Tips for Yakutsk

The city description might be found here.

Passport and visa regulations

International visitors desiring to visit Yakutia as well as Russia must obtain a visa. More information on the Russian visas is here.

All visitors entering the republic should keep in mind two things:
1. If stay for more than 3 days, foreigners should register in local migration service. A visitor should have a valid passport, visa and immigration card. Usually, this procedure could easily be done in most hotels. But if a visitor is going to travel across Yakutia or use homestay accommodation this one should register in the migration service within 3 days.
2. In frontier regions, Anabarskiy (Saskylakh), Bulunskiy (Tiksi), Ust–Yanskiy (Deputatskiy), Allaikhovskiy (Chokurdakh) and Nizhnekolymskiy (Cherskiy), foreigners must follow the frontier regulations and get special permission to enter mentioned areas. Application should be submitted for 30 days before and not a day less.
Usefull extracts from Federal Law of Russia

Telephone communication in Yakutsk

A phone call can be managed from a hotel room. For international phone call dial "8–10", country code, area code, then a phone number.

Communication

city code – +7 4112 + six numbered phone;
public call-boxes station and Internet cafe to the address Lenin Ave. 12;
mail, telegraph&telex post office - to the address Dzerzhinskiy Str. 4;
cellular phone communication companies:
MTS, GSM 900/1800 - Lenin Ave. 10, tel. +7(4112)35-52-22
Megafon - Lermontov Str. 25, tel +7(4112)33-05-00
Paging communication company: "Falco-paging" to the address Ordzhonikidze St. 45, operator +7(4112)42 09 69.

Internet resources

www.sakha.gov.ru - official site of the Government of Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
ya1.ru/bank.php - news, weather, WEB camera, currency exchange rate in local banks, telephone book search of different organizations, video&audio.
www.ykt.ru – the most visitable Yakutian site with a lot of resources.
www.lorp.ru/kolyma - "Kolymintour Co." site.
www.yakutia.ru - "YakutAvia Co." site.
www.yakutiatravel.com - "TourService Center"

Weather

The climate in Yakutia is sharply continental: seasonal temperature variations exceed 100 C (from +40 C during the summer to –60 C during the winter). In the town of Verkhoyansk is at the negative temperature Pole of the Northern Hemisphere the temperature here drops as low as –68,3 C.

Express mail delivery service

FedEx – Poyarkova St, 12, Yakutsk, tel. +7(4112)35 11 44
DHL – Lenina St, 17, Yakutsk, Tel. + 7 (4112)42 18 74

Currency Exchange

The Russian rouble is the monetary unit of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). It equals 100 kopecks. Many banks show an exchange rate on their office billboards. Currency can be exchanged at currency exchange offices at the international airport terminal, hotels and banks. Most of currency exchange offices are in the center of the city.
"Sobinbank" - Kurashova St. 38/1,, tel. +7(4112)42 31 85.
"Sberbank of the Russian Federation" - Octyabrskaya St. 17, tel. +7(4112)34 00 51.
"Makbank" - Kurashov St. 24, tel. +7(4112)34 19 78.
"Almazergienbank" - Lenin Ave. 1, tel. +7(4112)34 40 13

Cash money transfer

"Western Union" in most banks of Yakutsk.

Credit cards

Credit card payment is almost absent in Yakutia except for "Tygyn Darkhan***" and "Polarnaya Zvezda****" Hotels in Yakutsk. Cash machine available in most banks (Eurocard/Mastercard, Visa).

Interior automotive transportation

Public transportation is developed in Yakutsk, Mirny and Neryungri cities and costs non progressive 10 RUR in the public bus. Traffic uses the right side of the road in Yakutia.

Calling a cab

A preferable way is to call a cab by phone. There is also pirate taxi can be available by road. The price is the same. Pirate driver may ask even more.

Road signs

All road signs follow the international standard

Gasoline

Gas stations offer a 24-hour service and Normal costs about 70 cents.

Taking a pet

Visitors can bring their pets, a dog or a cat, as long as pets are inoculated and there is documention to prove it. The inoculation against rabies is obligatory. An international standard veterinary passport is obligatory. For veterinary service dial +7(4112)43 84 14.

Airline service

For the “Tuymaada” airport information service desk dial 006. For VIP airport terminal dial +7 (4112)44 34 94.

Flight schedule of Yakutsk (time and price changes at least every year season)

The flight schedules at other airports

Irkutsk airport
Timetable of Sheremetyevo
Novosibirsk airport
Vladivostok
Khabarovsk
Moscow AEROS TRAVEL

Water transport

Yakutsk river port – 1, Novoportovskaya St. Yakutsk.
For information dial +7(4112)34 96 13, cashier desk +7(4112)43 87 21.

Souvenirs

There are various souvenirs to choose from. There are national shoes, clothing, fur and leather goods, souvenirs made out of different stones, mammoth tusk souvenirs, fur and color beads national ornament gifts, silver and gold jewelry, diamonds, paintings by local artists and crafts, photo albums about Yakutia.
"Sardaana" store of State National Company for crafts production – P. Osipenko St. 8/1, Yakutsk, tel. +7(4112)46 10 31, +7(4112)46 10 49.
"Kuday Bakhsy" store of National Fund for crafts production - Ammosov St. 6, Yakutsk, tel. +7(4112)32 07 93
"Sakhabult" store of National Consortium for professional hunters support – Lenin Ave. 25,, tel. +7(4112)45 32 27.

Buying a map

Maps can be purchased at hotels and book stores ("Globus" map store to the address Lenin Ave, 20).

Newspapers and magazines

"Souzpechat" shops and independent distributors offer a variety of Russian and local news papers and magazines.

Television

National Broadcast Company "Sakha" - Ordzhonikidze St. 38, Yakutsk, tel. +7(4112)32 04 34, +7(4112)35 39 51.

Broadcast Company "STV" - Dzerzhinskiy St. 13, Yakutsk, tel. +7(4112)44 20 70, 44 24 44.

FM radio stations

Medicare

Prescription drugs and the rest of the Medicare goods and medicine can be purchased at drug stores. In case of emergency patients can be sent to clinic centers and emergency rooms.

For the ambulance dial 03.

Safety

There is no need to worry about personal safety. We simply recommend reasonable caution.

Emergency

In case of emergency dial 02.

Electricity

Direct current is 220W/50Hz D.C. Plug-ins and outlets are of European standard.

Clothes and shoe size standard

Clothing: 44-46 size stands for S, 46-48 stands for M, 48-50 and larger stands for L, XL.

Shoe size is of European standard.

Dry clean & Laundry

Dry clean and laundry services are available at the most hotels.

Alcohol

Alcohol drinks and beverages can be purchased at most grocery stores and bars.

Tips

Tipping is not in custom in Yakutsk. However, one can always tip a person if one feels like it.

*The facts presented by YakutiaTravel.Com