Yakutia (Sakha Republic)
Yakutia (Sakha Republic) is the largest region of Russia, occupying one-fifth of the country’s territory and almost all of northeast Asia. It is one of the harshest places on the planet, where extremely low temperatures are recorded. At the same time, Yakutia is famous for its natural riches, unique landscapes, inimitable scenery, and original culture of indigenous peoples. The number of Russian and foreign tourists in the republic is constantly increasing, and has already exceeded 60,000 people a year.
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Video: Yakutia
Contents
- Highlights
- History of Yakutia
- Geography
- Climate
- Historical sites and museums
Natural sights of Yakutia - Entertainment
- Souvenirs
Yakut cuisine - Where to stay
- Transportation
- How to get there
Highlights
The vast territory of Yakutia appeared on geographical maps in the 17th century, but the history of this land dates back to time immemorial. Ancient peoples, representatives of various archaeological epochs, for centuries formed on the vast territory of Northeast Asia a distinctive culture, a peculiar way of life, adapting to extreme climatic conditions. On the expanses of the republic travelers will find many ethnographic complexes where they can get acquainted with the traditions and art of Yakuts, Evenks, Yukagirs and other peoples inhabiting this land. Curious tourists will be interested to visit and local history museums, located in almost all major settlements of Yakutia.
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The Republic is famous for its reserves, natural parks, reserves with their unique landscapes created by mountains, hills, mysterious lakes. Protected lands are inhabited by wild animals that feel at ease in harsh conditions. Countless Yakut rivers and lakes are abundant with fish – many travelers go to their shores for trophies. Sports tourism is also popular in Yakutia – river rafting, trekking, climbing mountain peaks and skiing down the slopes of winter recreation centers.
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Tourist infrastructure is not yet developed in all areas of the huge republic. The best hotels and restaurants are located in the capital city of Yakutsk, as well as in tourist complexes located in its vicinity. Those who wish can combine comfort and a trip full of impressions by going on a cruise on the Lena River – this elite vacation has been the most popular in Yakutia for decades.
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History of Yakutia
The lands of Yakutia were inhabited already at the end of the Ice Age. Human settlement covered the basins of the mighty full-flowing rivers – the Lena, Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma; their tributaries – the Vilyui, Aldan, Amga, and Olekma – were also settled. Primitive flint tools, burials, fossilized remains of mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses were discovered by archaeologists in the basins of the Yana River and the middle reaches of the Lena River. The names “Yanskaya site”, “Diring-Yuryakh site” are well known to scientists all over the world.
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The appearance in these parts of the ancestors of the Even and Evenks, representatives of the Tungus-Manchurian ethnos, historians date the middle of the I millennium. In the XIII century, the Tungus tribes began to be displaced or assimilated by the nomadic Kurykans who inhabited the Lake Baikal region. Presumably, the representatives of this people (according to different hypotheses – Turkic-speaking or Mongolian-speaking) are the ancestors of Yakuts and Buryats. Legends tell about two forefathers of the Yakut people – Ellei Botur and Omogoy Bai. The name of the former is associated with the tradition of the main Yakut holiday held in June – Ysyakh (“Abundance”).
Russian pioneers appeared in the fur-rich Yakut lands at the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries. By that time, the Yakuts had settled in the interfluve of the Lena and Aldan rivers, near the mouth of the Olekma, in the lower reaches of the Vilyuy, and in the Verkhoyanye. These enclaves were surrounded by Tungus nomads. United in tribal communities, the Yakuts raised cattle and horses, hunted, fished, practiced reindeer breeding and blacksmithing. They practiced shamanism and deified the forces of nature. Yakut beliefs, traditions and art are reflected in ancient tales – olonkho. Since 2009, the cycles of olonkho have been included in UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage.
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Russian discoverers, who had already founded the Yenisei and Mangazei stockades, learned about the Lena River in 1619. The existence of the “great river” was told to the voivods by a captured leader of the Evenks. Soon a detachment of 40 men went to explore the river. They were led by fur trader Pantelei Pyanda. In 1623 he reached the Lena and went downstream. Thus the way was paved for further Russian advancement to the northeast of Siberia.
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In 1628, a detachment of exiled Polish military officer Anton Dobrynsky explored the Chona and Aldan rivers. He sought to establish the sovereign power in these lands and to tax the Yakuts with yasyk. The first attempt ended in failure because of the resistance of the natives, but other expeditions were sent to the campaigns. One of them was led by Yenisei Cossack centurion Pyotr Beketov, who was instructed to influence the locals not by force, but by persuasion. In 1632 the Cossacks reached the lower reaches of the Lena River and found themselves in the lands of the Betun Yakuts. The natives did not believe in the agitation of the newcomers, refused to give them yasyk, and had to subdue them by force. Thus, the Betunsky Yakuts became the first natives to swear an oath to the Moscow Tsar, and 1632 marked the beginning of the chronology of Yakutia’s entry into the Russian state.
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On the right bank of the Lena River Beketov ordered to lay an ostrog, nicknamed Yakutskiy. In the early 1640s, the fortification was moved to a more suitable place – the Tuimaad valley, where today’s Yakutsk is located. During several years Peter Beketov, using various methods, obtained the oath of 32 princes, subordinating almost all central Yakut uluses to the Russian sovereign. At the same time, exploration and conquest of remote areas of the region, the basins of the northern rivers – Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma was carried out.
The lands east of Lake Baikal in 1638 became part of the newly formed independent Yakutsk uyezd, which became part of the Siberian province. The huge territory with the richest resources turned into an irreplaceable supplier of fur. Every year tens of thousands of sable, fox, ermine, ermine and beaver skins were delivered to the tsar’s court. By the 18th century, Siberian fur accounted for about one-third of the state treasury’s income.
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In the process of developing new lands, the central government pursued a cautious policy, not wanting to jeopardize the regular collection of yasak. Over time, the Russian settlers, the administration and the local inhabitants established quite favorable relations. The Lena aborigines managed to preserve their customs, way of life and cultural foundations. And the Yakut tribal upper class was given certain administrative powers.
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Servicemen and peasant settlers began to establish winter camps, stockades, and settlements in the neighborhood of Yakut dwellings. From the second half of the 17th century, thanks to Russian peasants, the tradition of farming was born in the northern territories, and the aborigines gradually joined it. At the same time Christianity spread here and the first monasteries appeared. In 1736 the first school was opened at the Spasskaya monastery in Yakutsk, and in the beginning of the XIX century the Yakut alphabet was created on the basis of Cyrillic alphabet. The Great Northern Expedition, which explored the Arctic coast of Siberia, set sail from the mouth of the Lena. The ships of the Russian Polar Expedition, which explored the Arctic Ocean and dared to find the legendary Sannikov Land, also set sail from here. At the same time, the distant Lena lands had a sinister fame, as they were the place of exile of those undesirable first to the tsarist and then to the communist government.
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During the Civil War, Yakutia was one of the last strongholds of the White Guards, led by Admiral and, by the way, former polar explorer, Alexander Kolchak. After their defeat in 1919-1920, the Bolsheviks established their rule here, and in 1922 the Yakut ASSR was created. In 20-30 years in Yakutia appeared the first enterprises for coal mining, production of fish products. At the same time state gold mining began, and soon a powerful industry emerged on the basis of Yakut deposits.
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In 1949, the first officially registered diamond was discovered in the Vilyui River basin, and 1954 was marked by the “discovery of the century” – on the territory of the republic they found a kimberlite pipe with diamond-bearing rock, which was called “Zarnitsa”. A year later another indigenous diamond deposit was discovered. It became one of the largest in the world and is known as the Mir kimberlite pipe. The settlement of Mirny was formed near the quarry, which soon received the status of a town. Today, more than 200 kimberlite diamond deposits have been explored in Yakutia, which accounts for about 80% of the reserves of these valuable minerals in Russia.
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Geography
Yakutia is the largest administrative-territorial unit in the world, its area covers 3,083,523 km². At the same time, the population density here is one of the lowest in the country. About 990,000 people live in the republic. Administratively, the territory is divided into 34 ulus (districts). They include national (nomadic) legends created on the lands historically inhabited by Evenks, Evenks, Yukaghirs, Dolgans, and Chukchas. Among the 13 cities located on the territory of Yakutia, the largest is the capital city of Yakutsk, which is 8400 km away from Moscow by highway. About 65% of the republic’s population lives in cities.
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Located in the northwest of the Far East, Yakutia is washed in the north by the Laptev and East Siberian Seas, the coldest seas in the Northern Hemisphere, icebound for up to ten months of the year. It borders the Krasnoyarsk Krai in the west, the Irkutsk Oblast in the southwest, and the Amur Oblast and Transbaikalia in the south. The eastern neighbors of the Sakha Republic are Chukotka and Magadan Oblast, and in the southeast is Khabarovsk Krai. There are 3 time zones on the boundless expanses. The time here is 6, 7 and 8 hours ahead of Moscow time.
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More than two-thirds of the territory of Yakutia is occupied by mountain massifs and plateaus, the rest of the land is lowland. A significant part of the area is crossed by the Chersky and Verkhoyansky Ranges, the most extensive plateau is the Srednesibirskoye Plateau. Mount Pobeda (3147 or 3003 m) and Mus-Khaya (2959 or 3011 m) claim to be the highest mountain peaks. Among the most extensive lowlands are the Central Yakutian Plain, spreading between the Lena and Vilyuy rivers, the Kolyma Plain, covering the lands in the lower reaches of the waterway of the same name and in the basin of the Allazeya and Bolshaya Chukochya rivers.
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Yakutia is cut through by countless rivers, rivulets, streams, the cumulative length of its water arteries is 2,000,000 kilometers. Most of the streams belong to the basins of the largest rivers of the republic – the Lena, Indigirka, Kolyma, Yana, Anabar, Olenek, flowing into the Laptev and East Siberian Seas. Plains and lowlands abound with river lakes and lagoon lakes formed near the sea coast. Glacial reservoirs are a characteristic feature of the landscape of mountainous territories. There are also mineral lakes with therapeutic mud.
About 40% of the territory of the republic extends beyond the Arctic Circle and is bounded by permafrost. In the middle belt alternate Arctic and subarctic tundra, which is characterized by lichens and mosses that form pastures for reindeer. Siberian cedar and larch grow in places in the south of the tundra belt. The vegetation becomes denser closer to the taiga regions, whose forests cover over 47% of the land.
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Yakutia’s rivers, lakes, and sea waters are home to about 50 species of fish, the most valuable inhabitants of the underwater world belong to the salmon and whitefish families. Of the 250 species of birds nesting in these lands, many can be found in the Red Book. Among them are pink gulls, white and black cranes, and gyrfalcons. The Sakha Republic is home to polar bears and musk deer, sable and ermine, hares and foxes, muskrats and American minks. Chubuk (snow sheep) can be found in the mountainous regions, and in the tundra – powerful musk oxen covered with long, thick wool.
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Climate
Yakutia is known for its extreme weather conditions. The climate here is sharply continental. It is characterized by a long, very cold winter period and a short summer season with quite warm and sometimes even hot days. The temperature difference between January and July can be 70-75 ° C, and, for example, in the Oymyakonskaya Valley, this indicator sometimes approaches 100 ° C.
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Winter in Yakutia reigns from October to April, and local cities and towns do not leave the ratings displaying settlements with extremely low temperatures. Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon challenge each other for the glory of the coldest permanently inhabited places on the planet, based on the data of the minimums recorded here: -67.8 °C and -67.7 °C. Yakutsk, in turn, is considered to be the world’s largest city located in the permafrost zone. Its temperature record, recorded in 1951, is -64.4 °С.
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The frostiest months in the republic are January and February, when the air can cool to -50…-35 °С and below, depending on the location of settlements and geographical locations. In southern regions snow covers the ground for 200-210 days, in the tundra – 250 days a year. In the valleys the wind is practically not felt in winter, while at the highlands and on the sea coast its gusts are quite powerful. For example, in the village of Tiksi, located on the shore of the Laptev Sea and called the Sea Gate of Yakutia, wind speeds of up to 39 meters per second have been recorded.
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Spring is approaching Yakutia from the south. Thus, snowdrops bloom in Lensk, Aldan, Yakutsk in May, thermometer columns confidently overcome the zero mark, approaching in the third decade to +13 … +18 ° C, and in the north at this time in the north still does not melt snow.
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Summer in Yakutia, except for the polar regions, is quite warm, in July-June, on average, +20…+23 °С in the daytime, there are short-term increases in temperature up to +30 °С and above. By the end of August summer recedes, mercury columns usually do not rise above 13-15 degrees, at night – about +8…+10 °С. In September, night frosts are already recorded on most of the territory of the republic, and in October the real winter comes into its own.
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Historical sights and museums
There are not so many ancient monuments in Yakutia, as well as architectural sights. Tourists coming to the capital of the republic can get an idea of what pre-revolutionary Yakutsk was like by walking around the Old Town. This quarter is a kind of open-air museum, a historical and architectural complex, including replicas of residential and administrative buildings of the 19th century. The buildings were restored in the early 21st century according to old photographs, engravings, and blueprints, after the original structures were burned down in a massive fire.
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Among the most notable buildings – stone manor house, which belonged to the Old Believer Apeksim Kushnarev, buildings of the women’s gymnasium, the Russian-Asian Bank, wooden gate tower of the Yakutsk stockade, salt shop, built of logs. The balagan of the Yakutsk steppe duma is quite colorful. The entrance to it is marked by carved gates, behind which there are ritual sarga pillars. The doors of souvenir stores, restaurants, cafes and bars are open in the quarter. In the evening, the Old Town is spectacularly illuminated by artificial lights.
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Yakutsk can boast curious museums. The famous Mammoth Museum displays restored skeletons of animals that inhabited these lands in prehistoric times. Among the representatives of fauna are woolly elephants, bison, rhinoceroses. The Museum and Center of Khomus of the Peoples of the World has a rich collection of ancient musical instruments. The mystical Yakut khomus (wargan) with a truly cosmic sound, which has long been considered an attribute of shamans, is a real symbol of national culture. It is still used today in ritual actions and amazes spectators of theatrical musical performances with its sound. The museum also presents English, German, Norwegian, American, and African khomuses.
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In the capital of Yakutia, the National Art Museum, the Museum of History and Culture of the Peoples of the North deserve attention. It is also worth visiting the permanent exhibition “Treasury of the Republic of Sakha”. The halls display precious stones and nuggets. Gold and silver jewelry – designer, exclusive jewelry – stands out.
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In 2013, the Orthodox Spassky Monastery, founded in 1640, was revived in Yakutsk. The Gradoyakutsk Transfiguration Church, built in the mid-19th century and now having the status of a cathedral, was restored. The stone Grado-Yakutsk St. Nicholas Cathedral, consecrated in 1852, has survived almost in pristine condition.
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Pre-revolutionary religious buildings have been preserved in other towns and villages of Yakutia. In Allaihovsky ulus, in the village of Stanchik, there is a wooden chapel of Dimitri Rostovsky, dating back to the beginning of the XIX century. This unpretentious structure built on the bank of the Indigirka River in the middle of the tundra is the northernmost Orthodox church in the world. A striking example of northern religious architecture is the wooden St. Nicholas Church of the late 19th century, located in the village of Botulu in Verkhnevilyuysky ulus. The Innokentyevskaya Church in the village of Buteidyakh (Megino-Kangalassky ulus) is noteworthy. This two-story church with a three-tier bell tower was built in 1828.
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In the town of Olekminsk, which traces its history back to 1635, the stone Spassky Cathedral with a remarkable bell tower was reconstructed at the beginning of our century. In the temple, built in 1870, you can examine the miraculously preserved ancient icons. In Olekminsk also survived pre-revolutionary chapel of St. Alexander Nevsky, residential wooden houses, estates of the XIX – early XX centuries. They are notable for carved cornices, windows, gates, wickets with applied carvings.
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A notable place in the history of Yakutia belongs to the period of exile – administrative, religious, political. In the XVII-XVIII centuries, Ukrainian hetmans, Russian aristocrats and officials who fell into disgrace served their sentences here. Later Decembrists, Polish rebels, Narodniks, revolutionary proletarians, people undesirable to Stalin’s regime were exiled to these regions. In many cities, uluses, legags of the Sakha Republic there are memorial houses-museums where exiles lived in the XIX-XX centuries. The museum “Yakut exile” is located in the village of Cherkekh (Tattinsky ulus). In Tomtor, in Oymyakonsky ulus, there is a museum dedicated to the history of the Gulag.
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In various settlements of vast Yakutia there are monuments, wooden crosses in memory of the discoverers of the northern lands, polar explorers. In the city of Neryungri an interesting museum dedicated to the history of the exploration of Southern Yakutia has been founded.
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Natural sights of Yakutia
The natural wonders of Yakutia, made up of vast tundra, forest taiga, steppe landscapes, picturesque lakes and rivers, are truly unique. The pearl of the republic is the legendary Lena River, which originates in a small lake on the northwestern slope of the Baikal Range and flows into the Laptev Sea. On its banks, 200 kilometers from Yakutsk, there is the most visited and impressive tourist object – the reserve park “Lena Pillars.”
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The Lena Pillars are called stretched for dozens of kilometers continuous, composed of light-colored limestone, a series of precipitous rocks lined up along the right bank of the river. Their formation, as scientists believe, occurred more than 400 thousand years ago, and their bizarre forms pillars owe their winds, precipitation, temperature fluctuations. In different parts of the rocks rise from 70 to 220 meters, resembling fantastic castles, petrified forests, towers, columns or arcades. The beauty of these stunning landscapes is sung in Yakut folklore and Russian literature.
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The best time to visit the reserve is June-September, and the Lena Pillars look most spectacular from the river side in the morning, in the rays of the rising sun. Tourists taking cruises along the Lena River can make sure of it. Another attraction of the reserve is huge mobile sand dunes, known in these parts as tukulans. Here, at the mouth of the Diring-Yuryakh brook there is a prehistoric site, stone tools of ancient people were discovered there.
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In the reserve, dominated by deciduous taiga, there are more than 460 species of flora. The world of fauna is also diverse. In addition to bears, the masters of the taiga, the protected expanses are inhabited by wolves, foxes, ermine, lynx, red deer. The feathered kingdom is represented by almost a hundred species of birds, including peregrine falcons and golden eagles.
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The Sinyaya River, a tributary of the Lena River, flows through the territory of the reserve park. In its lower reaches there are Sinskie Pillars – a picturesque group of 37 rocks. Rock paintings (pisanits) have been preserved on a number of rocky plunges of both rivers. The images of animals and people, made with yellow mineral paint, are in some places assembled into story compositions.
Rock scribblings, which give an idea of the culture, lifestyle and beliefs of the ancient peoples of Yakutia, were also found on the banks of the Olekma River, near Olekminsk. Unique drawings were also found on the slopes of bizarre mountains in the upper reaches of the Amga River (Amginsky ulus). In the local landscape stands out the amazing mountain Kharama: in the rock outcrops one can guess the characteristic features of the Udaganka – so in the Yakut epic women shamans are called. If you look closely, you can see the general composition created by nature – a battle scene between an Udaganka and a male shaman. The mountain is said to have the strongest energy, which consequently makes it a place of attraction for travelers who are fond of esotericism.
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In the Verkhoyansk district, at the watershed of the Yana and Adycha rivers, there is another mystical natural attraction of Yakutia – the sacred mountains of Kisilyakh, which have been nicknamed the northern Shambala. In translation from Yakut “Kihtsleh” means “stone people”. The mountain range, which in some places reaches a height of 1050 meters and stretches for 25 km, is dotted on the slopes and plateaus with 25-30-meter high pillar-shaped rocks, similar in their outlines to human figures. According to legends, during the onset of cold weather, people traveled through these places heading south to the plain. Many froze, turning into icy pillars that later fossilized.
At the headwaters of the Moma River stretches the Moma Nature Park, famous for its magnificent mountain landscapes. In the Chersky Ridge, which crosses the area, stands out Yuryung Taastakh Haya (Yakutian: “Mountain of white stone”). Tourists know it as Marble Mountain, and geologists know it as the Solnechny deposit. The lower part of the mountain massif is composed of layers of snow-white marble. Above marbleized limestone and sandstone have a dark gray color. The rock outcrop itself fascinates with a palette of shades – dazzling white, pale pink or warm beige. Specialists claim that Yakutsk marble is not inferior to Carrara marble in its qualities, and the depth of its translucency (2-7 cm) surpasses similar properties characteristic of its competitor. Marble Mountain is also famous for its marvelous waterfall.
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A unique attraction of the Moma Park is the Ulakhan-Taryn ice cap, the largest in Russia and the second largest on the planet. It covers an area of 112 km² with ice thickness from 3 to 8 meters. In summer, the Moma River cuts through it, forming numerous corridors decorated with crystal arches. At this time, the landscape composed of the grandiose ice field and the surrounding green landscape is particularly delightful.
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Another colossal ice field of Yakutia, Buluus, is located on the left bank of the Lena River, about 100 kilometers from the capital of the republic, and is well known to tourists. The glacier, formed by the waters of an underground spring, extends over an area of 1105 hectares. Its snow-white cap does not have time to melt in the fleeting Yakut summer. And in winter, even in the bitterest frosts, in the crevices of the ice blue water that continuously seeps out from under the ground, without time to freeze. Buluus occupies a depression surrounded by pine forests, and this contrasting landscape impresses with its incredible beauty. In the hot Yakut summer, tourists wade through the snow in light clothing, some bathing in scouring holes with scalding cold water. Near the glacier, under pine trees, barbecues with sunshades are arranged.
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Another impressive glacier located not far from Yakutsk, in the depths of a hillside, has been turned into a real tourist attraction. A unique complex called “The Kingdom of Permafrost” has been created here. Visitors are offered to walk through the underground mines, where even in summer the temperature does not rise above -4 °C. Narrow passages beckon with the glow of ice crystals, shimmering in multicolored rays of artificial illumination, and are decorated with ice sculptures created by Yakut masters.
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In the underground kingdom, the lord of cold, a character of Yakut folklore, Chyskhaan, rules. The ice complex houses his throne room, as well as a ceremonial room. Every winter Ded Moroz arrives here from Veliky Ustyug to receive from Chyshaan the symbolic attributes of winter, with which he travels around all regions of Russia on New Year’s holidays.
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Another residence of Chyshaan is in Tomtor, located in the Oymyakon Valley, not far from the village of Oymyakon. In this harsh area, the so-called pole of cold has been recorded. The valley is also known for its numerous thermal springs that do not freeze even in 60-degree frosts.
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Oymyakonsky ulus is home to the most famous lake in Yakutia – Lake Labynkyr. One of the many local legends tells of a monster living in its waters. “Labynkarsky devil” is said to be huge in size, has a monstrous mouth and dark gray color. The mysterious body of water is located in a picturesque area, at an altitude of 1020 meters. Its maximum width is 4.14 km, the explored depth is 52.6 m, the water temperature even in the hottest summer season does not exceed +9 ° Celsius. In the very center of the lake three islands can be seen above the water surface. They say that one of them disappears from time to time, as if it is swallowed by the water. However, scientists believe that if such a visual effect exists, it is an optical phenomenon like a mirage.
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Entertainment
Traveling around Yakutia does not do without visiting ethnographic centers, historical and architectural museums. They are placed in various corners of the republic. The ethnic complex “Atlasov Estate”, located in a picturesque area, a few kilometers from Yakutsk, introduces Yakut culture. On the well-maintained territory you can see buildings in the national style, curious sculptures of animals created from wood, straw, peat bog. A restaurant with traditional dishes of Yakut cuisine awaits guests; those who wish can take part in their preparation. Algys – a rite of purification and blessing – is held for a fee. In winter there is a skating rink and ice-slides.
5 km from Yakutsk, at the foot of the Chochur-Muran hill, there is an ethnographic complex of the same name. There are recreated old wooden buildings: a merchant’s house with original interiors of the late XIX century, a barn turned into a hotel, houses of a sled dog driver and a hunter. Traditional dwellings of Yakut peoples are also presented: yurts, Yakut balagan. Tourists are shown folk rites and rituals with the participation of shamans. In summer there are horse-drawn sleigh rides, in winter you can ride on a sleigh pulled by reindeer or dogs. A restaurant with authentic cuisine is open all year round. There is a kennel organized in the complex, where Yakut fallow deer are bred. Here there is an opportunity to buy a puppy.
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In 70 km from Yakutsk, on the right bank of the Lena, is located historical and architectural museum “Friendship”. Here you can see characteristic buildings – monuments of wooden architecture. They were brought to the museum from all uluses of the republic. A park zone with a green theater is organized on the territory, where folklore groups, professional and amateur artists perform, sports competitions are arranged.
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Especially memorable folklore performances and rituals are held in Yakutia’s thematic complexes on holidays. The main local holiday is Ysyakh. It is celebrated on the day of the summer solstice. In different uluses the events are organized between June 10 and June 25. They are accompanied by rituals of prayers, worship, abundant food, performances of dancers, musicians, folk games, horse races. In most villages there are special summer grounds where the main actions of the Ysyakh holiday take place. And the historical ritual area is located on the territory of Khangalassky ulus. Here, about 50 km from Yakutsk, a large-scale complex “Orto-Doidu” with buildings for ceremonies, exhibition pavilions and a restaurant is organized. A shooting and hunting club operates on the territory.
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“Ortho-Doidu” is also the name of a popular among tourists zoo, the only one on the planet, working in extremely cold climate. It is home to Amur tigers, lynxes, brown and polar bears, polar wolves, reindeer, musk oxen and many birds.
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The forest bison reserve “Ust-Buotama”, which is also located in Khangalassky ulus, in the valley of the Buotama River, deserves a visit. In the bisonarium on 100 hectares of land the mighty bulls, the same age as mammoths, live freely. There are only about 4000 such animals preserved in the whole world, and in Yakutia by the beginning of our millennium there were no bison left at all. In 2006, several pairs of these cosmaty mammals were brought to the Republic of Sakha from a Canadian reserve. The settlers took root and had offspring. The population is gradually growing.
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One of the most popular entertainment in Yakutia is cruises along the Lena River on motorboats. The river is not blocked by dams and flows along the natural channel. Unparalleled landscapes of virgin nature open from the decks of ships. Tourists are offered an extensive excursion program and various forms of recreation. Fishing, visiting nature reserves and museums are organized during the cruise. The route of some trips passes through islands, where picnics and swimming are organized. Navigation on the Lena R