Tiksi is an urban-type settlement, the administrative center of the Bulunsky ulus of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It stands on the shore of the bay of the same name. There is also a seaport located eastward from the mouth of the Lena River, on the shore of the Laptev Sea.
A bit of history
For the first time these places were described in 1739 by the famous Russian polar explorer and explorer Dmitry Laptev. Then the bay opened to them was given the name Gorely Bay. In 1878, the steamboats Vega and Elena moored here. The participants of this expedition A. Nordenscheld, A. Sibiryakov and Lieutenant Oscar Nordqvist were delighted with the beauty of these places. At the same time, the latter made a proposal on the need to give the bay a different name, since the name Gorelaya is unable to convey all the charms of Siberian reality. After they found out from the translator the name of the place that the natives gave, the bay was called Tiksi.
Tiksi Bay
Translated from the Yakut language, “tiksi” means a pier. The total length of the bay reaches 21 km, the width at the entrance is 18 km. The greatest depth is about 12 m. It is freezing, ice stands from October to July. The port of the same name standing here is the sea gate of Yakutia. This is a major transport hub in the Arctic part of Russia. Here is the Northeast Directorate of the Russian Navy, which is responsible for transport links to the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea and the Chukchi Sea, as well as shipping along the rivers Lena, Khatanga, Olenok, Indigirka, Kolyma.
The emergence and development of the port
The port was created in 1933. During this period, the USSR began active development of the Northern Sea Route. The first winterers, as well as the builders of the port and the village, landed on the shore of the bay in August 1932.
Here at different times lived famous people of Russia, as well as researchers from Siberia A. Papanin, A. Marinesko, A. Chilingarov.
During the Great Patriotic War, important transport cargo was transported through Tiksi to Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and Vladivostok.
Present
Currently, the port of Tiksi is considered quite modern and highly mechanized by the standards of the Arctic coast of Russia. The navigation here is short, no more than 3 months. But in Tiksi, polar explorers live and work year-round. The village itself consists of 2- and 5-story houses. All are built on stilts. There is no private sector.
In fact, Tiksi are two separate cities. Tiksi-1 is an urban-type settlement in which civilians live. Tiksi-3 is a military town. Both parts are connected by a six-kilometer highway. Near the military village is the airport, which is operated by civilian and military aircraft. There is also a helicopter parking. Usually a plane flies to Yakutsk from the airport twice a week. There are flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg. They fly to these cities several times a month.
Urban village
The population of Tiksi is about 6-7 thousand people. In addition to various regional institutions, the Tiksi department of hydrometeorology and environmental control, a geophysical observatory, and a construction and installation department work here.
In winter, the usual temperature is 25-30 degrees with a minus sign. But it often happens that it sinks much lower. In the period from late autumn to mid spring, Tiksi is captured by hurricane winds, heavy snowstorms and snowstorms are very frequent. The sun appears over the village only in mid-February.
The village owes its origin to the seaport of Tiksi. The port itself is located in the central sector of the Arctic coast of Russia, on the Laptev Sea. In the immediate vicinity of the Lena River Delta. In Tiksi Bay. This port is considered one of the northernmost ports of the Russian Federation and was built in the most inaccessible section of the Northern Sea Route.
Port Life
The port operates only in summer. Navigation lasts about 90 days. Here, transshipment of cargo from sea vessels for Tiksi and villages located in the depths of the mainland on the rivers Khatanga, Olenok, Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma takes place. The port handles mainly industrial and food cargoes, various equipment, and removes timber and timber. There is no rail link to the port of Tiksi.
In addition to communication with the republican center, Moscow and St. Petersburg, local air flights are operated.
In summer, during the navigation period, there is a cargo-passenger connection between the village of Ust-Kut, located on the Yana River, and the village of Tiksi. At this time, ships go along the Lena River to Yakutsk.
The port is open around the clock. Its main operator is Tiksi Sea Port OJSC, which also independently produces and transports sand, as well as organizes passenger transportation.
It is impossible to refuel ships in it; there is no necessary infrastructure. Ships are provided with fresh water only.
You can replenish food supplies only at local retail chains and in cash. Given the shortage of goods, vacation is carried out in limited quantities. Medical care is provided in Tiksi. The port has its own ship repair base. The port also has a diving station, however, it is operated exclusively by special permission from the port management.
Tiksi port, port production facilities, water area, depth
The port has 16 berths, their total length is 1724 m. The depth at the berths ranges from 2.5 to 6.8 m.
It has at its disposal 9 gantry cranes, 6 floating and 4 crawler cranes. It has a bridge container crane and several truck-mounted cranes. OJSC “Tiksi Sea Port” also owns thirty auto-loaders, trailers, bulldozers, tractors and about various vehicles (about 50 units).
The port water area occupies 0.29 ha. To ensure the reception of sea vessels, there are two berth terminals. Their total length is 315 m. The throughput is 67,000 tons per year. The navigation period is officially announced from 15.07 to 30.09. The port is provided with storage facilities, of which 52,000 square meters open, 3,000 square meters closed. Tanks with a capacity of 38,000 tons are available.
The main specialization of the port is the handling and transshipment of food cargo, general, sea-type containers weighing up to 20 tons, transshipment of coal, timber, timber and oil products.
Tiksi port can conduct ship handling both at the berth walls and at roads. For this purpose, special watercraft and ship handling devices are used.
Uncertainties in Perspectives
It should be noted that in the 20th century the port of Tiksi developed quite rapidly. The adjacent village received the status of urban type settlement. By the end of the century, the population of Tiksi began to decline. Currently, it has become almost two times less than what was at the peak of development.
The decrease in the role of the port was due to technological progress. After the nuclear icebreakers began to provide the Northern Sea Route , the need for intermediate stops on the way of the movement of ship caravans disappeared. Therefore, ships stopped entering the Yakut port of Tiksi.
How to get there
In order to get to Tiksi, you must get a special pass to visit this region. It is drawn up by the border service of the FSB of the Russian Federation. It is forbidden to be there without this document.
They usually come here in three ways: by plane, ship, on a winter road. But it is worth noting that all these methods are not entirely reliable. So, in spring and winter, regular air traffic can be suspended indefinitely due to constant snowstorms and strong winds. The ship can deliver people to this area only in the summer, during the navigation period, which is relatively short-lived. Moreover, ships, as a rule, are always loaded, it is very difficult to get tickets. The winter road should be reached only in the convoy of four-wheel drive vehicles.
Those who got to Tiksi should definitely try the local fish, very tasty and still found in abundance at the mouth of the Lena River. Local fish gifts, namely nelma, muksun, chir, vendace are known for their taste not only in Bulunsky ulus and Yakutsk, but also in Moscow. A photo taken from Tiksi port brought from these northern and harsh places will provide memories for a long time.