Yakutia > Lena river

Lena river

The Lena River is the largest river in North- East Siberia. It is considered, that the name of the river derives from two Evenk and Even words, which means "a great river". Its tributaries are the Chaya, the Vitim, the Aldan, the Kuta, the Olyokma, the Vilyuy, the Kirenga, the Chuya and the Molodo rivers. The largest of them is the Aldan river. The river length is of 4,400 km, at its middle course its width is of 15 km, reaching 20-25 km in the lower course. The Lena delta is registered as the largest in the Guinness Book of Records.

For seven months the Lena River is frozen hard with one-metre-thick ice shield over, flood starting the latter half.

The natives call Lena «EluEne» - «The Big River». It is indeed one of the ten biggest rivers on Earth. The most part of its basin is situated in the permafrost zone. The wild nature of these places is striking in its primeval purity. There are no dams, hydroelectric power stations or factories. Lena flows here as it has flown hundreds of millennia ago.

The pillars of Lena are a fantastic natural monument. They are gigantic column-like cliffs towering above the river banks.They reach 200 metres in height.From afar they resemble castle ruins or the tall towers of minarets. The sun paints the stones of many layers into a rainbow of different colours - it is a truly fabulous sight! Tourist routes are organized through the national park «Leninskiye Stolby» (the pillars of Lena).The locals even have a special ritual of welcoming the guests.The ceremony is conducted at the intersection of two fractures of earth’s crust.

«The Cheeks of Lena» are another point of interest. They are, in fact, a narrow canyon.Great coppery-red cliffs rise on both sidesdial men on the banks of Lena. The drawings and hieroglyphs that are 8 thousand years old are conserved on the cliffs.

You will be able to get acquainted with the cultures of the Evenki and Yakuts in the architectural museum in Sottintsy and the ethnographic complex «Bakaldyn», where you can visit their homes, taste the traditional food, take part in the national games and ancient rites.

You should be looking forward to get to know the capital of Yakutiya - Yakutsk. Incredible trips to the museum of Mammoths and the Scientific Institute of permafrost where you can descend into an underground lab that is set in the middle of a layer of permafrost at the depth ^ of 12 metres.

If a ship is bound north, it will eventually cross the Arctic Circle.

The tourists arrive to Tiksi the transpolar harbour of Yakutiya.

The Bykov Cape is the place where Lena ends and the Artie Ocean begins.