FROM RUSSIAN SOCIAL MEDIA:
(Not my words)

An Ordinary Day for a Woman in a Chum

Yamal, winter, −30°C outside. The woman of the household steps out of the chum (traditional conical tent) wearing only a light flannel robe and calmly scoops up a basin full of snow. When I express my surprise, she replies, "Oh, it’s actually warmed up! Now, −50°C—that would be cold."

I spent three days living there, observing how she manages everything. In the tundra, responsibilities are divided simply: anything outside the chum—reindeer, equipment, firewood—is the man’s domain. Everything inside—the fire, food, children, and clothing—is the woman’s responsibility.

In the morning, she is the first to rise, relighting the stove that has gone cold overnight; by this time, the temperature inside the chum has already dropped below freezing. She then heads out with a canister to collect snow, which she melts on the stove—a process she repeats several times a day, as there is no other source of water.

Soup simmers on the small wood-burning stove for about three hours and cannot be left unattended. A kettle is always kept nearby, ready for when her husband returns from the herd and needs a cup of tea.

In between these tasks, she sews. She has crafted nearly all the family’s clothing and footwear with her own hands—malitsas (fur parkas) for her husband, kisy (fur boots) for the children, and yagushkas (women’s fur coats) for herself. Throughout it all, the children are by her side: "Don't get too close to the stove," "Put on your fur coat."

The chum itself is also something the woman must assemble and disassemble. Reindeer herders move their camps about a hundred times a year.

Could you live like this—even for just a week?