Tyukyan

The Tyukyan (Тюкян; Түүкээн Tüükeen) is a river in the Republic of Sakha in Russia. It is a left hand tributary of the Vilyuy, and is 747 km long, with a drainage basin of 16300 km2.

There are no permanent settlements by the river, but its source lies close to Eyik village in Olenyoksky District. After flowing across desolate areas it only reaches the inhabited Verkhnevilyuysky District about 50 km upstream from its mouth.

History
In 1634, Russian Cossacks, headed by Voin Shakhov, established a winter settlement at the confluence of the rivers Vilyuy and Tyukyan. This settlement served as the seat of administration of the surrounding area for several decades, after which it was moved to the Yolyonnyokh area 45 km down by the Vilyuy River.

Course
The Tyukyan has its source close to the west of lake Eyik, in the eastern part of the Central Siberian Plateau in a swampy area near the Tyung basin, just south of the Arctic Circle, at an elevation of about 320 m. It flows roughly southeastwards and eastwards. When it reaches the Central Yakutian Lowland it begins to meander strongly among swamps and small lakes, flowing roughly southwards, until it meets the left bank of the Vilyuy near Verkhnevilyuysk.

There are numerous thermokarst lakes in the lower Tyukyan river basin. The main tributaries of the Tyukyan are the 85 km long Tenkelyakh (Тэнкэлээх) and the 349 km Chilii (Чилии) from the right. The Tyukyan freezes between mid October and late May.