Answers

Received a message regarding this route from a UK backpacker, who wishes to travel the Road of Bones by a taxi. Here is what he wrote:

Firstly congratulations on your site! This is a truly amazing resource for visitors to Yakutia. Here we can obtain information that would otherwise be impossible to find!

Thanks! : ))

My question is regarding the long distance taxi services in Yakutia. You have given list of eastward destinations, including to Ust-Nera. I am aware that it is not in Yakutia, but do you know if it is possible to continue onward to Magadan? If so, how would you go about this, and do you have any idea of the cost? It will be in January or February. Yes, basically I’m looking to travel the Road of Bones!

And here is my reply: Read more…

Actually, the question received recently from Frank, who is currently somewhere in the neighborhood, sounded this way:

I am very interested in contacting some of the wonderful khomus craftsmen from Yakutia, especially Innokenty N. Gotovtsev. It seems that NONE of these guys have email contact information. Do you have any advice for me?

I would like to meet him in order to purchase a khomus directly from him. If I have the opportunity to meet him in person, it would be great because i could see/play the khomus(es) before making a costly purchase.

Well, I found the answer by pure accident. Read more…

This question was asked by Swiss photographers Mathias Braschler & Monika Fischer, who spent the whole last Saturday on searching a person with a tumbledown house for the forth portrait. Ad notam, they currently work on the worldwide photo project about people directly affected by climate change. So, they were hungry at midnight in the town, where people don’t tend to eat so late. Especially, me. I prefer to spend all evenings with my family. The question was simple, but it took one hour to be answered. Read more…

Checked my mail archive and found out the answer to the question received from a globetrotter. He asked about the availability of flight from Magadan to Anadyr.

That inquiry regarded to Magadan Oblast! Not about Yakutia. But… I wasn’t surprised at all. I am writing much about the way to Magadan, so people thought, maybe, I knew anything related to the neighbor area. Well, I recommended him to get in touch with DVS Tour. Later he came back with the info. Here it is. Read more…

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 Vilyuisky Trakt, but only a little better. There were still long gravelly sections, the odd sandy patch.

Read more…

I received this question a year ago from Walter, the leader of the Sibirsky Extreme motorcycle expedition. Remember, I wrote to him an answer (check the post Khandyga – Yakutsk – Mirny – Lensk) and something like “Yes, it is possible to ride it through in summer.” Right at the moment two UK bikers of the project are travelling across Yakutia. Btw, spend last three days with them in Yakutsk. Now Walter has its own answer. Very sufficient. He made the ride from Mirny to Yakutsk successfully.

Here is his description: “So what of the Vilyuisky Trakt? – you certainly don’t need to be a hero to ride it. Read more…

A question from a Hungarian fisherman sounded like this:

What kind of fishing are in the Yana River and it’s tributaries?

Frankly saying, I am not a big fan of fishing. So, I decided to call the Republic’s Biological Resources Department. Read more…

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 Sakha Republic [in 1890s]. The part of the journey I’d like to do is from Yakutsk to Vilyuisk. I can’t find out much information about this region today outside of Yakutsk and I hoped that you could… advise me on this trip, about the regions, what to see and do etc.

Read more…

Those, who is interested in travelling on the same route by bikes, might want to check the Sibirsky Extreme UK Bikers Expedition’s website Read more…

2009 Ysyakh in Yakutsk

June 16, 2009

Osuokhai, Sakha national dance
More pics of previous Ysyakh at Flickr.com

This summer Yakutsk’s Ysyakh (Ысыах), Yakut national holidays, will be held on June 27-28, 2009. Location is Ys Khatyn (Yс Хатынг), 20 minutes by car northward from Yakutsk, near the settlement of Zhatai (Жатай). The opening ceremony will take place on the first day, Saturday, at 12.00.

Note: Yakutsk Ysyakh takes place traditionally on the last weekend of June.