The Bering Strait Festival was held in the Chukotka Autonomous District from 4 to 11 August.

The event is part of the plan for Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021-2023.

The programme included the Beringia Games, a meeting of representatives of Arctic indigenous peoples in the format of a cultural forum and sports competitions. In addition, the festival participants took part in the Beringia-2023 regatta – team races on leather kayaks, which for many centuries have been the main mode of transport for indigenous peoples living in the Bering Strait region.

The festival was organised by the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic and the Government of Chukotka Autonomous Area.

During the Bering Strait Festival, which took place in Chukotka from 4 to 11 August, Vladislav Kuznetsov, Acting Governor of Chukotka Autonomous Area, told TV BRICS in an exclusive interview what projects are planned to be implemented in the region, what projects are already being implemented and how it can attract tourists.

What can Chukotka do to attract visitors? How do you assess the tourist potential of this region?

We have very interesting reserves – Wrangel Island with a completely separate ecosystem where polar bears live, Beringia National Park – a very interesting place located on the territory of three municipal districts. An interesting coastline, where whales migrate. The most interesting fauna. Everything is very bright, beautiful, especially in spring and summer, because in the tundra the vegetation period is very short, and nature shows itself to the maximum. There is Egvekinot, where the crossing point of the Western and Eastern hemispheres is located.

On the other hand, you can move to the north, to the port of Pevek, which is a completely different story, rather industrial. Pevek is one of the main ports through which northern imports pass.. It’s our supply. Plus it is actively expanding and will continue to expand.

Starting next year, another port terminal will be built there at Cape Nagleynyn. The largest projects in the Russian Federation, such as the Baimsky project, the Baimsky GOK, to develop copper deposits, will be implemented there and are already being implemented. This is one of the ten largest deposits in the world, which allows us to be import-independent in terms of strategic product during the implementation of this project. And, of course, large-scale works are being carried out there in order to ensure not only the extraction but also the export of the strategic product.

Now we are forming the concept of tourism, and our beautiful places will have to be overlaid, firstly, with a clear map of routes. We have very few roads to some points due to the climate, and some places can only be reached by aeroplanes. Well, or in winter there are so called winter roads, winter motorways. As for aeroplanes, the depth of flight planning is now 30 days. We are now working on increasing it, so that tourists and locals could more conveniently arrange their movements around the district.

What kind of tourist flow do you forecast for 2023?

I think that the tourist flow at the end of 2023 will be somewhere around 27 thousand tourists a year.

Naturally, to attract guests and keep the tourist flow at a high level, we need to create modern infrastructure. The key issue is accommodation, construction of hotels. Not only hotels, but also comfortable glamping sites where people can have a rest. Next year, I think the figure could reach 30 thousand tourists a year.

And what directions of the region’s development are prioritised now?

There are several directions. Of course, the region has a very large industrial potential. We are currently implementing large projects in the mining industry, gold, silver, and a number of strategic metals for our territory. I have already spoken about the grandiose project we have underway to develop the copper deposit.

As part of this project, a multi-kilometre road and a power transmission line are being built in the Bilibino district. I have already mentioned that energy supply will be provided by Rosatom’s autonomous floating units, which will generate electricity.

We also have the Pyrkakayskie Shtokverki tin mining project at a good stage of project development. This is also near Pevek – one of the three largest tin deposits in the world. The project is also strategically important for us. The deposit has been known for a long time, since the 1970s, but, in fact, only now it has become technically possible to develop this kind of deposit economically. Preparations are underway, and our investor colleagues will start developing the project in the near future.

Photo: Bering Strait Festival