Watch the legend of how a brave Sami saved his people three times on the National Centre RUSSIA's social media

A new episode of "The Faraway Kingdom" ("The Thrice-Ninth Tsardom"), the National Centre RUSSIA's animated series dedicated to the ancient legends of Russia's peoples, has been released. The tenth episode, "How the White-Eyed Chud Came", recreates the atmosphere of the Kola Peninsula, with its endless tundra, polar winds and Sami people — hunters and reindeer herders since ancient times. Viewers will meet a brave man who saved his people three times from invasions by the white-eyed Chud — foreigners wearing iron armour and horned helmets.

Enemy tribes regularly raided the peninsula as soon as the first winter ice covered the rivers. But the brave Sami warrior Laurikadzh would go out alone to meet the unwelcome visitors so that they would take him prisoner, promising to show them the shortest route to the village. The new episode of "The Faraway Kingdom" reveals how the story ended each time.

The visual style of the project's tenth episode draws on elements of Kola Sami culture: snow-covered tundra, the polar night and northern lights, rocky hills and frozen lakes. Its patterns feature precise geometric shapes: diamonds, squares, triangles, semicircles and wavy lines. The basic colour palette is equally restrained: white snow, blue water and a yellow sun.

"The Faraway Kingdom" is a series of short animated videos bringing little-known tales of Russia's peoples to life. Each episode reveals a world of folk wisdom accessible to viewers of all ages. Retelling ancient legends through a contemporary visual language, the project invites audiences to explore the nature, culture, history and traditions of Russia's peoples in depth, reminding them of the timeless values that unite us.

The series' first episode was released in early September. The animated short tells the story of the White Tur, a hero of Karachay epic tradition who bravely rose to defend the order of the world. Viewers can also watch a colourful video adaptation of the Ossetian parable "A Hundred Horses or a Hundred Friends?", an animation based on the Russian fairy tale "The Geese and Swans", the video "How Dzhabagi Saved the Village", based on a Kabardino-Balkarian legend, and other stories with lessons to share.

The tenth episode of "The Faraway Kingdom" is already available on the National Centre RUSSIA's VKontakte page. Watch the new episode to discover why victory depends above all on a sharp mind and loyalty to one's native land, rather than the number of warriors or the strength of their weapons.