Yakutia also known as the Sakha republic is the largest country subdivision of Russia. It is located at a distance of 8,300 km from Moscow by road. Yakutsk is the capital city of Yakutia and is the coldest city on earth. 40% of the area of the region is covered by the Arctic ocean. Let’s see 10 Interesting Facts About Yakutia and Yakutsk.
This picturesque land of Yakutia is still undiscovered and unexplored and is sometimes considered a mysterious place on the planet. Yakutia is famous in the world for its winter season which lasts from October to May.
Yakutia is also known as the Land of the rivers for having over 7 hundred thousand rivers and around 8 hundred thousand lakes. Some of the famous and the largest rivers are the Lena, Viluy, Olenek, Aldan, Kolyma, Indigirka, Olekma, Anabar, and Yana.
Image by Vladimir Fill from Pixabay
The famous mining industry of Yakutia has made its name in the world. Natural gas, oil, diamonds, gold, coal, and some of the precious metals are mined here. The economy of this area also depends on the wood processing industry, agriculture products, meat processing, etc. Over the past few years the tourism industry is also booming attracting tourists from all over the world.
As there is lack of road connectivity, the Yakutia is well-connected with the airways. It has more than 30 airports that makes it easy for the widely sparse population to travel to different parts of the nation.
Nzeemin, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Yakutia is also famous for the well-preserved and intact natural habitation. It has wide variety of flora and fauna which entices people to visit this place.
Yakutsk, which is the rapidly developing city of Yakutia is majorly based on the mining industry. It has two airports namely Yakutsk airport and Magan airport; Magan airport is smaller than the previous one.
The temperature of this beautiful land remains low year long. The average temperature of the city is around – 8 degree Celsius and during winters it experiences record low temperatures of around – 64 degrees Celsius.
Yakutsk was founded in the year 1632 by the Yakuts who migrated to this beautiful land from different parts of Siberia.Yakuts soon mixed up well with the indigenous people of the region. Yakuts are the Turkic ethnic group. They are also known as the Sakha people of the Sakha Republic area.
Yakutsk is famous for it’s natural beauty and the diversity of the resources. The mining industry has been the primary reason behind the development of the land of Yakutsk. It is also the source of income for this area.
Let us now move on to the next section where we have shared some of the interesting facts about this unexplored area.
10 Interesting facts about Yakutia and Yakutsk
World Mammoth Museum
The Yakut Paleotologist Petr Alekseyeich Lazarev initiated the establishment of the World Mammoth Museum in the year 1991. This is the scientific and cultural center for the study of this Mammoth fauna and its habitat. In 1995, World Mammoth Museum was renamed as the Mammoth Museum.
Around 75% of the world’s mammoth graves are found in Yakutia. Before the establishment of the Mammoth Museum, the recovered animal fossils were shifted to the institutions in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. You can read more about the Mammoth Museum here.
Lena Pillar Nature Park
LxAndrew, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The result of the extreme continental climate condition, Lena Pillar Nature Park has spectacular rock pillars that are around the height of 100 – 300 meters high. This park is situated near the banks of the Lena river. The pillars have steep gullies which were formed over many years. The Lena Pillar Nature Park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.
The Lena Pillar Nature Park was established in 1995 by the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
Population of the Yakutsk
If we talk about the population of the capital city of the Yakutia, then, this remotely situated city has very less number of residents living here. As per the 2021 census, Yakutsk has a population of around three hundred fifty thousand people. The population is widespread and is situated in different parts of the city.
Stroganina – A Raw Fish Dish
This type of frozen fish you will only get to taste in Russia. During winter season, farming becomes impossible hence, people turn to the icy Arctic rivers for fresh food. This is one of the famous delicacy that people often relish on. In fact, people keep a stock of fish in order to consume it later.
Unty – Casual Shoes
Unty are considered the casual shoes of the Evenks. Evenks are the indegenious people of the North Russia, and have inhabited the land of the Yakutia since long. Unty are famous in the whole of Siberia. Unty meaning Boot in the Evenk language is a traditional short fur shoes.
It is made up of reindeer hides and is further decorated with the skins of the Arctic foxes or the seed beads. The soles of the boots are made up of deer skin.
Unty are the perfect companion for the frozen land of Yakutia. These are the winter souvenir for the tourist.
Locals Like To Be Called “Sakha”
Another interesting thing about Yakuts is that the meaning of the word in the native language is Sakha. Hence, the locals prefer to be called Sakha. They feel connected to the word Sakha.
Sakha people migrated to Yakutia in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Yakutia is Rich in Natural Resources
15% of the world’s diamond come from Yakutia. The land is great for mining and has ample amount of natural resources. Apart from diamond and gold mines, Yakutia has enormous oil and gas reserves.
Varied Culture and Tradition
Yakutia is known for its varied culture and traditions that is being practiced by the Yakuts living here. People follow their own traditions and are very warm and welcoming towards others and tourists. The Yakut people speak Yakut language which is of Turkic origin. Almost half of the population speak Yakut. In fact, people are bilingual and speak fluent Russian as well.
The highlight of the year is the summer festival called “Ysyach,” which is celebrated on the longest day of the year. The Ysyach ceremony is celebrated for two to three days and is an important social event for all the Yakuts.
Yakuts from all parts of the republic travel to the place to celebrate this festival. People usually wait for the Sun set which takes place around 3 AM in the night.
Indoor Winters
Another interesting fact about Yakutsk is that the people during winters doesn’t go out at all. They prefer to stay inside because of the harsh winters. During the summer season, people toil to keep their stocks ready for the winter season.
Connectivity
Yakutsk, the capital city of Yakutia has no railway connectivity with the rest of the world. It is connected with the world with the airways. It has two major airports which people use for connectivity.
Yakutia is the coldest inhabited place in the northern hemisphere. The place is so cold that the locals have witnessed birds freezing mid-flight. In fact, the winters are so cold that the electronic items too freezes. People don’t allow their kids to play outside for more than 20 minutes.
People usually leave their cars running when they go to supermarkets or nearby places. Yakutia has a wide variety of flora and fauna which is still unaffected by the industrial development. There are many points of attractions one can visit. Some of the common most places to visit in Yakutia are Kisilyakh Mount which is known for its picturesque stone piles, Olekminsk Reserve – one gets to witness many animals here along with the natural vegetation such as bears, moose, deer, and other wildlife.
The Ust-Vilyusky national park is another interesting place to visit. It is located between the rivers of Lyampushka and Dyanyshka. People often visit Zoo Orto-Doydu, it has more than 150 animals including white-tailed eagles, golden eagles, Siberian tigers, and others.
Yakutia is the largest territorial region in the world. With the minimum scope for agrictulral activities, potato, and a few of the vegetables form the major produce of this region.
