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Hunting Folklore in Contemporary Yakut Culture: An Anchor in the Traditionality of Post-Industrial Society // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2025. Issue 1 (47). P. 140-152

In traditional Yakut culture, hunting has always occupied an important place in the subsistence system. This complex process was surrounded by a series of sacred practices and representations preserved in a somewhat modified form in modern Yakutia. Hunting is still a very popular seasonal activity in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and is practiced even in urban areas. Today, it is accompanied by modern technical means and methods and is shrouded in a series of bureaucratic procedures. However, the ritual remains an unchanging element of this process. The whole algorithm of hunting is linked to a series of conventions, beliefs, and rituals that seem anachronistic in modern reality. Nevertheless, the ritual still plays an important role in hunting, as it is a binding rule and a criterion for the success of the hunt. In this context, it is interesting to examine the preservation of traditions in modern society: How and why do they coexist in the reality of the XXI century, and on what principle are such stable artifacts of traditionality based? The relevance of this topic arises from the rapid modernization processes that many indigenous ethnic groups of the Russian North have undergone. They were decisive for the formation of some mechanisms of resistance to these processes and the emergence of ‘zones’ in which ethnicity was condensed and concentrated. Hunting is an example of such a zone in modern Yakut culture. This study examines hunting from the perspective of anthropological discourse, analyzes its functional role in social processes related to globalization and traditionalization, and considers hunting folklore as a means of expressing public messages, using both published and field ethnographic material. Finally, the authors conclude that in highly traditional societies, the ‘anchors’ of ethnic culture are those areas of traditional life associated with the categories of ‘fear’ and ideas about the mystical. Thus, hunting is seen as a socio-cultural phenomenon that preserves traditions because traditional ideas about interaction with nature and closeness to the irrational are preserved in this area.

Keywords: Yakutia, modern hunting, hunting folklore, modern folklore, horror stories, traditionalism

Hunters of the Cold Region: The Use of Cryogenic Resources in Modern Hunting Activities in Yakutia // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2026. Issue 2 (52). P. 146-157

This article examines the current use of natural cryogenic resources – natural cold, snow, ice, and permafrost – by hunters in Yakutia. The study reconstructs contemporary practices in the use of cryogenic resources during hunting, identifies their main directions, preserves traditions, tracks emerging elements, and highlights key challenges, including those caused by climate change and permafrost degradation. Methodologically, the research is based on the principles of cryosophy and the anthropology of cold. The primary source base consists of field materials collected by the authors during research conducted from 2017 to 2025 in various administrative districts (uluses) of Yakutia: Vilyuysky, Olekminsky, Megino-Kangalassky, Srednekolymsky, and Yakutsk. Archival documents and scientific literature were also used. The research demonstrates the importance of cryogenic resources in modern hunting activities among the population of Yakutia. The use of natural cold, snow, ice, and permafrost significantly increases the transport accessibility of hunting grounds, provides essential game information, and facilitates extraction by masking hunting tools. Additionally, the conservation functions of cryogenic resources are essential for storing harvested products and food for hunters. The study finds that technological development has significantly affected current practices, reducing the diversity and scale of cryogenic resource use. At the same time, the introduction of new technological solutions has contributed to the evolution and development of these practices. Climate change and permafrost degradation limit the transport and conservation potential of cryogenic resources.

Keywords: Yakutia, anthropology of cold, hunting, traditional farming, cryogenic resources