#sakhalin

Ethnonyms: Nivkh, Nivkhi, Gilyak, Gilia, Gilyaks, Nivkhgu, Nʼivxgu, Nighvng, Nʼiɣvŋgun, Fiaka, Fiyaka

Total population: 3,842

Ethnolinguistic classification: Nivkh

Homeland: the Amur River

Regions with significant populations: Sakhalin Oblast, the Nikolayevsky District

Languages and dialects: Russian, Nivkh, Amur, West Sakhalin, North Sakhalin, East Sakhalin, South Sakhalin

Religion: Nivkh shamanism, the Russian Orthodox Church

Related ethnic groups: Ainu, Uilta (Orok), Nanai, Oroch, Ewenki, indigenous peoples of the Amur–Sakhalin region

Birthday gift for my wonderful friend Astarcis 💫

Uilta Indigenous girl from Sakhalin Island of Siberia in traditional clothing.

Photo and text by: Alexander Khimushin, from "The World in Faces" photo project. Diversity of traditional cultures of the world through the portraits of Indigenous People.

"Uilta Indigenous People (also known as Orok) are one of the smallest ethnic groups of Siberia living the the Far East. There are only about 200 Uilta People living on this planet. The Uilta language that belongs to Tungusic language family is spoken today by just a very few elderly people.

Uilta Indigenous Peoples home is Sakhalin - the largest Island of Russia stretching for about 1000 km directly to the North of Hokkaido Island of Japan. Recent research indicates that Uilta People are related to Ulchi People and migrated to Sakhalin from Khabarovski Krai, the mainland Russia, around 17th century. At that point in time the Island was a sphere of influence of the Chinese Empire. A hundred years later Sakhalin become administered by both, the Russian Empire and Japan. A penal colony was established on Sakhalin bringing large numbers of Russian political exiles. One of them, Lev Sternberg, became an important early ethnographer on Uilta, Nivkh and Ainu People. After Japan-Russia war, in the 1920s, The Northern part of Sakhalin became part of Russia and the Southern Part became Karafuto Prefecture of Japan. This situation lasted until 1945, when Japan capitulated after the WWII. That's why Uilta People who lived in Poronaysk (also known by Japanese name of Sikuka) and born before 1945 have Japanese names.

My good friend and the spiritual leader of Uita People, Minato Siryuko, is one of them. Living on the shores of the Gulf of Patience every summer, Minato, an honorable elder of Uilta community, performs Feeding of the Spirit of The Sea ceremony, when all Uilta and Nivkh People gather together for an annual celebration that held at summer solstice. In the Sakhalin there were 3 Indigenous Ethnic groups - Ainu, Nivkh and Uilta. When Japan capitulated in 1945 Ainu People were taken by Japanese back to Hokkaido (the Ainu People historical homeland), the Nivkhs and Uilta were considered as natives of Sakhalin and left on the Island. Because of that some Nivkh and Uilta who served in the Imperial Japanese Army were held in Soviet work camps. There is a an abandoned memorial that Minato took me to, with the name of those Uilta who died at that turbulent time. In 2017 I was contacted by LeCiel Foundation team who were making a documentary about 12 highly spiritual elders of Indigenous People from all over the world. They wanted to include to the film Uilta People of Sakhalin as well. A Google search brought them my photos of Uilta. Guys from LeCiel called me from London and told me about their project, I thought it was really interesting and without much hesitation I agreed to take them to Sakhalin Island and to introduce them to Minato, acting as a local fixer and translator at the same time)) Then, during the filming, The LeCiel founders unexpectedly invited Minato to the United Nations. The invitation was also sent to all twelve Indigenous leaders who were filmed. She really wanted to travel there, but was afraid going alone, so I was offered to accompany her (I had to come back from Mongolia where I was filming my own project) This is how the Uilta Indigenous People spiritual leader from Siberia and a nomadic photographer, living in Australia at that time, ended up at the United Nations in New York City together!

Сахалин — крупнейший остров России — расположен на Дальнем Востоке, у побережья Евразии. По площади он сравним с Чехией или Сербией и лишь немного уступает Ирландии. Омывается сразу двумя морями — холодным Охотским и более тёплым Японским.От южной точки острова до японского острова Хоккайдо всего 44 километра.

Первые люди поселились здесь ещё в доисторические времена. Самой древней стоянке человека, обнаруженной археологами на Сахалине, около 230 тысяч лет. Местное коренное население — их осталось около трёх тысяч человек — племена оленеводов уйльта и эвенков и рыболовов нивхов до сих пор живут согласно древним традициям.

Большинство путешественников едет на Сахалин ради природных красот. Здесь есть действующие вулканы, горячие термальные источники, и изумрудно-зелёные скалы. Растительность на острове довольно необычная. На севере можно прогуляться по тайге, а на юге и западе — увидеть несколько видов лиан и курильский бамбук. А ещё на Сахалине есть «ботаническое чудо света»: папоротники, крапива, гречиха и другие травянистые растения в некоторых местах вырастают на высоту до 3-5 метров. При этом на материке из их семян появляются растения обычной высоты. 

На Сахалине умеренный муссонный климат с высоким уровнем влажности, дождливым летом и холодной, снежной зимой. Летом часто появляются туманы, создающие таинственную атмосферу. В конце лета и начале осени бывают тайфуны. Осень мягкая, яркая и тёплая, почти без дождей. Погода на Сахалине непредсказуемая, поэтому лучше быть готовым к любым капризам природы.

На озере Тунайча гнездятся разные виды птиц, а на Тюленьем острове близ Сахалина находится крупное лежбище тюленей и огромные птичьи базары. В окрестностях самой высокой точки острова — горы Вайды — расположены карстовые пещеры. С вершины горного хребта Жданко открывается вид на живописные окрестности. На мысе Великан можно увидеть природные арки, гроты и столбы, которые возникли под воздействием ветра и соленой морской воды.

Подходящее для туризма время на Сахалине — с мая по сентябрь. К маю почти везде сходит снег и уже можно отправляться в путешествие по острову.А самое популярное для путешествий по Сахалину время — тёплый и солнечный август. В этом месяце лучше всего исследовать дальние уголки острова, купаться в море (вода в этом месяце иногда прогревается до +21 °C) и пробовать лесную голубику и чернику.

Sakhalin, Russia's largest island, is located in the Far East, off the coast of Eurasia. In terms of area, it is comparable to the Czech Republic or Serbia and is only slightly inferior to Ireland. It is washed by two seas at once — the cold Sea of Okhotsk and the warmer sea of Japan.It is only 44 kilometers from the southern point of the island to the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

The first people settled here in prehistoric times. The oldest human site discovered by archaeologists on Sakhalin is about 230 thousand years old. The local indigenous population — there are about three thousand people left — the tribes of reindeer herders Uilta and Evenks and fishermen Nivkh still live according to ancient traditions.

Most travelers go to Sakhalin for the sake of natural beauty. There are active volcanoes, hot thermal springs, and emerald green rocks. The vegetation on the island is quite unusual. In the north you can walk through the taiga, and in the south and west you can see several types of lianas and Kuril bamboo. And also on Sakhalin has a "botanical wonder of the world": ferns, nettles, buckwheat and other herbaceous plants in some places grow to a height of 3-5 meters. At the same time, plants of normal height appear from their seeds on the mainland.

Sakhalin has a temperate monsoon climate with high humidity, rainy summers and cold, snowy winters. In summer, fogs often appear, creating a mysterious atmosphere. There are typhoons in late summer and early autumn. Autumn is mild, bright and warm, with almost no rain. Weather on Sakhalin is unpredictable, so it's better to be prepared for any whims of nature.

Different species of birds nest on Lake Tunaicha, and on Seal Island near Sakhalin is home to a large seal rookery and huge bird markets. Karst caves are located in the vicinity of the highest point of the island — Mount Vida. From the top of the Zhdanko mountain range, you can enjoy a view of the picturesque surroundings. At Cape Giant, you can see natural arches, grottoes and pillars that arose under the influence of wind and salty sea water.

A suitable time for tourism on Sakhalin — from May to September. By May, snow is falling almost everywhere and you can already go on a trip around the island.And the most popular time for traveling around Sakhalin is warm and sunny August. This month, it is best to explore the far corners of the island, swim in the sea (the water sometimes warms up to +21 °C this month) and try wild blueberries.