johnny_favorite's Journal

The notes from the Pilot Book of Bering Sea
Part I, 1969.

— The Commanders are situated at the boundary between Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean.
— The coastline is poor indented and doesn’t provide any berthing protected from winds and storms. This is why the navigators should reduce their R&R (rest and recuperation) time there.
— Even when the weather is nice the islands usually have been hidden in clouds sometime serving as an indicator of the place where the islands are situated meanwhile the other horizons stay clear the same time.
— Gloomy weather is dominating in this area almost round the year. Average monthly number of gloomy days is 18-25, whereas there might be the one sunny only.
— Permanent wind blowing is typical. The direction of wind sometime has been changed for 25-26 compass points in several hours keeping its force at 4-5 points.
— Stormy winds come from the north in winter and from the south in summer.
— The storms of 5-6 points and more are mostly frequent from November to March. The waves can reach 12 and more meters in height and 250-300 in length as maximum.

COMMANDER
ISLANDS

by Sergey Pasenyuk

This edition is a documentary novel about the Commanders — forgotten in somewhere in the ocean Bering Island and Medniy Island, these situated at the oceanic draught fragments of the Aleut Chain which was a bridge between two motherlands in former times. By a lucky chance being in a hurry emperor Alexander II paid no heed to them at the map when selling in 1867 the properties of Russian Empire in the north-west of North America from the Arctic Ocean to the Fort Ross, currently San-Francisco, just for 7,200.000 dollars. It is terrific to imagine that with a stroke of the pen we could have lost this charmed nook in the Pacific!
People who were lucky to visit the Commanders agree that the islands are unique ones in the Russian Far East from Ratmanov Island in Bering Strait to Russkiy Island nearby Vladivostok.
I will not describe geographical position in details — where are the real places situated should be known to everyone.

At first the edition was planned as a pics collection from the several Commander’s Archipelago palaces untouched since the World creation, but the collection would be boring and lifeless it being neglected the world of aborigines — of birds and animals and of course the Man came here to manage. I’ve just had «to open the door more wide» in order to show one of the most as severe, as refined islands in the North Pacific at a background of the last quarter of the century went, I had to fill the niche by animals, human faces and historical pictures until «they haven’t been erased from the memory by the file of the Time».
I ask the reader to forgive me for the sunlight dominance in the photos, although really the islands have been catched by fogs and low clouds almost whole the year. A stranger-photographer would rather find the local colors gloomy.
Well now, «the door has been opened» — make your way through!
...The Commander Islands are laying in the remote nook of the Pacific away from crowdy ship lines. The Islands are like two temples of nature beneath the cloud dome of the universe. Every season here has its own prayer, its own neverending time.

Many famous navigators called at the Commanders. These shores remember the view of sails directed by Sarychev, Billings, Vasilyev, Golovnin, Litke, Krenitsin and Levashev. In 1879 Swedish scientist Nordensheld visited the place when finishing the first in the history exploration of the North in the course of crossing the Arctic Ocean from Scandinavia to Kamchatka.

The grottos and the arches in Commanders are the result of rage winds and storms.

Rocky Western seaside of Commanders.

A little bit of history.

In 1724 Russian Emperor Peter the First appointed Russian Navy officer Vitus Bering, Dutch by his origin, to First Expedition to Kamchatka aiming to explore a strait between Asia and America.
Bering didn’t succeed. Despite the expedition of the ships «Fortune» and «St. Gabriel» (the latter under the supervision of Bering’s assistant Alexey Chirikov) reached 67°N, Bering didn’t undertake any land searching neither to the East nor to the West to reach the Kolyma River outlet or to the North to try the way to the Arctic Ocean, it seem he didn’t care of definite challenging task and reached Kamchatka back using the same way.
In the Admiralty Board in St. Petersburg the free-running expedition couldn’t be neither understood nor approved; the emperor expected more from the expedition, nevertheless he appointed Bering to be a head of Second Expedition to Kamchatka aimed to find the land to the East.
By late May 1741 two packet-boats «St. Peter» under the supervision of Bering and «St. Pavel» under the supervision of Chirikov left the harbor of Petropavlovsk. Soon the vessels lost each other in the fog. After one and a half month voyage Chirikov’s first had seen unknown shores, two boats with people had been lost in the course of the shore exploration, Chirikov had 3° northward and turned back, in October the vessel entered Avacha Bay.
«St. Peter» had the way shorter and run into the shore of St. Elias Island later. The expedition has been described extensively in historical documents. There are remarks concerning Bering’s nervousness and his being in a hurry there, although no one word about his real fear of unknown. On filling up a half number of empty barrels with fresh water the captain-commander ordered the anchor-up and sail back home. It was a dramatic sailing. The 24-m vessel with 75 people aboard has been catched by endless severe storms, the scurvy has gotten, people have been gone.
Commanders have been found by chance — on coming back, still it stays unknown why, the heads decided to go up to the north-west meanwhile the vessel was at the same latitude with and in 500 miles from Avacha Bay. The decision can be explained if to take into account the reasons as dilapidated sails, counter winds and epidemic scurvy, although nothing about that in the book by the major officer Sven Waxell which he had written on the basis of the ship’s log-book.
On November 4th of 1741 a shore has been seen which the vessel has been anchored in a mile from. The weather wasn’t that calm, the anchor rope has been burst. Another anchor was used until soon it has been burst too. Luckily the packet-boat has been carried into a calm small bay by surf.
A hard winter began. People lived in the earth-houses built hurriedly. Sailors had to collect pieces of wood in the shore to get warmth from a fire. Wired out during the 5-month voyage people had been gone one by one... Bering dead of cold, swelling legs and necrosis of tissues, he was buried at the foot of a hill on December 8. The island was named after the name of the Commander. To get food the screw used sticks to hunt for the ptarmigans and the sea otters. A species of sea cow (Serenidae family) has been a pray of the hunting, at that time the island was the only recreation of this species in the world, nearest 28 years the population has been elapsed, human creature made the species stroke off the wild life list.
The doctor and naturalist Georg W. Steller gathered herb roots to use them in meals, due to his findings the sailors began to recover. In winter «St. Peter» has been thrown to the shore by storm. In springthe screw decided to built a new small vessel to make an attempt to reach Kamchatka. On August 10, 1742 this 12-meter vessel with 45 people aboard left the island and after 17 days entered the harbor of Petroipavlovsk in Kamchatka.
During the same summer Chirikov’s «St. Paul» tried to find the second packet-boat, in the fog «St. Paul» reached Attu Island, sailed past the island where the crew of «St. Peter» landed. In American school books Alexey Chirikov is refereed as a discoverer of North America (Alaska).

Unexpected discovery of Commanders created an avid human activity. Just after two years a sergeant Yemelyan Basov reached the Bering Island by a rented vessel and landed for wintering. He harvested 1.600 fells of sea otters (marine beavers in former time), 2.000 northern fur seal fells and 2.000 blue fox ones. Easy gaining of invaluable paltry treasures attracted people; often the vessels have been directed by persons, say by trade men, which had no an experience in navigation. Many them made their vessels broken in the reefs and had to winter, numerous bones of the pioneers laid to decay in the shore terraces of the island...
In mid 1780th a trade man Gregory Shelikhov from Reelsk spent a winter season in the island. On stocking the trade capital from 18.000 fur seal fells harvested he had undertaken an extended activity on the further exploration and exploitation of new lands in the East including foundation Russian-American Company specialized on paltry trading.

A monument to Bering in
Commander Bay — from the
inhabitants of Kamchatka
(1966)
A memorial to Bering and five of his crew, erected in 1992 on the place of their rebury

A bronze Bering’s bust in
Nikolskoye village

A monument to Vitus Bering
in Nikolskoye village,
established by the crew of
«Aleut» schooner in 1892
With time the grave of the Commander has been lost. Just in 1991 an archeological expedition in Bering Island has been resulted in finding out the place in the north-west part of Commander’s Bay at the foot of a hill where 6 people were buried 250 year ago. One of the skeletons was determined as Bering’s. After detail scientific study carried out in Moscow the dust of the pioneers was back to find the peace in the island. In the central part of Nikolskoye Settlement there was a burial service organized, afterwards all interested to attend the burial procedure in the Commander’sBay were transported there by «Krechet» Company helicopters.

First people in Commanders were the members of Vitus Bering’s packet-boat screw — the pioneers spent 9 months in the islands. Next long-term staying, aside from hunters and trade men used to winter, was staying of 13 people from Krenitsin’s group in Medny Island, the group had to harvest blue fox and marine mammals and was literally forgotten for seven years since 1805. The same time there was a local Robinzon Jakob Mynkov who lived in Bering Island during 3 years.
In 1825 17 Aleuts from Attu Island with their families were transported to Commanders, Bering Island, by «Finlandia» brig to harvest paltry according to the order of General Office of Russian Colonies in America situated in Novo-Arkhangelsk (Sitka).
In 1826 Nikolskoye Settlement has been founded as a result of one more transportation of Aleuts and Creoles from Attu and Atka Islands.
In 1828 first permanent Preobrazhenskoye Settlement was built in Medny Island. Until 1872 Russian-American Company actively settled Commanders with Aleuts from Saint Paul Island (Pribylova Islands) where primarily they were transported from Unalashka Island and from Zhelty Cape, Kamchatka — Aleuts, Kadyak folk and Kuril folk (ayns).
The reluctance of Russian government in development of Commanders resulted in their 20 years rental status for American Trade House «Gutchinson, Cool and Co» from 1871 to 1891. During whole rental period all merchandise including food, guns, cast iron ovens and kettles, furniture ect. were delivered from Seattle and San-Francisco. As a prolongation of the rental period was profitable for and implied in the Company paltry resources were managed rationally yet. There were living houses and two-flat office cottages built in Nikolskoye and Preobrazhenskoye Settlements, preserve-by-salting shops in Severnoye (Northern) and Poludennoye rookeries and Glinka Bay in Medny Island. There was English school for Aleuts organized.
During the rental period northern caribou have been introduced from Karaginsky Island to Bering Island by Kamchatkan Regional doctor Boris Dybovsky, who started to teach Aleuts medical attendant skills, organized a drug-store and together with naturalist Leonard Stejneger equipped first meteorological station. Nevertheless human population in the time of Russian-American Company hasn’t been increased, the rental period hasn’t been prolonged.
Since 1891 Commanders have got rented by «Russian Joint Company of Paltry Harvesting», since 1901 until 1912 — by «Kamchatkan Trade-Industrial Society». For these two decades living standards have been worthier, the Aleuts population abundance has been reduced in 118 people, paltry harvests sloped down, the prices increased, the rookeries suffered from Japanese poachers. In 1912-1916 Commanders have been rented by Vladivostok’s Trade House «Churin and Co». This rental period coincided to fur seal hunting forbidden.

The period from 1916 to 1923 was the most dramatic in the history of the Islands — power reshuffle, deficiency of food products and drugs, hard epidemics (for seven years from 449 citizens 365 only stay alive), uncontrolled poaching.
On June 24, 1923 Luzachev, police representative, and Kurashev, military commissar, with a group of their assistants landed from the board of «Krasny Vympel» navy ship. They informed in a meeting that «the plan and the methods of harvesting marine mammals are already approved for further realization. Inhabitants have to fulfill unconditionally all directions issuing from administration and managing structure and to provide necessary number of workers among local community to realize whatever business planned».
To the time mentioned definitely abundant rookeries of northern fur seals in Poludennaya Bay, Bering Island, and in Palata Bay, Medny Island, already have been reduced extensively. Commanders run into the problems typical for young Soviet Union as a whole, until nowadays the islands were and still are a miniature copy of USSR.

A number of the expedition equipment including the cannons from the packet-boat was abandoned in the Commander Bay. The equipment mostly has been plundered with the time, the cannons have been sank into the sand. According Waxell’s report there were 14 them definitely. In 1935 thirteen guns appeared suddenly from the sand after storm what was fixed at the photo well known nowadays made by photographer Galina Sanko.
In 1940 one of the cannons has been transported to Petropavlovsk by Nikolay Morgalev, director of the Museum of Local Lore, History and Economy of Kamchatka for exgibition. By late 1940s two another cannons were found by local Aleuts and presented to Dutch government. Seven never shouted cannons were discovered in the harbor littoral area in August 1981 by scientists from the Institute of Far East History, Archeology and Ethnography they being assisted by local people.

Nikolskoye village. Drawing from photo by Leonard Steinegger, 1885 (top).

A view of old village in winter, 1978 (opposite top).

A bell given to islanders by the officers of «Aleut» schooner in 1892, was
decorating the village view till 1992 (opposite).

A marriage in Nikolskoye

Lesson of painting in local art school

Isolation of the islands causes problems in electricity supply. People take that as normal

There were one thousand and a half people living in Nikolskoye Settlement until 1991. Now just 750 people there, the others left for continent where they have got personal apartments. As for islanders, they don’t care about the fact that the apartments with a view to the seaside should be much expensive. Time here does not pass unnoticeably: the surf voice enters windows like a ticking chronometer and everyone here feels himself sailor in his heart.
People on Bering are always ready to help you if you need

Until mid May a half of Kamchatkan Strait from Cape Africa to Bering Island has been jammed with ice. A support provided by two motor ships «Nikolayevsk» and «Petropavlovsk» until 1990 was really invaluable

During the winds, bringing the frosts from the North-West a massive fast shore ice has been created

In mid 1990s all goods have been delivered to the islands by old STR «Toros» equipped for sail tackles with a crew of three people

Helicopters are used to deliver expeditions in the bays difficult to access

220 plant species
were described by Georg Steller, naturalist in the expedition of «St. Peter», in Bering Island. Currently 400 species are known to botanists

A decoration of tundra — cloudberries

Dwarf ash-try is abundant

In abundant years a group of people in vicinity of Sarannoye Lake can have got up to ten tons of excellent mushrooms collected and pickled

Sea otter or marine beaver is a member of marten’s family. The species is entered in the Red Book endangered species list.
Sea otter has no fat under the skin. The fur of the animal is very dense and needs permanent care because this is the only to provide body warmth. This is the silky soft fur of sea otter has been the reason to hunt for the animal extensively, annually on discovering the Commader Islands up to 1.000 animals have been harvested.
To the end of XIX century sea otter has been rare. In 1924, when Bering Island sea otter population extinct and Medny Island sea otter population has been endangered, the hunting has been prohibited.
In 1970 Boris Khromovskikh, the scientist from Kamchatka Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, transported 22 sea otters (including 8 females) from Medny Island, where they were catched, to Bering Island. The sea otters released have been distributed everywhere, the Bering Island population has been abundant currently

In winter when water temperature has been decreased sea otters often use to land. Under strong cold winds during storms the animals have been bunched closely body to body into groups

Sea-lion is the largest member of the Otariidae family. It is in the Red Book. Currently the number of population of sea-lion in Bering Sea and North Pacific has been decreased dramatically. The Commander Island population has been decreased as well

Two real species of seal inhabite Commanders — island seal or anthur and akiba, which is in a small number. Every year Aleutians have got a license to harvest 50 animals for making the national meals in families. They usually hunt for ringed seal in spring in vicinity of Toporok Island situated in two miles from Nikolskoye Settlement

Commanders have been associated closely to the view of fur seal rookeries. There are four rookeries — two on Medny Island and two on Bering Island. Total quantity of animals is 210-230 thousands. First seals arrive to the rookeries in May to leave in November. Winter period they use to spend in the Pacific ocean near Japan

Since Russian America pioneer period until XIX Century people have extensively exploited the fur seal population in the rookeries. At once, in order to make the prices in the Canton market (China) 700.000 fur seal skins have been burned according to the charge by Governor Alexander Baranov.
Slaughtering has been prohibited first time in 1911-1916, and next time in 1974-1977
North-West rookery was densely populated once a time

To observe the world better the old male ascended on the rocky slope

In the fit of jealousy the male maims his female

Blue fox the rookery sanitarian

During the hard winters winds from the north sometime bring dead walruses drifting

The great whale — a spermwhale near Bobrovuye Rocks. Old cachalotes running into a vessel can be dangerous, usually after younger males turned them out of the herd, these patriarchs have been rambling angry and unpredictable in the ocean

Full killer whale doesn’t pay attention to the dolphins on the left

Sometime dead whales have been thrown to a shore. In the time of blue fox cultivation in the islands the bodies of dead whales underwent burning in the fire to prevent spoiling blue fox fur with fat when feeding on these carcasses

There are 186 species of birds inhabiting Commanders. By late spring thousands of colonial birds arrive the Islands. Black-legged and red-legged kittiwakes, fulmars, kiddaws and puffins form the most large colonies. Glaucous-winged gulls, shags and ptarmigans are preferably wintering in the Islands

A guillemot colony. Ari Kamen’ Island

A diver and her nestling

Emperor geese always winter on the islands

Glaucous-winged gull is ravaging kiddaw nest

Glaucous-winged gull has ravaged shag nest

Puffins or sea parrots

A ptarmigan in summer dress

Ptarmigans in winter dress

A merlin in Peregrebnaya Bay

A bird of prey on the islands — Yukon crow

Dried salmon — yukola

Sarannoye Lake in Bering Island is the biggest lake in Commanders. There is convenient for the fishery lagoon and a small river emerging from the lake to Bering Sea. A great quantity of red salmon and less number of pink salmon and silver salmon enters the lake.
At the end of XIX Century there was a small settlement there. Seasonal red salmon fishery was women’s business, men were busy with fur seal hunting. Until late 1960s dried fish (yukola) has been foraged for sledge dogs.
Since early 1990s all sockeye salmon catched in Sarannoye Lake (the exclusion is 40 tons or so harvested for Aleutian population) has been transported to Kamchatka. Maximum red salmon harvest of 150 tons was in 1996

Red salmon in the spawning grounds

Red salmon dies after the spawning

First fifteen caribous have been introduced in Bering Island in 1882 by Boris Dybovsky. For his own expense he organized an expedition to Karaginsky Island, selected the animals — males and females by himself and transported them by ship. No one species has been infringed after the raindeers filled up an ecological nish.
After 20 years, when Dybovsky already left for Poland he has received a letter from Nikolskoye Settlement: «The raindeers introduced on your initiative have been propagating... and are of a great benefit to local people. Aborigines of the island are grateful to You deeply...»

According to the estimation for 1912 by E. Suvorov, the office worker in the Agriculture Department, the raindeer stock abundance has been 500-1.000 animals. However, as a result of unlimited hunting caused by low life conditions to 1920 the stock has been annihilated totally by local people.
Second time the raindeers, seven males and seven females, were transported from Karaginsky Island in 1927. On the reminiscences of old people the stock has been of 5.000 animals to early 1960s, to be reduced just to 50 them, inhabiting the most southern and rocky part of the island, and hence difficult to assess, to late 1960s as a result of absent regulation of hunting.
To late 1970s the abundance of raindeer has been increased, however the population has got negative effects in the growth and the mass characteristics caused by 50-years isolation.
Severe winter in 1983-1984 caused mass losses, the animals couldn’t get forage from under the deep snow. In August 1984 the raindeers have been introduced third time in Bering Island.
There was expedition organized to Karaginsky Island on the initiative of Anatoly Kovalenkov, director of «Yelizovsky» fur company. With assistance of Kollegovs, the family of raindeer herders, a stock of raindeers domesticated has been driven in a steep shore, where from 28 animals have been catched and bringed aboard the two fishvessel. On finishing their two-day marine voyage the raindeers have been released in Peschanaya Bay in the northeast hilly part of Bering Island

Catching the domestificated caribou in Karaginsky Island, August 1984

Unloading caribous from the ship to Bering Island

The authorities since the time of the first caribous introduction in Bering Island often have been changed however the destiny of caribous population was permanent — to undergo annihilation. Estimated in 1995 the population abundance was 1.200-1.400 animals. There are 500 them currently. Now the stock is wild and it is the propery of Gosokhotfond

ine species in Commanders. When the pioneers from «St. Peter» got arrived the shore they had discovered blue foxes everywhere around them; most brave animals later undertook attempts to attack sick or emaciated people and steal equipment. First trade men brought from the Islands by two thousand blue fox skins annually. There were attempts to settle Bering Island blue fox in Aleutian Islands.
In mid XIXth Century there were 14 areas for hunting with a hut in each in Bering Island, hunters and his family reached the hit by sledges loaded with numeral goods and chattels. 10 areas for hunting in Medny Island might be reached by boats only.
«Gutchison, Cool and C°» had built 20 huts for hunters in Bering Island and 11 in Medny Island in the end of XIXth Century. The huts have been mostly destroyed for now, just two of them half-destroyed ones still stay in Vaksel Cape (Bering Island) and in Korabelnaya Bay (Medny Island). In somewhere in the wood tile of these hits one can see the «Seattle» labels

In 1925 a blue fox fur-breeding farm has been created in Bering Island. Some later the farm has been enlarged and transformed into great factory. The same time blue foxes free cultivation in the island, the cultivation when wild animals were maintained in the open-air cages and feed up until winter, has been developed. In the season of hunting the cages have been traps where the animals could enter only. Trappers used to select the best animals to release them, defective and weakest ones have been rejected. In 1960s only Glinkovsky Farm harvested by 160 animals (by biologist Serge Marakov).
By late 1960s on moving the people from Preobrazhenskoye Settlement to Bering Island the blue fox harvesting has been stopped. Medny Island blue fox population abundance increase caused by the stop has been resulted in pestilence in 1976. The progeny from the animals now survived poor and weak.
In 1970 the fur-breeding farm has been changed for American mink, blue fox cultivation has been neglected

When blue foxes are hungry, they able to be impudent

In the end of December hunters are reaching their hunting places

Aleuts Igor Volkov and Serge Grigoryev — January 1st, 1984 (above)

Chief has delivered a champagne to the hunters before New Year (left)

In May 1970 a special area in Commanders for blue fox hunting and sockeye salmon harvesting in Sarannoye Lake has been organized, being the area taken under the wing of «Yelizovsky» fur company. It was expected to harvest 90 animals and 10 tons of fish annually for the first time

In the hunter huts

Fur has been delivered to hunt company, 1990

A house built in Lisinskaya Bay by the builders from Kamchatka peninsula, stood just for two months — it was blowed up by the October cyclone

In the end of 1980s — begin of 1990s, by the efforts of hunters new hunting cabins were built on Bering Island

Collecting a driftwood washed away from the deck of cargoship

A house built from the driftwood at the Gladkovskoye Lake on Medny Island

There is an Alaskan willow growing in some river’s valleys on Bering Island

Large baidaras made of drifted to the shore from the sea wood and covered by sea-lion skin from the very beginning of Russian America exploration have been used widely by trade folk for the purposes of transportation the goods from island to island and travels. This is a very light watercraft highly mobile in the waves, no matter being under a sail or directed by oars. There are many evidences in the history on the long voyages by baidaras.
...In October 1791 the Aleuth Chief Pankov with his 14 people had a travel by a large baidara from Atka Island to Unalashka Island (275 miles). For successful fur harvesting Pankov had got «jacket of scarlet cloth and a velvet cap» granted by Katherine Second and a gold medal presented to Chief by Russian Admiral Gabriel Sarytchev.
...During 10 days in April 1812 the pilot Vasilyev by his brig «Finlandia» escorted a baidara with 25 Aleuts aboard from Atka Island to Amchitka Island (267 miles)

...It is known the case when in 1799 a baidara with 42 hunters (under command of V. Zheleznov) aboard left St.George Island for St.Paul Island (Pribylov Islands, Bering Sea), it has been catched by the wind which suddenly got increased to stormy. People had to resist during eight days. Of thirst, starvation and cold 5 people had gone. It is unknown how many days they travelled after the storm before seeing the shore of Unga Island in Pacific Ocean. Direct way of the hunters took 388 miles.
...In 1805 a small producers artel headed by Shipitsin (13 people) has been landed in Medny Island to harvest blue fox, fur seals and sea otters. The people built a baidara, covered it at first with main parts of their store sacks and than with skin of sea lions harvested. By the baidara after three years of harvesting the people reached Bering Island, where they stayed one more year and where they left Jackob Mynkov to keep an eye for the skins of blue fox harvested, and than came back to Medny Island.
In 1990 a seven-meter baidara was built in Bering Island. The carcass has been covered with sail cloth. Hunters and biologists used to sail to Medny Island along the way of Shipitsin aiming, however, another purpose — to estimate the abundance of blue fox. The baidara covered 170 miles in the course of the voyage demonstrating perfect characteristics for sailing

Aleut Alexey Volkov and biologist Dmitry Ryazanov at sea animals count

Biologist Vladimir Kipriyanov goes around southern side of the Bering island

The pioneers were really impressed by perfect construction of the Aleutian kayak. Aleuts deified the sea because it provided them with everything. By their kayaks made skillfully the Aleuts crossed turbulent straits and hunted for whales.
Here is the description by outstanding missioner in Russian America Innokenty Veniaminov: «Particular kayakers had that light in sailing kayaks they didn’t lag behind birds, as narrow and sharp-keeled so they couldn’t stay vertical in the water surface when having nobody aboard, and so light that they could be transported by 7-years-old child easily...»
Aleut felt himself absolutely free in the kayak, in the case of turning down he has been back immediately to a normal keel by the only flap of one-blade short oar, the trick has been well known over the world as «aleutian overturn»

During hunting for the whales Aleuts were sneaking to the giant on their kayaks and threw their harpoons. That needed having skills because diving whale is able to break the kayak by tale strike. Then the kayakers encircled the area where they expected the whale to appear than they attacked him after waiting him up. Wounded whale has been watched from the capes. Usually the animal has been died of wounds on the third day, afterwards it has been towed to a shore. When hunters have been catched by storms during their long voyages they used to set their kayaks side by side noses against the wind, and could wait several days till the storm is over.
Facts are known when Aleuts never came home from the sea:
• 64 people have been gone by storm near Kadyak Island in 1800;
• 300 people — in Alaska Gulf in 1805...

Bering Island pioneers came from Attu Island brought in 1825 with them 17 single-sit kayaks. At the beginning of XX century in 1910 an office worker of the Department of Agriculture E. Suvorov met the last Aleutian kayak unfit for sailing in Preobrazhenskoye Settlement, Medny Island.
In 1990 Dmitry Riazanov, biologist studying life of sea otters in Bering Island, has built one-hatch Aleutian kayak.
In 1992 author had an experience in building the two-hatch Aleutian kayak in Bering Island according to a drafts from Unalashka Island. All the parts were assembled with 450 ties and the carcass covered by the sailcloth

Commanders are situated aside from sea transport communications, neither guides nor milestones. But it is good to observe the world from the Islands. In 1996 the guide has been installed in the Gavanskaya River outlet, Bering Island, to show several directions and distances to some important places from Provideniya Bay in Bering Sea to Cape Horn in the Pacific Ocean

Since the very discovery of the islands pulling boats, whaleboats, kayaks, boats and motorboats were the general vehicles. Until 1960s every group of fishermen had their own boat

Since late 1970s the yachts have been frequent visitors of Commanders, including «Ametist», «Avacha», «Uzon», «Stalker», «Tarpon», «Kamchatka», «Arktur» and «Embargo» by Kamchatkan’s and «Chukotka», «Nadezda», «Commander Bering» and «Admiral Nevelskoy» from Vladivostok

In 1995 Commanders have got local 23-feet yacht, which port of registration is Nikolskoye village. For navigation in 1997 the yacht «Alexandra» pursuing historical and cultural objects sailed cross over Bering Sea and had wintering in Ualashka Island. For the next year navigation the yacht been in the Harbour of Three Saints, the first Russian settlement built by Shelikhov in Kadyak Island, on July 28 it has been anchored in the place where «St. Peter» packet-boat was anchored at Kayak Island, Alaska Gulf, and has set into the winter dock in Sitka Port, formerly Novo-Arkhangelskoye Settlement, founded by Alexander Baranov, the Governor of Russian America

Kayak island in Alaska Gulf. St. Elias cape and Pinnacle rock can be seen

The sea is still choppy after storms

There were 700 sledge dogs in Bering Island at the end of XIXth Century, dog-sledges were the only transport. The dog-sledges were used round the year, somewhere in summer tundra one can see a sledge trace. Last dog-sledges was belong to Ivan Sokol and used in blue-fox-hunting until 1983

Cross-country vehicle replaced dog sledges

The surf in Buyan Bay washes away beautiful agates, jaspers and chalcedonies

Commanders always attracted cinematographists.
For last 50 years there were made three feature
and nine educational films (opposite top)

Sometime men from fishing vessels are coming to the shore (opposite)

Tourism is the most harmless kind of human activity for the island ecology bringing, moreover, appreciable financial benefit. People who desire to see the world eagerly are willing to spend their money to have a look to the northern fur seal rookeries, bird colonies and Pacific Salmon migrating for spawning. For the period from 1970s to 1990s the Islands have been a kind of Mecca for tourists. Every navigation season up to one hundred them arrived to enjoy by the exotics of the North

Aleuts of Bering Island. Sketch from photo by Leopold Steinegger, 1885
Aleuts
Exposed to all the winds Aleutian Archipelago has been explored over millenniums one island by another one (110 big and small islands and 48 volcanoes) by ancients which finally have been derived into a particular ethnic group.
Aleuts, the origin of this word is unknown, have got their own language and culture. Pioneer explorers have been impressed by medical skills of local people, seamen — by the skills of kayak makers, anthropologists — by the culture of mummification (434 Aleutian mummies have been collected in the US Natural History Museum).
First Aleuts came to Bering Island in 1825. Directed by General Bureau of Russian Colonies in America, 17 Aleutian families have been transported there by «Finlandia» brig by the head of the Atka branch Mershenin who has gone on coming back to Atka.
As it was said above Aleuts were moved to Medny Island in 1828. As the activity of Russian-American Company has been stopped on selling Alaska and Aleutian Islands to USA in 1867 Commanders underwent 3-year neglect period. The Islands have been quickly occupied with Russian and American businessmen, trade folk and adventurers.
Unlimited harvesting the fur seals and sea otters reached an extreme scale. Local people have been accustomed to hard drinking extensively [Rosa Lyapunova, «Aleuts», 1987, p.21].
The government resistance to solve the problems in the Islands has been resulted in leasing the Commanders to «Gutchinson, Cool and C°» American Trade House (1871-1991). For this period the traditional Aleutian cloth as the parkas made of bird skin, the jackets of sea lion gut and fur boots (torbasa) have been gradually changed to the cloth of aliens, a special wood plate and a spear for hunting to the sea otters have been changed to a gun and a net, the kayaks — to the boats and whale-boats

Various goods were used instead money to trade with Aleutians in this period. It should be said that to the end of XVIII and by early XIX Centuries Aleutians have been Orthodox Christians totally, on baptism everyone has got a name of Russian.
According to the estimation by Nikolay Grebnitsky (1881) Supervisor of Commanders 23,9% of human population were Aleutians, the rest were Creoles, i.e. descendants from mixed marriages.
Since 1891 until Soviet period the Islands have been leased to various Russian companies. That was a hard time for Aleutian folk. Nobody was to care of fur seal stock safety or the requirements of local people

The consequences of Russian-Japan War (1904-1905) have been longed for ten years. In 1905 Aleutians in Medny Island defended an attack of poach descent from 14 Japanese boats. Aleuts winner in 77 skirtishes, 98 Japaneses were killed, 15 boats were captured for the period until 1910. No one of Aleutians has been wounded or killed for this time.
68 Aleutians from Medny Island have been rewarded with Crosses of Georgy for their heroics.
In 1928 Commanders have been announced as Aleutian National District with administrative center in Nikolskoye Settlement. The first person who headed this district has been Soviet admiral Eugeny Freiberg, whose biography is of a special interest. After his time in Commanders in 1932 Freiberg organized a polar station in Tixy Bay. His sun from marriage with Aleutian woman from Medny Island was killed in action in Kurlyandsky Peninsula during the World War II

In 1969 Preobrazhenskoye Settlement in Medny Island has been closed, local population has been deportated to Nikolskoye Settlement. For a century and a half Medny Island Aleutians have got their specific dialect slightly different from Bering Island Aleutian dialect. On mixing these two Aleutian colonies the specific traditions kept safe a long time due to isolation have been disappeared mostly.
In 1991 has been formed the Association of Aleutians. The Aleutians Community — a little bit later. Last decades in Bering Island the marriages with Russians have been prevailing. Currently Bering Island Aleutian population is 305 people. The reason of the assimilation is that this folk have been strictly dependent on civilization. Restoration of traditions and saving the culture — the things of a real pride of folk have been in the hands of Aleutians themselves. For instance, it has been ten years since Gennady Yakovlev, Aleutian by his origin, started to make a regular show with his family ensemble of folk singing and dancing «Chiyan» («nestling» literally); since 1999 his daughter Liliya Yakovlevais has organized children folklore ensemble in local school.

Aleut Sergey «Master of harem» Skripnikov

A folklore keeper Tatyana Shultz with her daughter Valentina and granddaughter Tanya

Two portraits of Aleut Sergey Grigoryev — a man with a hard nature and sharp sence of humour

Seashore of Medny Island is rocky and inaccessible, it has not any convenient anchorpoints.
Only when the sea is calm you can go along the Island on the boat

Sea hunters village on the steep Southeast Cape of Medny Island

Southeast furseal rookery is the most severe and hard to access. During every summer season the rookery is being visited by research workers and by hunting brigade

Furseal killing and skinning (next pages)

Killed furseals are being transported to ship

F/T is waiting till the bad weather ends in Peschanaya Bay

Preobrajenskoye village. View from the sea

Abandoned Preobrajenskoye village, 1976

Mountain shadow covers the village early

Old Aleut cemetery

Old cutter «Medny» served to the islands for 30 years

A tombstone dedicated to two Aleut sisters

The only thing left from historical past of Preobrajenskoye village is wrecked by time cemetery on the opened for the northeast winds mountainside of the Saklov Cape. There is no cemetery in Kamchatka so rich with marble tombstones from XIX Century as on Medny Island. During the Commanders rent by American Trade House those tombstones were made to order and delivered from San Francisco and from Seattle

A cast-iron tombstone to leutenant-colonel in reserve Lukin-Fedotov, who had organized the
protection of furseal rookeries from Japaneses poachers raids (bottom left)
Preobrazhenskaya Harbor is a convenient place for small boats only

Good bye, Medny Island!

Sergey Pasenyuk came to Commanders in 1971.
Pictures in this album were made dy author from 1976 to 1998. The pictures was taken with nine russian manufactured cameras «Zenit» with 37, 50, 135,300 and 500 mm lenses, and also with japanese cameras Canon F1, Pentax K1000, Pentax P3n, Pentax-MX with 200 and 300 mm lenses, zooms 24-50 mm and 28-135 mm. Author used color positive films Orwochrome ISO45, Fujichrome 50 and 100, Agfachrome 50 and 100 were used.