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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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.

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Yuri Sleptsov, a Siberian artist based in Yakutsk, Russia

Hereby I present Yuri Sleptsov‘s art works. His drawings are done on a plastic board with the use of a scalpel. Such a technique is called scratchboard or scraperboard (grattazh, in Russian). Learn more about it on Wiki.

Yuri prefers to use the plastic, as it provides the sharp contrast between white lines and the black inked background. This technique is used very rarely. The drawing might be created in the course of several weeks, months or even year. A hard work. One little mistake might spoil the whole art piece.

Yuri Sleptsov started drawing in the scraperboard style in 1991. Since that, he participated in many various exhibits and was awarded for originality and fine technique.

He didn’t graduate any arts schools. Yuri used to be an economist, retailor, auditor. Currently, he is devoted to ethnographic researches. Does a lot to keep Eveni children’s summer nomad camp in Momsky region, North-East Yakutia.

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Shaman image. 1992-1993. Oil painting. 118 x 93.

Alexander Khodulov was a Yakutian artist, who lived from 1962 till 2003. His preferred genres were portrait, landscape scenery, still life, etc.

He was born in Yakutsk. In the family of the outstanding USSR national artist Dmitry F. Khodulov. Graduated Children Art School, Yakutsk Art College (1981), the Surikov Art Institute in Moscow (1987). A member of the Sakha Republic Artist Union since 1993.

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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.

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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. Read the rest of this entry…

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.

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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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Hereby, I am publishing Yegor Makarov’s photographs of Yakutian horse riders from different horse trekking expeditions across the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, Russia’s Siberia.

Yegor Makarov is a successful businessman, who lives and runs the Muus Khaya entertaining complex in Yakutsk, Russia. His big addiction is to travel across his vast homeland, and he is a big fan of the Yakutian horse, Yakutia-orginated horse breed.

Currently, he is making a documentary and a book about the Yakutian horse. Meanwhile, he shares his passion with you.

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It’s already a good tradition. Annually, Mammoth Yakutsk Off-Road Club arranges the spring race, that officially opens the season for the club’s all-terrain events. It happens in April, when snow is still on the ground. This year was not exception.

Last weekend, the club held the snow race tournament called “Spring Melting.” Participants were devided into different categories depending on a vehicle type and they needed to compete who would come to the finish line first.

Ok. No more words, take a look at my following photographs.

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