Yakutsk / Якутск

Before travelling the Kolyma road this winter, we were staying a couple of days in Yakusk, the capital of the Sakha Repubic in eastern Siberia. Yakutsk is the coldest major city in the world, with January average at -40 degrees Celsius. Also, it's is the biggest city in the world, built on permafrost.

 

An ordinary Sunday at the Main Square. No reason to stay inside: the temperature was just minus 36.

All modern houses are built on piles to avoid destabilisation of the frozen ground.

 

 

 

 

This nice guy guided me on ice fishing on the Lena River.

 

 

Khandyga / Хандыга

On our travel through eastern Siberia, we were staying one night in Khandyga, an urban settlement along the Kolyma road. The Khandyga pictures were taken during an early morning hour, before heading towards Oymyakon.

We were staying overnight in a flat in a typical house from the Soviet era. The enterance didn't look too promising, but the flat was ok.

We were sharing the flat with some money transporters from the Russian bank. They were armed even at breakfast, and also when drinking vodka the evening before.

 

Café Cuba

If you ever travel on the Kolyma road through eastern Siberia, you simply have to visit Café Cuba in Kyubyume. After all, you have no choice if you want something to eat on the 550 km drive between the neighbouring settlements Khandyga and Ust-Nera.

By the way, the food was ok. Borsch as usual.

From the rear side:

Toilet facilities in the background:

Kolyma road

A few weeks ago, I had a fantastic experience travelling from Yakutsk to Magadan on the famous Kolyma road. This 2000 km road through the wilderness of eastern Siberia, was built by Gulag prisoners during the Stalin era. The road is also known as the road of bones, since prisoners who died during construction, were buried in the road's foundation. 

The region between Yakutsk and Magadan is known as the coldest area on the northern hemisphere, and Oymyakon is the coldest permanently populated settlement on earth. On our trip, temperature was normally between -40 and -50 degrees Celsius, except for some early mornings in Oymyakon, when temperature dropped below -50.

Here are some Pictures from the road.



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