An new exhibition, Lifestyle of the Indigenous Peoples of the North, has been opened to align with the Day of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) at Polyus Aldan’s administration office in Nizhny Kuranakh. Among the exhibits are household items, belonging to the Evenks and the Yakuts, such as ornaments and hunting tools.
The Evenks are an indigenous nomadic people of the Aldan Region, and historically, the majority of their time would be taken up hunting. The Evenks traditionally lived in “chums”, temporary tent-like dwellings, covered with birch bark in summer and reindeer hides in winter.
Historical researchers have referred to the Evenks as ‘the aristocrats of Siberia’. The common outfits of these indigenous people were well-suited to their mobility, sewn from reindeer hides and skin, and appeared to be light, comfortable and hard-wearing. Their typical garments were generously decorated with dyed fringes and embroidered with beads.
The Yakuts are one of the largest ethnic groups in Siberia. Historically, they made a living by breeding horses and cattle, but were also traditionally very talented at woodwork and processing leather and fur.
Choron, a vessel for holding kumis (fermented mare’s milk), is among the most famous Yakutian products. Making these vessels is considered to be a real art form, requiring not just imagination and artistic sense, but also highly skilled craftsmanship.
Interested readers can learn more about the Evenks and the Yakuts and their traditions at the exhibition newly opened at Polyus Aldan. So far, the exhibition has been very popular among the gold mining community.