Russkoye Ustye is located on the Indigirka in Yakutia (also called the "Sakha Republic"). Yakutia has been an independent republic since 1992. It is a member of the Community of Independent States (CIS). Its territory of 3.1 million km2 (roughly 9 times as large as Germany) is inhabited by approximately 1 million people.

The population density of Yakutia is equal to 0.3 inabitants per square kilometer. 40% of Yakutia is north of the Polar Circle. The ground is permanently frozen, which is an obstacle for the development of the entire region.

On the bank of the Indigirka

The extreme temperatures in Yakutia are - 64° Centigrade in January and + 38° Centigrade in July, creating a serious problem for the region's inhabitants. 80% of the republic's surface is covered by taiga-forests, which are interspersed with islands of steppe. In the 12th - 14th centuries, these "islands" drew the semi-nomadic Yakuts to the region from beyond Lake Baikal. Originally pastoralists, they took over agriculture from the Russian settlers.

The settlement of the area through Russians only intensified with the development of mining (gold-mining beginning in 1924). The reindeer-breeding peoples of the North largely inhabit the tundra-belt which runs parallel to the Ice-Sea. The agriculture of Yakutia is primarily oriented toward the production of meat and milk-products. It can only cover 15% of the population's demand. The Yakutian production industry (processing of wood, leather and food) is underdeveloped.

Since the 1920s, Yakutia has been exploited on economic and ecological terms. This has had serious consequences for the region's inhabitants. The way of life here has also been subject to drastic change: complex cities with full infrastructure were built, urbanizing the area.

In the near future, Yakutia may well play a major role in the mining and refining of resources such as coal, gold, mineral oil and gas. It will probably become one of the greatest exporters of the Russian federation.

Agnes Ziemek