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RR RUEHCHI RUEHDBU RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHLN RUEHNAG RUEHPB RUEHPOD
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DE RUEHVK #0057/01 1180646
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 280646Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1141
INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 1244

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VLADIVOSTOK 000057 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ECON RS
SUBJECT: SLAM DUNK IN YAKUTIA 
 
VLADIVOSTO 00000057  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U)  Former NBA Coach Tom Newell brought his basketball 
diplomacy to Yakutia April 22-29 for a week of seminars for 
coaches, practice sessions for boys and girls, and exhibition 
games.  CG joined Newell for a game with local public officials 
dedicated to WWII veterans.  CG also visited a Yakutia hospital 
that has improved its infant and maternal mortality rates thanks 
to an extremely successful USAID program, met with local 
officials, and celebrated the April 27 Day of the Republic. 
CG's wife met with students and English teachers and the 
Consulate delegation enjoyed reindeer meat and mare's milk, a 
ride on a Yakutsk horse, and a tour of a permafrost museum where 
the temperature was minus nine centigrade. 
 
FIVE PUSHUPS 
------------ 
 
¶2. (U)  Tom Newell's basketball clinics emphasize community 
involvement and the positive role sports play in youth 
development.  His humor and hands on skills-development training 
produces long term results and is an immediate public diplomacy 
"slam dunk."  Newell believes in "simplicity and execution," 
teaching coaching and students about good and bad habits in 
basketball while making points about leadership, teamwork, 
dedication and commitment.  Newell often lightens the mood by 
requiring "five pushups" for minor discipline infractions, like 
showing up for practice late.  Coaches and players recognize 
that Newell is making a point that is understandable in any 
language.  The "Newell Yakutia All Stars," including real 
coaches, beat the CG's team of Yakutia regional officials.  Most 
of the players in that game were in the over-50 "knee brace set" 
but no one was hurt and the game dedicated to veterans was high 
spirited.  Regional officials had as much chance of winning as 
the Washington Generals do against the Harlem Globetrotters but 
they were all good sports.  Yakutia is a very sports conscious 
town, hosting Asian Youth Games every four years and remaining 
activite year-round, even during the winter with its minus fifty 
degree temperatures.  Basketball is popular, but young people 
over six feet tall are rare. Newell found this out as he often 
hit his head on the low ceilings designed for a shorter 
population. CG discussed sports with Vice President Mikhailova 
who said that seventy percent of Yakutians are active in sports, 
with wrestling, boxing and volleyball being most popular. 
 
USAID IMPROVING HEALTH STATISTICS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U)  At the Republican Perinatal Center, CG saw just how 
successful a USAID program has been in lowering infant 
mortality.  However, young women -- even pregnant ones -- still 
smoke heavily and Yakutia is badly in need of anti-narcotics, 
alcohol and smoking programs.  Mikhailova made a special request 
for a US speaker on anti-smoking campaigns.  On the positive 
side, she cited USAID's Maternal and Child Health Initiative as 
being directly responsible for Yakutia's population growth. 
Yearly deaths outnumbered live births just ten years ago, but 
Yakutia now has a positive demographic balance.  Women typically 
have six or seven children, so maternal health programs are 
vital to this young population. 
 
CRISIS NOT AS SEVERE 
-------------------- 
 
¶4. (U)  On the economy, Mikhailova said the Republic is trying 
to diversify away from simply extractive industries like gold, 
silver, and diamond mining, though to its credit Yakutia does 
not export these as raw materials and has a significant 
processing industry.  There are diamond cutting and finishing 
factories in Yakutia and seemingly a jewelry store on every 
block.  CG pitched an American product to give greater traction 
to automobiles in snow to local leaders.  Other than in the 
mining sector, there is not a lot of American business in 
Yakutia.  In fact, there are only four known Americans living in 
Yakutia, all of them missionaries, and one of them living in a 
remote village accessible only by plane.  Almost all contacts 
said that the "crisis" was not as strong in Yakutia, where 
unemployment for the moment remains fairly low.  Sister city 
ties with Fairbanks, Alaska are not as vibrant as in the 1990's 
but a Fairbanks delegation is expected in June to celebrate the 
Yakutian New Year. 
 
SAKHA OR YAKUTIA? 
----------------- 
 
¶5. (U)  Yakutians number about 450,000 and are one of the major 
minorities in the Russian Federation.  Their culture and 
language is strong, with several radio stations broadcasting in 
Yakutian.  Yakutia is known as "Sakha" in the local language, 
which is spoken frequently in schools, but there is an ongoing 
debate as to whether students studying physics and other hard 
sciences are disadvantaged by not taking these courses in 
Russian.  Doing so would provide more access to scientific 
materials.   There is no "political correctness" to using the 
 
VLADIVOSTO 00000057  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
term "Sakha" or "Yakutia".  Either is accepted.  English is 
officially the third language of the Republic and indeed many 
young people speak it well.  CG's spouse met with English 
students and teachers who are very hungry for native English 
speakers and asked for assistance in bringing more English 
teachers to the Republic. 
 
¶6. (U)  The "Day of the Republic" event showcased how the local, 
Russian and global cultures interact.  A reading of Pushkin 
could be followed by a modern adaptation of native dance, 
followed by a hip hop number.  Russians and Yakutians share 
positions of power in the Republic and intermarry frequently. 
Horses figure prominently in Sakha culture and are considered 
sacred, although horse meat is widely available.  Yakutian 
horses are smaller and can survive on their own in winter by 
pawing through the snow to reach fresh grass.  Mare's milk is 
served at most restaurants and is offered to guests at official 
ceremonies. 
 
COOL MUSEUM 
----------- 
 
¶7. (U)  A "must see" in Yakutia is the permafrost museum.  The 
museum is in an old Soviet bunker built into a hillside in the 
permafrost.  Visitors go from room to room where fabulous ice 
sculptures capture native legends or in one case recreate a 
modern office made entirely of ice, many scultures were featured 
in Harbin's annual ice festivalThe temperature in the museum is 
minus nine in summer and minus 17 in winter, when many Yakutians 
visit to "warm up" since outside air temperatures are often 
minus 50 or below.  The permafrost museum also runs a restaurant 
with old hunting relics and wildlife trophies on the wall.  To 
complete the northern scene, some of Yakutia's award-winning 
malamute sled dogs are housed outside and visitors are able to 
scratch them behind the ears and admire their markings and cool 
blue eyes.  Yakutia also boasts a beautiful zoo with musk oxen 
that were introduced from Canada, bears, arctic wolves, and 
other creatures from Yakutia and around the world.  The zoo is 
also seeking American partners.  Yakutia is one of Russia's 
richest republics, in terms of size, wealth, and culture and is 
well worth a visit. 
ARMBRUSTER