Cargo volumes at the region's ports have doubled, while air shipments are up 50 percent. Potatoes, alcohol and even salted cucumbers are imported from Seattle. A quarter of the republic's 73,000 inhabitants have been able to go on holiday, either to the mainland or abroad, since Abramovich took up the post of governor.
Speculation about his motives are mixed, but it cannot be denied that life in Chukotka changed noticeably the moment Abramovich came to office in December 2000.
Transport statistics in a region this hard to access, and just as tough to leave, speak most eloquently of the shift.
Sergei Kapkov, press officer for the Chukotka administration, said that cargo volumes passing through the peninsula's ports doubled last year from 400,000 tons in 2000.
Deputy Transport Minister Chingiz Izmailov confirmed the growth rates.
Increased shipments of construction materials, pipes, welding and automobile equipment -- with the most valuable cargoes carried by the Chukotavia airline and backed up by Sibneft helicopters -- were responsible for the boom, he said.
As well as the main shipments of provisions from the mainland in the summer each year, the local administration is upping its imports.
"We buy our potatoes, chicken, eggs and alcohol from Seattle. Its cheaper and closer. The Americans even make special salted pickles for Chukotka -- we gave them the recipe," said Kapkov. He said that about 30,000 tons of food had been imported at a total of $10 million.
The firm behind the deliveries is the Far Eastern Shipping Company.
Company representative Viktor Zhukov said the region is one of their main local clients and the governor is a pleasure to do business with. "He pays the right amount at the right time," Zhukov said.
Air flights to Chukotka have also increased.
Over nine months last year, long distance flights to the region carried 28,243 passengers -- 50 percent more than the year before.
Abramovich paid for half the cost of tickets for 12,000 Chukotka residents, enabling them to take their holidays on the mainland and abroad. A representative for Domodedovo Airlines said the company's charter flight program for the region contributed to the increase.
Abramovich sent 8,000 Chukotka children to seaside resorts in southern Russia. Once there were only two flights a week from the Chukotka capital, Anadyr, to Moscow; now there are four to five.
"Abramovich is breathing life into the transport sector using his own funds. But the region isn't simply a subject of his patronage, it is a business project. He is creating the infrastructure conditions required to develop his business on this corner of the earth," said the head of the Merkator Center Dmitry Oreshkin.
According to Zhukov from the Far Eastern Shipping company, oil and minerals probably will be found on the peninsula. And it can be expected that each year the region will provide more and more orders to transport companies, he said.
Abramovich, however, has yet to succeed in lobbying a beneficial customs regime for the Chukotka ports.
Documents that would enable goods to be off-loaded without the levying of tariffs are still stuck with the government, said Alexander Ushakov, the head of the Northern Sea Route administration at the Transport Ministry.
Issues over border and customs control in arctic ports take a very long time to resolve, particularly with representatives of the Federal Security Service and the Defense Ministry, he said.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.