Ethnic Groups

The Nenets, formerly also called Samoyeds, are an indigenous people living in northwestern Siberia, numbering around 41,000. They live mainly from reindeer herding, but also engage in fishing, fur trapping and hunting waterfowl. Over time, two groups have formed – the forest Nenets and the tundra Nenets, with the latter still widely practicing nomadism. The Nenets language belongs to the northern subgroup of the Samoyedic branch of the Uralic languages. Probably also in view of the extreme living conditions on the Arctic Ocean coasts, the Nenets have retained to this day the belief that they are dependent on the forces of nature for survival. These are suspected in certain ritual objects or also in special features in nature.

The Khanty (formerly also known as Ostyaks) are linguistically most closely related to Hungarian. They live in Western Siberia in an area of intensive oil and gas production. Some of them continue to practice reindeer herding, and many also make a living from fishing, hunting, and gathering plants and berries. In the worldview and rituals of the Khanty people, the bear plays a special role as a mediator for a sustainable relationship with nature.

The Sakha, formerly also known as Yakuts, are a Turkic-speaking people who migrated from southern Siberia to the area of the Lena River in northern central Siberia. From there, they also brought horse breeding and adapted it to northern environmental conditions. It has remained their economic basis, and its importance is expressed in all areas of life. The cultural life of the Sakha reaches its annual high point during the Yhyakh festival, which celebrates the rebirth of nature after the usually harsh winters.

The Evenks are hunters, reindeer herders, horse breeders, fishermen and gatherers. They are one of the most widespread and formerly largely nomadic peoples of Eurasia. Evenk reindeer husbandry is also referred to as forest reindeer husbandry. It is characterized by small herds of usually 10 to 40 animals, which were primarily used as pack animals. In addition to Russia, there are also Evenki-speaking communities in China. The Evenki language is a Tungusic language, which, together with Mongolian and Turkish, belongs to the Altaic language family. Shamanism was particularly widespread among the Evenki.

The Chukchi live in the far northeast of Siberia and refer to themselves as Luoravetlans. Like the Koryaks, they are divided into two groups. One of them lives inland, where reindeer herding is their main source of livelihood. The other part lives on the coast and hunts marine animals there. The exchange of life-essential materials between these two groups has always been of particular importance. They express their respect for nature through special rituals and seasonal reconciliation feasts.

The Koryaks live in the central and northern parts of Kamchatka and are composed of two groups. The Nymylans / Alyutors live on the coasts, where they mainly hunt marine mammals and fish. The Chavchuvens, on the other hand, stay with their reindeer herds in the interior of the peninsula. For both groups, hunting land animals is also important, as well as gathering plants and berries for a balanced diet rich in vitamins. Living in different environments various groups developed their own worldviews and rituals as well as their equipment and tools to meet their needs. For this they make use of natural materials, which animals and plants of their given habitat provide to them.

About 2500 Itelmen live today on the west coast of Kamchatka and in the valley of the Kamchatka River, where they are also called Kamchadals. Many Itelmen also live in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski and the town Elizovo. Fishing, hunting and the gathering of plants represent their livelihood. While they still inhabited large parts of the southern half of the peninsula until the end of the 19th century, they now form a compact settlement mainly in Kovran. There, in the late 1980s, efforts to achieve self-government began in the wake of perestroika, which was paralleled by the revival of ritual festivals and a particular interest in preserving their endangered language.

The Evens are a Tungusic people who are widespread across large parts of Eastern Siberia. They migrated to Kamchatka from the north between 1830 and 1840, where they settled in the middle of the peninsula. Originally hunters, they used reindeer for transportation purposes. In the last century, they developed reindeer husbandry from this, which they have since made their main livelihood. Nowadays, Evens in Kamchatka live in the settlements of Esso and Anavgaj in Bystrinsky District in the central part of Kamchatka. From there, they follow their usual activities in the mountains to the west and along the Icha River. Other Even groups live in the northernmost part of Kamchatka, mainly in the settlements of Chailino and Achaivaiam.

The Uilta live in the eastern and northern part of the interior of Sakhalin Island, where they used to be nomadic reindeer herders. They also lived from fishing, hunting marine and land animals, gathering plants and trading. The Uilta were also formerly called Oroken. The population is estimated at around 300 people. After the Second World War, many Uilta resettled on the northern coast of Hokkaido in Japan. Due to the lively cultural exchange in the region, the Uilta have many cultural similarities with the surrounding peoples, such as the Ainu on Hokkaido and the Nanai in the Amur region.