Freaky life

"There is no president in the tundra ..."

“There is no president in the tundra ...” Vaigach island is located next to the New Land, between the Kara and Barents Seas. Until the 30s of the XX century, no one constantly lived here, except for the prisoners: the political prisoners with the hands of the political prisoners here mined zinc and lead ore. Then, from the new land, where they experienced nuclear weapons, the Nenets were moved to Vaigach. And forgot. They recall when it is necessary to vote for the party in power. And forget again

On the street is minus 30, snow, along the village of Karateika, which is considered the district center in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, goes, limping and leaning on a broken crutch, an old man. I ask him: "Who is the president in our country?" Grandfather, without hesitation, replies: "But there is no president in the tundra." - "Have you heard the name Putin?" - "Heard." - "And Medvedev?" - "Don't know". Grandfather, who introduced himself as Semyon or Nenets Senka, turned out to be a man born in 1962, that is, he is only 46 years old, it just looks like an old man. True, Senka does not know how to write or read, he spent all his life in the tundra, a pass of deer. Even in the passport in the column “place of birth” he says “tundra”. Although Senka does not know about the President of Russia, he put a tick in the elections for United Russia.

The party will help us "I am for" United Russia! " - A resident of the island of Vaigach Lidia Tybary echoes him. Interested in, but what is the good party of power? “Yes, they often talk about her on TV,” the woman replies. True, there are only four TVs on the Waigach Island, and there are about 60 residents. Just five years ago, the village antenna rotted, so the blue screen shines only in those houses where they are able to pay 12 thousand rubles for a satellite plate. There is no radio in the village either, there is not even a “Mayak” and “Radio of Russia”, newspapers do not “reach”, since the helicopter here happens only on those rare days when the local aviation monopolist of Naryan-Mari squad OJSC wants. It can be once every two weeks, or once a month, or maybe in two. But on the eve of March 1, a single election day, a helicopter flew to the island of Vaigach, brought campaign material from the country's main party. They handed this parcel to the local headman and part -time Pekari Mikhail. In the transmission there was a flag of “United Russia”, a jacket, pens, pocket calendars with an appropriate logo and a piece of paper, the party’s report on what the party in power would do and what to do. It did not come from any other batch of gifts to Vaigach, so the entire island population voted for the party that sent presentations.

One of the “one” on the island even has its own member of “United Russia”. True, only one. This is the Chum Worker Olga. The former fellow villager invited her to join the party, and now a large man - secretary of the political council of the Nenets regional branch of United Russia, Alexander Lomakin. “The Nenets regional party department has always comprehensively supported and helped our reindeer herders,” said Lomakina. The Chum Worker agreed. Now the party member and the icon always carry the plastic card with him. Journalist question: "And who is the chairman of your party?" - “Oh, I don't even know. UV, it sweated even from tension, ”Olga admits embarrassed. I had to suggest: "Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin." -"Yes, yes, yes, just about it."

For almost three years, Olga is a member of the United Russia, but there is no benefit from this. Although it is written in the reporting and advertising booklet that “the Nenets Autonomous Okrug occupies the first place in Russia in terms of income of the population. In September 2008, they amounted to 47,374 rubles per person, Olga as a Chum Worker receives only 1,200 rubles from the state. per month. And where did this amount almost 48 thousand come from? Probably, if you add up the salary of a plague worker and an office employee of the middle link of a company for gas production, then the figure from an advertising booklet will come out. But Olga had 8 children, her husband was put for 9 years for excess of self -defense. Olga must still pay 1,500 rubles. Like Nenka - that is, as a representative of the small people. But they have not been paid for the second year. It only saves that there is no school on the island of Vaigach, so almost all of her children live and study in a boarding school in the Karatayka district center. They come to their mother only in the summer for the holidays.

A figure of three fingers to the question of what the state helps reindeer herders, the private procurer fisherman Sergey answered most concisely: “That's what! (Shows a combination of three fingers.) The state does not help the collective farm. The reindeer herders all drank. " The average life expectancy of the indigenous population is 33 years. Reindeer herders, like a plague worker, receive 1200 rubles each. per month, but they can sometimes score a deer and try to sell meat. In the village it will be bought for 120 rubles. per kilogram. No one will give anymore. State salary of 1200 rubles. They don’t give out in their hands, it is transferred to a local store, for this money, reindeer herders with plague workers can shit. Say, buy a kilogram of tangerines for 180 rubles, cottage cheese - 200 each, jam - 170, boiled sausages - 450 and cookies each. Here are 1,200 rubles.

A product set for a month. No clothes. The reindeer herders drive the mash to the people proceeds from the sale of meat. If there is no yeast, then tomato paste is going on. Sometimes binges last six to seven months. And they drink brigades. One brigade walks, the other works. Then they change. So the Nenets reindeer herders live.

If God forbid a resident of the village of Zanemog, say, a runny nose, or a headache, or a finger injured, then he will not be able to buy even the most elementary drugs in the village, their sale is prohibited from last year. Now the local paramedic writes recipes for everything: to a bandage, iodine, hydrogen peroxide, citimon, ascorbic and even for baby food. All according to the recipe. Then these recipes, when a helicopter arrives, will be sent to the only city-the capital of the Naryan-Mar district, then the next helicopter, which can be in a month and after two, ordered will deliver to the villagers. By this time, the bandage may not come in handy, and the runny nose will pass.

The Arctic Easter island of Vaigach is located next to the New Land, between the Kara and Barents Seas. Until the 30s of the last century, no one constantly lived here, since the island was considered the Nenets to be saints. They only came here to bow to their idols. Each Nenets should have been here at least once in his life. The Soviet government mined the zinc and lead ore here with the hands of political prisoners. Due to difficult natural conditions, the year was counted for two. Then, from the new land, where the tests of nuclear weapons began, the Nenets living there were moved to Vaigach. There is the only settlement on the island - the village of Varnek, where 23 houses and one street is sea. Wooden houses were built in the 50s. Each family has a kitchen and a five -meter room. Water - melted snow. They drown with coal and firewood, despite the fact that the district occupies one of the first places to extract natural gas. Since the trees do not grow here, each log in the local area at a special price. In the spring, local residents are looking for logs that are nailed to the shore: this is a supply of firewood for the winter.

They don’t like visitors here, they meet: “We came up here!” Locals, if they do not engage in reindeer husbandry, then live by hunting and fishing. For food, dogs are caught a seal. Dogs are appreciated here, a dog team is the main means of transportation.

No special rituals near the Nenets idols are now happening. Local residents know almost nothing about why Vaigach was considered a sacred island. But if some idol meets Nenza on the way, he will definitely put something out of food, just in case, so that the weather does not deteriorate and that the hunt is good.

Vesako and Khadako are four main idols on Vaigach: Wesako (grandfather), they worship him to increase the number of livestock, Hadako (grandmother), she also asked for more deer, a hare stone where they make sacrifices for successful hunting, and the seven - he is asked about everything. Nenets idols, unlike stone sculptures from the island of Easter, small in size, 50 centimeters in height, but also scattered throughout the island. In addition to the main four, there are about 600 small idols on Vaigach - both wooden and stone. And each Idol met on the way must be drunk and fed so that he does not spoil the road.

At one time, tourist companies tried to organize excursion tours here, because it is interesting to look at Arctic Easter, as ethnographers call Vaigach! But all enthusiasm ended quickly: Vaigach Island is a border zone, which means that the passes need to be issued: Russian citizens - in a month, and foreigners - and for three. “In the context of the existence of territorial claims by the adjacent states, international terrorism, cross -border crime, drug trafficking, illegal migration and smuggling border regime in the border constituent entities of the Russian Federation are vital.” (From the information sheet of the border control of the FSB of Russia in the Arkhangelsk region.)

The strength of the elder Misha from the island of Vaigach is sure that in Moscow there are no more cars with flashing lights, because they said it on TV, but when the unemployment benefit is not 4900 rubles, as Prime Minister Putin declared, and only 500 rubles, the local population, albeit gullible, but asks: where did the money that promised on the TV? And the money is where they promised.

Nenets Autonomous Okrug is located behind the polar circle. The average temperature of July is plus 12 degrees. Winter lasts about 240 days a year. The population is a little more than 41 thousand people. Square - 176 700 sq. Km. The population density is approximately 0.24 people/sq. Km. Transport infrastructure is not developed, the message is only in the air, water (in summer), on snowmobiles (winter). In terms of oil and gas reserves, the district occupies 3rd place in Russia.

p. Karatyka - about. Vaigach - Moscow