With the support of RN-Uvatneftegaz (Rosneft subsidiary), the Uvat Taiga Riches festival, which celebrates the culture of indigenous peoples, was held in the administrative centre of the Uvat district. This year’s event welcomed over 1,500 guests from the Tyumen Region and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District-Yugra.

Thanks to the support of oil workers, the festival, which began several years ago as a folk crafts fair at the oil field, has grown into a large-scale cultural event.

The festive programme included folk singing and dancing performances. In the central area, near the traditional chum, people sang Khanty songs and danced. They also created traditional amulets in masterclasses. Guests were energised and filled with excitement by the national sports games. The screening of the The North Suits Us documentary film, which included a segment filmed in the Uvas Mir Hot ethnic village, was met warmly by guests.

In support of the events of the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, an educational lecture series was organised on the history, culture and ethnography of the Uvat district. This was done in cooperation with the head of the ethnology sector of the Institute for Northern Development Problems of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The lecture closed with an Encyclopaedia of the Native Land quiz, with prizes being awarded to those who correctly answered the questions.

The fairgrounds showcased a variety of traditional crafts made from taiga treasures, while the air was filled with the enticing aromas of northern fish soup and berry tea. The young guests particularly enjoyed riding on reindeer sleds.

The Uvat Trophy sports and hunting tournament was a highlight of the festival, where participants competed in an obstacle course that tested their agility and skill. In addition to these events, national sports competitions were held, including throwing a tynzyan onto a khorey (a lasso on a pole used to chase reindeer), archery, jumping over sleds, and tug-of-war.

One of the key areas of Rosneft’s social policy is the support and preservation of the national culture of the indigenous peoples of the North and their traditional way of life. The Company and its subsidiaries implement numerous social projects in their regions of operation, developing infrastructure in northern villages, supporting reindeer herding families, and improving the material and technical base of educational, social and medical institutions in the ancestral homelands of indigenous minorities.

As part of the festival, RN-Uvatneftegaz, in collaboration with the Uvat district administration, provided indigenous residents with equipment for traditional crafts. This included snowmobiles, boat motors, petrol generators, and Rosneft motor oil. Over the past few years, the Khanty families have received over 180 pieces of machinery.

Department of Information and Advertising
Rosneft
February 9, 2026

Keywords: Social news 2026