happy people

Tobin 2022-12-07 14:39:59

I used to wonder why Russians are so addicted to vodka. The proverb says that on a winter night, a bachelor in Russia is more willing to hold a bottle of vodka than a wife, and a person with a wife becomes a bachelor the next day.

It is only now that I really realize that vodka is their heartwarming wine. The strong desire of the Russians to survive and the coldness of Siberia are tempered by each other. Probably only it can resist this harsh natural environment and help them survive this long winter...

Bahatia Village, a village located in the center of Siberia, with only a few hundred people, has a vast land the size of a country, and is surrounded by endless fields. What life gives back to them is the endless coniferous forest, and the beautiful scenery of the cold land that no one except them has the chance to enjoy. This is probably the most priceless treatment of God.

The icefield environment and family life are handed over. When winter comes to spring, you will find that the passage of time is insignificant here. When spring comes, the ice is thawed, and the entire glacier flows in the largest Yenisei River in Siberia, you will also be moved by why people live so vigorously under the beauty and cruelty of nature...

All the people collected an entire room of ready-to-go in the bitter cold land, and when the polar night was over, they broke the rhizome and inserted an iron flower. So the heart beats alive again, instead of starving to death, freezing to death in this "rich" place forgotten by the gods...

—"Happy People". Feelings

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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.