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Spring Flood on the Kolyma River. Srednekolymsk under Water [photos]

Bolot — Tue, 22 May 2012 01:44:35 +0000

The spring is the most expected season during the winter in Yakutia. When it comes, it brings a great joy, as it gets warmer, snow melts, ice starts floating on rivers. A spectacular nature event, but…

The spring brings disasters as well. They happen to be devastating and hundreds of private houses and households go under water. This weekend the disaster came to the town of Srednekolymsk (population: 3500 people) situated on the west bank of the Kolyma River in North-East Yakutia, Siberia / Russia.

The ice jam occured on the river (see the photo further) and the level of water raised dramatically and the most part of the town went under water. At least, 1000 inhabitants were evacuated by the Russian Emergency Ministry yesterday, May 21st, 2012.

Ice jam on the Kolyma River. The arrow shows the location. Srednedkolymsk is on the right side.

Srednekolymsk residents, Ivan Shadrin, Masha Galitskaya & Lyuba Konstantinova, keep reporting and uploading photographs from the flood site on the Russian social website VK.com.

See what’s happing up there in Kolyma, East-North Yakutia, Siberia / Russia.

Today, the level of water in Srednekolymsk is reported to be getting lower.Similar Posts:

Happy Victory Day from Yakutsk, Siberia / Russia. 10 photos.

Bolot — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:20:48 +0000

Today is Russia’s Victory Day, a national holiday celebrated across the country. See photographs taken on Victory Day in Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, Russia.

To see big images, click thumbnails.

Happy Victory Day!Similar Posts:

Parade on May 1st in Yakutsk, Russia. 45 photos.

Bolot — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:09:57 +0000

May 1st is a special day in Russia. It’s a national holiday. It might called in different ways. International Workers’ Day, May Day, Spring & Labour Day or Labour Day. Here we just use the word “May 1st” (in Russian, “Pervomaj” or “Pervoe Maja”.)

How do we percept this holiday?

In my and many others’ opinion, it is more like a celebration of the spring. It is a day, when we can enjoy parades and go out of the city for BBQ (shashliki).

See photographs of the May 1st Parade taken place in Yakutsk, Russia.

To see big images, click thumbnails.

Similar Posts:

70 Travel Photos: Reindeer Sledding w/ Even Herders in Oymyakon, Siberia, Russia

Bolot — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 02:17:26 +0000

In February, as you might already know, I experienced just a magic reindeer sledding expedition across valleys and rivers of Oymyakon, East Yakutia, Russia’s Siberia. With the Even nomad family of the Cherkashins. Well, it was a sort of expedition to me, but not to reindeer herders. They considered two-day travel as a regular neighbourhood visit.

No more words from me. Enjoy 70+ photographs.

More about Oymyakon reindeer sledge trip at my other blog AskYakutia.com.Similar Posts:

Photo of the Day: This morning’s snow storm in Yakutsk, Russia.

Bolot — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:35:35 +0000

Snow storm in Yakutsk, Russia. April 17, 2012. Photo by Ajar Varlamov.

Yes, it’s April and this is a controversial spring in Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, Russia. A couple of days ago, there waw no snow in the city, it melted and left much mud and puddles after. Today snow got back in a great amount. Cool!

See what we had in previous years:
- Video: Snow fall on May 3rd, 2011.
- Slideshow: Snowstorm on April 26, 2010.

Enjoy more Ajar Varlamov’s photographs.Similar Posts:

KAMAZ truck drivers before the last winter road run in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia

Bolot — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:34:44 +0000

Yesterday I took photographs of how truck drivers – Michael Zakharov and his four sons – were preparing for this year’s last long run on the winter road from Yakutsk to Srednekolymsk, Kolyma area of North-East Yakutia, Siberia, Russia.

A long ride, indeed, and very risky. Around 2500 km on one way through the Kolyma federal road (settlements of Khandyga and Ust Nera) and the Arctic winter road (Ust Nera – Sasyr – Zyryanka – Srednekolymsk).

The whole two-way trip, as Michael said, will take approximately 15 days. This is the period when ice on rivers starts melting and water overflowing, though the current weather over there in Kolyma is like -15C in a daytime.

The most challenging is a part between Sasyr and Zyryanka with high passes through Ulahan Chistaya and Chersky ranges.

This time 51-year Michael is driving on two KAMAZ trucks with his 27-year son Pavel.

Michael’s two sons, Misha in the middle and Daniel on the right. A friend of theirs on the left.

A guy in a cap with a camera is Ben, California-based film maker, who is a big fan of truckers.

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Ice fishing on the Yana River in North-East Yakutia, Siberia / Russia [photos]

Bolot — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:15:42 +0000

In the late March, I had a chance to watch fishing on the Yana River near Batagai settlement in the Verkhoyansky area of North Yakutia, Siberia, Russia.

In the above photo you can see the Yana River. Pretty complicated flow. This way all tundra rivers look. Yana is not exception.

Further, find 12 photos of how ice fishing is done and what type of fishes are caught over there.

Rods for ice fishing:

But at that time fishmen used the net. They drilled many holes in a line through which they pulled the net from one point to another.

Asked what the thickness of ice cover was. They said, 1 m. – 1.5 m.

One of the major ice holes to get out the net.

With the net, we caught a dozen of fishes such as fat perches and crusians, and golden-look pikes.

Mmmmm. Yummy!

My trip to the Yana River happened thanks to GamesAsia.ruSimilar Posts:

Winter Magic with Reindeer & Herders in Oymyakon, Siberia / Russia

Bolot — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:32:43 +0000

This winter scene is good for a Merry Christmas card, though reindeer here is in his natural environment… in Oymyakon, one of the coldest inhabited places in the world. Located in Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, East Siberia & the Far East, Russia.

This magic is brought from my recent reindeer sledding with Even nomads through valleys, rivers, hills and mountains.

See more videos.

Hereby Kesha, one of herders, is catching reindeer with lasso to prepare a big caravan for 5 travelers. Eventually, he caught 25 animals. Before catching, his brother Misha found reindeer in mountains where they were freely roaming amoung snowy trees.

This is already on the 2nd day of sledding. It was the end of daytime and the temp was much below -40 degrees Celsius.

Definitely, it was an adventure of 2012.

See the full photo-video report on reindeer sled travel on my other blog http://AskYakutia.com.Similar Posts:

Yakut Horses Living in the Siberian cold. Not-Yet-Completed Documentary Episodes

Bolot — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:16:46 +0000

Huraay, Yegor Makarov (http://www.muuskhaia.ru/), prominent businessman in Yakutia, shared this video with me. He said, The world needs to know the Yakut horse.

The Yakut horse is a breed originated on the territory of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia in North-East Siberia, Russia.

See how awesome they are in the extreme cold winter in Yakutia, Russia’s biggest Siberian region.

It is just a few episodes of Yegor Makarov’s new documentary. A teasing video was done with the help of talanted cameraman, Yuri Berezhnev. The film is not completed yet. They are working on it.

Meanwhile, you might wish to check what I have already on my blog under the tag Yakut Horse.

Feel free to share this video. Let’s spread a word about the Yakut horse.Similar Posts:

Arctic daily life in Anabar, Yakutia, Siberia / Russia [photos]

Bolot — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:49:32 +0000

Anabar is a short name for Anabarsky District, one of the northernmost region in the Arctic zone of Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Siberia, Russia.

See the set of Anna Opsipova‘s photographs taken on films during her visit to the reindeer herders’ camp in Anabar. Just a few pictures, but they are very expressive.

Images were done, when outdoor temperature was much, much below -40C.

By the way, Anna Osipova is an artist. You might see her paintings in the post Inspired by the North.Similar Posts: