For thousands of years, Nenets have lived with their reindeer throughout Russia's Yamal Peninsula. They are one of the last nomadic tri...
For thousands of years, Nenets have lived with their reindeer throughout Russia's Yamal Peninsula. They are one of the last nomadic tribes in the world.
In October 2016, photographer Alegra Ally traveled to northwest Siberia, living with a Nenets family to record their daily life in the coming winter period. This is Lena, the wife of the family, she lives with her husband Lyonya and 4-year-old daughter Christina. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
For 4-year-old Christina, this vast steppe is your everyday playground. Her favorite game is to jump on puddles and break the thin ice above. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
As the autumn passes and winter comes, the Yamal Peninsula becomes a huge frozen field, with thick snow and frozen water. This weather allowed Nenets to move by sledge with their reindeer herd, according to their ancestors' thousands of years. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
One of the most important techniques of Nenets to cope with extreme weather conditions is the "chum". This traditional tent has the ability to resist ice rains, snow storms and strong winds, helping the family to be safe and comfortable. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
The life of the Nenets depends greatly on their caribou herd. The family will move to where there is food for these animals. While the men in charge lead the herd, women are responsible for keeping these animals in one place. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
Sliding cars are important vehicles of Nenets. The Lena family has 3 sled cars, 2 food racks and one luggage when moving. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
Dogs are important to this nomadic tribe, and in fact Nenets see dogs as family members. The Lena family has 3 dogs, they are in charge of guarding the caribou. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
Lena is pregnant at the 9th month. Previously, childbirth took place in "jars". But since 1960, Nenets women have started going to the hospital to give birth. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
The basic element of survival is keeping warm, playing an important role in the daily life of the Nenets. Cutting firewood is Lena's daily job, to make sure the family has ingredients for the fire, when temperatures can drop to -50 degrees C. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
In the Nenets culture, the work done inside "chum" such as cooking, childcare is done by women, men are prohibited from doing these jobs. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
Although still retaining the ancestral lifestyle of the ancestors, this way of life makes the Nenets are threatened by climate change. In February 2016, an unusual rain took place, causing the grassland area to flood and freeze. Thousands of reindeer starved to death because they could not dig through this ice to find food. Photo: Alegra Ally / The Guardian.
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