OLEG – THE HUNTER

January 1, 2015

Russia

Evenkia located 1000km north from Krasnojarsk in the center of Russia. Reachable only in cold weather by winter roads “Zemnik” or by helicopters. Area of 767,600 km2. it is size of Spain multiplied by 1.5 and only 20.000 people live there. Capital is Tura. 99% of Evenkia is covered by untouched, primeval impassable taiga with lots of lakes, big and small rivers, strange, unusual flora and fauna, unforgettable canyons and waterfalls. Cold, harsh winter climate. Deep in taiga woods there is only few hunters left who live there through the year. It is certain kind of people who choose to live and hunt in such remoteness and we had a chance to visit them. We stayed near Diupkun lake in the hut of Hunter Oleg.
There is few villages in Evenkia like Cherenda and Enisej where local Evenks and Yakuts lives and hunts but mostly they just go for a day trip to shoot some wild Elk. When hunting season opens few hunters scatters in tents by “zemnyk” which connects those villages with civilization, they can sell elks to buyers who are driving back and forth. They move around with Elk but stay close to the “zemnyk”. Almost like “The Last of the Mohicans” Oleg lives in Taiga wilderness, 130km away from closest village. Sometimes few men who come to help him on hunting matters stay there too. It’s been 30 years, since Oleg started to live and hunt by the Diupkun lake. Oleg and his three helpers share his old hut without any problems. We spend couple weeks in this “family”, surrounded by unforgettable hospitality, meals 3 times a day and hot tea was always waiting for us on “Burzuika” the metal, wood burning stove. More about this expedition you can find out at www.dikiy.me
Photos by Berta Tilmantaite and Geri Dagys.

Hunter Oleg – “The Last of the Mohicans”. “Only few of us left who still live and hunt in remote taiga through out the year”,- he told me.

“I live here, I thrive here”,- says Oleg after coming back to wilderness of Taiga. “There is no better place for me”, – he adds.

Every morning 7am breakfast is made. Around 8am we gathering around the table and meal is served.

Sania the helper is most trusted of all.

Old friend of Oleg, always joking around “what is going on, what is going on” he constantly repeats while smiling. He can fix things around the house and even on long lonely trips through Taiga Oleg trusts him his snowmobile.

Semion Semionovic is like “maid” of this house.

Looking after the fireplace, cooking is under his house duties too, always hungry little puppies outside waiting for him to come out and chop some left over dead elk heads. Quite, constantly smoking even through the night he never let us wash our dirty dishes. “Leave it”, – he says firmly.

Andrei is a new addition to the “family”. It is his first year of trying to survive winter in Taiga.

He came here to learn how to hunt and what it takes to do so. He observes everything what Oleg is doing and tries to help as much as he can. After coming back from our four day trip from Harpitch lake he was eagerly waiting to greet us with report about one lonely wolf who already second day wonders around this area. “What kind of hunter you are if this wolf is still alive” – Oleg told him in return. Next day by sunrise wolf was dead. Oleg took matters it to his hands. The hut Oleg stays has two type of radios. One is short wave (works only at 4pm and 10am) in case you want to find out what is happening on the main road where russian expeditions are, another is old AM radio where if weather permits you can listen to a russian news. Through stay of ours we jokingly try to tune in “Bocelli” the famous italian opera singer, that’s the music Oleg likes but the only “Bocelli” we can hear was the snoring of Oleg helpers.
This pair of Hand made shoes took 15 years to make. It is mixture of Elk and Moose skin with some lagging inserts. They are light and warm, perfect for cold and dry weather conditions. Fur on the bottom of the shoes attache in such way that prevents them from slithering backwards.