Uelkal (Russian: Уэлькаль; Yupik: Валъӄалыӄ, lit. Whale Jaw; Chukchi: Валӄалԓьан, Valḳalḷʼan) is a village (selo) in Iultinsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Population: 243 (2010 Census);[3][4] a slight reduction on a 2003 estimate of 258, of whom 208 were indigenous people,[10] which itself showed a slight increase, up from 202 the previous year.[10] The village is located approximately 100 kilometers (60 mi) away from the administrative centre of Egvekinot,[10] at the western side of the mouth of Kresta Bay. Municipally, Uelkal is subordinated to Iultinsky Administrative District and incorporated as Uelkal Rural Settlement.[6]
Geography
Uelkal is situated on the south side of Cape Annyualkal spit at the entrance to Kresta Bay, by the Bering Sea, 174 km from the District centre Egvekinot. The village is the most western settlement in Russia in the western hemisphere and the most western Eskimo settlements in the world.
History
The village was founded in 1920 by settlers from Cape Chaplino. During World War II, this was the eastern stage on the ALSIB Uelkal-Krasnoyarsk route for US-made lend-lease warplanes to Russia.[11] During the mid-1950s, the Central Intelligence Agency suspected that a major bomber staging base was being built at Uelkal capable of reaching United States,[12] however the Soviets instead built the facility at AnadyrUgolny Airport 102 miles (164 km) to the south and the Uelkal airfield fell into decline. Until the early 2000s near the village acted as tropospheric intermediate relay station number 20/103, part of the "North" link (call sign – "Kazan").[13] As of 2002, it had 258 inhabitants, of whom 202 were indigenous people,[10] though this has reduced significantly in the last decade, with 2014 estimates indicating a population of only 210.[14]
Economy
The village has a secondary school, a medical assistant-midwife centre, a pharmacy, a communications centre, and a store.[10] The main sources of livelihood for the residents of this town are hunting seals, walrus, and whales, which is done as part of the municipal agricultural enterprise "Nanuk" (Russian: Нанук).[15] In the village there is a high school, a kindergarten, a local hospital, pharmacy, home culture, communication center and shop as well as a rural folk club, the Chukchi-Eskimo group "Imlya", youth groups "Kiyagnyk" (lit. "Life") and "Avsinahak" (lit. "pups").[16]
Transport
Uelkal is not connected to any other part of the world by road however, there is a small network of roads within the village including:[17]
улица Вальгиргина (Ulitsa Val′girgina)
улица Набережная (Ulitsa Naberezhnaya, lit. Quay Street)
улица Тундровая (Ulitsa Tundrovnaya, lit. Tundra Street)
улица Центральная (Ulitsa Tsentralnaya, lit. Central Street)
^ abThe results of the 2010 Census are given for Uelkal Rural Settlement, a municipal formation of Iultinsky Municipal District. According to Law #148-OZ, Uelkal is the only inhabited locality on the territory of Uelkal Rural Settlement.
Дума Чукотского автономного округа. Закон №33-ОЗ от 30 июня 1998 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Чукотского автономного округа», в ред. Закона №55-ОЗ от 9 июня 2012 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Чукотского автономного округа "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Чукотского автономного округа"». Вступил в силу по истечении десяти дней со дня его официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Ведомости", №7 (28), 14 мая 1999 г. (Duma of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Law #33-OZ of June 30, 1998 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, as amended by the Law #55-OZ of June 9, 2012 On Amending the Law of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug". Effective as of after ten days from the day of the official publication.). (in Russian)
