Aleksandra Terechina describes high fur boots

"The traditional footwear of the Nenets is made from kamus, the fur from the legs of reindeer. These boots are called piva among the Yamal Nenets, or kisy in Russian — a word borrowed from the Komi language. There are different styles of kisy for men, while women’s kisy usually follow only one style. Men’s kisy are longer than women’s, which relates to the different daily tasks men and women perform in the tundra.

Once, when I was living in a chum (tent), we had visitors in October. I was surprised by the boots the men and women wore. They were unusual kisy with strange, fluffy fragments on the soles — like the ones you can see in the photo of this exhibition piece. Later, I asked the owner what kind of kisy they were. She explained that they were short boots worn in spring and autumn, when the tundra gets very wet because of fluctuating temperatures — when snow melts and freezes again. Regular kisy can deteriorate quickly in such weather due to constant moisture. They need to be dried often, and the boots wear out faster.

The kisy shown here are called loŋg piva in the Tazovsky District or loŋg mada in the Yamal District, where people also simply say mada. They are simpler in construction. While making adult kisy typically requires about eight reindeer leg skins, loŋg piva are made from four. That means fewer seams — and fewer places for water to seep in. The fluffy parts around the foot, reaching up to the ankle, are made from the upper part of the reindeer leg skin, which also helps keep moisture out. On the one hand, they are warm; on the other, they are very practical in autumn and spring. Loŋg piva or mada are also convenient when riding a snowmobile, since the engine heat melts the snow and causes the boots to get wet quickly.

In the Tazovsky District and the northern part of the Yamal Peninsula, I was told these boots are typically worn only by men and children. I haven’t seen women wear them there. But in the Yarsalinskaya tundra of the Yamal District, loŋg piva or mada are worn by women, men, and of course, children. Some say mada are no longer widely worn, as rubber boots have become more popular — they don’t get wet at all and are more convenient. The kisy shown here are loŋg piva. These are women’s kisy — they are not as long as the men’s versions. They’ve been worn for several years, which is why the soles are worn out. Kisy are normally tied together. If you untie them and store them separately, it brings bad luck.

A particular feature of sewing women’s mada or loŋg piva is that reindeer forehead fur is never used for the sole — just like in all women’s kisy.

Among the Nenets, there are several taboos for women. The reindeer’s head and its hide are considered more sacred than any other part of the body. Since women are not allowed to step over or on certain objects — to avoid symbolically 'defiling' them — the hide from a reindeer's forehead must not be used for soles."

Recorded by Aleksandra Terechina, 2024.