When gathering for the tundra, the right question is not why, but how much? The question why is considered inappropriate, stupid and naive. As thoroughly as alcohol, no other issue related to a trip to the tundra is discussed. Plunging into the nature of the issue, one can reach the esoteric mysteries of the ancient hunters, the cleansing rites with "holy" water and the unbearable freedom of being. Of course, the tundra is not a place to look for the reason for alcohol consumption: if you don’t want it, don’t drink, but why did you drive then?
I’ll make a reservation right away, hikers are almost excluded from the story. "Almost" because the battle between the drunk and the fast carb is almost always won by the latter. And again, "almost" - because many pedestrians still take scoundrels and even half a liter with them, motivating their choice with the phrases: "to warm up", "five drops at night to sleep better" and "just in case". I am not a supporter of dragging alcohol on foot, although I took it several times. And not because I don't drink, but because "why get dirty"?
Monday, December 18, 2017 4:21 pm ()
How much does red caviar cost, who needs a Far Eastern hectare, who is the true master of the Far East, and why is the ghost of the Far East Republic still in the air?
There is a tradition in Russia: to reset budgets at the end of the year. What is the best way to reset the budget? That's right, hold a festival/round table/forum or "Days". The Ministry for the Development of the Far East, together with the Ministry of Natural Resources, was apparently guided by this criterion when they organized the Days of the Far East in Moscow. The event is unexpected, hasty and unpromising. Perhaps next year they will again decide to "continue the banquet", but so far this is a one-time action. But before talking about the Days and my attitude towards them, you need to look at the Far East through the eyes of the Far East.
Does Russia need the Far East? The question is rhetorical - of course it is needed, because there is oil, gas, coal, gold and the rest of the periodic table. Also fish and seafood. And the forest. The Far East, from its very accession, was considered by Moscow as a raw materials appendage. According to all the laws of urbanism and demography, it is impossible to develop such remote regions from the center; organic development is possible only in the event of the emergence of remote economic and political centers of development. One of the most striking examples of the balanced development of a large territory is the United States, with its East and West coasts. But in Russia, this cannot happen, because we have a different principle of organizing power: the absolute centralization of power in the hands of the Tsar/Soviets/President. Therefore, strong regional leaders cannot appear in today's historical reality. Regional elites are created from the center or from local cadres, but they are as loyal as possible to the center. Loyalty is not only political, but primarily economic, income-generating Far East enterprises (large and partially medium-sized businesses) sooner or later fall under the jurisdiction of Moscow business elites.
About the outdoor gathering
Very often, people living in a particular area do not know what sights are nearby. The inhabitants of Chukotka are no exception. I wanted them to be able to get to know the nature of their native region, its specifics. So, six years ago, an outdoor rally was born.
I post information about the route on the Internet. Everyone who is close to tourism responds, and we set off on a multi-day trip.
Our region is expensive, and the cost of a commercial tour sometimes reaches several hundred thousand rubles, but the rally from the very beginning was a budget option, involving minimal costs. Participants pay only the operating costs of tickets, meals and, if necessary, hotel accommodation. I take care of the full organization of the trip and escort of the group.
Each time I choose a new route not only for the guys, but also for myself. As a traveler, I am not interested in walking along well-known paths and want to discover and explore Chukotka again and again. To be surprised at new places and share this delight with the whole team. During the existence of the project, we visited the Provedensky, Anadyr, Chukotsky, Iultinsky and Chaunsky districts.
Initially, it was assumed that young people from different settlements of Chukotka would be involved in the rally. Over time, middle-aged and older people began to join us, and the geography of participants expanded significantly. For six years, about sixty people from fifteen regions of Russia, Kazakhstan and even Switzerland took part in the project. Some of them really got carried away hiking in the region and became regular participants.
About routes
The journey has its end point. For example, in 2015, participants in the Naukan outdoor rally reached the lighthouse-monument to Derzhnev. Along the way, we visited abandoned villages where the Eskimos used to live.
Two years ago, our goal was to visit the Iultinsky region on the 180th meridian, which divides the Earth into two hemispheres: Eastern and Western, and the international date line runs along it. So we had a unique opportunity to simultaneously be in today and tomorrow.
This year we went to the Anadyr region to get to the natural monument - the Tnekveemskaya relic chozen grove, a unique plant oasis in the tundra. The route was difficult, and everything depended on a number of factors: the weather, the water level in the river, the serviceability of the equipment. The team itself means a lot. Everyone is on an equal footing and must do work that provides food, warmth, and movement for all participants. In nine days we covered six hundred kilometers in three motor boats along the Kanchalan and Tnekveem rivers. Part of the way back was self-rafting.
About the blog
Being on expeditions, you accidentally stumble upon some interesting information, you start to “unwind” the topic, and you learn interesting facts. I talk about the brightest ones in LiveJournal in my blog “Once Upon a Time in Chukotka”.
For seven years, the most extensive local history material has been accumulated. I am a historian by education, and I want to preserve those bits of information that may be lost in the future. So, some of my materials are published under the tag "ghost towns". In Chukotka, the proximity of the United States affected the closure of several settlements in the eastern part of the region, where the Chukchi and Eskimos lived. A number of settlements were liquidated for economic reasons. Until now, buildings have been preserved in the dead cities and villages, and it was interesting for me to show readers the past of the region.
On one of his expeditions to an abandoned village, for some reason he removed a sign with the name of the street from the house, and it marked the beginning of a small collection. Now I have them - eight from the streets of Iultin, Cape Schmidt, Beringovsky, Krasnoarmeysky, Valkumey, Yanranai, Gudym, Apapelgino. Recently in Anadyr, in the courtyard of the house, I made a small installation "Forgotten Streets".
Part of the posts is devoted to ethnographic sketches that describe the life of the northern peoples. From this point of view, the traditional craft is interesting - hunting for sea animals, which in Russia is only in our country. I happened to see how the Chukchi hunt whales, seals, bearded seals, how they build a national boat - a canoe, how they get walrus tusks, from which souvenirs are made.
Naturally, it was impossible not to talk about the people of our region. These sketches were published under the label "wonderful people of Chukotka". In addition to online notes, I talk about travels in Chukotka on the pages of books. Since 2013, I have published four author's books and one travel guide to Chukotka, in which I was a co-author.
About Chukotka
In terms of tourism, our region is unique. This is the beginning of Russia, its most eastern region. Chukotka is located in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. The most extreme point of Eurasia is also with us. Chukotka is washed by the Arctic, Pacific oceans and three seas - East Siberian, Chukchi, Bering, which has the longest coastline in the region.
The region has a large territory combined with a low population density. The color of the region will be felt in any area. But do not try to understand and feel Chukotka at once. Even in one month it will not succeed, it is so different. It needs to be learned gradually.
Here, those who love outdoor activities can go hunting, fishing, hiking, rafting. In ethnotours, you can get acquainted with the life and traditions of reindeer herders and sea hunters. As such, there are no attractions in Chukotka, but tourism of interesting geographical points can be distinguished: the 180th meridian, Cape Dezhnev, and so on.
Going to us, tourists should be prepared for several moments. If you like comfort, then this is definitely not your region. There are hotels, the Internet, public catering, but in areas they may not meet a high level of claims. The weather is very capricious. Going for a few days, you can completely "get stuck" for a couple of weeks.
I advise tourists unprepared for the Chukchi realities to start from the Iultinsky district. The location is perfect: simple logistics, rich itinerary and relative service. But to truly feel the charm of Chukotka, you need to get to Cape Dezhnev, where there are several iconic locations.
About development
On average, our region is visited by up to one and a half thousand tourists, a thousand of which are cruise tourists. Most of these tourists are foreigners. There are not many who come on a package tour or on their own, although the region has a huge potential.
With certain efforts, tourism can become the second most important industry in the economy after gold mining. First, and most importantly, it is necessary to subsidize the cost of tickets. To fly from Moscow to Chukotka, at best, thirty thousand will be required. Even if the cost is reduced by five thousand, then I am sure that the flow of tourists will increase.
Development is problematic even without investment in infrastructure. We do not have tourist bases, an extremely limited number of hotels and catering establishments. If in Anadyr, all this is widely represented, then certain difficulties arise in the regions. And there are many such gaps.
I believe that tourism in our region is more of a social project than a commercial one. For example, some of my routes run through villages where representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North live. In most settlements, as the residents themselves joke, the city-forming enterprise is Chukotkommunkhoz. It is clear that the development of the economy, the attractiveness of such villages for life, especially for young people, is out of the question. There is stagnation. More or less active people are leaving, and it is likely that in the future these villages will be left without inhabitants. In the long term, there is a risk of losing these settlements. Tourism is precisely the locomotive that can drag along the influx of investments into the economy of small settlements, make the place attractive, primarily for the residents themselves.”
A travel book must travel. And she traveled - six hours by car from Nizhny Novgorod to Moscow. Then seven days by train from Moscow to Vladivostok. Then she was loaded in Vladivostok on a dry cargo ship and for ten days she sailed by sea to Anadyr.
How much the travel book will travel with the Russian Post from Anadyr to your city - God only knows. But one day, looking into the mailbox, you will see the coveted notice. Russian Post is not the best place for an exciting pastime. Worse than waiting - just catching up. But waiting is one of the main virtues of Chukchi travelers. And you will stand in line stoically or melancholy, because this line is not for bananas or Chinese iPhones, but for a book about traveling through the farthest corner of our country - Chukotka.
Having traveled 18 thousand kilometers and several stops on the minibus "Pacific Ocean of Chukotka" you will find yourself at home. The soft gloss of the cover smoothly plays with waves like the Bering Sea, on rare days of good weather, in the smell of fresh printing ink - shades of autumn tundra, in letters and words - the good and harsh truth of camp life, emotions, philosophy and facts.
And also big and small Chukchi villages and cities that you have heard something about and people you don’t know. They are not heroes, but real ones - just like you, they only live in Chukotka, they are the salt of the earth and the main "attraction". Distant Chukotka and the Pacific Ocean will become closer, clearer and dearer, because I wrote this book for you: those who live in Chukotka, those who once lived here and left for the mainland, those who have never been to Chukotka, but dream take a trip to the edge of geography.
You can order the book by emailing [email protected] or in person. The cost is 1700 rubles with postal delivery.
And of course, an autograph, which is like my handshake to you.
Going to the edge of Russia and the Earth, this is how I imagined everything. Behind my back are trips to Sakhalin and Kamchatka, to other bearish corners of our country. The story is the same everywhere: the Union collapsed, everything was pissed after.
Life here is really difficult, and in Chukotka you even believe that the climate prevents the construction of roads and the normal existence of cities: again, there is neither stone nor wood, the main building materials.
In the nineties and two thousandth people began to massively leave the already small region, leaving behind abandoned cities and villages.
*published again*
1 Nature lovers are advised to go to Chukotka, so I didn’t like it very much: low hills, only grass from the vegetation. A million lakes still look good from above, but the tundra is a rather boring sight. Of the wild animals, I met only a family of three cranes, who sat down to rest. 
What happens next in the report can damage your psyche. There is complete devastation in its most severe manifestation. I didn’t look for garbage dumps on purpose, I know that such things can be filmed in Moscow (although not really), and that it was necessary to come at another time. If you are sensitive to photos of the hinterland of Russia, please stop by this beautiful photo with cranes. For, in fact, almost everything is fucked up here.
2 The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug has long been completely closed and military: yes, here and now the border zone, upon arrival they even check passports. And in the Soviet years, they were so afraid of the Americans that they made the entire impassable region, where there really are no roads, a special zone. It is close to Alaska, 600-700 kilometers, but it is impossible to travel on foot or by transport. So, the military sat in Chukotka under every bush, and after them a noble legacy remained: almost all the abandoned houses still belong to the Ministry of Defense. Barrels - a former fuel and lubricants warehouse near the Anadyr airport. 
3 The Anadyr estuary divides the entire district into two parts: in fact, the city of Anadyr on one side, on the other - the urban village of Coal Mines, and a dozen abandoned towns of various safety and remoteness. 
4 The village of Miner. The closest to Coal, you can get there easily and even by car. Unfortunately, I will not tell you the history of the settlement, since I am writing this text from a hostel, where there is no smell of any Internet. 
5 Shakhtyorsky is small, literally a couple of apartment buildings, and those three-story buildings. The private sector was scattered over the surrounding hills, but almost everything rotted or was taken to other villages for building materials. 
6 There is really nothing to build here, everything is used: if you want to build a good house, steal something in an abandoned one. So I won’t be surprised if this “unfinished” one was actually dismantled to the ground. 
7 Probably, in the best years, this village did not look very good, but now ... 
8 They say that they left these settlements in connection with the compaction program: apartments in Anadyr were vacated, and people were simply moved to better conditions. But why did many then abandon their cars and equipment? In some apartments, the interiors remained .... as if everyone fled from here! Like in Pripyat! 
9 Some special form of perversion, the same was seen in Anadyr on the outskirts. Wooden barracks-garages, a greenhouse on the second floor, and people managed to live in these houses. 
10 Village on the seashore. Someone has a resort, but here devastation. Everything is in this state not only because of the harsh winters, when the temperature reaches minus sixty. Just in many ways, because the locals take away everything that lies badly. 
11 Dozens of cars lie and rust, poisoning the soil of the region. 
12 A boat that won't sail anywhere. 
13 And the very water of the estuary, look, is dirty and does not cause a desire to plunge. 
14 In the middle of the dead city stands a monument to Timofey Elkov, the first Chukchi pilot who died in the Great Patriotic War. The bust stands on pebbles ... 
15 There is an active radar tower on the mountain above the village of Shakhtyorsky. 
16 And the inactive Anadyr airport. Before the air harbor began to be located in the lowland, near the Coal Mines, the civilian airfield was right here: the military ran there. There was nothing left of the runway, it was overgrown. The airport building today is a single wall. 
17 Ten years ago, the airport was bought by a man who decided to develop regional aviation. I managed to buy one AN-2, and then they killed him. The plane is still standing. 
18 And in good condition. 
19 A lot of things remained in the cockpit, but the roof was stolen from the cockpit. 
20 Some kind of technical facility, maybe a warehouse with kerosene? 
21 Around such an enchanting garbage can, where you can find many artifacts. Sometimes the trash looks conceptual, I even thought that somewhere in Europe it could pass for an exhibition of contemporary art. 
22 Artifacts collected: an Olympic bear, radio navigation charts and a calendar with naked women. 
23 A view of the landfill, the estuary, and in the distance the city of Anadyr itself. Here it seems to be a metropolis and the center of the universe. 
24 Let's go back to the Coal Mines. It is the largest city on this side of the estuary, although half of it is abandoned. 
25 It somehow turned out that the “civilian” part of “Ugolki” remained alive, and all the military were taken out and half of the city now lies in ruins. Looking ahead, the coolest abandoned place near Anadyr is the village of Gudym: be patient, there will be a separate report about it. 
26 Pioneer aviators and defenders of the Chukotka sky. Who will protect him now, and most importantly, from whom? They didn't save themselves. 
27 If these houses were a little taller, one would think that this is Chernobyl. But even so, it looks ominous and intimidating. 
28 The only inhabited building in the area, the local court. 
29 At the end of the block there are three residential five-story buildings. Imagine for a second what it's like to live here? With such an environment, even on the edge of the Earth. 
30 Another ember of civilization on this ashes, an Orthodox church. All that's left is to pray. 
31 Local residents. 
32 Things are a bit different in the “living” part of the Coal Mines. Usually houses are distinguished by their bright color: here, unlike the “mainland”, it is still customary to paint and maintain houses in good condition. 
33 Another monument to a Chukchi pilot was found in one of the yards. And a house built by the Turks. 
34 Should I come to rest in Chukotka? What can be done here? I've been asking this question for three days now. And I don't know what to answer. But I am glad that I saw with my own eyes such a life. 
There is nothing for me to do here, in Anadyr. All main activity will start later. And I arrived well in advance, because the plane from Magdan only once a week. So for now, I am entertaining myself as much as I can.
Started walking around the city in the morning. Well, it's interesting. Although yesterday until 12 at night I was already walking. I painted the city, but I am a resist, I must meet this high rank. And today I had breakfast, and went again. Only fotik took with him. I wanted to take pictures of the city. But failed. Today in Anadyr fog and drizzle.
Drizzle is like rain, but not rain. Just fog and it has a lot of the smallest suspension of water in the air. You go, you can’t see it, but a lot of water settles on you. Therefore, I did not really manage to shoot the city myself. The only thing that happened was to go to the port of Anadyr during the weather clearing. There fotik and got it. And I did not regret - I will explain why below.
In the meantime - a little port - the heart of the city. And yes, as usual, everyone who visits Chukotka takes pictures of prices in stores. It's a shock and a sensation. That's why I photographed them too! :)))
The heart of Anadyr, I'm not afraid to exaggerate. A city on the edge of the earth, which is supplied only by the sea during the period of open navigation. Magadan is also supplied by sea - but at least we have year-round navigation. And here in winter - the seams. Won't break through. Arctic. Now navigation has already begun, but there are no ships in the port yet. Although fresh products have already been delivered. In any case, tomatoes and cucumbers are already in stores.
There are many old ships in the sweat. I don’t know if they cut them into metal or something. Or maybe they are served on the shore, and then released into the sea.
I was very surprised by these objects on the other side of the estuary. Wind power plants. I don’t know if they work, but judging by the general shabbyness, most likely not. It's a pity. How cool would it be...
I went a little further - I saw two girls truant school enthusiastically shouting something. He came closer - and understood the reasons for their excitement. Beluga whales. And more. Lots of. Appeared and disappeared. Some with babies. A very graceful animal indeed. I was stuck looking at them for about 30 minutes. And yesterday, while we were on a boat from the port, I didn’t see them.
I strongly regretted that I had left the telephoto in the hostel. So the details would be considered. But not fate. Maybe next time.
These are graceful animals with a hole in their head. By the way, you can hear very well how they breathe and throw water out through this hole. And it's nice to see them in their natural environment. The only thing I thought about was the question - how do the fishermen of Anadyr perceive them? After all, they probably steal fish from nets.
We are watching.
Well, then again everything was shrouded in fog and drizzle. I hid my camera and went to the store to check prices. Cucumbers and tomatoes. Cucumbers - 495 rubles. Cherry tomatoes 295 rubles. But Moscow tomatoes are more expensive - 550 rubles ... Inhumane, but this is Chukotka!
I saw a book in the supermarket. Also inhumane.
Ham of Vienna - 795 rubles. In Magadan, it costs 300-400 rubles. And he doesn't look as tired as usual. Sausages are small at the top, 130 rubles per 70 grams. Hmm. Even for Magadan it is inhumane. But what can you do... :)
Vegetable oil, ordinary. 165 rubles per bottle.
Found my favorite Dobroflot. True, I did not see smoked saury, but I am indifferent to pollock liver. Especially for 165 rubles per jar.
Another sausage. 740, 970 and 1250 rubles, depending on the type. Well, what can I say - this is Chukotka. He knew where he was flying. :)
Any local cuisine is also not very humane.
But the Amguem venison is relatively cheap. 395 rubles per kg of frozen piece of meat. I still fly to Amguemu, so I didn’t take it - it will be cheaper there, I know for sure. Although, in principle, it was possible to take. Fry a venison steak in the evening - yes, gobble it up, why not dinner? :)
Local fish is cheap. Well it is clear. The local one. True - navaga is terrible, like my life. But it is not the season now, so you can see that it has remained since the winter. Sig for 270 rubles - inexpensive. Crab claws - cheaper in Magdan - 900 rubles now!
Bakery. About 450 rubles a kilogram. I don’t eat sweets in Magadan either, so I don’t even know if it’s expensive or not.
In general, this was the end of the price review, because they called from the office and distracted me. Work issues had to be resolved. Like a vacation, but still the work does not let go. However, you can get an idea of the prices. Expensive or not? As for me - taking into account the remoteness from everything - it's not very expensive either. The people on the streets do not look exhausted, so they buy at these prices. More prices are actually striking in the strong curtailment of the range. Well, really, little of everything, little choice. And all this scarcity of choice + the price of what is - and creates just a picture - that everything is bad.
Although in fact - for the inhabitants of Anadyr - this is commonplace. It's not bad, it's quite good. After all, navigation has begun, this is diversity. Everything is worse in winter.
Z. s. I didn’t take a picture of red caviar - but they have it cheaper than in Magadan. We have fresh now at 5,000 per liter, and here, in Chukotka - only 2,800. At the same time, we only have pink salmon so far, and here we have sockeye caviar. It really tastes better - well, who understands - he knows ..
Z. z. s. Campaign, with flights on a quadrocopter over Anadyr, I will fly, as a year ago the most capricious blogger of Runet. There is no weather and the wind is constant! :(Sad. Maybe I'll catch up in Egvekinot...
