How to Get Food in the Coldest Village on Earth, Yakutia

Fishing and hunting are important sources of food in Yakutia, because it's simply impossible to grow fruits and vegetables due to the harsh climate. In the late autumn, before the cold winter comes, Yakutsk are preparing for their annual traditional fishing event known as Munha. Munha is a traditional ice fishing using a seine net. The whole village gathered together to take part in this massive fishing activity. Yakuts are always helping and supporting each other, especially when it comes to food. They know that without each other's help, it's difficult to survive in this cold, icy land. Every autumn, during Munha annual ice fishing, locals can get several hundreds kilograms of fish at a time. Fishing under the ice demands a lot of effort and coordinated teamwork. The process itself turned into a mass festival. Every village has a wise elderly man who knows the local terrain well and gather all the locals together. Yakuts believe in the spirit in animals, trees, lakes and fire. Before fishing starts, locals feed bayanai, the spirit of the forest and lakes, by putting pancakes in the fire to ask for successful fishing. Everyone feels excited. Locals make teams of up to 20 people with one the most experienced person, usually the oldest, to be the leader. He is acting on his intuition and experience and deciding where to place the net. One of the teams then gets the net ready, while the other prepares two large holes in the ice in which to be placed the net. A series of small holes are then made between the two big ones to allow the net to be pulled from one end to the other, using wooden sticks with hooks. As the net gets into the water, the other team use their long sticks in the water to make the fish move towards the net. As a result, the net runs along almost the entire perimeter of the lake, guaranteeing the catch. The strongest pull the net fast to prevent the fish from escaping. Today, women can take part in traditional ice fishing, but in ancient times only men could participate in it. Locals also believe that a black crow circling in the sky is a good sign. They know that they will not be left without food and are a frequent guest during the ice fishing. Everyone holds their breath when the fishermen pull the net. They hope this year is favorable for ice fishing and they won't be left without food. When the fishermen finally put the net out, everyone feels excited. Luckily, this year was great for fishing. Locals have enough food to survive the long, cold winter, and that's why Yakuts create Munha fishing like a big day. Another exciting and long-awaited part is sharing the fish. The main rule is to share the catch with everyone, even if they are not taking part. They share several bags filled with fish and freeze them to eat during the whole winter. Locals are always taking care of the lakes. They won't do any fishing in this lake for three years in order to not disturb the ecological balance of the lake. This is how Yakuts are living and enjoying their life in the coldest inhabited place on Earth. We believe that life is hard, but so very beautiful.