ENTRY DESCRIPTION
Yamal, in the language of the indigenous Nenets who inhabit this land, means "the end of the world"; It is a remote, windswept place, characterized by permafrost, by lakes and rivers and is the land of reindeer breeders for over a thousand years.
The Yamal Peninsula: a stretch of peatland that extends from northern Siberia into the Kara Sea, far above the Arctic Circle. Nenets herders move with their reindeer in search of food, moving along ancient migratory routes. In summer as in winter, when the temperature often reaches -50 °C.
Today, migration routes are hampered by infrastructure associated with mining - especially gas; roads are difficult to cross for reindeer and pollution endangers the quality of food. "Yamal Megaproject" of the mining companies started in the 1990s and today, 25 years later, millions of cubic meters of gas are channeled into Europe each year.
It is not the first time that the Nenets have to face the risk of extinction, but this time the mining and global warming that causes changes to the vegetation of the tundra are seriously threatening the inhabitants of this territory.
When men would go to hunt, women would tell the stories and educate the children about core values to maintain order and to encourage safety from an early age, ensuring that the children knew how to critically analyze dangerous situations and connect with the culture’s spiritual essence. Mothers and grandmothers would pass down religious motifs and origin stories, building pride and understanding in children. This central power to shape and form the minds of the youth gave women an influential voice.

back to gallery