Fairbanks-Yakutsk
Sister Cities

The Fairbanks-Yakutsk Sister Cities Committee (FYSC) promotes the interchange of information and ideas between the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA and Yakutsk, Sakha Republic, Siberia, Russia. The FYSC also sponsors organized trips between the two cities for interested groups.

Yakutsk

What is now Yakutsk was first reached by Russians when a Lieutenant or Cossaks, Peter Beketov approached the area from the upper reaches of the great Siberian river Lena with a detachment of thirty people. In 1632, he established a small fort on the eastern bank of the Lena and called it Lensky. In his petition, the Lieutenant wrote:

"That very year, September 25, according to His Majesty the Tsar and GRAND Duke of ALL Russia Mikhail Fhodovich's UKAS (decree) I with my soldiers put up an ostrog on the Lena for Tsar to reign over the outlying lands and collect yasak (tax)."

When the site proved subject to flooding and undermining from the Lena, a new site across the river was chosen in 1643. The new ostrog (fort) was called Yakutsk, and became the capital and trade center for the district. In September of 1990, Yakutsk was proclaimed the capital of the newly formed Sakha Republic.

In 1992, Yakutsk had a population of over 250,000 people, is the capital of the largest region in Russia, and is centered in an area of enormous natural resources. Yakutsk has Sister City agreements with Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, Guirin (China), Muroyama (Japan), and Darmstadt (Germany). The city is also the home of Yakutsk State University, which has an active exchange program with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Fairbanks-YakutskSister Cities

Yakutsk

Fairbanks-Yakutsk
Sister Cities