Start a happy journey with the hunters of Siberia

Lottie 2022-09-17 17:17:12

"Happy People" is a documentary filmed by German director Werner Herzog about a group of special people in the heart of Siberia. For me, Siberia is synonymous with cold and loneliness, and it is even a place of exile. In the few years of travel, I have met a few friends in Siberia, but they seem to have been deeply influenced by modern civilization. They have walked out of the perennial cold land and integrated into the life of the city.

There is a village of only 300 people in the center of Siberia. There are only two ways to get there. One is by helicopter, and the other is by boat. When the snow melts, they cross the largest river in Russia, the Yenisei, by boat. This place is surrounded by conifers. It is far away from all the hustle and bustle, just like Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Spring, forgotten by people, like an "ice and snow paradise", the director recorded the seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn and winter for the smallest hunters in this village.

The climate of Siberia is extremely cold all year round, and even in spring, there is a smell of winter everywhere. Until the Yenisei River began to melt, I saw for the first time the vitality of the melting ice water in the river, and the huge ice cubes sent out the cry of spring, roaring low and flowing into the distance. One of the hunters interviewed by the director came here from Moscow with friends in 1970. They had nothing, not even winter clothes. All the necessities of life were created by their hands. The hunter said: "Although we are hunters, we despise greed. As hunters, we cannot be greedy, and we cannot seek nature without limit."

Summer starts in May, but they still have to wear winter clothes in early summer. Mosquitoes are the most annoying thing in summer. Hundreds of mosquitoes surround everyone in the village. There is no pharmacy in the village. Summer days get longer and can even be as long as 20 hours, which is a pleasant season, but hunters are also constantly preparing for the coming hunting season in autumn and winter. I interviewed a local family in the village. They looked completely black-haired and black-eyed. These aboriginal people still retained their original puppet worship. Memories burn out. When the squirrels began to collect pine nuts in late summer, it meant the farewell to summer, and they completely followed the laws of nature, and like the squirrels, they began to store the nuts for autumn and winter. At the end of the summer, a luxury cruise ship finally arrived from the city. It turned out that politicians came here to canvass for votes. This is the first time they have come here in four years.

Autumn is the harvest season. The fruits and vegetables planted on the trees are all picked. Autumn is also a good time for fishing. Hunters cut down trees to make canoes, and they seem to use prehistoric methods to take a trident to the lake. Autumn is the happiest season for headhunters. "Hunters, wandering alone, only accompanied by a few dogs, far from their homeland, relying entirely on themselves, they are truly free, there are no rules, no taxes, no government, no laws, No bureaucracy, no phone, no radio, just with their own values ​​and code of conduct.” One of the hunters said: “Many people work while enjoying the view, and the hunter’s job allows you to be in touch with the conifers. It's getting closer."

The temperature in Siberia in winter drops to minus 50 degrees. It seems that everything is hibernating in this winter, but hunters have to start hunting sable at this time. They built their own hunting houses in the coniferous forests, and the hand-made wooden huts became them. Refuge in this extremely cold place. In such an extreme climate, every hunter needs their most loyal hunting dog. Hunters will find the most suitable hunting dog through various methods and fight side by side with them. The hunting dog is not only a hunting partner, but also they are alone in this forest. friends in.

"Happy People" is such a group of hunters who are "struggling" on the edge of survival and life. Looking at their lives, it seems that they are still in the early stages of human development, but their self-sufficient hearts do not seem to be affected by this severe cold. Enclosed, they live freely in the vast coniferous forests.

This group of hunters living in isolation in Siberia reminds me of the words written by American writer Thoreau when he came alone to Walden Pond a hundred years ago, and shared it with you who are looking for happiness. "No matter how humble your life is, you must face it with courage and strength; don't run away, don't abuse it, because it's faster than you, and when you are the richest, it is often the time when you are the poorest. Picky people are picky even in heaven. Love your life, even if you are poor. Even in the slums, you can have a happy, exciting, glorious life. The sunshine that shines on the lady's mansion, As bright as the poor man's window lattice. As snow melts in front of everyone's door in spring."

The article is originally published by Slow Youyi. Without authorization, citing and reprinting are prohibited. Violators will be investigated for legal responsibility according to law.

If you are interested in my sojourn story, please add the WeChat public account: Slow Travel Memory. The signed author of Sanlian Zhongdu, travels to 30 countries around the world, loves writing and yoga, and is obsessed with the art of niche countries.

View more about Happy People: A Year in the Taiga reviews

Extended Reading

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga quotes

  • [first lines]

    Himself - Narrator: This is the village of Bakhtia In Siberia. Although it looks like winter to us, it's already spring here. The village is located In the heart of Siberia, and we should keep in mind that this colossal landmass is one and a half times the size of the United States. The endless wilderness that surrounds this place is known as the taiga. No roads or train lines traverse it. There are only two ways to reach this outpost - one is by helicopter, the other by boat. The expanse in the foreground is not solid ground but the frozen-over Yenisey River, one of the largest waterways in Siberia. It's only during the few Ice-free months of summer that boats can also reach Bakhtia.

    Himself - Narrator: Of the 300 or so inhabitants of this village, a handful of them make their livelihood as professional trappers. One of these men is Gennady Solovyev. Here he makes his way into the wilderness across an enormous frozen river. He wants to show us an essential tool of his profession.

    Gennady Soloviev: [demonstrating] An animal would approach and begin twisting the bait. The pressure is very light, I'll keep my hand in it. Let me show you. See how light it is.

    [the top collapses]

    Gennady Soloviev: There you go. The animal is trapped. This is how I disarm the trap.

    [lifting the top back up]

    Gennady Soloviev: I take away the bait. I remove the wooden linchpin so squirrels or mice don't steal them. I put everything under the roof, and that's it.

  • Gennady Soloviev: [cutting wood for his skis] Of course, a good craftsman will make good skis using good wood. Getting around in these is sheer pleasure. You might have factory-made ones. If you and go into the Woods, you'll drop dead from fatigue after 15 kilometers. You won't be able to move a leg.