Category Archives: History

How is the Sakha (Yakut) language used on the Internet?

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 [...]

Also posted in Answers, Culture, General, Science, Social | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

Map of GULAGs on the Road of Bones, Oymyakonsky region/Yakutia

GULAGs researcher always asked me whether I had a map of GULAGs located on Siberia’s famous Road of Bones. I answered that I didn’t have. Now I have it on the blog.
The Road of Bones is the part of the Kolyma Highway constructed by GULAGs prisoners between Khandyga and Magadan in Stalin’s time. Many innocent [...]

Also posted in Answers, Locations, Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

What is the Yakut horse? Is it a pony?

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 [...]

Also posted in General, Science | Tagged , , , , | Comments closed

Permafrost in Yakutia, Shergin’s records & more

In the beginning of November 2009, I wrote the post “Descending into the world’s deepest shaft in the permafrost zone.” In a few days after I received a message with a lot of questions from a Hungarian scientists Adam Soereg.

He wrote “Data from Yakutsk is extremely important, because this is the longest dataset in the [...]

Also posted in Answers, Events, General | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

Why is Oymyakon so cold?

I found this question in the list of keywords that have brought some traffic to my weblog, and I recalled Nick Middleton, an Oxford geography lecturer and the creator of the four-series TV show “Going to Extremes.” The first part, btw, depicted his travel to Oymyakon, the Pole of Cold. While staying in the village, [...]

Also posted in Answers, General, Locations, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

Documentary: Kolyma, GULAG, the Road of Bones

What had been happening at 1930s on the territory of East Yakutia was really awefull. Watch the short documentary “Kolyma” made by SDMediaEU for the TV series “Siberian Impressions.” Terrible feelings after watching the video. Especially the scenes with human bones. But we can’t do anything about it. That’s history and the worst part.

Also posted in Editorial, General, Locations, Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

Why do people live in Yakutia?

This question I hear very often from international website visitors. The last time it was a Turkish 4WD adventure traveler Ali Eric, who is making his world-around trip Istanbul2Istanbul. A few days ago, while seeping the Russian beer at a local grill house, he said to me:
“You know, before my start, I told friends that [...]

Also posted in Answers, Culture, General, Locations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Press Release: Andrey I’s descent into the world’s deepest well

Andrew I with a creative studio “A Novigator” announced a descent to the deepest well in the world, Shergin’s shaft, to take place in Yakutsk on October 20, 2009. Update, 21.10.2009: The even was postponed till November 04, 2009.
An exclusive speleological tour into the unique well, that is 116 meters deep, as long as a [...]

Also posted in Announcement, Culture, Events, Locations, Photo, Press Releases, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

The Kolyma Highway (the Road of the Bones) by Sibirsky Extreme

So… Two UK adventurous bikers of the Sibirsky Extreme travel motorcycle expedition have just ridden the Kolyma Highway. They had left Yakutsk on Thursday afternoon and arrived in Magadan on Sunday evening. 2100 km, 3.5 days, and 7 tyre changes! What did they say about the federal road?
The road was a little better than the [...]

Also posted in Answers, Locations, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

Kate Marsden, Vilyuisk, the Leppers, Shaman

Received a big portion of questions from a UK-based TV documentary production company. A production executive wrote in his request:
I’m researching a history/travel series about women travellers, their journeys and achievements. One story I’ve been looking at is about [a Brit nurse] Kate Marsden who travelled on horse back to help the Lepers in the [...]

Also posted in Answers, Services, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed