The Komi came here for hunting and fishing. Reindeer herding has been part of Komi economy since about 1650. One Sunday afternoon we had shashlyk in the forest - a common pastime activity in Russia. However, reindeer ribs roasted over a campfire in a snowy forest are not that common. The slaughterhouse of the Ust'-Usa state farm is situated about 100 miles northeast of the village itself.
Transport depends heavily on helicopters.
This is a big drawback in times of increasing fuel prices. Most of the meat is sent overland to the south. This takes several days and involves much effort. Petr Tret'yakov is phoning his family using the radio of the abbatoir. His culling shift has not finished yet.