Uelen facts for kids

Residents of Uelen, 1913

Uelen Orthodox church, August 2018

Uelen is a small village located in the far eastern part of Russia. It sits in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, just south of the Arctic Circle. This makes Uelen the easternmost settlement in all of Russia and Asia! It's also the closest Asian place to North America.

The village is nestled near Cape Dezhnev, where the Bering Sea meets the Chukchi Sea. Uelen is on the northeast side of the Uelen Lagoon, a long body of water separated from the ocean by a sandbar. In 2010, about 720 people lived here.

Discovering Uelen's Past

What's in a Name?

The name Uelen has a few interesting stories behind it. Some people believe it comes from the Chukchi word "uvelen", which means "black, thawed patch." This makes sense because the village is at the base of a hill with dark mounds that are always visible. These mounds helped people find their way around.

Another story is a local legend. It tells of a strong orphan named Uvelel'yn, who was often teased. As he grew up, he used his strength to stand up to those who had been unkind to him. The villagers, worried, eventually stopped him. After this, they decided to always take good care of orphans. The village was named Uelen to remind everyone of this important lesson.

Before it was called Uelen, the village had other names like Ulyk or Olyk. These names meant "land's end" or "flooded place." The name Uelen first appeared on a map in 1792.

Ancient Times in Uelen

Scientists have found proof that people lived near Uelen for at least 2,000 years! They survived by fishing and hunting sea animals. A very important archaeological site called Ekven is nearby. It's as significant as other ancient sites found across the Bering Strait in Alaska.

Uelen Before the Soviet Era

Before 1917, Uelen was a busy place with about 300 residents. It was a key center for the Russian government in the Chukotka area. It also served as an important port for trading goods with both local Russian communities and America.

Uelen in Soviet Times

After the Russian Revolution, Uelen became a center for trade. It even had one of the first schools in the entire Chukotka region, opened in 1916. It was also home to an early Russian Arctic research station.

In the 1950s, many smaller villages in the area were closed. Their residents moved to larger, more central places like Uelen. For example, people from the village of Dezhnevo moved here. This brought talented carvers from Dezhnevo to Uelen, making Uelen famous for its art throughout Russia. Uelen also welcomed people from the former village of Naukan.

Uelen Today

Uelen beach on Arctic Ocean, August 2018

Lenin Street, Uelen, August 2018

Uelen streets, August 2018

Uelen (Chukotka, Russia) 2013

Even though Dezhnevo village no longer exists officially, people from Uelen still use it for fishing. A few houses are kept there for this purpose. Sometimes, when bad storms make it hard for ships to reach Uelen, they dock at Dezhnevo instead. Then, supplies are brought over land to Uelen.

More recently, adventurers Dimitri Kieffer and Karl Bushby arrived in Uelen after crossing the Bering Strait. They had a misunderstanding about where to enter the country, but their amazing journey was allowed to continue.

Who Lives in Uelen?

The latest count showed that about 740 people live in Uelen. This includes 368 males and 352 females. Most residents are Chukchi and Yupik people, with some Russian residents as well.

Uelen's Rich Culture and Art

Detail of 1937 USCGS chart showing Cape Dezhnev (East Cape) with the historical villages Tunkan, Uelen (Ugelen), Naukan (Nuokan), Enmitahin, and Dezhnevo (Port Dezhnev) marked

Uelen is very famous for its beautiful walrus ivory carvings. It has been a major art hub for a long time. Many talented carvers, like Vukvutagin and Tukkai, have worked here. The Uelen Bone Carving Studio contains the world's only museum dedicated to walrus ivory carving! Their amazing work was shown in Switzerland in 2004, and Uelen carvers won awards at a big Russian crafts exhibition.

The village also has a local choir that works with Inuit groups from Alaska, sharing their cultures.

A famous writer named Yuri Rytkheu was born in Uelen in 1930. He was the first Chukchi author to become well-known across Russia. His book, A Dream in Polar Fog, tells stories about the Chukchi people.

Uelen is also a starting point for archaeology teams. They have found ancient sites nearby, including a place with over 300 burials from early whale hunter cultures. These discoveries show that Uelen was an important settlement long ago. They also found early examples of the amazing ivory carvings made by the local people. Some of these ancient carvings are now in a museum in St. Petersburg.

Getting Around Uelen

Uelen is not connected by roads to other towns. It is about 100 kilometers from the main district center, Lavrentiya. However, Uelen itself has a small network of streets, including:

• Улица Дежнева (Dezhnyov Street)
• Улица Ленина (Lenin Street)
• Улица Набережная (Quay Street)

Uelen's Arctic Climate

Uelen has a tundra climate, which means it's very cold and windy. Winters are extreme, with average January temperatures around -19°C. February is usually the coldest month. Summers are cool, with average July temperatures around +5.9°C.

The area often experiences strong winds and snowstorms in winter. These storms bring harsh frosts and lots of snow. Sometimes, blizzards from the south can cause heavy snowfalls and sudden thaws. Because Uelen is right by the sea, it also has many foggy and misty days, especially when the ocean ice begins to melt.

The warmest temperature ever recorded was +25.0°C on July 16, 1960. The coldest was -44.1°C on January 29, 1989.

See Also

• List of inhabited localities in Chukotsky District