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1
00:01:05,167 --> 00:01:08,833
This is the village of Bakhtia
in Siberia.
2
00:01:08,833 --> 00:01:13,375
Although it looks
like winter to us,
it's already spring here.
3
00:01:21,833 --> 00:01:25,333
The village is located in
the heart of Siberia...
4
00:01:25,333 --> 00:01:29,500
and we should keep in mind
that this colossal
landmass...
5
00:01:29,500 --> 00:01:33,667
is one and a half times
the size of the United States.
6
00:01:35,375 --> 00:01:41,250
The endless wilderness that
surrounds this place is known
as the taiga.
7
00:01:41,250 --> 00:01:45,292
No roads or train lines
traverse it.
8
00:01:45,292 --> 00:01:48,625
There are only two ways
to reach this outpost --
9
00:01:48,625 --> 00:01:52,333
one is by helicopter,
the other by boat.
10
00:01:53,250 --> 00:01:57,458
The expanse in
the foreground is not
solid ground...
11
00:01:57,458 --> 00:02:00,333
but the frozen-over
Yenisey River...
12
00:02:00,333 --> 00:02:04,000
one of the largest
waterways in Siberia.
13
00:02:06,667 --> 00:02:10,625
It is only during the few
ice-free months of summer...
14
00:02:10,625 --> 00:02:13,583
that boats can also
reach Bakhtia.
15
00:02:16,833 --> 00:02:20,792
Of the 300 or so inhabitants
of this village...
16
00:02:20,792 --> 00:02:25,792
a handful of them make
their livelihood as
professional trappers.
17
00:02:26,375 --> 00:02:29,708
One of these men
is Gennady Solovyev.
18
00:02:29,708 --> 00:02:32,833
Here he makes his way
into the wilderness...
19
00:02:32,833 --> 00:02:35,750
across an enormous
frozen river.
20
00:02:40,167 --> 00:02:43,625
He wants to show us
an essential tool
of his profession.
21
00:02:43,625 --> 00:02:50,875
An animal would approach
and begin twisting
the bait.
22
00:02:51,500 --> 00:02:53,792
The pressure is very light.
I will just keep my hand in it.
23
00:02:53,792 --> 00:02:56,333
Let me show you.
See how light it is.
24
00:02:56,333 --> 00:02:59,208
There you go.
The animal is trapped.
25
00:02:59,208 --> 00:03:02,375
This is how I disarm the trap.
I take away the bait.
26
00:03:08,458 --> 00:03:12,042
I remove the wooden linchpin
so that squirrels or mice don't
steal them...
27
00:03:12,042 --> 00:03:15,125
put everything under
the roof, and that's it.
28
00:03:15,125 --> 00:03:17,125
Until next season.
29
00:03:27,708 --> 00:03:30,708
You are no hunter
without a dog.
30
00:03:39,958 --> 00:03:45,625
This one has short hair
because a Moscow dog breed
is mixed in.
31
00:03:51,833 --> 00:03:55,167
Here, take a look at Zeena,
her male partner.
32
00:03:56,667 --> 00:03:59,000
He is a smart-looking one,
no doubt.
33
00:04:00,833 --> 00:04:03,708
But he's stopped working
in the taiga.
34
00:04:03,708 --> 00:04:06,375
He is not interested
in hunting animals.
35
00:04:06,375 --> 00:04:11,583
A freeloader,
not a real dog anymore.
36
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,167
But he gets all the appropriate
perks a dog is entitled to.
37
00:04:17,167 --> 00:04:21,500
He chases after bitches all
he wants and gets the best food.
38
00:04:22,375 --> 00:04:24,750
I have one male dog
who has really earned his keep.
39
00:04:24,750 --> 00:04:27,792
Now he is retired
from active duty.
He is a pensioner.
40
00:04:27,792 --> 00:04:30,250
And I'll keep feeding him
for as long as he is alive.
41
00:04:30,250 --> 00:04:32,167
Come here and eat!
42
00:04:32,167 --> 00:04:34,167
[no audio]
43
00:04:43,500 --> 00:04:49,750
The snow crust after a good
frost is very tough.
44
00:04:49,750 --> 00:04:54,042
No, I don't think it'll support
moose and other big ones.
45
00:04:55,708 --> 00:04:57,750
But it is tough snow crust
all right.
46
00:05:00,542 --> 00:05:03,667
It's great for bears and
wolves to really get around.
47
00:05:03,667 --> 00:05:06,292
But the poor moose
have had it.
48
00:05:06,292 --> 00:05:08,083
If the snow is deep,
49
00:05:08,083 --> 00:05:11,583
they won't get far
on this kind of snow crust.
50
00:05:11,583 --> 00:05:16,458
Anyone can take advantage
of their helpless condition-
51
00:05:16,458 --> 00:05:19,833
anyone who is hungry or wants
to make extra money--
people, I mean.
52
00:05:25,333 --> 00:05:27,875
This is the best time
of the year...
53
00:05:27,875 --> 00:05:31,875
for Gennady to find
the perfect piece of wood...
54
00:05:31,875 --> 00:05:35,208
for the making of his
all-important skis.
55
00:05:37,708 --> 00:05:42,708
Here you are deciding if
the fiber will be
straight or not.
56
00:05:42,708 --> 00:05:46,375
See, it's a bit twisted
and kind of leans to the right.
57
00:05:46,375 --> 00:05:48,750
If it's shaped like this
from the top along the center...
58
00:05:48,750 --> 00:05:50,625
it's straight fiber
all right.
59
00:05:50,625 --> 00:05:53,042
If it's slanted a bit,
it means it's twisted...
60
00:05:53,042 --> 00:05:55,875
and you're going
to get a propeller-like board.
61
00:05:55,875 --> 00:05:57,875
[no audio]
62
00:06:07,750 --> 00:06:10,875
A good wedge is
a man's savior.
63
00:06:13,375 --> 00:06:16,042
In the olden days,
a villager wouldn't have much
by way of tools--
64
00:06:16,042 --> 00:06:18,458
just a club and wedge.
65
00:06:18,458 --> 00:06:21,292
The wedge should have
a gentle slope
and be very sharp.
66
00:06:24,458 --> 00:06:30,250
Make your wedge steep
and the wood will eject it.
67
00:06:30,250 --> 00:06:32,250
[no audio]
68
00:06:39,917 --> 00:06:48,333
Of course, a good craftsman will
make good skis using good wood.
69
00:06:48,333 --> 00:06:51,083
Getting around in these
is sheer pleasure.
70
00:06:57,167 --> 00:06:59,667
You might have
factory-made ones.
71
00:06:59,667 --> 00:07:02,792
If you and I go into the woods,
you'll drop dead from fatigue
after 15 kilometers.
72
00:07:02,792 --> 00:07:04,583
You won't be able
to move a leg.
73
00:07:05,875 --> 00:07:08,667
Me, I'll just keep on skiing
without a care in the world.
74
00:07:08,667 --> 00:07:10,667
"Without moss and wedge
to earn his bread,
75
00:07:10,667 --> 00:07:13,458
the carpenter would
long be dead."
76
00:07:13,458 --> 00:07:16,625
True, you can't do much
using one wedge.
77
00:07:16,625 --> 00:07:19,583
Take several of them,
and you can gradually
lift anything.
78
00:07:19,583 --> 00:07:22,125
You can lift a house.
I mean anything.
79
00:07:23,167 --> 00:07:25,958
It's so powerful.
80
00:07:25,958 --> 00:07:31,250
Try to split a tree
like this without a wedge.
There's no way.
81
00:07:33,375 --> 00:07:35,958
You're not upsetting
the fibers.
82
00:07:35,958 --> 00:07:38,542
On a disk saw,
if you don't pay attention
83
00:07:38,542 --> 00:07:40,000
where you're
setting the board...
84
00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,125
it'll cut laterally
through the fibers,
85
00:07:42,125 --> 00:07:43,500
and you've had it.
86
00:07:43,500 --> 00:07:45,750
A ski is very thin--
87
00:07:45,750 --> 00:07:48,375
about two millimeters
near the nose.
88
00:07:48,375 --> 00:07:53,167
If the board isn't
straight-grained,
89
00:07:53,167 --> 00:07:55,708
it'll start to
bend and that'll be it.
90
00:07:55,708 --> 00:07:57,708
[no audio]
91
00:08:22,583 --> 00:08:26,000
As they say,
you can take away
anything from a man--
92
00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,458
his wealth and health
and suchlike--
93
00:08:29,458 --> 00:08:31,542
but you can't take away
his craftsman skills.
94
00:08:32,542 --> 00:08:34,583
Once you learn a trade,
95
00:08:34,583 --> 00:08:38,875
you always know your trade
for the rest of your life.
96
00:08:39,875 --> 00:08:41,417
You agree?
97
00:08:41,417 --> 00:08:44,250
Naturally, you pick up
things from others
as you go along--
98
00:08:44,250 --> 00:08:46,083
a bit here, a bit there,
add your own little
improvements.
99
00:08:46,083 --> 00:08:48,375
You've got to see something.
100
00:08:48,375 --> 00:08:50,375
Someone's got to tell you
something, and you will know.
101
00:08:50,375 --> 00:08:52,500
You can't reinvent
the bicycle.
102
00:08:52,500 --> 00:08:54,667
All these techniques
have been invented
long before your time...
103
00:08:54,667 --> 00:08:56,458
honed to perfection
over the centuries.
104
00:08:56,458 --> 00:08:58,458
[no audio]
105
00:09:14,417 --> 00:09:17,500
The ice covering
the river is still solid...
106
00:09:17,500 --> 00:09:21,167
making it easy to travel
the vast distances...
107
00:09:21,167 --> 00:09:24,458
the trappers need
to prepare for their work.
108
00:09:25,208 --> 00:09:27,125
Unlike sport hunting...
109
00:09:27,125 --> 00:09:32,000
preparation for professional
trapping is a year-round job.
110
00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:46,750
This is Anatoly Blume.
111
00:09:46,750 --> 00:09:49,917
He's tending one
of his hunting cabins.
112
00:09:52,542 --> 00:09:55,167
Here, he removes
the winter snow
113
00:09:55,167 --> 00:09:58,208
so that the roof
will not cave in.
114
00:09:58,208 --> 00:10:00,208
[no audio
115
00:10:11,167 --> 00:10:16,750
Firewood must be collected now
so that it can dry
during the summer.
116
00:10:18,458 --> 00:10:20,542
Each hunter
has a base hut...
117
00:10:20,542 --> 00:10:26,833
and a number of additional
outlying huts that need
to be maintained.
118
00:10:26,833 --> 00:10:30,625
That's a bear's trail.
He is out of his lair now.
119
00:10:30,625 --> 00:10:32,458
Remember we talked about
the snow crust--
120
00:10:32,458 --> 00:10:34,417
that it's strong
enough for the likes of him?
121
00:10:34,417 --> 00:10:39,750
Well, he's out and he'll go
and hunt some moose
or deer.
122
00:10:39,750 --> 00:10:41,833
Guy needs his grub, right?
123
00:10:44,417 --> 00:10:48,375
All the provisions here
have to be secured
against bears.
124
00:10:48,375 --> 00:10:50,375
[no audio]
125
00:11:14,208 --> 00:11:16,667
They don't use glass
for the windows...
126
00:11:16,667 --> 00:11:22,125
as glass is easily broken
during transportation
or by bears.
127
00:11:22,917 --> 00:11:26,083
These are the claw
marks made by
one of them.
128
00:11:33,167 --> 00:11:36,792
In spring,
with the sun higher
upon the horizon...
129
00:11:36,792 --> 00:11:41,958
the snow becomes wet and river
water seeps through the ice.
130
00:11:41,958 --> 00:11:43,958
[no audio]
131
00:11:59,833 --> 00:12:03,708
In the fall,
the river will ice
up when fully flooded.
132
00:12:04,750 --> 00:12:08,792
After snow falls,
the water will drain...
133
00:12:08,792 --> 00:12:12,750
and the ice will be
forced down by the snow.
134
00:12:12,750 --> 00:12:17,000
A crack will develop
through which the water
will flow under the snow...
135
00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,292
and this water
will never freeze.
136
00:12:19,292 --> 00:12:21,292
[no audio]
137
00:12:32,792 --> 00:12:37,167
If you ask me,
industry and perseverance
is top of the agenda.
138
00:12:37,167 --> 00:12:41,083
I doubt if anyone would agree.
139
00:12:41,792 --> 00:12:46,083
But we all agree that greed is
the trapper's worst quality...
140
00:12:46,083 --> 00:12:49,125
which I and my friends despise.
141
00:12:49,125 --> 00:12:51,958
I can tell you that.
142
00:12:51,958 --> 00:12:53,792
That's for sure.
143
00:12:56,250 --> 00:12:59,042
Making a few coins
at any price.
144
00:13:01,083 --> 00:13:03,250
Setting up traps up until--
145
00:13:06,208 --> 00:13:08,417
up until the thaw...
146
00:13:08,417 --> 00:13:12,042
even when all you get
are pregnant females.
147
00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:14,958
Arming traps too early.
148
00:13:14,958 --> 00:13:16,917
It's only a few days
into October,
149
00:13:16,917 --> 00:13:18,833
but that guy is
already arming traps.
150
00:13:18,833 --> 00:13:21,333
They tell him the sable
isn't coming out properly yet.
It's black.
151
00:13:21,333 --> 00:13:24,167
"So what?"
the guy would say.
152
00:13:24,167 --> 00:13:26,292
"Only a couple of coins,
that's true,
but in my pocket.
153
00:13:26,292 --> 00:13:29,417
Otherwise the sable will run
to someone else's
territory."
154
00:13:31,125 --> 00:13:36,125
We despise
this kind of trapper.
155
00:13:40,667 --> 00:13:43,792
Here, Gennady builds
one of his traps...
156
00:13:43,792 --> 00:13:48,500
in the same simple manner
they have been built
for ages.
157
00:13:48,500 --> 00:13:50,500
[no audio]
158
00:14:10,500 --> 00:14:12,542
Grandfather's traps--
whoever invented them,
his name is long forgotten.
159
00:14:18,167 --> 00:14:24,000
So many centuries have passed,
but we still use them...
160
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,292
unable to invent
something new.
161
00:14:29,542 --> 00:14:35,208
It is April,
and the weather is warm,
plenty of daylight...
162
00:14:35,208 --> 00:14:37,625
the mosquitoes
aren't out yet--
163
00:14:37,625 --> 00:14:40,667
time for trappers.
164
00:14:40,667 --> 00:14:45,208
Those living off trapping
and wanting to earn a bit
to go out to the woods.
165
00:14:46,958 --> 00:14:51,792
They will go into the taiga
for nearly four weeks...
166
00:14:51,792 --> 00:14:55,292
setting up their properties,
storing food and suchlike.
167
00:14:55,292 --> 00:14:57,083
Some will make
new koolyomka traps.
168
00:14:57,083 --> 00:14:59,667
Others will drive
new paths through the taiga.
169
00:15:00,667 --> 00:15:02,667
In short,
folks are out working.
170
00:15:02,667 --> 00:15:04,667
[no audio]
171
00:15:26,417 --> 00:15:29,042
I will come in the fall
and finish it.
172
00:15:29,042 --> 00:15:32,750
It'll be a proper koolyomka trap, all right,
173
00:15:32,750 --> 00:15:35,167
while now it's
just a spring job.
174
00:15:35,167 --> 00:15:37,458
We do have these large
territories, you see...
175
00:15:37,458 --> 00:15:40,125
so I need to make a thousand
of these, give or take.
176
00:15:45,208 --> 00:15:47,958
Gennady marks the location
of his trap...
177
00:15:47,958 --> 00:15:52,125
so he can find it
at the beginning
of the hunting season.
178
00:15:52,125 --> 00:15:54,125
[no audio]
179
00:16:02,417 --> 00:16:08,708
His territory comprises of some
1,500 square kilometers.
180
00:16:08,708 --> 00:16:13,375
This area was consigned to him
during Communist times...
181
00:16:13,375 --> 00:16:15,750
when he trapped
for the state.
182
00:16:17,292 --> 00:16:22,625
I came north in 1970
and was immediately employed.
183
00:16:22,625 --> 00:16:24,500
They told me
to get ready.
184
00:16:24,500 --> 00:16:28,125
They gave me traps,
advanced some money,
issued a gun.
185
00:16:28,125 --> 00:16:32,375
And me and my partner--
we were both 20--
boarded a chopper.
186
00:16:32,375 --> 00:16:35,167
They showed us our site
and just left us there.
187
00:16:35,167 --> 00:16:37,417
We didn't have a radio.
We didn't have anything.
188
00:16:37,417 --> 00:16:40,250
They promised to bring
some food by New Year's Eve...
189
00:16:40,250 --> 00:16:42,917
a stove and some other stuff.
190
00:16:42,917 --> 00:16:45,667
We didn't have anything.
191
00:16:45,667 --> 00:16:49,042
My partner somehow didn't
prove equal to the challenge.
192
00:16:49,042 --> 00:16:51,750
I was left alone.
193
00:16:51,750 --> 00:16:56,375
They didn't bring anything
at the promised time.
194
00:16:56,375 --> 00:16:59,292
Well, things happen.
It's aviation after all.
195
00:16:59,292 --> 00:17:04,250
It's a long story,
but I survived--
interestingly enough.
196
00:17:04,958 --> 00:17:09,667
It was not like that island
on TV where they're
all heroes...
197
00:17:09,667 --> 00:17:13,125
and catch and share crabs
or scorpions.
198
00:17:13,125 --> 00:17:16,542
Me, I was really struggling
for dear life...
199
00:17:16,542 --> 00:17:20,208
because snow fell
and I had no winter clothes.
200
00:17:20,208 --> 00:17:24,667
There was no stove in the hut.
Just bread rusk to eat.
201
00:17:24,667 --> 00:17:29,000
I was lucky to have a good dog.
She really fed me.
202
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:35,792
I thought I was a hell
of a seasoned trapper.
203
00:17:35,792 --> 00:17:42,208
But when it really came down
to it, it turned out I was
a complete novice.
204
00:17:42,208 --> 00:17:44,708
That was my initial season.
205
00:17:44,708 --> 00:17:50,083
I was flown in on August 5
and brought back
on February 20--
206
00:17:50,083 --> 00:17:51,875
some season.
207
00:17:51,875 --> 00:17:55,125
Well, matter of fact,
I don't think I blew it.
208
00:18:03,083 --> 00:18:08,000
The hunters return
to the village.
209
00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:13,833
Here, the kids enjoy
a last chance at ice-skating
before the thaw.
210
00:18:19,208 --> 00:18:23,167
May 1 marks a big day
for Russia.
211
00:18:23,167 --> 00:18:28,292
It is their traditional
Labor Day and marks the end
of the winter.
212
00:18:29,125 --> 00:18:31,542
Winter is burnt
in effigy.
213
00:18:31,542 --> 00:18:33,542
[no audio]
214
00:18:45,958 --> 00:18:49,333
The appearance of
the first geese flying north...
215
00:18:49,333 --> 00:18:51,792
is a sure sign of spring.
216
00:18:55,875 --> 00:19:00,125
This is followed quickly
by May 9, Victory Day --
217
00:19:00,125 --> 00:19:02,958
the day the German army
surrendered...
218
00:19:02,958 --> 00:19:05,917
bringing an end
to the Second World War.
219
00:19:07,417 --> 00:19:12,250
This marks an event
of epochal proportions
in Russian history...
220
00:19:12,250 --> 00:19:17,292
as more than 20 million
Russians lost their lives
in this war.
221
00:19:17,292 --> 00:19:21,833
Every family lost someone.
222
00:19:21,833 --> 00:19:26,792
This sign marks a residence
of a veteran, a war hero.
223
00:19:26,792 --> 00:19:30,042
Everyone yelled and shouted.
224
00:19:30,958 --> 00:19:34,708
We screamed, "Hurrah!"
225
00:19:35,250 --> 00:19:38,792
I asked, "What happened?"
226
00:19:38,792 --> 00:19:43,375
They said, "Yell hurrah.
It's victory!"
227
00:19:43,375 --> 00:19:48,000
Then Stalin spoke
on the radio.
228
00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,583
His Russian wasn't
too good.
229
00:19:51,667 --> 00:19:54,458
We came out into
the street in the morning--
230
00:20:00,208 --> 00:20:05,833
Overwhelmed by memories
of the war,
he can no longer speak.
231
00:20:05,833 --> 00:20:07,833
[no audio]
232
00:20:20,292 --> 00:20:24,750
As if responding to
the shots fired
in celebration...
233
00:20:24,750 --> 00:20:28,417
the ice of the Yenisey River
begins to break.
234
00:20:29,750 --> 00:20:33,625
An entire landscape
starts to move north...
235
00:20:33,625 --> 00:20:35,917
towards the Arctic Ocean.
236
00:20:35,917 --> 00:20:37,917
[no audio]
237
00:21:06,333 --> 00:21:10,250
Spring is the time
to build dugout canoes.
238
00:21:11,833 --> 00:21:14,583
This man,
Gennady Tiganov...
239
00:21:14,583 --> 00:21:20,250
belongs to the Ket native
population of this part
of Siberia.
240
00:21:20,250 --> 00:21:23,833
He is their last remaining
expert boat builder.
241
00:21:25,792 --> 00:21:30,458
Tools and techniques being
used are all traditional.
242
00:21:30,458 --> 00:21:32,458
[no audio]
243
00:22:09,167 --> 00:22:14,667
It is essential to hollow
out the precise amount
and no more.
244
00:22:14,667 --> 00:22:17,792
Markings point out
the positions of dowels,
245
00:22:17,792 --> 00:22:20,833
which will be driven
into the hull.
246
00:22:23,208 --> 00:22:28,542
From the inside,
this tells the boat maker
how deep he can carve.
247
00:22:33,542 --> 00:22:37,667
One of the last steps is the
widening of the canoe.
248
00:22:43,417 --> 00:22:45,750
Exposing the body to heat
249
00:22:45,750 --> 00:22:48,958
makes the shape
of the canoe permanent.
250
00:22:48,958 --> 00:22:50,958
[no audio]
251
00:23:01,708 --> 00:23:05,417
What remains
is a layer of tar.
252
00:23:05,417 --> 00:23:07,417
[no audio]
253
00:23:16,167 --> 00:23:20,083
The hunters head out
to test their new canoes
254
00:23:20,083 --> 00:23:22,667
with some fishing
and duck hunting.
255
00:23:26,167 --> 00:23:30,375
This week-long expedition
is also the first time...
256
00:23:30,375 --> 00:23:34,292
these pups are being taken out
into the wilderness.
257
00:23:34,292 --> 00:23:36,292
[no audio]
258
00:24:09,625 --> 00:24:12,458
The nets have been
out overnight...
259
00:24:12,458 --> 00:24:15,458
and, by morning,
ice has formed around them.
260
00:24:15,458 --> 00:24:21,000
But it's a good time
of year for catching pike
and other fish.
261
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,000
[no audio]
262
00:24:46,500 --> 00:24:51,000
The most delicate fish will be
smoked for the season to come.
263
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,000
[no audio]
264
00:25:01,542 --> 00:25:04,583
Summer brings
an abundance of life.
265
00:25:09,292 --> 00:25:12,792
This is a sable
in short summer fur.
266
00:25:12,792 --> 00:25:17,042
Come winter,
it will be the main quarry
of the trappers.
267
00:25:17,042 --> 00:25:19,042
[no audio]
268
00:25:33,292 --> 00:25:37,208
Even though the hunter does not
want to go for the reindeer...
269
00:25:37,208 --> 00:25:40,417
his dog can't help
but give chase.
270
00:25:40,917 --> 00:25:44,792
He has no chance,
but try he must.
271
00:25:44,792 --> 00:25:46,792
[no audio]
272
00:26:14,042 --> 00:26:19,375
Preparations are
in full swing for
the upcoming trapping season.
273
00:26:19,375 --> 00:26:23,708
This means stocking up on as
much fish as you can catch...
274
00:26:23,708 --> 00:26:26,167
to feed both man and dog.
275
00:26:27,833 --> 00:26:31,292
Some of the pike
can be real specimens.
276
00:26:33,083 --> 00:26:37,875
Negotiating the shallows
of the river becomes
a real problem.
277
00:26:37,875 --> 00:26:40,417
The propeller
has to be protected.
278
00:26:40,417 --> 00:26:42,417
[no audio]
279
00:27:39,958 --> 00:27:46,792
Summer is the season for
the hunters to help each other
build new cabins.
280
00:27:46,792 --> 00:27:51,167
The real challenge are
the mosquitoes--
clouds of them.
281
00:27:51,167 --> 00:27:58,583
Honestly,
mosquitoes are all right for me.
282
00:27:58,583 --> 00:28:01,792
When you're busy,
you don't notice them that much.
283
00:28:09,917 --> 00:28:11,708
Here are the nails.
284
00:28:11,708 --> 00:28:15,333
You drive them in,
leaving the tip.
285
00:28:15,333 --> 00:28:19,375
And then you twist it,
and that's it.
286
00:28:20,417 --> 00:28:26,792
The hunters are so self-reliant
that they make virtually
everything themselves.
287
00:28:26,792 --> 00:28:31,625
Chain saws are one of
the few modern tools they use.
288
00:28:31,625 --> 00:28:33,625
[no audio]
289
00:28:45,208 --> 00:28:47,625
All right,
the window to Europe.
290
00:28:57,083 --> 00:28:58,250
Moss and earth.
291
00:28:58,250 --> 00:29:00,750
In the cities,
they have special insulation.
292
00:29:00,750 --> 00:29:03,333
Here, moss and earth
are the insulation.
293
00:29:06,042 --> 00:29:12,417
We usually do it in the summer
after piling up logs
in the spring.
294
00:29:13,333 --> 00:29:15,833
By early summer,
the log frame is ready.
295
00:29:15,833 --> 00:29:22,917
You now have to cover it
to protect it against rain,
to let it dry...
296
00:29:22,917 --> 00:29:27,667
so that the hut is ready
by the start of
the trapping season.
297
00:29:27,667 --> 00:29:31,250
For good measure,
we'll dig a cellar...
298
00:29:31,250 --> 00:29:36,792
to store potatoes, onions.
299
00:29:41,625 --> 00:29:45,875
On a warm day
in a windless place,
300
00:29:45,875 --> 00:29:48,500
the mosquitoes
bite like crazy.
301
00:29:48,500 --> 00:29:51,000
The best place
is in the wind close
to your home.
302
00:29:57,125 --> 00:29:58,667
The mosquitoes bite.
303
00:29:58,667 --> 00:30:02,125
This dog is
eaten up by mosquitoes.
304
00:30:06,958 --> 00:30:09,833
As there is
no corner drugstore...
305
00:30:09,833 --> 00:30:13,500
the hunters have to make
their own insect repellent.
306
00:30:14,833 --> 00:30:18,083
The bark of birch
trees can be processed...
307
00:30:18,083 --> 00:30:23,333
to produce a tar which is
equally as effective out there.
308
00:30:23,333 --> 00:30:25,333
[no audio]
309
00:31:19,208 --> 00:31:22,542
I'll cover his face with tar,
and it'll be okay.
310
00:31:22,542 --> 00:31:26,458
I use almost half a liter of
fish oil or some other kind
of oil for a glass of tar.
311
00:31:29,083 --> 00:31:32,750
In the evening,
you have to go to the bathhouse.
312
00:31:42,083 --> 00:31:45,750
Dogs stink with tar.
Their owners stink with tar.
313
00:31:47,833 --> 00:31:51,667
Gennady now resumes
the making of his skis.
314
00:31:57,167 --> 00:31:59,750
They make special skis
for every season.
315
00:32:01,667 --> 00:32:04,292
Even in the fall
when the snow cover's thin,
316
00:32:04,292 --> 00:32:06,042
it's hard to move
without skis...
317
00:32:06,042 --> 00:32:11,417
because you walk knee-deep
in moss and, later, in snow.
318
00:32:11,417 --> 00:32:15,292
Small skis are great
for this.
319
00:32:15,292 --> 00:32:20,292
That's why they make them
crude-- strong and small.
320
00:32:20,292 --> 00:32:22,292
[no audio]
321
00:33:00,042 --> 00:33:02,667
Here is quite a thin board.
322
00:33:05,583 --> 00:33:08,500
If it were not made
from a straight-grained wood,
323
00:33:08,500 --> 00:33:10,417
it would have broken at once.
324
00:33:17,125 --> 00:33:22,042
He puts the tip of the plank
into boiling water
for a few hours...
325
00:33:22,042 --> 00:33:24,958
in order
to make it pliable.
326
00:33:24,958 --> 00:33:29,917
He passes this age-old
technique on to his son.
327
00:33:38,042 --> 00:33:39,958
Now look, Kirill.
328
00:33:39,958 --> 00:33:45,042
You don't press here.
You press on the ski here.
Get it?
329
00:33:45,833 --> 00:33:51,250
And you have to apply pressure
smoothly for the wood
to get used to it.
330
00:33:51,250 --> 00:33:52,833
See how it bends?
331
00:33:53,417 --> 00:33:56,542
If you press too quickly,
it opens cracks.
332
00:33:59,792 --> 00:34:04,583
So take this
and lift it slowly.
333
00:34:07,292 --> 00:34:09,542
Slowly, slowly, okay.
334
00:34:12,542 --> 00:34:14,333
Lift some more.
335
00:34:19,250 --> 00:34:24,500
The point of the ski
is sharpened after bending.
336
00:34:24,500 --> 00:34:27,500
If you start bending
a sharpened ski...
337
00:34:29,250 --> 00:34:33,000
the tip will be here
and the ski will crack here.
338
00:34:33,833 --> 00:34:38,042
That's what you'll get.
You understand?
339
00:34:43,333 --> 00:34:45,500
The bend doesn't
lose its shape.
340
00:34:48,375 --> 00:34:55,042
You temper it, then keep it
for some more time
in this frame.
341
00:34:55,667 --> 00:34:58,750
And that's it.
It will never unbend.
342
00:35:07,375 --> 00:35:10,708
From further upriver
comes driftwood.
343
00:35:10,708 --> 00:35:14,875
The villagers gather it as
free firewood for the winter.
344
00:35:14,875 --> 00:35:16,875
[no audio]
345
00:35:28,042 --> 00:35:32,250
The few remaining Ket
people earn money this way.
346
00:35:32,250 --> 00:35:36,250
It's one of the few menial
jobs left for them.
347
00:35:36,250 --> 00:35:38,250
[no audio]
348
00:35:47,792 --> 00:35:52,042
They have largely forgotten
their traditional
craftsmanship...
349
00:35:52,042 --> 00:35:55,333
and most of them
have problems with alcohol.
350
00:35:55,333 --> 00:36:00,125
I am making skis.
I have bent the tips.
351
00:36:00,125 --> 00:36:02,917
Only I don't have
a jack plane.
352
00:36:02,917 --> 00:36:05,583
When I get one,
I'll finish the job.
353
00:36:05,583 --> 00:36:07,583
[no audio]
354
00:36:17,583 --> 00:36:23,875
Only a single old Ket woman
is left who still remembers
the old ways.
355
00:36:23,875 --> 00:36:28,375
These mysterious dolls
are protective spirits.
356
00:36:28,375 --> 00:36:30,500
During day,
they sleep...
357
00:36:30,500 --> 00:36:34,125
but at night they awaken
to guard the home.
358
00:36:34,125 --> 00:36:36,125
[no audio]
359
00:36:46,333 --> 00:36:50,167
That night, her son is careless
with a cigarette butt...
360
00:36:50,167 --> 00:36:52,333
and their house catches fire.
361
00:36:57,417 --> 00:37:01,208
Yet, another loss is
more painful for him.
362
00:37:01,208 --> 00:37:03,542
It's a shame
I don't have my doll.
363
00:37:03,542 --> 00:37:09,000
My house burned
to the ground together
with the dolls.
364
00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,000
[no audio]
365
00:37:29,667 --> 00:37:31,542
Our old folks
have all died.
366
00:37:31,542 --> 00:37:34,500
And there are not
many young people.
367
00:37:36,250 --> 00:37:40,625
In the old days,
we lived in tents and the young
learned from the old.
368
00:37:40,625 --> 00:37:44,708
Now you see a lot
of that is forgotten.
369
00:37:44,708 --> 00:37:47,958
- You see we're drunk
and we do odd jobs.
- Hey, you!
370
00:37:47,958 --> 00:37:51,458
- Hey, shut up! Shut up!
- What?
371
00:37:53,792 --> 00:37:55,500
The Russians
are to blame!
372
00:37:55,500 --> 00:37:57,292
Without the Russians,
there wouldn't have been vodka.
373
00:37:57,292 --> 00:37:59,000
No, it's our own fault.
374
00:37:59,625 --> 00:38:03,667
Some people live well.
375
00:38:03,667 --> 00:38:07,917
If you want,
you can live and work.
376
00:38:07,917 --> 00:38:11,958
If not, what else can you do
but drink?
377
00:38:11,958 --> 00:38:14,000
As for who is to blame,
I don't know.
378
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:15,375
It's a tough question
to answer.
379
00:38:15,375 --> 00:38:17,375
[no audio]
380
00:39:01,875 --> 00:39:07,375
Summer in its fullest display--
swallows, boats.
381
00:39:07,375 --> 00:39:10,375
Daylight lasts 20 hours.
382
00:39:14,375 --> 00:39:17,792
This is the time
when big ships show up...
383
00:39:17,792 --> 00:39:20,458
some of them
even tourist cruisers.
384
00:39:20,458 --> 00:39:22,458
[no audio]
385
00:39:34,125 --> 00:39:36,292
It's gardening season.
386
00:39:36,292 --> 00:39:39,958
Greenhouses are being
fixed and manure spread.
387
00:39:47,042 --> 00:39:49,667
With the days
so abundantly long...
388
00:39:49,667 --> 00:39:53,042
vegetables grow here
at an incredible rate.
389
00:39:53,042 --> 00:39:55,042
[no audio]
390
00:40:05,375 --> 00:40:10,333
One of the first signs
that the short summer is
coming to an end...
391
00:40:10,333 --> 00:40:14,000
is the chipmunks
out collecting pine nuts.
392
00:40:15,083 --> 00:40:18,000
Humans do the same
in their own way.
393
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:20,000
[no audio]
394
00:40:38,250 --> 00:40:39,958
There are few cones this year.
395
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,042
The trappers can estimate
from the number of cones...
396
00:40:50,042 --> 00:40:53,750
whether it's going to be
a good hunting year or not...
397
00:40:53,750 --> 00:40:57,792
as the nuts are a staple
food for the sable.
398
00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:09,667
Grinding the cones makes it
easier to get the nuts...
399
00:41:09,667 --> 00:41:14,250
which provide another food
source for the hunters
during the winter.
400
00:41:14,250 --> 00:41:16,250
[no audio]
401
00:41:26,458 --> 00:41:29,000
Pouring the grounds
into the wind...
402
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,750
is similar to separating
the wheat from the chaff.
403
00:41:32,750 --> 00:41:34,750
[no audio]
404
00:41:53,083 --> 00:41:56,625
Now the first rains start.
405
00:41:56,625 --> 00:41:59,000
Summer will soon be over.
406
00:42:07,708 --> 00:42:10,875
So while the river
is still navigable...
407
00:42:10,875 --> 00:42:14,458
a strange visitor arrives
with company.
408
00:42:14,458 --> 00:42:17,708
It is a candidate
seeking reelection.
409
00:42:17,708 --> 00:42:23,458
For four years, people in
Bakhtia have not seen a single
politician caring for them...
410
00:42:23,458 --> 00:42:28,958
but, here now, there is one
campaigning vigorously
for their votes.
411
00:42:28,958 --> 00:42:34,208
He promises transparent
government and the expunging
of corruption --
412
00:42:34,208 --> 00:42:37,708
a clean leadership
once and for all.
413
00:42:37,708 --> 00:42:41,167
But he does not fail
to deliver the goods anyway --
414
00:42:41,167 --> 00:42:46,208
sacks of wheat for his
constituency and even
a little show.
415
00:42:47,667 --> 00:42:52,208
Only the young people seem
to be able to get
into the groove.
416
00:42:56,333 --> 00:43:00,375
And now the candidate bursts
out in song himself...
417
00:43:02,083 --> 00:43:04,500
backed by his cheerleaders.
418
00:43:12,583 --> 00:43:16,417
The voters, apparently,
couldn't care less.
419
00:43:44,625 --> 00:43:47,125
Fall has arrived.
420
00:43:47,125 --> 00:43:49,208
It is time to harvest...
421
00:43:49,208 --> 00:43:53,833
and begin serious
preparations for
the fast-approaching cold.
422
00:43:53,833 --> 00:43:55,833
[no audio]
423
00:44:12,917 --> 00:44:16,750
Days grow short,
and fishing is good now.
424
00:44:16,750 --> 00:44:18,750
[no audio]
425
00:45:28,333 --> 00:45:32,667
At night, the trappers
go out onto the river.
426
00:45:32,667 --> 00:45:38,458
Every type of fish has its
specific time when it comes
close to the shore.
427
00:45:38,458 --> 00:45:43,333
The only species of freshwater
cod can be stalked now...
428
00:45:43,333 --> 00:45:46,458
using almost prehistoric tools.
429
00:45:47,875 --> 00:45:50,958
The light of the fire
attracts the fish.
430
00:45:50,958 --> 00:45:52,958
[no audio]
431
00:46:13,917 --> 00:46:17,375
Storms from the north
suddenly set in.
432
00:46:17,375 --> 00:46:19,375
[no audio]
433
00:46:35,583 --> 00:46:39,042
The clouds carry rain
that falls for weeks...
434
00:46:39,042 --> 00:46:41,000
and this is important
for the hunters.
435
00:46:43,042 --> 00:46:45,458
The level of the river rises...
436
00:46:45,458 --> 00:46:50,167
and now they can transport
their heavy gear
into the wilderness.
437
00:46:50,167 --> 00:46:52,167
[no audio]
438
00:47:23,250 --> 00:47:28,042
The most important things,
like bread, are loaded last.
439
00:47:28,042 --> 00:47:31,833
The trappers order bread
in advance from the bakery.
440
00:47:31,833 --> 00:47:34,333
Half a loaf per day will do.
441
00:47:36,125 --> 00:47:39,208
And now comes the moment
of departure.
442
00:47:43,167 --> 00:47:47,208
Good luck.
Come back healthy.
443
00:47:48,875 --> 00:47:51,167
Don't worry about us.
We'll be all right.
444
00:47:51,167 --> 00:47:53,917
Keep your fingers crossed
that we come back.
445
00:47:55,458 --> 00:48:00,625
The occasion is celebrated with
vodka -- vicious as jet fuel.
446
00:48:00,625 --> 00:48:02,625
[no audio]
447
00:48:17,500 --> 00:48:20,833
I have tried all sorts of jobs
here on the collective farm...
448
00:48:20,833 --> 00:48:27,167
but hunting is the best--
just the ticket.
449
00:48:28,500 --> 00:48:32,167
Nobody tells me what to do.
I can hunt or rest.
450
00:48:35,708 --> 00:48:37,458
I am my own man.
451
00:48:38,042 --> 00:48:41,083
And hunting is great fun.
452
00:48:41,083 --> 00:48:43,083
[no audio]
453
00:49:10,625 --> 00:49:12,625
Now out on their own...
454
00:49:12,625 --> 00:49:17,708
the trappers become what they
essentially are-- happy people.
455
00:49:17,708 --> 00:49:22,375
Accompanied only by their dogs,
they live off the land.
456
00:49:22,375 --> 00:49:24,917
They are completely
self-reliant.
457
00:49:27,333 --> 00:49:29,250
They are truly free.
458
00:49:29,250 --> 00:49:32,583
No rules, no taxes,
no government...
459
00:49:32,583 --> 00:49:34,833
no laws, no bureaucracy.
460
00:49:34,833 --> 00:49:37,042
No phones, no radio.
461
00:49:37,042 --> 00:49:42,667
Equipped only with their
individual values and
standard of conduct.
462
00:49:43,667 --> 00:49:48,375
Mikhail Tarkovsky--
from the family of the famous
filmmaker--
463
00:49:48,375 --> 00:49:51,542
knows what it takes
to live out here.
464
00:49:51,542 --> 00:49:56,167
And the first thing is to be
able to navigate the river
in high water.
465
00:49:56,167 --> 00:49:58,167
[no audio]
466
00:50:26,500 --> 00:50:31,875
Anatoly Blume sets out
on a different tributary
of the Yenisey...
467
00:50:31,875 --> 00:50:36,542
and Gennady and his son
on their respective branch
of the river.
468
00:50:37,417 --> 00:50:39,250
It's tough going.
469
00:50:39,250 --> 00:50:41,250
[no audio]
470
00:50:56,417 --> 00:51:01,417
In some places,
the rapids are so strong...
471
00:51:01,417 --> 00:51:08,708
that the outboard motor
cannot overcome
the current.
472
00:51:09,750 --> 00:51:12,125
So you have to have
these long ropes.
473
00:51:12,125 --> 00:51:17,250
Sometimes even the two of us
cannot drag it against
the current.
474
00:51:17,250 --> 00:51:19,125
It's a very hard river to run.
475
00:51:19,125 --> 00:51:25,417
The rapids are so strong that
you can only cover 25 to 30
kilometers a day.
476
00:51:27,708 --> 00:51:33,250
Gennady's son sets out for his
own territory further upriver.
477
00:51:33,250 --> 00:51:38,667
"Every man has his own destiny,
his own plan,
his own territory"...
478
00:51:38,667 --> 00:51:41,625
says Gennady
in a pensive mood.
479
00:51:48,125 --> 00:51:55,333
You bring the main supplies
to the huts on the bank
when the water is high--
480
00:51:55,333 --> 00:52:00,125
grits, food for the dogs--
and you store it all safely
up high.
481
00:52:02,167 --> 00:52:05,500
At this time of year,
the bears are still around...
482
00:52:05,500 --> 00:52:08,792
posing a threat to
the trappers' provisions.
483
00:52:08,792 --> 00:52:10,792
[no audio]
484
00:52:27,250 --> 00:52:30,167
Bears are the real enemy
of the trappers...
485
00:52:30,167 --> 00:52:34,625
wreaking all kinds of havoc
to both hut and trap.
486
00:52:34,625 --> 00:52:36,625
[no audio]
487
00:52:50,125 --> 00:52:53,417
This is a bear's work.
488
00:52:53,417 --> 00:52:57,208
You often feel,
to hell with your skin
or meat...
489
00:52:57,208 --> 00:53:01,042
as long as you keep away
from my traps.
490
00:53:01,042 --> 00:53:02,375
It's attracted by the smell.
491
00:53:02,375 --> 00:53:04,083
It knows it can't
find any food...
492
00:53:04,083 --> 00:53:06,667
but it goes in and
smashes everything all the same.
493
00:53:09,542 --> 00:53:12,625
So you check the huts,
fix the traps...
494
00:53:12,625 --> 00:53:15,042
and you may catch
some fish or fowl as well.
495
00:53:15,042 --> 00:53:17,042
[no audio]
496
00:53:43,208 --> 00:53:47,875
Gennady rewards his dogs
with the neck and feet
of the woodcock.
497
00:53:47,875 --> 00:53:49,875
[no audio]
498
00:53:58,042 --> 00:54:00,625
For now, the river
still flows free...
499
00:54:00,625 --> 00:54:04,833
but the first signs
of frost are appearing.
500
00:54:04,833 --> 00:54:08,750
The trappers rush to catch
as much pike as they can...
501
00:54:08,750 --> 00:54:10,583
mostly for their dogs.
502
00:54:10,583 --> 00:54:15,750
Half a dozen pikes
like these for every hut
is just about enough.
503
00:54:15,750 --> 00:54:17,750
[no audio]
504
00:54:26,625 --> 00:54:30,875
Mikhail has his own
unorthodox fishing
techniques.
505
00:54:30,875 --> 00:54:32,875
[no audio]
506
00:54:55,667 --> 00:55:00,875
The bears are no longer around,
having gone off into
hibernation.
507
00:55:00,875 --> 00:55:04,875
Provisions now can be
stored within easy reach.
508
00:55:12,750 --> 00:55:14,792
The only threat
are mice...
509
00:55:14,792 --> 00:55:18,250
and the plastic will prevent
them from getting up the tree.
510
00:55:18,250 --> 00:55:20,250
[no audio]
511
00:55:28,333 --> 00:55:34,583
You see that everything is
going forward as it should.
512
00:55:34,583 --> 00:55:37,875
It gives you a sense
of a job being done.
513
00:55:37,875 --> 00:55:42,500
It is not you who is doing
it, but you still feel
part of it.
514
00:55:43,208 --> 00:55:47,583
Half-frozen water
or slush ice is called shuga.
515
00:55:47,583 --> 00:55:53,875
This one is still soft
with snow.
516
00:55:53,875 --> 00:55:56,792
You can still ride
in a boat on it.
517
00:56:00,958 --> 00:56:04,208
We are moving
from early to late fall.
518
00:56:04,208 --> 00:56:09,250
The boat runs
to deliver supplies.
519
00:56:10,875 --> 00:56:13,208
You are full of worry--
anxious to get the supplies...
520
00:56:13,208 --> 00:56:15,917
not to drop them
in the water...
521
00:56:15,917 --> 00:56:20,625
to make it to the hut,
put the hut in order
and move on to the next one.
522
00:56:22,875 --> 00:56:25,542
We are moving deeper and
deeper into the fall season.
523
00:56:31,333 --> 00:56:35,417
This bright weather and
light frost comes as a relief
after the rains.
524
00:56:35,417 --> 00:56:40,167
There is nothing like warming
yourself and having a cup
of tea to make you happy.
525
00:56:40,167 --> 00:56:43,708
It's not like anything else.
526
00:56:53,667 --> 00:56:59,958
When I came here,
I had a feeling that my dream
had come true.
527
00:56:59,958 --> 00:57:02,875
You enjoy the beauty of nature,
and you do your job
at the same time.
528
00:57:02,875 --> 00:57:09,292
That's why they all end up
by being hunters.
529
00:57:09,292 --> 00:57:14,625
Because hunting brings you
closer to the taiga
than anything else.
530
00:57:19,917 --> 00:57:22,958
Here we are.
Another hut is ready.
531
00:57:22,958 --> 00:57:26,625
Turn the bucket upside down
so it doesn't
fill with water.
532
00:57:26,625 --> 00:57:29,292
Everything hangs
in its proper place,
533
00:57:29,292 --> 00:57:31,917
and I've made
the cabin ready.
534
00:57:31,917 --> 00:57:35,750
Inside the hut everything
also hangs from the ceiling--
grits, sugar--
535
00:57:35,750 --> 00:57:37,958
so that the mice
don't eat them.
536
00:57:37,958 --> 00:57:40,500
Everything is fine.
537
00:57:40,500 --> 00:57:43,167
I have split firewood
and stacked it.
538
00:57:43,167 --> 00:57:45,083
The food is here.
539
00:57:45,083 --> 00:57:49,125
In short, I've put another hut
in order, thank God.
540
00:57:51,625 --> 00:57:53,542
Come on, Reddie.
541
00:57:53,542 --> 00:57:55,542
[no audio]
542
00:58:25,167 --> 00:58:30,125
The onslaught of ice puts
Mikhail's boat in jeopardy.
543
00:58:30,125 --> 00:58:32,875
It's time to secure it
for the winter.
544
00:58:32,875 --> 00:58:34,875
[no audio]
545
00:59:28,333 --> 00:59:33,833
Mikhail uses a different,
more recognizable type
of traditional trap.
546
00:59:33,833 --> 00:59:35,833
[no audio]
547
00:59:58,125 --> 01:00:03,458
This is called an ochep--
a steel trap.
548
01:00:03,458 --> 01:00:05,833
It acts when the animal
steps in it.
549
01:00:05,833 --> 01:00:08,125
When the animal
begins to struggle...
550
01:00:08,125 --> 01:00:15,000
the end of the ochep is
released, and it jerks up.
551
01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:20,958
Then neither a fox nor
a marten nor a mouse
will get to it.
552
01:00:20,958 --> 01:00:23,000
You try to put it
closer to the edge...
553
01:00:23,000 --> 01:00:25,125
but make sure it isn't
thrown down by the wind or snow.
554
01:00:26,083 --> 01:00:30,375
The branches protect the trap
from getting snowed over.
555
01:00:30,375 --> 01:00:32,375
[no audio]
556
01:00:44,417 --> 01:00:47,250
The enormity
of solitude sets in.
557
01:00:48,417 --> 01:00:51,292
His only companion
is his dog.
558
01:00:59,250 --> 01:01:01,333
For the hunter,
of course,
559
01:01:01,333 --> 01:01:05,292
the important thing
is that the dog works for him.
560
01:01:06,208 --> 01:01:08,083
But you become
attached to it.
561
01:01:09,917 --> 01:01:17,250
Sometimes the dog becomes
a member of your family.
562
01:01:17,250 --> 01:01:19,292
The dog feeds us.
563
01:01:21,250 --> 01:01:25,583
You are no hunter
without a dog.
564
01:01:27,083 --> 01:01:31,375
At three months, I can tell
a good dog without fail.
565
01:01:31,375 --> 01:01:37,042
The puppy begins to stalk
the cat, sniffs at its
footprints.
566
01:01:37,042 --> 01:01:39,250
It attacks chickens--
anything.
567
01:01:39,250 --> 01:01:45,167
If you want to have good dog,
take puppies from good dogs.
568
01:01:45,167 --> 01:01:48,625
And of course, it depends
on how you bring it up.
569
01:01:48,625 --> 01:01:52,292
If you take a good puppy
and put it inside
570
01:01:52,292 --> 01:01:54,875
and keep it there
for six months...
571
01:01:54,875 --> 01:01:59,792
surely it won't make a good
hunter when you take it
into the taiga.
572
01:01:59,792 --> 01:02:01,792
[no audio]
573
01:02:10,208 --> 01:02:14,833
An all-purpose dog
is hard to come by.
574
01:02:14,833 --> 01:02:17,417
If a dog likes
to chase moose...
575
01:02:17,417 --> 01:02:21,708
there's no way you can
force it to chase squirrels.
576
01:02:21,708 --> 01:02:24,375
If the dog hears the squirrel,
it will bark a couple
of times...
577
01:02:24,375 --> 01:02:26,500
but won't go
looking for it.
578
01:02:26,500 --> 01:02:29,042
So if you are unhappy
with such a dog,
579
01:02:29,042 --> 01:02:30,167
get yourself another one.
580
01:02:30,167 --> 01:02:32,083
If that one does not suit you,
get yet another one.
581
01:02:32,083 --> 01:02:34,083
The more dogs you change...
582
01:02:34,083 --> 01:02:38,000
the more chance you have
to get a dog that's
just right for you.
583
01:02:38,000 --> 01:02:40,000
[no audio]
584
01:05:14,167 --> 01:05:17,083
I had about four.
585
01:05:17,083 --> 01:05:20,125
Typically, good dogs
don't live long.
586
01:05:21,000 --> 01:05:25,917
Out of these four,
only one survived
till he was 10.
587
01:05:25,917 --> 01:05:30,500
The rest died in their prime--
ages four to five.
588
01:05:31,958 --> 01:05:37,792
My last dog was a bitch
called Smoky.
589
01:05:37,792 --> 01:05:40,875
It happened that a bear
came to the village.
590
01:05:40,875 --> 01:05:45,125
When the bear roared,
all the village dogs vanished.
591
01:05:45,125 --> 01:05:48,958
I released my male dog...
592
01:05:48,958 --> 01:05:53,375
but he just barked at the bear
a couple of times
and fell silent.
593
01:05:53,375 --> 01:05:56,667
I sensed that there
was something wrong.
594
01:05:59,917 --> 01:06:07,500
When I reached the place,
I heard my bitch, Smoky...
595
01:06:07,500 --> 01:06:09,667
coughing and spitting
out the bear's hair.
596
01:06:09,667 --> 01:06:15,000
She bit him several times,
and then she squealed
and went silent.
597
01:06:15,000 --> 01:06:18,000
By that time,
I was already on the spot.
598
01:06:18,000 --> 01:06:25,250
I saw the bear lying on
the cow path tearing at my dog.
599
01:06:25,250 --> 01:06:33,125
I approached the bear
and took aim at his head.
600
01:06:34,375 --> 01:06:39,750
But before I pulled the trigger,
he heard me and
raised his head...
601
01:06:39,750 --> 01:06:43,958
and I shot him
in his front paw.
602
01:06:43,958 --> 01:06:47,292
The bullet made
just a scratch.
603
01:06:47,292 --> 01:06:49,625
He went for me.
604
01:06:51,375 --> 01:06:56,125
He was so close,
I nearly touched him
with the barrel of my rifle.
605
01:06:56,125 --> 01:07:01,542
He approached me,
and I shot him point-blank.
606
01:07:01,542 --> 01:07:04,542
The bullet pushed him back.
I got him.
607
01:07:07,083 --> 01:07:09,708
Smoky was still alive.
608
01:07:09,708 --> 01:07:14,542
The male dog
was torn to pieces.
609
01:07:14,542 --> 01:07:19,292
I grabbed Smoky
in my arms...
610
01:07:19,292 --> 01:07:24,458
And then I saw that
her belly had been torn
and her bowels were out.
611
01:07:24,458 --> 01:07:26,958
I thought I could
still save her...
612
01:07:26,958 --> 01:07:30,292
and ran to the nurse
without paying any attention
to the bear.
613
01:07:30,875 --> 01:07:36,667
I ran about 30, 40 meters before
I saw that her head drooped.
614
01:07:36,667 --> 01:07:39,333
She was gone.
615
01:07:39,333 --> 01:07:41,833
I was overwhelmed
with sadness.
616
01:08:49,000 --> 01:08:50,792
Back in the village.
617
01:08:51,833 --> 01:08:55,208
Like the trappers
out in the taiga...
618
01:08:55,208 --> 01:08:59,667
the villagers must also be
completely self-reliant.
619
01:08:59,667 --> 01:09:03,583
Because no supplies can be
brought in during
the winter...
620
01:09:03,583 --> 01:09:06,875
they must make everything
they need by hand.
621
01:09:06,875 --> 01:09:08,875
[no audio]
622
01:09:37,833 --> 01:09:41,292
You see, we drop the net,
and the net goes down.
623
01:09:41,292 --> 01:09:43,292
[no audio]
624
01:09:52,792 --> 01:09:56,292
If you feel the rope
doesn't play, don't pull
too hard.
625
01:09:56,292 --> 01:09:58,292
[no audio]
626
01:10:07,333 --> 01:10:09,500
That's it.
627
01:10:09,500 --> 01:10:15,750
We wait for pike
or whatever fish we can catch.
628
01:10:19,542 --> 01:10:24,458
Temperatures have dropped by
now below minus 50 degrees...
629
01:10:24,458 --> 01:10:26,917
and the days
are growing short.
630
01:10:26,917 --> 01:10:28,917
[no audio]
631
01:10:47,292 --> 01:10:50,833
The Yenisey River is
completely frozen over...
632
01:10:50,833 --> 01:10:54,500
but still provides fish
in abundance.
633
01:11:00,083 --> 01:11:02,708
We feed fish to the dogs...
634
01:11:02,708 --> 01:11:05,458
and we eat it ourselves
round the year.
635
01:11:05,458 --> 01:11:08,958
Sometimes we fry it,
sometimes make fish soup.
636
01:11:08,958 --> 01:11:12,292
There is nothing
like fresh fish, whatever kind.
637
01:11:14,125 --> 01:11:16,125
Lenok. That's a great fish.
638
01:11:23,792 --> 01:11:25,292
Pull some more.
639
01:11:26,333 --> 01:11:31,000
We see something there.
A lot of good fish!
640
01:11:31,000 --> 01:11:32,625
See how much fish!
641
01:11:34,125 --> 01:11:37,792
I cover it up
so it doesn't freeze.
642
01:11:38,958 --> 01:11:40,625
Out in the taiga...
643
01:11:40,625 --> 01:11:46,625
Gennady negotiates his
territory along
his frozen tributary.
644
01:11:46,625 --> 01:11:50,708
From here,
he will branch out
to hunt sable.
645
01:11:54,375 --> 01:11:58,208
Everybody specializes
in sable because
squirrels are cheap.
646
01:11:58,208 --> 01:12:01,417
And as for ermine,
you are lucky if you can
get one or two.
647
01:12:01,417 --> 01:12:04,875
This one will be rejected
because it's too small.
648
01:12:04,875 --> 01:12:07,042
They now accept
only large ermine.
649
01:12:08,792 --> 01:12:10,417
And the prices are ridiculous.
650
01:12:10,417 --> 01:12:13,708
A good big ermine
is about 125 rubles.
651
01:12:13,708 --> 01:12:16,000
Of course,
the sable feeds us.
652
01:12:16,000 --> 01:12:20,792
Prices seem to be going up,
and money is losing value.
653
01:12:20,792 --> 01:12:24,875
I now have to pay 1,500 rubles
for what I used to buy
for 20 rubles.
654
01:12:24,875 --> 01:12:29,875
The traps are laid out
along loops that take
a day to travel.
655
01:12:29,875 --> 01:12:35,750
This way, he can safely reach
one of his outlying huts
by nightfall.
656
01:12:35,750 --> 01:12:37,750
[no audio]
657
01:13:08,208 --> 01:13:13,833
This contraption--
the lid, the sticks and all--
658
01:13:13,833 --> 01:13:18,167
and the footprints
near the trap attract him.
659
01:13:20,917 --> 01:13:23,167
This is how you set up
the koolyomka.
660
01:13:42,083 --> 01:13:44,333
The triggering device
of his trap...
661
01:13:44,333 --> 01:13:47,875
is a primitive yet
sophisticated mechanism.
662
01:13:47,875 --> 01:13:49,875
[no audio]
663
01:13:57,917 --> 01:14:06,083
This koolyomka near the hut
traps some animals
every year.
664
01:14:06,083 --> 01:14:08,208
The difference between
a deadfall trap and
a steel trap...
665
01:14:08,208 --> 01:14:10,625
is that a sable that is hungry
will ignore the steel trap...
666
01:14:10,625 --> 01:14:13,042
but the trick does not
work with the koolyomka.
667
01:14:13,042 --> 01:14:18,000
Whatever he does,
once he pulls at the bait,
it comes down on it.
668
01:14:18,000 --> 01:14:22,833
The pelts have no bloodstains.
The animal is as good
as if it were alive.
669
01:14:23,458 --> 01:14:28,542
It's a humane method
because it kills at once.
670
01:14:35,750 --> 01:14:39,250
Come to think of it,
we are all killers
or accomplices.
671
01:14:40,833 --> 01:14:48,000
Even those people who are
kind-hearted and tend
to pity everything.
672
01:14:49,417 --> 01:14:52,208
Why? It's very simple.
673
01:14:52,208 --> 01:14:55,375
A farmer keeps a pig...
674
01:14:55,375 --> 01:14:58,250
but he knows in advance
what he keeps it for.
675
01:14:58,250 --> 01:15:02,583
In order to kill it
and to eat it or sell its meat.
676
01:15:02,583 --> 01:15:05,958
And even the person
who is sorry about all
this buys the pork from him.
677
01:15:07,583 --> 01:15:12,792
And the trapper is the same
as that pig farmer...
678
01:15:12,792 --> 01:15:18,333
only he is--
how would you say it--
more honest.
679
01:15:19,750 --> 01:15:21,875
Actually,
it's not even about honesty.
680
01:15:21,875 --> 01:15:24,292
This man knowingly raises--
681
01:15:25,833 --> 01:15:30,958
I used to raise cattle,
and I could never bring myself
to slaughter them.
682
01:15:30,958 --> 01:15:35,875
Because there is, say, a bull.
You raise him for two years.
683
01:15:35,875 --> 01:15:41,875
It comes to you expecting you
to show affection or give it
some treat...
684
01:15:41,875 --> 01:15:44,667
and instead he gets
a bullet in the head.
685
01:15:45,750 --> 01:15:51,125
In the taiga,
the wild animal knows
that no good
686
01:15:51,125 --> 01:15:54,542
can come from me,
from a man.
687
01:15:54,542 --> 01:15:58,292
He tries to escape.
Here, it's about
who outsmarts whom.
688
01:15:58,292 --> 01:16:00,292
[no audio]
689
01:16:47,208 --> 01:16:50,792
Hundreds of kilometers away
is Anatoly's hut.
690
01:16:52,042 --> 01:16:55,458
He is in the middle
of his trapping season.
691
01:16:55,458 --> 01:16:58,708
While we see that he has
no shortage of fish...
692
01:16:58,708 --> 01:17:03,125
it is conspicuous how little
he gives his dog
for breakfast.
693
01:17:12,667 --> 01:17:14,792
It all depends on how
a man treats his dog.
694
01:17:14,792 --> 01:17:17,625
Some guys almost eat
from the same bowl
with the dog...
695
01:17:17,625 --> 01:17:20,125
and allow it to sleep
with him on the bunk.
696
01:17:21,917 --> 01:17:24,292
But I for one think
it's wrong.
697
01:17:24,292 --> 01:17:26,833
I don't allow my dog in even
when it's very cold outside.
698
01:17:26,833 --> 01:17:28,500
He has his katukh,
his shelter.
699
01:17:33,583 --> 01:17:35,917
I think all he needs
is to be fed.
700
01:17:35,917 --> 01:17:38,208
He should eat his fill
in the evening,
701
01:17:38,208 --> 01:17:40,208
but not too much
in the morning...
702
01:17:40,208 --> 01:17:42,333
so his belly doesn't
drag on the ground.
703
01:17:44,583 --> 01:17:51,083
Trappers make a big mistake
when they beat their dogs
for touching the traps.
704
01:17:52,458 --> 01:17:57,125
Of course you have to punish
them and show your
displeasure...
705
01:18:00,167 --> 01:18:03,333
but beating alone won't
keep a dog off the traps.
706
01:18:03,333 --> 01:18:06,333
It comes to be afraid
of the owner.
707
01:18:06,333 --> 01:18:09,125
It stays clear of the trap
in the presence of the owner...
708
01:18:09,125 --> 01:18:11,542
but when the owner looks away,
or at night,
709
01:18:11,542 --> 01:18:13,333
he is sure to steal
the bait.
710
01:18:14,292 --> 01:18:17,750
And if it's afraid
of the trap,
then it will stay away.
711
01:18:19,917 --> 01:18:21,667
It's easy to train them.
712
01:18:24,375 --> 01:18:27,875
You set up a trap
specifically for dogs.
713
01:18:29,292 --> 01:18:33,583
Let it spend
some time in the trap...
714
01:18:33,583 --> 01:18:37,125
and realize that
it's not a pleasant experience.
715
01:18:38,542 --> 01:18:41,917
Otherwise, it will be endless
trouble for the hunter...
716
01:18:41,917 --> 01:18:44,917
and he won't get along
with his dog.
717
01:18:44,917 --> 01:18:48,000
It will be afraid of him
and sneak out at night
718
01:18:48,000 --> 01:18:49,958
to make the rounds
of the traps...
719
01:18:49,958 --> 01:18:52,792
and waste the hunter's efforts.
720
01:18:52,792 --> 01:18:56,167
In short, you'll have no end
of trouble with your dog.
721
01:18:56,167 --> 01:18:59,000
If you do it right,
your dog loves you and it's
afraid of the traps.
722
01:18:59,000 --> 01:19:00,792
What more do you need?
723
01:19:00,792 --> 01:19:02,792
[no audio]
724
01:20:16,708 --> 01:20:22,500
The snowmobile is another one
of the few modern conveniences
they employ...
725
01:20:22,500 --> 01:20:25,917
but, in this terrain,
it has its limits.
726
01:20:25,917 --> 01:20:27,917
[no audio]
727
01:20:49,542 --> 01:20:52,875
Continuing his rounds
on skis...
728
01:20:52,875 --> 01:20:57,958
he resembles prehistoric
man from a distant ice age.
729
01:20:57,958 --> 01:20:59,958
[no audio]
730
01:22:10,333 --> 01:22:12,167
Day in, day out--
731
01:22:12,167 --> 01:22:17,750
it is the same routine
of hard work
in severe conditions.
732
01:22:17,750 --> 01:22:21,125
But out here,
the trapper is
one of the few...
733
01:22:21,125 --> 01:22:26,042
to witness the beauty of space,
cold and silence.
734
01:22:26,042 --> 01:22:28,042
[no audio]
735
01:23:25,833 --> 01:23:30,417
Imagine, after being
exhausted at the end
of a hard day...
736
01:23:30,417 --> 01:23:32,667
you are coming home to this.
737
01:23:32,667 --> 01:23:34,667
[no audio]
738
01:23:44,708 --> 01:23:47,000
In the little remaining
daylight,
739
01:23:47,000 --> 01:23:50,542
he cannot possibly
return to his main hut.
740
01:23:50,542 --> 01:23:54,375
His only recourse
is to fix this one.
741
01:23:54,375 --> 01:23:56,375
[no audio]
742
01:25:16,750 --> 01:25:22,292
Because Anatoly spent much
of the next day repairing
his outlying hut...
743
01:25:22,292 --> 01:25:27,625
it takes him until nightfall
to find his way back
to his base hut.
744
01:25:27,625 --> 01:25:29,625
[no audio]
745
01:26:47,125 --> 01:26:49,625
It is the last day
of December...
746
01:26:49,625 --> 01:26:54,500
and unusually mild at 33
degrees below zero.
747
01:26:54,500 --> 01:26:56,500
[no audio]
748
01:27:16,750 --> 01:27:19,958
Anatoly,
like all the other trappers...
749
01:27:19,958 --> 01:27:23,500
will return to the village
for New Year's Eve.
750
01:27:33,000 --> 01:27:37,833
The voyage is 150
kilometers along
the frozen river...
751
01:27:37,833 --> 01:27:42,875
and we should note that
Anatoly's dog never rides
on the snowmobile.
752
01:27:43,917 --> 01:27:47,958
He covers the entire
distance running behind.
753
01:27:47,958 --> 01:27:49,958
[no audio]
754
01:28:11,208 --> 01:28:14,542
At night,
he is still running.
755
01:28:14,542 --> 01:28:16,542
[no audio]
756
01:28:31,042 --> 01:28:35,542
Finally,
the village of Bakhtia
comes into view.
757
01:28:35,542 --> 01:28:37,542
[no audio]
758
01:28:53,542 --> 01:28:55,208
And here comes the dog.
759
01:28:57,083 --> 01:28:58,917
The dog must be hungry!
760
01:28:58,917 --> 01:29:01,333
Of course he is.
He hasn't eaten for over a day.
761
01:29:01,333 --> 01:29:03,333
[no audio]
762
01:29:23,167 --> 01:29:25,333
Hey, come here.
763
01:29:28,750 --> 01:29:33,292
For Gennady and all of them,
this is a happy return.
764
01:29:33,292 --> 01:29:35,292
[no audio]
765
01:30:06,000 --> 01:30:10,542
Christmas is celebrated
in Russia on January 6.
766
01:30:11,250 --> 01:30:14,083
The entire village
participates.
767
01:30:14,083 --> 01:30:16,083
[no audio]
768
01:30:44,875 --> 01:30:48,917
The stay for the trappers
will be a short one.
769
01:30:48,917 --> 01:30:51,417
After a few days and nights...
770
01:30:51,417 --> 01:30:56,958
they will return to the taiga
for the remaining months
of winter.
771
01:30:56,958 --> 01:30:59,750
This is the life they love.
772
01:30:59,750 --> 01:31:01,750
[no audio]
773
01:31:35,583 --> 01:31:37,917
Well, we're alone again.
774
01:31:37,917 --> 01:31:39,917
[no audio]
59829
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