Boturussky ulus, the district, which was located at the crossroads of important trade routes, occupied a significant place in the economic and cultural life of Yakutia. In the 19th — early 20th centuries, it was experiencing an era of prosperity.
In this area, the population of settlements raised funds and resources to open schools and build churches with rich decorations made of selected woods, such as larch. Among the latter were the Transfiguration church in Amga village built in 1845, the Transfiguration church in Ytyk-Kyuel — in 1847, the Ascension church in Churapcha — in 1848, the Arylakh chapel in the eponymous settlement — in 1854, the St. Nicholas chapel in Khadarsky settlement — in 1860, and others.
Yakut carpenters took part in the construction. The carved iconostases, hand-painted and engraved icons, as well as paintings on the walls and cast and wooden crosses all made by Yakut craftsmen have survived to this day.
The Sakha people excelled in metalworking.
One of the examples that demonstrates the high level of Yakuts’ skill in jewelry craft is a setting for the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It was made by Ivan Maksimov from Khayakhsyt settlement.
The people called him “Taraakhchyt”, which in Yakut means “master who makes combs”. As a young man, he was engaged in carving mammoth tusk. He worked as a bone carver for Gavriil Nikiforov — Mannyattaakh Uola, a merchant of the 1st guild, in the city of Yakutsk. In the 1920s, Nikiforov’s property and financial resources were confiscated and he emigrated.
Ivan Maximov’s family moved to their homeland, to the village of Tuora-Kyuyol in Khayakhsyt settlement of Boturussky ulus. The craftsman lived there until the end of his life. His wife Tatiana is known as a talented seamstress and birch bark artist. She mastered a variety of sewing and embroidery techniques. According to local accounts, people came from neighboring villages to admire her works of art.
