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 should 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. You can, of course, in the summer 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 launch 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 a classic culinary 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. The 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 the Holy Trinity Cathedral, a masterpiece of wooden architecture. 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 range 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", the main question arises 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 go 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). First, when you travel around Chukotka, the feeling of "mechanical time" disappears, then a person gets off the "information needle" and gradually there is inner silence, calmness and a clear understanding of the homespun 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 hunt 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 an 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 (the last time it erupted in the 16th century), the lava river from which stretches 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 area. 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 folklore festival "Ergav" in the village. Lawrence

Today we will continue our virtual journey through the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and pay attention to the other side of the Anadyr Bay, 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 fat Soviet times, on weekends and holidays, asphalt was washed 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 of the USSR armed forces "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 on the territory of the former USSR. Today, there is not a soul there, and only rare scrap collectors and adventurers disturb the peace of the ghost town. At the best of times, several thousand people lived here, mostly members of the families of military personnel who were supplied with "big land" by category "A", 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 industrially, 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 platform. 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 of 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 it possible to fully experience the variability of our world. There is a deeper sense of inexorable time here, 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 famous phrase-prophecy: "This too shall pass"...

Windmills in Chukotka

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug occupies the most northeastern part of Eurasia, it covers a piece of continental land, the Chukotka Peninsula, the Ratmanov, Wrangel, Ayon, Herald Islands and several others. Here is Cape Dezhnev, which is the extreme point of the mainland in the east. The lands of the district are washed by three seas belonging to two oceans. The Chukotka peninsula cuts like a wedge into the world ocean, separating the waters of the Pacific from the waters of the Arctic.

On the territory, which occupies more than 720 thousand km 2, which could accommodate France and Great Britain, only about 50 thousand people live, of which about a quarter are indigenous people - the Chukchi. Almost half of the lands of the Chukotka Okrug are located beyond the conditional border of the Arctic Circle, and the entire territory is considered the Far North. Paradoxically, it is true that part of the easternmost region, the Chukotka Peninsula, is located in the Western Hemisphere.

The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is adjacent to two other subjects of the Russian Federation - and. About eighty kilometers separate the region from the American peninsula and the state of Alaska, with which the border runs along the waters of the Bering Strait, so the district is considered a border area.

There are 3 cities, 15 settlements and about 45 villages in the district. The administration is located in the central city of Anadyr with a population of about 15 thousand people. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Anadyr, which belongs to the waters of the Bering Sea.

Traces of human habitation in Chukotka since prehistoric times are numerous and eloquently indicate that Alaska and Chukotka were once a single continent, part of which went under water about 10 thousand years ago. Scientists dubbed the hypothetical continent Beringia. They suggest that the settlement of Chukotka went precisely through the sunken isthmus, since many finds on the land of the peninsula indicate that they lived there even before the Chukchi - Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos. In the 17th century, Semyon Dezhnev explored Chukotka, declaring it a Russian possession. He also built the first prison, demolished later. At the end of the 19th century, Grinevsky founded the border post, which was then called Novo-Mariinsk. The renaming to Anadyr took place already in 1923, after the establishment of Soviet power. The district with the status of "national" was formed in 1930. It became an independent subject of the federation in 1992.

Relief and climate Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

The relief of the district is characterized by an abundance of lowlands, hills, uplands and ridges. In the west, there is the Ush-Urekchen mountain system and the Oloy Range; the center with the Anadyr plateau crosses the Anyui ridge with the volcano of the same name. The east is occupied by the Chukchi Highlands, and the southeastern part of the peninsula is occupied by the Koryak. The south is the Anadyr lowland. Most of the hills located in the east have a rounded shape and are hills, the picture of which from the sea has become the hallmark of Chukotka.

75% of all land is occupied by tundra, about 7% by forest tundra. The rest of the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is located in the zone of Arctic deserts. The lowlands of the district are swampy, there are many lakes, the water of which is so pure that it can be drunk without fear. The deepest is Lake Elgygytgyn with a depth of about 170 meters, and the largest is Krasnoe, occupying about 600 km2. The longest river in Chukotka is the Anadyr - it stretches for 1117 kilometers. Among the largest rivers, Anyui, Omolon, Velikaya, Amguema are noted. Reservoirs of Chukotka sleep under ice for almost 8 months. The rivers of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug are distinguished by stormy and abundant floods.

The East Siberian Sea is filled with the coldest waters, the water of the Chukchi Sea is slightly warmer, but autumn storm winds raise waves up to 7 meters high there and form 5-6-meter hummocks. The Bering Sea is the warmest and most suitable for navigation.

The relief and climate of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug have become the reasons for the sparsely populated region. If the mainland is characterized by an arctic climate, then the coast is sharply continental, maritime. Windy and frosty winter lasts up to nine months. The blizzard can last for weeks. Summer is cool and rainy. Not everywhere during the summer period the snow on the surface of the earth has time to completely melt, and in its depths the permafrost never melts.

Average January temperatures fluctuate by regions and fall in the range from -15°C to -39°C, and in the west of the region, the maximum cold mark reaches -60°C. In July, the average temperature in the regions varies from +5°C to +10°C. Sometimes there can be separate hot days. The absolute warmest record was +34°C.

Roads - Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Due to the vast territories, harsh climate and low population density, building roads is a very expensive undertaking. Travel over long distances is carried out by sea or air transport. There are no railways in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, except for departmental narrow-gauge railways.

Chukotka's international airports are located in Anadyr and the village of Proveniya. From there you can fly to Anchorage or Nome in the US state of Alaska. The federal airport is also located in Pevek. From these airports you can fly to Moscow, Khabarovsk or Magadan. Local airlines connect these airports with each other and each of them with remote villages of the district.

Sea communication, hindered during freezing, connects five ports of federal importance: Egvekinot, Beringovsky, Conduction, Pevek, Anadyr, and each of them - with the "mainland".

The roads of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug are for the most part rolled snow strips or winter roads, which can only be driven by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles or off-road trucks. Hard surface have only roads in cities and suburbs.

The federal highway is only about 30 kilometers long and connects the Anadyr heliport with the Ugolnye Kopiy airport. The eight-kilometer section of this route runs right through the ice of the Gulf of Anadyr. A highway is under construction that will connect the center of the region with Kolyma via Omsukchan and Omolon.

Recreation - Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Life in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is not easy and requires courage, perseverance and calmness from local residents, and even more so from visitors. But those who dare to challenge the harsh climate are rewarded with the hospitality of the Chukchi, vivid impressions from the northern landscapes that have not changed for centuries, and from the originality of the lifestyle of the indigenous people.

Living in a real yaranga, taking part in a walrus hunt, pulling a fish out of icy water - a traveler in Chukotka is waiting for a lot of new, previously unexplored sensations. Recreation in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is possible both in short, bright summers and in cold, snowy winters, although with varying degrees of extremeness.

The district has developed water, cruise, scientific, ethnographic, expeditionary, historical and event tourism, and all these types do not exist on their own, but in close connection with each other.

In the waterways of Chukotka, tourists raft in inflatable boats or kayaks in July or August. Cruise ships from America, Britain and Kamchatka ply along the shores of the Providensky and Chukotka regions. Tourist liners make stops to explore the Whale Alley, ethnographic villages on Capes Dezhnev and Nunyamo, and plunge into the hot Lora springs.

Summer sea cruises are organized from Anadyr along the coast, to Onemen Bay, to the Kanchalan or Anadyr estuary, to the mouths of the Velikaya or Anadyr rivers. Travelers watch the bird colonies of Alyumka Island, the game of white whales and curious seals.

Scientific tourism in Chukotka is represented by numerous expeditions of scientists from different countries who study the unique life of small peoples, their languages, crafts and ways of survival. Ornithologists come to study birds, of which there are about 220 species, and oceanologists to study the resources of the northern seas.

Historical tourism is based on about five hundred archaeological sites, which completely change the established ideas about the development of civilizations: Chukotka was inhabited by people who knew how to work metal, when there was neither Ancient Greece nor Ancient Rome.

Ethnographic tourism in Chukotka allows you to get acquainted with the customs, art and life of the Chukchi, Eskimos, Koryaks and Evenks, who greet guests with traditional hospitality and hospitality. Event tourism is associated with participation in colorful national holidays: the festival of sea hunters, folklore festivals, thanksgiving rites, holidays of the whale, young deer, first calf, canoe stingray and many others.

Extreme and expeditionary in Chukotka can be any long hiking or skiing trip, in which participants discover hard-to-reach places, their reserve capabilities and strength of mind.

Outdoor recreation in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

The most remarkable sights of the Chukotka District are worth seeing in natural conditions, despite the harsh climate. Only archaeological sites number in the hundreds. Among them are the northernmost petroglyphs in the world - drawings on the rocks on the banks of the Pegtymel River, which stretched for several kilometers. To the south of Cape Dezhnev, archaeologists have unearthed "Arctic Troy" - an Eskimo settlement that serves as confirmation of the existence of an ancient unique civilization - original, ideally adapted to life in the conditions of the north.

Guests of Chukotka may be interested to get acquainted with the protected treasures of Wrangel Island, the Lebediny federal reserve, the Beringia ethnopark, and seven district natural, ornithological and zoological reserves.

The unique lands of Wrangel Island are known for numerous walrus rookeries, Arctic dolphins and whales swim in their coastal waters, musk oxen and domestic reindeer brought there live. Polar bears come there for childbirth, thousands of seabirds and white geese nest.

The headwaters of the Anadyr River are adorned with a geological monument - Lake Elgygytgyn - one of the three lakes in the world that have an absolutely regular circle shape. The area of ​​110 km 2 is filled with the purest water to a depth of 174 meters. It is assumed that water fills either an ancient volcanic crater, or a funnel from a meteorite fall.

Outdoor recreation in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is often associated with a visit to the iconic point of Chukotka - the intersection of the Arctic Circle with the 180th meridian, from which a new day begins. Passing under the arch, symbolizing the Arctic Circle, travelers approach the pillar with distance indicators to the South Pole (17408) and Moscow (10468 kilometers). Those who wish can visit the northernmost cape of Chukotka Shelaginsky with a lighthouse and an unexplored natural monument - Plitovaya Alley, a six-meter chain of granite walls.

Tourists are definitely invited to visit one of the Russian wonders - Whale Alley, located in the Bering Strait, on the island of Yttygran. In a rocky bay, on the gentle slopes of hills covered with tundra forbs, there are numerous white pillars, which, upon closer examination, turn out to be the bones of whale tusks with the nasal parts of skulls dug into the ground. On the way to the Whale Alley, travelers visit the fjords of the Bay of Conduct - the most beautiful natural places in Chukotka.

In the Providensky district, thermal Senyavinsky and Novochaplinsky springs gush out of the ground, in the hot water of which you can swim in equipped pools all year round. On the eastern coast of Chukotka, on the healing thermal Lorin springs, a balneological resort complex has been opened.

Tourism - Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

For tourists and local residents, active recreation in Chukotka consists of hiking and skiing, multi-day summer trips on ATVs and winter trips on snowmobiles, mountain skiing, river rafting, winter and summer hunting or fishing, climbing small hills. Tourists watch national amusements - races on sleds drawn by dogs or deer, whaleboats or canoes, and sometimes take an active part in them or learn to throw zakidushki, chaat or harpoon.

The rivers of Chukotka attract fishermen, sportsmen and extreme sportsmen. Water tourism in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is active in July and August, when the rivers are full and the weather is more or less favorable. The most popular are rafting on inflatable boats or kayaks along Amgueme, 310 kilometers long, Ekittyki - 94, Chantalveergyn - 150 and Anadyr - about 300 kilometers. Motor boats can be rented in Anadyr, the villages of Ust-Belaya, Makarovo, Egvekino, Amguema.

On a trip to Cape Navarin, tourists find themselves among hundreds of thousands of birds soaring everywhere on the ocean, covered with dense clouds. On the cape, called the Cape of All Winds, because storms often fall on it, and wild winds constantly walk around, travelers get after a 250-kilometer hike or by combining hiking with water crossings.

On trips on ATVs along the coasts of two oceans, tourists overcome mountain ranges, cross dozens of Chukotka rivers, cross the Arctic Circle and the 180th meridian.

A trip on ATVs with a hike to the Dionisy and Komsomolskaya hills, about half a kilometer high, has not so much a sporting as an aesthetic meaning, since the panorama of the Golden Range, Onemen Bay and the Kanchalan Estuary opens from the hills. In almost any trip, tourists are given the opportunity to drive on reindeer or dog sleds.

In winter, tourists are offered to take part in a multi-day snowmobile trip across the whole of Chukotka, and in summer, a mixed route (on foot, by car and by boat) to Cape Dezhnev with visits to many tourist sites and natural monuments, such as a waterfall falling from a cliff right into Bering Strait. The most courageous thrill-seekers can go to the North Pole on a dog sled.

Alpine skiing is popular in the Chukotka District. All conditions are created here on the slopes with ski lifts and rental points on the slopes of the hills of Portovaya and Pionerskaya near the villages of Provision and Egvekinot.

Hunting and fishing - Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Fishing in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

The region is known for large-scale sea fishing, and amateur fishing in Chukotka is famous for salmon - chinook salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon and others. Fishing in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is carried out not only on the seas, but also in lakes and rivers.

Here it is difficult to draw a line between sea hunting and fishing, when St. John's wort is engaged in the traditional hunting of walrus, seal, seal, and lahatka. Only in the Bering Sea there are more than four hundred species of fish, which represent 65 families. About fifty of them can become objects of fishing. Crabs, cephalopods, squids are harvested from sea delicacies.

The lakes of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and other reservoirs of Chukotka are home to about forty fish species, but the main ones are: smelt, char, salmon, whitefish, white salmon, grayling, burbot, pike. On the Red Lake, you can fish for pike, pink salmon, chum salmon (outside the spawning ban), nelma, broad whitefish, whitefish. After the ice melts, the white whale comes to the lake. Sockeye salmon and white fish live in large quantities in Lake Pekulneyskoye, and char and char in Elgygytgyn, but this lake is one of the water bodies prohibited for fishing.

The catch of whitefish and Pacific salmon is carried out on permits. From the last day of June, for three months, there is a ban on spinning salmon fishing in the rivers flowing into the sea and their tributaries, except for lure using fishing line up to 0.3 mm thick and a hook with a distance between the tip and the forearm up to 7 mm. There are length restrictions on the catch of various types of bioresources. We have to release kunja, anadromous Dolly Varden, lenok, burbot shorter than 45 centimeters, nelma and taimen less than 70, broad whitefish - 40, catfish, pike - less than 50 and so on in accordance with the rules of fishing.

The rivers of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of the Kolyma basin are known for their catches of whitefish, two species of whitefish, peled, vendace, and valka. The reservoirs of the Mainypilga system and the region of the Anadyr estuary serve as places for catching a large number of chum salmon. Often organized fishing in Chukotka is carried out during river rafting.

Hunting in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Hunting has always served the aboriginal peoples of the region as a means of subsistence. Marine hunting, along with the prey of birds, polar bears or deer, allowed them to survive in arctic conditions.

Hunting in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is carried out on lands spread over hundreds of square kilometers. Slaughter of animals is allowed: elk, wolverine, lynx, brown bear, fox, squirrel, arctic fox, muskrat, wild deer, wolf, mink, ermine, otter, hare, sable. From birds, you can get white-fronted geese and bean goose, partridges, ducks, stone capercaillie.

From animals it is forbidden to shoot weasels, polar bears, black-capped marmots, bighorn sheep, but if the minimum population level is exceeded, a license can be issued for any of these species. From birds it is not allowed to shoot swans, black geese, barnacles, mallards, white geese, eiders, shovelers, pebbles, teals, cormorants, gulls, sandhill cranes, owls, woodpeckers and a number of other useful birds. Of the marine mammals, it is not allowed to catch narwhal, humpback, fin whale, sei whale, blue and gray whale and minke whale.

Commercial hunting for wild deer in Chukotka allows satisfying the population's need for dietary meat. Of the birds, the white partridge is distinguished by the largest stocks, for which the season opens on the third Saturday of August and lasts until the end of February.

The extreme north-east of Russia is the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug with the administrative center in the city of Anadyr. The most distant territory from central Russia. Further, through the Bering Strait is already Alaska - America.

The only possible way to get to Chukotka is by plane. The existing maritime communication during the summer navigation season is used only for the delivery of goods. There is no passenger traffic due to the large length of sea routes. In principle, there is no railway and road communication with the "mainland".

The distance from Moscow to Anadyr is about 6400 km. The flight takes place in an arc above the Arctic Circle. If you fly during the day, then from the window along the entire road you can see the tundra stretching for many kilometers.

Currently, only one airline, Transaero, operates regular flights from Moscow to Chukotka. From Khabarovsk to Anadyr can be reached by planes of the company "Vladivostok Avia". All. No more message!

Despite the significant cost of tickets (20 tr.), all planes are almost 100% loaded.

It should be noted that even by plane it is not always possible to get to Anadyr. Unstable weather prone to rain, snowfall and strong winds can cause flights to be delayed or canceled altogether. In spring and autumn, at certain intervals, planes do not fly at all.

The entire territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is a border zone with appropriate entry rules. Border guards meet arriving already on the plane. If you do not have a local propiska, you must have a reason to enter. For example, an invitation from someone or a travel certificate. Passengers who did not take care of the documents are sent back by the same plane, without setting foot on the land of Chukotka.

Anadyr Airport in the village of "Coal mines" is located on the opposite side of the Anadyr estuary. In the summer season, you can get from the city to the airport by boat. The fare is 400 rubles. There is also such an exotic form of transport we have - a hovercraft. If you want to travel in comfort, then by paying taxi drivers a certain amount of money, you will be taken to the place directly by car. Cars are loaded onto a barge that transports them to the other side. The disadvantage of this method is that on the road you will not be able to admire the seascapes. The sides of the barge are very high, and getting out of the car is problematic. They are placed very close to each other.

In winter and off-season, the only way to communicate is by helicopter. The ticket price is about 1500 rubles. When the ice freezes sufficiently, vehicles are allowed to cross it. But because of the danger of this route, the ice crossing does not always work.

Anadyr meets you with clean, almost perfect roads and sidewalks. The houses are painted in cheerful colors. Lawns are broken all around, benches, trash cans, etc. are placed.

The ends of the houses are decorated with stylized posters depicting elements of Chukchi life - deer, shaman tambourines, red caviar. All this is called "Chukotka Artika". You can feel the hand of a professional designer. On each poster, along with the Russian name, there is an inscription in the Chukchi language.

What do you think is the name of the bear in Chukchi? "Umk's". Remember the famous cartoon about Umka? The deer is called - "K, orany" and so on. Apparently, all this is intended to preserve the traditional Chukchi culture and language.

The city makes a much more pleasant impression than most Russian cities. All this is the merit of Roman Abramovich. Anadyr before Abramovich and after are two different cities. Gray, dirty, gloomy before and bright, modern, well-groomed after.

Permafrost is a layer of earth from several tens to several hundred meters thick, the temperature of which has not risen above zero degrees for thousands of years. The foundation of a conventional building will heat the ground, causing it to melt and spread. Such a building will be unstable or even split and fall.

For buildings standing on piles, a significant distance remains between the level of the ground floor and the ground. It serves to remove heat from the building. Thus, the soil is always in a frozen state. Piles in such soil feel even better than in ordinary soil.

All communications are also carried out on the surface.

The central square of Anadyr - Lenin Square is located on the elevated bank of the Anadyr estuary. The museum center "Heritage of Chukotka" is located on the square. The building itself has a very unusual architecture. Inside, everything is done with the latest technology. On three floors there is an exposition telling about the stages of the development of Chukotka and about the life of its indigenous people. On the ground floor there is a multimedia room. There is a concert hall in the same building.

Next to the square is the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity. The cathedral is the largest wooden temple in Russia, built on permafrost, and the only cathedral in Chukotka. Like all buildings in Anadyr, the temple stands on stilts. The ground soil under it is cooled by refrigeration units in the summer.

Not far from the cargo port is the memorial "The First Revolutionary Committee of Chukotka", opened in 1981.

The environs of Anadyr are huge expanses of tundra with hills towering among them. The closest to the city are the hill of St. Michael with an abandoned tropospheric communication station located on it, about 5-7 kilometers away, as well as Mount St. Dionysius, 50 km away. From almost anywhere in the city there is a magnificent view of these hills or the mountains located on the other side of the estuary. The city itself, also located on a hill, stretches from its top to the waters of the Anadyr estuary.

The motor transport system in Chukotka is underdeveloped. And if there is no network of roads on the side of the village of Coal mines, then on the side of the city there are practically no roads. Those. in the city itself, of course, everything is in order, but immediately after it everything ends. Several primers of rather mediocre quality stretch into the tundra. But they run out pretty soon. It is impossible to reach any settlements on them.

The flora of the surroundings of Anadyr is characterized by the complete absence of any kind of trees. Unless, of course, you count their dwarf counterparts. For example, there is a dwarf pine, which literally spreads along the ground, and even lower than many shrubs in height.

Toward the end of summer, the berry ripening season begins in the tundra. Lingonberries, blueberries, blueberries, shiksha (dropsy) - this is an incomplete list of what the tundra is rich in. In addition to berries, there are a lot of various mushrooms in the tundra. As we, the inhabitants of the middle zone, follow them into the forest, so the local population goes to pick mushrooms and berries in the tundra.

What is the tundra? Usually it is a swampy area overgrown with low shrubs and grass. It is impossible to move on it by car, even with off-road capability.

The ideal means of transportation are various vehicles on low pressure wheels. Due to the low pressure on the ground, they do not fall into the swamps. In addition, they move along the tundra on caterpillar all-terrain vehicles, leaving deep and long-lasting traces.

The tundra in the vicinity of Anadyr is a monument to human mismanagement. A lot of rusty barrels, the remains of some mechanisms and machines that have remained here forever. The pinnacle of this is the abandoned tropospheric communication station on St. Michael's Hill. The grandest building!

It is necessary to say a few words separately about the tropospheric communication system. The system was created in the late 60s in order to provide communications to the regions of the far north.

Huge distance, permafrost and harsh climate did not allow laying cables. Conventional VHF communication operates at a distance of no more than 80 km. Satellite communications at that time were still poorly developed.

Therefore, the system of tropospheric over-the-horizon communication "Horizont" was developed. Range 250 -425 km. The principle of operation of this system is the property of reflection of radio waves from the upper layers of the atmosphere. The problem was that the reflected signal came very weak, in addition, it could be significantly shifted.

To solve the above problems and ensure a long communication range, it was necessary to build giant antennas with a mirror size of 20x20 meters, or 30x30 meters. Two antennas for each direction.

And now, at the top of the hill of St. Michael, there are six huge antennas (the station worked in 3 directions) and several more smaller ones related to some other communication system. This is the former station "Yukon" - part of the tropospheric radio relay line (TRRL) "North". The station is equipped with diesel generator sets and could operate autonomously for a long time.

A network of such stations was located along the line of the Arctic Circle throughout the north of the USSR.

With the development of satellite communication systems, TRRL became significantly inferior to them. The system was eventually shut down permanently in the late 90s. Yukon Station ceased to exist in 2003.

Now only the wind walks among antennas, technical cases, cables beginning to rust. One of the antennas has already fallen, the others are still standing. A few more years will pass and the rest will not withstand the pressure of the elements, burying the memory of one of the grandiose projects of the USSR.

Talking about Chukotka, one cannot fail to mention one of its main riches. Along with gold, gas, oil, this is red caviar. Spawning starts in August and ends in early September. This is the most fertile time for fishing.

They fish, of course, not with fishing rods, but with nets set along the shore of the estuary. On an industrial scale, the Anadyr fish factory is engaged in harvesting. Everyone else needs to purchase licenses to fish.

Fishing is prohibited on Monday and Tuesday. An exception was made for the indigenous people - the Chukchi. They will gladly sell you both raw and already cooked caviar. It is not worth taking ready-made caviar from them. It is completely unknown under what conditions it was prepared. But raw caviar in ovaries can be taken.

Yastik is a thin but strong film that forms a bag-shell, which contains salmon and sturgeon caviar. Raw caviar costs 300-350 rubles per kilogram. Feel the difference! In our stores, a kilogram of red caviar costs about 1,700 rubles. True, the finished caviar from a kilogram of raw will be somewhat less, but nevertheless ...

Preparing caviar is quite simple. The first thing you need to cook brine. Brine is a solution of table salt, usually close to saturation. The water is brought to a boil and salt is gradually added to it. You need to add it until it dissolves. Another way to test the readiness of brine is to use raw potatoes. If it does not sink in the solution, then the brine is ready.

Before salting, caviar must be separated from the ovary. This process is called rumbling. If there is not enough caviar, then you can get by with an ordinary spoon, but this is extremely inconvenient and not very high quality. The best is to use a badminton racket. The ovaries open and rub against the rocket, while the caviar separates and falls down.

After the screening is completed, the caviar must be washed. This is done on gauze. Everything, now the caviar is ready for salting. We lower it into the brine for a period of 5 to 10 minutes. After a short drying caviar can be eaten or laid out in jars.

Caught fish during the spawning period of the Chukchi are often simply thrown away, so if you need fish, they will gladly give it to you completely free of charge. They themselves, of course, also prepare fish for themselves. The fish is cut and hung for drying in small sheds, which literally strewn the entire coast near the village of Tavaivaam.

There is an opinion that the indigenous peoples of the north are now actively drinking and degrading. I don’t know ... Maybe it’s true, of course, but some kind of global degradation process is imperceptible. No, there are of course among the Chukchi those who actively abuse. At the same time, they look and live, of course, accordingly. However, the majority, it seems to me, have perfectly integrated into the modern life of Anadyr and do not differ at all from the Russian population in their way of life.

One of the traditional folk crafts in Chukotka is bone carving. Jewelry made from walrus tusks is truly magnificent! Moreover, many of them are real works of art with a corresponding cost, which can reach up to 100 thousand rubles for individual copies! Expensive. Yes, it is expensive, like all life in Chukotka. On average, food prices are at least twice as expensive as in Moscow. The cost of gasoline is 1.5 times higher!

This is due to the fact that the region exists solely due to products and goods brought from the mainland. Once a year in the summer, during the northern sea delivery, the bulk of products and goods are delivered. Perishable products such as vegetables or fruits are delivered only by air. Their prices will shock an unprepared person.

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-17th century). The 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 of the 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 Ocean. The reasons for the aggravation were the strengthening of 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 - the Anadyr district, allocating 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, set for himself, 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.
The favorable geographical position of 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 of the Soviet Union and continued until the end of the 20th century, since 2001 Anadyr began a period of "second" birth, intensive renewal and development.
On August 11, 2004, the world's largest monument to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was unveiled in Anadyr.