Melnikov Permafrost Institute

Yakutsk


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 prices make this more of a tour-group option. Take bus 17 from the centre to get here and get off at the Merzlotka stop (look for the sculpture of a mammoth).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yakutsk attractions

1. Archaeology & Ethnography Museum

1.64 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…

2. Mammoth Museum

1.64 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…

3. Khomus Museum

2.5 MILES

Khomus (Jew’s harps) play a big part in Sakha culture. Concerts occur year-round, when performers imitate natural sounds such as a horse neighing. The…

4. National Art Museum

2.63 MILES

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

5. Permafrost Kingdom

2.64 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…

6. Lenin Statue

2.66 MILES

Vlad Ilych still stands on Yakutsk's main square doing a particularly directional pose.

7. Transfiguration Church

2.7 MILES

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

8. Treasury of the Sakha Republic

2.73 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…

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