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.
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, he gave a detailed explanation of why the area in eastern Yakutia was able to keep the cold as low as -71.2 degrees Celsius (-96.16 degrees Fahrenheit). Read more…
I digged a nice story made by the BBC correspondent Bridget Kendall. It’s about Yakutia. She shares with her short impression on the region.
“Climate change is having an impact in the vast and remote region of Yakutia in Siberia which, in winter at least, is still the coldest place on earth. Bridget Kendall reports.” Read more…
Rainy, rainy, rainy… Chilly, chilly, chilly… Yeah, that’s how it is. September 2009 appeared to be hard for drivers travelling on the Road of Bones. Especially on the old route of the Kolyma Highway from Tomtor to Kadykchan. Everything along the way from Yakutsk through Kyubeme to Tomtor looks perfect. No real obstacles. You can ride to Kyubeme just for 1.5 day and you wouldn’t even stuck.
However, the road after Tomtor is not as smooth as one wishes to be. I called the head of the Tomtor settlement and asked “Is it possible for a 4wd car to drive after Tomtor to Kadykchan?” He said, “Yes. No problems at all. River waters are not so high. You can wade rivers easily. There are puddles on the track though, but if you have a winch, you won’t stuck.” A few moments later I heard “Believe me, everything is okey. I have here the chief of road maintenance department, and he proves my words.”
I passed the information to the Turkish 4WD traveller, Ali Eric (www.istanbul2istanbul.com), when he was already in Khandyga. By the way, you should see his eyes prior to his departure for Magadan. There were excitement and doubts at the same time. As any adventure traveller, he wanted to try the old route of the Kolyma Highway, the most thrilling part of the journey, but his mind said also things like “Be careful. That’s Siberia. You shouldn’t risk.” Further, please, see what happened then. He sent three astonishing photos from Magadan. Read more…
At my Flickr account I received a good question from an Australian user, tanetahi. In his comment to one of my first autumn pics he wrote:
Do people get depressed or complain much about the cold as you progress from summer to winter in Yakutsk, or is the severe climate just accepted as an inevitable part of life there?
My answer was “September and the early October are very depressive. No, we don’t complain about the upcoming cold. We just regret sunny summer days are over, and we have to prepare to the long winter.” That’s actually depressive.
Further, please, see the slideshow with Yakutsk autumn photos. Read more…
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.
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 I plan to drive alone the Road of Bones through Yakutia to Magadan. And those, whom I shared my plans with, were astonished. Said like, My goodness, it is so cold over there in winter. Why do people live there? In my turn, I also wonder, Why do people live in Yakutia?”
Well. This question always sounds embarrassing. No, it’s not awkward. Read more…
Yeah, what does the West know about Yakutia? This question a RIA Novosti correspondent asked Eric Hoesli, writer, journalist and Editorial Director of Edipresse, Switzerland, who arrived to Yakutsk with the purpose to participate in the meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club. His answer was interesting. Partly I agree, partly not. Check yourself. Read more…
{ 0 comments }
Three Valleys Innovation Technopark invites international companies to join the permanent online exhibition “New Technologies and Innovations for the Economy of Sakha Republic (Yakutia)”. Read more…
{ 0 comments }
2008-2011 (c) AskYakutia.com. Powered by NameCheap.com, my best domain registering & hosting company.