Winter starts from Yakutia! This is how a new travel project is called. What’s that? A good question.

Officials, who are responsible for tourism development in Russia’s Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, have been thinking over tricks of attracting tourists to Yakutia. They spent much time on that work. Indeed, it was a hard mission.

Yakutia is located pretty far away and, moreover, it’s huge and impossible to travel across in a short span of time and see all exotic things at once. What to do?

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Yesterday, the 1st Yakutia Fashion Week was open in Yakutsk, Russia’s Siberian Republic of Yakutia. Ladies demonstrated Yakutian designer’s clothes.

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Yes, just a few days left till Yakutian movies screening in Paris, France. The event will take place on December 15th, 2011.

Location: Movie Theater, the Centre Wallonie Bruxelles, 46, Rue Quincampoix (level-2), 75004 Paris.

Five short Yakutian movies to be screened:

- Caprices of Rain. Director S. Potapov
- Kündül. Director V. Semenov
- Aantchyk N. Arzhakov. Featured Jury International Film Festival Polar, Paris 2011
- Bitten, The Prediction (The Premonition). Director Mr. Lukatchevski. Special Jury Award International Film Festival Arsen and Andrei Tarkovsky (Kiev 2011)
- Balyksyt, The Fisherman. Director V. Semenov

Don’t miss this event!

By the way, France-based adventurer, a friend of mine, François Quiquet, provided on his blog more detailed information in French about the upcoming event and embed movie trailers.

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Juliana in her video Uhuktuu. Performed by khomus, a Yakut musical instrument.

This is Juliana. She performs music by the Yakut musical instrument called Khomus.

Juliana is well known in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia. By the way, she started her career in the first team of Albina Degtyareva’s Ayarkhaan female ensemble.

At present, she performs solo and sounds powerful and looks effective.

Watch her video clip “Uhuktuu” (Awakening), listen to mp3 and see screenshots in high resolutions. Read the rest of this entry…

A railway station in Nizhnyj Bestyakh in front of Yakutsk on the opposite bank of the Lena River. Photo by Dmitry Medvedev.

Yep, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Yakutsk. He arrived right from Hawaii this night.

The purpose of his official visit is to discuss the issues related to housing and communal services and participate in the opening of the last constructed branch line of the railway Berkakit – Tommot – Yakutsk in the settlement of Nizhnyj Bestyakh. This place is located in front of Yakutsk on the opposite bank of the Lena River.

Amazing! The half of the day I had been waiting from local journalists for any photographs of the event, especially of the Nizhnyj Bestyakh event. But… it appeared to be Dmitry Medvedev, who took a picture and uploaded it on his Twitter account @MedvedevRussia.

President Medvedev said that the railway must come to Yakutsk via the bridge over the Lena River, not through the tunnel.

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This is a 5-min video about Yakutia!

Its creators tried to do the impossible… to show all images of the vast diverse region called Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Think, they succeeded, but, frankly, such a hard mission won’t be possible to do ever.

No more words! Watch Yakutia!

A short video is dedicated to the biggest Yakut national holiday called Ysyakh (Yhyakh). Celebrated annually in June.

Created by Vladimir Moonkuev. Music by Sasha Lukin.

No words. The video conveys all the message. Enjoy! Certainly, you’re welcome to Yakutia in summer!

Last weekend, friends of mine, Oe Karpov and Andrey Dyakonov, arranged the great event. It was a BIG city event, but done in a TINY manner. They rented a wooden house in the wooden part of Yakutsk City, invited close friends and let the rock music sound in all power and authenticity.

Yeah, it was the “103″ rock band performing the unique ethno Siberian heavy music. It was utterly awesome!

Frankly, I am a big fan of “103″. Like its story. It is a little group of young people, who arrived into the city from a little Yakutian village called Khatassy by the public bus “103″ a few years ago. This village is mainly known as the producer of pork & beef. Nothing special could appear over there, apart from the delicious meat.

And here they are. Authentic ethno rock music! Delivered by guys, who learned to play musical instrument themselves in a little wooden village hall. By the way, they use the sound of the khomus, Yakut Jews-harp instrument.

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Glad that our famous designer Avgustina Filippova were able to participate in Yakutia’s Days in Toronto, Canada. In the above video you can see how she displayed her work – Yakut national costumes.

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Ayarkhaan

Albina Degtyareva’s AYARKHAAN female ensemble is giving three concerts in London, UK, on October 21-22, 2011. Learn more about the group and concerts’ time & locations. Read the rest of this entry…