Received a very nice request from a 12-year-old lady from Stochholm, Sweden.

She wrote:

Hi!.. I am 12 years old. I am working on a school project about Yakutsk and Yakutia. There are some things I want to ask about. – What type of clothes do you use during wintertime? -What abot the wildlife in Yakutia, what type of animals live there? – Children who don’t live close to their school, how do they get to school during the coldest periods?

This is so cool! I was extremely glad to hear kids’ interest in Yakutia.

Here are my answers:

- What type of clothes do you use during wintertime?

A year ago I wrote a big post about what to wear in the wintertime. Please, check it here http://askyakutia.com/2010/01/clothes-yakutiasiberia-winter/

-What abot the wildlife in Yakutia, what type of animals live there?

Apart from Siberian tigers, we have all other animals living in Siberia.

They are reindeer, long-horned goats, ibex, musk deer, polar bears, seal, walrus, many fish species, wolves, ermine, several large birds of prey, gyrfalcons, red-breasted geese, ducks, mice, rabbits, lemmings, several other burrowing small rodents, lynx, and arctic foxes

- Children who don’t live close to their school, how do they get to school during the coldest periods?

In the city of Yakutsk we try to use a taxi or cars to give kids rides to school.

In villages, some children, whose families (mostly) don’t have vehicles, are forced to walk to school themselves, even if schools are located in a near village a few km away.

In the photo: Kids in Oymyakon village school. They were waiting for their parents to come on vehicles.

One of latest requests:

What are the people of Yakutsk called in English? Yakuts? I’m an editor working on a novel with a Russian character who mentions Yakutsk.

Even in Russian, no special name exists for the people living in Russia’s Siberian city of Yakutsk.

Usually, when we are away and want to identify ourselves, we prefer to say that we are Yakutians. This is the name for all people living in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Very often foreigners mix up… When they mean Yakutia as a region, they call it as Yakutsk. Let’s clearify the situation and keep in mind a few facts:

1. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is a region of the Russian Federation located in East-Northern Siberia and the Far East. Yep, it’s the biggest Russian region. Yakutia is a short name of the republic. So, people living in Yakutia are called Yakutians.

2. Yakutsk is a city and the official capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). People living in Yakutsk City are Yakutsk residents (yes, just residents.)

3. Yakuts is nationality. Yakuts or Sakha are native people that have been living in Yakutia for many, many, many centuries ago. It’s commonly believed that Yakuts belong to the Turkic group of nations, originated in the Altai area.

In my case, I can call myself in three ways. I am a Yakut (Sakha), cause it’s my nationality. I am a Yakutian as I live in Yakutia. Definitely, I am currently a Yakutsk resident, that’s my city! :))

Often I was asked, if I have the updated information on business and investment opportunities. Yes, I have one, but in the form of the official Republic of Sakha-Yakutia investment guidebook.

Follow the link “Read more” to find the updated region economy information with infographs and photographs taken by Yakutia-Sakha News Agency and, certainly, download the English version of the investment guidebook with the full list of available regional investment projects.

YAKUTIA GENERAL INFO

Yakutia lies in the north-eastern part of Asia stretching 2,000 km north-south and 2,500 km eastwest.

The area of 3,102 thousand square kilometers covers one fifth of the total area of Russia and is equal to 2/3 of Western Europe’s territory.

Over 40% of Yakutia lies beyond the Arctic Circle.

It spans three time zones (UTC +9, +10, +11).

Yakutsk, the capital of the republic, is 8,468 km away from Moscow.

Yakutia has borders with seven entities of the Russian Federation: on the west — Krasnoyarsk Krai, on the south-west and south — Irkutsk Oblast and Amur Oblast, Zabaikalsky Krai, on the south-east — Khabarovsk Krai, on the east — Magadan Oblast and Chukotka Autonomous District.

The state authority is executed by President, the State Assembly (Il Tyumen), the Constitution and Supreme Courts.

The supreme legislative body is the State Assembly (Il Tyumen).

The supreme executive body is Government of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia).

The highest executive official and head of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) is President of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia).

As of January 1, 2011, there are 445 municipal units, including 34 municipal regions, 2 urban districts and 409 urban and rural settlements.

According to the interim data of the All-Russian 2010 Census, the population of the republic makes 958,3 thousand people, including urban population making 64.1% and rural population – 35.8%. The republic is home to 126 nationalities, including the Yakuts – 45.5%; Russians – 41.2%; Ukrainians – 3.6%; Evenks – 1.9%; and Evens- 1.2%. The population density in the republic makes 0.3 people per sq.km.

Yakutia enjoys the variety of natural conditions: its continental climate shows up in the air temperature fluctuation range reaching 100 degrees Centigrade.

The republic is home to the pole of Cold of the northern hemisphere, with the lowest temperature registered at 71.2 degrees C.

Social and Economic Situation

Natural resources

Almost the entire territory of Yakutia is situated in the permafrost area. 72% of the republic’s territory is covered by taiga, the rest – by forest-tundra, tundra, and the Arctic desert. Forests cover 47% of the territory, making up 11% of all-Russia reserves. Yakutia has preserved many places of pristine nature. This unparalleled environment is home for rare animal and bird species.

There are over 700 thousand rivers, which exceed 10 km, flowing in the republic, with 314 of them being over 100 km long. The Kolyma, Indigirka and the Lena River’s major tributaries – Olyokma, Aldan and Vilyui – surpass almost all the European rivers, including the Rhine and Elba, by their length and water volume.

The Lena River, the republic’s major waterway, is among the ten greatest rivers of the world. There are over 800 thousand lakes with water surface exceeding 1 ha each. The waters are abundant in rich fish resources – over 90 species.

The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) ranks first in the Russian Federation by total reserves of natural resources. Its raw material potential is estimated at RUR 78.4 trillion.

Economy structure

The economy is based on export-oriented industry connected with development of abundant natural resources. GRP is also influenced by construction, commerce, transport and communications, agriculture, and social services.

Industrial production mostly depends on nonferrous metallurgy (mining of diamonds and gold), as well as fuel and energy complex (coal mining, oil and gas extraction). They account for over 70% in the total volume of Yakutia’s own production.

Major economic parameters trend

Over the period from 2005 to 2010, the socioeconomic situation in the republic was marked by the real growth of major macroeconomic parameters: gross regional product (116.2% in 2010 against 2005 level), transport cargo turnover (102.9%), commodity circulation (132.5%), fee-based services rendered to the population (129.3%).

The following agricultural industries remain traditional for people in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia): beef and milk cattle breeding, droving horse-breeding for meat, reindeer herding, and farming. The republic has the largest cattle stock in the Far East. In the northern areas people practice hunting, trapping, fishery, and fur farming. Due to the large share of rural population in the republic (35.8%), the government takes numerous measures to support agriculture.

Investments into fixed capital

The period 2005-2010 witnessed implementation of several large-scale investment projects of great significance for Yakutia and the entire Russia, as well.

Major indicators of the Sakha Republic‘s socioeconomic development by 2030 (according to the innovative scenario):

• GRP growth per capita at parity of the purchasing power up to USD 48 thousand (90% to the level of OECD countries);

• real GRP growth in 2011-2030 by 3 times, including in 2011-2020 – 1,9, in 2021-2030 – 1,6;

• increase of the average expected life expectancy to 73,3 years;

• growth of actual disposable income of population by 4 times compared with 2010;

• reduction of the population poverty to 6,3%.

• reduction of general unemployment level to 3,5% to EAP, level of registered unemployment to 3% to EAP;

• growth of provision of 1 citizen of the republic with total usable housing to 34,05 sq.m.;

• reduction of hazardous dwelling share to 2,03%;

• gas supply coverage of 76% of the republic’s population;

• increase of the share of population having acess to centralized water supply and disposal to 69%;

• elimination of hazardous schools by 2030;

• fully meeting the demand for preschool institutions for the children aged 3-6 by 2030;

• double reduction of the share of hazardous healthcare buildings;

• bringing year-round transport accessibility to 73% of the area. Growth of transport mobility of the population by 3 times;

• completion by 2014 of transfer to rendering public services electronically;

• increase of Internet use density to 85 people per 100 people.

INVESTMENT CLIMATE

Click the image to see the infograph in large size.

By the Russian President commission, the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) has developed the Scheme of integrated development of labor forces, transport and power industry in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) till the year 2020. The scheme outlines strategic priorities
and directions aimed at effective use of unique raw material potential of the republic.

All the major investment projects are included into the Strategy of social and economic development of the Russian Far East and Baikal area till the year 2025.

In the long-term (within the innovative scenario in 2011 – 2030) RUR 5,5 trillion of investment will be attracted to the fixed capital in the prices of the respected
years.

Creation of favorable and sustainable investment climate in the region is one of the main tasks of the Sakha Government. The Program of forming a favorable investement climate in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) is implemented; it is aimed at improving the regulatory legal base in the field of investment activity, creating and development of investment infrastructure, reduction of administrative barriers, formation of new mechanisms to attract investments, formation of favorable conditions to diversify production and promotion of innovative technologies to the market.

Due to the sustainable socioeconomic development, international rating agencies increase the credit rating of the republic regularly.

In October 2010 Fitch Ratings confirmed long-term ratings of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in foreign and national currency at “BB” level, with the short-term rating of the region on foreign currency at “B”. Also, the agency confirmed the republic’s long-term national rating “AA-(rus)” level.

The forecast for all long-term ratings is amended to “Positive”.

In May 2011 Standard and Poor’s International Rating Agency confirmed the republic’s credit rating at “BB-/Positive/ruAA-”.

The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) is one of the leaders of the Russian Federation by both the number of investment projects to be implemented on its territory and the volume of investments.

Priorities include enhancement of transport and power infrastructure of the republic, hydro and heat generation of power for exploitation of natural resources in the economy.

In accordance with the Scheme of intergarted development of labor forces, transport and power industry in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) till the year 2020, the republic is constructing a railway to the city of Yakutsk with a bridge across the Lena River; in future it is expected to reach the border with Magadan Oblast.

The republic is creating all-year-round network of federal and republic’s motorways with the major logistic hub in the city of Yakutsk; it is also modernizing the airplane and river fleet. There is a plan to connect central, western and southern parts of the republic by power transmission lines, to construct economical power stations.

As a result of these changes in infrastructure, by the year 2020 weight-average cost of bringing one ton of cargo to the regions of the republic would halve and the power tariffs would equal with the average all-Russian level.

In accordance with order of the Russian Government of 10 March 2009 No. 302-r, there started implementation of the first stage on designing documentation for “Integrated Development of Southern Yakutia” investment project. Since the launch of the project, it has received for preparatory and pre-project works RUR 24,2 billion, including RUR 16.5 billion of private investments, RUR 7.25 billion – from the Investment Fund of the Russian Federation. The project includes the following sites: Kankun hydropower station (OAO “RusHydro”, OAO “Yuzhno-Yakutsky GEK”), Yakutsk Center for gas production (OAO “Gazprom”), Elkonsky mining and smelting plant (OAO “Atomredmetzoloto”, ZAO “Elkonsky GMK”), Inaglinsky coal complex (OOO “Kolmar”, ZAO “Yakutskie ugli – new technologies”), Tarynakh and Tayozhny GOKs (mining and processing plants) (OAO “GMK “Timir”), Seligdar mining and chemical plants (OAO “ALROSA Investment Group”), 270 km of railways, 150 km of motorways, 1,200 km of power transmission lines and 7 substations.

The project creates conditions for attracting investments into Southern and Western Yakutia, for realization of projects in related industries. Besides, in Southern Yakutia OAO “Mechel” will develop Elga cola deposit with balance reserves at 2.1 billion tons. A similar cluster approach is applied to a number of other megaprojects: “Integrated development of Tomponsky mining industrial region”. With the use of private investments,
this project includes development of Nezhdaninskoe gold deposit, Verkhne-Menkechenskoe silver and polymetals deposit, as well as construction of Dzhebariki-Khaya heat power station, 3 power lines and 2 substations.

“Integrated development of Western Yakutia”.

This comprehensive investment project includes development of oil and gas fields; construction of pipelines; construction of underground diamond mines; building Vilyui motorway; building motorways and power transmission lines connecting Yakutia with
Irkutsk Oblast.

The Eastern Gas Program of the Russian Federation Government includes development of Chayanda-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok and launching the development of Yakutia gas center with the development of Chayanda-Botuobinskaya group of gas fields.

Legislation regulating investment activity in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)

Federal normative acts:

1. Federal Law of 25 February, 1999 No. 39 “On investment activity in the Russian Federation, performed in the form of capital investments”;

2. Federal Law of 21 July, 2005 No. 115 “On concession agreements”;

3. Federal Law of 22 July, 2005 No. 116 “On special economic zones in the Russian Federation”;

4. Federal Law of 9 July, 1999 No. 160-ФЗ “On foreign investments in the Russian Federation”;

5. Federal Law of 29 April, 2008 No. 57 “On procedure of foreign investments into economic entities of strategic importance for defense and national
security”;

6. Federal Law of 29 October, 1998 No. 164 “On financial rent (leasing)”;

7. Federal Law of 30 December, 1995 No. 225 “On agreements about production division”;

8. Federal Law of 30 December, 2004 No. 210 “On tariff regulation in communal service institutions”;

9. Federal Law of 14 April 1995, No. 41-ФЗ “On state regulation of tariffs for electric and heat power in the Russian Federation”;

The Republic’s normative acts:

1. The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) Law of 30 May, 2006 347-З No. 709-III “On investment activity in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia); amendments to the Law are to be approved before the end of 2011.

2. The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) Law of 22 December, 1992 No. 1270-XII “On foreign investments in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia); amendments to the Law are to be approved before the end of 2011.

3. The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) Law of 10 July, 2003 No. 48-З No. 97-III “On taxation policy in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia);

4. Draft Law of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) “On Public-Private Partnership in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) is to be approved before the end of 2011”;

5. Program on creating a favorable investment climate in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) approved by the Resolution of the Sakha Republic Government of July 1, 2011 No. 286.

6. Resolution of the Sakha Republic Government of 26 April, 2007 No. 171 “On adopting a procedure of approving investment programs of regulated organizations”;

7. Resolution of the Sakha Republic Government of 30 June, 2005 No. 404 «”On procedure and terms of forming the united registrar of capital investment objects in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)”;

8. Resolution of the Sakha Republic Government of 30 June, 2005 No. 403 “On establishing criteria for long-term termination of financing investment projects from the state budget of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)”.

Tax incentives

One of the forms of investment activity state regulation is to establish favorable conditions by providing tax incentives.

In compliance with the Law of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) “On investment activity in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)”, the subjects of investment activity may seek the following tax incentives:

• on the income tax of the organizations in the form of reduction by four percentage points of the rate of income tax to be paid to the state budget of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia);

• on the property tax of the organizations in terms of the property newly created, purchased or reconstructed (upgraded) to implement an investment project, and (or) in terms of the property provided for temporary ownership or use in compliance with the financial leasing agreement, and (or) in terms of the property purchased in compliance with the financial leasing agreement;

• on transport tax in relation to vehicles used to implement an investment project.

The incentives can be provided for five years from the start of an investemt project implementation.

In order to stimulate and modernize water supply and draining, the tax benefit has been established for enterprises dealing with withdrawal, treatment and distribution of water and investing capital for these goals.

In order to stimulate investment activity of oil producing enterprises, the republic has lowered the income tax going to the regional budget from 18% to 13.5%, on condition that the capital is invested for development of natural resources.

In order to ensure timely supply of the Far North and other territories with limited access with necessary resources during the navigation period, and to improve financial situation at water transport enterprises,operating sea-river type vessels, the abovementioned enterprises pay lower income tax at the rate of 13.5% and are exempted from corporate property tax.

Due to seasonal nature of their activity, water transport enterprises are exempted from paying the property tax on their property which is conserved or idle; forestry and timber industry enterprises – on their property which is conserved.

Also, enterprises generating electric power with diesel stations in the north are exempted from the property tax if this activity earns over 70% of the total revenues from production (works, services) sale.

In order to support local manufacturing in terms of basic production assets, food industry enterprises pay the benefit property tax at 1.1% rate.

Airports with property worth more than RUR 300 million are also exempted from the property tax. This benefit is aimed at modernizing and reconstructing airport facilities, better working conditions and labor safety.

To support airworthiness of aircarfts, air transport enterprises which perform 50% and more of socially important passenger traffic and are enlisted as such by the Sakha Government, are exempted from paying the property tax.

To prevent higher tariffs for heat energy, there is a tax benefit on property of utilities and communal services organizations receiving subsidies from the budget to compensate losses; besides, enterprises in this sphere enjoy a benefit on the transport tax in relation to their special vehicles.

Like it is granted by the federal legislation, there is a benefit for motorways of public use, both republic’s and municipal.

Given high costs of agriculture, enterprises producing and processing agricultural products are granted some benefits on regional taxes.

To support small businesses using the simplified taxation system with taxation target being “revenues and expenses”, the tax rate has been lowered from 15% to 10%, the simplified patent-based taxation system has been introduced for private entrepereneurs.

Financial infrastructure The banking system of the republic is represented by 22 credit institutions, including 4 independent banks, 18 branches of banks of other regions.

Assets of credit institutions of the republic in 2010 totaled RUR 109.3 billion and increased the level of 2009 by 8.6%.

In the insurance market there are 2 republican insurance companies: OAO RIC “Sterkh”, and OAO GSMK “Sakhamedstrakh”, 11 branches of insurance companies of other regions of Russia.

The branch network of the RIC “Sterkh” and OAO GSMK “Sakhamedstrakh” covers all regions of the republic. Additionally, the regional insurance company came to the inter-regional level, opening branches of the RIC “Sterkh” in Khabarovsk and GSMK “Sakhamedstrakh” in Magadan.

There are 7 organizations with 20 licenses for professional activity in the securities market.

OAO “Republican Specialized Registrar “Yakutsk Fund Center “(YFC) is one of the oldest independent Russian registrars at the federal level in the Far East, carrying out activities in keeping the register of holders of securities since 1993. Its license was issued by the Federal Financial Markets Service of Russia for an indefinite term. YFC is a member of a self-regulatory organization of securities market participants – the Professional Association of Registrars, Transfer Agents, Depositories (PARTAD) since 1995.

OAO “Yakut Depository Center” (YDC) was established on January 26, 1996. Activities: brokerage, management of securities depository activities. YDC is a member of a self-regulatory organization “National Securities Market Association” (NSMA).

Entrepreneurship

There are 47 thousand small and medium-sized business entities, including 5.1 thousand small and medium-sized enterprises and 41.8 thousand registered individual entrepreneurs.

According to expert estimation (including salaried employees of individual entrepreneurs), the share of employment in small and medium enterprises in the total employment in the economy is 40%.

The turnover of small businesses in 2010 increased by a quarter and is RUR 80.7 billion and the turnover of medium-sized enterprises almost doubled and exceeded RUR 19.2 billion million.

Financial support for entrepreneurs is facilitated through the relevant federal, republican and municipal programs of the funds of entrepreneurship support and development.

Businesses can partly recover expenses incurred during the entire production cycle, including cadastral work and promotion of manufactured products to domestic and foreign markets. Particular attention is given to innovative small companies and companies involved in the modernization of production and its export.

State support areas in high demand are the following: grants, microfinancing, suretyship, property support, educational programs.

Infrastructure of property support of businesses includes business incubators in the cities of Yakutsk and Neryungri. A business incubator in Nyurba and a technopark in Neryungri are being set up currently.

External economic activity

Click the image to see the infograph in large size.

The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) has external commercial relations with 45 countries. Ties have traditionally been strong with European countries; external economic cooperation of the republic with India, Israel, USA, China is developing dynamically. 94% of the entire foreign turnover of the republic falls on these countries.

By the results of 2010 the growth of basic indices of the republic’s economic development has been witnessed, including the external economic activity indices.

In 2010 the exports volume made USD 3232,9 million. The imports volume made USD 90,7 million.

In 2010 the foreign turnover more than doubled compared to the 2009 level up to USD 3323 million. Export surplus went positive and made USD 3142,2 million, which is USD 1761,0 million more than in 2009.

Among the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) has preserved its positions, holding the third place the foreign turnover index, being inferior to Sakhalin Oblast and Primorsky Krai.

Exports volume grew by the results of 2010 due to the sales of precious stones, precious metals and products from them to Belgium, Israel and India (81,7% of the total exports volume).

Goods were mostly delivered to the republic from the USA (35,3% of the total imports volume), China (13,5%), Japan (12,9%), Germany (8,7%), Ukraine (6,9%), Korea (6,2%).

In 2010 the enterprises and organizations of Yakutia received USD 8,1 million from rendering international services. They basically include transportation services (94,6%), services of travel agencies, tourist agents and excursion agencies.

In 2010 the number of participants of the external economic relations in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) grew by 6,6% and made 129 units.

As of January 1, 2011, the accumulated foreign capital in the republic’s economy made USD 2122 million, which is 43% more than a year before.

USD 1337 million of investments came to the republic’s economy from abroad in 2010, which is 20% more than in the similar period of 2009. 99% of the total receipts volume was invested in natural resources extraction.

In the structure of accumulated foreign investments at January 1 2011 the share of direct investments made 11,9 %, portfolio investments 0,2%, the share of other investments on the revolving basis (credits) – 87,8%.

Luxemburg (80,9%) and Cyprus (13,1%) were leading among the investing countries by the volume of the capital accumulated in the republic.

By the volume of investment income from abroad to the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District in 2010 the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) takes the 2nd place after Sakhalin Oblast.

Download the 2011 investment guidebook of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (PDF, ~110 Mb)

Meanwhile, enjoy Yakutia in pictures used in the guidebook…

YAKUTIA PHOTOGRAPHS BY YSIA

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Sakha Sire is one of Sakha language websites.

A week or two ago, I received a message from Nikolay Pavlov (he is also known as Halan and Cyber Sakha). He is a very popular person on the Yakutian Internet. It’s him, who works hard together with his like-minded friends on Sakha Wikipedia.

He asked me about a favour. In his email, he said that in the early summer there was one of UNESCO conferences held in Yakutsk (Yakutia / Russia), and there were Japanese speakers Mikami Yoshiki and Tanaka Nakahira, who monitor the Internet in search of websites done in rare languages.

So, according to Nikolay, Mikami Yoshiki and Tanaka Nakahira said an interesting statement. They said that there were websites even in the Yukagir language, but the Sakha language was not represented online…

Nikolay and all other people, who do their best in promoting the Sakha language on the web, were confused a little. How come? There are many of such Internet resources. Maybe, they got words in a wrong way.

When they talked to Japanese speakers, the latter said that they monitored mainly websites in .com domain zone!

So, to render justice, Nikolay asked me to publish the list of the well-known Sakha language web resources. Proceed reading to check the top.

List of selected, checked websites in the Sakha language:

1. http://www.sakhaopenworld.org/media/ – The Sakha National Broadcasting TV Programs (selected).
2. http://uhhan.ru/ - The website of Ivan Uhhan, writer, public speaker. Some texts in Russian
3. http://www.sakhatyla.ru/ – SakhaTyla.ru, the Sakha language website with Russian-Sakha and Sakha-Russian online dictionaries, Pekarsky’s Sakha Language Dictionary (graphic), a text-book for the Russian-speakers, the Sakha language grammer book, samples of the Sakha folklore texts and songs.
4. http://www.kyym.ru/ – The Kyym Sakha-Language News Agency. Do not mix up with the newspaper of the same name. This one is a seperate online project. Kyym.ru publishes stories in the Sakha language from different media outlets.
5. http://sakhasire.ykt.ru/ – the online version of the Sakha Sire republic governmental newspaper.
6. http://news.iltumen.ru/ – IL Tumen News, online version of the republic parliament newspaper. Published in Russian and Sakha languages.
7. http://sah.wikipedia.org/ - Wikipedia in the Sakha language.
8. http://sah.wikisource.org - Wikisource in the Sakha language.
9. http://www.viktoriasakha.ru/ – Sakha Viktoria FM Radio Station.
10. http://bertjickty.narod.ru/ - Bert Jickty’s website, he is a big promoter of the Sakha fonts on the Internet.
11. http://www.baayaga.narod.ru/ – Unofficial website of the Bayaga settlement of Yakutia’s Tattinsky region.
12. http://olonkho-yak.my1.ru/ – Private website dedicated to the Olonkho, the Sakha heroic epos.
13. http://tylbaas.ykt.ru/ – Online dictionary: Sakha-Russian, Russian-Sakha
14. http://42.ykt.ru/edersaas/ – Eder Saas Newspaper archive.
15. http://www.bichik.ru/ – Bichik National Publishing House. Partly in Russian.
16. http://khohuun.h1.ru/ – Khohuun NGO newspaper
17. http://pages.ykt.ru/tumus/index_sa.html - Public speaker Tumus Mekhaale
18. http://sitim.ykt.ru/sakha/ – Sakhalyy Sitim NGO.
19. http://il.ucoz.net/ – Sakha Non-Governmental Centre. Partly in the Sakha language.
20. http://ilin-yakutsk.narod.ru/index.htm – ILIN, historical & cultural magazin.
21. http://tymen.org.ru/ – Tumen Youth Organization.
22. http://sanaalar.ru/ – Sakha Music Website supported by Sinilga and Qwer
23. http://eyge.sakha.ru/ – Eyge, website for the deliberated Sakha man, as it says in the header.
24. http://altan.naslegy.ru/ – Website of the Altan settlement, a pioneer among Sakha-language websites.
25. http://www.ysia.ru/lang.php?lang=2 – The Sakha version of Yakutia Sakha News Agency.
26. http://sakha.ykt.ru – Forums in the Sakha language on Ykt.Ru, SakhaInternet LLC’s Yakutsk city portal.

The flag of Yakutia in a bookstore in the 2nd House of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia

Yesterday, Doug Wothke sent me a text with a quick question, “Where to buy the flag of Yakutia?” Gosh, it appeared to be a hard question.

I don’t know why, but Yakutia flags are something that tend to be ordered specially at local advertising & publishing houses. It is something used mostly and ordered in a bulk by governmental and municipal organizations, NGOs, various parties or companies.

So, the flag of Yakutia must be ordered. I mean, if you wish a flag, you need to contact a company that produces flags, and place the order.

Yakutia flags are not available widely in the city’s stores. I gave calls to several souvenir and regular stores. All of them gave me negative answers.

Today, when Doug has already left the city for his biking to Magadan, yes, without a flag, I accidently saw the flag of Yakutia on sale in the bookstore “Knizhnyj Market” located in the 2nd House of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The price was 750(!) rubles. Could you believe it? So expensive, around 27 USD per item.

I asked a lady in that small store, how long the flag had been hanging on sale, she said, “A long time!” Amazing! Not so many people willing to buy it. I think, it is mostly because of the high price.

One of the most common question I come across is… right…

What is the current population of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the biggest Russian region, with around 3 million sq km?

According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Russian population census, announced officially on Oct. 14, 2010, the population of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is 958.3 thousand people.

In terms of population, Yakutia is the 3rd largest Far Eastern region in Russia. The first position belongs to the Primorsky Kray (1956.4 K) and the Khabarovsk Territory (1344.2 K).

If to compare with the 2002 census data, the total number of Yakutia residents decreased at 9 thousand people, i.e. in towns at 4.4 K and in the country at 4.6 K.

64,3% of Yakutians turned out to be urban population, 35,9% rural. In 2002, the ratio was 64,1% and 35,9% correspondingly.

Ladies live in Yakutia more than gentlemen. 51.4% is female, and 48.6% male.

Final population census results will be announced in 2012 only.

According to some resources, the population of Yakutsk, Yakutia’s capital, is estimated at 287,862 people.

A never-frozen brook in the Verkhoyansk Range, East Yakutia, Siberia

One day I received two inquiries regarding drinking water in Yakutsk. The first one arrived from India saying, “What about your food habits (including drinking water)during winter?” The second request was asked by an American teacher, who was writing a paper on the use of drinking water in the Siberian city of Yakutsk. The latter contained more questions that the first one had.

Below see questions and my answers.

Q: I was wondering where you get your drinking water in Yakutsk, and if you have any pollution. Also, do you guys have ground water? I am asking this because my topic for Science is Yakutsk!

A: Well, residents of Yakutsk City prefer to drink boiled filtered water. It is not because of pollution. The reason is that filters are not used in the city’s water supply systems. Villagers use water from rivers. In the winter, they melt ice cubes from rivers’ ice cover.

Ground waters are not used, permafrost is pretty deep here. A couple of centuries ago, one merchant, Fyodor Shergin, tried to dig the well and get to ground water, but eventually his well became the world’s deepest ice vertical tunnel. It’s known as Shergin’s Shaft now.

More info about that attempt you might find in the “Descending into the world’s deepest shaft in the permafrost zone” post. Besides, ground waters are not demanded, as there are many rivers and lakes around.

That’s all what I can say for now. It’s a pretty short info, as I am not a scientist and unable to provide more profound facts for your writing work. You’d better come to Yakutsk and collaborate with republic colleagues. Think, this is more efficient way to obtain unique and highly interesting information.

Q: How much water the average person uses, and if Yakutsk has any water issues?

A: It is hard to say how much water city residents consume. Let’s take my family (2 adults and 2 little kids) as an example. We order two big bottles of drinking water (each 25 litres) and that’s enough for 5 days only. It comes we use 10 litres daily. This water we drink and use for cooking.

Have no idea how much other families consume. Certainly, it will depend on their purposes of such water use. Some uses DIY-filtered waters for cooking and drinking, a few would prefer to take waters right from faucets. Some loves drinking waters a lot…

But I think 10 litres might be considered as the average.

No big problems with water supply. Look at the map and you will see that there are a lot of rivers in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and there are many private companies that are ready to supply waters from them. Some businessmen start even thinking over exporting still water to China, but it is more like an idea to exercise on.

Dwellers of Yakutsk complain mainly about the absence of good filtering equipments used in the city water supply system.

So happy that it became possible to help Russia Today TV Channel with meeting a shaman in Yakutia. How did it happen?

A few weeks before the New Year celebration, a Russia Today producer called me and asked how to meet a shaman in Yakutia, Siberia/Russia. I started to explain and tell exactly what I wrote in the previous post “How to meet shamans in Yakutia?“. Said that it was a bit hard task, if they wanted to make a story with a real one. Not so many of them left in the region… and all of them prefer to live at remote places, far from people.

They would need to travel to a shaman’s place in taiga. The nearest one, Fedot P. Ivanov, is located near the village of Vilyuisk, minimum 5 hours by a car from Yakutsk. Find him and ask him for letting them to do the interview with him, and it’s not guaranteed that he would express his wish to show up on TV, as he is tired of journalists’ attention and consider them pretty annoying.

Recommended to get in touch with Galina E. Shadrina (see her contact), who are considered as shamans’ assistant and eye in mordern civilization. Russia Today appeared to be really lucky. Galina managed to invite one of shamans to Yakutsk. It was Leonid Savin, who is based in the village of Zhigansk, North Yakutia. His flight from Zhigansk to Yakutsk was possible to one good person, who agreed to pay his flight.

Russia Today made a story. Watch the video above. Currently, Leonid Savin is stuck in Yakutsk. He is doing clarification rituals at people’s requests and this way he is trying to earn money for getting back to Zhigansk. Don’t know, if he would agree to come the next time for another TV crew… but who knows :)

Meanwhile, read RussiaToday’s story ofYakutian shamans. I like it much.

My mission is to help in troublesome times – Yakutian shaman

The belief in the power of the shaman is very much a part of the Yakutian way of life. Although there are few shamans left, they are still very important to people in the region.

From healing and protection, to marriages and good harvest – in ancient times shamans were in charge of almost all aspects of life. In the contemporary world they try to adapt to modern times while keeping old traditions alive.

“Our ancestors always had very powerful shamans around – the latter protected them, gave them blessings and ensured security and safety in all circumstances – in everyday life, at a hunt, on a journey, and at war,” says Galina Shchadrina, shaman researcher.

Shamans claim to act as intermediaries between the spiritual and earthly worlds, relying heavily on nature to get their message across. When Russian Orthodox Christianity moved eastward and later with the Soviet Union, shamanism was banned and those that practiced it were persecuted. Now there are only three recognized shamans living in all of Yakutia, in Russia’s Far East.

A shaman sees his role as helping people find faith in the fact that their wishes will be fulfilled and their family relations and conflicts at work will be fixed, explains shaman Leonid Savin.

“When a person has this faith, he can do anything. I live in a time of crisis, and my mission is to help people in this troublesome time. Every shaman has his own mission,” he said.

One of the biggest current problems for shamans is the conflict between modern technology and spiritual ways, which is especially relevant for Yakutia, where hitching posts with ancient symbols may be standing next to electricity lines.

“Real shamans live far way from big cities in small villages, because contemporary cities with computers, cars, cell phones, and the constant rush, distract from true unity with nature and the spirits,” said Savin.

Trying to make the best of it all, life is a delicate balancing act for the Yakuts, and thus they are an interesting people, believes Daria Bragina, local resident.

“When we are in trouble, we do three different things at the same time – we turn to a shaman, we pray in a church, and we make use of modern medicine,” she told RT.

This is a unique way of keeping a tradition that has been a part of Yakutia for centuries.

And, as a Yakutian blessing says, “may the Sun protect what it created, may the warmth of the fire in your name protect you and may your three spirits be united – the spirit of the womb, the spirit of air and the spirit of the earth.”

May the Sun protect you, dear readers!

An American Ian was asking me recently, “I am wondering how the lack of sunlight effects people in the long winter months. How many hours of daylight do you have, and it is dreadful? In summer, are the days extremely long? I am fascinated by your home.”

In December in the central part of Yakutia we can have daylight from 11.00 am till 3.30 pm. However, due to thick fogs, we may not see it at all. In northern territories it can be much shorter. In Yakutia’s Arctic there are so-called Polar nights.

We are lack of Vitamin D apparently. Parents tend to give little kids pills or drops with Vitamin D.

In summer, yeah, we have more sunshine. White nights take place in the second half of June and early July. At the same time in the Arctic Zone the sun may not set at all :)

Frankly saying, we are accustomed to live in such conditions. However, every local dreams to visit sunny sea resorts as often as possible, but a few can afford it. Travel expenses are really high.

Often I receive requests from foreign/international journalists, who are coming to Russia and being confused about the required type of the Russian visa. Their questions usually sound like, “I’ve got an assignment and I plan my travel to Russia. What type of the Russian visa I need and how can I get it?” The last one was asked from the USA, and it said, “Do you foresee any hidden obstacles we may run into while bringing journalists on the trip?”

I know examples, when international journalists entered Russia with business or tourists visas. Those, who were assigned by newspapers or magazines to make stories on travel opportunities, didn’t experience any troubles, because they came as travelers, they didn’t take any interviews with officials, they didn’t go to any restricted areas, and they just kept writing harmless travel notes about hotels, restaurants, tours, lifestyle, and etc. Right, behaving that way, they didn’t attract much attention from migration officers and any other services.

However, I know other examples I’ve heard from local travel companies. Journalists acted in the above described manner, everything looked fine, until they went through regular police checks, and they were found out as journalists on assignment, and instead of showing press/media visas, they displayed their travel/business ones. That was the start of their troubles.

I am very interested in international reporters’ coming to Siberia’s Yakutia and making PR pieces. That’s why I am writing this post with the main idea, “To make the travel as smooth as possible, it will be good to arrange everything in the appropriate way.” Believe me, the procedure of getting the press/media visa is pretty simple.

PREVIOUSLY
I described what types of the Russian visas existed and how to apply for them. Read the post “The Russian visa.” You might also want to check the following related readings:

- Do I need to have special permission to arrive in Yakutia?;
- How to get entry permit for visiting the frontier zone in Yakutia?;
- Tips for dealing with the Russian Migration Service?;
- The cheapest way of migration registration in Yakutsk?.

HOW TO GET THE PRESS/MASS MEDIA VISA
The mass media company (newspaper, magazine, TV or radio station, etc), that assigns its correspondent to travel to Russia, needs to request an invitation from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The request must be written with the company’s letterhead and signed by its senior official.

The invitation request has to contain assignment description, exact dates of travel, and passport data. It can be sent to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly or via the diplomatic representation of the Russian Federation in the respective country.

Once the request will be approved, the MFA of the Russian Federation will send the visa order (invitation) directly to the Russian Consulate or the Consulate Department of the Russian Embassy saying to issue the press/media visa to the journalist and for the period mentioned in the request. The approval procedure takes up to 3 days.

This is the general way of getting the press/media visas for visiting Russia.

KEEP IN MIND OTHER DETAILS:
- If the report assignment is very specific and affects Russia’s interests, the approval procedure can be extended or shortened.
- In case of the EU entities, another scheme might be applied… in accordance with the EU-Russia Agreement dated May 25th, 2005.
- As far as I know, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs might reply to the media company’s request this way, “In your case the media visa is not required. Other regular visas will be enough.” That’s also good. In any case, such reply might serve as a very useful official paper, that demonstrates your activity permission for any representative of the Russian migration service.

ACCREDITATION
Oh, accreditation procedure is another song. It is described fully and pretty good on the official website of Russia’s MFA (www.mid.ru). Accreditation is required for international journalists’ meeting with any officials in Russia, including the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Without official accreditation, foreign reporters will meet the authority’s total ignorance.

CONTACT INFO

The Ministry’s Press Center
Phone: (499) 244-41-19
Fax: (499) 244-41-12
Email: dip [ at ] mid.ru

ADDITIONALLY
I strongly recommend foreign journalists to consult with the Russian press attache in your country. He/she must know everything!.. To learn contacts of Russian diplomatic and consular missions, please, see this list.

WHY DOES EVERYTHING GO VIA THE MFA?
Imho, it is assumed the initiative must come from the foreign mass media interested in making its own story. On the other hand, any Russian organizations are supposed not to be interested in inviting international journalists, so logically they cannot come to the decision of inviting foreign mass media representatives. That might be one of many reasons.

Yakutsk Permafrost Institute with its underground laboratory in the form of tunnel is a sort of a must-to-see sight in the capital of Siberia’s Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It is the most visited by international guests.

The last year before The Copenhagen Climate Change Summit it became a real Mecca to international journalists, who wanted to know whether the global warming affected the life of the only city in the world, that was entirely built on permafrost.

The funny thing is that reporters were eager to hear institute chiefs saying “Yes, Yakutsk experiences the consequences of the global warming, grounds are being melted, buildings are collapsing, everything is turning into a big swamp.” Their questions sounded in an appropriate way “Does the climate change (the euphemism for “the global warming”) affect the life and infrustructure of Yakutsk?” And what they heared in replies, dissapointed them thoroughly.

Therefore, feeling all expenses on travel to the remote Siberian city to be in vain, they asked a question in another way “What would happen to the city, if the global warming would eventually gain the ground?” The answer sounded as predicted “There would be ground melted, buildings collapsed, and everything would remind as a big swamp.”

Permafrost occupies 60 percent of Yakutia. The max depth is approx. 5 metres.

So, what did and do the Permafrost Institute workers usually say in reply to such questions?

Viktor Shepelev, deputy director of Yakutsk Permafrost Institute

Viktor Shepelev is the deputy director of Yakutsk Permafrost Institute. He is responsible for the institute’s research work. It’s mainly him, who explains the current state of the Siberian permafrost to international interviewers.

In the beginning he admits that climate changes were fixed and recorded. He says that the average temperature in the ground indeed increased approximately by 2 degrees. But… periods of cold and hot seasons remain the same. The winter is not shorter neither longer. So does the summer. Besides, snow cover stays as thin as before. You know, snow cover is like a fur coat, that is able to hold the warmth. If snow is thick, ground would keep more warmth. If thin, it wouldn’t. And it is thin. Snowfalls happen in October and early Novermber and that’s all for the whole winter, that ends up as usual in April only.

With no other significant factors, these 2 degrees do not signify. The permafrost remains stable and not altered in Yakutsk and Yakutia at all.

By the way, here is another interesting information from Viktor Shepelev.

According to him and his colleagues, climate changes are cyclic. They are characterized by three types of changes. At this moment, he starts usually showing the diagram with three amplitudes and naming them by special terms. Please, forgive me, but I forgot them. Nevetheless, let’s continue.

Further Mr. Shepelev says that last decades indeed went under the flag of warming. This period will come to the end by 2015. After it will be replaced by the long COLD period. [If you like, you can call this as "the global freezing". That's my joke]. By the way, their Fairbanks-based colleagues has the same research results and evidences.

The span between 2010 and 2015 is the transition time, when all those mentioned amplitudes almost coincide with each other. That’s why now we can see cold and warm spells simultaneously in winter.

Melting islands in Laptev Sea, near the Lena River, North Yakutia

Diagrams of how fast North Yakutian islands get melted

At the same time, Viktor Shepelev says that, if the territory of Yakutia remains unaltered and unaffected, its islands in Laptev Sea got in the process of the fast melting. They consist mainly of ice. More vivid this process became in the last decade. In the above diagram you can see how two sites in the Buor-Khaya Bay area, Muostakh Island and Bykovsky Peninsula (Mamomtovy Khayata), are disappearing gradually. Is it in the result of the global warming? It might be so. Maybe, it is the underground sources of methanes, that force ice in Russia’s Arctic to be melted.

Well, the above lecture is the first part of the excursion. By the way, the lecture by the deputy director is a rare thing. It is done for important visitors only :)

The second part is the descending into the underground laboratory of the Yakutsk Permafrost Institute. The entrance (a massive blue metal door) is located in the center of the building, on the first floor, from where the wooden stairs lead 3 meters down into the tunnel called the institute’s underground lab.

The tunnel is horizontel. Very short, about 25 meters in length. And it is very low.

The guide of the Permafrost Institute underground lab.

The guide is an elderly person, and he looks very sever. He can say “Get through the entrance very quick. We don’t want warm air to get into the tunnel.” Or he can allow himself saying “Don’t touch these. You can damage these crystals, that took a few years to be formed into such beauty.”

I didn’t want to break any crystals. Really. But I was misfortuned and crashed two or three of them by my hat. I am telling you, the tunnel was too low in height for me. I felt really sorry, and regret that I did that with what nature worked years on.

See the whole set of photographs (in larger sizes) I managed to take in the course of my excursion to Yakutsk Permafrost Institute a month ago, at eYakutia.com.

Oh, forgot to share with another info. Viktor Shepelev also says that he worries about one thing. If huge forest reserves in South America and Siberia would be demolished, permafrost will be affected apparently.

See how frozen carcass reindeer meat will be cut into small pieces. Photos and video were done by Artem Petukhov and Katya Ipatieva (they stand behind the Adventure in Yakutia blog http://adv.yktv.ru, in Russian) specially for eYakutia.com . Thanks, guys.

Yeah, we, Yakutians, love meat. We eat them a lot. To save money, we usually buy them of big sizes, and then we think how to cut them. Praise god, there are people who are ready to help at the cost of 20 bucks for each carcass.

That’s how meat cutting looks like in Yakutsk, Yakutia/Siberia. Sorry for showing that, but without meat it is impossible to survive in extreme cold life conditions. This food is a must to have in northern peoples’ menu.

More photos at eYakutia.com.

Received a request from Jenanne, a Scotland University of Aberdeen PhD Student. Her major is Social Anthropology, so all her questions sounded accordingly. Mainly she wondered how popular the Sakha (Yakut) language was on the Internet. I said I had a friend of mine, who’s hobby was to write in his native language everything and everywhere in every corner of the worldwide net.

The person I recommended to torture with those questions was Halan (that’s how he prefers to call himself online), who stands behind Sakha Wikipedia. I reforwarded Jenanne’s questions to him. He answered and then Jenanne (currently she studies Russian, but speaks Ukrainian pretty good, cause her mother is originated from Ukraine) translated his text into English. Find Halan’s replies further:

1. Is Sakha your native language? What other languages do you speak?
Yes, my parents speak this language, my grandparents spoke it and I myself didn’t know another language until entering school. Now I speak Russian almost as a native speaker. I studied English later, but this was a requirement of a training program in school and university – that is, the approach to the study was rather formal, therefore unfortunately I don’t speak it for practical purposes. I can read texts on simple themes, and also medical texts with a dictionary.

2. What is your profession?
First – an automobile driver, secondly a doctor – I have a PhD in epidemiology, and third – a manager. At the present time, I manage a small business delivering medicines and medical services.

3. How did you get involved with working on the Sakha Wikipedia? About how many people are collaborating on the Sakha Wikipedia?
I have children growing up, who in my opinion should be proud of belonging to the Sakha people and of their native language. But to be proud of a language with limited possibilities is difficult. Therefore I want that my rich and ancient Sakha language to become widely used in all spheres of human activity. Wikipedia can help a language become universal. From May 2008, when a section in Sakha opened, I became its bureaucrat (administrator). Now the Sakha Wikipedia has about 6000 articles. By this indicator we are in 4th place in Russia (after the sections in Russian, Chuvash, and Yiddish). For reference, in the country there are more than 100 languages that do not have their own national education or formation outside of Russia.

There are no specialized statistics about how many people write or use Wikipedia in our language. But I can say that there are from about 10 people actively writing to about 50 people who write from time to time.

4. Are you involved in any other Sakha language websites, or any other activities to promote the language?
Yes, I am trying to socialize on Sakha forums in Sakha. In the last three years I am actively publishing articles in the press, keeping special blogs in the Sakha language, and entering in studies and public forums in support of native language. I am thechairman of the social/public organization Tas Sakhalar, the task of which is to support connections with Sakha living outside the boundaries of Yakutia.

5. In your opinion, why is it important to promote and spread the usage of the Sakha language on the Internet?
The widening/broadening of the representation of language on the Internet and in general of informational-communication technologies is one of the most important conditions of the retention and development of a language, and of transmission of cultural information to the future generations.

6. What do you think are the most popular websites for people in the Sakha Republic? (e.g. which news sites, which networking sites – Facebook, MySpace, YouTube…)
I don’t completely understand. If you are speaking about the most popular sites of Yakutians, then they are very different and it is unlikely one can gather such statistics. If you are talking about languages, then it is my personal feeling that the most popular ones are usually those sites in Russian.

7. On which Internet sites do you see people using the Sakha language the most?
Recently I made a rather superficial analysis, not pretending in truth in the last instance. It is such that of 34 sites getting into my field of vision (excluding my own blogs) only 15 are completely done in the Sakha language or have a full Sakha version at the same level as other language versions. Still 11 rather often place Sakha texts alongside foreign languages. 8 are done in Russian, but have materials facilitating contact in Sakha (dictionaries, ethnic music, etc).

8. Are there any internet sites that are only in Sakha (besides the Wikipedia) and not Russian, English or any other language?
I answered above.

9. Do younger or older people tend to use the Sakha language more on the Internet? (What age are the people who use Sakha the most on the Internet?)
Specialist research hasn’t been conducted, and this still awaits our own researchers. I think that more middle-ageed representatives study language on the Internet, since the older generation in general badly controls technologies, and youth socialize more in two languages at the same time or even in a mixed language.

10. Do you see more Sakha speakers using English on the Internet, or is using Russian still more popular?
There is a definite tendency. In the language 20 a whole generation of Sakha appeared, controlling well one or two foreign languages (English, German, and French). The Russian language is controlled on a very good level at a practical manner by all youth and all city-dwellers, and at a passable level by all adult inhabitants of the Republic.

11. I found on the Orto Doidu website that there was a list of words in Sakha for computer terminology: http://doydu.sakhaopenworld.org/01tylgt.php. Do you know who worked together to create these? Are you seeing these words used a lot on the Internet, or do you think it is more common to use the Russian or English equivalents?

Yes, this little dictionary was made by my good acquaintance Bert Jikty (Yakov Alexandrov), a man having engineering training, presently a patriot of the nation. The terms Bert Jikty suggests are usually used on Sakha sites, for example, for the translation of the Wiki interface, I based it precisely on this dictionary. Computer terms such as those worldwide, penetrate into Russia from English-speaking countries. Here they at first are adapted to the Russian language, and then penetrate into other languages of the Russian Federation. At the present time, in Russia there appears to be many people speaking the English language no worse than Russian, and therefore people have appeared who consider it correct to borrow terms directly from English avoiding the Russian equivalents.

12. Do you notice many people ‘mixing’ languages when they communicate on the internet? Like speaking Sakha, and using Russian or English words too in their speech?
I don’t completely understand the question. Among Sakha youth it’s always been fashionable to insert (use) some Russian words in one’s sentences. In recent times the use of English expressions has become fashionable. Well, the Internet is a mirror of society, therefore there as well such things are unavoidable.

Amazing! I received questions from an American lady, whose given name is Summer. It’s like “Hello from summer to winter.” She was asking:

I found some amazing stories about people who were there lately as tourists and I was wondering: Somebody on a web site who was there suggested highly the North Face Himalayan suit and couldn’t recommend it enough. But I read a few other things about how high tech parkas just don’t compare to reindeer skins etc…. What would you suggest about how to dress/what to bring if I ever decide to go there? And also any other tips for being outside in the middle of winter?

Thanks, Summer, for your interest in what to wear in Yakutia. So… my reply was as following:

Right, reindeer skin clothes can keep warmth very well. The secret is their ability to trap air. A friend of mine, Renato (btw, he is from Alaska) gave a good explanation:

Anyone living in cold areas will tell that the best way to dress is to wear layers, you must dress yourself like an onion. The more thin layers of air you trap between your body and the outside air the warmer you will get. Natural fur works excellently at doing that: trapping air layers close to the skin. Synthetic fabrics are very good too.

Via ColdUnited.com.

Nowadays, Yakutia inhabitants prefer to wear reindeer skin boots only. They are really good for feet. I have such boots, and my feet feel in them safe as in tanks. But they, especially female ones, are not cheap here. One pair of woman high reindeer fur boots may costs minimum 10,000-12,000 rubles (~330-400 USD). The gorgeous, really beautiful unty (унты, that’s how we call them) can be purchased even at the price of 20,000 rubles.

On the top, Yakutians prefer to wear three types of coats:
1. A fur coat (шуба). The warmest fur is considered to be polar fox, raccoon and sheepskin (this type is more appropriate for males.) But you know female fur coat is percepted as the sign of well-being. So our ladies prefer to wear very beautiful, expensive coats. The funniest thing is that most of them are brought from Greece and China.
2. A sheepskin coat (тулуп) designed for males, especially servicemen, policemen, hunters, etc.
3. Parkas, as you mentioned. Synthetic fabrics might appear to be very good too. But you have to get such fabrics that were specially designed for extreme cold, sub-zero weather. According to a few local friends’ witnesses, The North Face Himalayan parka is really good. For instance, I have a Canada Goose Arctic parka. In the city, where I spend not so much time outdoors, I can wear it even with a light sweater.

Besides, you need to have a thick sweater plus a warm shirt/chemise, t-shirt or something alike. Also a must to have is a warm pants and double tights. Your hat must be fur and able to hide your ears. And, certainly, woolen mittens and a comforter.

Regarding outdoor being tips

Locals try to spend outside less time as possible. 20 minutes will be enough. And more time indoors or inside transports. Walking streets must be quick :)

Oh, once on the ColdUnited blog I published the post “My Don’ts in Cold Weather” with tips.

Here is the list of taboos I prefer not to break, when outdoor temperature is, let’s say, below -25C at least. If I am good in following them, I know, I will be feeling pretty good in one of the coldest cities on Earth. Here is my don’ts top.

1. I don’t smoke outdoors, when the temp is below -20C. Breathing cold air is not good for my throat. Sorry, but I smoke. I am trying to cease smoking.

2. I don’t go outside without a wide woolen scarf wrapped around my neck. Besides, I try to cover with it my mouth and nose, so not to breath cold air.

3. I don’t wear a fur hat that cannot protect back of my head and ears. Some locals prefer to put on stylish mink hats without “long ears”, but I would like to look stupid, however, protected and healthy. The head is the first thing to protect from cooling and avoid cold catch.

4. I don’t stay outdoors longer than 20-30 minutes, when it is cold, like -40C. Even in reindeer fur boots and super warm Arctic Canada Goose parka I will start feeling chill.

5. I don’t talk much by a cellphone outdoors either. I like expressing emotions and being heard (btw, when a mobile is frozen, the microphone and speakers work terrible, as low as it can be possible). If I do that, I can get cold. Again it is not good for my throat.

6. I and my family don’t cut down expenses on good warm clothes purchases. It’s like investment into your health. Hm, but I still dream to buy a pretty “schoen” fur/mink coat for my wife. Need to have around 2000 EUR.

7. I don’t spare money on taxi at late night. I will pay 100-200 rubles for one ride rather than 14 rubles for the public transportation. Taxi brings me straight to home in a short span of time. In case with buses, it’s always a long waiting at bus stops, and unsafe…

Hope this info will help you a little.

A month ago the message arrived from Sweden. A horses breeding enthusiast Karl wrote:

First of all, I want to tell you how fantastic it is of you to put up this opportunities to ask questions about Yakutia.

Thanks for your positive feedback :)

Well, I´m very interested in the Yakut ponies. There is actually not so much about them on the Internet. From pictures I have seen they look a lot like Shetland ponies. Are there any of them in Europe? Or have they newer ever exported or sold any horse?

I live in Sweden and love horses. I want to know everything possible about these wonderful horses.

My reply is the following.

1. Frankly saying, I don’t know anything about the Yakut ponies :) Maybe, Karl meant the Yakut horses. They really look like ponies. Relatively short, but strong. The Sakha people are proud of them. As far as you know, Yakuts’ major activity was horse breeding.

2. There isn’t any of them in Europe, unfortunately. I reforwarded this question to Valery Protopopov, pro-rector of the Yakut Agriculture Academy. He said there was no Yakut horses export experience ever recorded. So… be the first. Local breeding experts are very interested in it.

WHAT IS THE YAKUT HORSE?
Read the article that was published once in local newspapers many years ago. Thank God, I saved it and can share it now.

Written by N.D. Alexeev, N.P. Stepanov

Breeding of the Yakut species of horse, developed under severe conditions of the North by people’s selection, is a traditional occupation of the rural inhabitants in Yakutia. The horse- breeding, basing on year-round pasturing, has become one of the main and profitable branches of stock-breeding, the base of the life style and economy of rural inhabitants. In gross meat production, horsemeat occupies 22-25%, making up to 40 % at some farms.

Yakut horse is the most northern breed being developed all the year round in the open air under extreme northern conditions. Its spreading range on the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) goes far beyond the Arctic circle to forest-tundra zone, where the fluctuation of the absolute annual temperatures reaches 108 С (from +38 to -70 С ), and winter pasturing period lasts for 8 months a year.

According to modern scientific data Yakut horse is one of the most ancient breeds in the world. Researchers assume that modern Yakut horse is a direct descendant of primitive and the most ancient domesticated horses that came to this severe region from the centre of domestication. Immune and genetic markers revealed high genetic similarity of Yakut horses with horses of Central-Asian origin (Akhal-Teke, Arabian, Kazakh , Kirghiz , blooded saddle-horse) and Polish aboriginal horse.

Yakut horse is bred by the pasturing method, based on year-round use of natural pastures. Yakut horses have a complex structure. Local types of Yakut horse were formed under influence of natural and climatic conditions of specific areas and as a result of different levels of mixture with other breeds.
Types within the breed

When differentiating types within the breed, the most important criterion was what the original material that connected all existing types was. It turned out to be thoroughbred Yakut horse bred in central and Vilyuisk regions. They became the main source for all other types of Yakut horse.

Original type horses are blooded Yakut horses. They descend from Lake Baikal horses that were brought by ancestors of the Yakut people and they are their direct descendants. Thoroughbred breeding and unchangeable herd pasturing during several centuries enabled keeping original Yakut horse features. They are more adapted to severe condition of keeping: winter frost, scanty and little nutritious feed. Their external construction and the type of build changing according to a season of the year characterize the final degree of morphological adaptation of the animal to influence of extreme environmental conditions.

In general, these horses are not big but have a harmonious built. In summer they do not differ much from cultivated types of southern origin in the way of build. In autumn, after accumulating fat, they differ in mass and stout construction. The head is of average size, with straight profile. The neck is short and broad; withers are low but wide enough. The back is of average length, the croup is wide. There occur horses with shortcut and loppy croup. The chest is deep and comparatively wide. Horses of this type have short and strong legs with firm hoofs without crackles. There occur closely set legs at the hock and some narrowness of the hock angle. The dominating colors of the original type horses: mousey of different shades, roan, various shades of grey, chestnut, red, skewbald and seldom mottled.

Yansky type horses are pure-blooded Yakut horses, whose ancestors came from the original type that bred on the Yana and Indigirka rivers valleys. In their exterior they are similar to their primary type – horses of the original type, but they are more massive and larger. Yansky type horses differ in stout constitution, high adaptability to winter frost with poor pasture feed. All this is possible due to great fattening ability of this type horses during short summer and autumn period. The head is of average size with straight and concave profile, forehead is wide. The neck is short and fat, withers are wide and low, the back is of average length, and croup is comparatively long and wide. The chest is broad and deep. The legs are strong and set regularly. There are dominating light colors like all the northern horses have: grey and mousey of various shades, roan and others.

Kolymsky type horses are also pure-blooded Yakut horses, bred on the rivers of Kolyma and Alazeya valleys. Forefathers of their ancestors also came from the original type. They are typically northern horses.

This type horses are characterized by strong constitution, good fattening ability. The head is massive, with straight profile, neck is of average length, well muscled, and withers are average and wide. The back is straight, of average length; the croup is high, mildly deflated and round. The chest is deep and broad; legs are strong, regularly set. The dominating color of the Kolymsky type horses is grey of various shades, down to white, which is sometimes mistakenly associated with the influence of extinct wild so-called “tundra horse”.

Enlarged type. This type horses are received as a result of blood-mixing of farm breeds (the Orlov trotter and Russian heavydraft horse) to the horses of central and western Yakutia farms, as well as the result of improved feeding and breeding. A typical feature of the enlarged type horses is its longer body and relatively high withers. The head is of average size, little hook-nosed. The neck is of average length, back is straight and wide, and croup is high and muscled. The legs are put regularly, hoofs are strong enough. The dominating colors of these horses are: mousey, chestnut, roan, red, skewbald, grey of various shades.

Megezheksky type . Yakut horses bred by mixing blood of Kuznetsky type horses. This type was finally formed in the 1990s and selected as an independent type. Mostyly, these horses are bred at Stepan Vasiliev stud farm in Nyurbinsky region. The name of the type comes from the place of its development at Megezheksky settlement. This type is also bred at some places of Nyurbinsky and Suntarsky regions. Some outstanding examples have the mass of 600 kg and more.

The head is relatively big and the forehead is wide, with broad jowls, and straight and a little bit hooked profile; the eyes are lively, ears are short; the neck is of average length, straight and massive. The withers are of average height, tall enough. The back of the Megezheksky type horse is wide, straight and long that provides well expressed meat forms. Little “softness” of the back occurs in old horses. The loin is wide and strong, well muscled. The croup is high and wide with well developed musculature, the chest is broad and deep, ribs are round.

Horses of the Megezheksky type are characterized by regularly limbs setting. Setting defects like (toes-out or toes-in) are extremely rare. The limbs are strong, with well expressed tendon.

The colors of horses of the Megezheksky type are varied and basically are broken down evenly: light brown with a black mane and tail (19.5%), roan (16.9%), chestnut (16.6%), grey (13.7%) and mousey (2.3%).
Productive qualities

Horses are bred for meat and milk production, as well as for work. Meat output and slaughter yield depend on the age and nutritional state of animals. Foals at age of 6 months give at the average 106 kg , at the age of 2.5 years – 165 kg , while adult horses give 228 kg , and their slaughter yield is respectively: 55,9; 49,1 and 54,5%. High velocity of foals’ growth before 6-month age is provided with comparatively high milk productivity of mares of the Yakut breed. The peak of mares yield is observed at the beginning of lactation, when it reaches 18- 20 liters . Different sorts of horses mares’ yield for 6 months to lactation varies from 1 500 to 2 400 liters .
Reproductive qualities

Yakut mares are capable to give full-fledged posterity till 18-20-year age under such severe living conditions. Work output of foals from every one hundred January mares reaches 60-65 % in average, at good years up to 80 % and more.

The main structural unit of a horse herd is a herd, headed by a stallion. The herd consists of 10-15 mares and the current-year yield. The size of the herd depends on the age and herding qualities of a stallion-producer. Young animals of the past years yield form separate herds according to sex and age.

Fillies reaching the age of three years are released into herds of reproducing composition. Newly formed herds are kept in corals for few days and only afterwards they are released.
Adapting qualities

Yakut horse is perfectly adapted to living conditions. It is also proved by seasonal periods of mass foaling that basically occurs at May and June. Foaling takes place at the most favorable time of the year, so that a yield would prepare well to meet severe winter conditions during summer-autumn time.

The type of built of Yakut horse changes twice a year: in winter it takes full-bodied appearance, in summer – shallow-bodied. So in winter the body area decreases, giving less heat, and in summer, on contrary, it increases, which results in greater heat loss. Decrease of a body area is also reached by shortening of emerging parts of body: ears, legs and neck.

Adaptation to winter frost is reached also by growing of thick and long hair. Young animals have longer and thicker hair than adult horses do. In adult horses, stallion-producers have thick hair. High heat insulating characteristics of Yakut horses winter fur increase due to thick core layer in all the categories of hair, which takes up to 81 % its thicknesses. It provides still air layer around the animal body. Sub dermal fat layer, accumulated in favorable, from feeding point of view, summer-autumn period reaches thickness of 2- 3 cm and serves as another heat insulator during frost.

Besides morphological adapting qualities Yakut horse also possesses unique physiologically biochemical mechanism of adaptation to frost. The breath frequency and respiratory volume considerably fall in winter, from 20 breathings per minute in summer to 10- 12 in winter and 19.8 liters per minute in summer to 12.6 l/min in winter respectively, while the blood circulation speeds up with circulating shelters volume increasing to 24 % and shelter volume per a minute – to 59%. In addition, heat production level falls from 8.65 kJ/kg/h in summer to 4.83 kJ/kg/h in winter.

During long cold winter the heat balance is ensured by economical consumption of fat reserve, which takes up to 20-22 % from flourish weight. The accumulated reserve of the internal fat of a well-fed adult-horse reaches 35 kg .

High adapting qualities of Yakut horses to extreme northern conditions contribute to relatively high reproductive qualities. The main limiting factors of breeding horses of this type are availability of pastures, their quality and accessibility, as well as duration of extreme environmental factors (low temperature, icing, sever winter winds).
Use in economy

Horse for the Yakut people, first of all, is a means of transportation and pulling force. Yakut horse is characterized by endurance and unpretentiousness to its feed. Until lately, horses made 60-70% of haymaking. Yakut horse as a beast of burden was used since ancient times. Kolymsk merchants would carry cargoes from Yakutsk to Srednekolymsk on the same horses, which is the 2450 kilometers distance. Herewith, more than 1.5 thousand kilometer they covered only on pasturages.

In the XXI century Yakut horse is used in farm works, haymaking, hunting and fishing in the countryside. Summer national holiday “Ysyakh” is usually accompanied with horse race. Horses are used in tourism, in walking children, etc.
Major scientific works on the branch development:

• The scientific expedition materials, submitted in 1987 to approbations of the Yakut breed.

• Plans of selective and tribal works in horse-breeding.

• Ways of increasing herd productivity and its rational use.

• Original recipes of mineral and vitamin additives for Yakut types of horses.

• Technologies of the horse-breeding production processing.

• Systems of horse-breeding under conditions of Yakutia.

• Technologies of the national milk products production.

• Vaccines against diarrhea and salmonellosis abortion in horses and methods of its usage.
“Sakhabactisubtil” preparation for treatment and prevention of disbacteriosis, increased horse immune reactivity.