Lost in the Tundra | The Reality and Survival of Remote Arctic Life How Arctic Nomads Gather and Handle Hundreds of Reindeer | Deep in Russia's Arctic Coast
This documentary was filmed in the endless, wind-swept tundra of Northern Yakutia, along the remote shores of the Laptev Sea, where Dolgan and Evenk nomadic families live thousands of kilometers away from modern civilization.
How do indigenous nomads manage hundreds of semi-wild reindeer in sub-zero Arctic winds, with no modern infrastructure, fences, or shelter in sight?
In this film, you’ll witness one of the most intense and physically demanding traditions in the Arctic — corralization. For several non-stop days and nights, herders work together inside massive wooden corrals to sort, count, treat and protect their herds before the harsh polar winter arrives.
Simple ancestral tasks become a true test of human endurance when they unfold on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. Every counted animal, every secured corral gate, and every warm cup of tea brewed inside a mobile cabin on sled runners (balok) requires immense physical strength, calm resilience, and knowledge passed down through generations.
Far from the noise of the modern world, these northern nomads preserve a lifestyle dictated entirely by nature and the instincts of their reindeer. Their story reminds us that true endurance is not built on technology, but on community, deep respect for animals, and harmony with the elements.
This film is not just about survival. It is about the rhythm of nomadic life lived with dignity in one of the most extreme corners of our planet.
❗️ Please turn on Subtitles (CC) to follow the authentic voices, local dialects, and stories of the nomads.
📺 For the most immersive experience, we recommend watching on a large screen with quality sound.
🎬 CREDITS & TEAM:
Produced & Directed by: Tatiana Ulengova Cinematography: Tatiana Ulengova Additional Camera: Eldar Sayanov Expedition Organizer: Roxolana Kupriyanova Video Editor: Dmitry Boychuk
🙏 SPECIAL THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: We express our sincere gratitude to the Administration of the Anabar District and the company "Almazy Anabara" for their vital logistical support in making this Arctic expedition possible.
📺 About the Channel
Welcome to our documentary channel.
My name is Tatiana Ulengova, and I am an independent documentary filmmaker.
Through our films, we explore remote places where people continue to live according to traditions that have survived for centuries. We travel to distant tundras, northern coasts, deep taiga forests, and mountain villages, documenting authentic human stories and ways of life that are slowly disappearing.
<b>Laptev Sea Coast Anabar District, Yakutia, Russia</b>
<b>Subtitles in multiple languages</b>
<b>In Yakutia, nomadic herders drive their reindeer </b> <b>into large corrals each year</b>
<b>Here, the animals are counted, examined, marked, and given essential care to prepare the herd for the long Arctic winter</b>
<b>The young men are preparing for the reindeer roundup</b>
<b>Here they come</b>
<b>It feels like a collective hunt, but with zero victims</b>
<b>They keep trying to escape, rushing back and forth</b>
<b>When the last ones go in, that’s when we close in and surround them</b>
<b>We missed our moment, part of the herd broke loose, and now we’re trying to turn them around</b>
<b>The hardest part is getting them in</b>
<b>That's half the battle</b>
<b>After that, the work goes a lot easier and time just flies</b>
<b>The main thing is to get them inside</b>
<b>Herders shift the net poles to close the corral</b>
<b>They make this enclosure smaller because it's more comfortable to handle the reindeer in little space</b>
<b>This is how they protect each other</b>
<b>The strongest reindeer stand inside the circle, and the weakest protect the strongest</b>
<b>This is because they need to save the population</b>
<b>Setting up the treatment chute</b>
<b>Now they are building a fence to lead the reindeer to the bath with treatment</b>
<b>and every reindeer will come and swim in this bath</b>
<b>What is that?</b>
<b>Seli</b>
<b>Seli? What does seli mean?</b>
<b>A tusk</b>
<b>A reindeer tusk?</b>
<b>This is actually reindeer antler</b>
<b>Right now, some reindeer have soft tips on their antlers—you can eat them</b>
<b>But this one is already hard</b>
<b>Why do they wrap the fence in dark cloth?</b>
<b>To keep them from breaking through</b>
<b>Would they try with just the net?</b>
<b>Yeah, if they see the tundra, they'll charge right at it</b>
<b>Pumping water to fill the antiparasitic dipping bath</b>
<b>It’s for ticks... For sarcoptosis. For mange mites</b>
<b>Coal-tar creolin</b>
<b>Are we going to bathe every single reindeer?</b>
<b> Well, we have to dip every one of them</b>
<b>What else will we do with them?</b>
<b>The local vets will also administer a rabies medication...</b> <b>...and an antiparasitic treatment</b>
<b>Simultaneously, the herd is counted and tagged</b>
<b>Work is in full swing. Just want to get it done and call it good</b>
<b>Still got a lot left?</b>
<b>Yeah, not even halfway through</b>
<b>Haven’t even hit a hundred yet</b>
<b>You’re working all night?</b>
<b>Yeah, until we drop</b>
<b>Till sunrise?</b>
<b>We still have to sleep at some point</b>
<b>And if we don’t finish, we do it tomorrow?</b>
<b>Yeah, gotta finish it up tomorrow</b>
<b>The more we do today, the less is left for tomorrow</b>
<b>This is a Russian medicine</b>
<b>Made in Russia, made in the Russian Federation</b>
<b>Foreigners don’t have this, by the way</b>
<b>They don't know how</b>
<b>Though I guess they have different laws, right?</b>
<b>They don't do reindeer roundups over there, do they?</b>
<b>Sometimes</b>
<b>The number of reindeer becomes smaller and smaller and the space is too big for them</b>
<b>That's why they change the position of this fence to make the space smaller</b>
<b>Andrey, what does corralling mean to you?</b>
<b>Corralling? How to put it...</b>
<b>Well, to grow the herd, to keep the reindeer healthy </b>
<b>Mainly meat quality and, how to say, strong offspring that grow wel</b>
<b>If they get sick, the numbers won’t grow</b>
<b>That’s why it’s better for everyone to pitch in together...</b>
<b>...to get it done right once and have no regrets later. That’s about it</b>
<b>Besides, what else? Fresh air, nature, a break</b>
<b>Good company</b>
<b>Good food, the cooks, the helpers, hey!</b>
<b>He got caught in the net</b>
<b>10:00 PM. Sunset over the Arctic tundra. The herd remains vast</b>
<b>Northern Yakutia's white nights provide natural light to work through the entire night</b>
<b>How much longer do you have to work?</b>
<b>We'll finish tomorrow</b>
<b>How are you feeling?</b>
<b>Fine</b>
<b>How hard is the work?</b>
<b>It's alright</b>
<b>Bearable?</b>
<b>Bearable</b>
<b>We did it</b>
<b>It's 4:00 AM. We just finished corralling</b>
<b>Our work is done, and now we're going to eat raw fish</b>
<b>One of our hosts caught it in a nearby lake</b>
<b>And now we're going to try it</b>
<b>Eat up</b>
<b>You eat it with salt, right? </b>
<b>It has a very soft, delicate taste, like high-quality sushi</b>
<b>It's very tasty</b>
<b>Did you catch this fish with a net?</b>
<b>Yeah </b>
<b>When did you have time to set the nets? This morning?</b>
<b>In the afternoon</b>
<b>Do you catch them every day?</b>
<b>No, not every day</b>
<b>Is this a delicacy for you?</b>
<b>Yes</b>
