Mariia Berel’tueva describes the processing and softening of animal hides

00:00 – 03:17

Roe deer and sheep hides were treated with milk, flour, and animal fat and then moved up and down over the teeth of a wooden trough to make the hides soft and supple. Hides from the legs were processed in the same way and were formerly used to make footwear. They were then stretched several times, coated with fat again, and further softened by hand through repeated kneading. For the further processing of the hides a scraper (ergulg) is used. The folded hide was treated with a mixture of fat, flour, and kurung (kefir fermented with flour), worked with the scraper, and then kneaded and squeezed. The scraper was also used to remove flesh residues and hair. People brought their hides to Aunt Darya to have them processed with the ergulg.

Self-recorded by Mariia Berel’tueva, Republic of Sakha, Dezember 2025.
Translation: Mariia Berel’tueva.
Transliteration: Mariia Berel’tueva, Daniil Nikitenko.
Editing: Nadezhda Mamontova.