The underground laboratory of Yakutsk's Permafrost Institute turns one of the city's defining facts into a physical experience. Descending into the frozen ground makes the engineering challenges of Yakutsk immediately clear: buildings, pipes, roads, and daily life all have to negotiate permafrost.
Visits are specialized and may require advance arrangement, but the site is one of the more distinctive science-oriented stops in Yakutsk. Dress warmly even in summer, and treat it as a research facility first rather than a conventional museum.