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Volzhanina E.A.  

Why does a reindeer herder need a car: the use of modern transport in the Vyngapur tundra (based on materials of field work in the Pur District in 2018)

ABSTRACT: The presentation is devoted to transformative role of using modern vehicles by one of the local Nenets group in Western Siberia. I will try to show a history how vehicles and tracks were changed in 20th and 21st  centuries and create ties between vehicles and infrastructure. The industrial development of the Pur District was begun in 1965 when the Gubkinskoye oil and gas condensate field was struck on. After 12 years a railway which was connected the towns Tyumen, Surgut and Novyi Urengoi divided the District on two parts. New working settlements appeared along the railway. Today we can say that a lot of  towns and settlements of workers are located on the territory of native residence of Vyngapur Nenetses. Beginning of industrial development changed the economy of Forest Nenetes. One of them is using the modern transport infrastructure and new types of transports. The roads have become as a main transport routes instead of rivers. The network of paved roads eliminated the former isolation of Nenets households in the summer from the towns and settlements of workers. With easy transport access, there is no need to make large supplies of food. To move between settlements and camps, between the camps they use its own transport, shift buses, taxis.


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