The Bering Strait, that 56 mile stretch of treacherous water between Russian and America, which freezes over during the long winter months has been a magnet for adventurers for almost a century. Being the first to drive across it is one of the last topographic world records that still has to be achieved.

No one has succeeded but many have tried including explorers Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Richard Creasey - now the Executive Producer of 360. Richard's attempt, during the Ford London New York Overland Challenge , is about to be superseded by The Ice Challenger team, led by a good friend of Richard's, Steven Boultbee-Brooks.

The area left a lasting impression in Richard Creasey. Indeed he spent over a year trying to get a major project of the ground there which would coincide with, and take advantage of, the dawning of the millennium. Here is a short version of that project, posted in the hope that it sparks an interest in the Bering Strait and its people:

BERING ON THE MILLENNIUM

Introduction and Executive Summary

This shortened document (written in 1998 by Sasha Zaslavsky and Richard Creasey) sets out a proposal for a unique international event to celebrate the arrival of the new Millennium. For individuals, the question is one of entertainment. For governments it is far more than that. What are the opportunities presented by the unprecedented public awareness of the significance of the date change?

Arrival of the New Millennium of Peace

The arrival of the 21st century and the New Millennium is a unique symbolic occasion. The end of an extraordinary century of human history calls for reflection over mankind's progress and its uneven, often faulty development. Moving away from the century marked by the two deadliest wars in the history of mankind and from the legacy of the Dark Ages, we look forward to the Millennium of Peace. "We all march forward, from history into the future, and we measure a passage by a common system. That is a beginning worth celebrating, an excuse for us all to look back and consider what our trip over the last thousand years has meant. It is the context in which the hubbub over the millennium makes perfect sense to us." (The New York Times, 1 January 1999).

As more and more people turn to considering how they will meet the Millennium, we are convinced that Russia, Chukotka and USA, Alaska can outdo most other plans in terms of creativity, originality, and style which will also result in practical benefits to many of their people. The next section outlines our proposal.

The Plan

The event will take place at a unique geographical location - on the International Dateline in the Bering Strait. The Dateline passes between two small islands in the Strait: Big Diomede (Russia) and Little Diomede (U.S.). In winter it is possible to walk on ice from one island to the other thus crossing the Dateline. Big Diomede will be the first land outpost to enter the Millennium, while Little Diomede will be the last. On the Millennium Day, the celebration may thus continue for 24 hours.

The essence of the plan is to bring together the efforts of Russians and Americans to organise a celebration in the only part of the world where these two superpowers meet - on the International Dateline on the first day of the New Millennium.

The central venue for the programme of events will be an awe-inspiring, specially constructed Millennium Ice Palace, which we plan to build on Russia's Big Diomede. The Millennium Ice Palace will host the celebrations to commemorate this extraordinary occasion. The media nerve centre will be an Ice Breaker.

In the 24 hours between the two events Alaska and Chukotka's international guests will be able to link with their own countries via live television and through internet connection thus celebrating with their own people.

We believe the unprecedented information coverage of the Millennium celebration will bring substantial practical benefits to the Bering Straits Region and huge symbolic benefits to the world.

Results of the Reconnaissance

We have extensively researched the practicalities of the project and conducted a recce on the ground in January 1999. The first recce was made by Richard Creasey - Project Leader, Christina Graham - representing The Wilderness Trust, Art Mortvedt, and Vera Reich during the first week of January 1999. Richard Creasey, Art Mortvedt and Vera Reich had visited the Bering Strait region during March 1994 as members of the Ford London - New York Overland Challenge.

The recce team flew over the Bering Straits to the Diomedes and saw that a stretch of ice between Little and Big Diomede was thick enough to walk on. It is likely the same will be the case in 12 months time. Logistically it is clear the only safe way to accommodate the guests safely in this region is via an Ice Breaker.

Long-term benefits - UNESCO World Heritage

The central theme of the celebrations is the link between the past and the future. To envision the future, we must first preserve the heritage of the past and draw inspiration from the living cultures and natural beauty of the present. Bering on the Millennium will provide grounds for a serious contribution to this theme as well as lead to the preservation of this unique location. In particular, our long term ambition is to gain the Diomedes the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our plan is to use the 2000 Millennium celebrations to attract the attention of key decision-makers to facilitate joint efforts by the Russian and US regional authorities to achieve this in time to celebrate it a year later, at the start of what many people think of as the real millennium in 2001.