Svetlana Tusida describes fur boots for children

"The children's boot shown here is called nevak pivakocia, which can be translated as 'tadpoles' (kisy). Why 'tadpoles'? Kisy are high boots that normally reach up to the hips, but these 'tadpoles' look like short versions of kisy.

These 'tadpoles' are made especially for toddlers who have just started walking — one-year-olds or those nearly three years old. Older children, around three or four, already wear kisy boots, which are smaller versions of adult boots. A child who has only recently learned to walk is usually placed in a cradle during nomadic migrations. To avoid putting full kisy on a baby in the cradle, their feet are placed in these 'tadpoles' instead. For infants in their first months of life, special shoes called charnak are sewn. Large beads are sewn onto the toes of these shoes. When the baby looks at the beads, it learns, in a way, to sit up. It will try to reach for the beads with its hands. If you think about it like that, it’s a kind of baby gymnastics. And indeed, the baby warms up its body by trying to reach for the beads on the shoes.

Shoes like the ones shown in the photo can also be found in the settlement. The women living there call them burki in Russian. Such burki are worn instead of regular boots or shoes because they are very warm. A child's feet won’t get cold in burki. We know that a child who has just started walking doesn’t move around much outdoors; it stays in a cradle. To keep the feet warm, such boots are put on them.

Burki are sewn from reindeer leg fur. Reindeer leather is also used for lining — sometimes even to make an inner 'sock.' In the settlements, people also use fabric as a lining. The elders say that baby clothes should not be too fancy. A baby shouldn't show off. If it does, it may attract the attention of a nyleka (evil spirit). If a baby catches the eye of a nyleka, it may become seriously ill. Still, such boots are absolutely necessary. They are warm and resistant to getting wet quickly. In these boots, children’s feet will stay warm. And when their feet are warm, the child won’t get sick."

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Recorded by Svetlana Tusida, 2024.