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Igloo Construction in Yakutsk, Yakutia / Russia. Big Boys’ Games. Photos.

Bolot — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:34:44 +0000

When spring is coming to Yakutsk, right to the city called once as the coldest in the world, we, residents, have many options for outdoor activity.

We say “Spring has started,” when the temperature is already above minus 25 degrees Celsius. Like right now. While I am writing it, the current degree is minus 11.

Nice weather for snow-related funs. Let’s list them. Skiing, ice skating, snowboarding, snowmobiling, dog sledding, ice fishing, ice racing, and etc, etc, etc. Yes, definitely there is always space for shashliki (Russian BBQ). But… you know… it’s a standard set of must-do-outside things.

Last two years a new fun appeared, surpisingly, among real men, who turned out to be big boys in their souls. This is igloo construction.

Why is it a fun? And why new? As far as you know, igloos are snowhouses built by the Inuit. They are more common in Canada’s Central Arctic and Greenland’s Thule area than in Siberia.

An idea of igloo construction popped up right after those real cool guys from Yakutsk Adventure Club and Yakutia Off-Road Championships Committee, precisely Artem Petukhov and his fellows, had seen the photo:

They said, “Why not do the same, but in Yakutsk?” Lately, they did. See how they had fun while constructing an igloo the last spring. This year they are planning to do it again.

Well, who knows. Maybe, this year they will already construct a big igloo hotel

Photos provided by Artem Petukhov, Yakutsk Adventure Club.Similar Posts:

Two Yakutian films to be screened at Imagine Native Film Festival in Toronto, Canada

Bolot — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:34:19 +0000

An image from Days of Yakutia in Toronto, Canada.

What a great news! Sardana Savvina let me know that two Yakutian films are going to participate at The Imagine Native Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada. They will be screened at Bell Light BOX Movie Theater on October 22nd and 23rd, 2011.

If by any chance you appeared to be in Toronto on those days, don’t miss the chance to visit the film festival and watch Yakutian movies. You won’t regret ever! Check the screening schedule.

Further, find films description and get energized by the While the Wind Blows movie trailer with a song performed by the famous Yakut rock band “103″ and Varya Maksimova.

Tual baarun tukaru
(While the Wind Blows)
2010, Russia, 76 min, DVCAM,
Sakha English
Director: Sergei Potapov

While the Wind Blows. A movie by Sergey Potapov.

International Premiere
Oct 22 2011, 3:30PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 3

Touted as the first feature film from the Sakha (Yakut) region of Russia, and the imagineNATIVE debut of young Yakut director Sergei Potapov, Tual baarun tukaru is a cinematic and mythic tour de force of good vs. evil, and a new voice in Indigenous film. In the rural expanse of the Russian wilderness, a mysterious storyteller wanders upon the feudal enclave of the Moyos family and their servants. Aiyyna, the beautiful daughter of Lord Moyos, is transfixed by the storyteller and dreaming of her future when she is abducted by Ehr Sogotokh, a lonely and mysterious castaway. Aiyyna’s fiance, Sette Timekh, son of the regional duke, mounts a campaign to rescue his lover and hunt down her captor with a squad of warriors. But meeting with Ehr changes Aiyya’s life. Reliving his strange upbringing, Ehr understands his destiny and that the battle for Aiyyna may be his last. Jealousy, betrayal and yearning test heroes and villains, a showdown between love and death. Sumptuous cinematography, landscapes and distinctive storytelling make this Beauty and the Beast tale a magical and memorable film.

This is the first feature for Sergei Potapov (Sakha). Born in the village of Suntar in the Yakutia region of eastern Russia, Sergei created several short documentary and dramatic works such as Breath, Once in Yakutsk and Whims of Rain before establishing with fellow filmmakers the Cinema Centre Production company in 2009. In production since then, this is the company’s first large-scale production. The film screened to local audiences in Yakutsk before making its international debut at imagineNATIVE.

Put’ k solnsu
(Towards the Sun)
2010, Russia, 50 min, MiniDV,
Even and Russian English
Director: Marina Kalinina

Towards the Sun. A film by Marina Kalinina.

North America Premiere
Oct 23 2011, 12:00PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 2

The Indigenous people of northeastern Russia have a legend about a magic reindeer that has the sun on its antlers. In this incredibly intimate and direct cinema approach, the experiences of a nomadic migratory trip made by a group of Evenki reindeer herders is told with a timeless and unique style by filmmaker Marina Kalinina. Through 500 kilometres of beautiful landscapes, harsh conditions and minus 45 degree temperatures, this film captures the daily trials, tribulations and routines of one family that still survives according to ancient ways of living.

Born in the Yakutia Russian Republic, Marina Kalinina (Even) has an extensive filmmaking background, from the horror film Naakara in 2006 to the intimate point-of-view documentary Shergin’s Mine and her current documentary series about World War Two. Put’ k solnsu caught the eye of imagineNATIVE programmers at the Skabmogovat Film Festival in Finland earlier this year.

If you wonder, who is Sardana Savvina, so here is the clue. It was her, who made two Yakutian movies screening at The Imagine Native Film + Media Art Festival possible!Similar Posts:

Yakutian women & Co. on the Mechanic Koulibin river ship. 11 photos by Alexey Pavlov

Bolot — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:49:51 +0000

Here is the story. Alexey Pavlov is the famous photographer in Yakutia. Yakutsk-based TAYA Model Agency has many beautiful young women. LenaTourFlot LLC has a pretty old, but stylish Soviet passenger ship that tends to make journeys between Yakutsk and the Arctic settlement of Tiksi. Yakutia has the awesome magic Lena River.

So what do you think Alexey did? He travelled with TAYA models on the Mechanic Koulibin ship to the Lena Pillars, one of major geological monuments on the Lena River, and brought a bunch of great photographs. Take a look and enjoy!

Via Alexey Pavlov’s Blog.Similar Posts:

2011 Miss Virtual Yakutia online beauty pageant finalists announced

Bolot — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:06:48 +0000

Yulia Zerzheeva

TOP 10 Miss Virtual Yakutia 2011 online beauty pageant contenders have been announced. On March 8th, the Siberian city of Yakutsk will meet and greet its best lady, who made it to the long-desired gold crown and high title through numerous photo sessions, voting stages and various small contests from December of the previous year.

Can you imagine? For almost four months, contenders have been living the life of virtual beauty rat race?

Miss Virtual Yakutia is the annual web-based beauty pageant arranged by Sakha Internet, the major Yakutsk-based online content provider, and Ona+, weekly women newspaper.

Further, please, find more pictures of the online beauty contest finalists…

Oh, by the way, does anyone know, why young ladies are so eager to participate in such beauty events? Is it like just their way of saying, “Hey, look at me. I am the best and definitely I deserve the rich fiance on the white horse …”? Whatever the true motivation is, it’s a good reason to show what type of women live in Yakutia, the biggest Siberian region

Enjoy!

Zoya Filippova

Alena Lisitsina

Anastasia Arbugina

Diana Lebedeva

Evgenia Gunina

Ksenia Uvarova

Marika Ammosova

Yana Timofeeva

Yulia Shepeleva

All so called beauty-related articles are tagged with “beauty contest” and “beauty pageant”.Similar Posts:

Andrey I is constructing Yakutsk Ice Labyrinth

Bolot — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:04:19 +0000

Andrey I and his Navigator studio’s previous attepmt to build the world’s biggest stalagmite, unfortunately, failed. Yakutsk Office of Public Prosecutor prohibited them to build it presuming the man-created stalagmite might be unsafe and, if it fell, many people could be injured. In other words, prosecutors didn’t believe in Andrey I’s project and decided to prevent its construction just in case. Whatever prosecutors say, Mr. I will resume his attempt the next year.

Meanwhile, he continued creating another amazing ice construction. In short, it is Yakutsk Ice Labyrinth (see the above picture), but they call it as Speleolabyrinth. Currently they finished trenches and are about to build up inner walls.

This morning I visited the ice labyrinth located near Microdistrict 202, where I live. I was strolling with my blue-eyed Yakut laika puppy. You can see that funny dog in the below video, in which I am showing the path from the labyrinth entrance to its center… Oops, think Andrey I will kill me for his disclosed secret, but I couldn’t stop myself. It was pretty interesting to follow trenches and see how to get to the final destination.

It’s me talking in background. My English is not perfect, I know, so don’t criticize me severely

I like what Andrey I is doing. I will try to follow all his interesting projects and write about them in posts tagged as Andrey I.Similar Posts:

A trailer of not-yet-existing Siberian shaman movie. By Yakutsk-based E. Osipov’s team

Bolot — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 01:20:11 +0000

This is the trailer of non-existing fantasy / horror / history / drama movie created and presented by Yakutsk-based film makers, E. Osipov (producer), Misha Vasiliev (director), Sema Amanatov (cameraman, director of arts). A short film trailer was done on the Canon 7D digital camera.

This way E. Osipov (his blog) is trying to attract investors and sponsors to the production of the widescreen movie about love, shamans, a warrior and Sakha (Yakut) people’s ordinary, but brutal life of the past in the biggest Siberian region called Yakutia.

Based on Sardana Sivtzeva’s novel “Taming Demons.”

Another good news. Yakutia is becoming Siberia’s Hollywood with a dozen of new widescreen movies produced per year! Did you know about it? Similar Posts:

The 2010 Miss Yakutia beauty pageant in Yakutsk, Siberia/Russia. Casting & Final.

Bolot — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 02:39:35 +0000

Violetta Dyachkovskaya, the 2010 Miss Yakutia beauty pageant winner. A photo by Alexey Pavlov. Yakutsk, Siberia/Russia. Click the photo to open and download a wallpaper.

There was the annual event I cannot miss to cover this time. On November 28, 2010, the Siberian city of Yakutsk hosted the 2010 Miss Yakutia beauty pageant. Violetta Dyachkovskaya was announced as the winner.

When outdoor temperature in the Siberian city of Yakutsk is much below minus 40 degrees Celsius, indoor people decide which lady is the best and most beautiful. It happens annually in the form of the Miss Yakutia beauty contest.

Praise god, we’ve got talented pro photographers, Alexey Pavlov and Vadim Skryabin. Previously, we published Alexey Pavlov’s studio pictures. He is considered to be the best studio photographer in Yakutsk. He is a co-founder of the Pavlov & Pavlov advertising agency.

All big city entertainment events cannot be missed from his view and presents and he was a major photographer of the beauty contest as well. So I am glad to present his and his colleague’s pictures of Siberian women in all glamour.

Below is the pageant preliminary casting held in Polyarnaya Zvesda (Polar Star) Hotel. Violetta Dyachkovskaya, Miss Yakutia 2010, is in the center of Vadim Skryabin’s photo reportage:

Alexey Pavlov’s photographs of 2010 Miss Yakutia beauty pageant participants on the stage. Think, he’s got pictures of almost all of them.

Violetta Dyachkovskaya’s glory minutes. Her winner announcement and first interviews as Miss Yakutia 2010. Photos by Alexei Pavlov.

Please, leave your comment saying what you think about Yakutian ladies and, certainly, spread a word about Siberian beauties across the world.Similar Posts:

Saina, a Siberian singer from Yakutia. Listen to her songs!

Bolot — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 03:20:24 +0000

Saina, Yakutsk-based Siberian ethno singer, will give her first big solo concert in Moscow on Dec. 18th, 2010. The event will be hosted in the “DOM” concert hall. More show info, think, might be got directly from her through her facebook profile Saina Singer. By the way, she is a fan of the eYakutia – English Yakutia fb page as well.

Who is Saina?

As I said in my previous post Saina, the singer of Yakutia’s Northern nations, Saina is pretty much able to present herself. Listen to her introduction (click on the title to play the audio):

Saina’s audio self presentation

Listen also to her amazing songs (full versions). To play tracks, click on titles.

Kyys Toyuga (A Young Lady’s song)
My Song
Oronchikan
Sunrise Over Tundra

Similar Posts:

Yakutia in Hollywood’s The Way Back with Colin Farrell and Ed Harris

Bolot — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:05:25 +0000

A cool Hollywood movie with Colin Farrell is coming on wide screens soon. Yakutia, actually, a bloody part of its history, is depicted. Here is what Richard Laweson wrote in Defamer:

“Here’s a trailer for The Way Back, Peter Weir’s upcoming film about a ragtag band of men (and a girl) escaping the gulag in Siberia [read Yakutia's Kolyma]. It looks a fun, throwbacky adventure yarn, complete with soaring vistas and handsome, grizzled men.”

“Specifically Colin Farrell, who’s having an interesting, quieter second leg of his career. Gone are the cheesy star-maker thrillers, replaced by nimble performances in well-chosen indies. (He was terrific in, and a deserving Golden Globe winner for, In Bruges, and had a nice, unshowy supporting bit in Crazy Heart.) Ed Harris looks typically half-bearded and flint-eyed, and that cute little Saoirse Ronin shows up as eerily adult as ever as a lost babe in the woods.”

The following abstract impressed me most. Yeah, baby. Siberia is what he wrote,

“I’m excited about the Siberia stuff, if only because I’ve been reading Ian Frazier’s Siberia essays in The New Yorker and it sounds like a brutal but oddly magical place. Sure these crazy kids eventually end up out of there and in the Mongolian desert, and later the Himalayas, but the story starts in Russia’s deep freezer, and that’s an interesting place, and a relatively unexamined time period (in film at least), to begin. This thing has finally scored a release date that gives it Oscar eligibility, so it could be kicking around come awards season. If only the title didn’t make me think of the third row of seats in a minivan.”

Oscar, you said, Oscar! I think, Siberia with all its wild beauty and uneasy life deserve Oscars as many as possible.

The movie is based on Slavomir Rawicz’s novel The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom (see at Amazon), which itself is “fact based,” The Way Back chronicles the escape of a small group prisoners from a Soviet gulag in 1940 and their journey over 4,000 miles to get home.

An amazing thing is that I am in this theme a long time. I am keeping contact with young Polish documentalists, who dared to repeat Slavomir Rawicz’s route from the Siberian city of Yakutsk to India’s Calcuta. They started their way from Yakutsk in May 2010, they went up the Lena River down Lake Baikal and now they are in the Himalayas. Awesome guys! Read about them in my post at AskYakutia.com.Similar Posts:

Guess the 1st passengers of the 1st river journey on Demian Bednyj?

Bolot — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:34:33 +0000

A trivia question! Who were the first passengers of the first 3-hours Lena River journey on the cruise ship “Demyan Bednyj” on June 1st, 2010, the first day of official navigation?

Right, you are. Certainly, kids on the Day of Kids Protection widely celebrated in Russia, including the Siberian river of Lena in Yakutia )

Photos by Mirakly & Werwolf.
More information on the Lena River cruises.Similar Posts: