Kazan gets its own Pole of Cold

That is the name given to a photo exhibition currently going on at the Museum of Natural History of the Republic of Tatarstan as part of the Culture Universiade.

The exhibition is dedicated to the underwater research expedition led by the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) and the Russian Federation of Underwater Sport (RFUS) at the Labynkyr Lake (Oymyakonsky Ulus, Sakha Republic).

Kazan journalist and documentary photographer Anton Raikhshtat welcomed guests at the opening of the exhibition. He described the exposition’s two parts: the history of the dive made by the underwater research team and a brief narrative on the local residents.

“Some of the activities that we feel are insignificant, so small and unimportant to us in our daily routine, are practically impossible to accomplish there. In this part of the world, at times, you need to keep the car engine running for months at a time just to preserve a transport link to the outside world,” Anton shared.

Some customs of the northern peoples were also illustrated here. The Chukchi, Evenki, Eskimos and Yakuts all have their own healers. The representatives of one nation do not recognise the sorcerer-faith healers of another. However, there are five great shamans who are acknowledged by all the residents of the north. Any important or dangerous undertaking (such as our diving expedition) needs to receive the approval of one of the great five.

It took the Tatar travellers 12 hours by car to reach their destination. The expedition leader Dmitry Shiller needed around 8 hours to explain to the shaman why the research expedition needed to complete their underwater dive. The discussion lasted so long because the shaman was a man wise both in worldly matters and in some spheres of scientific knowledge. He has two higher education degrees, knows a fair bit about the physiology of the body and is physically fit himself. It was important for him to know all the details of the dive. It was only after his blessing that three members of the expedition were finally able to carry out their plan.

Dmitry Shiller described the goals of the expedition and what was happening underwater in depth to the museum visitors. “Our primary goal was to collect unique materials on hydrological systems located in permafrost regions, as well as collecting information on the behaviour of the human body in such harsh conditions,” emphasised Dmitry.

The Pole of Cold exhibition is open to the public until August 12. Admission is free of charge.