‘Beringia-2009’ Starts in Kamchatka in March

PETROPAVLOVSK-KSMCHATSKY. January 19. VOSTOK-MEDIA - ‘Beringia-2009’ starts in Kamchatka. The opening of the race that will take place in Esso village is planned on March 14, 2009.
The race with the length 950 km will pick its way through 12 villages and small towns of Kamchatka region. The finish is planned in the village Ossora on March 29, 2009. 15 dog-drivers from the most remote villages of the peninsula have already filed an application for participation in ‘Beringia-2009’.
There are beginners as well as winners of the previous year among them. The father Vladislav, the abbot of the orthodox parish from Esso and Margarita Baishukova, nurse from Kamenskoe village – the only woman dog-driver since the foundation of the races - are also the participants.
The traditional Kamchatka dog-team races are conducted with the assistance of the Government of Kamchatka region in the course of ‘Second decade of the Indigenous Peoples of the world’ conducted under the auspices of UN.
The main economic reward of the prizewinner is the prize of the Governor of Kamchatka region. In former times it was the new snowmobile. Though the participation in the ‘Beringia’ is prestigious per se, because the aim of the races is the conservation and revival of the traditional lifestyle and original culture of indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East, that reside not only in Kamchatka region. Furthermore, leisure interest in the races promotes the rise of image of Kamchatka as unique tourist region.