Mountains, many over 6,000 feet, cover much of the peninsula and blue rivers cut through the valleys. On this wild northern land neck, light plays in the green expanse of tundra in the summer time and highlights the bonfire of colors in early fall. The eastern part of Chukotka, along the tributaries of the Kolyma River, is forested intermittently."* The biggest river in Chukotka is the Anadyr. Other major rivers include the tributary of the Anydyr, the north flowing Bolshoye Anyuy, a tributary of the Kolyma and the Amguema river. Chukotka is an area rich in marine life. Native settlers still hunt the whales in their umiak (traditional walrus skin boats). Some of the people still follow the nomadic rhythms of the reindeer. In the summer they live in houses called "yerangi" which remind us of the Native American "teepees". New Chaplino and Sirenki are two settlements in Chukotka where native people still practice their old ways. Gray whales are found in the Senyavin Strait where they feed in the sheltered waters. The strait is also known for its myriad of birds, including puffins, auklets and kittiwakes. On land the mysterious "Whale Bone Alley" functions as a ritual site protecting the area. Arakamchechen features enormous gatherings of walruses and also ruins of native subterranean houses. Uelen is famous for its ivory carving museum and shop. It is the place where the Bering Sea meets the northern Chukotsky Sea. The residents of the town are mostly Chukchi who subsist on what they can catch from the sea. "Wrangel Island 87 miles (140 km) from Chukotka to the north, with mountains up to 3,596 feet (1096 m), is one of the most unusual tundra reserves. Aside from a small native village, this Arctic land is wild, inhabited by about 25 polar bears and large populations of walruses and musk oxen. It is also an important nesting ground for snow geese, sandpipers and other birds. Off Chukotka, whales fluke in the bays and walrus pile on top of each other in coastal haul-outs. Among the cliffs edging this side of the Bering Sea breed colonies of numerous sea birds. Bushes and grasses grow in the permafrost that blankets Chukotka, feeding the herds of domesticated reindeer. There are about a half million domesticated reindeer on Chukotka. With the reindeer in the Koryak Republic this is the largest reindeer herd in the world."**
Wrangel and Herald Islands
The Chukchi The Chukchi live in the extreme northeastern part of the Russian Far East in an area between the Chukchi and Bering Sea, called Chukotka. The Chukotka region has an extremely harsh climate, the yearly average temperature being -12 degrees Celsius. People inhabited Chukotka for the last 7,000 years; however, the Chukchi who migrated form the South were only first identified in 1642 when the Cossack Ivan Yerastov met them on the Alazeya River. The Chukchi were the predominant culture in the region, though closely related to the Koryaks and Itelmen. Chukchi's are a predominantly Asian race and are short people with a swarthy complexion and a stocky build. Their faces are broad and flat and their cheekbones are prominent. The word Chukchi is the Russian adaptation of the word "chavchu" meaning reindeer people. The Chukchi are divided in two groups, based upon their activities. The most numerous were the Chucki reindeer breeders who spend most of the years in the tundra with their herds. The other group, the maritime Chukchi, lived more in base camps along the coast and depended on hunting sea mammals, (walrus, whale and seals) for their subsistence. Both groups supplemented their subsistence with gathering plants hunting land mammals, fowling and fishing. The nomadic herders used their reindeer products to make tools, clothing and construct their dwellings. Reindeer were their dietary staple and served as transportation. The maritime people used sea mammal products for their diet and they used the dog sled for transportation. There was trade between the two groups assuring the tundra dwellers of coastal products for food and fuel, and assured the coastal dwellers of useful reindeer products. In some areas, both groups lived together and practiced a mixture of reindeer breeding and coastal hunting. Chukchi camps comprised of both related and unrelated families each with their own tent. Reindeer herder camps would usually contain at least 2 to 10 tents, and the camps were moved frequently. The maritime Chukchi usually had larger camps of 10 to 20 tents, where they lived most of the year. People from other camps would visit each other and occasionally would help each other. However, there were no territorial rights associated with this. Chukchi also had no formal leaders. Decisions were made on the basis of suggestion and consent. There may have been some differences in wealth between Chukchi's but they did not result in positions of power. Disputes were settled by the parties involved, usually aided by clan member. The Chukchi world was full of spirits, both good and bad. Future events were foretold by various methods including dream interpretation. The role of shaman was open between make and female, and included curing and sorcery. Chukchi considered sprits to be neutral, sometimes benevolent but most of the times aggressive and offensive. Evil spirits were those of dead people who had lead evil lives. To protect against them, the earth or snow around the dwelling was sprinkled with human urine or with old lamp oil. Evil spirits did not like loud noises, so fire arms and weapons and loud drumming noises protected against these spirits. According to the Chukchi belief, evil spirits lived in the upper world or underground, but not in the sea. These spirits were usually larger or smaller than human beings and had large pointed heads. Reindeer herding at present is still a viable industry and part of the Chukchi mentality. It is also something that remains typical of the native people, as no other nationality can phantom living in the tundra wilderness. At present the main focus is on privatizing reindeer herding enterprise One of the problems the reindeer Chukchi presently face is the lack of desire by the youngsters to get involved in this native tradition, as the youngsters are more attached to a comfortable village life. So the survival of Chuckhi culture depends on how many will undertake this former lifestyle. The Eskimos Eskimos in Siberia are called Yupigyt, meaning authentic people. Most of the time they are referred to as Siberian Yupik rather than Eskimos. Archeological and linguistic ties suggest that the Eskimos might have migrated over the Bering Strait as early as 10,000 years ago. The Eskimos that came from Western Alaska were divided into two distinct groups, what we call now the Siberian Yupik and the Aleut, populating the chain of islands stretching from Alaska. to Kamchatka. The ancestors of the Yupik lived perhaps in a much broader area before they were moved to the north by the Chukchi and Koryak tribes. The marine Chukchi were most likely original Siberian Yupik. The Yupik at present have dwindled down to inhabiting only a few villages in Chukotka: Naukan, Chaplino and Sireniki. The Yupik are famous for their sea hunting culture. Products of the sea satisfy all economic needs of the Yupik. Meat and fat from whales and seals were used for human sustenance and as food for dogs employed as pack animals. Walrus were hunted in a flat-bottomed, open leather boat (angyapik) and in closed leather kayaks. A special whalebone clapper was used to simulate the sound of a killer whale, driving walrus and seals to the land. In winter Yupik lived in walrus hides and plank tents similar to the Chukchi yaranga. In the past they lived in semi-subterranean dugouts of snow and ice called nynglyu. Summer dwellings were rectangular skeletons of wood covered with walrus skins; the roof sloped to the rear. Rocks, large boulders or piles of earth were often piled along the edges of the dwelling. The Yupik were composed of patriarchal clans, or lineages. Boat crews tended to be men of the same clan or lineage, but marriage partners needed to be from a different clan. Each clan had a unique myth of its origin and clan members were buried in the same burial ground. Products of foraging and hunts were shared equally in the group. Clans sometimes lived in huge communal dwelling of 200 to 400 people. The Yupik were animists whose beliefs showed much similarity with those of the Chukchis. The killer whale, raven and wolf were considered sacred and could not be killed. The swallow was specifically sacred as it was supposed to protect hunters at sea. Killer whales were also referred to as protectors. It was sometimes thought that the killer whale in winter would become the wolf. Ritual included throwing a piece of meat into the sea to bless and thank the killer whale that made the catch possible. Siberian Yupik shamanism was connected to the sea. Each village had its own shaman, usually a man, who wore characteristic pendants, tassels and fringes but otherwise had no special clothing. The shaman served as healer and also to ward off evil spirits. As among the Chukchis tattooing of faces was common Lines tattooed on the women's shin were intended to fend of infertility. Women did the tattooing and were entrusted with important roles during religious rites as well as with the ritual preparation of food. Women were also charged with keeping the group's sacred amulets. Eskimo clothing has much in common with the Chukchi. Sealskin was widely used for footwear; mittens were made of sealskin. And waterproof parkas were fashioned from walrus intestines.
*Quoted from Trekking in Russia & Central Asia: A Traveler's Guide by Frith Maier, published by the Mountaineers.
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