Jan. 0, 2010 – That’s the way the inhabitants of the little Bulgarian town Kalofer were celebrating Epiphany on the eve of the Orthodox Christmas.
See more pics and the video. (more…)
January 5, 2010
Every country, disposing territories on the north like Finland, Sweden and Norway cannot help but offers reindeer safari among its winter tourist services. Russia is not exception. In Russia you can choose between Karelia, Murmansk Region, Yamal peninsula and so on along the north of the country down to Chukotka which is separated from North America by the Bering Strat.
There are also such tourist services in America, but we are talking about Russia. And all the small peoples of the North living on this huge space use reindeer teams as traditional mean of transport. Each region has its own national color, and it I’ve chosen Sakha Republic and Evenki people. I have selected them in hazard because all these people with their reindeer teams are equally worth to be described.
First of all, a little ethnography, because such tours are not only adventure ones, but ethnographical as well. Evenki are a Tungusic people of Northern Asia. In Russia, the Evenki are recognized as one of the Indigenous peoples of the Russian North.
They live in many Russian regions, including Sakha Republic. There is a settlement in Sakha Republic, called Iengra. It is situated not far (according to the Siberian standards) from the city of Neryungri. Most people, living there, are Evenki. The tour operators offer to begin the nomadic reindeer safari tour from this settlement. It is a unique settlement, because only here the Evenki survive their culture and language. There is also an ethnographical museum in this settlement, introducing the visitor such aspects of Evenki culture as reindeer breeding, traditional hunting and shamanistic ritual.
A model nomadic camp is also represented in the museum. The folk music ensemble Yukte (spring brook) will fill up the canvas with their music and national costumes. On the second day time for a field trip comes. The reindeer-team driver (in the traditional culture of Evemnki reindeer-team driver is a woman) will train you reindeer-team driving.
The reindeer figures in Evenki traditional culture constantly: reindeers were gifted to guests, they were used as bride-money and every family member had her/his own reindeers. The first gift to the baby was a reindeer. The first mean of transport for a baby who can not yet walk was also a reindeer. The babies were pinioned to the pack on the reindeer’s back. By the way, Evenki ride the reindeers as well, not only team them. On the third day you will ride the reindeer too.
During the next 3 days you will drive reindeer-team and ride them (if your weight lets, I suppose. The reindeers are not horses). By the way, the interest to the encampment and cooking from the tourists is welcome. The nights you will pass in weather resistant tents. Finally you will return to Iengra. You say goodbye to your reindeer team driver and then follows the transfer to the city of Neryungri with accommodation in the hotel and reunion with the civilization. All you need to take part in such a journey is wish, money to buy a tour and Russian visa, getting of which is easy with our Russian visa service .
Yulia Buzykina
via Russia-InfoCentre Source: planetyakutia.com
Today I received a message from Claire, of the online project Global Voices en Français. She gave a link to the blog of Boukary, her blogger-friend in Mali, West Africa, precisely to the post dedicated to the cold season in his area where they suffer heat.
While in town, each between home and shut the door because it is cool outside, the cold season is the period of family reunification in the rural night.
If during the cold season everyone is focused on his show or his favorite movie on TV in town, deep in the house with less noise for fear of not escape some of the broadcast or film, the cold season is the period of exchange between old and young people in rural areas. (more…)
Wind and Snow Glasses
This glasses are made by Nganasan man.
The Nganasans are one of the indigenous peoples of Siberia. They are the northernmost of the Samoyedic peoples, living on the Taymyr Peninsula by the Arctic Ocean.
Indigenous Peoples of the Russian North
The numerically small indigenous peoples of North, Siberia and the Far East are a subset of the indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation. (more…)
This video was shot during Fairbanks’ 2009 annual Festival of Native Arts, where artists from all around Alaska and the Outside come to celebrate their native heritage by showcasing arts and crafts, dances, native games, and other cultural activities.
These are Nunamiut dancers from Anaktuvuk Pass, one of the coldest towns in Alaska. The Nunamiut are inland Eskimos, who hunt caribou rather than whales. Anaktuvuk Pass is only accessible by airplane, or by going through the bush in the winter, using snow machines or SnoCats.
They performed a couple of dances, most of them from 30 seconds to 1 minute long. Sometimes I wished they went on for longer as they were quite entertaining, you could tell the dances told a story and I wish I understood their language. On all dances the males stomped one foot on the ground to the beat of the drums, while the women did not stomp. Their drums were large but light, made of some animal skin (possibly caribou) stretched over a round wooden frame. They were the only instruments used by the performers.
Looking by the number of people on stage it looks like most of the village came down to perform; the total population is only 249!
Six Dog Night. That is an Alaskan expression for those deep, frigid days that the Alaskan Interior is famous for. Temperatures bordering -60 degrees Fahrenheit (-51 Celsius) are not unheard of in January and February.
But where did this expression come from? Why six dog night?
