00:00Sundays for most of us are a day of rest, a time for simple pleasures like a hot shower,
00:14a cozy book and a quiet cup of tea. But here, beyond the Arctic Circle in Siberia,
00:20Sundays have a different meaning. Valentina, a devoted wife, mother of six and grandmother,
00:26wakes up early ensuring that the fire is stocked and the family has a warm meal to start the day.
00:37The Stepanov family nomadic reindeer herders roam the Siberian wilderness year-round
00:43in conditions where survival is a daily challenge.
00:49As nature calls, Sayan, Valentina's grandson, quickly heads into the forest.
00:54Today for Sayan and his family is a day dedicated to showering and laundry,
00:59tasks that require the entire day.
01:04Sayan is 11 years old, spent most of his time helping his grandparents, eagerly learning the
01:09skills needed to become a reindeer herder. He loves his life in the wilderness and has no desire to
01:15return to town.
01:29As the day begins, Sayan and his older sister, Kira, enjoy a hearty breakfast. Fry pies,
01:36jam and hot tea with milk, slowly waking up and preparing for their busy day ahead.
01:52Vasily, Sayan's grandfather, is getting ready to head outside. Winter has not yet arrived and the
01:58coldest months with temperatures plunging below 60 degrees Celsius are still to come. The Stepanov's
02:05are among the last few nomadic families who brave the coldest place on earth, living in conditions
02:11where most of us could hardly imagine surviving.
02:23Soyan and his uncle make their way to the nearby lake to gather ice for drinking and showering.
02:38Without access to running water, they rely on the frozen lake, cutting blocks of ice to melt for their daily needs.
02:55Despite the freezing temperatures and the heavy labor, Sayan doesn't complain. In this land,
03:01children grow up quickly and their health is essential to the family's survival.
03:08Back at camp, Valentini is busy with household chores,
03:18stocking the fire to heat the tent and preparing water for the family's shower
03:23to make sure their temporary home stays warm and welcoming.
03:38As you might expect, taking a shower while roaming year-round
04:08around in the wild forest is a rare luxury. The Stepanov family not only need to gather water,
04:14but also build a temporary bathhouse. Traditionally, Arctic nomads build shelters from wooden poles
04:21and reindeer hides. But with the demands of wandering life, the Stepanov's now use canvas tents,
04:27faster and more practical. Inside the canvas tent, they place a heating stove, essential source of warmth.
04:34However, even with the stove, the bitter cold still creeps through the gaps.
04:40Here are the other animals that are great.
04:43It's not a small forest or the sun. There are many different traps,
04:44that also look at the other plants in the desert.
04:46It's just a small grass from the desert,
04:48and the trees that have come to another garden.
04:50Another shelter.
04:51Over here, it's about 10,000 feet.
04:51It's about 20,000 feet, 40,000 feet.
04:53I'm all in here at the snow.
04:55It's about 10,000 feet.
04:56You're in here from the garden.
04:58You're in here at the garden.
04:59They're in here.
05:00There are tons of plants in here.
05:02So they're in here at the garden.
05:04The next step in preparing for a shower is gathering wood to heat the bathhouse.
05:24The Stepana family roams in the tundra land, one of the harshest environments on earth,
05:30a type of biome with tree growth limited by the extreme cold.
05:34For most of the year, the tundra is a frozen landscape with few trees, long frigid winters
05:40and high winds.
05:57After several hours of hitting the bathhouse, it's finally time for Sayan to shower.
06:01He grabs his small washball and towel, ready to wash off the week's work.
06:08Unfortunately, as the sun sets, the wind picks up, turning harsh and cold.
06:13This means Sayan will have to shower quickly in the chilly tent.
06:29Sayan feels the biting cold.
06:31In this harsh land, showering requires a lot of effort, from gathering ice to setting
06:37up a temporary bathhouse.
06:38Because of this, Sayan and his family shower only once a week.
06:43As soon as he's done, Sayan hires back to their tent, eager to escape the biting cold as the
06:53temperature drops.
06:54Now it's time for girls to do laundry while the bathhouse is still warm.
07:03Kira and Alina are washing clothes by hand for their whole family.
07:07They are learning the basis of becoming a woman in a herding and it's not an easy work, especially
07:13in these conditions.
07:15Growing up in the Arctic tundra, they master essential skills like gathering wood, water,
07:20cooking and cleaning.
07:23As Kira and Alina grow older, they will gradually take on more responsibilities, stepping into
07:28Valentina's role.
07:30But with education becoming more accessible, Kira and Alina are drawn to modern life.
07:36Kira wants to work in a nursery and Alina hopes to open her own shop or become a doctor.
07:50Valentina has spent over 40 years roaming the tundra with her husband Vasily, tending to their
07:57reindeer herds.
07:59Throughout these years, she balanced the demanding life of a nomadic herder while raising their
08:05six children on her own.
08:07From cooking and sewing clothes to keeping the family warm in the freezing cold, Valentina's
08:12days were always filled with endless tasks.
08:20Now, as the morning work settles, Valentina begins preparing lunch.
08:36Today she is making blood sausage from reindeer.
08:39The process is meticulous, and she calls over Kira to help.
08:44With no grocery store for thousands of miles, the family relies on what they have.
08:53Mostly reindeer meat, fish, bread and wild berries for a dessert.
09:14And she calls over Kira to help her to help her to help her to help her to help her.
09:42Growing up in a reindeer herding family is a unique and challenging experience for children
09:47like Sayan and Kira.
09:49From a young age they learn essential survival skills, their childhood is filled with adventure
09:54but also hard work.
09:57Despite this, Sayana and Kira love spending their time with their grandparents living
10:02in the wilderness with a deep sense of freedom and happiness, far away from the noise and
10:08stress of the urban life.
10:20After a big lunch, the men quickly returned to their afternoon chores, guiding the reindeer
10:25back to the tent before nightfall to protect them from wolves and ensure their safety.
10:38While the men tend to their herds, the women busy themselves in the afternoon with sewing
10:50clothes from reindeer hides.
11:08And I was even surprised they did that as they could be used by the free food
11:12of the other people.
11:13When I was into a coma, there was a very short time of a custom meal in the basin.
11:15I had a feeling like, you know, I had a desire to come to the fruit of the land.
11:17And I was in a realization, I had a feeling that I felt like.
11:19It was the most difficult time for the rest of the land.
11:22I had a desire to come to the împraptive slowly.
11:24And I had only seen a desire to come to the new house.
11:28I had a desire to come to the shop in a library that the it is a nice place because it would
11:31come in front of my own house.
11:33I was in a panel of the new house that I do, I spent like a picture of no time.
11:37As evening falls, the Stepanov family busies themselves with dinner preparation.
11:44While Valentina and Vasily bake bread, a daily staple of their diet, the children enjoy
11:50a rare moment of relaxation.
11:56When dinner is ready, the family comes together for a simple but hearty meal, reindeer meat
12:01and freshly baked bread.
12:04This is a typical Sunday for nomads in the Arctic, their days are busy and only the evenings
12:10offer time to rest.
12:12Yet, the Stepanov family loves their life in the wilderness, finding joy in the quiet rhythm
12:18of nature and the raw beauty of the tundra.
12:34They love you.
12:40Oh my gosh.
12:42He gaveater the world聲 and left things for nature.
12:46Think and believe about fruit and perfection.
12:49Then yes, they pick it up and feel so alive.
12:54Sweet een tundra bilant.
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