Today we had minus 45 degree Centigrade and the Orthodox Church’s Epiphany holiday (wiki). Well, it is the day, when Orthodox priest bless the river waters and it became sacred. It is believed, when people sink in the blessed waters, they clear themselves from sins.

Irrespective of the cold weathers, believers or wanna-be believers come to the ice swimming pool and sink three times into the cold water of the Lena River. Looks chilly and exciting, though all action takes place inside the heated tent.

See 22 photographs taken in Yakutsk, Russia’s Siberia, on the Day of Epiphany. Enjoy and come one day to try it! Usually, it happens on every January 19th or a day before like today.

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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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Yesterday we had the so-called Pokrova Day, an Orthodox sacred holiday celebrated annually on October 14th. Learn more about celebration history background on wiki.

Do we celebrate the Pokrova Day? Well, Orthodox church goers do, but others not really. But that’s not the point. This day is remarkable for proverbial signs. This day is believed to show what type of the upcoming winter would be.

In my turn, I prefer this day as Snow Cover Day

Further, please, learn signs, watch a video and browse through 20+ snowy photographs. Read the rest of this entry…

Verkhoyansky region located in North-Eastern Yakutia is remarkable for many things.

It is as extremely cold as Oymyakon and that’s why this area is so zealously competing for the title «The world’s coldest inhabited place.» It is where magnificent stone pillars called Kihilyakh, known also as Siberia’s Shambala, stand on hills. It is the right place to observe Aurora Borealis all the winter long. Apart from, the Verkhoyansky land is full of sensations.

Now it is a lovely destination of various expeditions. Two things made the place desirable for many scientists.

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Here in historical videos, you can see how Yhyakh (Ысыах in Russian), the Yakut national holiday, was celebrated in the 1960s. For the long period, the Soviets prohibited the Yakuts to hold its traditional summer event, but eventually, since 1941, allowed.

Yhyakh is the celebration of the summer solstice. Dedicated to the spirits of Ajyy and nature revival. Followed with the rising sun worship ceremonies, abundant food, kumis (also spelled kumiss, koumiss or kumys; it’s the horse milk) drinking, national sports games, horse races.

Further, please, find the second historical video. Read the rest of this entry…

This is the trailer of non-existing fantasy / horror / history / drama movie created and presented by Yakutsk-based film makers, E. Osipov (producer), Misha Vasiliev (director), Sema Amanatov (cameraman, director of arts). A short film trailer was done on the Canon 7D digital camera.

This way E. Osipov (his blog) is trying to attract investors and sponsors to the production of the widescreen movie about love, shamans, a warrior and Sakha (Yakut) people’s ordinary, but brutal life of the past in the biggest Siberian region called Yakutia.

Based on Sardana Sivtzeva’s novel «Taming Demons.»

Another good news. Yakutia is becoming Siberia’s Hollywood with a dozen of new widescreen movies produced per year! Did you know about it?

Epiphany bathing in Yakutsk, Russia. A pretty extreme winter experience.

Today the Orthodox Church celebrates the Christening of the Lord and our Savor Jesus Christ and Russian Christians do traditional epiphany bathing, which turns out to be relatively extreme in the Siberian city of Yakutsk.

As usually, the city’s epiphany bathing was arranged by the Russian Ministry of Emergency. First visitors became representatives of the regional authority.

Read the history of this traditional event and see more pictures. Read the rest of this entry…