The relationship between Russia and America is a very special one, something that exists within married couples, a tight mixture of love and hate. We look intensely at each other and try to find out what we have in common, and what is different. We are not divorced, but we are not together either. We are not enemies, and we are not yet friends. We are far from each other, on the opposite sides of an ocean. But the shortest distance between us is just 80 km, where our backyards — Alaska and Chukotka — are so close and face each other. Their populations have similar origins; members of same families live on both sides of the Bering Strait. Oblivious of policies and niceties between the distant capitals of our two countries, Alaska and Chukotka live their own life and promote their own peace, friendship and freedom of movement without visas.Intrigued by all this, we decided to go and have a close look at how life goes on in these two provinces at the end of the 20th century. We have written our reports in our own Russian way, which must be different from the traditions of American journalism. But we hope they will still be of interest, as one more eyewitness proof of present realities and perceptions of all those people over there in Alaska and Chukotka.
Your «Огонёк»
Children's talk
Where would you like to live? Children gave us surprising answers to this question
MILLI, 9, From Chukotka: «All girls call me Olya, not Milli. I like London more than other places because it's less foggy.»
NADIA, 10, From Chukotka: «I would like to live here. If not, then in a village in the Ural. I've been there once.»
DENIS, 11, From Chukotka: «I don't mind staying some more in Anadyr. It's very homey here. I heard that Sochi is also a nice place, but I've never been there. Going there for a while could be fun... But all in all I like it here, it's healthy and the sauna is great.»
ALBERTO, 8, From Alaska: «I would like to live in Alaska. It is full of moose, reindeer and other animals. So this is my favorite place.»
KIM, 13, From Chukotka: «I would like to spend the rest of my life in this town, because I was born here. If only we had a bigger apartment...»
MICHAEL, 12, From Alaska: «I have a dream, that I am living in Provideniya. It's in Russia, and Russians come from there on planes. I think it would be great.»