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.

Read the rest of this entry…

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.

Read the rest of this entry…

So awesome! I’ve heard about this animated cartoon a long time ago and today I was lucky to get the video from Yakutia Music & Folklore Museum (Yakutsk, Russia).

Olonkho is the Sakha (Yakut) heroic epos. In 2005, it was declared by UNESCO International Competition Jury as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of the humanity.

What is it about? Watch the animated cartoon and get an idea. The story is based on the “Nyurgun Bootur the Swift” olonkho story. Though it is in Japanese, but images says more than thousands of words.

All about Olonkho on my other site.

Created by Alexei & Afanassiy Ushnitskies’s studio “Sulus Games” (www.sulusgames.ru).

Mira Maximova is a talented Sakha composer, who currently lives in China. Many might know her as a YouTuber ExUmira2. On her channel there are a lot of songs written and performed by her. A few years ago China closed the access to YouTube and now she can’t upload her new songs.

Recently she sent me the song Osuokhay, Sakha Round Dance Beyond Time & Space and asked, if I can post it on the website. Sure, Mira. That’s what I am doing now. Moreover, I made a slideshow with my photographs.

Further find information on the song dedicated to the Sakha traditional round dance known as Osoukhay.

Read the rest of this entry…

A short video is dedicated to the biggest Yakut national holiday called Ysyakh (Yhyakh). Celebrated annually in June.

Created by Vladimir Moonkuev. Music by Sasha Lukin.

No words. The video conveys all the message. Enjoy! Certainly, you’re welcome to Yakutia in summer!

An image from Days of Yakutia in Toronto, Canada.

What a great news! Sardana Savvina let me know that two Yakutian films are going to participate at The Imagine Native Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada. They will be screened at Bell Light BOX Movie Theater on October 22nd and 23rd, 2011.

If by any chance you appeared to be in Toronto on those days, don’t miss the chance to visit the film festival and watch Yakutian movies. You won’t regret ever! Check the screening schedule.

Further, find films description and get energized by the While the Wind Blows movie trailer with a song performed by the famous Yakut rock band “103″ and Varya Maksimova.

Read the rest of this entry…

Good news for world music admirers and fans of the Ayarkhaan trio. July 24, 2011, Albina Degtyareva‘s Ayarkhaan Trio performed at the BBC Proms (Royal Albert Hall) in London, UK.

“Three Sakha women from Siberia blew the audience away with their unearthly sounds of jew’s harp and animal imitation. It was truly amazing,” Misha Maltsev reports.

Read the rest of this entry…

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…

In old times, Yakut women loved to wear silver adornments, as the silver was the most respected precious metal. Any silver accessory or ornament enhanced the beauty or status of the wearer. Later, gold gained its popularity and earned its own place in female collections.

Nowadays, Yakut wally are popular as well. They are usually worn on traditional holidays, for instance, in the course of Ysyakh, the Yakut summer solstice celebration. How they looked like in the past might be seen in Yakutia Tresuary Museum in Yakutsk.

Hereby, please, see 17 images of Yakut traditional adornments made out of silver and gold, namely necklaces, pendants, earrings, bracelets.

Read the rest of this entry…

Enjoy khomus (Yakut Jew’s harp) music and images of Yakutia in the amazing video slideshow created by Marianna Leontieva in 2008. The author lives in Moscow and she called the video “Khomus… A Yakutian’s Nostalgia…” Think, no additional info is required.

By the way, Yakutsk will host the 7th International Jew’s Harp Society Congress on June 23-26, 2011. It will be held right before the Yasyakh national holiday celebration in the area of Ys Khatyn near Yakutsk. My god, my fingers are crossed, don’t want to miss this must-be-awesome event.

Download the Congress Program (pdf, 525 Kb).