Last year on June 12, I met three Canadians, Ion, Richard and Kim in Yakutsk, Russia. They arrived on their Toyota Landcruiser, which they shipped from Australia to Vladivostok.

By the way, if you wonder about shipping to/from Vladivostok, get in touch with the best fixer I’ve ever known. His name is Yuri Melnikov, CEO of Links LTD.

If you follow my blog, you might remember I had written about their arrival in Yakutsk with attached photos and videos.

Here’s the link to that story: Canadian 4wd travellers about their 5-day trip Vladivostok – Yakutsk. They plan to made it to Magadan

We had keeping in touch with Ian since 2010, when he was planning the Siberian road trip. He said that they would drive to Magadan via the Kolyma road and get back to Yakutsk and further to Mongolia.

Ian did really really about the road condition. In the middle of June, it was pretty rainy, indeed.

Richard, in his turn, said that after the Yakutsk – Magadan run completed he would leave guys and fly back to Beijing, where he worked at that moment, and he would be replaced by Kim’s husband Henry Howard, who should be on the other end of the Road of Bones in Magadan waiting for them.

Henry Howard happened to write to me before coming to Russia as well. I remembered him as a guy with Blackberry. In his message, he asked me, if Blackberry would work in Russia’s Far East. Yep, I said, but the Canada-produced smartphone would work good with a MTS sim card. MTS is one of three major Russian mobile operators.

Henry, indeed, came to Magadan, but a few days before his wife Kim with brother Ian and fellow Richard’s arrival. So, he spent three days in Magadan. You might see what he did while being in the city established in 1937.

Henry’s thoughts about the travel b/w Magadan – Yakutsk

“The Kolyma mountains are different mountains from any mountains I’ve ever seen. They are a beautiful and huge landscape. It’s unclear to me how they were formed, as they don’t appear to be folded rock, like I am used to seeing. I try to explain Siberia to friends and co-workers and clients, but it’s impossible to describe. You have to see it to believe it.”

“I think a lot of people drive the Kolyma Highway because it’s cool to drive a tough road. The road is fun, and it’s the place (and the people) that make it so interesting. I loved the cafes; every bowl of borsch was different, and they were all excellent. The billions of white butterflies in mid June around Yakutsk were amazing. I have never seen so many in my life. It was weird to see only one type of tree over 2m tall for 1500 kms from Magadan to Aldan. But then, how does anything grow tall in those rocks? I had expected Kolyma to be more like northern Canada at 60 – 65 latitude, but it isn’t. Except that both places have endless gravel roads.”

“You live in a wild and scenic place.”

Henry is really a GOOD hobby photographer! See his photo story about the Kolyma road trip in June. Click images to enlarge and see captions.

Magadan, Russia, June 15 – 17, 2011

Magadan – Yakutsk, June 18 – 23, 2011

They started the journey from Magadan to Yakutsk on June 18 and completed on June 23.

THANK YOU, RICHARD, FOR YOUR AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHS AND FEEDBACK!

This is really cool to help international travellers with their trips across Yakutia. In March 2012 in Yakutsk, I met three nice Westerners, Austrian Brigitte and the Swiss couple Susan and Peter, who were invited to the Russian region of Republic Sakha-Yakutia by my friend Alexander Permyakov‘s Russian Expedition Club. Extremely nice people!

They planned to go to Verkhoyansk, one of the coldest inhabited places in North-East Yakutia, and they eventually made it there. I resolved for them just a few issues with a vehicle and drivers. Saying a lot of thanks to Slava Mestnikov for an urgent assistance.

Their route was Yakutsk – Khandyga – Teply Klyuch – Topolinoe (reindeer herder community) – Stalin’s Gulags – Batagai – Verkhoyask. As you know, the part Khandyga – Teply Klyuch is located on the Road of Bones, officially known as the Kolyma federal road.

No more words from me. Let’s continue to traveller’s road trip witnesses and photos. Yes, photos. 50+ images of the long journey from Yakutsk to Verkhoyansk.

A WINTER ROAD TRIP TO VERKHOYANSK, RUSSIA

Brigitte, Susan and Peter’s Travel Report:

When we told our plan to visit Yakutia, people first did not have the vaguest idea where this could be and when they heard it was in Siberia generally showed little understanding for this plan. In middle Europe this region is mostly perceived as a forbidding landscape, being extremely cold and hostile with nothing to see or to do besides maybe fishing and hunting.”

But also we ourselves had no clear picture what to expect. It was a hard-earned trip, not easily at all organised from the distance and following the tempting call of “Yakutia extreme” we imagined something adventurous, exotic and maybe even dangerous.

Approaching Yakutsk in plane our first impression could be called somehow exotic, when everybody except us – being well-drilled European air passengers and accustomed to supposedly security-based oppression – was talking on their mobile phones during landing.

The next literally breathtaking experience was the inhalation of – 38 degree cold air.

So much for extreme experiences.

Though facing extraordinary environmental conditions Yakutsk presented itself as a quite “normal”, friendly and welcoming city with various cultural and social offers and a pleasant place to stay for some days. But it was not the city we came for; we wanted to hit the road to the north – out into the wild.

The wild turned out to be mild and gentle towards us and we did not have to struggle with any adversities of nature and/or the road. On the contrary we immersed into a kind of winter fairy tale. The cold was not breathtaking any more, but felt pleasant. The sun kept shining every day from a perfectly blue sky, producing surreal long shadows. The light and the colours seemed to be from outside of this world.

The brilliant white and dry snow felt like washing powder and could not be used for building snowmen; instead it formed little snowballs in the branches and twigs which gave the impression of endless cotton fields. Shamanistic symbols and offertory places on the way added to these extraordinary charms.

The snow also graciously covered less charming aspects like rubbish along the road and omnipresent rusty metal parts. In contrast around coal-fired power plants the snow – and everything else – turned dark like in mourning, thus exceptionally matching with negative prejudices.

We got to know some of the pitfalls of the winter road, but overall it was much less adventurous than described in various travel reports. After all it is a frequented and quite well maintained road, even though admittedly a case for experienced drivers.

We had the chance to meet all kind of people – not all of them being super nice, but none being really nasty – and to experience cordial hospitality. Amongst many hospitable people we particularly like to remember the team of the meteorological station Iaema.

Even the station itself is remarkable and somehow fallen out of time not only for having its own time zone, but also for still using the Morse system for data transfer and communication with the outside world.

Contrary to popular perceptions the huge and vast landscape is varied and scenic, offering surprising new views around each curve. But amidst this lovely scenery also horror lurks around. Numerous well preserved Gulag camps with still intact watch towers and barbed wire line the road and according to local belief the spirits of the many killed still haunt the region.

Recapitulatory looking back it was neither really adventurous nor exotic or dangerous but

a wonderful and varied experience, that brought us quite close to landscape and people.

“Yakutia extreme” applies to the environment, not the trip and observing how people cope with this extreme environment made us reflect on our own way of living, as well.

We will try to make the sceptical people around us understand that Yakutia is definitely worth a visit.

Saying TONS of “thank you” to Brigitte, Susan and Peter for such a great travel feedback!

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.

Text: Andrey I.
Photos: Alexey Pavlov.

Here’s Andrey I’s story:

- People seethed around the shed. Algys. Preparation for a short meeting. It was very pleasant to see close friends and acquaintances among people. Yuri Zabolev, Alexandr Solovyev, Alexandr Pakhomov, Yelena Golomareva, Pavel Kazaryan, my son Fedia with my Korean family, and of course Lyudmila Tsoy, the main organizer of the expedition.

Together with Andrey Vysokikh we entered the shed. He brought a light beacon – a light-emitting diode disc which, as he said, would help us to orient during the descent. Trying not to obstruct the preparation of this crazy decision, we squeezed in the square of the well. Andrey threw the beacon down. It dissolved somewhere in the dark.

Algys is completed, but not by the first guest. Before this it was refused several times –the entrance to the lower world should not be opened.

Together with Jenya Zolkin and Marina Kalina, we dressed in orange overalls in the bus of the republic Rescue service; put extra batteries for lantern, cameras and photo cameras into the pockets.

A couple of key words in front of the people gathered. Don’t want to talk. Just hurrying to descent, it’s always cozier under the ground (later I couldn’t help hiccupping). At last we are sent to the narrow, but official world of overalls of the Yakut rescuers, hung ropes and friendly smiles.

Zolkin was the first to go down. I was watching his face. As always, no worries could be noticed. His red “storm” overalls stood out in a bright spot among… was about to say a dozen of people “fussing” around it.

Of course, for an uninitiated person, the endless movement of arms inside a cocoon of ropes that twisted Zolkin looked like an unusual ant crowd. But having a certain experience in cave exploration, I understood better than others how professionally everything was being done.

It should be mentioned that practically there were no uninitiated people around. The inner space of the cottage that covered the entrance of the shaft was only a few square meters. That’s why it was difficult to fit the necessary equipments and group of people providing the descent inside it. From plenty of wishes boiling inside me the prevailing one was that all people who had come to watch the advertised show and were now looking forward to its start in the November frost could see that unique work.

Why it was necessary to have so many rescuers above? Two persons – Zolkin and I, were to go down to the bottom of the shaft – 116 meters deep (to understand its scale, it’s the total size of more than three nine-floor houses put on each other). It was planned that Marina Kailinina would descent for only 30 meters. We were to move in the following order: …. Each participant of the descent has two ropes: the basic and safety. This means that all in all there will be six ropes dangling in the shaft. And they must not get entangled! Everyone that holds one of these ropes, should … feel it, weaken it in time, and stop its etching downwards if necessary. Behind their backs other experts – rescuers, also carry out a very important function – it is important to watch that the ropes that unwind during the descent or gather into a bay during the ascent don’t get entangled. In fact everything is much more difficult.

Fedor secures Zolkin, Valery secures Kalinina, Andrey secures me. Together with Andrey, just like with Zolkin, we have gone to not one expedition.

Zolkin went down.

It’s my turn now. I remembered the way I looked at Zolkin, and artistically assumed a dignified air myself. More “like a showman” to be exact. That’s a special condition when it is necessary to pull yourself together in a certain way. On the one hand you should remain who you are, and on the other hand you should turn into an all-seeing 360 degree eye which sees you from aside as well. The eye should not only see but also it should make comments. There is one feature in the style of “life” program leader. When you say a sentence about what’s happening on the screen, you should already formulate the next sentence and plan variants of the following comments though at that moment you don’t know yet what will happen next.

The carbines clicked on my safety system, and I felt cold breath from the square embrasure of the well. There I heard Zolkin’s message that said that he had stopped in the 20th meter and was waiting for me to move down.

I checked the lighting device for a small finger-type camera which I was hanging in my right hand. On the way down this will be the main camera to illustrate our movements to the bottom of the shaft for the spectators that have gathered above, in front of a plasma screen. The screen is hidden from frost in the salon of a bus in a funny way. The flashes of reporters’ cameras began working. They disturb a lot when you need to pull yourself together during the very culmination moment and define the general degree of readiness of all system that you consist of – “cave explorer – TV presenter – operator.”

Continuing to work “with face” I tried at least for a second absolutely distract from the happening – there won’t be another second. In this situation I usually close my eyes and automatically try to work out any emergency situation, but now I did not have such opportunity. In our case the situation was complicated by the fact that we had not train this program of descent. The most important thing was not to disturb one another in the shaft. I was hardly concerned about how I would film it – I completely relied on the muscular memory gained by experience.

Journalists would frequently peer through the door. It very much looked like a preparation of cosmonauts before the flight. The hands of professionals check on you the strength of the belt, the conditions of knots, and the safety of closing of carbines…

“The main danger is the walls and two rusty metal cables going down just to the center of the shaft… I am hanging near one wall and Jenya is hanging near the other. His rope should not disturb me. In case of inevitable rotation round the axis we should never forget – it is forbidden to touch walls and the cables!”

It’s stupid to ask me if I was worrying. I always worry. Fear helps in extreme situations very much – it mobilizes attention. At last I felt Karpovich’s clap on my shoulder, and trying not to get lost in ropes I clumsily climbed over the protection (the oxygen cylinder suspended from below especially prevented the movements). I put my feet on the walls of the shaft and moved down. After some seconds I was already hanging among the roughly cut tunnel of dirty-yellow ice. Karpovich one again made sure that everything was right and my body together with the oxygen cylinder slowly slid down.

Now I was going through the dug ice cork that used to keep the Shergin’s shaft isolated from the outer world for about three decades. I wanted to go down as soon as possible, the place where everything remained as it was made with human hands in the first half of the 19th century. The ice cork filled the upper thirty meters of the well from the flow of melted water – nobody had taken care of the shaft during the last years. According to our project a special group of workers – alpinists was making a hole in the cork for about two weeks before the SSSS.

At last I went down the ice walls gnawed with instruments. There were smooth forms with ice stalactites around.

It started!

In any event I endlessly value the first impression. The special value of such feelings is that together with their whole unpredictability they also astonish by the currents of their number. It was just this way here. Even with my experience I was fascinated with the singularity of the surrounding for a second, and pushed the lever of the trigger device with my thumb of the left hand harder than it was necessary. As a result I fell down uncontrollably for a couple of meters. That made me sober. I went another ten meters and stopped. I had to wait for Kalinina.

I fixed the trigger device and started to study the surrounding world. I was surrounded by four walls of the wooden well felling. It was evident that the wood had survived wonderfully. It was difficult not to notice two rusty cables as very unpleasant neighborhood in the distance of a stretched hand. Timbered walls together with the cables (and the two ropes of Zolkin) were going down to the darkness, where in about twenty meters the lanterns were flickering on Jenya’s helmet.

The scientific supervisors of the expedition Rudolph Chjan and Lev Li asked him to take some soil and wood test all along the shaft. Evidently that was what he was doing at the moment. In such cases I feel jealous to my friends – they can act “as in real life.” And I have to film it “as in real life.”

We could hear voices quite above us. I looked up. The usual world was already left in the previous life. The opening in the ice stopper through which I had entered the new reality now seemed not so large. It was bordered by ice flows and stalactites. The dense yellow color of the ice added them extra singularity. I lit this beauty by a “chandelier” of three lamps fixed on the helmet. The additional lantern that was connected with the “finger camera” into one set created a game of light in my right hand. I was filming while illuminating the space.

I made a few versions of comments of the happening saying the text to the same “finger camera,” and let myself look around in admiration to analyze the possible development of events – Kalinina was not seen yet.

Admiring the beauty a cave explorer must model possible dangers.

Now the threat number one for Zolkin (he could not see the threat from the depth and it was difficult for him to orient in case of something) were the ice stalactites. If Kalinina breaks one of them by mistake – Jenya will become a target for ice blocks of about 30kg. Cables were threat number two. Their outer side had turned to dust, and only God knows what was inside. Just break one of them in about my level, and it could cut Zolkin while falling down.

I looked down. Light rays of Jenya’s lantern kept moving. He confirmed with his shout that was gathering tests from wooden walls.

Above, among the stalactites, Kalinina suddenly appeared and stopped… in the most inappropriate place.

It is necessary to make a small retreat here. Marina Kalinina (besides directory talents) is a top-quality operator. But she didn’t have a slightest experience in cave exploration. However, during the SSSS we needed a second operator to film me and Zolkin from above. That’s why it was decided to lower marina for 30 meters after training and instructing. But in such an unpredictable descent even endless instructions will never replace experience. That’s why her system of descent and ascent was organized in such a way that it didn’t depend on Marina’s actions. Even if she failed, the rescuers would take her above without her own participation. In such situation I was once again loyal to Karpovich’s and Zolkin’s professionalism. They explained Marina that any person despite the courage and bravery may lose control in an extra extreme situation. During our descent to the Shergin’s shaft it is 50kg of weight that flies down and wipes everything in its way. Marina agreed. She is without any doubt a good fellow. And
she deserved the state of record-holder for participation in the expedition of SSSS. But it was later.

And now, she was slowly rotating on the rope in ten meters above my head between the stalactites and the metal cables. I confess that at some moment I held my breath – it’s not possible to stop the movement grasping the air. “After a second her feet will touch the cables….” But Marina stretched vertically and her feet fell along the cables without touching them. “Now it’s the stalactite’s turn….” It seemed to me that Jenya also was feeling the silence that hang over him. But I had to take my look away from the rotating Marina in order to look down. Marina’s feet flied near the stalactites no less carefully. It became quieter. After some seconds she at last stopped and started to film.

When she was going up I saw in her face such misery that only a real tramp is able to feel.

Jenya and I went down. I was filming and commenting what was happening. But after a while I realized that the image had stopped to broadcast above (besides the two cables a TV cable was also connected to me). I had to stop and change the batteries in the main block of the camera, but in vain. I started to feel uneasy. However, in any case, I was automatically “acting” the role of the TV presenter and operator for certain time.

Now I could concentrate more on getting impressions. However, it seemed that it was the surrounding space that was absorbing you. It was very unusual to move down, down and down constantly in that spot of the earth where any aspiration to the center of the permafrost is connected with unbelievable difficulties. Jenya and I were shouting to each other all the time. Everything was going right.

We passed the boundary of about 50 meters. The wooden support ended. Now the well became wider into a vertical barrel of the roughly cut shaft. I stopped.

Like before, my closes neighbors were two rotten cables which I disliked more and more. But the general atmosphere around became completely different. There were no other attributes of civilization around except the cables. I was swaying on the rope among the roughly dug vertical cave with the diameter of about three meters. This cave was stretching down … “to the lower world,” I admitted to myself.

From 15 meters down Jenya called me to move on. We continued moving.

The surrounding surface of this gulf didn’t seem to be permafrost but it seemed endless. I was eager to find a confirmation of it in the light spots of the lanterns. I remembered Lev Li’s request to mark places where old measuring instruments were set.

In 1844 Russian scientist A.F. Middendorf arrived to Yakutsk. The shaft was used for scientific research under his supervision. Horizontal blast holes of two meters length and thermometers were set in every 15 meters on the walls of the shaft. Nobody had looked for them since that.

Some places looked similar to the description of the blast holes, but no more than that.

“God, how could people come down here in some troughs that were tied to a wooden gate with a cable?”

Before entering the shaft I hang a tablet with detailed scheme of the whole vertical cut of the shaft ob my thigh: sandstone, slate, sandstone, slate… I had forgotten about the tablet. I was on another planet.

Zolkin’s voice interrupted my idyllic amazement. We stopped again. The depth is about 60 meters (two nine-storeyed buildings).

It was time to wear the masks of the oxygen masks. The matter is that just on the eve of the descent a very wise man (alas, I don’t know his name, but he really saved Zolkin and me) expressed an idea of checking the gas structure in the lower part of the shaft trunk. The quick analyze showed that it is not possible to go down this unique well without oxygen equipments. Besides, the deficit of oxygen during the years of civilized life of Yakutsk in the bottom of the shaft there was also harmful gas concentration threatening life.

Now the movement down was accompanied with “grunting” in any breath and “snorting” in any exhalation. However, I had got used to it during the underwater shootings. Remembered the people that once had come down here in troughs. Now they could not succeed in it.

People are made in such way that if something separates his face from the surrounding world, the world immediately becomes different. Unfamiliar. Now I was going down already in the space – cave space, and not in another planet.

I was destruct from lyrics by a piece of wall which was illuminated by the rays of all my lanterns. 73 meters in depth. A flat clod of about one and a half meters had separated from its main mass for some reasons and was hanging weakly. In such situations it’s sensible to act with the principle: “If you are not able to struggle the danger, you better not to think about it.”

I kept on going down, but the above mentioned principle would not work despite all my efforts. My head was itching under the helmet. “Calm down. In this way you may even attract misfortune.”

Now Jenja could not shout me anything in the oxygen mask and I looked down myself. It seemed to me that the light beacon of Andrey Vysokih was already clearly distinguished through Zorkin’s dark round silhouette who was ransacking on the walls by his lantern.

Now I could not take my eyes off that at last approaching dream – off the bottom of the Shergin’s shaft. Despite the oxygen mask which was limiting the view, the pioneer Zolkin was clearly seen. He was standing … in the scatterings of ice splinters.

“This is not the bottom… A part of the chopped ice fell down while the workers were digging the ice cork. There are about two meters to get the real bottom. We’ll try to dig.”

My feet felt support… more exactly its image. The moon. Landing on the space of cave exploration.

My weight plus the weight of the oxygen cylinder made my feet sink till ankles in the porridge of tiny ice splinters near the beacon of Andrey Vysokih. “Speleonaut” Zolkin was standing opposite me. His wide smile was seen through the glass of his oxygen mask.

I am afraid of victories. In that moment of absolute delight we always wait for something … I didn’t finish thinking about it when little stones fell down from above. Zolkin knew it better that me that it was a bad sign – something bigger may follow them.

“This is that very flat clod that had exfoliated in 73 meters!” – hit me in my head.

Zolkin and I stuck to our walls without talking. But instead of the expected blow we heard a typical whistle from above. That’s how a rope or a cable sounds quickly moving in the air.

“Even worse! The iron cable!” Zolkin was thinking the same.

After some seconds something hit my shoulder badly and everything became quiet. Yes, something had torn above, but it was not one of the rusty cables but a telephone cable which was not so massive.

In such a wonderful “relaxation” I had only one thought – to take photos (my camera was not working for a long time already). I took out my checked underwater “Olympus”, pushed the button to switch it on as usual … but nothing happened. My other attempts didn’t change the situation. The fourth attempt coincided with a sound – signal of oxygen cylinder warning that I had only emergency oxygen supply.

“How comes? We didn’t even manage to dig a little. That very historical bottom of Shergin’s shaft is so near, right under us!” but it hit me slowly that this was not the main problem.

Zolkin quietly pronounced in the handheld transceiver: “Evacuation.”

At last I looked above. What I saw was the finishing item of the image of the space surrounding me. The tunnel with rough cut-down walls was stretching up. Then there was darkness from which cables and ropes were hanging. It was difficult to say how far this darkness was. A star was shining in the darkness – this was how the far exit to the common world looked. I wanted to shake my head – what a delusion?

The rope stretched and we started to go up. According to Jenya, he had enough oxygen, and he was going to follow me. I took off my feet from the icy bottom and swam up. I swam up, trying to “grunt” the oxygen more economically. I swam, but I wanted to fly. But you cannot get away from the reality. As the rescuers later told me, they immediately understood that something extraordinary had happened. That’s why everything was mobilized on the fast ascent, maximum fast but without fuss.

During the years of work in extreme situation I have always tried to have everything to depend on me. I am a single worker. But here nothing depended on me. However, even if I had special equipment for independent lifting… even then nothing would have depended on me. Even if I had unfastened the oxygen cylinder I could not, without oxygen, climb up using my muscular strength more than one hundred meters – 37 floors.

It became harder to breath. When brain doesn’t switch off, it starts to intensively work out some key thought. My brain started to count these nonexistent floors, comforting its owner that they are becoming less and less.

It became quite harder to breathe. I had to suck out the oxygen.

“I can catch a lungs squeeze.” I could no more breathe economically – my lungs were exhausted. But the piece of light above still looked like a star.

‘I guess there are around 80 meters left. The oxygen is over.”

My consciousness was struggling with the panic, and was trying to analyze. “If I descant the rest of the oxygen from the cylinder – the lungs squeeze is inevitable, and that’s it. If I tear off the mask, I can get poisoned with gases but there is still a chance. I tore off the mask. The lungs as if straightened.

‘I must not lose consciousness. If so, I can touch and tear off the cables.”

The way upwards was strange. My body was working by itself, it was strenuously breathing, though there was little oxygen left, that’s why it was breathing strenuously.

The frost blew. I looked up. In fact it was warmth – smiling Karpovich was looking at me from above,

P.S. I express my deepest respect to the employees of Security Service of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) without whom the expedition to the depth of the permafrost would not take place, or would be over pitifully: Evgeny Vasilyevich Barishev, Valeriy Bogomolov, Fedor Okhlopkov, Andrey Karpovich, Evgeny Zolkin,Yuri Fedorov, Alexey Sudinov, Dmitry Urgin, Roman Krutihin, Dmitry Krasnyh, Roman Vasilyev.

Kihilyakh is a Holy Place in the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, Russia’s East Siberia & Far East. Precisely, it is located in North-Eastern Yakutia’s Verkhoyansky region a few km away from its regional admistrative center of Batagai near the village of Elges.

Local peoples, especially Yakuts, do believe in the Kihilyakh sacredness. They come to touch its stones and receive the positive power from the nature. They also say, if you disrespect Kihilyakh, it will put curse on your life. It is a holy place. A Mecca to Yakutia residents.

In winter, there are two option to travel from Yakutsk to Kihilyakh in Verkhoyansky region:

1. The longest way.

It means by a car through the Road of Bones and a winter road to Batagai. The route is:

- drive from Yakutsk to Khandyga, have a night stay over there;
- drive a little on the Road of Bones from Khandyga to Teplyj Klyuch;
- turn after Teply Klyuch to north;
- the road will lead you to the Even reindeer herders settlement of Topolinoe; that’s a good place for another night stay;
- take a winter road to Batagai.

A pretty long journey. 1376-km driving to Batagai will take minimum 3-5 days. Though such a road trip is the most exciting, I would say. As on the way to Batagay, you might see the Road Bones, reindeer herders in Topolinoe, experience winter-and-ice road between Topolinoe and Batagai.

Plus you need to remember that you need to make it from Batagai to Kihilyakh via Verkhoyansk town and Elges village overland as well. Another day on the road.

By the way, near Kihilyakh there is good wooden log houses used mostly as a base.

2. The shortest way.

By Polar Airlines’ AN 24 from Yakutsk to Batagai Airport:

The flight takes 1 hr 50 min only. You might see fantastic views…

..the Lena River…

..Verkhoyansk Range…

..Drink coffee and have light breakfast…

..Enjoy circles of the Yana River…

Next fly by Polar Airlines’ helicopter MI 8 from Batagai Airport to Kihilyakh. Flight lasts around 20 min only

Frankly, I wouldn’t make it to Kihilyakh by the shortest way, as it must be pretty expensive, as there was no big event held in Kihilyakh.

That was the ceremony of lighting the torch of the 5th Children of Asia International Sports Games (www.gamesasia.ru) that will be held in Yakutsk in June 2012.

See 87+ photographs of my 1-day winter trip to Kihilyakh for the Light of the 2012 Children of Asia at eYakutia.com.

In the previous post I wrote that I had returned from 5-day travel with reindeer herders in Oymyakon, one of the coldest places in the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, Siberia, Russia.

When we were heading back to Yakutsk through the Road of Bones (officially known as Kolyma Highway), the temperature was somewhere under minus 40 degrees Celsius. Cold weather as usual.

We were driving on a Nissan Patrol 4wd vehicle without any long stops. On our way back – around 1000 km – we spent 16 hours only. Fast. It means the road appeared to be in good condition.

Clean. Partly icy, but covered with sand by road workers. As you know, the Kolyma Highway (including the route through Ust Nera) is considered to be a federal road. So even in the nowhere of Russsian Siberia, roads with such statuses might be maintained all around the year in pretty well manner.

So, if you’re going to Magadan from my city in winter, remember one of my travel advices.

Tip: Reserve one of your travel expedition stickers for a gas station in Kyubyume to attach on the right side of the tube from cashier’s window. It’s a new tradition.

Further, see more photos taken during a few short stops. They were done on February 24th, 2012.

Below are photographs taken on the way from Yakutsk to Kyubyume on February 20th.

We were driving fast, so, unfortunately, I didn’t manage to take pictures as many as previously in 2010.

By the way, you might wish to learn more about my recent experience of Reindeer Sledding with Siberian herders in Oymyakon, Siberia, Russia.

If you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you might already know and see photographs of my recent Oymyakon travel to Even reindeer herders, whom I and my friends experienced fascinating winter reindeer sledding through snowy rivers, mountains and hills with.

Hereby I am posting more photgoraphs and adding more journey details. I’ll post info part by part in this post, as I have a lot to say in fact. Meanwhile, enjoy 200+ pictures.

Travel dates: February 20 – 24, 2012.
Area: Somewhere near in-betweens Kyubyume and Uchugei in Oymyakon region, Yakutia, Siberia/Russia.

Day 1: On the way to Oymyakon region
Yakutsk – Khandyga – Reindeer herders’ winter base in Oymyakon area.
Driving time: 16 hours.

Day 2: Catching and preparing reindeer for the long-distance journey

In the video Kesha was catching 25 reindeer in order to make a caravan for 5 travelers. Amazing! Hard work actually!

Before catching it was neccessary to find reindeer in mountains, gather them and bring to a winter base. We were lucky. It took 7 hours to do everything. Animals were roaming not so far. See photos and read my captions.

Day 3: The first day of reindeer sledding

The above video was done, when we arrived to one of reindeer herders’ winter camp by the evening. The sun was about to set.

Day 4: The second day of reindeer sledding. Back to the base.

The video was done during the second day of our winter trip through valleys and hills of Oymyakon, Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, Siberia / Russia. It was almost the evening, when outdoor temperature dropped much below -40C.

Day 5: The Road of Bones, the way back to Yakutsk

Videos was done by Yuri Berezhnov and provided by Yegor Makarov.

PS. I’ll add description almost to all photographs. Keep tuned, please.

Once I had a great wish to make a report on my and my friends’ travel to Oymyakon, Russia, along Stalin’s Kolyma Highway.

First, I created the page called A Roadtrip to the Pole of Cold, Jan. 17-22, 2010. Yep, it was two years ago. Time is passing so fast.

After while, I published the post Activity tips: What to do in Oymyakon? Part I – Tomtor.

Then, people kept on asking me additional questions. Appeared many other related stories as well as the video: The World’s Coldest Road. The Kolyma Highway in Winter.

Oh, man. Now I think it would be much better to create one video with all images so to give the clue of what it is to travel to Russia’s Oymyakon, the world’s coldest inhabited place. Enjoy!

By the way, the song used in the above video is called “Sakham Sire” (My Yakutia) and performed by the Yakutsk-based rock band 103. Learn more about musicians on my other blog eYakutia.com.

PS. Good news is that I am planning to travel to the Oymyakon area again, but it will be more than a road trip. There will be reindeer sledding towards Muus Khaya Glaciers and spending nights in a tent at -50C.

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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Dimitri Kieffer (http://nexusexpeditions.blogspot.com/) is the Franco-American adventurer, who is listed in NYC-based Explorers Club. He is doing an NEXUS expedition around the world using human powers only. Some call such a journey human powered circumnavigation.

It was him, who walked with Karl Bushby from Alaska (US) to Chukotka (Russia). By foot. On the sea ice. Through Bering Strait. It was him, who gave me a great info on the route from Chukotka to Magadan Oblast, as he walked that way with a sledge in last winters. Check the post Dimitri Kieffer’s ultimate description of Russia’s Chukotka – Kamchatka – Magadan route. From Uelen to Anadyr, Omsukchan and Magadan.

And here is what he says about cycling together with his lady, Gulnara Miftahova, from Omsukchan to Yakutsk in August-October 2011.

A great fellow! A great explorer to follow!

I was pretty happy to follow, help a little and meet him and make the above video. Further, please, find his current expedition facts and, certainly, 40 travel photographs!

Why is Dimitri’s expedition called “Nexus”?

It is a Latin word and means “connecting cultures.” That’s exactly what he is doing now.

He’s navigating through nations’ cultures and doesn’t do what others do. He doesn’t pass through lands at fast speed and he can really recall all names of settlements, where he had stops, and people he met on the way. A few stories for each place.

Amazing! If you would meet him, he would tell you many, many and many exciting stories about nations and cultures he saw. I have met him personally two times only and think those meetings are not enough. He is a kind of person, whom you want to listen to more and more.

Magadan Oblast – Yakutsk (Yakutia) Cycling Pictures

Nexus Expeditions Facts

Dimitri Kiefer started the human powered circumnavigation around the world in February of 2005 at the place called Knik Lake (near Anchorage, Alaska). That was the first section, that ended in Nome (Alaska) in 37 days. He completed 1770 kilometers by foot (trekking & snowshoeing).

After he had seven sections listed by ExplorersWeb:

Second Section: Nome (Alaska) – Wales (Alaska)
Feb 2006, 9 days, 115 miles 185 kilometers
Completed by foot (Trekking & Back Country Skiing)
(with Goliath Expedition – Karl Bushby)

Third Section: Nome (Alaska) – Uelen (Russia) Bering Strait Crossing
March 17-31 2006, 14 days, 5 days where swimming was required
200 miles 322 kilometers
Completed by foot (trekking & back country skiing) & swimming
(with Goliath Expedition – Karl Bushby)

Fourth section: Uelen to Egvekinot (Chukotka, Russia)
April 12- May 16 2007, 34 days, 425 miles 684 kilometers
Completed by foot (Back Country Skiing and only trekking after Vastoshisno)
Uelen – Anguema (with Goliath Expedition – Karl Bushby)
Anguema – Uelen (solo)

Fifth section:
Egvekinot to Vayegi (Chukotka, Russia)
April 15 – June 7, 2008
exact amount of trekking days still being tabulated
Approximately 600 miles / 965 km
exact number of miles still being tabulated.

Completed on foot (back country skiing, trekking with a backpack and pulling the sled simultaneously, swimming and using the sled as kayak while going down rivers).

Sixth section:
Vayegi (Chukotka, Russia) – Paren (Kamchatka, Russia)
March 11 – May 13 2010
707 km completed, 63 days.

Location May 17, 2010:
N 62° 25.040′; E 163° 05.160′
Paren, Northwestern Kamchatka
Total kilometers covered Spring 2010: 707.2 km
Manily to Paren 199.4 km

Seventh section:
Paren (Kamchatka, Russia) – Omsukchan in Magadanskaya Oblast.
Dimitri is returning in Kamchatka in February 2011 to continue trekking and skiing 423 miles (680 km) from Paren in Kamchtaka Koryak Okrug to Omsukchan in Magadanskaya Oblast. He covered this section on skis and snowshoes, while pulling a sled on tundra, considering the absence of roads in this remote part of the world. His route should take him from Paren to Omsukchan via Verniy Paren, Chaibura, Ghiziga, Evensk, Tavatum and Merenga.

This section completes the “missing link”. Dimitri: “One can drive year around from South America to South Africa on permanent roads except through the Darien gap and between Anchorage and Omsukchan – the missing link.”

Position: April 25, 2011:
N62° 30.987, E155° 46.342 Omsukchan
595 km completed.

Eighth section:
Omsukchan, Magadanskaya Oblast to Yakutsk in the Republic of Sakha.
August-September 2011 with Gulnara Miftakhova
Approx. 1760 km

Dimitri: “After Yakutsk, our goal is to travel on our bicycles southwest towards Mongolia and continue further through Kazakhstan, and through some of the Central Asian states (Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan), some of the Middle Eastern countries (Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel), and some of the Northern African countries (Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal) where it will be time to row!”

“Of course, the exact route will be determined as we progress, partly depending on geopolitical conditions.”

Dimitri plans to complete the entire expedition by 2016, upon reaching Knik Lake, after having circumnavigated the globe via human power.

Meanwhile, Dimitri is in Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, Russia. This Sunday, Oct. 08, 2011, he will continue his expedition to Nerungri. This time he will be cycling alone, without Gulnara. Wish him luck and a safe journey!

Yesterday I said bye to the Scottish travellers, who are making the MAD Expedition from Magadan (Pacific Ocean) to Scotland (Atlantic Ocean) on their own Landrover Defenders. They drove the Kolyma Highway through Ust Nera on September 13-18, 2011.

They are a group of friends from the Scottish city of Glasgow. Stuart, Richard, Gaven, Graham. They do long-distance driving travels regularly. Last time they made it from London to Kazahstan. This time they are here in Siberia on the way home.

Their mission is not just to have fun on the road, but also fundraising for charity. Check the list of charity funds they are supporting. Good friends with good intentions!

Ilya Kovyakin, the host of AskMagadan.com, helped them with cutsom clearance at the sea port in Magadan, Russia. Check out his website later to learn more about the specifics of custom paperworks.

The Scottmen’s travel delayed for more than a month. Initially they planned to start their road trip in the late July 2011, but their shipping company made a mistake in papers, so the cargo with the off-road vehicles stuck in Seoul on the way to Vladivostok and Magadan. It wasn’t the Russian custom service, that postponed their trip.

These four Scottish travellers prepared themselve to ride in the conditions of hot summer weather. In July they asked me, what the current weather was. I said, “+36C and +42C.” They were shocked to hear such news.

After a month, in the early September, the situation was totally different. The temp in Magadan and Yaktusk was already +10C, all trees turned in yellow colors. Moreover, it’s more colder on the road, especially in mountain area. When arrived in Yakutsk, guys said they were camping at -25C… at night.

Ok, no more words about the road conditions and weather reports. Let’s watch travel pictures taken by Scotsmen on the way from Magadan to Yakutsk.

In Yakutsk I share time with them. In the below pictures you can see them at the TV Studio of the Sakha National Broadcasting company. That was the recording of the morning talk show called “A New Day”

Back to a hotel for changing Scottish kilts for regular jeans.

This photo might be called, “Praise god, we made it the Internet.” Here they are at Chicago Cafe with free Wi-Fi.

The whole set of Yakutsk photographs with Scotsmen’s walking around the city in kilts might be seen on the fb page Yakutsk City.

Benjy Davenport finally made it from UK to Yakutsk, Russia. He and his Landrover Defender in front of the Government of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia.

Last Friday Benjy Davenport, who is doing the long trip from London, UK, to Cape Horn in South America, finally made it to Yakutsk. His driving on LandRover Defender to my city took more than one year.

Yes, that’s how long his journey was. He was supposed to come in August 2010, but a crazy drunk driver hit his landy in the Ukrainian city of Kharkov and Benjy was forced to return home for the total reconstruction of the car. He resumed his journey this year’s April.

So, who is Benjy Davenport and why he is doing an epic charity fundraising expedition?

Here is what he says himself:

My name is Ben Davenport. I’m 28 and live in the South West of England in Cornwall. Last year I embarked on a solo expedition in my Land Rover, attempting to drive from London to Cape Horn in South America. My route was to take me through Scandinavia via NordKapp, across Europe, Russia, The Central Asian “Stans”, Mongolia, across the Pacific to Alaska and then down through Canada, The United States, Central America and South America to Tierra del Fuego.

While a fair few people have done such expeditions, what makes my solo trip that bit more challenging is that I’m afflicted by Noonan’s Syndrome… Don’t worry ! You aren’t the only one not to have heard of it !!

In short, he travels to raise funds for Newlife Foundation and British Heart Foundation. If you are active donators, you can help him to help others. Learn more about his charity at Cornwall2Capehorn.com

Meanwhile, he is determined to follow his mission, “40 borders, 50,000 miles, 1 landrover, 1 driver, solo.”

Further, please, see more photographs from our meeting in Yakutsk, Russia.

I like his car. Not because he is on LandRover Defender only. Mainly because its transport carries a lot of wishes from people he met during his travel. Think, the idea to write wishes
appeared in Russia’s Altai Mountains, as many greetings are from Barnaul.

I took an advantage of such tradition too. Left my own wish as well (see in one of the below listed photographs).

After chatting on the parking lot designed only for vehicles of Yakutia’s Government, we went to share coffee.

By the way, the place where we have been is pretty nice. It’s called Chicago Cafe. Apart from good coffee, they’ve got free Wi-Fi.

See Chicago Cafe on http://g.co/maps/p6yf5. By the way, in the same building, there is my lovely Chicago grill bar, where I usually share beer with travellers :)

Ok. Let’s back to Benjy. This Monday he started his ride on the Road of Bones to Magadan. Today is Wednesday, so he must be somewhere between Ust Nera (Yakutia) and Susuman (Magadan Oblast).

The current weather is really autumn-like. Below 10C in a daytime and around zero at night. Raining. Tree leaves have already turned in yellow colour.

PS. If you like what Benjy Davenport is doing, please, spread the info about his epic charity expedition.

An American chopper Doug Wathke and an Austrian BMW rider Hansjorg.

Yesterday I received an sms from Doug Wothke, who said he arrived in Yakutsk… on a Harley & Davidson motorcycle. It was late night. Right after midnight. He wrote he was looking for hotels to stay. For some reasons, all of them were full.

Hotels were full, as the republic’s big events are coming these weeks, including international economical forum dedicated to infrustructure development in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). They didn’t know that, and, frankly saying, that was not the point to mention even. Finally, they found so-called mini hotel (a sort of a guest house).

Today I have met him and he was not alone. There was an Austrian biker named Hansjorg on a BMW and one Russian Max on a KTM from Tynda, who said he catched up his group of Moscovite bikers going also to Magadan… And, yes, there was an Moscow-based American BMW motorcyclist Tom Reiter, a friend of Walter Colebatch’s. As far as you know, Walter is the UK motorbiker, who had explored Siberian roads (www.SibirskyExtreme.com) for others.

So… today, instead of two expected bikers, Doug and Tom, I saw 9 motorcyclists, they are 2 Americans, 1 Austrian, 6 Russians. They were changing tires and preparing their bikes for a long ride to Magadan.

See more photographs of today’s meeting.

Doug’s bike in the front.

Doug Wothke is really a cool guy. He is an American, a big fan of Harley & Davidson. A famous person in the moto world actually. Some says he is a legend.

Last year he travelled across the country from Moscow to Vladivostok on a clasic chopper. Preparing for this year’s trip through the old route of Kolyma Highway (Road of Bones), he decided he needed another bike, that would be ready for making through various terrains, as the classic chopper might get stuck on the first muddy puddle or pothole.

So, last year Doug built his new bike… himself… especially for the Road of Bones.

Well, if you are a motor biker, it’s not me to tell you, who Douge is. If not, check his travel website http://motosapiens.org/

A Russian biker (in center) is helping Tom Reiter (left) to remove a wheel.

Doug’s bike.

A scull on Doug’s motorcycle.

Doug’s stickers.

More Doug’s stickers. Do you see the star with Lenin head? It’s the SibirskyExtreme‘s sticker. IMHO, we need to say many thanks to Walter Colebatch, who promoted so intensively the Road of Bones last year.

This is a biker from the Moscow group.

Moscovite’s sticker with the mentioned Russian website, where Moscow motorbikers are writing travel notes during their journey. Frankly, they didn’t appear to be friendly. So, I didn’t try to talk to them much. Just learned that they were going separately from international riders. Whatever.

UPDATE, Aug. 24, 2011:

The picture from Yakutia’s major newspaper “Yakutsk Vechernyj.” Motorcyclists on the ferry across the Lena River. From left to right: Russian Max, Austrian Hansjörg Franz and American Doug Wothke.

Here is Doug already in Magadan. Learn more about his arrival at AskMagadan.com.

“Do you have any coordinates of gulags in Yakutia?” a question asked very, very often. No, I don’t have GPS coordinates, but I know there are some Stalin’s labour camps north off the Kolyma Higway on the way to Topolinoe (see the settlement on the map). If to be more precise, closer to the village.

Here are a few tips how to find camps.

1. You’d better have your own transport (your personal or rented) so to feel free in movement. The road is long and goes through many rivers. When raining, they might become full of waters, so some time or even a day will be spent in waiting for water level’s getting low.

2. If you are forced to rent a car, recommend to find a driver in Topolinoe, as drivers of this settlement know the road better and they do not panic about river crossing and passing shaggy bridges at all.

What if to find a driver in Khandyga? Well, the problem is Khandyga drivers have no reason to ride to reindeer breeders’ settlement at all. They don’t know the specifics of the road, and they are always afraid of being stuck, for instance, while crossing rivers. They don’t want to spend much time on the road. They always rush and put time limits on all your activity. And they don’t know about exact locations of gulag camps at all. Moreover, they are always complaining and appear to be pretty much greedy. They can say, We can go to Topolinoe and suffer harsh conditions, but for big money.

How to arrange a driver from Topolinoe? It’s better to do via a travel company or your Yakutian friends. Keep in mind, that calls from Yakutsk to Khandyga and Topolinoe are long distance and cost some coins. When a driver will be found and convinced, he might come to Khandyga and meet you.

3. Find a good guide. Actually, if you would hire a driver from Topolinoe, there won’t be any need in a guide, as a driver is knowledgable. But if you are travelling on your own car, take a person, who knows gulag locations.

People of Khandyga and Teplyy Klyuch (Khandyga Airport) do not know anything aboout Stalin’s camps closer to Topolinoe. They believe there are no such at all before that settlement. Maybe, that’s because they do not travel that direction at all.

Only one resident of Khandyga is aware. His name is Ivan Igoshin. He is the director of the regional museum and a big fan of Kolyma history. I wrote about him in one of previous posts, but he’s hard to contact, always on the move.

Gulag locations

Ian Freizer’s Travels in Siberia gives a good description:

“We left the village [Topolinoe] and headed back to Khandyga… Evidence of prison camps began to appear at about twenty-five kilometers from the village. There were old fences and guard towers back in the trees, and small buildings… We passed more guard towers, more small log buildings. At km marker 136 – marker 53, measuring from Topolinoe – Alexander [a driver] pulled over and said there was a lager [a camp] just down the hill on the left. From the road all that could be seen was part of a snow-covered roof and the top of another guard tower…”

Conclusion

Rely on Mr Igoshin, of Khandyga, and Topolinoe people :)

Photo credit: Ajar Varlamov. Pictures taken on July 13th, 2011.

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.

But… Don’t forget June might be rainy. It means that the part Churapcha – Khandyga might be etremely muddy… good enough for off-road 4wds only. In the mountain area, between Khandyga and Ust Nera, some small brooks (with no bridges over them) might become as real mountain rivers, that appear right after rain storms. One option is left in such cases. Wait a few hours for overfulled brooks to get to their normal small sizes.

Ok. Words enough. Watch the video done by the Pole guy named Milosz Augustyniak, who completed his hitchhiking from Yakutsk to Magadan alone in June 2011. Everything you will see in it.

Canadians just arrived to Yakutsk from Vladivostok. They spent 12 days in Vladivostok waiting for their Toyota Landcruiser from custom clearance, and they spent 5 days on the way with camping along the route. Yes, they were really tired.

A week ago, I received the sms on my mobile. It said, “Hi, it’s me, Ian. I got my car from the custom service. Now I and my friends are starting the trip to Yakutsk…” I was like, “Who is Ian?..” Then I thought, if he knew my mobile number, he must have kept in touch with me via AskYakutia.com… and I was right.

I checked my email box, typed his name in the search box and found Ian Veinot‘s message dated April 7th, 2010. A year ago! He wrote:

Hi..Thanks so much for posting all of the information you have so far. I just want to clarify one thing…Is the all weather road from Yakutsk to Magadan a separate route to the Road of Bones? I would like to travel the Road of Bones next year but would like to start in June so am hoping to use the all weather road starting in Yakutsk before returning from Magadan in mid-June on the Road of Bones when the rivers are hopefully lower. Thanks for any advise! Cheers.

My answer was short:

If you go by the new route of the Kolyma Highway, i.e. through Ust Nera, you can do it in June as well. This part is in good condition in the course of the whole summer. If by the old route via Tomtor, in late July and August only because of rivers.

My god! I remember, a few months later, he was also asking me, how to clear the car at the Russian custom. I recommended to forward all custom-related inquires to Walter Colebatch from SibirskyExtreme.

One year past, Ian arrived in Yakutsk, as he promised, in June. It happened yesterday, June 12th, 2011.

Further, please, find out the video with his story about the way Vladivostok to Yakutsk, learn what type of problems he had with his car custom clearance and see what made tired travellers happy in Yakutsk.

In this video, Ian is telling, who they are and how the trip from Vladivostok to Yakutsk was.

Lately, Ian explained what type of the problem they experienced, while clearing the Toyota Landcruiser off-road vehicle in the Russian port-city of Vladivostok. Their shipping company, that delivered the 4wd from Australia, made mistakes in papers. Here they are:

1) The car owner’s name was misspelled in papers.
2) The total weight (in kg) was indicated wrong. 6 K instead of 2 K.
3) The list of stuff inside the cabin was wrong as well. Some items were not found in the list.

How come? Ian and Richard said, “Stupidity!” A few moments later, Ian said, “Or, maybe, the shipping company operator was a pregnant female and she was about to give birth…” Richard added, “Yeah, actually she didn’t care much about information she wrote in the form…”

All the above details were already said in the Chicago grill bar. You should see how happy they became, when they started eating grilled meat. Below, just one of those happy images :)

Canadians in the Chicago grill bar.

Ian explained why they were happy. Just imagine. They spent 5 days on the road. They didn’t stay for nights in hotels. They were camping. And they were dirty. In Yakutsk they were hosted at my friend’s private place, got showers and became clean, and found a chance to enjoy well-cooked meat.

This morning they are leaving for Magadan. Hope everything will be fine. They plan to make it via Ust Nera. In Magadan, Kim will meet her husband, Harry, who will replace Richard on the way back to Yakutsk through the old route of the Road of Bones. Richard, in his turn, will get back to Beijing, China, where he works.

UPDATE:

Canadians made it to Magadan via Ust Nera. After they returned the same way. Ian said they didn’t dare to try the old route through Tomtor, as rivers on that way were full of high waters. It was in June 2011.