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44-497: Okhotsk (Russian: Охотск , IPA: [ɐˈxotsk] ) is an urban locality (a work settlement ) and the administrative center of Okhotsky District of Khabarovsk Krai , Russia , located at the mouth of the Okhota River on the Sea of Okhotsk . Population: 4,215 ( 2010 Census ) ; 5,738 ( 2002 Census ) ; 9,298 ( 1989 Soviet census ) . It was named after

88-467: A municipal division , Yakutsk and the eleven rural localities are incorporated as Yakutsk Urban Okrug . The settlement of Zhatay is not a part of Yakutsk Urban Okrug and is independently incorporated as Zhatay Urban Okrug. Divisional source: Population source: *Administrative centers are shown in bold Yakutsk is a destination of the Lena Highway . The city's connection to that highway

132-575: A coastal settlement and not a port. In 1682, Okhotsk had eight dwellings and five other buildings. When the Russians entered the Kamchatka Peninsula , they had to travel overland from the north. In 1714, Peter the Great sent a party of shipbuilders to Okhotsk to provide faster access to the furs of Kamchatka. In 1715, they built the vessel Vostok , and in 1716–17, Kozma Sokolov sailed it to Kamchatka. For

176-689: A dual-use railroad and highway bridge so the Amur Yakutsk Mainline , the North–South railroad being extended from the south, could connect the city with the East–West Baikal Amur Mainline . The railroad reached the settlement of Nizhny Bestyakh , on the opposite bank of the Lena from Yakutsk, in November 2011. The 2019 completion of a new rail line to the eastern bank of the Lena permitted

220-571: A mean of +23.2 °C (73.8 °F), and the coldest, January 1900, which averaged −51.4 °C (−60.5 °F). Yakutsk is the largest city in the world with an average winter temperature of below −30 °C (−22 °F). Yakutsk is an inland location, being almost 1,000 km (620 mi) from the Pacific Ocean, which coupled with the high latitude means exposure to severe winters and also lack of temperature moderation. July temperatures soar to an above-normal average for this latitude, with

264-410: A number of Yakut cattlemen living there. There was so little pasture in the area that pack horses sometimes had to be returned to Yakutsk unloaded. The harbor was ice-free from May to November, but the sailing season ran only from June through September. The town was built on a low, narrow spit blocking the mouths of the two rivers. The harbor inside the spit was large but shallow; three quarters of it

308-511: Is a local punk scene in Yakutsk, with many bands. The city has an increasingly vibrant film industry that has been gaining international recognition over recent years for its unique style and the way its filmmakers portray the region and its people. The regional film industry has come to be nicknamed "Sakhawood". People in Yakutsk wear very fluffy and fuzzy clothing, and to cope with extremely cold weather they shelter indoors in warm housing, which

352-763: Is also the largest city located in continuous permafrost ; the only other large city is Norilsk , also in Siberia . Yakutsk is located in the Central Yakutian Lowland and is a major port on the Lena River . It is served by the Yakutsk Airport as well as the smaller Magan Airport . The city was founded in 1632 by the Cossacks and was originally called either the Lensky fortress or the Yakutsk fortress. The first version of

396-405: Is believed to reduce their increase in winter mortality rates compared to winter in milder regions of the world. According to the results of the 2021 Census , the population of Yakutsk was 355,443 in the city proper and 372,928 in the city's urban area, which is one third of the total population of Sakha . In the 2021 Census , the following ethnic groups were listed: Orthodox Christianity

440-458: Is impassable for long periods of the year when it contains loose ice, when the ice cover is not thick enough to support traffic, or when the water level is too high and the river is turbulent with spring flooding. The highway ends on the eastern bank of Lena in Nizhny Bestyakh (Нижний Бестях), an urban-type settlement of some four thousand people. Nizhny Bestyakh is connected with Magadan by

484-461: Is only usable by ferry in the summer, or in the dead of winter, by driving directly over the frozen Lena River , since Yakutsk lies entirely on its western bank, and there is no bridge anywhere in the Sakha Republic that crosses the Lena. In the dead of winter, the frozen Lena River makes for a passable highway for ice truckers using its channel to deliver provisions to far-flung outposts. The river

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528-401: Is the capital of the Sakha Republic. As an inhabited locality , Yakutsk is classified as a city under republic jurisdiction. Within the framework of administrative divisions , it is, together with the settlement of Zhatay and eleven rural localities, incorporated as the city of republic significance of Yakutsk —an administrative unit with a status equal to that of the districts . As

572-601: Is the largest city built on continuous permafrost , and many houses there are built on concrete piles . The lowest temperatures ever recorded on Earth outside Antarctica and Greenland have occurred in the basin of the Yana River to the northeast of Yakutsk. Although winters are extremely cold and long–Yakutsk has never recorded a temperature above freezing between 10 November and 14 March inclusive–summers are sunny, warm and occasionally hot (though short), with daily maximum temperatures exceeding +30 °C (86 °F), making

616-604: Is the main airport, and Yakutia Airlines has its head office in the city, operating flights between Yakutsk and other main Russian cities. Tourism as an economic sector plays a small but growing role, thanks to the city's unique cultural heritage and natural attractions such as the Lena Pillars Nature Park , a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Permafrost Kingdom , which is a tourist complex dedicated to showcasing

660-547: Is the most widely professed faith in Yakutsk, with significant populations of the adherents of Shamanism and Rodnovery . A sizeable share of the city's residents is non-religious . The city's two main ethnic groups, the Turkic speaking Yakuts and the Slavic speaking Russians , are primarily Christian . The world largest temple of the Aiyy Faith is also located in Yakutsk. Yakutsk

704-557: The Kolyma Highway . Construction of a highway bridge over the River Lena to Yakutsk was approved by president Vladimir Putin on 9 November 2019. Based upon a design submitted in 2008 , it would be over 3 km (1.9 mi) long and constructed 40 km (25 mi) upriver at Tabaga , where the river narrows and does not create a wide flooded area in spring. The cost of the bridge and its 10.9 km (6.8 mi) of approaches

748-640: The Okhota River , whose name is a corrupted Evenk word okat , "river". Okhotsk was the main Russian base on the Pacific coast from about 1650 to 1860, but lost its importance after the Amur Annexation in 1860. It is located at the east end of the Siberian River Routes on the Sea of Okhotsk where the Okhota and Kukhtuy rivers join to form a poor-but-usable harbor. In 1639, the Russians first reached

792-732: The Soviet time, each of the republics of the Soviet Union , including the Russian SFSR , had its own legislative documents dealing with classification of inhabited localities. After the Dissolution of the Soviet Union , the task of developing and maintaining such classification in Russia was delegated to the federal subjects . While currently there are certain peculiarities to classifications used in many federal subjects, they are all still largely based on

836-577: The Lena Valley. The primary economic activity stems from mining activities in the region, particularly coal , gold , and diamonds , with multiple mining companies having set up their headquarters in the city. Precious stones and metals, particularly diamonds, as well as coal, are Yakutsk's major exports. The export volume was $ 5.55 billion in 2021, making it the 16th largest out of eighty-five of Russia's federal subjects, although it contracted sharply (under $ 1 billion) in 2022. Yakutsk Airport

880-474: The Pacific 105 kilometres (65 mi) southwest of Okhotsk at the mouth of the Ulya River . In 1647, Semyon Shelkovnikov built winter quarters at Okhotsk. In 1649, a fort was built (Kosoy Ostrozhok). In 1653, Okhotsk was burned by the local Lamuts . Although the Russian pioneers were skilled builders of river boats, they lacked the knowledge and equipment to build seagoing vessels, which meant that Okhotsk remained

924-701: The State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, named after D. K. Sivtsev. Museums include the National Fine Arts Museum of Sakha; the Museum of Local Lore and History, named after E. Yaroslavsky ; and the only museums in the world dedicated to the khomus and permafrost . In September 2020, the Gagarin Center for Culture and Contemporary Art was opened in the Gagarin District of Yakutsk. In 2021,

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968-409: The average being several degrees hotter than more southerly Far East cities such as Vladivostok or Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk . The July daytime temperatures are even hotter than some maritime subtropical areas. The warm summers ensure that Yakutsk, despite its freezing winters, is far south of the tree line . In winter, Yakutsk instead is between 35 °C (63 °F) and 40 °C (72 °F) colder than

1012-515: The coast that produced 14–36 tons of salt annually; in 1827, it was worked by a hundred and fifty exiles and about a hundred guards and overseers. Bering's men found valuable sea otters east of Kamchatka, and fur hunters began island-hopping along the Aleutian Islands . Furs were brought back to Okhotsk and carried inland, mostly to be sold to the Chinese at Kyakhta . The Russian-American Company

1056-666: The construction materials manufacturing. A sizeable portion of the republic's agricultural sector is located in Yakutsk, which accounts for 89% of the republic's meat and 34% of the republic's dairy production. There are several theaters in Yakutsk: the State Russian Drama Theater, named after A. S. Pushkin ; the Sakha Theater, named after P. A. Oiyunsky ; the Suorun Omoloon Young Spectator's Theater; and

1100-568: The construction of the "State Philharmonic of Yakutia. The Arctic Center of Epos and Arts" began. The annual Ysyakh summer festival takes place the last weekend in June. The traditional Yakut summer solstice festivities include a celebration of the revival and renewal of the nature, fertility and beginning of a new year. It is accompanied by national Yakut rituals and ceremonies, folk dancing, horse racing, Yakut ethnic music and singing, national cuisine, and competitions in traditional Yakut sports. There

1144-539: The demise of the Soviet Union. Okhotsk is served by the Okhotsk Airport . Okhotsk has a subarctic climate ( Köppen climate classification Dwc ) with very cold, dry winters and mild, wet summers. Types of inhabited localities in Russia The classification system of inhabited localities in Russia and some other post-Soviet states has certain peculiarities compared with those in other countries. During

1188-487: The first scholars and expert sailors, and led to a great deal of building. In 1742, there were fifty-seven already-established buildings, forty-five newer buildings in Bering's "expedition settlement," and eight ships in the harbor. Anton de Vieira was the town's governor at that time; he was of Portuguese origin, son of a Jewish father and Christian mother. From 1737 to 1837, there was a salt works several kilometers west on

1232-521: The harbor; because the harbor was shallow, Yakuts had to wade with loads from shore to barge. Fresh water had to be fetched from 4 km ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi) away. Goods could not be brought down along the Kukhtuy River because of swamps. In 1840, Vasily Zavoyko became head of the Russian-American Company post at Okhotsk and decided to move the post south to Ayan , a move that

1276-473: The largest cosmic-ray detector arrays in the world), and the Melnikov Permafrost Institute , founded in 1960 with the aim of solving the serious and costly problems associated with construction of buildings on frozen soil. In 2020, with global heating thawing the ground, the institute is measuring the rate at which the permafrost is thawing, which affects the city as well as the climate. At

1320-477: The mildest cities on similar latitudes in Scandinavia . The climate is quite dry, with most of the annual precipitation occurring in the summer months, due to the intense Siberian High forming around the very cold continental air during the winter. However, summer precipitation is not heavy since the moist southeasterly winds from the Pacific Ocean lose their moisture over the coastal mountains well before reaching

1364-585: The next 145 years, Okhotsk was the main Russian seaport on the Pacific, supplying Kamchatka and other coastal settlements. In 1731, the Siberian Military Flotilla was established here. In 1736, Okhotsk was moved 3 km (2 mi) downstream to a spit of land at the mouth of the Okhota River, converting the ostrog into a proper port. Vitus Bering 's two Pacific expeditions ( 1725–1729 and 1733–1742 ) brought in large numbers of people, including

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1408-403: The seasonal temperature differences for the region the greatest in the world at 102 °C (184 °F). The lowest temperature recorded in Yakutsk was −64.4 °C (−83.9 °F) on 5 February 1891 and the highest temperatures +38.4 °C (101.1 °F) on 17 July 2011 and +38.3 °C (100.9 °F) on 15 July 1942. The hottest month in records going back to 1834 has been July 1894, with

1452-663: The settlement while others visited the town itself. They also fished for salmon in the Okhota River. Okhotsk was of some military importance during the Russian Civil War , when the White army generals Vasily Rakitin and Anatoly Pepelyayev used it as their place of arms in the Far East . Okhotsk was also a launch site of sounding rockets between 1981 and 2005. The rockets reached altitudes of up to 1,000 km [1] . The importance and population of Okhotsk sharply declined following

1496-460: The south. From 1870, Okhotsk was supplied from Nikolayevsk-on-Amur . Further loss of importance came in 1867 when Russian America (Alaska) was sold to the United States . The total population decline of Okhotsk went from 1,660 in 1839 to one hundred in 1865. Between 1849 and 1866, American whaleships cruised for bowhead whales in the waters off Okhotsk. Some caught whales within sight of

1540-609: The start of passenger rail services between Yakutsk and the rest of Russia. Yakutsk is also connected to other parts of Russia by Yakutsk Airport . M.K.Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University is situated in the city. There is also a branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences , which contains, among other things, the Institute of Cosmophysical Research , which runs the Yakutsk Extensive Air Shower installation (one of

1584-482: The system used in the RSFSR. In all federal subjects, the inhabited localities are classified into two major categories: urban and rural. Further divisions of these categories vary slightly from one federal subject to another, but they all follow common trends described below. In 1957, the procedures for categorizing urban-type settlements were further refined. Multiple types of rural localities exist, some common through

1628-469: The toponym came from the hydronym "Lena", the second, from "Yakutia", a synonym for Sakha , eventually became the main one in use. In 1708 it received city status as Yakutsk. The Yakuts , also known as the Sakha people, migrated to the area during the 13th and 14th centuries from other parts of Siberia. When they arrived they mixed with other indigenous Siberians in the area. The Russian settlement of Yakutsk

1672-568: The unique features of the region's permafrost. With the Lena River navigable in the summer, there are boat cruises offered, including upriver to the Lena Pillars, and downriver tours which visit spectacular scenery in the lower reaches and the Lena Delta . In recent years, housing construction, with an emphasis on providing affordable housing, has been a focus, which was accompanied by the growth in

1716-467: The whole territory of Russia, some specific to certain federal subjects. The most common types include: Yakutsk Yakutsk has an average annual temperature of −8.0 °C (17.6 °F), winter high temperatures consistently well below −20 °C (−4 °F), and a record low of −64.4 °C (−83.9 °F). As a result, Yakutsk is the coldest major city in the world (although a number of smaller towns in that region are slightly colder). Yakutsk

1760-468: Was a mud flat during low water. Large ships could cross the bar only on a high tide. Ice-choked water during the spring breakup frequently flooded the town (twenty times from 1723 to 1813), as did high surf on a number of occasions. In 1810, the Okhota River, its mouth jammed by ice, cut a new channel through the spit and isolated the townsite; the town was moved to the spit east of the harbor mouth five years later. Goods now had to be unloaded and barged across

1804-539: Was completed in 1845. The Yakutsk-Ayan Track was built and then rebuilt in 1852 at a cost of 20,000 rubles, bypassing Okhotsk. In 1849, Siberian governor Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky followed the Russian-American Company's example and decided to move the Siberian Flotilla to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and other government facilities to Ayan. The Amur Annexation in 1860 continued the shift of Russian focus to

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1848-409: Was estimated at 63.7 billion Rubles (83 billion rubles including VAT [НДС]), of which a grant of 54.2 billion Rubles was to be provided, with the remainder to be sourced from investors. The bridge was to be toll-free for cars, with a toll for trucks. Work commenced in 2024, with an estimated cost of 130 billion Rubles and a proposed completion date of 2028. The bridge had originally been planned to be

1892-534: Was founded in 1632 as an ostrog (fortress) by Pyotr Beketov . With an intensely continental subarctic climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfc , closely bordering on Dfd , Trewartha Ecbd ), Yakutsk has the coldest winter temperatures for any city its size or larger on Earth. Average monthly temperatures in Yakutsk range from +19.9 °C (67.8 °F) in July to −37.0 °C (−34.6 °F) in December. Yakutsk

1936-696: Was founded in 1799 with its base at Okhotsk, which brought in more money to the town. In 1822 the Scottish traveler Captain John Cochrane ranked Okhotsk just after Barnaul as the neatest, cleanest, and most pleasant town he had seen in Siberia. From at least 1715, it was clear that Okhotsk was a poor site for a city. In addition to the difficult track inland, the harbor was poor, and the short growing season and lack of plowland meant that food had to be imported. Around 1750, there were only thirty-seven peasant families and

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