Orto Doidu

Yakutsk


This popular zoo is some distance from Yakutsk, but it's well worth the trouble of getting out here if you're interested in the fascinatingly hardy fauna of Yakutia and Arctic Russia. Among the collection you'll find polar bears, wolves, reindeer, elk, brown bears and even a golden eagle. To get here, take bus 202 from the bus station (R160, one hour). Buses leave at 9am, 11.30am, 2.30pm and 5pm.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yakutsk attractions

1. Melnikov Permafrost Institute

25.47 MILES

True permafrost nerds might check out the Permafrost Institute, about 2km west of the city centre. It has a lab that stays a constant –6°C, but high…

2. Archaeology & Ethnography Museum

26.65 MILES

These two separately run museums are in the same building; sadly, neither enjoys the luxury of signage in English. On the bottom three floors you'll find…

3. Mammoth Museum

26.65 MILES

Despite its rather exciting-sounding name, this one-room museum is rather a let-down due to its total lack of signage in English. On the plus side, there…

4. Permafrost Kingdom

27.26 MILES

At Permafrost Kingdom, two neon-lit tunnels burrowed into a permanently frozen hill have been filled with dozens of fabulous, never-melting ice sculptures…

5. Transfiguration Church

27.46 MILES

This mid-19th-century church with gorgeous golden domes in Yakutsk's old town is the city's most attractive.

6. National Art Museum

27.52 MILES

If time is limited, don't miss this excellent museum, with Sakha-themed exhibits covering local craftmaking traditions (mammoth tusk carvings, reindeer…

7. Pyotr Beketov Monument

27.53 MILES

This rather brash gold-plated pillar in the old town honours Cossack explorer and founder of Yakutsk, Pyotr Beketov.

8. Treasury of the Sakha Republic

27.57 MILES

Pay a visit to this unique museum for a look at Yakutia's rich mineral wealth combined with fine craft traditions. You'll see exquisite carvings in…