This picture was taken in 2010 in Yakutsk, honoring the victory of World War II. The Russian flag, the Soviet flag, and the Sakha flag (from left) are hung together in Lenin Square, the center of the city. This picture represents three major symbols in Yakutsk. As explained in the introduction of Yakutsk, Yakutsk has been home to the indigenous Sakha people since the 13th century; however, the city was assimilated or conquered by Russian Cossacks. During the Soviet Union era, the city was under the control of the Soviet Union, just like all cities in Russia. After the Soviet Union fell, the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) was recognized under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation.
My project is to look at architecture in Yakutsk that represents Russian, Soviet, and Sakha symbols. In which buildings can we find symbols of each? Are they separately located or blended together? Are the three cultures competing or harmonious in the city? To what extent have Sakha symbols remained? How do those symbols make up the city’s environment and form the city’s identity?
Though I present several Soviet symbols, my main focus is on Sakha and Russian symbols. Having symbols of two different ethnic groups in one city adds a uniqueness to the city that other cities in Russia do not have. Many Russian cities only have Russian and Soviet symbols. In addition, comparing all three symbols might only make this project complicated and unfocused. However, I do not want to make the hasty conclusion that Russian culture and Sakha culture are competing in Yakutsk. Some controversial architecture and disputes between the two symbols will be presented throughout the project; however, perceptions of the so-called controversial architecture among people, even among Sakha people, vary.
I mainly looked at picture books dedicated to the city spanning from 1974 to 2010. Russian websites, such as Live Journal and “Guide to the Monuments of the City of Yakutsk” were valuable in attaining good pictures of architecture in Yakutsk, and understanding how local people approach such architecture. In addition, meeting with Dr. Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer, a Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology and faculty fellow at the Berkley Center, Georgetown University, and Vera Solovyeva, a Research Fellow in the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and talking with my Sakha friends allowed me to understand better the meanings of the symbols.
Works Cited
The first picture is from a book, Республика Саха год 2010 (Якутск: Гриф и К, 2011)
