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Bering Bridge: The Soviet - American Expedition from Siberia to Alaska
Bering Bridge The Soviet American Expedition from Siberia to Alaska Author:Paul Schurke Written in an informal style, this Arctic trek reads like a novel, and even includes a bit of complicated international romance. Schurke recounts the experiences of the Bering Bridge expedition during March-May, 1989. Through his persistence as co-leader, 12 Soviet and American adventurers, including three Eskimos and three Chukchis, visited a s... more »tring of remote Siberian villages, crossed the International Date Line, and continued the journey to native towns in Alaska.
The group encountered red tape (the Bering Strait had been closed to travel in either direction since 1948), fierce weather, and team rivalries, but Schurke never gave up his dream uniting the people of two continents. The expedition received warm welcomes on both sides of the Strait, united native team members with distant relatives, and helped East-West relations. In April 1989, the governors of Siberia and Alaska signed a protocol requesting their governments to open the border to travel by native peoples. In September 1989 this became a reality. A story of high adventure by dogsled, skis, and skin boat.