Reindeer Herders’ Day , the main ethnic holiday of indigenous peoples in Yamal, was held with the support of Rosneft Oil Company. In addition, the Company’s subsidiaries RN-Purneftegaz, Rospan International and SevKomNeftegaz provided assistance to tribal communities and agricultural enterprises of the indigenous peoples of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District.

Supporting the indigenous minorities of the North to preserve their national culture, traditional way of life and improve their living conditions is one of the key areas of Rosneft’s activities in its operating regions.

With the support of RN-Purneftegaz, the main ethnic holiday is taking place in the Kharampur settlement in the Purovsky District of Yamal. Reindeer herders and fishermen from all the settlements in the district, as well as guests from the towns of Gubkinsky and Tarko-Sale, come to the settlement every year.

The most spectacular part of the celebration is the reindeer sledding races: single men’s, women’s and mass start. More than a hundred representatives of indigenous and minority peoples of the North compete for prizes from oil workers in national sports: skiing, tug-of-war, and throwing tynzyan to the khorey (a harness thrown over a long pole used to chase reindeer).

A concert featuring Nenets songs and dances promotes national traditions and culture. Participants treat guests to Nenets dishes, such as venison shurpa and berry bread.

Reindeer Herders’ Day is also traditionally attended by the Dyanki Koy forest Nenets community from Purovsky District, which is supported by SevKomNeftegaz. The enterprise assisted in arranging the reindeer sledding competition - reindeer and sled dogs were transported to the competition site, which is more than 100 kilometres away.

ROSPAN International and RN-Purneftegaz provide annual support to the indigenous peoples of the North in the Tazovsky and Purovsky districts of YNAO and care for the preservation of the North, the basis of the traditional way of life of the indigenous peoples. Rosneft enterprises help tribal communities and state farms acquire necessary equipment: snowmobiles, boat engines, fish freezing chambers, ice drills, electric generators, Arctic diesel fuel, etc. With this support, indigenous people are preserving and developing traditional livelihoods.

Over decades of work in the region, the Company’s enterprises have implemented many social and humanitarian programmes aimed at the development of national communities and associations. One striking project is the revival of the national settlement of Kharampur, which was established in the 1920s as a trading post. With Rosneft’s help, Kharampur has become a cultural centre for the forest Nenets, whose population is now about 2,000. The oil workers built a clubhouse, a library and 20 hard-wall cottages in the ethnic village, stylised as a traditional tent dwelling. A boarding school was also constructed in the village, where the children of reindeer herders and fishermen learn their native language and traditional crafts.

Every year, RN-Purneftegaz allocates funds to public organisations and the administration of Purovsky District to support the agricultural sector, where representatives of the small peoples of the Far North work. Since 2019, the enterprise has been implementing a long-term Northern Friendship project designed to preserve the culture and traditions of the forest Nenets people.

Furthermore, a joint project between RN-Purneftegaz, the district association of indigenous minorities “Yamal to Descendants!” and the Administration of Purovsky District was launched in 2022 to ascertain the places of residence and worship of indigenous people in the area where the enterprise operates. The enterprise’s employees will visit and map the campsites together with local residents and authorities. The data will be taken into account when planning production activities in the region.

Rosneft
Information Division
March 22, 2022

Keywords: Social News 2022