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PROVIDENIYA The deepest Russian harbor on the Bering Strait, Provideniya was named "Providence Bay" early last century by English whalers who took refuge there during a long, cold winter. Following the discovery of gold on its beaches in 1900, Provideniya boomed; it became both an administrative and military center for the region. Now the town seems on its last legs. Drab blockhouse apartment buildings surround an ancient coal-burning power plant whose steady rumble rattles windows and nerves. Military jeeps, supply trucks, and an occasional small bus are the only vehicles, and there are few navigable roads. |
