This is relatively old news, but we would like to repeat it. So, here we go.

On November 19, 2009, the republic’s parliament approved in the first reading law on obligatory ethnological examination of the projects that can change the indigenous peoples’ of the North environment.

Members of parliament mean to protect the rights of the indigenous peoples in conditions of growing industrial development of their historical territories. The aim of the examination is to find out how such and such changes can affect the indigenous population’s life, culture and development in order to take timely adequate protective measures.

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An Italian traveler Marco Vignola after tw-day reindeer sledding in Oymyakon, Siberia/Russia. That was the travel in extremely cold weather conditions. The temperature was -52C/-61F.

Indeed, Oymyakon holds its title of the coldest inhabited place on the earth.

Photo by Misha Mestnikov.

Check my other blog AskYakutia.com to see what it is like to be in Oymyakon:
- A winter journey to the Pole of Cold;
- Reindeer sledding with Siberian nomads.

Browse through already-published posts under the tag Oymyakon.

It seems like I won’t be ever tired of promoting Albina Degtyareva, a bright representative of the Yakut national (khomus/jews harp) music, and her Ayarkhaan team. I really like the music of the world (or world music) and she is in the top list of music artists a must to listen to. She produced many music albums – solo and with her band “Ayarkhaan.” You can come across her tracks on many download music websites and see her khomus play in many YouTube videos. She’s got many fans, who are ready to make her and Ayarkhaan visible on the Internet as much as possible. So am I.

Albina Degtyareva with her band “Ayarkhaan” is based in Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia. Lives in the biggest Siberian region. Born in the little village of Kyrgyday.

Regalia: The honored culture worker of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Jobs:

Currently works as a khomus music teacher at Yakutsk Music College and as the artist of Yakutia’s State Variety Art Theater.

Used to work as a khomus music tutor at Yakutsk Children High Music School for more than 10 years. Had research work experience at International Khomus Center (known also as Yakutsk Khomus Museum).

Education:

Graduated from Yakutsk State University with major in the Sakha language and literature.

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Song: Taptal (Love)
Performance: Jeada (Egor Vasiliev)
Lyrics: Jeada (Egor Vasiliev)
Music: Nikolay Mikheev
Director: Konstantin Timofeev
Camera-man: Ivan Semyonov

So… WHO IS JEADA?

Real name: Gosha Vasiliev.
Born in Yakutia’s Megino-Kangalassky region.
Age: still young; just graduated from high school.
Worshiped by Yakutian teenagers for his song texts and life perception. His hit “Min Sakhabin” (I am a Sakha) created a real furor in 2005. He sings in the Sakha language mainly.

The song lyrics: Read the rest of this entry…

The NY holidays in Yakutia seem to be the same as in the whole Russia. 10 work free days. People tend to take advantages of all these rest days and do what they feel to do. Read the rest of this entry…

Olesya Malevanik, a Miss Virtual Yakutia 2009 finalist (left), Anastasia Sanitarova, Vice-Miss Virtual Yakutia 2009 (right).

This is the Pavlov & Pavlov creative studio’s promo posters for the online beauty contest “Miss Virtual Yakutia 2010″, that started officially on Novermber 27th, 2009. The final “battle” will take place on March 6th, 2010. The motto of this year’s online beauty pageant is “The Battle for the Crown!” Read the rest of this entry…

You think Yakutians are being frozen all the time in winter, don’t you? Wrong a little. They can also run and jump

The video was shot in the Chourapcha State Sports Institute. By the way, it’s one of the best athlete schools in Yakutia. Chourapcha is located on the way between Yakutsk and Khandyga. Churapcha is famous for the freestyle wrestling school, that gave the world three Olympic prize-winners, including the gold.

• Idea: Auto Expedition from Anapa (Black Sea) to Magadan via the Pole of Cold http://bit.ly/5LI6JH #
• Who want to travel from Yakutsk to Magadan in Feb. 2010. Let us know http://bit.ly/3gWH1Y #
• ColdUnited Flickr Pick: Watch your neck…: …Or your leg.
  This guy was hungry and did not want to share http://bit.ly/60LIM7 #
• Video: Leh- Manali mountain road in India: There is an awesome Yakutian photographer, Masha Dubroskaya. Four ye.. http://bit.ly/6MET4Y #
• strange winter in yakutsk #yakutsk. -35C -42C only. no -50C so far. #

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Today BBC News did a great job. The UK news outlet published an article about life in extreme cold in the world. Yakutia’s Yakutsk and Oymyakon were highlighted in the story. Enjoy reading!

By Raffi Berg, BBC News
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While extreme winter weather in parts of Europe, Asia and the US has brought normal life to a virtual standstill for millions of people, many other inhabited places manage to function where such sub-zero temperatures are routine.

In the north-eastern Russian Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the village of Oymyakon is commonly called the coldest populated place on Earth. Situated in an area of Siberia nicknamed “Stalin’s Death Ring” (a former destination for political exiles), Oymyakon boasts an average winter temperature of -45C, with a one-time world record low of -71.2C.

It is home to several hundred people, and until recently a single hotel with no hot water and an outside toilet. While a flurry of snow in Western Europe can cause schools there to close for days, Oymyakon’s solitary school shuts only when temperatures fall below -52C (the school has only enjoyed the luxury of an indoor toilet since 2008). Read the rest of this entry…

Actually this car wasn’t frozen accidently. Its owner got it frozen for winter intentionally. Reasons are various. First, if the car is used the whole winter, it could work a short period of time only. Second, to have a warm, heated garage is relatively expensive. Such a garage in downtown may cost approx. 1,000,000 rubles (~33,000USD). A month heated garage rent cost ~300 USD. Third, a car consumes in cold weather more fuel than in summer, and one litre is sold here at the price of ~1 USD

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