Uelen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Uelen (Russian: Уэ́лен) is a village (selo) just south of the Arctic Circle in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far East. Located near Cape Dezhnev where the Bering Sea meets the Chukchi Sea, it is the easternmost settlement in Russia and the whole Eurasia. Uelen is also the closest Russian settlement to the United States.
Uelen has a population of about 500 (2002).[citation needed]
The village, famous for its walrus ivory carvings, also serves as a base for archaeological expeditions to the area, which have uncovered a burial ground containing more than 300 burials of Early Whale Hunter cultures, covering a time span from 500 BCE to 1000 CE.
Uelen is where Dimitri Kieffer and Karl Bushby entered Russia during their Goliath Expedition after crossing the Bering Strait. The two were then arrested for visa violations.
The writer Yuri Rytkheu was born in Uelen.