Kamchatka: Life in the Shadows of the Volcanoes | SLICE TRAVEL | FULL DOC

An almost forgotten world in eastern Russia, nine time zones and a good 6,000 kilometers from Moscow is Kamchatka, a peninsula on the Bearing Sea, its short summers are mild, but in winter temperatures drop to below -30 degrees. Dozens of

volcanoes

spew ash and gas into the atmosphere. To this day, Cam is home to numerous ethnic groups such as the Itans, the Allo and the Kaks. It is very important for us to cultivate our own way of

life

and pass it on to our children; That is the only way to keep our traditions alive. cam chatka was closed to visitors for decades the environment therefore remains virtually intact it is a battle not only for survival we are fighting to preserve what we have here because the environment of Kamat is unique and we have to protect it there is still no way towards the Russian mainland Those who want to reach Cam Chatka have to go by boat or plane.

About 400,000 people live in Cam Chatka, although the region is larger than Germany. Most of the inhabitants live in the city of Petra Pavlos. I know many people who have moved. Most of them were seafarers who return again during the season to earn some money. Cam Chakka was closed for more than 60 years, while the indigenous population lived permanently on the peninsula. Soldiers, fishermen and their families could only settle here. for a limited period, in addition, peris Striker brought economic decline, it was very difficult for people, you had to do something in the 90s, you had to find a niche to make money, occupy it and build something for yourself to stay or leave , the first generation. those who were born here have grown up now they have built a livelihood but what keeps people here at the end of the world how this remote place became a home for so many immigrants Dawn is Saturday morning the Emissary of the Nordic peoples has a Full agenda first Julia Vasila has to help a family with a problem then she has to visit some relatives on the west coast but before that she goes into the weeds now late summer is the best time to pick mushrooms Julia and her daughter Daria are members of the itman, my grandmother took me to the forest to collect mushrooms and berries, as did my granddaughter.

Now I always look at her. She showed me what was safe to eat and what wasn't. Daria, 14, is an age that girls dream of. become a movie star or have a career on the catwalks of big cities. I would never leave C chatka maybe to go on vacation but I would always come back this is my house it is familiar to me it is the best place on Earth this amount of mushrooms is not unusual for cam chakka everything that nature provides it provides in abundance. Julia's destiny is a mixed family that lives in the desert in the south of the peninsula, they raise sled dogs but they don't have much to do except in winter, that's why I invited Julia, she represents the descendants of the indigenous population in the local parliament and knows how to get aid money from the Russian Federation.

It is a matter of survival for the family. Her own money is often not enough for the wife of dog breeder André Sashkin. and his children Andre wants funds from the State for the dogs and since there are only dog ​​races in winter, he has an idea for the fall: he wants to organize a dog race for children with his dogs and so the children revive an old tradition: the dog . Set the speed and pull the little runners These races used to take place during the Soviet era We used to have state support Many things have changed and we have to see how we manage on our own Our dogs are our capital, we feed them and they feed us The races are very popular all the children from the surrounding area join in we have to run and train a lot they tell us that dogs also need to exercise C we want to know what they expect from this race prizes they say no We still don't know who took what place, but they think Olga is the fastest because he has the fastest dog.

Andre has established a yur on his property. This is where people gather when important issues need to be discussed, such as on days when family members sit together. in a circle around the fire, Julia has an educational function because not everyone in the desert has access to television or the Internet, that is why many do not know what rights and options they have, it is very important for us to sit together like this and discuss our In the past we helped each other it was about fish, if someone had too much, it was shared and the same thing happens today with money, if someone has problems Let's help, that's how we live together.

In Russia there is state funding available for indigenous people who want to run projects, they just need to know how to access them, that's where Yudia helps. I can give them advice on how to solve problems. They choose how to proceed, but I give them advice and, if they have good projects, I support them as much as possible during the Cold War. cam chanka was the largest eastern outpost of the War Pact, apart from the fishing industry, the Red Army was therefore the most important employer. People here had to learn to survive in a market economy.

One of them was Dimitri Gorovich, the former soldier as a helicopter mechanic for a private airline who does tourism in cam chatka offers him a secure job during the peak season in summer, takes groups of tourists to national parks for hiking or climbing mountains. Old machines must be inspected before each flight. safety is no more dangerous than driving a car a pedestrian can be hit by a rock if you do your job well everything will be fine the helicopter pilot Three Man is a young ex-soldier who immediately enlisted in a private airline I think the development of tourism It is great for Katka, it means additional contracts for our business and secures our jobs.

Kamchatka is a beautiful region. I am happy to be able to show this beauty to more and more people. Helicopters are one of the most important modes of transportation at Camp Chatka Dimitri and his crew are heading south today. His destination is Lake Kurila, approximately an hour's flight away and 400 kilometers from Petra Pavlovsk. Most tourists only come during the summer months. In the winter, snowstorms and freezing temperatures make flying impossible. South Kamam Chaka. declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site since the 1990s. Park inspectors live and work in the vast Nalo National Park and need to be supplied by helicopter because there is no developed road network.

Slavo Alexv and only eight other colleagues survey an area of ​​several hundred square meters kilometers spend most of his time in nature one of his jobs is to conserve flora and fauna and count the population of wild animals he often spends days without see no other human being the bears are their only neighbors here Slavo has to document their behavior in detail, this is the bear's main feeding area, they eat fish from the river and blueberries from the tundra all day. I have counted six bears this year, a mother with two cubs and three individuals that the Slavs consciously chose to lead a

life

in the desert.

When you see this environment, you quickly realize that it must be preserved, you don't get this anywhere else. I think I inherited this attitude from my parents, they taught me from the beginning to respect the beauty of nature and not destroy it. problems with poachers usually come in groups slavo can't stop them Niche National Park is surrounded by active

volcanoes

since scientists dug a hole here 200 m deep in the ground more than 30 years ago hot water has been flowing into the surface containing high concentrations of salts and minerals slavo allows water to drain in a controlled manner, otherwise it would destroy the surrounding tundra.

There is always enough work when I am alone. I feel alone. I try to stay busy. this is my home. I spent more time here than in Pavlos Slavo rarely receives visitors his wife only comes for a few weeks in the summer he maintains a connection with the outside world by radio he has to report to his office in P Pavlos once a day not much happens in the summer Things only get critical in winter, when sometimes he has to wait several days for the helicopter every 2 weeks, Slavo is relieved by a colleague. I think my family is worried that I'm not completely risk-free, but they know that I'm needed where I'm born.

I have many relatives on the mainland, but I never feel the need to move there. Those who want to build a permanent livelihood in cam chakka have to be willing to do without many amenities. Dimitri Gorovich and his crew are flying to the eastern Corilla Lake. This huge body of water has also only been accessible by helicopter for some years. Military-trained Rangers fight poachers here, as the state invests more money in animal protection. Serge and his colleagues have also achieved some successes here. They have their sights set on the enormous brown bears that roam the tundra around Lake Kurilla.

There is an abundance of food for them. The wealth of fish here is unique in the world. Poachers have set their eyes on the pores and gall bladders of the bears. bears to export them to China the difficulty is that the bears here are not afraid of people, since you can see that the animals get quite close to us, that is not typical, that only happens in Lake Curilla if the bears allow the people get so close that they are easy prey for poachers, the cam chatka bear. It is one of the largest brown bears in the world.

In addition to poachers, they are also the target of paying older hunters in search of a spectacular trophy. The Rangers cannot be everywhere at once. We want to preserve the environment for our children and grandchildren not only for Russia but for everyone I have been here for 5 years now you grow together with the environment here I know all the bears here I see them again every year I meet their descendants and watch them grow, it would be very difficult For me, leaving Shanov and his colleagues is too little to provide real protection to the Bears. Demitri uses the brakes between flights to stock up on mushrooms the size of loaves of bread.

Where I come from in the V there are no jobs. so I could work on cars I could do all kinds of things I could fix machines but none of those things would be fun since cam chakka was closed for decades the environment was able to flourish unhindered by human intervention which makes it even more important to protect this ecosystem today is hot underground in camka there is no other place on Earth with so many active volcanoes Experts from the Petro Pavlov Volcanological Institute regularly climb into the craters hot and harmful gases shoot to the surface under enormous pressure Experts the composition of gases is key, it allows drawing conclusions about future eruptions working in the craters is not completely risk-free Tremors can occur at any time a colleague died here just a few years ago there are 29 active volcanoes in Kamchatka the Experts register around six eruptions per year on Sunday afternoon.

Julia and Daria arrive on the west coast of Cam Chaka. This is where Ivan Len lives with his family. He is Julia's cousin, as are his ancestors. He also lives in a small cabin right on the Okot Sea. The family lives exclusively from fishing. There is no electricity or running water. This place used to be home to many Itanos, but their numbers are decreasing because the younger generation tends to move to the city. There are no amenities here when people live in the city. we never have enough time life is so fast that we can't keep up we lead calm and peaceful lives here we know exactly what we are going to do today and what to expect tomorrow we know what we need and when we need it Ivan does not want to give up traditional fishing he wants be a role model for his children and is doing a great job his wife Lena would never trade life in the desert for life in the city we are our own doctors nature heals us My son is now 10 years old and has not had more than two colds in 10 years.

He caught a cold once because he was in town. He can run through the water barefoot here in winter, no matter how cold it is, he doesn't even get cold. a runny nose Ian's five children are almost always outdoors a despised Iri has been appropriated as a playground Ian and his family are followers of a natural religion that originated here here we have the totems to which we sacrifice fish and that to which we turn when we need help this is a sacred place for us a place for the soul we try to nourish our rituals and preserve our culture that is why it is important to transmit our Traditions to our children and grandchildren so that their children learn that they Regularly Reg has to sacrifice pieces of fish to the god of the sea.

They do it his way. I explain the ritual to them and they give thanks in their own words. Such rituals were frowned upon under the communists. The biggest obstacle for us is a lack of understanding, people simply do not want to understand us, the authorities do not understand that we see life differently andWe have a closer relationship with nature, they are trying to put us in a box that we don't want to be in. I don't understand why that is the biggest obstacle. Julia and Daria left for home in the afternoon. Monday is a school day after all, after work, helicopter mechanic Dimitri warms up his b.

He swears by the tradition of the Russian SAA. Talking to friends is very important. We don't see each other all week, but then we meet in the bathroom. The Russians have always solved all their problems in the SAA. If one of us has a problem, we meet at the SAA. A real Russian saer needs careful preparation, this includes dry birch branches. Dimitri immerses himself in cold water for the first time janard an old friend from his military days has come to visit it is a welcome change for Dimitri visit B follows strict rituals dot dot you always have to drink a beer before entering the sauna how hot is it 80 before closing the flu after the firstrefreshment they are ready after each trip to the SAA they returned to the sofa men prefer to talk about the past I finished my military service when I was 33 years old I was a strong and healthy man at that time and still very capable of work on the helicopter in 199 98 I stopped and thought where can I go there is no work finally I found a job in civil aviation and I'm still here working at my job Dimitri lives alone since his divorce I still feel like a Soviet person it's a habit that once I took an oath I like it here a lot of people move but they also come back that's Kamchatka attracts people in the only city here Petr Pavlov is located on the east coast Kamchatka is home to about 200,000 people that's more than half of the population population of C chatka the summer holidays end at the Russian Hall on the first Monday in September Ana Ivakova, six years old, begins a new stage in life, today she will go to school for the first time, her mother assures that she looks particularly elegant for the occasion I'm doing her hair so today will be the most beautiful that's tradition the first day of school her hair is curly and she puts two big bows in her hair Ana's father Mik just returned from 6 months at sea a few years ago days he is a fisherman like many other people here when you were at sea for a long time it is nice to come home I see how much my daughter has grown and how beautiful my wife is I am very happy that they are I am very happy to see me.

It's a good feeling when you come back from being at sea. Ana has learned a poem by heart for the first day of school. My parents are excited. She tells us that they didn't sleep all night. They are worried. about me Anna is his only daughter Mikael is a member of the Chukchi Alar people on the other hand he is Russian, which is quite common in Petro Pavlovsk most of the descendants of the indigenous population have traditionally assimilated September 1 is the day of knowledge in Russia new school children go to school for the first time throughout the country the same thing happens here in school number two in Far Away cam chatka discipline must be learned early in rows of two the little ones go out to celebrate in the playground the ceremony is led by the old students Anna can ring the symbolic school bell we will work very hard this child proclaims and continues with confidence once we have started we will achieve great things the day of knowledge is a tradition from the Soviet era such how is the grounds in Russia children learn together until year 11 the graduation report is necessary for a university Place almost 100 children are starting school for the first time in school number two today it is more than ever in the post-Soviet era it is a sign of The change says teacher, now we have many jobs here that no longer have anything to do with fishing.

All children should have a good education, regardless of where they live in Russia. Petr Pavlov's youth need variety to avoid simply wandering the streets the sports promotion system was inherited from the Soviet era promising swimming stars train at the Petr Pavlov Olympic Center Kamchatka youth get fit in the summer they use skates instead of skis one of the The athletes here are Anna, 17, she wants to have a career in sports. She wants to be a physical education teacher. I am training hard to succeed. I am a hard worker and I try to never miss a session.

I want to achieve more at the Olympic Games. The center is being financed by a state gas company. He wants to turn C Chatka into an international biathlon center. Snowy winters would provide perfect conditions. I think I have a future here because Bathon is developing well. Sports facilities are being built in Chatka. The youth championships will be held here. Up to 10 m of snow falls here in winter. Ideal conditions for winter sports. Aacha Bay is the gateway to the world of Kamak. It gets its name from the largest river on the peninsula that flows into the Pacific.

Here all the people need to live is imported through the ice-free port. The bay is also home to a large fishing fleet. About 600,000 tons of fish are taken from the ocean every year. Fish is the livelihood of most people here and that is also true for Mikel. iakov fishing is hard work, we don't have days off, it all depends on the captain and how he stores the catch on the boat, it is important to distribute everything evenly so that the boat does not become oversized in difficult conditions Mikel is applying for a job on a troller for the next season in spring he will meet with his future employer captain serge cole mik the salary for six months of work will be $20,000 it is a decent salary captain cotile had no problems finding enough workers it is a 100% attractive job that's why the people now stay here our society has overcome the difficult crisis of the 90s we are still doing well in some fields we are doing better than in other parts of Russia mik's wife alga helps in a souvenir shop now that anna goes to school every day and can work a little more she has mixed feelings about her husband's job it is particularly bad when there is something on the news so I am very worried about my husband he is at sea for half a year and there are always strong storms but he chose this job and we have to live with it these moments are particularly popular among Russian tourists indigenous folklore made in China we have different memories this sun is from the eony protects whoever uses it C is the god of the kaks the god of Kamchatka he represents eternal life people are Returning to the ancient traditions at the National Academy of Art and Music, Cam chapka children can learn the ancient songs and dances.

Daria also practices them regularly. She is a passionate dancer. I like being on stage and I want to learn to dance like our ancestors. We all dance in our family, we dance because we are Italian. I want to continue this tradition and pass it on to the next generation. Trained at the National Academy. Children and young people can later perform in front of paying tourists, but how much do they still have to do? What it has to do with the original tribal dances is that the viewer decides in the bay around Petro Pavlovsk some itman fishermen fish in the traditional way, they have set up small camps with tents, cars and transporters slavo shukin spends most of your time here in summer.

He sells the fish in the city markets, but that is not enough to survive because fishing quotas are reduced every year. A tradition in the Russian Federation allows the indigenous population to fish for their own consumption. The constantly reduced quotas are justified at the same time for conservation reasons. While big companies make huge profits, Nordic people's representative Julia Vasila knows the problem. She talks to fishermen as often as she can. She also fights a tireless battle with the authorities to demand higher quotas. Fishing by commercial companies is bigger. respected than that of the indigenous population for their own consumption, but they need it for their traditional way of life to have enough fish for the family in the winter they are forced to catch shrimp together with a Slavic colleague wants to check the has set traps in the bay but it's still a little early for shrimp.

Shrimp only take refuge in the bay when the autumn and winter storms start. Now I only fish for shrimp and I don't catch many. I throw the small ones back into the water to let them grow normally. My net is half

full

with 20 to 30 prawns but today I only have four or five slavo and his colleagues also believe that the authorities favor big companies cam chaka's gold that's what the people here say they call caviar and red salmon they only sell products locals caught mainly by large commercial companies those who do not depend on fishing quotas are the lucky ones on the outskirts of Petra pavlovsk is the yini shuk fish smoker he came to cam chaker as a doctor in 1988 but doctors were poorly paid even after the communist era sharv created his own business red gold is now the basis of his business currently we have about 50 tons in stock everything is salmon there are other species of fish such as herring it is all local to kamat On the west and east coasts after the collapse of communism there were supply problems in Kamchatka despite the many natural resources many people returned to the mainland.

Sharv discovered that smoked fish was a gap in the market and stayed. It was a difficult situation. There was food from Brandon and the prices were fixed. I was only able to make money when the fixed price system ended. Then there was tremendous inflation. We had never experienced anything like this. If something cost a ruble in the morning, it doubled at noon and tripled at noon. Evening Sharv employs 12 people and now has an annual turnover of $2 million from his business. He can afford to send his two daughters to a private English school for Public Relations. I built all this on my own and I don't see any point in moving.

In other places I am not interested in cities, here it is calmer and more pleasant. Sharv supplies supermarkets in Cam Chaka, as well as those on the Russian mainland. You would like to export to the EU, but that is not possible due to strict regulation. Sugarv has learned one thing from the bad times. In the early 90s he swears by self-sufficiency. He cultivates his land for himself and his employees. This is like an insurance policy for me, but I also like it when I wake up in the morning and the crows. Life begins. It is a new day. is music to my ears the inhabitants of the volcanic island are confident that their children will also have a future here the wild and pristine environment is the capital of Cam chaka the booming tourism is creating new jobs gives Dimitri and his colleagues a livelihood Descendants of the indigenous population like Daria and her mother are committed to preserving their Traditions, the people in Kamam Chakka have had to rediscover their home in order to capture its beauty, even if life at the end of the world sometimes requires hardships, It is in the hands of the people who will decide. and the future of chat