RN-Vankor (Rosneft subsidiary) has announced the results of a competition for projects with practical applications in the Taymyr Dolgan-Nenets District of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Initiatives focused on preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples received grants.

The Traditions in Patterns project, which aims to establish a studio dedicated to the art of bone carving – a tradition that has existed in Taymyr for centuries – has received funding. The Dolgan, Nenets, Evenki, Nganasan, and Enets peoples crafted household items, adorning them with symbols and patterns. The artistic works of Taymyr bone carvers are renowned far beyond Siberia. This ancient art form is currently in need of special attention and support. The objective of the project is to impart bone carving skills to the younger generation in Taymyr, including the indigenous minority communities. Skilled craftsmen will lead bone carving workshops as well as interactive lectures on the symbolism of Northern ornamentation.

The second initiative supported by oil workers was the creation of The Taymyr Craftsmen, an illustrated book dedicated to the traditional art of the indigenous peoples of the North. The book will be based on materials collected and digitised by specialists from the Taymyr House of Folk Art as part of the project “The Living Word of Taymyr: A Digital Archive of the Cultural Heritage of Indigenous Peoples,” which was recently completed with the support of the enterprise. This colourful book will present items from the collections of the Taymyr Museum of Local History, the Taymyr House of Folk Art, and the private collections of craftsmen working in decorative and applied arts – including paintings, leather and fur goods, beadwork, bone and wood carving, and more.  For the first time, the art of the Taymyr masters will be presented not in separate exhibition booklets and catalogues, but in a single academic publication.

One of Rosneft's key social policy priorities is to support projects that aim to preserve national culture in Russia's regions. The Company's enterprises in the regions where they operate support a wide range of initiatives aimed at preserving the traditional way of life of indigenous peoples, advancing scientific knowledge about their ancestral homelands, and educating the younger generation.

As part of the RN-Vankor grant programme, researchers conducted studies on the musk ox and waterfowl populations in western Taymyr. They also assessed the status of commercial fish species in the Yenisei Gulf of the Kara Sea and produced an electronic educational guide on Taymyr reindeer. Additionally, they created a digital map of the peninsula’s vegetation cover and digitised unique ethnographic and folklore materials of indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North as part of the “Living Word of Taymyr: Digital Archive of the Cultural Heritage of Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples” project.

Department of Information and Advertising
Rosneft
April 22, 2026

Keywords: Social news 2026