Travel Photographer Holger Hoffmann and Travel Writer Sylvia Furrer are the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributors of this documentary photography. From the project ‘Stormy Nights in the Yaranga’. To see Holger and Sylvia’s body of work, click on any photograph.
In the winter, the days are short in Chukotka, and stormy winds sweep across the wide tundra in the far east of Siberia. The yaranga has provided the reindeer nomads with protection for centuries. It is kept open during the day and does not provide protection against the cold, but only against the wind. The structure’s concept is very old and stormproof. It consists of three thick wooden main posts and four shorter T-shaped poles, as well as a wooden ring attached at half height. About 50 reindeer skins, sewn together, are stretched over it. The tensioning ropes are additionally secured with weights against the strong storm winds.
Once a day, a fire burns in the center of the yaranga for cooking. Even in extreme weather conditions, wood has to be collected from small, widely scattered bushes every two to three days, which can take several hours.
The reindeer farm consists of eight brigades formed during the Soviet time, each looking after about 1,500 to 3,000 reindeer.
Every bit of the reindeer is put to good use. Anything that cannot be eaten right away is placed on a plastic sheet and frozen within a few hours.
All images and text © chaostours.ch
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By Holger Hoffmann and Sylvia Furrer
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Thank you!
Thank you so much!
I enjoyed this interesting post with incredibly beautiful pictures. Thank you.
„Venture into new territories and surprise yourself” Frank & Patrik Riklin
Wonderful images, and a great reminder of all that exists outside the world I usually inhabit. Keep up the good work!
All reindeer nomads in Russia do migrate, only distance and frequency varies.
Thanks!
I found two more reindeer/herders/nomads articles in the archives Elderly & Isolated In Siberia | The Stories Of Former Female Reindeer Herders and The Reindeer’s Needs – Daily Life Of Mongolia’s Nomads. Enjoy!
https://edgeofhumanity.com/2016/07/25/mongolia/
https://edgeofhumanity.com/2019/03/21/herders/
Thanks for an interesting post. I hope you’ll post more about these people. Since they’re nomads, does that mean they follow the reindeer herds, or do they graze them from place to place? Thanks!
I watched a documentary on this and apparently a huge chunk of Siberia was used for nuclear weapons testing which poisoned the earth With radiation which in turn in poisoning the ancient herders.
One of the oldest living cultures is dying and we do nothing but cause more problems
Very interesting, thank you.