Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Background

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is a federal subject of Russia in the country’s Far East and Arctic zone. It is the largest federal subject in Russia by area and the world’s largest country subdivision, covering more than 3.08 million square kilometers. Its capital and largest city is Yakutsk, which is known as one of the coldest major cities in the world, and the republic has a population of about one million.

Its size and location give the republic significance in Russian administration, transport, and northern development policy. Sakha accounts for roughly half of the area of the Far Eastern Federal District, making it a major component of Russia’s governance of its eastern territories. The region’s severe climate and Arctic coastline also make it relevant to infrastructure planning, resource extraction, and broader state efforts related to the Russian North and the Arctic.

The area was originally inhabited by indigenous hunting-gathering and reindeer-herding peoples, including the Evenks and Yukaghir, before the Turkic Sakha people migrated there between the 9th and 16th centuries. Russians incorporated the territory into the Tsardom of Russia in the early to mid-17th century as Yakutsk Oblast, and it later became the Yakut ASSR in 1922 during the Soviet period. In the post-Soviet period, it was renamed the Yakutskaya-Sakha Soviet Socialist Republic in 1990 and became the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in December 1991.

Timeline

1. Mar 5, 2026

   Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) was named one of 13 regional finalists competing for the 2026 title of “Financial Culture Capital.”

   The Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Russia to Name the Financial Culture Capital of 2026