Batagay-Alyta (Russian: Батагай-Алыта; Yakut: Баатаҕай Алыыта, Baatağay Alııta, IPA: [baːtaʁaj alɯːta]), also known as Sakkyryr (Russian: Саккырыр; Yakut: Саккырыыр, Saqqırıır, IPA: [saqqɯɾɯːɾ]) is a rural locality (a selo) and the administrative center of Eveno-Bytantaysky National District in the Sakha Republic, Russia. Its population as of the 2010 Census was 1,832.

Geography

Batagay-Alyta is located on the eastern flank of the Verkhoyansk Range, and southeast of the southern end of the Sietinden Range and southwest of the Kular Range. The town lies about 380 kilometres (240 mi) to the north of the capital Yakutsk and a few kilometers from the left bank of the Ulakhan-Sakkyryr River, a tributary of the Bytantay.

History

It was founded in 1936 as the administrative center for the then newly created Sakkyryrsky District. It lost this function with the dissolution of the district in 1963, but regained it with the creation of Eveno-Bytantaysky District in 1989.

Demographics

Population: 1,832 (2010 Russian census); 1,722 (2002 Census).

The population includes a large proportion of Evens, with the Even language taught in the local school.

Transportation

Batagay-Alyta is served by the Sakkyryr Airport (IATA: SUK). There are no year-round roads connecting to Batagay-Alyta, although a winter road offers a route east to Verkhoyansk and Batagay when the rivers are frozen.

Climate

Batagay-Alyta has an extremely cold subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfd) with long, extremely cold winters and short, mild (sometimes warm) summers. The seasonal temperature variation is among the greatest in the world. Precipitation is very low, but somewhat higher in the summer.