Salekhard



Salekhard

Name: Yevgenia Zhulanova

Age: 29

Profession: Photographer

City: Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug

How long have you been doing photography? What style or genre most interests you? I have been doing photography for about four years. I am most interested in modern documentary photography.

Can you give us a short description of your city? Where is it located? What is it famous for? Salekhard is the only city in the world which lies directly on the Arctic Circle. It is the capital of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, a very rich region of Russia, thanks to the oil and gas sector. Yet there are no large production enterprises in the city itself. It is mainly a city of bureaucrats and functionaries.

Salekhard was founded in 1595 by Russian Cossacks. You can get to the city by airplane, or by train to the nearby city of Labytnangi, then cross the river Ob.

What is something about your city that only locals would know? The tastiest local fish is muksun, but there are limits to how many can be caught and therefore it can be difficult to find it on sale. Yet nearly every local knows how to get it. In the North, people are incredibly responsive and kind, and look ten years younger than their actual age. To this day many two story wooden homes have neither running water or toilets, and water is delivered a few times a week. Locals call the rest of Russia "the land" or "materik" (mainland).

Which places or sites are a must for someone to see if they visit your city?
The abandoned station Chaika in the tropospheric radio relay communication line Sever. This is a former Soviet communication system built for staying in touch with distant regions of the country. The Chaika station is located 12 km to the east of Salekhard. Chaika was rebuilt in December 2000, but the entire Sever system was taken out of commission in 2003. Locals call the place "the locators."

In the spring Salekhard hosts the Day of the Reindeer Breeder. This is a huge holiday and breeders come to the city from throughout the okrug. There are concerts and competitions in locally popular sports (log pulling and reindeer racing).

One of the symbols of the city is the monument to the mammoth, located at the crossing over the river Ob.

Any time of year is a good time to go fishing with locals.

Anything else you would like to add? The North purifies.



Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955