Part 2/11:
Chukotka, a remote region in the far east of Russia, is not the most likely backdrop for a narrative of national renewal or resurgence. Its capital, Anadyr, stands as the easternmost city in the country and lies just below the Arctic Circle, closer to Chicago than to Moscow. With a completion timeline of two decades for a connecting road to Siberia, and an airport that operates only intermittently, access to this area is limited. The region, vast yet sparsely populated, hardly seems to align with notions of 'civilization.' Despite its geographic isolation and demographic challenges, it has recently garnered the attention of President Vladimir Putin, who portrayed it as a model of hope in the face of a staggering demographic crisis affecting the entire nation.