The Siberian Yakutia
By Robert Baag
Yakutia is a land of extremes. Over 40 degree heat during the short
summer and up to 60 degrees below zero in January. With its
overwhelming nature can the vast territory in Northern Siberia the
travelers to effortlessly cast a spell.
Gently holding the "Pantelejmon Pjanda" their course hard to port,
along with the dense spruce and birch-winning steep banks of the Lena.
At the bow of the small, fully loaded car ferry, flips, leaning
against the rusty railing, tied one, maybe 30-year-old, long black
hair in a pony tail, oblivious to the "Chomus," the Jew's harp. His
gaze absently follows the broad, peaceful stream that seems to blur on
the horizon with the gray-blue sky.
Did seem to be a foreign word in this unhurried majestic river Lena.
The gentle lapping of the waves magically merges with the modulating
tone of Jew's harp. Almost all of them can play Yakuts - a real
traditional folk instrument: your land, this vast territory in
northeastern Siberia is able, with its overwhelming nature, the
traveler easy to cast its spell. A country of extremes. Over 40 degree
heat during the short, eight to ten-week summer. In January, February
to minus 60 degrees in the Yakut Ojmjakon, the cold pole of Eurasia:
You will feel it the same, Zachar giggles happily, is still hot out
there's - here with us but it is winter!. The 50th was once a teacher.
Today he leads visitors through the so-called "Empire of the Eternal
Frost," a kind of museum on the outskirts of Yakutsk, the capital of
the Republic of Yakutia - or: "Sacha" as she calls herself now
confident in their own language. Icy breeze blowing out, as Zachar
opens the door to the mining tunnel. Minus twenty degrees the
thermometer:
"Twenty-five percent of our planet are in the permafrost zone. Mother
Russia has them already sixty percent. Our republic is of course to
one hundred percent on perpetual frozen ground. Here, banned in the
district Wilujsk, whereas under the tsars, the poet Nikolai
Chernyshevsky for 14 years had been, the underground layer of ice
nearly a mile thick. Here in the city and Yakutsk region there are
only between 300 and 500 meters ... "
And global warming? Yes, he had heard of it, Zachar nods thoughtfully.
But fear, that's why the ice - it could literally melt, it is not just
about the driving - and therefore at the end of his work in this
museum:
He personally felt it yet. And he laughs softly, for the rest of my
life is the eternal ice-rich yet been ... - On the narrow-paid job as
a tour guide Zachar is urgently needed. His unwavering translucent
sounds suddenly melancholic humor. The profession as a teacher of
Yakut language, culture and history, he has not given up voluntarily.
His school has been closed well, perhaps too few children. The content
is lacking. Is not entirely clear why he is gone, or had to go. Before
complaining to strangers about their own misfortune, it was not
customary in Yakutia. It does not belong. Only as much as he finally
reveals:
Of course I felt sorry to leave the school, he said half aloud,
because I was not a bad teacher that is.
The abundant natural resources and the sheer size of Yakutia - nearly
nine times as large as the united Germany - have the sparsely
populated region so far, not so much happiness and prosperity. Nearly
300-thousand of a total of around one million people in total live in
the capital Yakutsk. Yegor Makarov is one of them. Many people know
him there. But when they talk about him, then cautious and reserved.
Shy admiration by sounds, but sometimes even open hostility and
undisguised envy.
This is one of our local oligarchs, it is then usually laconic.
Makarov cares little. He felt as Yakut patriot, he insists in the back
room of the cool places to "must-cha", in German: "Iceberg", a
Tex-Mex-style restaurant that belongs to him. He officially earned his
money. Half a dozen guests and as many waitresses are lost in the
spacious rooms look more bored. How did he come to his capital? -
Through hard work, he says. His face remains impassive. Only the
eyelids to pull a tiny bit closer together. After all: Without the
injuries had not passed, back in the wild nineties, he admits, leaning
forward briefly here:
"You see me here .. This is missing an ear bitten me Well, I already
know a bit how you propose to have to defend myself with all my might
-... Sometimes it was even funny, why not! All we have been through
this, then ... Was a good school. The result you see. "
He wants to boost tourism, says Makarov and attracts a high stack of
glossy photos shot himself approached. "Eco-tourism", "Horse
Trekking", "all kinds of winter sports." These are his cues. He had
now been in almost every country in the world, the Yakut says
casually. Travel is his passion. He could compare. And so he is
already certain: Yakutia should not hide, dispose of in a huge tourism
potential - if it were not, as he noted acidly, "old Russian disease",
which hinders the development permanently.
. "We have probably the worst roads in Yakutia in Russia I'm going
'but to them, back and forth In plain Russian: The road is simply
stolen much money is there in the game that is apparently controlled
not good enough!. The permafrost is certainly plays a role, perhaps
building surveys are also the most likely bad, but it is probably
this:.. It is badly mismanaged for us! "
Yegor Makarov action and the Council apply to the Republic of Sakha,
but also his leadership of the government well in eight-hour flight
away, Moscow:
"The officials have to work so that the people here, the necessary
living and working conditions are established, the business, the
business world must be freed from bureaucratic pressure:.. In
addition, the tax system, corruption, the Russian Far East is simply
ignored , In our desolate arctic regions, since nothing is being done
for the people:..! no job, no conditions, no wages veeeery many
problems we have here "
Three blocks away. Yegor Borisov received at the State Opera of
Yakutsk. While from the ground softly to himself hinprobenden
Tonfetzen one mandolin and balalaika orchestra blow up, the addressee
of Makarov nods sadly short list of complaints, and apparently to
himself. The roots of all evil came from earlier times, when the
Soviet Union collapsed, the President of the Russian republic of Sakha
/ Yakutia consider. During the past two decades, the already sparsely
populated region would again leave about 200,000 people:
"Many sectors of the economy - especially in the north - have time to
go through great trouble to their productions have been run losses
were especially high transport costs responsible have the end result
must include in the nineties, many companies -.... But today we put in
our economic policy in three directions First,.. We support our
traditional industries, so the diamond industry, the gold-and
coal-mining Secondly, we try new industries develop and thus to
diversify the economy of the republic is this now the oil industry.
has promoted after a short time at the four million tons. And we are
now third, while also exploiting natural gas resources. "
Twenty-five percent of world diamond production provided "Alrosa", the
Yakut-Russian state company. Yakutian coal will mainly to East Asia,
but some even exported to Europe, says Borisov. Especially interesting
are the newly discovered in Yakutia and on the world market urgently
sought raw materials for the production of modern means of
communication such as mobile phones. Borisov does not shy away from
superlatives back:
"Our government has the federal government in Moscow made the proposal
to tap the vast reserves of so-called 'rare earth' in the north-west
of our Republic. They are the largest yet known deposits as of niobium
and scandium world! You are richer by far than the famous mining
fields in Brazil -. Here is a concrete perspective for our foreign
partners, such a project using their advanced technology to achieve
with us. "
That's the theory, if the plans. But Borisov know of course:
"In order to attract investors, we must of course provide an
appropriate infrastructure. - We are nearing construction completion
of a railway line, over 800 kilometers along the right river bank of
the Lena our capital Yakutsk will connect to the BAM, the East
Siberian 'Bajkal -Amur Mainline '-.. We are building even high voltage
lines to our raw material warehouses in Western and Südjakutien
Already 600 km we can finish in a short time -.. Even the road it goes
ahead, the south and west of Yakutia is out of Yakutsk now To achieve
even over land. "
President Borrisows official government spread confidence likely
potential Japanese, Chinese, Korean as well as European investors are
currently not yet convinced, however, completely break up towards
Yakutsk, to found companies. For the last word - not only in
international economic projects - still have the politicians and top
bureaucrats Ministerialgewaltigen in Moscow. And Moscow is aware of
the riches of Yakutia.
"Moscow supported us, but not like, so ..."
Too loud and clear criticism of the leadership in the distant capital
of Russia may be adversely affected. So-called "double-talk" in Soviet
times is therefore in many Yakut families at least rooted in the
subconscious mind will continue - even unconsciously - passed as an
attitude to the younger generation think The One in the public but
only the other, officially Desirable, . express - Tanya, a young
student asks Yakut, though, to change their names, but then takes all
her courage:
"Yakutsk, I do not know ... 'ALROSA', we had 'ALROSA', diamonds, and
after three years had passed. Moscow has bought it. And I think that's
very, very bad for us, for our economy! "
An old criticism of dependency ratios, which share not only many of
their fellow students, but also become part of the older generation,
she says. Trends, however, to evade the provisions of Moscow
altogether, auszuscheren possibly even with the prospect at some point
in the Russian federation, which had been made in quite a few
oppositional set Yakuts only briefly at the beginning of the nineties,
when the USSR imploded. Separatist movements played no role today, it
is almost in unison in response to requests - no matter whether in
official or private.
Suggests that little Masha concentrates the "Chomus". (Picture: radio
Germany - Robert Baag)
Galina, social worker and director of a children's ensemble looks
proud of the little Masha, the focus hits the "Chomus", the Yakut
jew's harp. Around them three other girls in green and white national
dress and two smart guys grinning in olive green-brown long shirts
that are embroidered with intertwined economically, lily-like
patterns. Her instrument is the tambourine. Ten, eleven years old are
the children. Before the very Soviet-style concrete block of Yakutsk
State Opera waiting for their appearance, play on. Nevertheless: Also,
foreign drummers are expected to foot the great concert in a few
hours.
Galina, also in her national dress modestly tasteful, confirmed that
it was even twenty years ago was very difficult to maintain and
preserve the national traditions. The Cultural Politics in Soviet
times have tried to make the centuries-old nomadic heritage of the
Turkic-speaking Yakuts, Evens and Evenks as backward contempt,
discredit, suppress not infrequently.
Since recently, but we take care of themselves again to the Yakut
national culture - now officially requested:
"Everyone at us in the blood:.. Our national tradition, our music They
have played our ancestors long before the Soviet power, we have then
heard on the radio, the 'Chomus', the Jew's harp Well, yes, Foreign
radio was das. About the so-called 'voices' as 'Radio Liberty' from
the U.S. which was sent. In all villages there was a central speaker.
came from the music. All the time. We have always wanted that. We
wanted making music. But teachers or circle leader for did not exist.
Only our grandmothers have played on the harp. And we have just
listened to ... "
Black and Grey Älplerhut with green ribbon, light gray lederhosen with
deer horn buttons, dark wool socks and heavy hiking boots. Volker
Klein is probably from the Upper Austrian Mölln did not quite realize
that he must act here as the real exotic among all the colorfully
dressed Yakuts. Klein, a member of the band "Mollner mouth drummer,"
of the concert line invited as a guest observed a fascinating a
cappella soloist on the steps in front of the opera house - the
atmosphere has seen him under control:
"" Yes, it's amazing, very impressive - a hand the size of the country
when Herflug; other hand, the traditions here. This is very
impressive. "
Above all, a respectful, well and spiritually influenced dealing with
the Yakuts of the landscape and the nature of their homeland, he was
able to observe. And almost a little pensive sets Volker Klein added:
His "Certain content depths that lie at such ceremonies, there would
also be appropriate for us again,'d say 'I do. It does not have the
traditional, rigid form, but I like that people here because of the
sparseness of the country, more reflect on values. That's what I fänd
us improvise quite well. You very well with nature. This can be done
with us. But this life has to stop in the country. I love it. You can
feel naturally been the archaic power of the country I'd say again. "
The current leadership of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia may already
have realized that they should support her just barely one million
people a counting people in the state efforts to rediscover their own
identity and to preserve them. Because for the next generation is
formed so that an additional non-material incentives, despite harsh
climatic conditions in the unchanging land of their ancestors remain -
not least under the conditions of socio-economic globalization, which
is part of Yakutia economy become long. Urgently overdue to many
people in North Eastern Siberia a noticeable improvement in their
material situation - and at an affordable cost of living. - Tanya
student belongs to a now growing number of young Yakut, who not only
depend on their country, its culture and its history, but also are
willing to engage in Yakutia. However, they have their own leadership,
not least as well as Moscow to grant the necessary free space:
"I must uphold my tradition, and in the future I would like to make my
home Yakutia better known -.. The world I do not know what job I will
work, but I want to go in that direction, Yakutsk to make known to
spread. "
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