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T H E A R T S
JANUARY 2000

The Whisper of Stars

The Horse Is a Mainstay of Siberian Life

Written and photographed by Bryan Alexander

t is midwinter in the Siberian taiga, just north of the Arctic circle. The temperature is bitterly cold. In a forest clearing a group of horses paw at the snow with their hooves to feed on the grasses buried beneath. Their breath freezes instantly in the cold air, and a thick layer of ice has formed in the hair around their nostrils and mouth. Short, stocky, and fat, the animals appear to be in good condition.

* A Siberian nomad is still smiling at -58⁰ F.

        Horses might not be a sight normally associated with this harsh environment, but this hardy breed--known as "Yakut"--thrives in the Siberian Republic of Sakha (more commonly known as Yakutia). Remarkably, these horses fend for themselves during the long and bitter Siberian winters. They require no shelter or supplementary feeding, even though the region has the coldest climate in the entire Northern Hemisphere.
        Not only do the horses survive the cold, but they also endure the sweltering heat of summer. Temperatures can rise to over 100*F. The region can experience the greatest annual temperature range of anywhere on earth.
        During the winter, much of Yakutia experiences a temperature inversion. This results in an unusual phenomenon. When the temperature dips below --63*F, you can often hear a soft whooshing noise like the sound of grain being poured. It is caused by vapor in one's own breath turning to ice crystals in the cold, dry air. Because sound travels much farther in extreme cold, it can be particularly noticeable if you are close to a group of horses in the taiga on a cold, still night. The local Yakut people call this sound "the Whisper of the Stars."

A noble partner in human life

Horses and horse herding play an intrinsic part of Yakut culture and traditional belief. The horse is as important to the Yakuts as reindeer are to the Saami (Lapps). Not only used for transport, the animals are a valuable source of meat and milk. Their skin is used for clothing and rugs, while the hair is transformed into bucket handles and mosquito whisks. There is even a popular alcoholic drink called komys, which is made from fermented mare's milk. Komys is used in a number of the Yakuts' shamanistic religious ceremonies, including the midsummer festival of Ysyah. During this ceremony, which is dedicated to the abundance and fertility of horses, a shaman dressed in white robes sprinkles komys onto an open fire.

* Herders play cards inside a hundred-year-old yurt.

        Not surprisingly, horses feature prominently in the material culture of the Yakuts. Table legs often have a horse leg design, and the horse motif is found on a wide variety of utensils, tables, and boxes. The tethering posts found outside many Yakut homes are considered sacred, and the happiness of the household is often attributed to them. Often, families moving from one home to another dig up these posts and take them along.
        The horse also features prominently in Yakut fairy tales, songs, and art. It is usually characterized as being clever, noble, and modest and frequently defends its master. In art, horses are portrayed with blazing eyes, head held high, mane proudly streaming and one foot raised ready to stamp the ground. Horses also feature in the Yakut calendar. For example, March, which is called kulun tutar, is known as the month of "holding the foals."
        Today there are around 200,000 horses in Yakutia. They are looked after by about three thousand herders and their families, though the number of people dependent on horse breeding is much greater. City dwellers usually own horses that are looked after by relatives in rural areas. The Yakut horse is an efficient meat producer, and horsemeat is still the most popular meat available in Yakutia. The Yakut people have numerous ways of preparing it. Sometimes it is even served raw, thinly sliced and frozen. The liver is particularly popular this way, with a little salt sprinkled on. The meat is often eaten boiled, though some cuts (like ribs) are usually preferred fried. The Yakuts also make a blood sausage with the intestines and, perhaps the most exotic culinary item of all, "horse foot jelly."
        Horse breeding, like most other agricultural activities, was collectivized into a system of state farms under Russia's former communist regime. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of these collectives have become privatized. Herds vary in size from about thirty to several hundred horses. Herding doesn't involve a constant watch over the animals, but herds have to be checked regularly. Herders ensure that none of the animals have strayed, that they are in good condition, and that they have sufficient food. If necessary, herders will drive the horses to new pastures.
        Normally, herders only move their horses twice a year. They travel from their winter to their summer pastures in May and then return in October. On these journeys, which can be as long as several hundred kilometers, they follow established routes with good pastures and resting places along the way. The herders usually have either log cabin or traditional Yakut sod houses (called yurts) at both their winter and summer pastures.

* A determined horse struggles up an icy slope.

        Not surprisingly, the most difficult time of year for the horses is the winter months. In December and January there is little daylight in northern Yakutia. During this period of darkness, the horses rely on their acute sense of smell to locate suitable grazing beneath the snow. In the severe cold, horses avoid wasting energy and will only dig and clear snow from areas where there is a lot of edible vegetation.
        The gestation of the Yakut horse is approximately eleven months. The first foals are born in late March. They enter a freezing world, in which night temperatures can drop to around --50*F. Foals are usually stable on their feet and able to travel long distances within twenty-four hours of their birth. For the first two years of their lives, Yakut horses are usually given supplementary food during the winter (as are adult horses that have lost condition). In spring the herders feed mares with early born foals.
        The animals that are broken in for riding or as draft animals are normally cared for year round. In winter they are fed hay every day after work and are regularly groomed to remove any ice that has formed in their hair. A strong bond is formed between the herders and their horses. The Yakuts are understandably proud of their unique herds. The people's own survival has been intimately linked to the hardy animal that adapted so well to the most extreme climatic conditions in the world.

Bryan Alexander is a freelance photojournalist and Arctic specialist, based in the United Kingdom.