How are chum tents built and transported, and what stories of the Khanty people are told? In the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the cultural programme in Gornoknyazevsk explores these questions. Ingilor Nature Park, located in the Autonomous Okrug, offers a different perspective: it is home to rare ecosystems and animals listed in the Red Data Book of Russia. Cultural heritage and nature thus offer two distinct themes for exploring the region.

Culture in Gornoknyazevsk

The Nature and Ethnography Complex in Gornoknyazevsk was founded in 2001 to preserve and promote the national spiritual and material cultures of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North of Yamal. This purpose draws attention to both spiritual traditions and material culture. The programme activities explore different aspects of these cultures, including life and everyday routines, rituals, crafts and storytelling. The focus is therefore not only on individual objects, but also on cultural content and how it is shared.

The “Chumovye posidelki” programme at the ethnopark in Gornoknyazevsk includes a guided tour about the lives and everyday routines of the indigenous peoples of the North. It also explains how a chum tent is built and transported. Another component is traditional purification rituals using smoke and offerings to local spirits, during which a ribbon is tied to a sacred birch. The programme also includes workshops on making traditional toys and jewellery, as well as stories about Khanty folk tales.

The activities have different areas of focus: the guided tour provides a thematic overview, while the explanations centre on the chum tent. Rituals, workshops and folk tales offer further cultural themes. If you are particularly interested in crafts, the workshops provide a specific point of interest; if you would like to learn more about life and everyday routines, you can focus on the topics covered by the guided tour.

Organised groups must book in advance to visit. The programme may vary, so check which activities are planned for your visit when making arrangements.

Nature in Ingilor Nature Park

Ingilor Nature Park is located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Its described features include rare ecosystems and animals listed in the Red Data Book of Russia. These two aspects give the nature theme a specific focus: the ecosystems draw attention to natural relationships, while the reference to the Red Data Book highlights the animals mentioned.

These are two clearly distinct interests. In Gornoknyazevsk, the focus is on cultural heritage and specific programme activities, while the nature park is about ecosystems and the animals found there. When planning your trip around your interests, you can first consider which of these perspectives appeals to you more. The region’s attractions can thus be viewed as distinct areas of focus: one centred on culture, everyday life and storytelling, the other on nature and animals listed in the Red Data Book.

Discover more destinations: Noyabrsk, Novy Urengoy, Nadym District, Purovsky District, Gubkinsky, Salekhard, Tarko-Sale, Urengoy, Tazovsky District, Nadym, Muravlenko, Naryan-Mar, Yar-Sale, Priuralsky District.

Go to the main travel overview: Russia.