Hi! My name is Bolot. I am a journalist. Based in Yakutsk. Ask me a question about the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Siberia / Russia, and get the answer.
Pretty often I was asked about the condition of the old route of Kolyma Highway (known also as Stalin’s Road of Bones) between Tomtor and Magadan Oblast in summer, especially in July and August.
In the following videos, you can see what it was like on July 27th and 29th, 2012.
Saying tons of sincere thanks to the amazingly nice Australian family – Jon, Amanda & Lana, who travelled with their friends in Landcruisers from Vladivostok to Magadan via Yakutsk last July and August.
More about their travel you can learn from Jon, Amanda & Lana’s travel blog “Three In A Truck”
Crossing a river after the village of Tomtor, that is located near Oymyakon, the world’s coldest inhabite place in winter. On July 27th.
In this video you can see how Jon is measuring the depth of one of many mountain rivers on the old route of Kolyma Highway (Road of Bones).
Andrey I is a prominent Russian film maker. He is the man, who helped a lot to clean Shergin’s Shaft, the world’s deepest permafrosted well created in Yakutsk, Russia, a few centuries ago. Here is the related news.
Hereby, Andrey I sent me his own story about his extraordinary descent to the bottom of Yakutsk. Praise god, his text in English.
History background:
1837. After a decade of wearisome work in the permafrost a well of 116 meters depth was dug out. Now it is known as Shergin’s Shaft.
1844. Scientific research began. Shergin’s shaft became the world’s “cradle” of science of cave exploring and permafrost studies.
1942. In unknown circumstances the cable used to descent to the bottom of the shaft breaks off. The shaft remains inaccessible for 67 years.
2009. After a long preparation and the digging the snow cork the entrance of the shaft is opened. The 3rd of November is set as the day of storm of the shaft, the attempt of the work in TV format with direct broadcast of the event.
Further, see photographs and a story written by Andrey I himself.
Note: Majority of last questions is related to what I have already written and posted on this blog. My reply preparation work is mostly about finding related posts and giving links to them in email answers. It might be one of reasons I don’t update AskYakutia.com often. So… what do I want to say? Feel free to use the search box on the left sidebar freely. That’s what I do…
The above note is not related to a question received from Singapore:
Hi,
Im from Singapore and I’m visiting Russia this summer.
I was told that Yakutsk is a city of a strict passport control and to visit this city, I am supposed to have an invitation issued by local migration authorities. Can I check if this is true and it’s necessary for me to get the invitation? I am actually intending to stay with a friend and Im flying in to Yakutsk from Ulan Ude.
As i am currently trying to prepare to get my visa, do i need to include this invitation from Yakutsk before i can apply for the Russia visa?
One of the most frequently asked question in regards to the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, that occupies 1/3 of Russia and 1/2 of Siberia + the Far East, is, of course, “Where online to download region maps?”
Always in my reply, I sent links that I could recall at once. Praise god, there is the list now.
Recently, Artem Petukhov, a friend of mine, who runs his local Adventure Club blog in Russian, has compiled the list of maps available online for free download.
If you are an active traveller – motorcyclist, 4wd driver, mountain trekker, hiker, whatever, you might wish to check out the following maps:
This week famous Russian blogers, photographers and designers, embarked the winter off-road expedition from South Yakutia (Nerungri) to Chukotka (Mys Shmidta).
On March 07 they were already in Yakutsk. In two days in Oymyakon. Yesterday in Ust Nera. Currently, they are heading to Magadan on their pretty glamour 4wd vehicles.
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).
Questions from a guide book writer regarding the construction of the AyAM railway to Yakutsk and a bridge across the Lena River:
In your opinion, when do you think the AyAM train to Yakutsk will be ready? My best guess is not before the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
When the AyAM is complete, it will just go to Nizhny Bestyakh, right?
Somebody told me there will also be a train station in Yakutsk. Why do they need a train station in Yakutsk? Is there another train line being built on the west side of the Lena River, or will there be a bridge across the Lena somewhere?
Milosz Augustyniak on the Road of Bones in Yakutia, Russia, in June 2011
Previously I described the condition of the Kolyma Highway (known also as the Road of Bones) in June. As you know, the Kolyma Highway (M 56) connects Yakutsk and Magadan. The significant part of the road, precisely Khandyga – Magadan, was built by labour workers of Stalin’s gulags.
In posts where I mention the road condition in June, I write that it’s possible to drive the Kolyma Highway in this month, but if to go via Ust Nera. The route via this settlement is a major way and maintained all a year around.
The road through Tomtor is not reconstructed. Moreover, there are no bridges over rivers, that tend to be full of high waters at this period. Keep in mind that late May is the period of ice river melting and spring flooding. Therefore, in June, rivers are still full of waters. So, if you’ve got motorbikes and off-road vehicles, you can try the old road, but more likely you’ll be stuck on the part Tomtor – Magadan Oblast.
On the contrary, the new route via Ust Nera is the only way to be used in June. Last years, it has been improved by road workers pretty good. Broken bridges were reconstructed. If there were gaps, they were filled.
Here are three videos of biking the Road of Bones via the Ust Nera, precisely on the route Yakutsk – Khandyga – Ust Nera – Magadan. They might serve as the answer to the question What is the condition of the Kolyma Highway in summer.
Oisin Hughes is a BMW motor biker from Dublin, Ireland. For a few years, he was riding a BMW motorcycle around the world through 27 countries and over 40,000 miles.
Last summer he visited Yakutsk, my city, and continued his journey to Magadan via the famous Kolyma Highway and then to Vladivostok, South Korea, Canada, USA and back home to Ireland.
Thanks to Vasily Kirillin, we’ve got this updated info on Wi-Fi access points in Yakutsk, Siberia / Russia, as of Apr 28th, 2011.
Vasily writes, in Yakutsk, where is the most expensive Internet (1MB=~2 Russian Rubles), Wi-Fi is a luxury that is not offered in all places. Nevertheless, there is a recent increase in the number of those organizations that offer their customers Internet access via Wi-Fi on a fee basis and only a few for free.
