Chukotka – the discovery land
Chukotka welcomes the commencement of new 3-year project conceived to draw attention to the region’s tourism capacity, to vitalize research activities in the Russian Arctic and to establish cultural exchange between Northern regions. “Chukotka – the discovery area” project has been dedicated to the anniversary of discovering the Bering Strait.
Traditional Chukotka’s signature events such as “Nadezhda” (Hope) dog sled race and “Beringia” sea hunter’s festival will be accompanied by new adventure expeditions: snowmobile route from Bay of Krest to Cape Dezhnev, the “Travers Chukotki” (Chukotka’s Traverse) quad bike run from Egvekinot to Pevek and an international “Beloe Bezmolvie” (White Silence) snowmobile race. In the conduct of the science program two international conferences “Berengia” and “Chukotka – the Gate to Arctic” will be held. The latter will host the session of Russian Geographic Society (September 2013).
Sea expeditions will have a special position within the project. These activities have been carried out in cooperation with the Polar Odyssey Maritime Center (Petrozavodsk). According to the center’s Vice President Mr. Yury Naumov, the construction of two wooden koches (perfect copies of XVII century Russian polar explorer vessels). The Polar Odyssey has wide practical experience in reconstruction of traditional ships as well as in Arctic sea expeditions. Their first vessel was heaved off on June 5, 1987. And it was a koch – a full-scale model of an ancient Pomor vessel specially built for travelling in high latitudes.
That koch named “Pomor” keeps alive all the features of such ships and has gone through long-term voyages at the White Sea. In 1991-1992 the vessel accomplished the trip from the Schmidt Cape in the Chuckchee Sea to Alaska, visited Seattle, spent the winter at Vancouver Maritime Museum and went back to Petrozavodsk in 1993. “In the conduct of our project we are planning to build 7 vessels for science expeditions and tourist cruises in Chukotka” – says Yury Naumov – “In order to construct these ships not only were we using the Center’s practical experience but the results of historical studies of Northern Russian shipbuilding as well”.
It has been planned that the koches will take part in three expeditions this summer: “The Northern Ring” (to Semen Dezhnev’s birth-place) via Petrozavodsk, Veliky Ustyug, Arkhangelsk, Solovki, White Sea – Baltic Canal and then back to Petrozavodsk, “The Kizhi Regatta” and “The Cruise to Nevskaya Lavra” via Svir’ and Valaam. Next year will be marked with the “Ust’-Kut – Yakutsk” cruise to the celebration of 380th anniversary of the joining of Yakutia to Russia, and then the trip will continue towards Tiksi.
During 2013 navigation season the koches will cruise from Tiksi to Anadyr’, almost copying Dezhnev’s expedition. The ships are also to take part in the commemoration of 200th anniversary of Fort Ross foundation in Alaska. The mending of inter-regional ties in the Arctic region is one of the main goals of the new project. The list of potential partners includes the governments of Arkhangelsk, Karelia, Sakha (Yakutia), Yamalo-Nenetsky and Veliky Ustyug regions.
Organizers of the “Chukotka – the discovery area” project are the government of Chukotsky Autonomous Area, Russian Geographic Society, “Territoria” foundation and Russia-Discovery and Chukotka-Discovery travel companies. The Chukotka Governor Mr. Roman Kopin and the President of the State Polar Academy and first Vice President of Russian Geographic Society Mr. Artur Chilingarov will be overseeing the project.