Yakutia: overview
The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is located in three time zones and occupies almost the entire northeastern part of the Asian continent. It is the largest constituent entity of the Russian Federation, surpassing Argentina in area. The territory of the republic is washed by the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea. More than 40% of the territory of Yakutia is located beyond the Arctic Circle. The isolation from the rest of Russia, the harsh climate, the size, the subsoil wealth, make Yakutia one of the regions least similar to Russia. Come and see for yourself! Yakutia is a land of unusually picturesque and amazing places. Its northern nature, so beautiful, spontaneous, harsh and subtle at the same time, inspires many artists and poets. Yakutia amazes with the beauty of nature, originality and richness of culture, extremely kind, interesting and hospitable people. This is the place where folk traditions and advanced technologies are intertwined. Yakutia is one of the few places in the world where, due to permafrost, the remains of mammoths have been preserved in the ground. Therefore, the study of mammoths, the mining of their bones and tusks is an important part of the local culture. Scientists consider the ecosystem of Yakutia to be an invaluable wealth of mankind, a true treasure for future generations. Yakutia is rightfully described as the treasury of mineral wealth. There are deposits of diamonds in Western Yakutia and gold in the basins of the Aldan, Indigirka and Yana rivers. More than 90% of diamonds and 40% of Russian gold are mined here. Yakutia is a country of ancient hunting and fishing traditions. This is one of the rarest places on the planet where the purity of nature and the diversity of flora and fauna have been preserved. 10 most valuable species of fur-bearing animals, 6 species of wild ungulates, about 20 varieties of waterfowl and upland game live in Yakutia. This is the only place in the world where the black crane, rose seagull and white Siberian crane live. Welcome to Yakutia! A land of wilderness, national villages, reindeer teams and sled dogs. To Yakutia, the country of great rivers, taiga and tundra, diamonds and gold. The land of the "pole of cold" and the "Mecca" of geologists. The land of permafrost, mammoths and unique natural creations (Lena stables). Discover a new, unexplored land - harsh but extraordinarily beautiful.
Availability of transport hubs
Airport
Port
Railway station
Bus station
Climatic features
Winter
Winter is the longest time of the year in the Sakha Republic. In the Northern Hemisphere, Yakutia has no analogues in terms of the winter length. On average, it starts in October and lasts from 7 up to 9 months. The combination of severe frosts and low rainfall forms permafrost. In the west of Yakutia, there is the thickest layer of permafrost in the world - up to 1500 m. The average air temperature in January is - 35 ° С. The coldest regions are Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk with temperatures of -50 ° C and even lower. In winter, the sun rises very low, so the daylight hours lasts no longer than 5 hours. The polar night sets in, beyond the Arctic Circle. Winter in Yakutia has its own charm - sometimes, at night, the cloudless sky is illuminated by bright flashes of the northern lights.
Air temperature:
up to -29... -42 °С
Spring
Spring comes in early May and goes rapidly. The snow and ice on the rivers melt very fast, the flood comes. By the middle of the month, the daytime temperature reaches + 5 ° С, and in the last days of May, it already exceeds + 20 ° С. However, there still may be frosts at night - down to -10 ° C. The summer starts very fast.
Air temperature:
up to +14... -28 °С
Summer
Summer in Yakutia is warm, sunny, though very short. The average air temperature in July in Central Yakutia is + 18-19 ° С, taking into account the rather low night temperatures; the maximum temperature, recorded in Yakutsk, reached + 38 ° С. In general, the climate in summer in Central Yakutia is dry, even though the number of precipitation increases by this time of the year. The northern part of the region is colder (in the Lena River delta, about + 7 ° C). June is a great time - the time of white nights when daylight hours can reach 20 hours.
Air temperature:
up to +9... +26 °С
Autumn
Autumn in Yakutia comes in August and is characterized by a rapid cooling. The average daily temperature drops below + 15 ° С, and in September long drizzling rains begin, followed by snowfalls. By the beginning of October, almost all rivers are frozen, the snow stops melting, and the temperature drops below zero throughout the region.
Air temperature:
up to +12... -32 °С
Useful tips
1 What to pack
- Passport, birth certificate for children
- Money, bank cards
- Booking confirmations
- Phone, camera and chargers for them
- Memory cards for photos and videos
- Plug in adapter if not EU type
- Warm windproof and waterproof jacket with a hood
- Down jacket
- Thermal underwear
- A warm sweater
- Warm pants (down)
- Scarf, warm hat, balaclava
- Warm comfortable high shoes
- Boots, high fur boots (shoes are 1-2 sizes larger than the actual)
- Woolen and cotton socks
- Warm gloves
- Insect repellents (mosquitoes, midges)
- Protective face cream and lip balm
- Good mood
2 Top things to do
- Recconect the history of Yakutsk
- Go down to permafrost
- See the Lena Pillars
- Learn all about mammoths and visit the mammoth museum
- See Yakut diamonds
- Launch "Winter Fireworks" and take a snow selfie
- Visit the fish market
- Go ice fishing
- Reindeer and dog sledding
- Enjoy Yakut cuisine
- Play the khomus
- Complete the ritual of blessing "algys"
- Visit the severest place on Earth - the Pole of Cold
3 What to bring back home
- Yakut high fur and leather boots and fur items
- Jewelry made of gold or silver
- Yakut diamonds
- Milk birch bark souvenirs (dishes, boxes, vases)
- Souvenirs with carvings on bone and tusks
- Traditional hunting knife - kynakh bysakh
- Dolls in national costumes
- An interesting souvenir "stewed mammoth meat"
- All kinds of charms and amulets
- Souvenirs from the Pole of Cold
- Salted, smoked, dried fish
- Dried venison, bear meat, horse meat, elk meat
- Yakut vodka and balsams