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.

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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.

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Russia elects its President today, March 04, 2011.

Today I managed to have visited three voting sites during the first half of the 2012 Russian President election. By the way, Yakutsk is electing its mayor as well.

See photographs of how people is choosing its leader in Yakutsk, Siberia / Russia.

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Russia’s Republic of Sakha-Yakutia is pretty proud of being the land, where mammoths could be found nearly every year.

Recently, the Yukagir community area in Yakutia’s Arctic zone has brought many valuable findings for the world of paleontology. Eight years ago, it was the intacted Yukagir mammoth head and foot. They were shown at 2005 World Expo in Japan. A few years ago, there was already an ancient horse remains found. Read the related post with photographs.

Last year was prominent with two events. In August, the well-preserved corpse of an ancient bison was discovered at the same place in permafrost. In Novermber, the wooly mammoth baby nicknamed Yuka was delivered on snowmobiles from the Yukagir area, Russia’s Arctic, to Yakutsk. A story is here.

And… today… thanks to the Academy of Science of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia… I had an unique chance to photograph how Russian and international scientists had been conducting examination on palentological findings – the Yuka wooly mammoth baby, ancient bison and horse – in Yakutsk, Russia, precisely at Institute of Geology of Diamonds and Precious Metals, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science.

Take a look at photos and learn more about the Yuka wooly mammoth baby and the event. Read the rest of this entry…

This Tuesday Boeing 747-800 arrived in Yakutsk from Seattle for low temperature testing.

As reported, it’s still at Yakutsk Airport. Currently, we have -40 degrees Centigrade.

This homeless dog became famous. Resident of Yakutsk, Russia’s Yakutian city, was astonissed at the story of the dog.

In the harsh condition of the cold winter weather, he spent weeks behind his frozen beloved. When he was found, the corpse was taken away and he was put in a kennel in the farest suburb.

Imagine what happened the next. He escaped and went all the way back to that place and he didn’t want to leave that spot, where he lost his love.

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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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Survived young Yakutian cows in North Yakutia, Siberia / Russia. Photo from SakhaPress.ru

These three poorly-looking young Yakutian cows are big news in Russia. No kidding. They were lost in the autumn near the settlement of Sakkyryr in Eveno-Bytantaysky National District of North Yakutia, Russia, and managed to survive in taiga in extremely cold weather and got back home alive.

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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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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…