Monument to Semyon Dezhnev, Maritime explorer monument in Uelen, Russia
The Monument to Semyon Dezhnev is a combined obelisk and lighthouse structure built on Cape Dezhnyov, the far northeastern tip of the Eurasian landmass. It still functions as an active navigation aid for ships passing through the waters of the Bering Strait.
The monument was put up in 1956 to honor Semyon Dezhnev, who led the first recorded voyage through the Bering Strait in 1648. That journey showed for the first time that Asia and North America are separate landmasses.
Cape Dezhnyov is seen by many Russians as the edge of their continent, and the monument marks that feeling in a physical way. The site draws a small number of visitors each year, mostly those traveling by sea, who stop to look out over the water where two oceans meet.
The site lies roughly 22 kilometers southeast of Uelen and is only reachable by boat or helicopter. Summer is the most practical season to attempt a visit, as the sea routes are more open and the weather is less harsh.
Although Dezhnev sailed through the strait in 1648, his journey went unnoticed by European geographers for decades, and the waterway was later named after Vitus Bering, who passed through it in 1728. The cape itself was only officially named after Dezhnev in the 20th century.
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