The first world record in Yakutsk was set in 2011. The total of 1,344 khomus (a jaw harp) players simultaneously played vargan music on June 24th. This was held in the building of the State Circus of Yakutia. This event was officially recorded as the first Guinness world record at Ysyakh Tuymaada.
The Guinness World Record was set for a circular group dance of osuokhai with the most amount of participants in June of 2012. In total, 15 293 people danced together on the site of Altan Serge in Yus Khatyn – annual Ysyakh grounds in town of Yakutsk. The record was registered by an expert judge Jack Brockbank of the Guinness World Records Corporation (UK).
The third Guinness record was set for the Biggest Rite of Kumys Drinking — Algys Tuymaada” on June 28, 2014. The record was registered by the judge of the Guinness Book of Records Praveen Patel (UK). In total, 11 136 people dressed in traditional costume with choroons (national kumys drinking dish) took part in the record. All participants received certificates of participation in the world record.
The fourth Guinness World Record was set for the number of people gathered in one place and at the same time in Yakut traditional clothes in 2017. The total number reached 16 620. This record was also registered by Praveen Patel , UK.
The Largest Ensemble of Khomus Players in the World
For the first time in the world, an ensemble consisting of 1344 people performed a seven-minute musical composition on khomus (jaw harp) in the building of the State Circus of the Sakha Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)on June 24, 2011.
This fact is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most numerous synchronous jaw harp performance ever held- “The Largest Ensemble of Khomus Players in the World”.
The event was registered by the official judge of the Guinness Book of Records Claire Burgess.
The Biggest Osuokhai in the World
Yakutia received another entry into the Guinness Book of Records for «The Biggest Osuokhai in the World» held at Tuymaada Ysyakh on June the 23rd, 2012.
The achievement was officially recorded by the judge of the Guinness Book of Records Jack Brockbank with 15 293 participants in the dance of osuokhai.
It was necessary to comply with several mandatory requirements in order to qualify as a new world record. Every single participants of the record had to be dressed in a traditional costume. They had to repeat the words of the singer Aleksandr Savvinov and move clockwise without stopping and breaking the circles of the dance.
All 36 circles of the osuokhai were set in motion at the judge’s command. The biggest osuokhai in the world lasted about twenty minutes.
The event was organized by a Media Group «Sitim», the Department of Culture and Spiritual Development of Yakutsk, and the Osuokhai Society.
The Guinness World Record for the most numerous kumys drinking ceremony
The Guinness World Record for the most numeours kumys drinking was set on June 28, 2014 at the Tuymaada Ysyakh in the Yus Khatyn area. Officially, this event was recorded by the judge of the Guinness Book of Records Praveen Patel.
The idea of setting the records belongs to Maria Khristoforova, the General Director of Sitim Media Group. The record was set for having 11,136 people simultaneously performing a ritual of kumys drinking. All the participants of the event entered the Kumys Drinking Center and were recorded by the so-called “clickers” that conducted a the count.
Patel Pravin said that number of people at 11,136 was fantastic as it was set in a city with less population than other records. “I often travel around the world. I’ve been to Thailand, Alaska, South Africa and I have seen a variety of records,” the judge said. “Today’s, when several thousand people simultaneously performed the ritual of kumys drinking, was also fantastic.”
The Guinness Record for the Largest Number of People Dressed in Traditional Costumes
The residents and the guests of the capital of Yakutia set another Guinness record for the largest number of people in Sakha traditional costumes gathered at the Kumys Drinking Center during the Tuymaada Ysyakh of 2017 at the Yus Khatyn area. There were 16 620 people that took part in this record. The record was registered by the official judge Praveen Patel.
The Mayor of Yakutsk City, Mr. Aisen Nikolaev, who also took part in the historical event, said before the setting the record: “Traditional costume should be revived. It plays a big role in preserving the culture and traditions of the Sakha people. The number of people who visit Ysyakh in traditional costumes increases every year which is is good news.»
The participants of the record prepared carefully. Some sewed a costume following string rules. The requirements for participants were to simply wear a Sakha traditional costume.
— This is a new category of records. Prior to this, the record set by the number of people in different traditional costumes was 250 people. The most important part of the Guinness Record is to follow strict rules and it is not about just the quantity. We looked at Sakha national clothes its «replica» and accepted both. The record setting was also supposed to be held in a restricted area (territory) to make it official. All participants had to stay in one place during the entire record. In total, there were 16,620 people that took part,» said Patel.
This is the second record registered by Praveen Patel in Yakutia. Previously, he visited Yakutia in order to register the Record of Kumys Drinking in 2014. The Requirements for participation were simple: wear a Sakha traditional costume. After the record was set, all the participants were awarded with certificates of participation.