All language subtitles for Happy.People.A.Year.in.the.Taiga.2010.RUSSIAN.1080p.WEBRip.x265-VXT

This is the village of Bakhtia
in Siberia.

Although it looks
like winter to us,
it's already spring here.

The village is located in
the heart of Siberia...

and we should keep in mind
that this colossal
landmass...

is one and a half times
the size of the United States.

The endless wilderness that
surrounds this place is known
as the taiga.

No roads or train lines
traverse it.

There are only two ways
to reach this outpost --

one is by helicopter,
the other by boat.

The expanse in
the foreground is not
solid ground...

but the frozen-over
Yenisey River...

one of the largest
waterways in Siberia.

It is only during the few
ice-free months of summer...

that boats can also
reach Bakhtia.

Of the 300 or so inhabitants
of this village...

a handful of them make
their livelihood as
professional trappers.

One of these men
is Gennady Solovyev.

Here he makes his way
into the wilderness...

across an enormous
frozen river.

He wants to show us
an essential tool
of his profession.

An animal would approach
and begin twisting
the bait.

The pressure is very light.
I will just keep my hand in it.

Let me show you.
See how light it is.

There you go.
The animal is trapped.

This is how I disarm the trap.
I take away the bait.

I remove the wooden linchpin
so that squirrels or mice don't
steal them...

put everything under
the roof, and that's it.

Until next season.

You are no hunter
without a dog.

This one has short hair
because a Moscow dog breed
is mixed in.

Here, take a look at Zeena,
her male partner.

He is a smart-looking one,
no doubt.

But he's stopped working
in the taiga.

He is not interested
in hunting animals.

A freeloader,
not a real dog anymore.

But he gets all the appropriate
perks a dog is entitled to.

He chases after bitches all
he wants and gets the best food.

I have one male dog
who has really earned his keep.

Now he is retired
from active duty.
He is a pensioner.

And I'll keep feeding him
for as long as he is alive.

Come here and eat!

[no audio]

The snow crust after a good
frost is very tough.

No, I don't think it'll support
moose and other big ones.

But it is tough snow crust
all right.

It's great for bears and
wolves to really get around.

But the poor moose
have had it.

If the snow is deep,

they won't get far
on this kind of snow crust.

Anyone can take advantage
of their helpless condition-

anyone who is hungry or wants
to make extra money--
people, I mean.

This is the best time
of the year...

for Gennady to find
the perfect piece of wood...

for the making of his
all-important skis.

Here you are deciding if
the fiber will be
straight or not.

See, it's a bit twisted
and kind of leans to the right.

If it's shaped like this
from the top along the center...

it's straight fiber
all right.

If it's slanted a bit,
it means it's twisted...

and you're going
to get a propeller-like board.

[no audio]

A good wedge is
a man's savior.

In the olden days,
a villager wouldn't have much
by way of tools--

just a club and wedge.

The wedge should have
a gentle slope
and be very sharp.

Make your wedge steep
and the wood will eject it.

[no audio]

Of course, a good craftsman will
make good skis using good wood.

Getting around in these
is sheer pleasure.

You might have
factory-made ones.

If you and I go into the woods,
you'll drop dead from fatigue
after 15 kilometers.

You won't be able
to move a leg.

Me, I'll just keep on skiing
without a care in the world.

"Without moss and wedge
to earn his bread,

the carpenter would
long be dead."

True, you can't do much
using one wedge.

Take several of them,
and you can gradually
lift anything.

You can lift a house.
I mean anything.

It's so powerful.

Try to split a tree
like this without a wedge.
There's no way.

You're not upsetting
the fibers.

On a disk saw,
if you don't pay attention

where you're
setting the board...

it'll cut laterally
through the fibers,

and you've had it.

A ski is very thin--

about two millimeters
near the nose.

If the board isn't
straight-grained,

it'll start to
bend and that'll be it.

[no audio]

As they say,
you can take away
anything from a man--

his wealth and health
and suchlike--

but you can't take away
his craftsman skills.

Once you learn a trade,

you always know your trade
for the rest of your life.

You agree?

Naturally, you pick up
things from others
as you go along--

a bit here, a bit there,
add your own little
improvements.

You've got to see something.

Someone's got to tell you
something, and you will know.

You can't reinvent
the bicycle.

All these techniques
have been invented
long before your time...

honed to perfection
over the centuries.

[no audio]

The ice covering
the river is still solid...

making it easy to travel
the vast distances...

the trappers need
to prepare for their work.

Unlike sport hunting...

preparation for professional
trapping is a year-round job.

This is Anatoly Blume.

He's tending one
of his hunting cabins.

Here, he removes
the winter snow

so that the roof
will not cave in.

[no audio

Firewood must be collected now
so that it can dry
during the summer.

Each hunter
has a base hut...

and a number of additional
outlying huts that need
to be maintained.

That's a bear's trail.
He is out of his lair now.

Remember we talked about
the snow crust--

that it's strong
enough for the likes of him?

Well, he's out and he'll go
and hunt some moose
or deer.

Guy needs his grub, right?

All the provisions here
have to be secured
against bears.

[no audio]

They don't use glass
for the windows...

as glass is easily broken
during transportation
or by bears.

These are the claw
marks made by
one of them.

In spring,
with the sun higher
upon the horizon...

the snow becomes wet and river
water seeps through the ice.

[no audio]

In the fall,
the river will ice
up when fully flooded.

After snow falls,
the water will drain...

and the ice will be
forced down by the snow.

A crack will develop
through which the water
will flow under the snow...

and this water
will never freeze.

[no audio]

If you ask me,
industry and perseverance
is top of the agenda.

I doubt if anyone would agree.

But we all agree that greed is
the trapper's worst quality...

which I and my friends despise.

I can tell you that.

That's for sure.

Making a few coins
at any price.

Setting up traps up until--

up until the thaw...

even when all you get
are pregnant females.

Arming traps too early.

It's only a few days
into October,

but that guy is
already arming traps.

They tell him the sable
isn't coming out properly yet.
It's black.

"So what?"
the guy would say.

"Only a couple of coins,
that's true,
but in my pocket.

Otherwise the sable will run
to someone else's
territory."

We despise
this kind of trapper.

Here, Gennady builds
one of his traps...

in the same simple manner
they have been built
for ages.

[no audio]

Grandfather's traps--
whoever invented them,
his name is long forgotten.

So many centuries have passed,
but we still use them...

unable to invent
something new.

It is April,
and the weather is warm,
plenty of daylight...

the mosquitoes
aren't out yet--

time for trappers.

Those living off trapping
and wanting to earn a bit
to go out to the woods.

They will go into the taiga
for nearly four weeks...

setting up their properties,
storing food and suchlike.

Some will make
new koolyomka traps.

Others will drive
new paths through the taiga.

In short,
folks are out working.

[no audio]

I will come in the fall
and finish it.

It'll be a proper koolyomka trap, all right,

while now it's
just a spring job.

We do have these large
territories, you see...

so I need to make a thousand
of these, give or take.

Gennady marks the location
of his trap...

so he can find it
at the beginning
of the hunting season.

[no audio]

His territory comprises of some
1,500 square kilometers.

This area was consigned to him
during Communist times...

when he trapped
for the state.

I came north in 1970
and was immediately employed.

They told me
to get ready.

They gave me traps,
advanced some money,
issued a gun.

And me and my partner--
we were both 20--
boarded a chopper.

They showed us our site
and just left us there.

We didn't have a radio.
We didn't have anything.

They promised to bring
some food by New Year's Eve...

a stove and some other stuff.

We didn't have anything.

My partner somehow didn't
prove equal to the challenge.

I was left alone.

They didn't bring anything
at the promised time.

Well, things happen.
It's aviation after all.

It's a long story,
but I survived--
interestingly enough.

It was not like that island
on TV where they're
all heroes...

and catch and share crabs
or scorpions.

Me, I was really struggling
for dear life...

because snow fell
and I had no winter clothes.

There was no stove in the hut.
Just bread rusk to eat.

I was lucky to have a good dog.
She really fed me.

I thought I was a hell
of a seasoned trapper.

But when it really came down
to it, it turned out I was
a complete novice.

That was my initial season.

I was flown in on August 5
and brought back
on February 20--

some season.

Well, matter of fact,
I don't think I blew it.

The hunters return
to the village.

Here, the kids enjoy
a last chance at ice-skating
before the thaw.

May 1 marks a big day
for Russia.

It is their traditional
Labor Day and marks the end
of the winter.

Winter is burnt
in effigy.

[no audio]

The appearance of
the first geese flying north...

is a sure sign of spring.

This is followed quickly
by May 9, Victory Day --

the day the German army
surrendered...

bringing an end
to the Second World War.

This marks an event
of epochal proportions
in Russian history...

as more than 20 million
Russians lost their lives
in this war.

Every family lost someone.

This sign marks a residence
of a veteran, a war hero.

Everyone yelled and shouted.

We screamed, "Hurrah!"

I asked, "What happened?"

They said, "Yell hurrah.
It's victory!"

Then Stalin spoke
on the radio.

His Russian wasn't
too good.

We came out into
the street in the morning--

Overwhelmed by memories
of the war,
he can no longer speak.

[no audio]

As if responding to
the shots fired
in celebration...

the ice of the Yenisey River
begins to break.

An entire landscape
starts to move north...

towards the Arctic Ocean.

[no audio]

Spring is the time
to build dugout canoes.

This man,
Gennady Tiganov...

belongs to the Ket native
population of this part
of Siberia.

He is their last remaining
expert boat builder.

Tools and techniques being
used are all traditional.

[no audio]

It is essential to hollow
out the precise amount
and no more.

Markings point out
the positions of dowels,

which will be driven
into the hull.

From the inside,
this tells the boat maker
how deep he can carve.

One of the last steps is the
widening of the canoe.

Exposing the body to heat

makes the shape
of the canoe permanent.

[no audio]

What remains
is a layer of tar.

[no audio]

The hunters head out
to test their new canoes

with some fishing
and duck hunting.

This week-long expedition
is also the first time...

these pups are being taken out
into the wilderness.

[no audio]

The nets have been
out overnight...

and, by morning,
ice has formed around them.

But it's a good time
of year for catching pike
and other fish.

[no audio]

The most delicate fish will be
smoked for the season to come.

[no audio]

Summer brings
an abundance of life.

This is a sable
in short summer fur.

Come winter,
it will be the main quarry
of the trappers.

[no audio]

Even though the hunter does not
want to go for the reindeer...

his dog can't help
but give chase.

He has no chance,
but try he must.

[no audio]

Preparations are
in full swing for
the upcoming trapping season.

This means stocking up on as
much fish as you can catch...

to feed both man and dog.

Some of the pike
can be real specimens.

Negotiating the shallows
of the river becomes
a real problem.

The propeller
has to be protected.

[no audio]

Summer is the season for
the hunters to help each other
build new cabins.

The real challenge are
the mosquitoes--
clouds of them.

Honestly,
mosquitoes are all right for me.

When you're busy,
you don't notice them that much.

Here are the nails.

You drive them in,
leaving the tip.

And then you twist it,
and that's it.

The hunters are so self-reliant
that they make virtually
everything themselves.

Chain saws are one of
the few modern tools they use.

[no audio]

All right,
the window to Europe.

Moss and earth.

In the cities,
they have special insulation.

Here, moss and earth
are the insulation.

We usually do it in the summer
after piling up logs
in the spring.

By early summer,
the log frame is ready.

You now have to cover it
to protect it against rain,
to let it dry...

so that the hut is ready
by the start of
the trapping season.

For good measure,
we'll dig a cellar...

to store potatoes, onions.

On a warm day
in a windless place,

the mosquitoes
bite like crazy.

The best place
is in the wind close
to your home.

The mosquitoes bite.

This dog is
eaten up by mosquitoes.

As there is
no corner drugstore...

the hunters have to make
their own insect repellent.

The bark of birch
trees can be processed...

to produce a tar which is
equally as effective out there.

[no audio]

I'll cover his face with tar,
and it'll be okay.

I use almost half a liter of
fish oil or some other kind
of oil for a glass of tar.

In the evening,
you have to go to the bathhouse.

Dogs stink with tar.
Their owners stink with tar.

Gennady now resumes
the making of his skis.

They make special skis
for every season.

Even in the fall
when the snow cover's thin,

it's hard to move
without skis...

because you walk knee-deep
in moss and, later, in snow.

Small skis are great
for this.

That's why they make them
crude-- strong and small.

[no audio]

Here is quite a thin board.

If it were not made
from a straight-grained wood,

it would have broken at once.

He puts the tip of the plank
into boiling water
for a few hours...

in order
to make it pliable.

He passes this age-old
technique on to his son.

Now look, Kirill.

You don't press here.
You press on the ski here.
Get it?

And you have to apply pressure
smoothly for the wood
to get used to it.

See how it bends?

If you press too quickly,
it opens cracks.

So take this
and lift it slowly.

Slowly, slowly, okay.

Lift some more.

The point of the ski
is sharpened after bending.

If you start bending
a sharpened ski...

the tip will be here
and the ski will crack here.

That's what you'll get.
You understand?

The bend doesn't
lose its shape.

You temper it, then keep it
for some more time
in this frame.

And that's it.
It will never unbend.

From further upriver
comes driftwood.

The villagers gather it as
free firewood for the winter.

[no audio]

The few remaining Ket
people earn money this way.

It's one of the few menial
jobs left for them.

[no audio]

They have largely forgotten
their traditional
craftsmanship...

and most of them
have problems with alcohol.

I am making skis.
I have bent the tips.

Only I don't have
a jack plane.

When I get one,
I'll finish the job.

[no audio]

Only a single old Ket woman
is left who still remembers
the old ways.

These mysterious dolls
are protective spirits.

During day,
they sleep...

but at night they awaken
to guard the home.

[no audio]

That night, her son is careless
with a cigarette butt...

and their house catches fire.

Yet, another loss is
more painful for him.

It's a shame
I don't have my doll.

My house burned
to the ground together
with the dolls.

[no audio]

Our old folks
have all died.

And there are not
many young people.

In the old days,
we lived in tents and the young
learned from the old.

Now you see a lot
of that is forgotten.

- You see we're drunk
and we do odd jobs.
- Hey, you!

- Hey, shut up! Shut up!
- What?

The Russians
are to blame!

Without the Russians,
there wouldn't have been vodka.

No, it's our own fault.

Some people live well.

If you want,
you can live and work.

If not, what else can you do
but drink?

As for who is to blame,
I don't know.

It's a tough question
to answer.

[no audio]

Summer in its fullest display--
swallows, boats.

Daylight lasts 20 hours.

This is the time
when big ships show up...

some of them
even tourist cruisers.

[no audio]

It's gardening season.

Greenhouses are being
fixed and manure spread.

With the days
so abundantly long...

vegetables grow here
at an incredible rate.

[no audio]

One of the first signs
that the short summer is
coming to an end...

is the chipmunks
out collecting pine nuts.

Humans do the same
in their own way.

[no audio]

There are few cones this year.

The trappers can estimate
from the number of cones...

whether it's going to be
a good hunting year or not...

as the nuts are a staple
food for the sable.

Grinding the cones makes it
easier to get the nuts...

which provide another food
source for the hunters
during the winter.

[no audio]

Pouring the grounds
into the wind...

is similar to separating
the wheat from the chaff.

[no audio]

Now the first rains start.

Summer will soon be over.

So while the river
is still navigable...

a strange visitor arrives
with company.

It is a candidate
seeking reelection.

For four years, people in
Bakhtia have not seen a single
politician caring for them...

but, here now, there is one
campaigning vigorously
for their votes.

He promises transparent
government and the expunging
of corruption --

a clean leadership
once and for all.

But he does not fail
to deliver the goods anyway --

sacks of wheat for his
constituency and even
a little show.

Only the young people seem
to be able to get
into the groove.

And now the candidate bursts
out in song himself...

backed by his cheerleaders.

The voters, apparently,
couldn't care less.

Fall has arrived.

It is time to harvest...

and begin serious
preparations for
the fast-approaching cold.

[no audio]

Days grow short,
and fishing is good now.

[no audio]

At night, the trappers
go out onto the river.

Every type of fish has its
specific time when it comes
close to the shore.

The only species of freshwater
cod can be stalked now...

using almost prehistoric tools.

The light of the fire
attracts the fish.

[no audio]

Storms from the north
suddenly set in.

[no audio]

The clouds carry rain
that falls for weeks...

and this is important
for the hunters.

The level of the river rises...

and now they can transport
their heavy gear
into the wilderness.

[no audio]

The most important things,
like bread, are loaded last.

The trappers order bread
in advance from the bakery.

Half a loaf per day will do.

And now comes the moment
of departure.

Good luck.
Come back healthy.

Don't worry about us.
We'll be all right.

Keep your fingers crossed
that we come back.

The occasion is celebrated with
vodka -- vicious as jet fuel.

[no audio]

I have tried all sorts of jobs
here on the collective farm...

but hunting is the best--
just the ticket.

Nobody tells me what to do.
I can hunt or rest.

I am my own man.

And hunting is great fun.

[no audio]

Now out on their own...

the trappers become what they
essentially are-- happy people.

Accompanied only by their dogs,
they live off the land.

They are completely
self-reliant.

They are truly free.

No rules, no taxes,
no government...

no laws, no bureaucracy.

No phones, no radio.

Equipped only with their
individual values and
standard of conduct.

Mikhail Tarkovsky--
from the family of the famous
filmmaker--

knows what it takes
to live out here.

And the first thing is to be
able to navigate the river
in high water.

[no audio]

Anatoly Blume sets out
on a different tributary
of the Yenisey...

and Gennady and his son
on their respective branch
of the river.

It's tough going.

[no audio]

In some places,
the rapids are so strong...

that the outboard motor
cannot overcome
the current.

So you have to have
these long ropes.

Sometimes even the two of us
cannot drag it against
the current.

It's a very hard river to run.

The rapids are so strong that
you can only cover 25 to 30
kilometers a day.

Gennady's son sets out for his
own territory further upriver.

"Every man has his own destiny,
his own plan,
his own territory"...

says Gennady
in a pensive mood.

You bring the main supplies
to the huts on the bank
when the water is high--

grits, food for the dogs--
and you store it all safely
up high.

At this time of year,
the bears are still around...

posing a threat to
the trappers' provisions.

[no audio]

Bears are the real enemy
of the trappers...

wreaking all kinds of havoc
to both hut and trap.

[no audio]

This is a bear's work.

You often feel,
to hell with your skin
or meat...

as long as you keep away
from my traps.

It's attracted by the smell.

It knows it can't
find any food...

but it goes in and
smashes everything all the same.

So you check the huts,
fix the traps...

and you may catch
some fish or fowl as well.

[no audio]

Gennady rewards his dogs
with the neck and feet
of the woodcock.

[no audio]

For now, the river
still flows free...

but the first signs
of frost are appearing.

The trappers rush to catch
as much pike as they can...

mostly for their dogs.

Half a dozen pikes
like these for every hut
is just about enough.

[no audio]

Mikhail has his own
unorthodox fishing
techniques.

[no audio]

The bears are no longer around,
having gone off into
hibernation.

Provisions now can be
stored within easy reach.

The only threat
are mice...

and the plastic will prevent
them from getting up the tree.

[no audio]

You see that everything is
going forward as it should.

It gives you a sense
of a job being done.

It is not you who is doing
it, but you still feel
part of it.

Half-frozen water
or slush ice is called shuga.

This one is still soft
with snow.

You can still ride
in a boat on it.

We are moving
from early to late fall.

The boat runs
to deliver supplies.

You are full of worry--
anxious to get the supplies...

not to drop them
in the water...

to make it to the hut,
put the hut in order
and move on to the next one.

We are moving deeper and
deeper into the fall season.

This bright weather and
light frost comes as a relief
after the rains.

There is nothing like warming
yourself and having a cup
of tea to make you happy.

It's not like anything else.

When I came here,
I had a feeling that my dream
had come true.

You enjoy the beauty of nature,
and you do your job
at the same time.

That's why they all end up
by being hunters.

Because hunting brings you
closer to the taiga
than anything else.

Here we are.
Another hut is ready.

Turn the bucket upside down
so it doesn't
fill with water.

Everything hangs
in its proper place,

and I've made
the cabin ready.

Inside the hut everything
also hangs from the ceiling--
grits, sugar--

so that the mice
don't eat them.

Everything is fine.

I have split firewood
and stacked it.

The food is here.

In short, I've put another hut
in order, thank God.

Come on, Reddie.

[no audio]

The onslaught of ice puts
Mikhail's boat in jeopardy.

It's time to secure it
for the winter.

[no audio]

Mikhail uses a different,
more recognizable type
of traditional trap.

[no audio]

This is called an ochep--
a steel trap.

It acts when the animal
steps in it.

When the animal
begins to struggle...

the end of the ochep is
released, and it jerks up.

Then neither a fox nor
a marten nor a mouse
will get to it.

You try to put it
closer to the edge...

but make sure it isn't
thrown down by the wind or snow.

The branches protect the trap
from getting snowed over.

[no audio]

The enormity
of solitude sets in.

His only companion
is his dog.

For the hunter,
of course,

the important thing
is that the dog works for him.

But you become
attached to it.

Sometimes the dog becomes
a member of your family.

The dog feeds us.

You are no hunter
without a dog.

At three months, I can tell
a good dog without fail.

The puppy begins to stalk
the cat, sniffs at its
footprints.

It attacks chickens--
anything.

If you want to have good dog,
take puppies from good dogs.

And of course, it depends
on how you bring it up.

If you take a good puppy
and put it inside

and keep it there
for six months...

surely it won't make a good
hunter when you take it
into the taiga.

[no audio]

An all-purpose dog
is hard to come by.

If a dog likes
to chase moose...

there's no way you can
force it to chase squirrels.

If the dog hears the squirrel,
it will bark a couple
of times...

but won't go
looking for it.

So if you are unhappy
with such a dog,

get yourself another one.

If that one does not suit you,
get yet another one.

The more dogs you change...

the more chance you have
to get a dog that's
just right for you.

[no audio]

I had about four.

Typically, good dogs
don't live long.

Out of these four,
only one survived
till he was 10.

The rest died in their prime--
ages four to five.

My last dog was a bitch
called Smoky.

It happened that a bear
came to the village.

When the bear roared,
all the village dogs vanished.

I released my male dog...

but he just barked at the bear
a couple of times
and fell silent.

I sensed that there
was something wrong.

When I reached the place,
I heard my bitch, Smoky...

coughing and spitting
out the bear's hair.

She bit him several times,
and then she squealed
and went silent.

By that time,
I was already on the spot.

I saw the bear lying on
the cow path tearing at my dog.

I approached the bear
and took aim at his head.

But before I pulled the trigger,
he heard me and
raised his head...

and I shot him
in his front paw.

The bullet made
just a scratch.

He went for me.

He was so close,
I nearly touched him
with the barrel of my rifle.

He approached me,
and I shot him point-blank.

The bullet pushed him back.
I got him.

Smoky was still alive.

The male dog
was torn to pieces.

I grabbed Smoky
in my arms...

And then I saw that
her belly had been torn
and her bowels were out.

I thought I could
still save her...

and ran to the nurse
without paying any attention
to the bear.

I ran about 30, 40 meters before
I saw that her head drooped.

She was gone.

I was overwhelmed
with sadness.

Back in the village.

Like the trappers
out in the taiga...

the villagers must also be
completely self-reliant.

Because no supplies can be
brought in during
the winter...

they must make everything
they need by hand.

[no audio]

You see, we drop the net,
and the net goes down.

[no audio]

If you feel the rope
doesn't play, don't pull
too hard.

[no audio]

That's it.

We wait for pike
or whatever fish we can catch.

Temperatures have dropped by
now below minus 50 degrees...

and the days
are growing short.

[no audio]

The Yenisey River is
completely frozen over...

but still provides fish
in abundance.

We feed fish to the dogs...

and we eat it ourselves
round the year.

Sometimes we fry it,
sometimes make fish soup.

There is nothing
like fresh fish, whatever kind.

Lenok. That's a great fish.

Pull some more.

We see something there.
A lot of good fish!

See how much fish!

I cover it up
so it doesn't freeze.

Out in the taiga...

Gennady negotiates his
territory along
his frozen tributary.

From here,
he will branch out
to hunt sable.

Everybody specializes
in sable because
squirrels are cheap.

And as for ermine,
you are lucky if you can
get one or two.

This one will be rejected
because it's too small.

They now accept
only large ermine.

And the prices are ridiculous.

A good big ermine
is about 125 rubles.

Of course,
the sable feeds us.

Prices seem to be going up,
and money is losing value.

I now have to pay 1,500 rubles
for what I used to buy
for 20 rubles.

The traps are laid out
along loops that take
a day to travel.

This way, he can safely reach
one of his outlying huts
by nightfall.

[no audio]

This contraption--
the lid, the sticks and all--

and the footprints
near the trap attract him.

This is how you set up
the koolyomka.

The triggering device
of his trap...

is a primitive yet
sophisticated mechanism.

[no audio]

This koolyomka near the hut
traps some animals
every year.

The difference between
a deadfall trap and
a steel trap...

is that a sable that is hungry
will ignore the steel trap...

but the trick does not
work with the koolyomka.

Whatever he does,
once he pulls at the bait,
it comes down on it.

The pelts have no bloodstains.
The animal is as good
as if it were alive.

It's a humane method
because it kills at once.

Come to think of it,
we are all killers
or accomplices.

Even those people who are
kind-hearted and tend
to pity everything.

Why? It's very simple.

A farmer keeps a pig...

but he knows in advance
what he keeps it for.

In order to kill it
and to eat it or sell its meat.

And even the person
who is sorry about all
this buys the pork from him.

And the trapper is the same
as that pig farmer...

only he is--
how would you say it--
more honest.

Actually,
it's not even about honesty.

This man knowingly raises--

I used to raise cattle,
and I could never bring myself
to slaughter them.

Because there is, say, a bull.
You raise him for two years.

It comes to you expecting you
to show affection or give it
some treat...

and instead he gets
a bullet in the head.

In the taiga,
the wild animal knows
that no good

can come from me,
from a man.

He tries to escape.
Here, it's about
who outsmarts whom.

[no audio]

Hundreds of kilometers away
is Anatoly's hut.

He is in the middle
of his trapping season.

While we see that he has
no shortage of fish...

it is conspicuous how little
he gives his dog
for breakfast.

It all depends on how
a man treats his dog.

Some guys almost eat
from the same bowl
with the dog...

and allow it to sleep
with him on the bunk.

But I for one think
it's wrong.

I don't allow my dog in even
when it's very cold outside.

He has his katukh,
his shelter.

I think all he needs
is to be fed.

He should eat his fill
in the evening,

but not too much
in the morning...

so his belly doesn't
drag on the ground.

Trappers make a big mistake
when they beat their dogs
for touching the traps.

Of course you have to punish
them and show your
displeasure...

but beating alone won't
keep a dog off the traps.

It comes to be afraid
of the owner.

It stays clear of the trap
in the presence of the owner...

but when the owner looks away,
or at night,

he is sure to steal
the bait.

And if it's afraid
of the trap,
then it will stay away.

It's easy to train them.

You set up a trap
specifically for dogs.

Let it spend
some time in the trap...

and realize that
it's not a pleasant experience.

Otherwise, it will be endless
trouble for the hunter...

and he won't get along
with his dog.

It will be afraid of him
and sneak out at night

to make the rounds
of the traps...

and waste the hunter's efforts.

In short, you'll have no end
of trouble with your dog.

If you do it right,
your dog loves you and it's
afraid of the traps.

What more do you need?

[no audio]

The snowmobile is another one
of the few modern conveniences
they employ...

but, in this terrain,
it has its limits.

[no audio]

Continuing his rounds
on skis...

he resembles prehistoric
man from a distant ice age.

[no audio]

Day in, day out--

it is the same routine
of hard work
in severe conditions.

But out here,
the trapper is
one of the few...

to witness the beauty of space,
cold and silence.

[no audio]

Imagine, after being
exhausted at the end
of a hard day...

you are coming home to this.

[no audio]

In the little remaining
daylight,

he cannot possibly
return to his main hut.

His only recourse
is to fix this one.

[no audio]

Because Anatoly spent much
of the next day repairing
his outlying hut...

it takes him until nightfall
to find his way back
to his base hut.

[no audio]

It is the last day
of December...

and unusually mild at 33
degrees below zero.

[no audio]

Anatoly,
like all the other trappers...

will return to the village
for New Year's Eve.

The voyage is 150
kilometers along
the frozen river...

and we should note that
Anatoly's dog never rides
on the snowmobile.

He covers the entire
distance running behind.

[no audio]

At night,
he is still running.

[no audio]

Finally,
the village of Bakhtia
comes into view.

[no audio]

And here comes the dog.

The dog must be hungry!

Of course he is.
He hasn't eaten for over a day.

[no audio]

Hey, come here.

For Gennady and all of them,
this is a happy return.

[no audio]

Christmas is celebrated
in Russia on January 6.

The entire village
participates.

[no audio]

The stay for the trappers
will be a short one.

After a few days and nights...

they will return to the taiga
for the remaining months
of winter.

This is the life they love.

[no audio]

Well, we're alone again.

[no audio]