Ironically, the two Russians who fled their country by crossing the Bering Sea to Alaska

[Atticus]

did so as I was rereading Michener's "Alaska" replete with tales of the many desperate Russians who perished while attempting the same crossing.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. They had the good fortune to survive where so many had not. Good for them! n/t

[brush]

2. How many miles across is that strait?

And I guess they had to do it before winter set in?

[Callalily]

3. I think it's about 55 miles.

Not a fun journey.

[2naSalit]

7. It doesn't appear to be freezing there yet...

This is webcam looking at the Little Sitka volcano, earlier today.

https://www.avo.alaska.edu/webcam/gsitkin_gsig.php

The nights are already getting long. I'm an hour north of the 45th parallel and the sun is setting now, comes up around 7-ish am right now. We haven't had a hard freeze yet, had a mild frost back in early September but since then, still waiting.

It must have been rough if it took more than a day or two.

I wonder what kind of boat they had.

[Greybnk48]

4. I just read it last winter and loved it. That was the first thing I thought of

when I read about the two Russians!

I lived in Ketchikan for 2 years in the late 60's (was married there), and my current husband and I went back for two weeks and toured the State in 2018. I love Alaska, but it's hard to live up there. It's not so isolated as it was in the 60's pre-pipeline. But the darkness, and in Ketchikan, the constant rain all winter in the dark in tough to deal with.

Michener's book "Alaska" is amazing of course. I'm a big fan of his.

[blm]

5. I tend to read Michener twice, as well.

Been doing it for almost 5 decades now.

So glad to know it’s not just me being weird. 😉

[vsrazdem]

9. Love Michener's books. He spends so much time with research and history that its like

getting a history lesson in the stories.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. That's not irony. Irony would be

It would be ironic if they found a copy of the book in the bottom of the boat.

Coincidentally you were read as they were crossing.

[Talitha]

8. Oddly enough, I'm reading Michener's "Poland".

Ukraine is mentioned a lot, but as "the" Ukraine.

Fabulous author, Michener....

[DFW]

10. "The Ukraine" is just as good a translation as "Ukraine"

Slavic languages don’t have articles. There is no a, an or the in Russian or Ukrainian, so it can be translated either way. In German, for example, it is “die Ukraine,” and in French, it is “l’Ukraine.” In Russian, субака is “dog,” “a dog,” or “the dog.” Those languages that have articles translate Slavic languages inserting articles as best they can, according to context. The reason native speakers don’t use them has nothing to do with political correctness and everything to do with the fact that their languages don’t have such words to begin with. It’s why the cartoon Natasha used to say, “I see Moose and Squirrel!” In Russian (or Ukrainian), you would say, “США—страна.” Word for word, “USA country.” In English, that translates out to, “The USA is a country.” If the only politically correct way to say that is, “USA country,” then OK, only “Ukraine” is politically correct. But one cannot arbitrarily say there is only one way to translate something that doesn’t exist in the first place. Remember “the/a” dog.

[Silent3]

12. AFAIK, it's Ukrainians (many of whom speak at least a little English)...

...who have requested that "the" be dropped when Ukraine is referenced in English. Article-free though Ukrainian may be, they seem to have a preference about the use of articles in English when it comes to their country.

[DFW]

13. The ones I meet say either is fine

And I meet with Ukrainians several times a week here. And it’s the “at least a little English” that is the sticker. Since their language has no articles, they are never comfortable using them in any situation. Only the ones who are really fluent are comfortable with such an unfamiliar grammatical form. It’s the same with English speakers trying to learn Russian or Ukrainian with the vast (for us) declensions. English speakers are so uncomfortable with case that many of them say “for you and I,” even though that is no more correct English than a Herschel Walker speech.

[Raine]

11. I'm so glad they made it. nt