So, what is it like to live in Russia’s Siberian city of Yakutsk on a day after the End of the World?

Frankly, it’s a regular winter day in December. Foggy and cold a little. In a daytime we had minus 45 degrees Centigrade. We say it’s extremely cold, when it is already below -50C. Today it was like that, so it was a regular day.

Below, see 11 winter street photographs taken in the downtown of Yakutsk, Russia. On Lenin Square. Shopping women, a group of joyful teenagers, happy young ladies… What else? Ah, yeah. Fog, fog, fog. And a sense of the extreme cold weather.

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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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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.

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Huraay, Yegor Makarov (http://www.muuskhaia.ru/), prominent businessman in Yakutia, shared this video with me. He said, The world needs to know the Yakut horse.

The Yakut horse is a breed originated on the territory of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia in North-East Siberia, Russia.

See how awesome they are in the extreme cold winter in Yakutia, Russia’s biggest Siberian region.

It is just a few episodes of Yegor Makarov’s new documentary. A teasing video was done with the help of talanted cameraman, Yuri Berezhnev. The film is not completed yet. They are working on it.

Meanwhile, you might wish to check what I have already on my blog under the tag Yakut Horse.

Feel free to share this video. Let’s spread a word about the Yakut horse.

Juliana in her video Uhuktuu. Performed by khomus, a Yakut musical instrument.

This is Juliana. She performs music by the Yakut musical instrument called Khomus.

Juliana is well known in Yakutia, Siberia / Russia. By the way, she started her career in the first team of Albina Degtyareva’s Ayarkhaan female ensemble.

At present, she performs solo and sounds powerful and looks effective.

Watch her video clip «Uhuktuu» (Awakening), listen to mp3 and see screenshots in high resolutions. 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!

This is a trailer of the «7 Days in Foreign Land — Yakutia» travel film done by Joe Macke, an American, and Stepan Burnashev, a Yakutian. Currently, they are working on editing. Wish them luck!

Ayar Kuo is a photographer of Yakutia. Love her last set of black-and-white photographs dedicated to ordinary Yakut villagers. Hope you’ll like people’s portraits too. They are very authentic.

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