A complete mammoth skeleton and a treasure chamber containing precious metals, gemstones and mammoth ivory works give Yakutsk clear cultural themes. The exhibits offer different points of interest for planning your trip: natural history, valuable materials and artistic works.

Mammoths and mineral treasures

The natural history exhibition at the State United Museum of History and Culture of the Peoples of the North in Yakutsk features the well-preserved skeleton of the Tiryakhty mammoth. It is complete, belonged to an adult animal and is more than 30,000 years old. Only a few complete skeletons of adult mammoths have been found worldwide. This makes a specific natural history object the focus of the exhibition.

The exhibition “Treasury of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)” showcases valuables from the State Fund of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). These include large gold nuggets, natural diamonds and rare gemstones, as well as jewellery, traditional silverwork and works made from mammoth ivory. The pieces on display also include rare nuggets of precious metals and unique jewellery and other works made from precious metals, gemstones and other materials.

The themes are easy to distinguish: the natural history exhibition focuses on a complete animal skeleton, while the treasury showcases a selection of gemstones, precious metals and worked materials. This lets you choose a focus for your cultural itinerary—natural history, jewellery and silverwork, or both—without treating the exhibitions as if they covered the same subject matter.

Tours and museum profiles

Tours of the treasury exhibition are available by prior request and subject to availability; groups are limited to 15 people. If you would like to plan a tour, check the current booking conditions before your visit.

The State Museum and Khomus Centre of the Peoples of the World offers another institutional profile. It is a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) at UNESCO. This information complements the exhibition themes by providing context about the museum itself.

Additional cultural context in the wider destination of Yakutsk

The State Museum of Yakutia provides further points of interest in the wider destination of Yakutsk. The Spassky Monastery for Men was founded on the grounds of the State United Museum of Yakutia in 1664. The building of the monastery’s former bishop’s chambers serves as the main building of the State Museum of Yakutia’s open-air exhibition. Skeletons of a bowhead whale and a beluga are displayed outdoors.

The Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography displays stone tools used by the earliest people who inhabited the Lena region during the Pleistocene and early Holocene. The third-floor exhibitions include collections of the material and spiritual culture of northern peoples, including the Yukaghir, Even and Evenki. During interactive tours, lectures and workshops, visitors actively take part in discussions. Ask the museum about the current availability of the programme.

The Mammoth Museum adds to this context, too: it has an osteological collection of 1,450 objects; this number may change. The range of subjects therefore extends from individual natural history finds and archaeological tools to collections about the culture of northern peoples.

Discover more destinations: Vitim, Belaya Gora, Neryungri, Lensk, Mirny, Yefremovo, Aldan, Khatassy.

View the broader travel overview: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).