Glory of Russia Cape
Encyclopedia
Glory of Russia Cape is the northernmost point of St. Matthew Island
in the Bering Sea
in the US state of Alaska
. The cape is hilly, with the peak 1.3 miles (2.1 km) south of the cape being 1475 feet (449.6 m) high, while at its coastline the cape is 5 m above mean sea level.
The nearest town is Nash Harbor in Bethel Census Area
, about 414 miles (666.3 km) away. The St. Paul Island Airport
is the nearest airport and heliport
to the cape, about 234 miles (376.6 km) away.
All of St. Matthew Island lies under the management control of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
, an area of significant phytogeographic
interest for its diverse lichens. The island has a length of 22 miles (35.4 km) and a width of 2–3 mi (3.2–4.8 ) diverging towards the north, and lies 220 miles (354.1 km) west of the mainland of Alaska. It is part of a bird sanctuary, which was established in February 1909 and is known as the Bering Sea Reservation. The hills of the isolated island rise to about 1800 feet (548.6 m) height and are covered with moss and lichen. Little Auk
s (Alle alle), birds usually found in the North Atlantic, were sighted in auklet colonies near the Glory of Russia Cape from 12 to 24 June 1983.
The cape was named by Russian polar explorer and hydrographer Gavril Sarychev
in honor of the ship Glory of Russia. The cape, a promontory, was probably also named “M[ys] Slavy (Slava) Rossii” meaning “Cape Glory of Russia” by the Russian Hydrographic Department (Chart 1427) in 1849 for Lt. Sarichev’s ship, which was moored here on 14 July 1791.
The 8,105-ton Greek ship Milos Reefer, 485 feet (147.8 m) in length, was wrecked at Glory of Russia Cape on 15 November 1989.
St. Matthew Island
St. Matthew Island is a remote island in the Bering Sea in Alaska, WNW of Nunivak Island. The island has a land area of , making it the 43rd largest island in the United States. Its most southerly point is Cape Upright which features cliff faces which exceed...
in the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
in the US state of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. The cape is hilly, with the peak 1.3 miles (2.1 km) south of the cape being 1475 feet (449.6 m) high, while at its coastline the cape is 5 m above mean sea level.
The nearest town is Nash Harbor in Bethel Census Area
Bethel Census Area, Alaska
Bethel Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2000, the population is 16,006. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat...
, about 414 miles (666.3 km) away. The St. Paul Island Airport
St. Paul Island Airport
St. Paul Island Airport is a state-owned, public-use airport located on St. Paul Island in the Aleutians West Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is situated near the city of St. Paul, the island's main settlement...
is the nearest airport and heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
to the cape, about 234 miles (376.6 km) away.
All of St. Matthew Island lies under the management control of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge comprising 2,400 islands, headlands, rocks, islets, spires and reefs in Alaska, with a total area of , of which is wilderness)...
, an area of significant phytogeographic
Phytogeography
Phytogeography , also called geobotany, is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species...
interest for its diverse lichens. The island has a length of 22 miles (35.4 km) and a width of 2–3 mi (3.2–4.8 ) diverging towards the north, and lies 220 miles (354.1 km) west of the mainland of Alaska. It is part of a bird sanctuary, which was established in February 1909 and is known as the Bering Sea Reservation. The hills of the isolated island rise to about 1800 feet (548.6 m) height and are covered with moss and lichen. Little Auk
Little Auk
The Little Auk, or Dovekie , is a small auk, the only member of the genus Alle. It breeds on islands in the high Arctic. There are two subspecies: A. a. alle breeds in Greenland, Iceland, Novaya Zemlya and Spitsbergen, and A. a...
s (Alle alle), birds usually found in the North Atlantic, were sighted in auklet colonies near the Glory of Russia Cape from 12 to 24 June 1983.
The cape was named by Russian polar explorer and hydrographer Gavril Sarychev
Gavril Sarychev
Gavril Andreyevich Sarychev , spelt "Sarichef" in the United States, was a Russian navigator, hydrographer, admiral and Honorable Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg.Sarychev started his career in the Imperial Russian Navy in 1775...
in honor of the ship Glory of Russia. The cape, a promontory, was probably also named “M[ys] Slavy (Slava) Rossii” meaning “Cape Glory of Russia” by the Russian Hydrographic Department (Chart 1427) in 1849 for Lt. Sarichev’s ship, which was moored here on 14 July 1791.
The 8,105-ton Greek ship Milos Reefer, 485 feet (147.8 m) in length, was wrecked at Glory of Russia Cape on 15 November 1989.
Further reading
- Сарычев Г. А. Плавание к острову Святого Лаврентия // Путешествие флота капитана Сарычева по Северо-Восточной части Сибири, Ледовитому морю и Восточному океану в продолжение осьми лет, при Географической и Астрономической морской Экспедиции, бывшей под начальством флота Капитана Биллингса с 1785 по 1793 год.. — St. Petersburg: Типография Шиора, 1809. — Vol. 2. — pp. 87–88. (in Russian)
- Слава России в словаре «Топонимика. Города и страны»