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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:

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:

The Russian president election in Yakutsk, Siberia [photos]

Bolot — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 02:29:59 +0000

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.

As of March 5th, 2012, the election results in Yakutsk:

Vladimir Putin – 70,12 % (278 811 votes)
Gennady Zyuganov – 14,29 % (56 807 votes)
Mikhail Prohorov – 6,06 % (24 084 votes)
Vladimir Zhirinovsky – 4,36 % (17 333 votes)
Sergei Mironov – 4,30 % (17 103 votes)

Apparently, Republic of Sakha-Yakutia supports Vladimir Putin.Similar Posts:

Examining Yuka wooly mammoth baby, ancient bison & horse in Yakutsk, Siberia / Russia

Bolot — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:58:44 +0000

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.

Click thumbnails to see big images.

ABOUT THE YUKA WOOLY MAMMOTH BABY

History of the Yuka finding: In August 2010, almost complete carcass of a wooly mammoth was found by members of Yukagir community on the Laptevs sea shore at Oyogossky Yar location near the Kondratievo River mouth. The wooly mammoth carcass and its bones found separately nearby were transported to the Yukagir community ice-house and kept there till November 2011, when it was transported to the city of Yakutsk.

Description of the object:

The mammoth carcass with fore and hind legs is well preserved, covered with reddish hair, 35-40 cm long. The carcass length from the trunk base to the tail base makes 177 cm.

The head skin is considerably deformed and its area is considerably smaller than usual due to absence of the skull and lower jaw. There are external auricles, 17 cm long.

The trunk is preserved completely. It is 102 cm long, which makes it the longest one among the previously found baby mammoths.

The back from the neck base to the mid-chest has undamaged skin. The abdominal part lacks most of the ribs, vertebrae, pelvis and viscera. There is a cross diagonal rupture, 40cm long, in the area of lumber vertebrae. The rupture edges are mainly smooth. The rupture is 10.5 cm wide in the middle and becomes narrower at the ends. Through this rupture, most likely, somebody, maybe a paleolithic man, took off all the vertebrae, most ribs, haunch bone with sacrum, left shoulder-blade and viscera.

The visible part of the tail is 8 cm.

The skull nasal bones are absent, they are broken at the base. There is the upper jaw with teeth preserved. The fourth milk tooth has about 7-8 plates, which assumes that the wooly mammoth calf was about 3-4 years old. The lower jaw is well preserved.

The haunch bone is covered with tendons and fragments of muscle tissue, and so is the left shoulder-blade. The bone is undamaged.

Remains in the intestines are much mummified, destructed, and dark-gray in colour.

The people who discovered the wooly mammoth also found 9 ribs near the carcass, with their fragments likely being inside the skeleton.

Conclusion: Judging from the dental system, the age of the wooly mammoth is estimated at 3-4 years. Sexual characters indicate that it is a female. Undoubtedly, remains of Yuka wooly mammoth calf are of great scientific and museum value.

ABOUT THE EVENT

The paleontological examination was done within the International Seminar on Research of Paleontological Objects (a young wooly mammoth named Yuka, an ancient bison and an ancient horse carcasses) hosted by the Academy of Sciences of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) from 27 February to 3 March 2012.

Host: Academy of Sciences of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia)

Seminar partners:

- International Mammoth Committee
- Research Institute of Applied Ecology, North-Eastern Federal University
- Institute of Geology of Diamonds and Precious Metals, Siberian Branch, RAS
- Yukagir community

Participants: Leading researchers from Russia, France, Japan, the USA.

Including:

Evgeny MASHENKO, Institute of Paleonthology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
Alexei TIKHONOV, Institute of Zoology, RAS, St.Petersburg
Sergei GORBUNOV, International Mammoth Committee, Moscow
Bernard BUIGUES, International Mammoth Committee, France
Daniel FISHER, University of Michigan, USA
Hiromi KATO, University of Kinki, Japan

SEMINAR PROGRAM

Opening of the seminar, 27 February:
09.00 – 10.00 – Registration of participants and guests of the seminar
10.00 – 12.30 – Opening of the seminar. Plenary session
12.30 – 12.45 – Briefing by Dr. Hiromi Kato (University of Kinki, Japan), the geneticist, member of the mammoth resurrection group
16:00 – 16:15 – taking pictures and video of Yuka wooly mammoth examination by mass-media

Closing of the seminar is on 2 March, Friday:
15.00 -18.00 – Closing session. Summing up the preliminary research stage. Round table – discussion of the research plan. Press conference.

Venue: Academy of Sciences of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Lenin Avenue, 33, 2 Floor, the Oval Hall

For more info, please, contact:

Larisa Nikolaevna Semenova
PR and Mass Media Department
mob. +79245916354
e-mail:larisa_sem@mail.ru

PS. Saying a lot of thanks to Albert Protopopov, Mammoth Committee at the Academy of Science of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia for giving me such a rare chance.

PHOTOGRAPHS FOR MEDIA TO DOWNLOAD

Currently, the following photographs are available only for free download.

Credit to mention: Bolot Bochkarev, eYakutia.com.
Quantity: 6 items.
Size: 3872 x 2592, 300 dpi.
File Size: ~23,95 Mb.
Download Link: http://eyakutia.com/wp-content/gallery/yuka/yukamammothbaby_enbtornb.zip.Similar Posts:

Boeing 747 landed in Yakutsk for low temperature tests

Bolot — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:55:28 +0000

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.Similar Posts:

Siberian Hachiko from Yakutsk, Yakutia / Russia [video]

Bolot — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:03:07 +0000

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.

Here’s what you can read in many news stories on the net now:

“For several weeks, a dog from Yakutia named Hachiko has remained beside the lifeless body of another dog, his female friend, in minus 50 degree weather. The dog has been celebrated as a true hero on Internet forums. Moved by the dog’s loyalty, locals have been feeding him every day and have even decided to build him a warm doghouse.
The dog was named Hachiko in honor of a famous Japanese dog whose owner died of a heart attack. Every day for seven years the dog would go to the train station to greet his owner, and every day he would leave alone. // RIA Novosti”

Moving!Similar Posts:

Yakutia Movies Screening in Paris, France. Dec. 15, 2011.

Bolot — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:39:29 +0000

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.

Caprices of Rain. Director S. Potapov. Trailer:
(Apple Player will be required)

François Quiquet wrote (use the above translate tool link):

Le jeudi 15 décembre à 20h : première mondiale pour cinq courts-métrages autochtones de République Sakha (Iakoutie). C’est l’occasion unique de voir des films réalisés en Sibérie du Nord.

La projection durera environ 1h30. Le public sera ensuite invité à boire le verre de l’amitié et à déguster quelques apéritifs à son issue, en parlant des films projetés.

Où cela a-t-il lieu ?
à 20h pile
à la salle de Cinéma du Centre Wallonie Bruxelles
46, Rue Quincampoix (niveau-2)
75004 Paris
à quelques pas du Centre Pompidou.

Voici la liste des films que vous pourrez apprécier en V.O. sous-titré français :

- Caprices of Rain de S. Potapov
- Kündül de V. Semionov
- Aantchyk de N. Arzhakov. Coup de Coeur du jury du Festival international du Film Polaire, Paris 2011
- Bitteni, The Prediction (Le Pressentiment) de M. Lukatchevski. Prix spécial du jury du Festival International de Films Arsen et Andreï Tarkovski (Kiev 2011)
- Balyksyt, Le Pêcheur de V. Semionov

Comment acheter les billets ?

Sur place, le billet d’entrée est à 12 euros par personne.
Vous avez la possibilité de préacheter vos billets à tarif réduit (9 euros par personne). Pour cela, vous pouvez envoyer un chèque de la somme correspondante au nombre de billets voulus à l’ordre de BOREALIA. Envoyez le chèque avant le 11 décembre à BOREALIA, 115 rue Oberkampf, 75011 PARIS
Attention places limitées. Le préachat est recommandé.

Il est aussi possible d’acheter sa place sur http://www.billetreduc.com/61942/evt.htm

Plus d’informations ?
Vous souhaitez plus d’informations ? Vous pouvez consulter le site de BOREALIA : www.borealia.eu

N’hésitez pas à envoyer un mail à contact@borealia.eu ou téléphoner au 06.07.62.93.77.

Venez nombreux et faites suivre l’information parmi vos amis et vos proches intéressés par le cinéma, l’arctique, la Sibérie, les peuples autochtones, la nature, le chamanisme, la Russie…

Ce genre de soirée étant rare, il faut en profiter et faire salle comble et avoir une discussion animée après la projection !

La fiche-évènement sur Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/events/179996408761641/

See more Sakha movie trailer videos at François Quiquet’s www.unmondedaventures.fr

Similar Posts:

Yakutian cows lost and survived in the Siberian taiga and… got back home

Bolot — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:26:55 +0000

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.

Here is the story.

Local farmers report that there had been six two-year-old Yakutian cows lost in the late autumn. They assumed that animals could die, especially after the arrival of the harsh minus-forty-degrees-centigrade frost, and stopped searching the lost cattle.

Just imagine how they were astonished, when seeing three of cows returned to the farm.

Experts say that in the autumn animals crossed the river near Sakkyryr and, when rains started pouring and the river was filled with high waters, they got isolated.

Instead of trying to swim and get drown, cloven-hoofed ones went into the nearest taiga and spent there all the time untill the river got finally covered with thick ice.

Three other cows have died. One of them was torn by wolves. How could the returned ones manage to survive in cold weather conditions? Was it enough for them to eat old grasses, twigs, and barks?

Local farmers say that Yakutian cows are very special and naturally adopted to harsh conditions.

Learn more about specifics of Yakutian cows in my previous post.Similar Posts:

President Dmitry Medvedev in Yakutsk to open the railway branch line in N. Bestyakh

Bolot — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:34:55 +0000

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.

This photo was lately delivered by a Russian news agency.

The below photo was taken by me right after the lunch time in Yakutsk…

Russian President's cortège on Lenin Square in Yakutsk. He is in that dark minivan. They were heading to the Yakutsk office of ALROSA.

Btw, today’s weather is as low as -30C. Warm!Similar Posts:

Ayarkhaan is giving three concerts in London, UK, on Oct. 21-22, 2011

Bolot — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 03:36:45 +0000

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.

AYARKHAAN

Ayarkhaan, the female ensemble from the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia in Siberia, have been at the forefront of the revival and innovation in Sakha music for many years. The principal instrument of Ayarkhaan is a khomus (jew’s harp) and the trio, led by Albina Degtyareva, also employ a variety of animal imitation techniques to create a unique interplay between human and natural sounds.

Sakha is a land of hunters and herders, and its music-making culture is a way to seek communion with the natural world, to interact with it and reproduce its ambience.

Their performances create a flow that takes the listener on a fascinating journey into the Siberian soundscape – the horses, the birds, the wind…the proto-musical world where natural and human made sounds blend.

They became a sensation at this summer’s BBC Proms and WOMAD festival

“The only concert I stayed from the beginning to end” – Lynne Franks (Britain’s PR Guru), on WOMAD performance

LONDON SERIES OF CONCERTS

CONCERT 1 – 21 OCTOBER
BRUNEI GALLERY, SOAS, Russell Square, 7 pm, Admission free

http://www.soas.ac.uk/music/events/concerts/21oct2011-spectacular-vocal-trio-from-the-depths-of-siberia.html

CONCERT 2 – 22 OCTOBER
BLOOMSBURY FESTIVAL, Russell Square, 2.30 pm, Admission free

http://www.bloomsburyfestival.org.uk/event/id/185

CONCERT 3 – 22 OCTOBER (evening)
KIT & CUTTER, The Old Nun’s Head, Nunhead, South London

http://transpont.blogspot.com/2011/10/kit-and-cutter.html

For any further information and requests contact Misha Maltsev on FB or through the FB event page.Similar Posts: