Imagine living in a place that must be rebuilt every month. This is exactly what the indigenous people of the Russian Far North do. Most of them are reindeerherders and travel in their houses from one spot to another just like they did centuries ago. What exactly does the chum, or what reindeer herder’ tents are referred to, appear like? And how much can a family save to buy one? A Chum in Yamal. Chums are a form of mobile home for Redirecting nomadic people. The winters in the Far North can be extremely long and cold, especially in the tundra. Thus the chum must not only be easy to build, but also comfortable and wind-proof. The structure is quite simple in principle. The frame is made from wood poles that are then covered with reindeer hides during winter , and covered with a tarp in the summer. It takes approximately an hour to put one up. It is a task that is traditionally performed by women (and in 2018a the term “chum worker” was officially recognized as a job title) however in modern times, it is not strictly regulated since doing it together makes things much faster. The assistant to the chum-keeper prepares breakfast at a chum in Gornoknyazevsk in the Priuralsky District of Yamal. The hearth (or its contemporary counterpart which is a stove made of metal which cooks and heats) takes up the center space of a Chum. The smoke is released through a hole inside the “roof.” Around the stove there is a floor laid out consisting of wooden boards covered with reindeer skins. If necessary, a chum is divided into distinct rooms. A chum is a member of an extended family. This means it will require more reindeer skins and poles to make. A single camp of nomads could include several chums as reindeer herders are now working in teams. The sledge is known as the narty. Yamal. When it’s time to leave, everything is packed and placed into sledges (called narty) at the time of departure. The next morning, the chum is dismantled. A skilled reindeer herder could take about half an hour to get one down. To prevent their deer herds from eating their tundra’s small vegetation, nomadic nomads often move. In winter, you will need to move around every three or four weeks, and every 2 weeks or so in the summer. The routes are generally the same throughout the year, so the people of the region can navigate the tundra without navigation devices however they use advanced technology too. Khanty’s chum is covered in an tarpaulin. Tyumen Region. Reindeer herders are equipped with snowmobiles, electric generators for charging their phones and laptops, along with walkie-talkies to contact ambulance helicopters or rescuers in an emergency. What is the best way to purchase the chum? For all its simplicity it is a rather complicated and expensive business. To build the poles first locate trees in the tundra. One chum may need between 25 to 40 poles based on his size. The poles are not long-lasting and can eventually become rotted. They will need to be replaced or cut. The smaller a chum is has, the less old its poles are. Chums are found in the Irkutsk Region. Next, you need reindeer skins. The more skins your family has the better off they’ll be. Given that winter temperatures in Yamal and Chukotka can plunge up to 50 C below zero The families of reindeer herders think that reindeer hides are an essential purchase and will save for them over a period of time and then transfer them to their kids. Chums is covered with a the summer tarp when it’s not possible to find reindeer hides. Before the invention of tarps the summer version of chums had to be covered with birch bark. Chums covered with Birch bark, circa 1936. Yamal. On average, one chum requires around 60-80 skins of reindeer, each of which costs at least 10,000 rubles ($135). No reindeer breeder could afford so many skins all at once as they’d be left with none left. Moreover, the skins are used for making boots and clothes. In the past, nomads always made their chums by themselves, now a young family of reindeer herders can purchase everything they need for one in the mainline. One chum is worth 1 million rubles (13,500). This includes both building materials and a heating stove. Day of the Reindeer Herder Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. For this amount of money it is possible to buy an apartment or build your own home in this area of the nation. Many nomads also have homes where they live, be it as a retirement or holiday home. They get these apartments through subsidies and state benefits. But, to live in the tundra, a mobile house is essential and the first thing a family should be focusing on is saving up for a chumthat they’ll be using for the bulk of the year. In 2020, the regional authorities of Yamal, which is Russia’s largest reindeer breeding region, began issuing Chum certificates to families who are young.
