Kyubeme (Yakut. Kobume) is a village in the Oymyakonsky ulus of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) of Russia. It is part of the Yuchyugeysky nasleg.
Foundation and early history
There is no exact data on the
foundation of Kyubeme, but the village arose in the late 19th - early
20th century as one of the settlements along the Kolyma Highway, a
historic road that linked Yakutsk with the gold mining regions of
Kolyma. This road, also known as the "Road of Bones", was built in harsh
conditions, often using prison labor. Kyubeme may have originally been a
small settlement for servicing the road - road workers, coachmen and
their families lived here. The name of the village probably comes from
the Evenki word "hicuni" (muddy), which is associated with the Kyubyume
River, which flows nearby.
The Soviet period and the GULAG
The
most significant stage in the history of Kyubeme occurred in the
mid-20th century, when the village became part of the GULAG system. In
the 1930s–1950s, there was a camp site here that was part of Dalstroy,
the organization responsible for the development of Kolyma's natural
resources. Kyubem housed a hospital for prisoners, where the famous
writer Varlam Shalamov, author of "Kolyma Tales," worked in the 1940s.
Shalamov was sent here after his arrest in 1937 and spent several years
in the Kolyma camps, describing the horrors of that time in his works.
The camp in Kyubem was small, but its existence left a dark mark on the
village's history.
During this period, Kyubem's population could
reach several hundred people, including prisoners, guards, and service
personnel. After Stalin's death in 1953 and the subsequent closure of
many camps, the Gulag system in the region began to wind down, leading
to a gradual decline in activity in the village.
Rise and Fall
During the Soviet era, especially in the 1960s–1980s, Kyubeme
experienced a period of relative prosperity due to its location on the
R-504 Kolyma (Yakutsk–Magadan) highway. The village had a road
administration, a gas station, a club, a junior high school, health care
facilities, and trade. The population in 1989 was about 300 people, but
by 2000 it had dropped to 30. It was home to road workers who serviced
the highway and their families. Kyubeme also served as an important
stopover for travelers and drivers traveling along the Kolyma Highway.
However, after the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and the economic
crisis of the 1990s, the village began to decline. The reduction of
funding for road infrastructure, the outflow of population to the cities
and the abandonment of the old "Oymyakon" road (the Kyubeme - Tomtor -
Kadykchan branch) led to the fact that Kyubeme gradually became empty.
According to the 2010 census, there are no permanent residents left in
the village.
Modernity
Today, Kyubeme is considered an
abandoned settlement. Despite this, the federal highway "Kolyma" passes
through the village, and there is still some activity thanks to passing
drivers. In 2017, the fiber-optic communication line "Kolyma Express"
was laid through Kyubeme, which was an important event for the region,
although the village itself did not come to life. In the vicinity, you
can only meet rare squatters or workers collecting materials from
abandoned buildings.
Meaning
The history of Kyubeme is a
reflection of the fate of many small settlements in the Far East: from
its formation during the era of regional development to its heyday
during the Soviet period and its decline in the post-Soviet era. Its
connection with the Kolyma Highway and the GULAG makes it a place with a
tragic but important past. Today, Kyubeme attracts the attention of
travelers and researchers as part of the harsh history of Yakutia, and
its abandonment only enhances the atmosphere of this remote corner.
The village of Kyubeme is located in the Oymyakonsky ulus of the
Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in the eastern part of the region, and is
part of the Yuchyugeysky nasleg. It is located in a harsh and
hard-to-reach region of the Russian Far East, near the Kolyma Highway,
which determines its geographical features. The village is considered
abandoned, but its location remains important in terms of natural and
transport context.
Location
Kyubeme lies in the valley of the
Kyubyume River, a right tributary of the Kyyente River, which, in turn,
flows into the Indigirka River, one of the largest waterways of Eastern
Siberia. The village is located approximately 180 km southwest of the
settlement of Ust-Nera (the administrative center of the Oymyakon ulus),
94 km from Yuchyugei (the center of the nasleg) and about 650 km
northeast of Yakutsk in a straight line (along the highway the distance
increases to 900-1000 km). The geographic coordinates of Kyubeme are
approximately 64°05′ north latitude and 141°50′ east longitude.
It is located along the federal highway R-504 "Kolyma", connecting
Yakutsk and Magadan, which makes it part of the historical Kolyma tract.
Kyubeme is located at the junction of the Oymyakon plateau and the
Kolyma lowland, in the transition zone from mountain ranges to flatter
areas.
Relief
The relief around Kyubeme is varied. The village
itself is located in a relatively flat river valley of the Kyubyume
River at an altitude of about 500-600 meters above sea level. The valley
is surrounded by low hills and knolls, which are spurs of the Chersky
Range, a large mountain system in Eastern Siberia. To the north and east
of the village, the terrain becomes more rugged, with heights reaching
1,000-1,500 meters within the Oymyakon Ulus. To the west and southwest,
the terrain gradually transitions into the Kolyma Lowland, although a
significant part of the territory still remains hilly.
Water
resources
The main waterway in the Kyubyume area is the Kyubyume
River, which flows directly through the village. This is a small river
about 50-60 km long, originating in the Chersky Mountains and flowing
southwest to the Kyyente River. The width of the river near the village
is 10-20 meters, with a rocky bed and a fast current. Kyuente, in turn,
belongs to the Indigirka basin, one of the largest rivers in Yakutia,
which flows into the East Siberian Sea.
In the vicinity of
Kyubeme there are small streams and marshy areas, especially in the
lowlands. In summer, the rivers overflow due to heavy rainfall, and in
winter they freeze, covered with a thick layer of ice.
Climate
Kyubeme is located in the subarctic climate zone with sharp continental
features, typical of the Oymyakon ulus, known as the "cold pole" of the
Northern Hemisphere. Winter here is extremely harsh and long (from
October to April), with temperatures dropping to -50 ° C and below (the
average January temperature is about -45 ° C). The absolute minimum in
the Oymyakon area (100–150 km from Kyubeme) reached -67.7°C. Summer is
short and cool, with temperatures from +10°C to +20°C (the average July
temperature is about +15°C), although on some days it can rise to +30°C.
The annual amount of precipitation is small - 200–300 mm, most of it
falls in the summer as rain. In winter, precipitation is minimal, but
strong winds and snowstorms create harsh conditions. The polar day and
polar night are weakly expressed here due to the latitude, but daylight
hours in winter are very short.
Soils and vegetation
The soils
in the Kyubeme area are predominantly permafrost, with a thin fertile
layer, which is typical for the subarctic zone. The main type is
gley-taiga soils, often with signs of permafrost, located at a depth of
1-2 meters. Vegetation is sparse: sparse larch forests (Dahurian larch)
predominate, occupying the slopes of the hills. In the river valley
there are thickets of shrubs (willow, dwarf birch) and areas of marshy
meadows with mosses and lichens. Higher up the slopes, the vegetation
disappears, giving way to rocky placers.
Fauna
The animal
world is typical of the taiga and tundra: bears, wolves, foxes, hares,
and small rodents live in the vicinity of Kyubeme. Birds include
partridges, crows, and predators such as hawks. The rivers are rich in
fish (grayling, lenok), which historically supported the local
population.
Transport
Kyubeme is crossed by the R-504 "Kolyma"
highway, which makes it accessible for motor vehicles. The road is
difficult: in winter it is covered with snow, in summer it is washed
away by rain, but it remains passable for prepared vehicles. The nearest
large settlements are Ust-Nera (180 km along the highway) and Tomtor
(about 100 km). There is no air or rail service nearby.
Natural
features
Kyubeme is located in one of the harshest regions of the
world, where an extreme climate combines with majestic nature. The river
valley is surrounded by hills covered with sparse forests, and on the
horizon you can see the higher Chersky Mountains. Permafrost and low
temperatures form a unique landscape, where human activity is limited by
natural conditions.
The village of Kyubeme is located in the MSC+7 time zone. The applied time offset relative to UTC is +10:00.