Yakutia, the realm of perpetual cold

Yakutia, the realm of perpetual cold

What to see in Yakutia, a region of Russia. Visiting the city of Yakutia in Russia is an opportunity to know the unknown. Touring Russia has never been better.

Imagination and human ingenuity are something that really; It has no limits, and less these are linked to the ability to take advantage of environmental resources.

Yakutsk is the largest city in northeastern Russia, the third largest population in the Far East in principle. In general, it is the only settlement in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) that I want to call city. Neryungri, Aldan, Mirny and others received such a state of “growth”, but only with the collapse of Soviet power does it seem that this growth will never come. And the point is not at all that “the bad bosses launched Yakutia”, it is simply not profitable to build here, not profitable and uncomfortable to live, uncomfortable work.

Some History

If it weren’t for diamonds and the coal mine, where gas and coal are extracted, then the human foot would never have stepped here, apart, of course, from the legs of the indigenous inhabitants: the Yakuts.

Yakutsk, and in the local Dyokuuskay language, was founded on September 25, 1632 by the Siberian Cossack Peter Beketov. During the campaign, 70 km north of the modern city, Yakutsky Prison was placed, which was named Lensky Prison. The prison was full of life; 300 Cossacks immediately settled in it, which periodically had to defend themselves against the Yakuts. At that time, the locals were especially warriors, excellent intrepid warriors, for a long time they did not allow the Cossacks to feel like full-fledged masters on this earth.

It was very difficult to conquer the Yakuts. What was not possible with weapons was easy to do with alcohol. The brave warriors drank for several decades. They themselves did not know how to produce alcohol, where they did not know how to obtain it, therefore, they fell at the feet of the Cossacks and stopped resisting, if only they were given water for fire.

12 years after the founding of the prison, the city was moved to the Tuymaaad Valley, to a modern place. 4 years before this event, Lensky Ostrog was recognized as the center of Yakut Voivodeship. From here began the conquest of North Asia by the Russian Empire. I must say that this process took place completely without heroism. Where guns didn’t help, alcohol was doing its job. Unfortunately, the northern peoples are extremely greedy for him and have no willpower.

In addition, Yakutsk’s story developed like a clock, slowly, but it surely increased steadily. In 1822, the city was recognized as a regional city; 29 years later, Yakutsk received the status of center of an independent region, which had equal rights to the provincials.

Until now, the Yakutians kindly remember Governor Ivan Ivanovich Kraft, who ran the region for only a little over a year, but during this time he managed to build a power plant, a telephone exchange and open a branch of the Russian Geographical Society.

Despite the remoteness of all fronts, Yakutsk actively participated in rear operations during the Great Patriotic War. It then served as a transshipment base for US aircraft, which were delivered to the USSR under a loan and lease agreement.

Now Yakutsk is an elongated city, most of which is on the left bank of the Lena River. The city is on average about 20 km long and 3 km wide. The elongated form of settlement is justified by topography.

Visit the city of Yakutia

The perfect example of this is Yakutia, a city that perfectly meets the typical stereotype of the Russian cold; and most likely until I passed it. Located in the coldest part of the country, Yakustk saves; In addition to the cold, one of the most important attractions for both Russian and foreign tourists.

If you are interested in doing tourist excursions in Russia, you must add in your travel itinerary to this cold city. It is nothing more and nothing less than “The Kingdom of Perpetual Cold”; an impressive museum that has been built taking advantage of an old tunnel dating from the Soviet era of Russia, excavated with the idea of ​​converting it and using it as a giant refrigerator.

The walls of this museum are entirely of ice and in summer they are covered with snow and adorned with magnificent sculptures, also made with ice. During winter it acts as a kind of thermal chamber that; unlike the -50 degrees that reaches the outside temperature; Store about -10 “warm” degrees of temperature. Many must be asking themselves whether the walls and their entire interior are completely ice; It will never melt. The answer is simple: permafrost. Permafrost is a layer of the planet’s crust composed of ice and that; indeed, it has not melted for several millennia.

Climate and ecology of Yakutsk

The weather in Yakutsk is such that spitting can really freeze in the cold. The minimum temperature here coincides with the cold pole: Oymyakon. A person born and raised in southern Yakutia has nothing to do. Although the weather is very hot in summer. Yakuts cannot be surprised with temperatures below forty degrees above zero.

In the territory of the city there are large industrial, housing and communal, fuel and energy and agricultural companies. All of them emit various wastes into the atmosphere and the Yakutsk hydrosphere, all kinds of anthropogenic impacts, effluents, emissions, etc. Scientists are already sounding the alarm. But in the Republican center itself they do not pay attention, and from Moscow the experiences of scientists and environmentalists in Yakut are not visible.

In the main cities of the continent (although Yakutsk is located on the continent, it is a very isolated territory), the problem of the disposal and processing of industrial and municipal solid waste is solved by its physical disposal in special plants. There are still no such plants in Yakutsk. Outside the territory of the city from the garbage, you can build new cities.

Soon, the landfill will prevail over Yakutsk. Visually, water, soil and air pollution are not visible, but recent measurements have shown that the results are also deplorable. An interesting situation is happening with the water intake. It is located in Darkylak, below the town of Tabaga, where the tuberculosis hospital is located. From this hospital, periodically, untreated and untreated fecal wastes are dumped in the Lena.

Inside the museum, absolutely everything is made of ice, from the structure to the furniture, you can see an ice throne, sculptures and perhaps most interesting, the remains of a perfectly preserved mammoth. You will also have the unrepeatable opportunity to try a dish made from frozen meat and have a good vodka, of course, in an ice glass.