Russian sailor's 50-year-old message in a bottle found on Alaskan shore

Associated Press
Tyler Ivanoff found the letter while he was out looking for firewood - Tyler Ivanoff
Tyler Ivanoff found the letter while he was out looking for firewood - Tyler Ivanoff

A man was shocked to discover a 50-year-old letter in a bottle from the Russian Navy while collecting firewood on the shores of western Alaska.

Tyler Ivanoff found the handwritten Russian letter early this month near Shishmaref about 600 miles (966 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage, television station KTUU reported.

"I was just looking for firewood... When I found the bottle, I had to use a screwdriver to get the message out," Mr Ivanoff said.

"I had to pull really hard. I used my teeth to really work it out," he told The Nome Nugget newspaper. "It was still dry on the inside and still smelled like wine or whatever, old alcohol. The note was dry."

Mr Ivanoff shared his discovery on Facebook where Russian speakers translated the message, and found it to be a greeting from a Cold War Russian sailor dated June 20, 1969.

Russian reporters tracked down Capt Anatolli Botsanenko, who recognised his own signature
Russian reporters tracked down Capt Anatolli Botsanenko, who recognised his own signature

It read: "Sincere greetings! From the Russian Far East Fleet mother ship VRXF Sulak. I greet you who finds the bottle and request that you respond to the address Vladivostok -43 BRXF Sulak to the whole crew. We wish you good health and long years of life and happy sailing. 20 June 1969."

Reporters from the state-owned Russian media network, Russia-1, tracked down the original writer, Capt. Anatolii Prokofievich Botsanenko, KTUU reported.

He was sceptical he wrote the note until he saw his signature on the bottom. "There - exactly!" he exclaimed. The message was sent while the then 36-year-old was aboard the Sulak, Capt. Botsanenko said.

Capt. Botsanenko shed tears when the Russian television reporter told him the Sulak was sold for scrap in the 1990s.

Capt. Botsanenko also had some souvenirs from his time on the ship, including the autograph of the wife of a famous Russian spy and Japanese liquor bottles, the latter kept despite his wife's protests.

Mr Ivanoff wrote on Facebook that it was "pretty cool how a small photo grew into a story", and said that one day he might send his own message in a bottle, to see if anyone found it.

"That's something I could probably do with my kids in the future," he told The Associated Press.