Indigenous Arctic ethnic groups

  • A Nenets family
  • A reindeer breeder from Evenkia
  • Reindeer breeders from the community of Mom in Yakutia
  • A camp of Nenets reindeer breeders on Yamal Peninsula
  • A Mansi boy in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area
  • Evenks from the town of Yessei in the Evenk Autonomous Area above the Arctic Circle
  • A camp of Chukchi reindeer breeders from the town of Kanchalan in the Chukotka Autonomous Area
  • A camp of Chukchi reindeer breeders from the town of Kanchalan in the Chukotka Autonomous Area
  • A Koryak family inside a traditional Yaranga wigwam
  • The Khanty, natives of Yamal
  • A Pomor sits in a boat on a river near the village of Nenoksa
  • A Nenets family
  • A reindeer breeder from Evenkia
  • Reindeer breeders from the community of Mom in Yakutia
  • A camp of Nenets reindeer breeders on Yamal Peninsula
  • A Mansi boy in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area
  • Evenks from the town of Yessei in the Evenk Autonomous Area above the Arctic Circle
  • A camp of Chukchi reindeer breeders from the town of Kanchalan in the Chukotka Autonomous Area
  • A camp of Chukchi reindeer breeders from the town of Kanchalan in the Chukotka Autonomous Area
  • A Koryak family inside a traditional Yaranga wigwam
  • The Khanty, natives of Yamal
  • A Pomor sits in a boat on a river near the village of Nenoksa
© RIA Novosti. Tatiana Vinogradova
A Nenets family

About 40 small indigenous Arctic ethnic groups (some 244,000 people), including the Aleuts, the Dolgans, the Evenks, the Nentsy and the Chukchi, live in Siberia and the Russian Far East.
The 400,000-plus Komi and Yakut populations, also living in northwestern and northeastern Russia, are not classified as being part of these small indigenous ethnic groups.
These nomadic tribes eventually settled down and became hunters, fishermen, reindeer breeders, craftsmen and also engaged in traditional arts.