Things to do in Yakutsk

9 activities, venues and outings in Yakutsk, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Circus
The state circus holds the title of the northernmost (and coldest) circus in the world. The Yakut circus is a mixture of traditional Russian circus performances (which, if you haven't seen before, are really fun) with the national Yakut culture of the extreme north. The core of basic Yakut circus performances is in the acrobatic tradition of China (also a lot of fun), and the Yakuts produce serious acrobats who have won in a lot of international competitions. The circus here also attracts major guest performers from all over Russia.
Do
Oyunskovo Sakha Academic Theater
Саха академический театр им. П. А. Ойунского
Dramatic theater in the Yakut language. There is a simultaneous translation in Russian.
Do
The Orto-Doidu Zoo
Орто-Дойду
You'll find some 150 types of animals here, beginning with invertebrates and finishing with more charismatic megafauna, including extremely rare Amur tigers, polar bears, and Siberian mountain goats. The core of the exhibition is fauna of the Russian Extreme North and Far East (with good reason, since they're suited to survive the winters!). More needy creatures find home in a sheltered terrarium and aviary. You can get there via bus #202 and the Yakutsk-Pokrovsk marshrutka, both running from the bus station.
Do
The Pushkin State Academic Russian Dramatic Theater
Государственный академический русский драматическией театр им. Пушкина
Dramatic productions in the Russian language. Classics and modern works.
Do
The Suorun Omollona State Theater of Opera and Ballet
Государственный театр оперы и балета им. Суорун Омоллона
Opera and ballet performances of Russian and international classics, as well as Yakut-written performances. There are also local concerts and the occasional guest artist.
Do
Theater of Humor and Satire
Театр юмора и сатиры
Comedy shows and various humorous programs in the Yakut language. There is no simultaneous translation, so uh, brush up on your Yakut. There are also concerts performed by Yakut artists, which may be more accessible than Yakut standup comedy.
Do Not mapped
Ysyakh
Ысыах
This is the big festival, the biggest traditional Yakut festival there is. It's the Yakut national festival celebrating (and wishing for) fertility, usually celebrated on the Summer Solstice (21 June). In some years the date can wander around. There's an all-nationality parade in the suburb of Us Khatyn (Ус Хатын), which sees tens of thousands of people from all the various peoples of the Russian Federation (and make no mistake, there are tons of different ethnicities within the country). The main event, as a rule, of the two-day festival, is the painted blessing ceremony of the harvest by the White Shaman. No less important for the Yakuts are the sacred rites of the second day's sunrise. The festivities are conducted with competitions in traditional Yakut sports, like Yakut archery, stick fighting, "Khapsagai" (Хапсагай) wrestling, and also national arts: singing, Vargan mouth harp, reciting of traditional oral epics, and others. There are also competitions to make the best national dishes, folk costumes, traditional folk concerts, as well as local popular music. In short, it's a blast and this is the time to visit.
Do
The Estrada Theater, the Charont Musical Salon
Театр эстрады, музыкальный салон «Чароит»
Nights of music and concerts by Yakut musicians.
Do
The Kulakovskovo Cultural Center
Центр культуры им. Кулаковского
More Yakut concerts and other cultural performances.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Yakutsk (CC BY-SA 4.0).