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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:

Snowdrops in Yakutia, Russia [photos]

Bolot — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:59:38 +0000

Ajar Varlamov’s photo.

In Russia’s Yakutia, May is the time when we say, “Finally, the spring arrived and snow is almost gone.” It is the time to enjoy snowdrops. Like icebreak on rivers, these magic flowers are a symbol of the spring.

Ajar Varlamov‘s photos taken near Yakutsk, Central Yakutia:

See more photographs from Ajar Varlamov.

Sergei Kokorin‘s photos taken in Aldan, South Yakutia:

Sergei lives in Aldan. If you will be heading to Yakutsk overland, stop by at his place. He can provide good accommodation and arrange interesting travels across South Yakutia. Check his website: www.goldenaldan.ruSimilar Posts:

Video: Icebreak on the Lena River in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia. May 16, 2012.

Bolot — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:34:57 +0000

Icebreak on the Lena River. Ice is floating fast on May 16th, 2012.

Location: Pokrovsk town, Central Yakutia, Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Siberia / Russia.

This is the biggest nature event in May. The end of the cold season, the start of the warm days!

See how ice is floating on the Lene River via the live webcam.

The above video was shared by ykt user REPKA.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:

Ice floating on the Lena River in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia [video]

Bolot — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:31:41 +0000

That’s what we are going to have in a month! Thanks to the Yakutsk-based talented cameraman Arian Ivanov, we can see how ice was floating on the Lena River on May 18-19, 2011.

A pretty amazing nature event! We enjoy it every spring from high banks of the Lena River in my area called the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, Russia’s North-East Siberia & Far East.

The video was done on Tabaga Cape, a few km south off Yakutsk, Russia.

Hooray! Summer is at hand. Meanwhile, we’ve got awesome spring. See more post related to Spring in Yakutia and the Lena River.Similar Posts:

Tundra City in Udachny, Russia – Architectural Project Mentioned by eVolo

Bolot — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:41:40 +0000

Russian architect Pavel Sipin’s project “Tundra City” (a futuristic city located in the abandoned Udachny diamond pit in West Yakutia’s Mirninsky region) deserved Honorable Mention at eVolo’s 2012 Skyscraper Competition.

See images above. Click to enlarge them.

The city of Udachny is used for the futuristic city architectural project not for the first time. Its name means “lucky” in the Russian language, but its fate doensn’t look as such.

In the very beginning, everything seemed really awesome. In 1955, the Udachnaya pipe diamond deposit was discovered. As it was located in the remote area, the pit exploitation started in the 60s. The city of the same name was founded in 1968.

Now it looks this way.

In the Soviet era, this place could be considered as a happy industrial city, but bad time arrived after the 1.7 kilotonne atomic bomb blast in October 1974. People realized that environment in the North were too vulnerable and it would better not to play with it.

Soviet architects developed even the project “City Under the Dome” and, yes, in the diamond pit, but it was put in the archive. Decades later, Pavel Sipin revived the theme of futuristic Udachny City.

Here’s how his project was described at 2012 Skyscraper Competition:

“Tundra City is located in the exhausted diamond mine “Lucky” which is the geographical center of the entire Russian Tundra – the last point of urbanization of the Russian North.”

“The tundra is an unexplored region, which hardly anyone wants to go. It is associated with a “hole” due to poor living conditions. The Russian government has paid attention to the prospect and huge potential benefits of developing the region to the whole the country. This has been facilitated by the existing geopolitical threat posed by the rapidly development of China, India, and other countries.”

“Tundra City is a launching pad to address the problems of the region: population, development of infrastructure, creation of new industry, agriculture, science, and culture.”

“Tundra City is a new ark, which will gather people together for a new life, new qualified scientists and workers will grow, who will put the Yakut ideas into practice. The tradition of the Yakut people is dominated by the heart-“olonkho”. The Center (a symbolic heart) is built of 11 modules – logs, including the following areas: scientific, social, agro-industrial, residential, relaxation, hospitality, educational, and industrial. Two blocks (expedition and station) are located on the surface; the rest of the program is located underneath. A central skeleton supports spatial structures while residential unit are built around an H section, in which the central wall is complemented by a number of locked houses. Academic (scientific) units are built of space trusses. Agro-industrial unit consists of a structure of massive floors, fixed on the central bearing wall.”

Ok. I would just say, “Another nice project to discuss and dream about.”:)

Have a good day!Similar Posts:

Snow is melting. Spring arrived in Yakutsk, Russia. Photos by Ajar Varlamov.

Bolot — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:23:55 +0000

Enjoy Ajar Varlamov‘s photographs of spring. Yes, spring finally arrived in Yakutsk, Russia, and snow started melting fast.

The temperature in a daytime might be already zero! In the city, snow is already seen hardly.

Ajar’s lovely dog Marishka is playing on the last snow. Her breed is Yakutian laika.

More about the Siberia-originated breed at YakutLaika.com.Similar Posts:

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:

Kihilyakh & the Fire of the 5th Children of Asia International Sports Games [87 photos]

Bolot — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:27:10 +0000

To visit Kihilyakh, sacred stones in Verkhoyansk district in North-East Yakutia, was my long dream. I’ve never been to that area. And, finally, I made it.

Two weeks ago, I received a call. There was Yakutia’s Vice President Dmintry Glushko on the phone. Amazing. He asked, whether I wanted to go to Kihilyakh. “My god! Definitely,” I said. He continued, “There will be the ceremony of lighting of the Fire of the 5th Children of Asia International Sports Games.”

What is Kihilyakh?

Stones on hills in Verkhoyansky district of Yakutia. They look gorgeous and they are considered to be sacred and worshipped highly by Sakha people. This place is more like Mecca. It is believed, when you touch stones, you recharge yourself and get the power of nature.

Photos of Kihilyakh in summer

Legend about Kihilyakh (Stone People)

Elders say that there were People of Sunlight living on Earth in the ancient time. Their thoughts were as clean as spring water, and their deeds like milk brought abundance and prosperity into the Middle World. The world was kept in peace and order, and no wars and fights happened, as People of Sunlight owned the Sacred Fire, that had ability to endow strength and courage, wisdom and longevity. Evil Spirits of the Lower World learned about the fire. They got a strong desire to bring maladies and wars to the people and they decided to steal the magic fire.

To protect the land, People of Sunlight clashed in a battle with Evil Spirits of the Lower World at the top of the mountain at the coldest place on Earth, where nothing lived nor grew. Skies filled with lightnings, grounds trembled under warriors’ feet, and Evil Spirits were defeated for ever and ever. To guard the Sacred Fire, People of Sunlight stayed on the mountain and turned into stones to become eternal sentinels. Even now the fire might be seen in the sky as bright flames of the Northern Lights.

What is The Children of Asia International Sports Games?

Children of Asia is the biggest sports event held by Republic of Sakha-Yakutia once in four years. This summer we’ll have it for the 5th time.

The 5th Children of Asia International Sports Games is supported by Olympic Council of Asia, Russian Olympic Committee, and Nike (as a sponsor), etc. Everything about the Games might be learned on its official website www.gamesasia.ru.

What was the event held on Kihilyakh on March 28th, 2012?

The official fire of the 5th Children of Asia was lit and the torch relay started.

During 100 days, Children of Asia Torch Relay will cover 32256 km and go through 197 settlements across Yakutia.

The first, who took the torch fire, was bronze Olympic winner, boxer Georgy Balakshin. The second was Pavel Pinigin, free-wrestler, Olympic winner.

The event was visited by high guests, namely by Olympic Council of Asia member Gofur-Arslonbek Rakhimov, National Olympic Committee of Russia Secretary General Marat Bariev, representative of sponsoring companies, Nike and Megafon.

In below photographs you can see our fly in AN 24 over the Lena River, Verkhoyansk mountains, the Yana River, welcome ceremony in Batagai Airport, Kihilyakh, torch relay start celebration in the village of Elges, and Batagai Airport.

SEE PHOTOGRAPHS:
*Click thumbnails to enlarge picture in big size.

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: