In the 17th-18th centuries, a popular saying among travelers was: the further north in Yakutia, the more often one could hear the Russian language. This is not surprising, as in 1638, during the exploration of Siberia, Cossacks and Pomors settled here. Thus, the village of Russian Usty was established on the Indigirka River. Due to the impossibility of farming in permafrost conditions, the settlers switched to hunting and fishing. They learned much from the local population, but also introduced many innovations to the northern way of life. For example, when hunting wild reindeer, the Russians used cunning, driving the herd into the water with the help of dogs, and set ambushes for migratory geese. They also taught the Yakuts to weave nets and traps from horsehair, make baskets from willow twigs, and even craft balalaikas.

From the very beginning, Russian Usty became a starting point for many Russian explorers and polar navigators. It was from here that Semyon Dezhnev's sea expedition began, which discovered the strait between Asia and America. Due to long isolation from central Russia, a unique dialect has been preserved here. For example, instead of "spreader of gossip," they say "basnik," instead of "trash," they say "gad." "Vesnus" means "last spring," "zaglumka" means "smile," and the phrase "something lifts my soul" means that a person feels nauseous.

The local culture also had a significant influence, and shamanism is respected among the Russian Ustyans. There were rituals such as feeding fire and water, and destroying the belongings of the deceased during funerals. Today, the Russian old-timers are recognized as a small indigenous population of Yakutia, as they, along with unique social and cultural traits, preserve traditional means of subsistence such as hunting and gathering. This way of life has existed for almost four centuries.