Another interesting feature of Yakutsk that I want to mention is the railway system. In Yakutsk, a port and an airplane are the only forms of transportation that connect the city to other places. It is true that some people protested against building a railway because they either did not want too much industrialization in the city, or did not want too many newcomers moving into the city. However, a railway-bridge combination crossing the Lena River has been desired for a long time.
In 1992, Alexei Mikhailov, the author of the book “Yakutia саха Сирэ,” seemed certain that railways would head to Yakutsk. He states that “with the desire and the will of the people, the steel track is planned and rails will lie down alongside the waters of the Lena River.”
A railway could bring further trade development and many other advantages because there is always a certain period of time when crossing the Lena River is impossible. The port only works for a short period in the summer. In winter, cars and trucks can across the Lena when the ice is firm; before it is firm, it might be dangerous. However, railway projects have been delayed mainly due to budget shortages and environmental difficulties, such as a wide riverbed, high winds, and permafrost.
One of the recent books on Yakutsk “380 Years of the Sakha Republic” (2012), presents a picture of the railway indicating “23 km to Yakutsk.” It demonstrates the desire of Yakutsk to build a railway; however, this plan continues to fail.
Works Cited
Алексей Михайлов, Yakutia. Саха Сирэ. Якутия (Якутск: Сахавнешоптторг, 1992)
Alexei Mikhailov, Yakutia Саха Сирэ. Якутия (Yakutsk: Sakhavneshoptorg, 1992)
https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/lena-river-bridge-to-provide-hope-and-fruit-26100
380 лет в мире и согласии. Дни Республики Саха (Якутия) Постоянное представительство Республики Саха при президенте Российской Федерации (Москва, 2012)
Interview with Dr. Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer and Vera Solovyeva, December 8th 2016, Washington, D.C.
