Hello everyone! I am Kiun B, and today I have arrived at my favorite traditional festival
and today I will show you how we celebrate summer in the coldest city on earth Yakutsk!
We, the Sakha people, are native to Siberia, we celebrate New Year twice a year: on 1st
January and 21st June, which is the summer solstice day known as the Yhyakh festival.
You might already know that we live in the coldest place on Earth - the north eastern
part of Siberia, where the winter temperature can dive down to -71 degrees Celsius. So as
you can imagine, celebrating the summer is a very special time for us!
The Yhyakh festival is a celebration of the sun, which breathes life back into our land
after the long winter. It’s an amazing experience that displays the rich culture and vibrant
spirit of the Yakut people.
I hope that gives you a good idea of what the festival means to us. Now, let’s go
to the festival itself.
So during the Yhyakh Festival we always wear our traditional Yakutian attire and this is
my Yakutian traditional dress called Haladai along with Yakutian traditional jewelry
all of the Yakutian jewelry is always made from natural materials like copper, silver,
bronze
this always has its own meaning for example this one it's protect me from the evil spirits
this is the the symbol of the sun most of the yakut people they prefer to wear a silver
jewelry but it can be very expensive and it can be weighed around 25 kilograms the whole
Yakutian traditional woman attire can be cost up to 3000-5000 dollars
So, as you can see, Yakutian women's traditional clothes are both unique and beautiful. But
there's more to our culture than just attire. We also have our own beauty standards in Yakutia.
For us, a woman having long hair, and when I say long, I mean extremely long hair that
goes all the way down to her feet, is seen as beautiful.
To honor this, we have a fun competition every year and girls from all over the region join in
Moving on from the long-haired beauty of Yakutia, let's journey north. This unique home belongs
to people from the north. Their ethnicity is different from the Yakut people; they inhabit
regions near to the Arctic Ocean, where they tend to their reindeers. They've even brought
their own traditional food to the festival, so let's give it a try!
this is my first time to try the heart of the reindeer this is the very traditional
food where the people from the north lives
it tastes like a beef to be honest a little bit
like somewhere in the middle of the liver and beef. pretty normal taste. well, we eat
raw liver so I really used to eat this kind of things
A central highlight of the festival is the circle dance known as Ohuokhai. This dance
has a profound cultural significance in our Yakut community.
The dance is spiritual. We dance and sing an ancient poetic verses together. it’s
a way of honoring our ancestral spirits, seeking their blessings and protection.
The Ohuakhai dance is also a great way to feel good. Dancing together makes us feel
connected and happy, which is really important for our mental health, especially after a
long, cold winter.
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Coming up next, the event that really stirs up excitement at the festival is the traditional
strongman competition known as "The Games of Dygyn"
"The Games of Dygyn" is a multi-sport competition among locals, where athletes take part in
a variety of events, all inspired by traditional Yakut sports.
The athletes put their strength and skill to the test across seven challenging strongman
tasks, all for the honor of being crowned the Dygyn Games champion, and the $15,000
grand prize. It's a thrilling event that always keeps us on the edge of our seats!
In the first challenge, athletes undertake a unique three-part jumping test. These three
jumps are performed one after another, without any breaks.
The second challenge, known as "The Yakut Pinwheel", requires both strength and technique.
Athlets hold a stick from its end with both hands and put it in a slot. They can't change
their grip or lean over, and they can't step over the stick. They have to spin around it
and get back to where they started. Each athlete gets one try with two minutes to do as many
spins as they can. The one who does the most spins in that time wins this challenge.
After mastering the stick in "The Yakut Pinwheel", athletes get ready to test their strength
and skill in a different arena for the third event, the Yakutian wrestling match known
as “Hapsaҕai”.
"Hapsaҕai" is a wrestling tradition that's unique to Yakutia. The competitors catch each
other's legs and strive to force their opponent to touch the ground with any part other than their feet
The final competition, truly a show of raw power, involves lifting a massive 115 kg stone.
Competitors need to use all their remaining strength for this daunting task.
The tension rises as each competitor takes their turn. The crowd holds their breath,
waiting to see who can conquer the stone and claim victory in this ultimate test of strength.
This year was truly special. A 22-year-old won the champion title, beating his older
brother in the final and following in the footsteps of his father, who was a six-time
champion of the Games of Dygyn.
That was such an exciting game! Now, let’s move on and go for a small walk around the
festival area.
so this is the street where the local handmade things are sold look at this beautiful handmade
shoes and this is the yakutian arts made from the fur
it's like a Game of Thrones
and Yakutia is one of the largest and one of the richest regions of Russia it has about
95 percent of diamond reserves here in Yakutia and also the 20 percent of the world's mining
it comes from Yakutia [Music]
I changed my jewelry now I'm wearing the real silver traditional earrings which you can
buy from kiunb.com store this is also the traditional yakutian ring it's really really
beautiful as well I love this earrings I think they look good
Next, we decided to have a little break and try some traditional Yakutian food. We started
with fried Yakutian pancakes and this special sauce called "Salamat." It's made from butter, flour, and water.
Yes, it's high in calories and super filling, but trust me, it's veery tasty!
For the salad, we have raw frozen fish, seasoned with pepper, salt, and oil. It's one of my
absolute favorites!
during the hot days it's really good to eat this raw frozen fish
For the main dish, we have a traditional Yakutian soup made from baby horse offals. I know it
might not sound appetizing, but it's a must-try in Yakutian cuisine!
For a snack, we have these fantastic pies filled with onion and baby horse meat.
They are so juicy that the filling just leaks out
Seriously, they are so tasty, I totally love them!
I know our relationship with horses might seem strange to you. But to survive our long,
harsh winters, we've come to rely heavily on horse meat and dairy. However, horses mean
much more to us than just that. They are sacred, playing a vital role in both our survival
and our traditions.
The horse races at the Yhyakh festival are a perfect example. It's not just a race, it's
a celebration. Everyone comes together, placing bets and cheering. It's a breathtaking part
of the celebration, It's not just about the thrill of the race, but also about the community
coming together, the excitement in the air, and the shared joy of a tradition that we
all hold dear.
The Yhyakh festival truly is a grand celebration that starts with the first light of day and
continues until the break of the following dawn.
We spend our time at the festival enjoying concerts and dances. The day never seems to
end during the summer in Yakutia.
The tilt of the Earth during this time keeps the sun above the horizon almost the entire day.
It's one of the unique experiences living here, near the Arctic Circle.
When the clock strikes 2 am, the atmosphere changes. Everyone starts preparing for the
most important ritual of the festival - the greeting of the sun.
Following our long, dark winters, this closing ritual carries a special significance. It's
our chance to pay respect to the sun and feel connected with nature and each other.
Under the warm, golden light of the midnight sun, we come together to honor the spirits
of nature, the sun, and fire. It's a captivating tradition that everyone looks forward to.
Around 3 am, as the sun begins to rise, everyone reaches out with their hands towards the rising
sun, as if trying to capture its warmth and energy.
It's not just a beautiful sight; it’s a time to soak in the energy of the sun that
we have missed so much during the long winter. It's a powerful, spiritual moment that leaves
us energized and deeply connected to each other and the world around us.
The culmination of a day of celebration, is our traditional dance - ohuakhai. This dance
brings us together, creating unity and joy, and strengthening our sense of community.
It truly embodies the spirit of the Yhyakh festival and showcases our resilience as the
Yakut people, always ready to welcome the next cycle of life.
so this is how we celebrate summer in the coldest city on earth Yakutsk I hope you have
enjoyed and learned a lot about our culture and traditions and you are warmly welcome
to join us next year let me know what you find the most interesting in our festival
and it will be nice if you could share this video with someone to spread the beauty of
this Festival goodbye and love you all bye