https://en.arctic.ru

An Orthodox chum, banana boating and four weddings: Reindeer Day in Tasu Java

An Orthodox chum, banana boating and four weddings: Reindeer Day in Tasu Java

Arctic.ru: discover how Russia implements its development goals in the Arctic and the Far East

2026-03-30T16:52

2026-03-30T16:52

2026-04-01T15:18

more content

yamal-nenets autonomous area

news

/img/07ea/03/1e/1357164_0:261:3000:1949_1920x0_80_0_0_b67a5ceaf72a5498f797cf8922d9eab6.jpg

Reindeer Day is a major annual holiday on the Yamal Peninsula that reflacts the history and everyday life of the indigenous minority peoples of the North. It traditionally opens in Nadym and is celebrated by thousands of local residents until mid-April.On March 21, kaslanie [reindeer herding migration – Ed.] reached Tazovsky, where local residents and visitors celebrated the much anticipated two-day event.A crew from our website watched the inimitable combination of centuries-old culture and traditions with modern contests, games and sports competitions.The lessons of harsh permafrost conditionsA frosty morning, a bright sun and no wind. The weather has cleared up. We who come from central Russia and are used to warm winters were lucky – there was no snowstorm on our first day here. A nomad camp has been erected on the ice of the Taz River, the historical northern route to Mangazeya.Unexpectedly, the first day of the festival began with wedding preparations. The organizers have built an attractive marriage registry on the site, but the key attraction was a chum that looked like any other herder’s tent here.Roman Okovai and Faina Salinder have been together for a year. They live in Tazovsky but their relatives lead the traditional life of reindeer herders in the Gydan tundra. They say that getting married on Reindeer Day in a traditional chum is evidence of respect for the ancestors.The relatives of the couple have come together from their vast reindeer pastures to celebrate the event. Despite the cold, they have not come empty-handed but brought fresh flowers, which they somehow found in the depth of the tundra and managed to bring to the wedding intact.The staff of the local marriage registry have prepared another unusual wedding site at the Permafrost Museum for a couple that preferred a historical ice cellar.Head of the Tazovsky District Viktor Yugai gave his blessing to Mikhail and Viktoria Yar. It is symbolic that they met during Reindeer Day 2023 in the village of Gyda. Overall, four couples got married during this year’s festival.The crowd has become larger. Kids enjoyed the day on a snow slide and a skating rink, while athletes warmed up on the ice for the traditional combined northern wrestling events.On a nearby site, women competed in throwing the lemptadarts, a Nenets throwing weapon for hunting waterfowl, and the nomadic herders gathered for the arching and national wrestling competitions.“Nature is the best teacher. Like a strong will is born in the harsh natural conditions, so a real man is tempered by the permafrost,” an adult Nenets man told the fans.That’s when we suddenly saw a banana boat, a popular seaside attraction which tourists like to ride until they lose their trunks in the sea. It was tied to a Buran snowmobile and waited for thrill-seekers, but reindeer sleds enjoyed much more attention.It was almost time for lunch, and our crew decided to find out if the Nenets are as hospitable as they are said to be. Two rows of seven chums were open to guests. We asked permission to enter one of them, were waved in with a smile and invited to sit on the nyuki reindeer hide rugs. The menu included a strong evey reindeer broth, raw and boiled reindeer meat, mildly salted sugudai fish, mashed wild plants, a berry drink and strong tea.Like they do it at home, your drinks will be refilled until you rise from the table or turn your cup upside down. We relaxed in the warmth of the chum, but there was a lot to taste outside as well, and so we went towards a site where one of the tastiest contests was held, the Khalyako stroganina [sliced frozen fish] contest.A dozen women competed in making this delicious northern meal from broad whitefish. The speed of making stroganina flakes is taken into account, of course, but the thickness of the slices and the clean-cut skill are even more important. The contestants have cut a large heap of fish flakes, which any guest could treat themselves to.Syadota-Ne [Beauty – Ed.] is a competition of young women who must know the secrets of keeping a fire burning in the chum, their family traditions, and how to make traditional costumes, which they demonstrate to the audience.We especially liked the mock cables decorated with metal rings, buttons and bells, which produced a melodic sound in motion. These elements are not a mere decoration or a means of attracting the jury’s attention. They have a sacred meaning for Nenets women. It is believed that the sound of metal items protects the family from misfortune and evil spirits.D Day: Reindeer sled racingThe second day began with a colorful reindeer sled parade, a traditional element of the festival in Tazovsky. The parade is a tribute to the keepers of ancient traditions and those who work in the boundless tundra.Nikolai Yande was driving the first sled in the parade. Nikolai is a reindeer herder from Nakhodka, a multiple winner of district and regional races, and the head of a large family of eight children and 23 grandchildren. He has never missed a race.It was getting nasty and started snowing but the number of viewers has noticeably increased. Reindeer sled racing is the highlight of the program and a favorite event.The announcer said that over 600 contestants participated in the sports events in Tazovsky this year, and the head of the district, Viktor Yugai, launched the reindeer sled race, the most exciting event of the two-day festival.The sound of drivers yelling to their reindeer to move forward in the individual competition echoed on the river. The fans ran to the site the competitors left, looking at the diminishing sleds.Their family members stood out in the crowd – they jumped up higher and shouted louder if their sled skidded. Ideal driving skills and contact with the animals are not enough because any hillock in the snow-covered landscape can influence the result.Near the stage, a shaman wearing khamnar pyurt, a special headdress covering his eyes to protect him from evil spirits during the ritual of communicating with spirits, prepared for the séance. He didn’t manage to escape our attention and agreed to pose for us.The inimitable nature and spirit of the Nenets land never failed to amaze us. After a meeting with the Nenets shaman – tadebei, we spotted an Orthodox chum. No services were held there, but we had tea and talked with the head of the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God.The judges discussed the racing results. The second day of the festival in Tazovsky was coming to an end when we saw yet another evidence of respect for traditions. The announcer invited the elders on the stage for the ritual of thanksgiving:As an old Nenets woman said, you won’t find this vibe anywhere else. The Tazovsky District in the only place to admire wild tundra so close to a center of civilization, and a close interconnection of cultures. Let’s take her word for it.

2026

Новости

ru-RU

https://en.arctic.ru/docs/about/copyright.html

https://xn--c1acbl2abdlkab1og.xn--p1ai/

more content, yamal-nenets autonomous area, news