The Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area has announced a regional contest to provide governmental support to those promoting the folk art of indigenous peoples living in the north of the area, the regional authorities' website reports. Also under the initiative, awards are granted for achievements in promoting the folk art of local indigenous ethnic groups.

"Legal entities helping to preserve and promote the folk art of indigenous peoples living in the north of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area will be given grants of 200,000 rubles," the announcement reads. "Six prizes, 25,000 rubles each, will be awarded to individuals for projects to preserve folk art, make folk art collections and pass them to the young generation." 

Candidates in the competition can be nominated by executive bodies, local governments in municipalities, state and municipal institutions of culture and arts, creative workers' unions and civic associations based in the area.  

Entries will be accepted by the Department of Indigenous Affairs of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area at the following address: 17 Gavryushina St., Salekhard, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area 629008. The deadline for entries is 1 April. For more information visit the department's website.  

The competition has been held since 2010. Since 2015, the amount of the grant has been 200,000 rubles. Projects that have been carried out using these funds include the following: in 2010, Vorna Khatl (Crow's Day) was held in the city of Labytnangi; in 2011, journalists from OGTRK Yamal-Region, a regional state broadcasting company, made the recording, The Wisdom of Ancient Khanti; in 2012, national costumes were made for the Van Rutat Folk Culture Festival held in the Shuryshkarsky District; two books were published: The Fairy Tales of the North Land (Priuralsky District Museum of Regional Studies, 2013) and Chapta: The Fairy Tales of North Selkups (District Centre for National Cultures, 2014); in 2015, the grant was awarded to the District Curative School located in the forest to buy musical instruments and make national costumes for the school's amateur arts group; and the grant given last year to a non-governmental organization, the Pulngavat Khanti National and Cultural Autonomy, was used to create the Pulngavat Mokhet Club as a meeting venue for the Ugric people of the Ob River in the city of Salekhard.