Lavrentiya
Encyclopedia
Lavrentiya is a rural locality (a selo) and the administrative centre of Chukotsky District
of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
, Russia
, situated on Lavrentiya Bay, close to the Bering Strait
. Population: 1,333 (Russian Census
); Municipally, Lavrentiya is subordinated to Chukotsky Municipal District and incorporated as Lavrentiya Rural Settlement. Lavrentiya is the only district administrative centre in the whole Okrug
that does not have urban-type settlement
status.
who arrived in the bay on the feast day of Saint Lawrence
.
The museum
in the village, dedicated to indigenous history and culture, achieved national status in 1994 and contains exhibits from Uelen
and Ekven
, including a number of "winged objects", butterfly-shaped instruments carved from walrus
tusk, which initially provoked confusion over their original purpose. Initial opinion was divided, with some thinking they were part of a staff, others that they had religious significance and others still thinking that they were purely aesthetic. However, investigation into the aerodynamics of the objects found that their shape had much in common with modern aircraft wings and it was proposed that these objects were in fact to assist in the flight of harpoon
s, thinking confirmed by the discovery of a harpoon with a "winged object" still attached to it. It is not clear why such a useful tool fell out of use amongst the indigenous peoples.
Chukotsky District
Chukotsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the six in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. It is the easternmost district of the autonomous okrug and the closest part of Russia to the United States. It borders with the Chukchi Sea in the north, the Bering Sea in the...
of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug , or Chukotka , is a federal subject of Russia located in the Russian Far East.Chukotka has a population of 53,824 according to the 2002 Census, and a surface area of . The principal town and the administrative center is Anadyr...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, situated on Lavrentiya Bay, close to the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
. Population: 1,333 (Russian Census
Russian Census (2002)
Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics .-Resident population:...
); Municipally, Lavrentiya is subordinated to Chukotsky Municipal District and incorporated as Lavrentiya Rural Settlement. Lavrentiya is the only district administrative centre in the whole Okrug
Okrug
Okrug is an administrative division of some Slavic states. The word "okrug" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "district", or "region"....
that does not have urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement ; , selyshche mis'koho typu ) is an official designation for a type of locality used in some of the countries of the former Soviet Union...
status.
History
The village itself was founded in 1927 and became the centre of the Chukotka Region in 1942. The village is situated on Lavrentiya Bay, named by Captain James CookJames Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
who arrived in the bay on the feast day of Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence
Lawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258.- Holy Chalice :...
.
Culture
There is an annual Whale and Skin Boat Regatta held in the village every year.The museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in the village, dedicated to indigenous history and culture, achieved national status in 1994 and contains exhibits from Uelen
Uelen
Uelen is a rural locality in the Chukotsky District, just south of the Arctic Circle in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far East. Population: 776 in 2003, with 595 Chukchi and 72 Yupik. Located near Cape Dezhnev where the Bering Sea meets the Chukchi Sea, it is the easternmost settlement...
and Ekven
Ekven
Ekven is an archaeological site in the Russian Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. It is located 30 km from the village of Uelen. Here 2000-year-old Eskimo Cemetery from the Old Bering Sea culture was discovered by D.A. Sergeev and S.A. Arutiunov. They found graves made of wood, stone and whale bones...
, including a number of "winged objects", butterfly-shaped instruments carved from walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
tusk, which initially provoked confusion over their original purpose. Initial opinion was divided, with some thinking they were part of a staff, others that they had religious significance and others still thinking that they were purely aesthetic. However, investigation into the aerodynamics of the objects found that their shape had much in common with modern aircraft wings and it was proposed that these objects were in fact to assist in the flight of harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
s, thinking confirmed by the discovery of a harpoon with a "winged object" still attached to it. It is not clear why such a useful tool fell out of use amongst the indigenous peoples.
Roadways
The village of Lorino is linked to Lavrentiya by a 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) unpaved road.External links
- Igor Krupnik and Mikhail Chlenov. The end of "Eskimo land": Yupik relocation in Chukotka, 1958-1959 Études/Inuit/Studies 31 (1-2), 2007, pp. 59–81. Includes material on Naukan relocation; some Naukan Yupik settled in Lavrentiya.
- Lavrentiya photo gallery
- Panorama of Lavrentiya