Permafrost, severe, but very hospitable land, unforgettable white nights - all this awaits you in Yakutsk - a city unique and original that captivates everyone who has come here at least once. The magnificent parks and picturesque nature of Yakutia will not leave indifferent either an outdoor enthusiast or a person who prefers quiet excursions.
Yakutsk city: attractions, history
The first mention of the city dates back to 1632. The Yakutsk prison was built here for defense against rebels. This was the first Russian military settlement on Yakut land, which was later joined by neighboring Siberian lands. Over the course of ten years, the Yakuts attacked the prison several times, but defeat always awaited them. At this time, new territorial units appeared, and the prison became the center of the Yakut district. The status of the city and its current name Yakutsk received in 1643.
Until 1900, it was part of the Siberian province, then the Irkutsk province, several times its status changed from a county town to a regional center. And only in 1922 he was officially recognized as the capital of the Yakut Republic.
This northern city is very beautiful. Sights of Yakutsk with a description can be seen in the advertising booklets of many travel companies. Its long and interesting history is reflected in many monuments, to which the townspeople are very kind. Meet some of them.
Architectural and Historical Museum "Friendship"
The city of Yakutsk, whose sights are still of interest to scientists and researchers, will be of interest to ordinary tourists.
The Friendship Museum is located on the right bank of the majestic Lena River, where the Russian explorers founded the Lensky prison, which laid the foundation for the city. Today it is a major tourist and cultural center of Yakutsk.
The museum was opened in the early 1990s. Its leader was the famous Yakut folk writer Suorun Omolloon.
Qualified employees offer all visitors to the museum to get acquainted with the history of the reunification of Yakutia and Russia, to evaluate the progressive influence of Russian culture on the culture of the indigenous inhabitants of the republic.
Museum expositions
In the museum you can get acquainted with the culture of Evenks, Chukchi, Yukagirs and Dolgans. Of particular interest to tourists is the exposition of national clothes of the peoples of the north of the XIX-XX centuries, koumiss wooden utensils, women's jewelry, ancient burial structures.
The unique objects of the museum-reserve include the Yakut cemetery, on which wooden monuments that reflect the process of Christianization of the Yakuts are recreated in chronological order.
Mammoth Museum
Sights in Yakutsk are so peculiar that many of them are unique in the world. An example of this is the unique Mammoth Museum. There are no institutions in the world that specialize and study paleontological exhibits.
It was founded in 1991 as a scientific and cultural center dedicated to the study of mammoths and their life in the ice age. The initiator of the creation of such a museum was the first mammoth specialist from Yakutia, Peter A. Lazarev.
During the excavations in Yakutia, archaeologists discovered amazing finds - mammoths, cave lions, bison, woolly rhinos, musk oxen and other long-extinct animals. Before the museum opened, such priceless finds were sent to the central institutes of the country's major cities. The appearance of the Mammoth Museum made it possible to conduct all studies and leave them in Yakutsk.
In July 1998, the museum became part of the Institute of Applied Ecology of the North. And in 2011, he became a division of the Northeast Federal University.
At numerous stands, among many interesting finds, you can see the mammoth Dima (though this is just a copy), which was discovered in 1977 in the upper Kolyma. Today it is located in the Northern capital. For a fairly short period of time, the museum has a large collection of more than 1,450 exhibits.
Laboratory of the Institute of Frozen
Many tourists coming to Yakutsk begin to study the sights from this underground laboratory. It belongs to the Institute of Permafrost. Today it is one of the most popular sites in the city.
This laboratory was founded in 1961 for a comprehensive study of permafrost. To conduct experiments in an underground laboratory, negative temperatures were required. Therefore, the lower gallery was laid at the level of zero amplitudes of soil temperature, directly under the building of the Institute of Permafrost. In the lower gallery, the temperature is constant all year round: -5 ...- 4 ° , humidity - from 70% to 100%.
The city of Yakutsk, the sights of which amaze even experienced travelers, has become famous throughout the world for a number of fundamental works related to the study of the mechanical characteristics of ice, creep of soils in permafrost. Today, the results of these studies are successfully used for the design and construction of various structures, industrial and residential buildings, roads, oil pipelines.
Zoo "Orto-Doydu"
Many tourists arriving in Yakutsk expect to see any kind of attractions, but the existence of the Orto-Doydu Zoo is unexpected for many. This is a state institution of the Republic of Sakha. The park is located on the banks of the Lena River, in a picturesque place - Erkani Valley.
The name of the park in translation from the Yakut language means "the middle world." The fact is that in Yakut mythology there are three worlds - the upper, middle and lower. In the lower world Abasians (devils) live, on average - people and animals, and the higher one is reserved for the gods. So the zoo in Yakutsk and symbolizes the middle world.
Orto Doydu Park opened in 2001. This is the only zoo in the world working in extreme conditions of the northern climate. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it can take any wild animals and provide them with assistance.
Currently, the zoo features about 170 species of animals living in different geographical areas. Here, positive results were obtained in the reproduction of the lynx of the East Siberian, polar wolf and Arctic fox. In addition, animal and bird species that are exotic for these places are represented here - the Amur tiger, musk ox, golden eagle, Asian wild grouse, sika deer, beaver, white-tailed eagle, small swan, etc.
Yakutsk city, attractions - tourist reviews
This northern city makes a huge impression on tourists. The magnificent northern nature, harsh climate affects Yakutsk. The sights of this city are delightful. Museum workers who conduct very interesting excursions deserve a lot of kind words.