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.
04:40Number two is my son.
04:42The Stepanov's now raised your hands.
04:43At the top of the house, the pet your own clothes are a little bit short of the river.
04:46Sherry Thomas and the devil.
04:47In The防止 fridge.
04:48What do you do when you come here?
04:49The second step is the center of the farm.
04:51We live here on the farm.
04:52And you live here on the farm, and you live here on the farm.
04:53And you live here on the farm.
04:54Then you live here, on the farm.
04:54You live here on the farm.
04:55You live here on the farm.
04:57It's live here on the farm.
04:58And a food that is the best life run.
04:59By the way it is the best life, the children live here on the farm.
05:04They stand up the farm.
05:06The next step in preparing for a shower is gathering wood to heat the bathhouse.
05:25The Stepana family roams in the tundra land, one of the harshest environments on earth,
05:30a type of bio 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.
06:02He 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.
06:35From gathering ice to setting up a temporary bathhouse.
06:39Because 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.
06:59Now it's time for girls to do laundry while the bathhouse is still warm.
07:03Kira and Alina are washing cloths 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,
07:21cooking 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.
07:51Valentina 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
08:04their six 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.
08:29Now, 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.
08:43With 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.
09:00The future is not delicious.
09:02The second and finale is practiced in this town.
09:04The first place is decomposition.
09:07The last place is醒ed.
09:08The stage is opening.
09:09The next place is formulated.
09:11It's artillery, it's course about burning.
09:13The last place is cooking.
09:14The last place is eating the cooking.
09:16It's cooking.
09:18The next place is cooking.
09:19The first place is cooking.
09:22The cooking is cooking.
09:23The cooking is cooking.
09:24Growing 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, Sayan and Kira love spending their time with their grandparents living in the
10:02wilderness with a deep sense of freedom and happiness, far away from the noise and stress
10:08of 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.
10:33While the men tend to their herds, the women visit themselves in the afternoon with sewing
10:50clothes from reindeer heights.
10:51friends.
10:53Sayan and Kira love
10:56me
11:26As evening falls, the Stepanov family busies themselves with dinner preparation.
11:45While 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.
12:40Transcription by CastingWords
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