It’s 9 am
Arian and his family are getting ready to go traditional ice fishing, known as, Munkha.
This year, the ice fishing fell at the beginning of November just before the start of the long,
severely cold winter in Yakutia.
Although, it’s only -15 degrees Celsius, Arian and his family will spend the whole
day outside, so they must make sure to keep warm.
Today is a big day in the village.
It’s a day when locals are hoping to catch several tons of carp to stock up for the upcoming winter
Before the Munkha fishing can begin, the leader and most experienced fisherman performs the
ritual of “feeding” and appeasing the spirits - the spirits of the forest, animals
and hunters.
In order to survive in the the cold, icy winters, Yakuts need to work closely together, to gather food
and this is how “munkha” was formed.
Munkha is traditional and innovative form of ice fishing, that has been passed down
from father to son for thousands of years in Yakutia.
Locals get into teams of up to 10 people and they each have different jobs.
One of the strongest men prepare two large holes in the ice in which to place the net
A series of smaller holes are then made between the two big ones to allow the net to be pulled
from one end to the other, using sticks with hooks.
The main rule of munkha is that no one should stand without work. Even if it's a child or woman
Munkha itself has turned into a mass festival and celebration. Everyone is excited, and
enjoying the last warm day outside.
The boys are wrestling, called hapsagay, the national sport of Yakutia and a big part of the culture
In Yakutia, every boy wants to become a strong wrestler.
Now, It’s time to eat. Today’s menu is nutritions soup with fresh meat and potato.
Eating regularly is essential to increase energy in the cold winters for hardy Yakuts.
But there is a rule. People who have been to a funeral within 40 days, and pregnant
women are not allowed to go ice fishing. The locals explain that the nature can feel their
tense energy and so, does not share it’s gifts.
Now, Arian’s father - Kirill, is preparing wooden sticks for Arian and his wife Liubov,
to use in the water.
Fishing under the ice demands a lot of effort and co-ordinated teamwork.
At the head of a large team, there are munkha masters, who know the terrain well and indicate
the best places to cut holes. Here the youngest fishermen, use their long sticks in the water
to make the fish move towards the net
Munkha fishing, needs responsibility and careful planning, and its extremely important for
villagers.
When the time comes to pull out the net, it feels like time has stopped. Everyone holds
their breath in anticipation.
Luckily, this year has been great for fishing! This is the perfect time of year to fish munkha
- the carp has already gained some fat and becomes especially valuable and tasty.
Traditionally, ice fishing begins in early November in Yakutia, when the lakes are covered
with a fairly strong layer of ice. But due to the rising temperature in Siberia, the
ice this year is not strong enough to hold dozens of people and it’s quite dangerous.
The best part of the munkha fishing is sharing the fish. It’s equally divided between all
the participants and also with neighbors who didn’t take part in the fishing. In order
to protect the lake, and keep balance in the ecosystem, they will not fish in the same
lake for 3 years.
After a long day, tired but happy, Arian and his family are ready to return home.
Life in Yakutia is so different and unique, I’m so happy to be able to share my hometown with you
And If you’d like to learn more about Yakutia you can read some personal stories
on my website kiunb.com which was built on Squarespace.
I also want to use this opportunity to say thank you to Squarespace for sponsoring this video
What I love about squarespace is that it has everything all in one platform, I can easily
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me there, and you can sign up to my mailing list.
it’s easy to use and it looks very professional. It’s also got 24/7 hours support which is
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You can check out my website, and if you’d like to build your own website, go to squarespace.com/kiunb
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off using the code: KIUNB When you make a website using squarespace,
send me an email or @ me on social media, so I can also read your stories or visit your shop!
As you already know, Arian loves fried crucian carp which is lovingly prepared by his mum
- Liubov.
The life in the coldest inhabited place on earth can be tough but, as you can see, it’s
filled with love, light and joy.