Big Diomede

Big Diomede Island (Russian: остров Ратманова, ostrov Ratmanova, native name Imaqliq) is an island among the Diomede Islands in the middle of the Bering Strait. The island is a part of the Chukotsky District of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of Russia.

Geography

Big Diomede Island is located about 45 km (28 mi) southeast of Cape Dezhnev on the Chukchi Peninsula and is Russia's easternmost point. The International Date Line is about 1.3 km (0.81 mi) east of the island.

History

The island was originally inhabited by Yupik Eskimos. During the Cold War all local population was forcibly moved to Chukotka in order to prevent contacts with American Little Diomede island Inupiat inhabitants. Unable to assimilate or live among Russians, they have perished.

The first European to reach the islands was the Russian explorer Semyon Dezhnev in 1648. The Danish navigator (in Russian service) Vitus Bering re-discovered the Diomede Islands on August 16, 1728, the day on which the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the martyr St. Diomede.

In 1732, the Russian geodesist Mikhail Gvozdev plotted the island's map.

In 1867 during the Alaska Purchase the new border between the nations was drawn right between the Big Diomede and Little Diomede islands.

During the Cold War, that line between Big Diomede and Little Diomede constituted the border between the USA and the Soviet Union, and became known as the "Ice Curtain". In 1987, Lynne Cox swam from Little Diomede to Big Diomede and was congratulated jointly by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan.

Diomede Islands Swim

Grigorii Prokopchuk and Alexandr Brylin completed a 5.6 km Diomede Islands Swim on 1 August 2014 from Little Diomede Island in the USA to Big Diomede Island (or Ratmanova Island) in Russia in 1 hour 57 minutes (Brylin finished in 2 hours 7 minutes doing breaststroke) with the water temperature between 3°C and 6°C. The charity swim to help sick children in South Africa and Russia was under the guidance of coach Viktor Godlevskiy. The tandem swim also attracted scientists’ and physicians’ attention to studies of the capabilities of a human body subjected to low temperatures. Like his teammate, Prokopchuk participated in the Bering Strait Swim.

External links

• What Was The Most Impactful Open Water Swim In World History?
• The Who's Who Of Extremists Gather At Top Of World
• Matías Ola, Uniting The World Through The Open Water
• Adventurous 5 Among 50 Across The Bering Strait
• The Boys Will Bring Us Home...Across The Bering Strait
• The Deadliest Swim, Russia to USA Across the Bering Strait
• Bright As Can Be
• Mind Over Matter, Swimming 1000m @ 0ºC
• Swimming In Siberia, Russian Winter Swimming Champs
• 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
• The Hardening And Passion Of Alexander Brylin
• Most Difficult Swims In The World - Southern Hemisphere
• Most Difficult Swims In The World - Northern Hemisphere
• America's Very Difficult Open Water Swims
• 10 Difficult Short Open Water Swims
• Swimming From Little Diomede To Ratmanova Island
• Alexandr Brylin, Grigori Prokopchuk Cross To Ratmamova
• Alexandr Brylin, Grigori Prokopchuk's Diomedes Swim Is 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance Of The Year
• Orange County Woman Swims to Soviet Union
• Nobody Else Will Ever Do It, Says Coach of Swim Feat
• Who Will Ever Cross The Bering Strait Again?
• Bering Strait Relay, Ice Swimming Hall Of Fame Honor Event