An inside look at the whaling industry in Chukotka—and how state intervention is once again putting Indigenous life at risk, just as it did in Soviet times. Chukotka is the only region in Russia where marine mammal hunting is still practiced. Here, seals, walruses, gray whales, and bowhead whales are more than just food—they’re a living part of the region’s cultural heritage and traditional way of life.

How whaling works in Chukotka and how the Russian state is changing the lives of local residents. Chukotka is the only region in Russia where sea animals are hunted. Seal, walrus, gray and bowhead whales are not only food here, but also the living history of the traditional way of life. However, as a result of government intervention, this way of life is again, as in Soviet times, in danger of disappearing. Who is whaling today?