{"id":11590,"date":"2026-02-07T15:59:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T14:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/?p=11590"},"modified":"2026-02-07T19:26:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T18:26:42","slug":"yakuts-surviving-and-adapting-in-the-far-north-of-siberia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/yakoutes-survivre-et-sadapter-dans-lextreme-nord-siberien\/","title":{"rendered":"Yakuts: surviving and adapting in the far north of Siberia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br><strong>A new genetic and archaeological study, published in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-025-09856-5\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-025-09856-5\">Nature <\/a>in January, reveals that, despite Russian colonisation, the biological heritage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iakoutes\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iakoutes\">Yakuts<\/a>, and even their oral microbiome have remained surprisingly stable. And that shamanic practices have long survived Russian and Christian colonisation.<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/yakoutes-survivre-et-sadapter-dans-lextreme-nord-siberien\/#Changements_induits_par_la_conquete_russe\" >Changes brought about by the Russian conquest<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/yakoutes-survivre-et-sadapter-dans-lextreme-nord-siberien\/#Reconstituer_500_ans_dhistoire\" >Reconstructing 500 years of history<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/yakoutes-survivre-et-sadapter-dans-lextreme-nord-siberien\/#Un_lien_initial_etroit_entre_les_Yakoutes_et_le_lac_Baikal\" >A close original link between the Yakuts and Lake Baikal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/en\/yakoutes-survivre-et-sadapter-dans-lextreme-nord-siberien\/#Resistance_genetique_et_culturelle_exceptionnelle\" >Exceptional genetic and cultural resistance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>The Yakuts are the largest indigenous people in Yakutia. They live in north-eastern Siberia and number around half a million people. This is one of the coldest places on the planet, where in winter temperatures can drop below -60\u00b0C and annual temperature fluctuations exceed 100\u00b0C. The ice and permafrost gradually tell their story: centuries of cultural adaptations in an extreme environment where horse and cattle rearing provided transport, food, clothing and fermented milk. Even more astonishing, they speak a language belonging to the Turkic family, while their neighbours speak a language of Siberian origin. The Yakuts have also long practised shamanism, communicating with the spirits to guide and protect their communities.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Locator-map-Sakha-1024x512.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11616 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Locator-map-Sakha-1024x512.webp 1024w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Locator-map-Sakha-300x150.webp 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Locator-map-Sakha-768x384.webp 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Locator-map-Sakha-1536x768.webp 1536w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Locator-map-Sakha-18x9.webp 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Locator-map-Sakha-600x300.webp 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Locator-map-Sakha-36x18.webp 36w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Locator-map-Sakha.webp 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-changements-induits-par-la-conquete-russe\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Changements_induits_par_la_conquete_russe\"><\/span>Changes brought about by the Russian conquest<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"635\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/419_\u041b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439_\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043a\u043e-\u0430\u0440\u0445\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439_\u043c\u0443\u0437\u0435\u0439-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a_\u0414\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0431\u0430.jpg\" alt=\"Russia. Suntar. Tu\u017c uraha - ancient Yakut dwelling.Type of ancient Yakut summer dwelling, a conical hut made of poles and covered with birch bark. \u00a9 Commons.\" class=\"wp-image-11608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/419_\u041b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439_\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043a\u043e-\u0430\u0440\u0445\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439_\u043c\u0443\u0437\u0435\u0439-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a_\u0414\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0431\u0430.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/419_\u041b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439_\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043a\u043e-\u0430\u0440\u0445\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439_\u043c\u0443\u0437\u0435\u0439-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a_\u0414\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0431\u0430-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/419_\u041b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439_\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043a\u043e-\u0430\u0440\u0445\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439_\u043c\u0443\u0437\u0435\u0439-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a_\u0414\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0431\u0430-768x508.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/419_\u041b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439_\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043a\u043e-\u0430\u0440\u0445\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439_\u043c\u0443\u0437\u0435\u0439-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a_\u0414\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0431\u0430-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/419_\u041b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439_\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043a\u043e-\u0430\u0440\u0445\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439_\u043c\u0443\u0437\u0435\u0439-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a_\u0414\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0431\u0430-600x397.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/419_\u041b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439_\u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u043a\u043e-\u0430\u0440\u0445\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0443\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439_\u043c\u0443\u0437\u0435\u0439-\u0437\u0430\u043f\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u043a_\u0414\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0431\u0430-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Russia. Suntar. Tu\u017c uraha - ancient Yakut habitat.<br>Type of ancient Yakut summer dwelling, a conical hut made of poles and covered with birch bark. \u00a9 Commons.<\/em><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Everything changed in 1632, when the Russian Empire began its conquest, followed by the development of Chinese trade at the end of the XVII\u1d49 century. The fur trade, the introduction of tobacco, vodka and carbohydrate-rich cereals, as well as imported diseases (smallpox, tuberculosis, whooping cough) radically disrupted Yakut society. Patrilocal clans saw their power relationships transformed, and Christianity began to spread among populations that had previously been animist.<br>Between 1500 and 1922, four major stages marked the evolution of Yakut society: the traditional period, the \u00abgolden age\u00bb of the fur-trading clans, the intensification of Russian influence on religion and, finally, the Christian conversion campaigns of an animist population with shamanic practices. Despite these upheavals, the culture, practices and resilience of the Yakuts can still be read in their objects, rituals and even their genome, a living testimony to their history in one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-reconstituer-500-ans-d-histoire\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reconstituer_500_ans_dhistoire\"><\/span>Reconstructing 500 years of history<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"670\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/iakoutie-tombe-de-kyys-1-670x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11622 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/iakoutie-tombe-de-kyys-1-670x1024.jpg 670w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/iakoutie-tombe-de-kyys-1-196x300.jpg 196w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/iakoutie-tombe-de-kyys-1-768x1174.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/iakoutie-tombe-de-kyys-1-1004x1536.jpg 1004w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/iakoutie-tombe-de-kyys-1-8x12.jpg 8w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/iakoutie-tombe-de-kyys-1-392x600.jpg 392w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/iakoutie-tombe-de-kyys-1-16x24.jpg 16w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/iakoutie-tombe-de-kyys-1.jpg 1030w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>To understand these millennia of life in the extreme cold and to study precisely the biological, medical and social consequences of a major transition in lifestyle following their \u00abencounter\u00bb with Russia, scientists (French and Russian) have \u00abanalysed a complete collection of 122 individuals\u00bb covering the four stages in the evolution of Yakut society, with the main focus on the period 1500-1922. The archaeological digs uncovered skeletons and artefacts that were remarkably well preserved in the permafrost, revealing the cultural wealth of the Yakuts: textiles, ritual objects, wooden bowls - everything has remained exceptionally well preserved. The studies generated extensive ancient DNA data to shed light on contemporary changes in Yakut genomic diversity and their oral microbiomes.<br><em>Russia. Yakutia. Yakutia - Tomb of Kyys, the young shaman girl, dated 1728 by dendrochronology. \u00a9 P. G\u00e9rard, MAFSO.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-un-lien-initial-etroit-entre-les-yakoutes-et-le-lac-baikal\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Un_lien_initial_etroit_entre_les_Yakoutes_et_le_lac_Baikal\"><\/span>A close original link between the Yakuts and Lake Baikal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shamanic_ritual_pillars_at_Cape_Burhan_Olkhon_Island_Lake_Baikal.jpg\" alt=\"Russia. Lake Baikal. Ritual shamanic pillars at Cape Burhan. Olkhon Island. is of great importance in the history of Siberian and Buryat shamanism. Vyacheslav Argenberg.\" class=\"wp-image-11599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shamanic_ritual_pillars_at_Cape_Burhan_Olkhon_Island_Lake_Baikal.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shamanic_ritual_pillars_at_Cape_Burhan_Olkhon_Island_Lake_Baikal-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shamanic_ritual_pillars_at_Cape_Burhan_Olkhon_Island_Lake_Baikal-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shamanic_ritual_pillars_at_Cape_Burhan_Olkhon_Island_Lake_Baikal-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shamanic_ritual_pillars_at_Cape_Burhan_Olkhon_Island_Lake_Baikal-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shamanic_ritual_pillars_at_Cape_Burhan_Olkhon_Island_Lake_Baikal-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Russia. Lake Baikal. <em>Olkhon Island<\/em><\/em>. <em>Ritual shamanic pillars at Cape Burhan. Olkhon Island is of great importance in the history of Siberian and Buryat shamanism. \u00a9 Vyacheslav Argenberg\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"<em> We have found that the Yakuts are descended from local populations who are thought to have lived in the region since the Iron Age (1200 BC to 550 BC) and merged with groups from the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transbaikal\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Transbaikal\">Trans Baikal <\/a>migrated during the expansion of the <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Empire_mongol\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Empire_mongol\">Great Mongol Empire<\/a> (which began in the 13th century). Despite the Russian conquest, the Yakut gene pool and oral microbiomes remained stable overall, although strains of smallpox distinct from those documented in Europe around 1650 circulated. <\/em>\u00bb, the authors of the study reveal. This fusion has given rise to a people that is both genetically stable and culturally hybrid, rooted in their land while integrating new influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-resistance-genetique-et-culturelle-exceptionnelle\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Resistance_genetique_et_culturelle_exceptionnelle\"><\/span>Exceptional genetic and cultural resistance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_Shaman_Diorama_NComparato.jpg\" alt=\"Russia. Diorama (three-dimensional reconstruction) of a healing session by a shaman. Stout Hall of Asian Peoples, American Museum of Natural History.\" class=\"wp-image-11604\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_Shaman_Diorama_NComparato.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_Shaman_Diorama_NComparato-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_Shaman_Diorama_NComparato-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_Shaman_Diorama_NComparato-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_Shaman_Diorama_NComparato-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_Shaman_Diorama_NComparato-32x24.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Russia. Diorama (three-dimensional reconstruction) of a healing session by a shaman. Stout Hall of Asian Peoples, American Museum of Natural History.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Despite exposure to new diseases and foods that were previously unknown(barley, rye), dental analyses of the exhumed bodies show no major change in the Yakuts \u00ab oral microbiome. \"<em> Despite the arrival of the Russians and the introduction of new foods, the Yakuts' oral microbiome remained stable for four centuries, testifying to the biological and cultural resilience of this population <\/em>\u00bb, the researchers reveal.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Olkhon_Stone_labyrinths_mazes_Lake_Baikal_Russia.jpg\" alt=\"Russia. Lake Baikal. Stone labyrinths, meanders, circles and spiral labyrinths made of stones, used in shamanic ritual practices. Shamanism on Olkhon Island \u00a9 Vyacheslav Argenberg\/Commons. \" class=\"wp-image-11611\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Olkhon_Stone_labyrinths_mazes_Lake_Baikal_Russia.jpg 960w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Olkhon_Stone_labyrinths_mazes_Lake_Baikal_Russia-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Olkhon_Stone_labyrinths_mazes_Lake_Baikal_Russia-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Olkhon_Stone_labyrinths_mazes_Lake_Baikal_Russia-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Olkhon_Stone_labyrinths_mazes_Lake_Baikal_Russia-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Olkhon_Stone_labyrinths_mazes_Lake_Baikal_Russia-36x24.jpg 36w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Russia. Lake Baikal. Stone labyrinths, meanders, circles and spiral labyrinths made of stones, used in shamanic ritual practices. Shamanism on Olkhon Island \u00a9 Vyacheslav Argenberg\/Commons. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Moreover, despite Russian colonisation, shamanism has endured. Scientists have found several corpses bearing ritual marks or cult objects, although they are not from the same genetic family\",<em> Shamanism was not linked to genetically related individuals, indicating that the practice was not confined to a single family clan <\/em>\u00bb, they write. Shamanic practices appear in different individuals, independently of their genetic link, showing a cultural transmission rather than a familial one.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"765\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_costume_ZinaZM_7.jpg\" alt=\"Russia. Yakut costumes. \u00a9 ZinaZM\/Commons.\" class=\"wp-image-11612\" srcset=\"https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_costume_ZinaZM_7.jpg 765w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_costume_ZinaZM_7-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_costume_ZinaZM_7-15x12.jpg 15w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_costume_ZinaZM_7-600x488.jpg 600w, https:\/\/universvoyage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Yakut_costume_ZinaZM_7-30x24.jpg 30w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 765px) 100vw, 765px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Russia. Yakut costumes. \u00a9 ZinaZM\/Commons.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The body of a woman, buried with ancient cult objects, is proof of the cultural and spiritual resistance of certain Yakut groups to Christianisation and the social changes brought about by the colonists. \u00ab<em> She died just as Christianity was beginning to take root among the Yakuts, and can be seen as the embodiment of a clan's efforts to preserve its cultural and spiritual traditions.<\/em>. \u00bb<br>By combining archaeology, genetics and the study of the microbiome, this study offers a complete portrait of the Yakuts: a people with deep roots, resilient, capable of preserving their ancestral practices and social cohesion despite external pressures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Text : <\/strong> Brigitte Postel<br><strong>Photos opening : <\/strong>Russia, Tundra and Taiga in Sakha, Yakutia. Svetlana Sibiryakova\/Commons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new genetic and archaeological study published in Nature in January reveals that, despite Russian colonisation, the Yakuts' biological heritage, and even their oral microbiome, have remained surprisingly stable. 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