Only 4 km share Russia and the USA: why the attempts to overcome them ended in curiosities

From the school course, we know that Russia is separated from Alaska by the Bering Strait. At its narrowest point, its width is only 86 kilometers. And we a priori consider these 86 kilometers as the distance from us to the Americans, reminds the author of the channel “Let’s compare” on “Yandex.Zen”. However, it is not.

Photo: Shutterstock

In the middle of the strait are islands that reduce the distance between countries by 20 times. Today we get acquainted with the island of Ratmanov (aka Big Diomede) and Small Diomede.

A look from afar and family tragedy

Previously, both islands were Russian. Like Alaska. But in 1867, Alaska was sold, and Small Diomede Island entered into the deal. See where they are.

So here. The islands began to belong to different countries, but the Eskimos who inhabited them continued to visit their neighbors regularly. Many families lived partly on one island, partly on another. However, in 1948, the border was closed, the island of Ratmanov (Big Diomede in the west) became a border base, and its population was relocated to Siberia. Unfortunately, this parted the family.

Of course, given how close the islands are to each other, it was possible to transport families to Little Diomede so as not to be separated. But the difficulty was that the inhabitants of Ratmanov Island were citizens of the Soviet Union, and the inhabitants of Little Diomede were Americans.

The population of Little Diomede is 135 people. They have a shop and even a school. According to a centuries-old tradition, they are fishing. There is no police or military on the island, the community resolves conflicts on its own.

You can get to the Small Diomede Island only by helicopter or boat. To deliver goods, only a few boats arrive annually. There is essentially no airport, but when the weather permits, airplanes can still land on an icy runway.

On the subject: The USA and Denmark again quarrel over Greenland: Trump does not leave the desire to control the island

So what about trying to cross the border?

I will tell you three cases. Successful, not very successful and - almost ended in prison.

In August 1987, the American Lin Cox sailed the same 4 kilometers in 2 hours 6 minutes. The water was about 6 degrees, so the achievement is certainly amazing. But why swim if in winter you can just cross the ice? Maybe this is not so simple?

In 1988, the Soviet traveler Dmitry Shparo, together with his son Matvey, decided to cross the Bering Strait on skis. No sooner said than done. But instead of going 86 kilometers, as can be done in a straight line, they covered 310. This is because the ice floes are constantly drifting, sometimes at a speed of about 8 km / h. The journey lasted 20 days. 20 days in the most difficult conditions! But they got into the Guinness Book of Records.

And now 2006. Briton Karl Bushby and Dmitry Kiefer began their journey in Wales (the westernmost point of America) and wanted to end in Anadyr. Their journey lasted 14 days, was about 170 kilometers, ice floes brought them to Uelen (see on the map above).

When they arrived in Russia, they were detained and nearly deported. The problem was that legally, on the territory of Russia, if a traveler arrived by sea, you can get only from three cities - Providence, Pevek and Anadyr. The British brought it to Uelen, and they did not have permission for such an action. After the proceedings, English travelers managed to avoid deportation. She would have been especially sad for Carl Bushby, because he had walked the Bering Strait for 8 years, starting his journey in southern Chile.

This is the story of these harsh territories.

Original column published on the blog. “Let’s compare” on “Yandex.Zen”

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