A family from Moscow won a trip to Reindeer Herder’s Day in Yamal

---

Visitors to the National Centre RUSSIA were given the opportunity to travel to Yamal as a family. As part of the Days of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area at the "Book of Fairy Tales" exposition, the contest "I Want to Go to Yamal" was held, with the main prize being a trip to one of the most vibrant celebrations of the peoples of the North — Reindeer Herder’s Day. The travel certificate was personally presented to the Divak family from Moscow by the Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, Dmitry Artyukhov.

"The dream of this family has come true, and I very much hope they will travel to Yamal in person and become guests at one of the region’s most vibrant events — the Reindeer Herder’s Day celebration. I am certain it will be an unforgettable journey into the culture of the North, its traditions, its people and, of course, into an atmosphere that cannot be experienced from afar. I also invite everyone who has not yet visited Yamal to come to our region. It will truly be an interesting and memorable trip. You will see that the North means both the preservation of traditions and highly modern cities that are actively developing," Dmitry Artyukhov said.

Anastasia and Nikita Divak are raising two sons. Nikita works as an air traffic controller, and the family also runs its own travel agency. The trip to Yamal will give them the opportunity to explore the region’s distinctive culture and take part in one of the North’s most colourful events.

Reindeer Herder’s Day is the main winter celebration of the indigenous peoples of the North. For two months, spectacular reindeer sled races, competitions among tundra residents, traditional games and contests are held across the Area. A fair is organised featuring traditional crafts, northern cuisine and displays of traditional costumes. It is a rare opportunity to see the living culture of the tundra, learn more about the daily life of reindeer herders and witness first-hand how modern life in Yamal coexists harmoniously with ancient traditions.

To take part in the family contest "I Want to Go to Yamal", participants had to visit the region’s exposition at the "Book of Fairy Tales" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA, post a photo on their VKontakte page, add three facts about the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area and relevant hashtags, subscribe to the region’s official community and leave the comment "I Want to Go to Yamal" under the announcement post. The winner was selected using a random number generator. The prize includes return flights Moscow–Salekhard–Moscow, accommodation in the regional capital with three meals a day, and participation in Yamal’s most vivid celebration.

The thematic week of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area is taking place at the National Centre RUSSIA from 10 to 15 February. Visitors can attend meetings with regional representatives, workshops in traditional crafts, the concert programme "Traditions and Innovation", film screenings and educational events devoted to the culture, nature and strategic development of one of the country’s key northern regions.

Admission to all expositions and events at the National Centre RUSSIA is free of charge. Some events require prior registration. The current schedule is available on the russia.ru website in the "Events" section.