Life In A Sami Village In Murmansk Russia

Murmansk was definitely one of my favorite places to be in Russia. In fact I still look back at those days with nostalgia. While most people don’t get why the idea of heading up to the Arctic fascinated me, I don’t really care. Life after all is about keeping myself happy and not some random stranger right? One of the many interesting things that I did was visiting the Sami village in Murmansk.

Getting To The Sami Village

We managed to get in touch with some locals who told us about visiting the Sami village in Murmansk. Since we come from a more tropical area, our experience driving in snow and ice was virtually nonexistent. That being said it made sense not to rent a car. Instead we had a two locals drive us there. It did turn out to be expensive but it was worth it because we had our own translator and we managed to understand what was going on.

It was only much later that we realized that joining the bigger group tours was cheaper and so worth it. That realization came only after we headed out to see the Aurora Borealis on Valentine’s Day.

Once at the Sami village we were joined by two other tourists and their guide. The village elder was there to greet us too! Another interesting fact was that the village elder was a woman and a really interesting person too! She told us that she was a grandmother and yet she looked young enough to be my sister.

Our first stop was to enter into the typical Sami village dwelling are. The conical tents rose from the ground upwards. Surprisingly enough while the structure looked small from the outside it was really roomy on the inside.

Another big surprise was the warm fire in the center. After biting cold of the Arctic the warmth was a welcome respite. The walls of the temporary structure were lined with reindeer skins. We soon learned that the reindeer skin helped keep the warmth inside the tent. The circular area had a seat that circled the walls. Even the seats were lined with fur which was surprisingly soft.

The Sami way of life is nomadic. While the current village doesn’t shift its base very often, their cultures and their beliefs remain the same. With day light being critical to their way of life, the Sami people find themselves very busy when spring comes along. The village elder went on to explain that the Sami people had various crafts that they honed. They kept reindeer, caught fish, grew crops and even made numerous artifacts.

The Sami way of life is simplistic. They rely on nature for their survival. Despite the harsh conditions of the Arctic, the Sami people find themselves happy and content. Even medicine is treated differently here. The Sami people use herbs and fruits found in the forest. Like the Sami village elder said… They have done it for years and that is how they wish to continue. Major emergencies however are now taken to the hospitals.

The Sami village in Murmansk that we visited had a herd of reindeer. The village elder pointed out each one of them and addressed them by their names. We were then allowed to feed them moss. The village elder showed us how to go about doing it. The big rule was to keep your hand outstretched so that you wouldn’t get hit in the face by the antlers.

Once we had our fill of playing with the reindeers (Not something that can happen easily!), we headed inside one of the structures nearby. There we had a chance to warm up once more.  The village elder gave us an interesting tea to warm us up from within as she liked to say. It was only later that we learned that she used herbs from the forest to brew the mixture. The tea had a nice soothing taste.

A berry pie was then passed around with some interesting Russian biscuits. I quite forgot what they were called. The berries were picked from the forest and had a sour taste. The sourness was contrasted with the sugar that was used to form the topping. All in all it was delicious.

After drinking so much of tea and being out in the cold, my bladder started to feel really full. I asked if I could use the restroom. I’m Indian and trust me when I say that I have seen my share of odd toilets. This one however was by far the most… uhhhmmm… Let’s just call it interesting.

The door had a latch which would not latch. The dog followed me all the way to the toilet structure and he proceeded to keep trying to open the door. I had so many layers of clothes on me that I really did not need the extra distraction. To top it all the frigid air was definitely not helping me pee at all!

After we were done warming up, it was time to head out on a snowmobile ride. Well we technically did not ride the snowmobile. We all however were bundled up onto a sleigh that was attached to the snowmobile. Before we left we were given a chance to wear the traditional Sami attire. With our hands and legs tucked away safely the joy ride began.

I am still left in awe of how the white snow covered land extended before us. It was clear white pristine snow. Definitely not like the snow that we saw in Moscow and St. Petersburg never even came close. Once the snowmobile came to a stop, we attempted to walk about on the snow and we just sunk straight into it.

It was fun. Getting out of the snow trap however was more difficult. I landed up crawling on my hands and knees just so I wouldn’t sink. Thank God for the warm Sami clothing!

With the snowmobile ride out of the way, our time at the Sami village was coming to an end. It was time to go home and the snow was beginning to come down heavily. We did however find some time to play with the Sami village resident dog (he loved playing fetch!). We also got a few crazy snaps in the process. I must say this… The Sami village was a revelation of sorts. I love the simple life but to see that the simple life can still keep people happy meant a lot to me. Now if I could just join the clan!

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