Provideniya

Provideniya ( _ru. Провиде́ния) is an urban-type settlement situated in the Provideniya Bay in the northeastern part of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. It is located across the Bering Strait from Alaska, and is very close to the International Date Line. The town is served by Provideniya Bay Airport, the closest Russian airport to the United States. Population: 2,723 (2002 Census); 5,432 (1989 Census). Provideniya is the head of the Providensky District.

History

It was a former Soviet military port, sited on a fjord sheltered from the Bering Sea. High-sprung transports connect the town's concrete slabbed main street with outport settlements along the fjord. There is a technical school, one functioning cinema, a post office, a museum of Chukotka history and culture, a bakery complex and (mostly decrepit) port facilities.

Inhabitants

Most of the town's current residents are Yupik, a branch of the Eskimos. Despite the religious significance of its name (it is Russian for "Providence", as in "divine providence"), the town's title was never changed during the Soviet era, although a large statue of Vladimir Lenin was erected there, and still stands.

Climate

*Provideniya has an arctic climate, although winters are not as severe due to the coastal location, and colorful flowers help bring the tundra to life during the summer.

Transport

The town is sometimes referred to as the "Doorway to the Arctic", and since the breakup of the Soviet Union tourism from nearby Alaska has given the local economy a significant boost.
Bering Air, an Alaskan airline, offers charter services to Provideniya Bay Airport from both Nome and Anchorage.
Alaska Airlines used to do regular flights to Provideniya Bay Airport backin the 1990s and was known for the Friendship Flight in 1988 where it was the firstAmerican airline to serve a Soviet town.