Things to do in Outer Far East
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Mask of Sorrow
On a small hill overlooking the town, the striking Mask of Sorrow was built in 1991 in memory of those who perished in Kolyma's camps. Names of old camps are along the small hillside down from the monument - a grey stone face, with minifigures, an inner cell and a weeping woman behind. Views take in two bays. The monument is about 500m south of the bus station (visible the whole way).
Though you're pretty near a Gulag site anywhere in Russia, Magadan and the surrounding Kolyma Region is most often linked to the terror of the Gulag. Following the discovery of gold here in 1932, prisoners poured in. The setting was 'perfect' for Gulag overseers - ice-locked and 9000km from …
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Permafrost Institute
The world of global-warming activist watches goings on at places like Yakutsk’s Permafrost Institute, about 2km west of the centre. Buses 17 or 41 will get you nearby. It’s a real institute, but opens its 12m-deep icicle-filled basement (a lab in the frozen earth) to the public. The lab stays a constant -6°C (wrap up warmly, though there are usually coats around to use). A tour includes a short film. You’ll see 10,000-year-old deposits of vegetation (though some melted due to excess visitors in 2007). There’s also a model of a baby mammoth discovered on the Kolyma River in 1977 (the original was hauled off to St Petersburg’s Museum of Zoology).
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Regional Museum
A good place to delve deeper into Sakha culture, the Regional Museum packs nine rooms devoted to wildlife (including a 2900-year-old human skeleton), first Russian settlers, regional minerals, revolution, WWII and Soviet life. Outside there’s a huge whale skeleton found in 1961. The museum is actually located off pr Lenin (a wood sign across from Le Grand hotel points the way).
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National Art Museum
Try to look past the (tripled) foreigner admission price at the excellent new National Art Museum, as its three floors show off many local customs and much scenery, with huge oil paintings (of heroic train construction, the life-like pillars atop Mt Kisilyakha etc). English descriptions follow changing themes over the years.
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Chochu Muran
[ourpick] Chochu Muran In a wonderful Cossack-style lodge filled with antiques and massive moose heads, the Chochu Muran is set at the edge of town, 15km west, near hills. Call ahead to arrange meals, or drop by to see mammoth artefacts or the dogs that give sled rides in winter, when there’s also ice fishing.
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Archaeology & Ethnography Museum
All that permafrost in the area has resulted in some of the world’s best preserved mammoth skeletons. You can see some at the Archaeology & Ethnography Museum, with skeleton sketches comparing the hair and trunk of mammoths with those of elephants. It’s in one of the university buildings facing the canal.
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DVS-Tour
The helpful English-speaking staff at DVS-Tour can arrange bay cruises (from US$100 for one day) for bird-watching, fishing or relaxing trips in bear country, staying at their two remote wilderness lodges, or trips to Dneprovsky Gulag including 6WD transport (from US$1000).
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Museum Khomus
The unexpected (and unfortunately soundtrack-free) Museum Khomus has a collection showcasing international Jew’s harp heroes (including local guru Spiridon Shishigin) and old 45s; they sell a Sakha-made harp for R1700.
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Sakhabult
Long-running shop where locals go for coats, boots and hats made of rabbit, muskrat, reindeer and other pelts. It’s pricey if you’re looking for big norka (mink) hats, but a (real) reindeer Christmas ornament is R250.
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Ugly Globe
In recent years Yakutsk has put up many monuments around town, but none more bile-raising than the controversial ‘message of love, ’ a grey, heart-stamped ugly globe Many locals hate it; we like it.
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Sokrovischnitsa
The Sokrovischnitsa is a secretive, heavily guarded collection of local diamonds, gold and other minerals and jewels. Access it around the corner, in the glass office building, from the Tygyn Darkhan hotel.
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Tamerlyan
This fast-food spot (with battle axes on the wall) gets busiest at lunch, when it has a pick-and-watch-cook (then eat) Mongolian BBQ (R229 for one trip) and a business lunch (R200) from 11am to 4pm weekdays.
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Bistro Assol
One of a couple of central open-air cafés – in summer, that is – selling beer and cheap meals, such as microwaved lagman ( noodles and meat in broth; R75) and crab salad (R45).
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Regional Museum
The Regional Museum is worth seeing for the upstairs Gulag exhibit that features relics and the top of a watchtower. Shocker alert: same ticket price for Russians and foreigners.
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Treasury Museum
Ask at a travel agent to see if you can visit the (often VIP only) repository of Sakha's amazing minerals and jewels at the Treasury Museum. Located behind the Hotel Tygyn Darkhan.
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Margarita
Done up with painted windows showing off Tuscan scenes, this family-run spot is big on pizza and pasta (R210 to R370); locals enjoy beer and dessert on the covered sidewalk seats.
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Sakha Theatre
Sakha Theatre is a strikingly modern venue that has theatre and music in the Sakha language; engaging even if you don’t get a word of it.
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Toragi
This homey eight-table restaurant serves a mix of Korean and Central Asian meals. The kuksu (beef-and-cabbage soup with noodles, R50) is great.
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beaches
The two bays near town - Gertner and Nagaeva - have beaches. Probably the best beach - called Novaya Vesolaya - is at Gertner Bay, reached by bus 3.
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Saloon
At the bus station, this rather humorous drinkin' spot is a not uncosy 'Wild West' bar with cowboy paintings on the dark-wood walls.
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Buon Appetito
Hipster-stop for whisky or wood-oven pizzas, with outdoor-indoor seating near the pedestrian bridge on a Lena River canal.
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Kafe Legenda
Good for a quick, cheap snack-type meal, like a burger or Central Asian rice 'n' pork bowl of plov.
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Sloboda
Small Russian restaurant proud of its 'hangover cure' soup and Cossack-styled chicken breast.
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Korona
A favourite new, nose-raised disco. Located behind the telephone centre.
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