Ethnographic Tourism in Ugra: Khanty and Mansi Traditions, Festivals and Camps

Unusual food and people, open and hospitable – it's definitely worth coming to Ugra for all this.

Large–scale celebrations are a characteristic feature of the Ob Ugrians, because they are used to celebrating all important events vividly. For example, Bear Day is an important and beloved holiday among the peoples of the north. The bear is not only the master of the taiga and the personification of supreme justice, it is also the son of the supreme god Torum and the ancestral woman, the brother of her children. This is where the significance of the holiday lies. The Khanty and Mansi peoples perceived the bear as a close relative.

A periodic holiday was held for 7 years in a row, followed by a 7-year break. The celebration began on the winter solstice in December, and ended at the vernal equinox in March. After the hunt, the bear was worshipped for 5 days, and the bear for 4 – according to the number of animal lives. The Khanty and Mansi believed that a female gives one life to her child. To imagine how the celebration went, just look at the installation "Bear Festival" at the Museum of Nature and Man in Khanty-Mansiysk.

"Vurna Hatl" or Crow's Day is the most long–awaited holiday of the Ob Ugrians, because the beginning of the year falls in spring. When these birds arrive first and begin to build their nests, nature wakes up. Crow's Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of April. The sight is so beautiful that many Yugorsk residents have long been fond of it.

Usually, on the day of the holiday, Khanty and Mansi people cook food on a bonfire, turn to the spirits and bow to the birch tree. Bundles of rolls and buns, scraps of cloth with coins tied in them, are hung on its branches, while wishing loved ones all the best in life. And at the end, everyone bows to the sacred tree, turning three times around their own axis in the course of the Sun.

Fisherman's Day is one of the favorite traditional competitions. It takes place annually in all settlements of the Berezovsky district on the second Sunday of July. Fishermen compete not only in the amount of catch, but also find out who cooks fish soup or smokes fish better. Anyone can participate in them.

Rowing competitions on the kaldanki "Man Hap". This sporting event is held regularly, and it is dedicated to the Day of the Indigenous Peoples of the North. By the way, in 2019, the event acquired an inter-municipal character. "Ai hop" in Khanty and "Man hap" in Mansi languages is the name of the traditional boat. Only the bottom is hollowed out, and the sides are made of wide planks. The boat is made without nails: it is sewn with cedar root and the seams are tarred. Khanty and Mansi people learn to sail such a boat almost before they walk, so they have no equal in rowing. It is a pleasure to watch such competitions.

The national holiday of the indigenous peoples of the North "Reindeer Herder's Day" is also held in spring. There is a huge variety of deer racing here: trotting, swinging, standing on sleds, skiing behind deer and on reindeer skin. Participants can also prove themselves in sled jumping, running on hunting skis, throwing an axe at a range, throwing a tynzian on a horey.

The rowing races on the oblasts for the Governor's Cup are the calling card of Ugra. Such competitions consist of mass starts, individual swims in different age categories and relay races. An oblas is a dugout boat made from a single piece of cedar, aspen or poplar with a length of 4 meters or more. This is a traditional water transport for the northern peoples.

Small nations have been living in multinational Yugra since ancient times. You can get acquainted with the culture of Khanty and Mansi, their traditions, and way of life not only in the modern museums of Khanty-Mansiysk, Nizhnevartovsk, and Surgut region, but also at real colorful ethnic cemeteries. Here you can learn how to harness a deer, ride a reindeer sled, and even drive a sled yourself. And after – to taste dishes of traditional cuisine of the northern peoples.

In the Luk-Yaun camp, which is located in the Surgut district, 10 km from the village of Fedorovsky, you will see how the Khanty families lived, explore the dwelling, outbuildings and even the hunter's house. You will find out what a real hunting trail looks like, along which trappers walk. In another way, it is also called a path. In addition, you will be shown where the hunters went to spend the winter. You will see how the national rituals are conducted. You can play traditional games. Cook a Khanty-style lunch, even go reindeer riding or snowmobiling.

You can also immerse yourself in the culture and way of life of indigenous peoples at the Amputinskoye camp. It is located 27 kilometers from the national village of Variogan, Nizhnevartovsk region.

All conditions have been created for the reception of tourists regardless of the season: there are summer, off-season and winter camps. Certain elements of traditional rituals have been recreated in this place, which can really impress a guest. From the very beginning of your stay here, you will feel the national atmosphere. After all, you will be greeted with a fumigation ceremony, since before visiting this land of Khanty you need to undergo a "cleansing" procedure. After that, you can participate in workshops on reindeer husbandry and reindeer sledding. Then the guests are gathered for a sightseeing tour of the camp, where you can see a warehouse, a corral, traps for animals.

In summer, some tourists come to this place for a few days to collect wild plants: mushrooms, berries, cedar cones in an ecologically clean place. Lovers of quiet hunting are invited to go fishing, both in summer and winter.

Another campsite that will allow you to plunge into the amazing atmosphere is Karamkinskoye in the Nizhnevartovsk district. It is located two hours away from Nizhnevartovsk, near the village of Agan. In a small area on the riverbank there is a plague, a warehouse, an off-season camp, a glacier, a corral and other outbuildings. The warm, carefully recreated atmosphere of this place will help you feel the traditional way of life of the Ob Ugrians.

It's interesting to come here for a day or stay for the weekend. Comfortable cabins, a gazebo and even a sauna are provided for guests. There is a pier and fishing stops by the river, and you can pick berries and mushrooms around the camp. There is also a lot of entertainment here in winter. You can ride reindeer sleds, snowmobiles, ATVs, tubing, or feed a deer with your hands and arrange a photo shoot in national clothes. They will also teach you how to carve fish and cook some dishes of indigenous cuisine from it. In addition, guests will be treated to ready-made national food, fragrant tea made from chaga and herbs, and fish cooked over a campfire. Sometimes guests are offered bear meat as an exotic dish.

And this is only a small part of the places where you can get to know the history of the Ugric peoples more closely. In short, Ugra is not only delicious, but also very spectacular. Come and feel this atmosphere from the inside!