Travel

The Nenets of Siberia

Yamal in the language of the indigenous Nenets means the end of the world.

Nenets herders have always moved seasonally with their reindeer, travelling along ancient migration routes.

By the time they have crossed the frozen waters of the Ob River and reached the treeless tundra on the shores of the Kara Sea, they might have travelled up to 1,000 kms.

During the winter, when temperatures can plummet to – 50C, most Nenets graze their reindeer on moss and lichen pastures in the southern forests, or taigá. In the summer months, when the midnight sun turns night into day, they leave the larch and willow trees behind to migrate north.

The reindeer is our home, our food, our warmth and our transportation, Sergei Hudi told Survival.