Yakutsk City Research Articles

High-altitude speleotherapy in the treatment of bronchial asthma

The present study concerns clinical effects of speleotherapy in bronchial asthma. The aim of our work was to study the efficiency of speleotherapy in a group of patients with bronchial asthma. We observed a group of 51 patients with bronchial asthma (BA) aged 18 to 50 years, who received a course of treatment at the private center “Solevik” (Yakutsk City), carried out at the Department of Allergology and Immunology. All the examined patients were diagnosed with atopic bronchial asthma, of moderate severity. Basic therapy in all cases included Symbicort and Seretide treatment. The patients were managed and monitored before and after the course of treatment by a therapist, pulmonologist and allergologist-immunologist at the outpatient center. Laboratory parameters included general blood tests and the levels of total serum IgE. Examination of patients after a course of speleotherapy revealed disappearance and reduction of asthma attacks (up to 1 attack per month) in 80% of the examined. General blood testing before and after speleotherapy showed decreased levels of blood eosinophils after the course of treatment. I.e., the average initial level of blood eosinophils before treatment was 12±0.4%, being decreased after the course of speleotherapy to 5.5±0.2%. Measurements of total IgE before and after speleotherapy revealed the following results: in patients before therapy, the average level of this index was 500±0.8 units/mL. After a course of speleotherapy, this parameter decreased to 80±0.3 units/ mL. Speleotherapy shows a positive effect on the clinical course of the patients with bronchial asthma and significantly increases the efficiency of treatment.

Городское самоуправление Якутска при правительстве адмирала А.В. Колчака в 1919 г.: выборы, организация и упразднение

Статья посвящена анализу городского самоуправления Якутска в 1919 г., особое внимание уделено его состоянию в период Гражданской войны и последующей ликвидации городского управления после большевистского переворота. Исследование освещает выборы и структуру городского управления при А.В. Колчаке с учетом принципов историзма и объективности. В результате анализа стало ясно, что в декабре 1918 г. правительство ограничило избирательные права горожан. Последние выборы в городскую думу прошли в 1919 г., был сформирован новый состав органов городского самоуправления. The article explores the historical context of city self-government in Yakutsk during the revolution, addressing the lack of historical research on this topic during the Civil War in Russia. The study aimed to analyze the structure of self-government institutions, personnel composition, and the electoral process, considering the factors influencing these processes during the social upheaval of the Civil War. It also examines the liquidation of city self-government following the Bolshevik coup in December 1919, including the subsequent arrest of its members. The scientific innovation lies in providing the first comprehensive representation of the election process and the personal composition of the Yakutsk city government (City Duma and City Council) during Admiral A.V. Kolchak’s reign, using a methodology based on historicism, objectivity, consistency, and comprehensiveness. The retrospective method revealed cause-and-effect relationships and recurring patterns in the historical evolution. In December 1918, Admiral A.V. Kolchak annulled the decree issued by the Provisional Government in April 1917 and amended city government elections, limiting citizens’ electoral rights through changes to the electoral qualifications. The last elections were held in the fall of 1919, resulting in a city self-government consisting of 25 members with an average age of 47.96 years, predominantly holding official or employee positions and having secondary education. The composition and number of members of the city self-government changed multiple times, and the city authorities continued to rely on the city regulations of 1892 when forming the executive committees. On the night of December 14–15, 1919, the local Yakutsk garrison executed an armed revolt and apprehended Admiral A.V. Kolchak’s followers. From December 15, 1919 to January 1, 1920 Soviet power entities were established, marking the dissolution of the city government and the subsequent arrest of its members.

Molecular Weight Distribution of Humic Acids Isolated from Calcic Cryosol in Central Yakutia, Russia.

The transition of soils into fallow state has a significant impact on the accumulation and transformation of soil organic matter (SOM). However, the issue of SOM transformation as a result of soil transition to fallow state in cryolithozone conditions is insufficiently studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular weight (MW) distribution of humic acids (HAs) isolated from soils of central Yakutia. Native, fallow and agricultural soils in the vicinity of Yakutsk city were studied. MW distributions of HA preparations were obtained on an AKTAbasic 10 UPS chromatographic system (Amersam Biosciences, Uppsala, Sweden) using a SuperdexTM 200 10/300 GL column (with cross-linked dextran gel, fractionation range for globular proteins 10-600 kDa). The data on the molecular-mass distribution of HAs of fallow and agricultural soils of Central Yakutia were obtained for the first time. According to the obtained data, it was found that the highest carbon content in the structure of HAs was observed in agricultural soils (52.56%), and is associated with soil cultivation and fertilizer application. Among the HAs of fallow soils, we note that those soils that are in the process of self-vegetation have a relatively high carbon content in the HAs (45.84%), but the highest content was observed in fallow soils used as hayfields (49.98%), indicating that the reinvolvement of agriculture in fallow soils leads to an increase in the carbon content of HAs. According to the data of the MW distribution of HAs, it was found that the highest content of a high MW fraction of HAs was recorded in native soil (18.8%); this is due to the early stages of humification and the low maturity of organic matter. The highest content of a low MW fraction of HAs was recorded in agricultural soil (73.3%); this is due to the formation of molecular complexes of a "secondary" nature, which are more stable in the environment than the primary transformation products of humification precursors. The molecular composition of the HAs of fallow soils in the process of self-overgrowing is characterized by values closer to the HAs of native soils, which indicates their transformation towards HAs of native soils. The obtained results indicate that the reinvolvement of fallow soils leads to the transformation of the molecular composition of HAs towards HAs of agricultural soils, and to an increase in the resistance of SOM to biodegradation.

State of the Siberian sturgeon population in the Middle Lena in summer

The purpose: to obtain modern data on the distribution, abundance, size composition and biological state of the sturgeon in the middle reaches of the Lena River.Material: data of scientific accounting survey using bottom drift nets in summer 2022.The results: Siberien sturgeon is dstributed irregularly on a 400‑kilometer stretch of the river from the city of Yakutsk to the Vilyui River, with the highest average density near the Vilyui River mouth 163 ind./km2, while sturgeon densities in the areas of Yakutsk and the Aldan River mouth were 71 and 44 ind./km2 respectively. The highest density of fish with the smallest average size in the area near the Vilyui mouth indirectly indicates the presence of a separate herd in the Vilyui River. The average density of fish over the entire 400‑km area was 93 ind./km2. The sturgeon length to the end of the middle rays (ac) was from 21 to 86 cm; on average 43.4 ± 10.7 cm. The modal size class for the sturgeon in catches in 2022 was 41–50 cm (44% of the total catch). The fish weight ranged from 40 to 3800 g. The average weight of individuals was 0.557. More than 80% of fish from all catches weighed up to 700 g. The weight of fish with a length ac 62–71 cm ranged from 0,400 to 1.415 kg, on average 1.0 kg. There were only 2.5% of commercial individuals in the total harvest. Sexually mature females were noted only near the Aldan mouth, where their share was 11% that may indicate the presence of spawning grounds in its channel. In the sample of fish that underwent a complete biological analysis (one third of the catches), sexually mature males were not observed. Estimated number of sturgeon: in Yakutsk city area — 17000 ind., in the Aldan mouth area — 47000 ind., in the Vilyui mouth area — 55000 ind. The total number of Siberian sturgeon on a 400‑kilometer stretch of the Lena River was at least 120000 ind. The state and structure of sturgeon population corresponds to the average statistical retrospective data.Practical value: the results obtained will improve the efficiency of assessing the distribution and stock of sturgeon in the Lena River.

Specific thyroid status and iode supply in pregnant women in Yakutsk city and rural locations

Insufficient iodine intake in the body of pregnant women may lead to failure of adaptive and compensatory mechanisms, development of hormonal decompensation in the form of decreased synthesis of thyroid hormones and disorders of development and formation of the child's body. The aim of the work is to evaluate the peculiarities of thyroid status and iodine supply in pregnant women of Yakutsk city and rural areas. Materials and methods. Sixty-eight pregnant women in the 2-3rd trimester of pregnancy in Yakutsk city and rural areas participated in the study. The indicator of urinary iodine excretion was used to assess the degree of iodine deficiency. The level of urinary iodine excretion (ioduria) was determined by inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry. The results can be summarized a s follows: the mean urinary iodine concentration in pregnant women living in Yakutsk and in rural areas was in the range of mild iodine deficiency (59 and 84 μg/L, respectively, the differences were statistically significant at p=0.06). It was found that in rural areas the degree of iodine deficiency was less pronounced - the median urinary iodine concentration ranged from 58.5 to 126 μg/l. Conclusion. The territory of Yakutia belongs to the geochemical regions where the degree of iodine deficiency is pronounced. However, the research conducted has shown that the degree of iodine deficiency in the city of Yakutsk and in rural areas is mild. The data obtained confirm the results of research, which indicate that in conditions of iodine deficiency, adaptation mechanisms are activated in the indigenous population.

Water quality and ecological state estimate of large lakes of Yakutsk City (Lake Saysary, Lake Sergelyakh) in the end of ice period in 2021

Water quality of water bodies situated near populated localities is an important ecological problem. To estimate water quality in Lake Saysary and Lake Sergelyakh within Yakutsk City, hydrochemical, geochemical and microbiological methods were used. By research moment, the water in these lakes did not meet quality norms established for water of water bodies for fishery use as well as for drinking and cultural-domestic water use. The data obtained make pay attention to the necessity of the control for limitation of water use from these lakes for human needs and of activities for improvement of their quality.

Анализ структуры сети особо охраняемых природных территорий городских округов на примере Дальневосточного федерального округа

The activation of socio-economic development of the Far Eastern Federal District has aroused interest around Russian and foreign practices for improving the quality of life of city residents, particularly in developing a network of protected areas (PA). The study’s goal is to analyze the structure of the network of protected areas in 11 Сity Districts including the administrative centers of the constituent entities that are of the part of the Far Eastern Federal District is presented. Research objectives: determination of the structure’s elements of the urban protected areas network; identification of quantitative and qualitative indicators characterizing the key elements of the PA network; conducting a comparative analysis in City Districts according to the degree of activation of the progress of forming a PA network. The work was carried out using the comparative geographical research method. Regulatory documents, statistical materials, cadastral information and target programs were analyzed. Networks of urban PA include three components: PA of federal, regional and municipal levels; ecological corridors, buffer zones. Yakutsk, Vladivostok and Blagoveshchensk lead in terms of the PA total area, which is due to the large area of these municipalities. Out of the 11 City Districts studied, 9 have organized protected areas of different levels of management and 14 categories. But protected areas of federal, regional, and municipal significance were developed in only two – “Yakutsk City” and “Blagoveshchensk City District”. It was established that PA of 14 categories were organized in 9 City Districts. The specificity of urban protected natural sites is reflected in the establishment of categories of PA with significant areas of wild nature as a calm zone, a resource reserve, a protected coastline, and a protected natural landscape. The network of PA in most City Districts is underdeveloped. The exceptions are “Blagoveshchensk City District”, “Vladivostok City District” and “YakutskCity”, where the indicator “share of protected areas from the total area of the City District” is 44,3, 29,5 and 25,7 % respectively. The picture of the formation of a PA network in City Districts of the Far Eastern Federal District is presented. The characteristics of PA were determined by natural factors, settlement and economic development practices, institutional changes, the realities of regional development of urban planning cases taking into account the environmental component. The research findings serve as an information basis for creating scenarios for the strategic development of City Districts including the environmental component that permeates the entire city fabric.

Iodine availability of the child population in rural and urban settlements of Central Yakutia

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) belongs to the territories with pronounced iodine deficiency in nature and is characterized by a high prevalence of thyroid pathology among the population. Purpose of the work: assessment of iodine availability in the child population of Yakutia. Materials and methods. Preschool children (3 and 6 years old) of Yakutsk city and rural settlements of Yakutia were selected as the object of research. To assess the degree of iodine deficiency, the indicator of iodine excretion with urine was used. The level of urinary iodine excretion (ioduria) and the research of biomedium were determined for the content of 25 chemical elements by inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry. Results. When analyzing the indicators of elemental composition of hair by territorial zones of the republic, iodine deficiency was noted in the 3rd position by prevalence. It was noted that the prevalence of iodine deficiency decreases from 62.15% in 3-year-old children to 10% in the group of 6-year-old children. Analysis of trace elements in children's hair showed deficiency of I in all zones, deficiency was found in more than one third of the subjects. According to the median distribution of iodine in urine in rural children, the 25th percentile was 101 μg/L. Conclusion. Research on iodine supply of children in selected settlements did not reveal iodine deficiency: ioduria indices were within the normal range. Despite this, iodine deficiency in hair was observed in one third of the children studied. The most pronounced iodine deficiency was found in the younger age group of children, which is combined with the maximum incidence of goiter.

Evaluation of the impact of demographic heterogeneity in the environment on the management of territorial educational systems

The article presents an analysis of the adaptation of mechanisms for managing the development of territorial systems to changes in the external environment. Based on the study of changes in the network of educational organizations, the number and ethnic composition of students, projects and programs for the development of education in Yakutsk city, the characteristics of institutional changes in the educational system aimed at the development of human capital are given. The framework of the analysis is set by the transformation of the role of education management in the conditions of growing demographic heterogeneity. The transition to adaptive management of educational development based on taking into account the features of the educational landscape and the changes in the external environment is shown.

THE IDENTIFYING EATING DISORDERS IN ADOLESCENTS

This article attempts to identify eating disorders of adolescents. Theoretical and methodological analysis of the study shows that the occurrence of eating disorders is due to attempts to compensate for the lack of unmet needs. Also in this article considered the severity of loneliness manifestation does not depend on the number of interpersonal relationships, the fundamental here is a subjective perception of human interaction with others, and not an “objective” assessment of this criterion from the outside.
 The authors reviewed the studies of Russian and foreign scientists on the causality of eating disorders occurrence. The empirical part of the study was conducted using the questionnaire “Eating Behavior Assessment Scale” (Garner, D.M., Olmstead, M.P., Polivy, J.P.) and the methods of “Subjective feeling of loneliness” (Russell, D. and Ferguson, M.). The study involved 60 subjects, descriptive statistics were used to interpret the results. Our assumption that food can be a solution to the problems of the subjective feeling of loneliness in schoolchildren has been partially confirmed. The results on the scales with a high value of “eating disorders” and “subjective feeling of loneliness” are linked.
 Objective. To identify at eating disorders with subjective feelings of loneliness among adolescent. The hypothesis of the study is based on the assumption that food can become a means of solving the subjective feeling of loneliness, the higher the level of the subjective feeling of loneliness, the more often eating disorders may occur.
 Method and methodology. The research is based on the phenomenological method, as well as the principles of determinism and causality of mental activity.
 Results. We covered 60 schoolchildren living in Yakutsk city in the empirical part of the study. The hypothesis of this study that food can be a means of solving the problems for adolescents with a high level of subjective feeling of loneliness is partially confirmed as a result of the research work carried out. Based on the results of an empirical study, the conclusion was made that the occurrence of eating disorders in adolescents is associated with the level of loneliness severity.
 Scope of the results: the results of the study can be applied by psychologists, social workers and educators when working with adolescents with an eating disorder.

Approach development to the pipeline networks design an integrated heat and cold supply system on the example of Yakutsk city

The pipeline networks design approach for integrated heat and cold supply systems based on absorption chillers has been developed. Within the framework of the approach, following tasks are solved: modeling consumers demand for cooling; hydraulic calculations of district cooling pipeline systems; technical and economic calculations to choose the optimal layout of pipeline systems; heat supply and cold supply systems repair and commissioning works compatibility assessment, and modeling of thermal interaction between permafrost massif and cold supply pipeline. The study of integrated heat and cold supply systems was carried out on the example of a Yakutsk city quarter using the developed approach to determine optimal variant of the system. The simulation results showed that district cooling pipelines can be laid underground with the implementation of measures to ensure preservation of permafrost soil temperature regime.

100 YEARS TO FIRST ALL-RUSSIAN MEETING OF ZOOLOGISTS, ANATOMISTS AND HISTOLOGIST AND MODERN HUMAN ANATOMY

The content of the article is a verbatim report of the speech under Title «100 years of Russian anatomy (on the anniversary of the founding of the Scientific Society of Anatomists)», included in the scientific program of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with international participation «Morphological Aspects in Practical Medicine and Biology», dedicated to the 65th Anniversary of the Department of Human Anatomy of the Medical Institute of the Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University as part of the annual XIII National Congress with international participation «Ecology and Human Health in the North», which took place in Yakutsk City (Russia, Sakha Republic) on December 8, 2022. The congress was also dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the formation of the former Yakut Soviet Socialist Republic of USSR and the 65th Anniversary of medical education in Yakut Republic. In the report dedicated to the Anniversary of the founding of the first professional scientific community of anatomists, histologists and embryologists in the history of the Russian state - the All-Union Society of Zoologists, Anatomists and Histologists (later - the All-Union Scientific Society of Anatomists, Histologists and Embryologists - AUSSAHE), which took place from December 15 to 21 1922 in Petrograd (later - Leningrad and renamed Saint-Petersburg) provides information about the initiators of the convocation of the meeting, its preparation and conduct, the content of the work and key reports of anatomists presented at the meeting. The meeting was initiated by a prominent Russian zoologist, specialist in animal morphology, Doctor of Zoology, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rector of Petrograd State University Vladimir Shimkevich, as well as the famous Russian Histologist, Professor Alexander Dogiel - the Founder of the Russian scientific journal «Archive of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology», Professors Vladimir Tonkov, Konstantin Deryugin, Nikolay Koltsov and others. Founded in 1922 at the I All-Russian meeting, the All-Russian Society of Zoologists, Anatomists and Histologists was at its IV All-Union meeting in 1930 renamed into the All-Union Scientific Society of Anatomists, Histologists and Zoologists, and then, at the V meeting in 1949 - into the All-Union scientific society of anatomists, histologists and embryologists or AUSMSAHE. AUSMSAHE in September 1991 at its last XI meeting in Minsk ceased to exist.The author noted the anatomical reports of the meeting, which laid the foundation for the entire subsequent development of Russian anatomy as a science and the problems of its current state.

Northern piroplasmosis of domestic reindeer in Southern Yakutia

In South Yakutia, in the Aldansky district, at the end of July, more than 50 deer fell to the reindeer herd No. 7 of OAO KMNS "Khatystyr". Earlier in Central Yakutia, in 2008, an outbreak of pyroplasmosis was recorded for the first time in domestic reindeer of the farm of JSC NAOK "Taba" at the Tomtor site of the Gorny district and the YaGSHA Tabsylyn educational and production farm at the Kangkeme site of the Yakutsk city district. There was a mass death of the main deer population in the "Kangkeme" section up to 90% and "Tomtor" up to 30%. During laboratory studies, a parasitic disease, pyroplasmosis, was registered. Pyroplasmosis is one of the most severe and acute parasitic diseases of animals. Especially in the abnormal summer heat, blood parasites multiply very quickly, piroplasmids destroy red blood cells in the body of deer, the process of oxidation and intoxication occurs, bilirubin is formed from the released hemoglobin by complex transformations, 2-3 days after infection, in the absence of medical care, a lethal outcome is observed. Carriers of parasites can be ticks (Ixodidea, Ixodes ricinus) and other blood-sucking. Blood parasitic diseases (hemosporidiosis) of animals in Yakutia have not been previously recorded, a case of infection of domestic reindeer in 2008 in Central Yakutia is known. Isolated cases of tick attacks on people have been recorded in the Aldan, Neryungrinsky, Olekminsky and Suntarsky districts. A case of tick attack, infection and disease with tick-borne borreliosis of one person was registered. In the warm season, a distinctive feature of the temperature regime in most of the territory of Yakutia is a rapid increase in average daily temperatures in spring, and the maximum summer temperature can reach +38 ° C. At this time, there is a massive flight of blood-sucking insects and an attack of ticks on animals and people on the territory of Yakutia.

Diagnosis and care delivery to patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms living in remote rural areas

Relevance. Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a life-threatening condition. Incorrect diagnosis of aSAH in a rural medical institution can lead to a delay in surgical treatment and worse outcomes of the disease in patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms (CA). Objective. Analysis of diagnostic algorithms and evaluation of outcomes of surgical treatment of ruptured cerebral aneurysms in a region with a vast sparsely populated territory. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of the results of surgical treatment of 145 patients with aSAH, hospitalized in the Regional Vascular Center (RVC) in Yakutsk city, for 2017–2018 was carried out. The subjects were divided into 3 groups: group 1 — rural residents who were diagnosed with aSAH in rural medical institutions; group 2 — rural residents who were incorrectly diagnosed in rural medical institutions; group 3 — residents of Yakutsk who were hospitalized in the RVC by emergency medical services. Results. The study included 145 patients with aSAH. All patients underwent surgical treatment. The majority of patients (91 patients, i.e. 62.8 % of the total number of patients) were brought to the RVC by air medical service from the regions of the Republic. An erroneous diagnosis at the initial health encounter was established in 12 cases (8.3 % of the total number of aSAH cases), including in 11 cases in medical institutions of small villages (91.7 %) and only in 1 case in the Central District Hospital (8.3 %). Conclusions. During the initial health encounter of patients with aSAH, incorrect diagnoses were established in 8.3 %, of which 91.7 % were established in medical institutions of small villages. Emergency hospitalization of patients with suspected aSAH in the RVC ensures correct diagnosis of the disease and timely neurosurgical treatment.

Comparative Study on Sediment Delivery from Two Small Catchments within the Lena River, Siberia

This paper studies the possibility of using the WaTEM/SEDEM model to assess sediment yield from the catchment area within the Lena River catchment. The study was carried out based on a comparison of predicted data and measured data of the suspended sediment yield at the gauging stations of the state monitoring network of Russia. The study was performed within two areas, with plain and mountainous relief. The first site is located within the catchment area of the river Chara with an area of 4150 km2. The second site rests on the catchment area of the Lena River between the Tabaginskiy and Kangalassky capes near Yakutsk city. The catchment area of this site is 15,740 km2. The values of sediment yield from the “Yakutsk” catchment area are in much better agreement with the values of the measured sediment yield values than in the “Chara” catchment area. The predicted sediment yield from the study area remained almost unchanged from the period 1986–2019 and amounted to 3.5 t/km2, while the suspended sediment yield in the Lena at the Tabaga gauging station slightly increased from 7 to 9.45 t/km2 per year.

Functioning of emergency medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Yakutsk city

To study the functioning of emergency medical services in the city of Yakutsk during the new coronavirus infection, a retrospective comparative analysis of main performance indicators of the Yakutsk Ambulance Service in the period 2017–2021 was conducted. It was revealed that the number of calls in Yakutsk City and its suburbs had been growing annually. However, compared to 2019, the end of 2021 saw a decreased number of total visits by 1.2.%; of efficient visits — by 1.5%; of patients having received aid — by 1.1.%. At the same time, in 2020–2021, in order to ensure timely and quality response to all the calls, the Service had to tackle a range of managerial challenges (deficit of ambulance teams, 32% incidence in doctors and assistants, difficulties with admitting the patients with pathologies other than the COVID-19).

Hardware and Software Implementation for Solar Hot Water System in Northern Regions of Russia

Acceleration of energy transition will become the crucial social, political and technical challenge of the 21st century and will be largely associated with the growing use of renewable energy sources, including solar power. This study provides some experimental results of using solar hot water systems (HWS) embedded in apartment buildings located in the energy-efficient district called Zhatay in Yakutsk city, in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The low annual solar fraction of HWS was found for 2019. It is equal to 0.2869 and caused by thermal energy loss from the hydraulic circuit during the nighttime. The study suggests increasing solar fraction in HWS and implementing a software and hardware system. The experimental evaluation of these studies was performed by testing a solar water heating pilot plant in Kaftanchikovo village in Tomsk Region (Western Siberia). As a result of HWS testing, it was found that the annual solar fraction can be significantly increased by preventing the heating agent from night freezing in hydraulic circuits of tube collectors, even when the outdoor temperature is below its freezing point.

Исторический портрет якутского купца 1-й гильдии Г.В. Никифорова

The article explores the economic, social and charitable activities of Gavrila Nikiforov, a Yakut merchant of the 1st guild. The aim of the publication is to recreate Nikiforov's historical portrait. Achieving this aim involves a wide use of archival sources, previously unpublished and not introduced into scholarly discourse. The topic has not been sufficiently studied in modern historiography of Siberia; it has scientific relevance and significance. The study of the key issue of the publication is based on the methodology of modernization and chronological, systemic, biographical methods. The author determined Nikiforov's origin, place of birth and initial sources of capital accumulation. The article states that Nikiforov established several enterprises with the aim of organizing fur trade in the northern districts of Yakutsk Oblast in 1900-1910. In 1906 Nikiforov's stores were opened in Verkhoyansk, Ko-lymsk, Bulun, Abye, and Kyusyur. In 1914 the merchant became a contributor to the Northern Commercial and Industrial Partnership, bought a trading business of fur traders and became the owner of one of the largest companies in North-East Siberia with a turnover of 1 million rubles a year. In 1914-1919, Nikiforov's annual turnover in fur trade exceeded 1 million rubles. In Yakutsk, Nikiforov conducted wholesale and retail trade in fur, groceries and consumer goods from stores. Nikiforov's supplies of furs to European and North American markets in 1914-1917 amounted to 800 thousand rubles a year. Nikiforov's public education activity was expressed in the construction and maintenance of schools for children, a museum, a library, and financial assistance to residents in paying taxes. During the First World War, Nikiforov was engaged in the procurement and dispatch of warm fur products to the front. Nikiforov enjoyed authority among the local population, was repeatedly elected councilor of the Yakutsk City Council, and was a member of charitable organizations. The merchant took part in meetings under Yakut Governor Ivan Kraft and decided on important strategic issues. In 1918-1919, Nikiforov organized the supply of needy population of Yakutsk Oblast with consumer goods and food products for 400 thousand rubles. For his services, he had state awards. He was an honorary “foreigner” of East-Kangalassky ulus of Yakutsk Oblast. The article defines the personal and business qualities of the Yakut merchant. The main conclusion of the article is that the reconstruction of Nikiforov's historical portrait allowed expanding the previously existing ideas about his contribution to the socioeconomic development of Yakutsk Oblast during the period of modernization of the Russian economy.

Comparative study of air source and ground source heat pumps in 10 coldest Russian cities based on energy-exergy-economic-environmental analysis

As one of the environmentally friendly technologies, heat pumps have been widely utilized in residential and commercial buildings all over the world. The use of renewable energy sources and environmentally friendly refrigerants are two major challenges associated with heat pumps applications. Due to the advantages of cascade heat pumps over single-stage heat pumps and the higher energy demand met by cascade heat pumps, investigation of the effects of geographic conditions (weather and soil conditions) as well as the simultaneous use of two refrigerants for high and low temperature cycles on performance of cascade heat pumps would provide critical information for practical applications. This paper compares the performance of air source and ground source cascade heat pumps using refrigerants by low global warming potential and zero ozone depletion potential in top 10 coldest cities of Russia. The effects of variations in temperature of evaporator and cascade heat exchanger on optimal operational conditions are investigated based on energy, exergy, economic and environmental analysis using Pareto front curve. Optimization results show that there is an optimal point for evaporator temperature and cascade heat exchanger temperature where the maximum COP, maximum exergy efficiency and minimum total cost rate for ASHP and GSHP systems are obtained. It is found that at low air temperature, since the underground temperature is higher than ambient air, the efficiency of GSHP system is better than efficiency of ASHP system. The maximum COP of 2.357 and 2.44 are respectively obtained for ASHP and GSHP systems in Saint Petersburg. In addition, Yakutsk city has the maximum exergy efficiency of 40.7% and 43.2% and maximum total cost rate of 14714 $ year−1 and 13693 $ year−1 for ASHP and GSHP systems, respectively. Finally, it is concluded that Saint Petersburg is the best city to employ ASHP system while GSHP system is suggested for Khabarovsk city.

Soil Diversity and Key Functional Characteristics of Yakutsk City: Largest Urbanized Cryogenic World’s Ecosystem

Urban soils are the most vulnerable component of the current terrestrial ecosystem. Due to the anthropogenic influence, various pollutants can accumulate in the soils and have a negative effect on the health of citizens. As a result of the degradation of permafrost landscapes, the disappearance of a number of natural ecosystems, as well as urban areas, is possible. In the course of the development of thermokarst processes, problems arise in the urban environment with the destruction of urban buildings and a decrease in agricultural areas. The ecosystem of Yakutsk city is located in the valley of the Lena River and represents the largest urbanized terrestrial biotope, located in the permafrost-affected bioclimatic and geogenic conditions. This work represents relevant datasets on the physico-chemical, toxicological and agrochemical state of soil cover components in various functional zones of the city. An 3excess of the maximum threshold levels for Zn was noted in the area of active mining within the city borders. From the data obtained of pollution state, the most polluted zone of Yakutsk city is the quarry complex located in relative proximity to the city. In other studied areas of the city, there is no excess of permissible threshold levels for trace elements. According to agrochemical analysis, in Yakutsk city, there is a relatively low content of available agrochemical elements in comparison with other cities located in the permafrost-affected zone.