Last months I was pretty much busy with the arrangement of travels, expeditions and tours across the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), but, praise god, I’ve never forgot to take my camera along.

So, here is some picks of winter travel photographies. In the following set you can see Russia’s Siberian city of Yakutsk, street photographs, the ice road across the Lena River, trucks stuck in the ice, the man cutting ice cubes for drinking water, fogs, city monuments, the Christmas / New Year tree, kids, etc.

Lenin Square in the above photo.

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Yesterday I took photographs of how truck drivers — Michael Zakharov and his four sons — were preparing for this year’s last long run on the winter road from Yakutsk to Srednekolymsk, Kolyma area of North-East Yakutia, Siberia, Russia.

A long ride, indeed, and very risky. Around 2500 km on one way through the Kolyma federal road (settlements of Khandyga and Ust Nera) and the Arctic winter road (Ust Nera — Sasyr — Zyryanka — Srednekolymsk).

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The photographs were taken on the road between Oymyakon and Khandyga in the mountain part of the Kolyma Highway known also as Stalin’s Road of Bones.

When we were driving, the outdoor temperature was as low as -55C. In the beginning of the way, i.e. in the village of Tomtor in the Oymyakon area, we registerd -57.3C. Extremely cold. Not surprised that the Kolyma road is considered by many as the coldest one in the world.

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What can happen, when ice road truckers take a risk and cross the river on the thin ice in spring? Their trucks fall through the ice and drivers kill much time to extract their vehicles.

Take a look. This video was shot on the Indigirka River in the area of Oymyakon. This is in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia. Time was the late spring, April.

A kinda exciting adventure, but it wasn’t funny for drivers.

Today, October 27, 2011:

October 26, 2011:

October is a very controversial month in terms of weather. On October 1st of the current year, Yakutsk had intensive snowing. We could say, Oh, winter arrived, but it might sound as a big delusion. In a few days, snow melted and the golden autumn got back and, moreover, it returned with summer-like rains.

This week was also crazy. On Monday and Tuesday, it was above zero. Today, Thursday, it’s already -17C and yesterday -3C with real winter blizzard. Do you think it is the climate change effect? Actually not. Usual October. Though many say winter came late this year.

No more words. Keep watching this year’s winter start in progress. I put all my pics together in the reverse chronology so you could feel the difference or its absence. Photographs were mainly done by different mobile cameras and shared @yakutia on Twitter and on my personal fb page.

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Previously, I wrote that Alexander and Constantine Smurygins, republic constructors from the city of Mirny, invented and created the all-terrain vehicle called «Uraankhai» able to drive smartly through taiga and swim Siberian rivers. It was the news spread across all regional newspapers and online portals. Read the full news story.

A week ago, Vice President of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia Dmitry Glushko gave that off-roader a try. Further, look at photographs of his test drive.

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Thanks Vitaly for your devotion to Yakutia and your great pictures and video slideshows!

The Uraanhay off road vehicle was designed by the Smurygins especially for terrains of Yakutia, East Siberia and Far East.

From now on, the Yakutian affiliate of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (in short, rescuers) will use the hand-made all-terrain vehicle called “Uraanhay,” Yakutsk Vecherny Newspaper reports.

The new off-roader is able to drive smartly through taiga as well as to swim Siberian rivers. It was created by Alexander and Constantine Smurygin in the city of Mirny, West Yakutia, in the course of 1.5 year. Now it is based in Yakutsk.

Such an all terrain vehicle is suitable for search-and-rescue operations in the northern Siberian region. Thanks to the rover, the number of expensive rescue helicopter flights (1 flight hour costs from 4500 USD) might be reduced greatly.

Its advantages are easy use and good cross. The huge off-roader is not afraid of knots and bushes, and its all terrain tires are simply impossible to pierce.

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I had a sort of schedule… of what and when to publish… but Vitaly Toko ruined everything. He regreted that he didn’t make it to Yakutia’s Kolyma this autumn. He worked here for many, many, many years. Actually, he spent all his best years in Yakutia and he’s got a lot of photographs of the biggest Siberian region.

Two days ago Vitalya created a video slideshow using his pictures of Yakutia and Vyacheslav Butusov’s song «Moya Zvezda» (My Star). Why does he love this remote Northern area? What does he feel to it? Everything can be seen in that video.

Hope he will come the next year and we’ll have a drink together

Further find my rough translation of V. Butusov’s song lyric into English.

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Sorry, friends. Can’t stop recording videos and taking pictures of the current extreme cold weather in Russia’s Siberian city of Yakutsk. Here is another set of media files done on the iPhone in today’s cold winter morning and noon. The outdoor temp was -44C.

I love my iPhone, but after 10-15 minutes of its use in the cold weather in Yakutsk, it’s totally useless. However, take a look at the above video done this morning, while I was standing on the crossroad near the city hall, and winter street photographs taken during my short walks to and from my work place.

Enjoy and wish us keep warm!

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