Travel Guide

A Road Trip from Yakutsk to Verkhoyansk in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia. March 2012. Travel Report.

April 13, 2012

A winter road trip from Yakutsk through Topolinoe and Gulags to Verkhoyansk, Russia

A winter road trip from Yakutsk through Topolinoe and Gulags to Verkhoyansk, Russia

A winter road trip from Yakutsk through Topolinoe and Gulags to Verkhoyansk, Russia

A winter road trip from Yakutsk through Topolinoe and Gulags to Verkhoyansk, Russia

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.

Read more…

A journey to the bottom of Yakutsk, Russia. Andrey I’s descent into the world’s deepest permafrosted shaft

April 10, 2012

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.

Read more…

1-Day Trip to Holy Kihilyakh for the Light of the 2012 Children of Asia Sports Games

March 30, 2012

Kihilyakh, holy place in Yakutia, Siberia, Russia

Kihilyakh, Holy Place in Yakutia, Siberia, Russia

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.

Read more…

5-day travel to/with Even reindeer herders in Yakutia’s valley of Oymyakon, Siberia / Russia

March 12, 2012

Reindeer sledding journey in Oymyakon, Yakutia, Siberia, Russia

Reindeer sledding journey in Oymyakon, Yakutia, 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.

Read more…

Answers to 12-yo Swede girl’s questions about winter clothes, animals & school kids in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia

December 14, 2011

School children in Yakutia, Siberia, Russia

Received a very nice request from a 12-year-old lady from Stochholm, Sweden.

She wrote:

Hi!.. I am 12 years old. I am working on a school project about Yakutsk and Yakutia. There are some things I want to ask about. – What type of clothes do you use during wintertime? -What abot the wildlife in Yakutia, what type of animals live there? – Children who don’t live close to their school, how do they get to school during the coldest periods?

This is so cool! I was extremely glad to hear kids’ interest in Yakutia.

Here are my answers: Read more…

VIDEO: How does Yakutsk Permafrost Institute Underground Tunnel w/ huge frozen snowflakes look like?

October 7, 2011

As you know, Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia in Russia’s Siberia, is based on the frozen ground known mostly as the permafrost. What’s that? It means the ground the city stands on is penetrated by ice. Actually, it is the mixture of dust, soil and ice.

See the above video made inside the undeground tunnel used by Yakutsk Permafrost Institute (the only one alike in the wold) and get an idea of what I am trying to tell. In this vid I like most of all those huge frozen snowflakes. If you had be lucky enough to go down inside, please, do not crush snowflakes, as it took decades for them to became so awesome :)

Previously, I wrote much about Yakutsk Permafrost Institute. Read more…

Where to buy the flag of Yakutia in Yakutsk? Wow, a hard question…

August 16, 2011

The flag of Yakutia in a bookstore in the 2nd House of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia

The flag of Yakutia in a bookstore in the 2nd House of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia

Yesterday, Doug Wothke sent me a text with a quick question, “Where to buy the flag of Yakutia?” Gosh, it appeared to be a hard question.

I don’t know why, but Yakutia flags are something that tend to be ordered specially at local advertising & publishing houses. It is something used mostly and ordered in a bulk by governmental and municipal organizations, NGOs, various parties or companies.

So, the flag of Yakutia must be ordered. I mean, if you wish a flag, you need to contact a company that produces flags, and place the order.

Read more…

Travel Guide Video: The Kolyma Highway (The Road of Bones). By Casey Handmer.

July 27, 2011

An Australian hitchhiker Casey Handmer (on the left) with Vadim, a biker of Anadyr.

An Australian hitchhiker Casey Handmer (on the left) with Vadim, a biker of Anadyr.

A year ago, July 28, in Yakutsk I met Casey Handmer, who said he was on the way to Magadan. Asked, how he was going to make it. Hitchhiking was his answer.

He was not the first one, who travelled the Kolyma Highway (Road of Bones) by that mean. So, I didn’t worry much, but I should actually.

Read more…

Which travel insurance is valid for Yakutia, Russia?

July 22, 2011

Which travel insurance is valid for Yakutia, Russia? This is a good question! You cannot be sure in your health, but you can be sure in your pro-activity.

Let’s start from the fact that Yakutia is a part of Russia. So when you think about insurance valid in Yakutia, you need to apply this issue in relation with the whole country. If your insurance works out in Russia, it should do in Russia’s Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It must be so at least, but…

Morelikely, when foreingers will be asked to pay for medical service and treatment and consults in a Russian hospital and they will refer to their available foreign insurance policies, they might hear the reply, “We do not recognize your paper! You should have an insurance from a Russian company. So, you need to pay yourself.” Actually, if doctors say that, it means they do not know, what to do with your paper.

Here are my quick tips about travel insurance for Russia:

Read more…

Yudoma River Fishing Lodge in South-East Yakutia, Siberia / Russia. Fishing in Siberian rivers at reasonable prices!

June 1, 2011

Exclusive offer: VIP fishing at reasonable prices in Yakutia, Siberia, Russia

Exclusive fishing at reasonable prices in Yakutia, Siberia, Russia

A frequently asked question: “What types of fishing do you have in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia?” In other words, people are interested in where, what and when to fish.

Frankly, Yakutia is considered to be one a highly desired fishing destination. Yakutia offers Siberian taimen fishing, perch fishing, whitefish fishing, lenok fishing and grayling fishing. Moreover, Siberian rivers with wildness and abundance of various fishes are, indeed, something for a fisherman to try in a life.

I do not say, it is a must to fish in Yakutia, because I live in here. No, just fishing in Yakutia is one of our special gifts. A brand, I would say.

When distinguished guests, celebrities, high officials and other VIPs come to Yakutia in summer and early autumn, hosts take them for fishing in Siberian rivers. That’s what locals love to do, as they know, when their guests will come back home, they would repeat one phrase for sure. “Yakutia has mind-blowing fishing!”

Great news is that. A friend of mine, who works for LenaTourFlot LLC, a travel agency of the biggest Lena River carrier company called LORP JSC, informed me that

“..Its so-called Yudomskaya fishing lodge constructed for VIP guests on the Yudoma River in South-East Yakutia is now available for regular fishermen at very reasonable prices…”

I say, “My god!” This place used to serve exclusively the chosen people. Now it is available for any fisherman, who can do all above-mentioned types of fishing. The big plus, IMHO, is the absence of furious mosquitoes and gnats.

Further, please, find information for LenaTourFlot’s 4-day fishing tour. Read more…

← Previous Entries