Kyubeme, Russia

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.

 

History

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.

 

Geography

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.

 

Timezone

The village of Kyubeme is located in the MSC+7 time zone. The applied time offset relative to UTC is +10:00.