On December 25th Kostya and Alexander went to the railway station to pick up Alexandra, Albina and children who came back home for winter vacation - Yana, Olya, Edeyko and Hasavako. 

Next day, on December 26th, Kostya with Alexander on a snowmobile with sledge went to Yar-Sale (about 250 kms from our camp place). They had to bring back some gazoline (one is not allowed to transport gazoline by train) and various gifts and orders for the New year's eve. They travelled for 2 days - because of snowstorm they had spent a night in the Yapticks' chum near the 13th passing place, 90 kms from our chum. Radik, Sveta and Myangcha left for Yar-Sale on December 18th - in their chum there were only dogs left, and we had to look after them.  

These days our chum's inhabitants spent doing usual tasks: cut firewood, collected ice in the lake, sorted stuff in the nartas. Albina went to check the herd. In the evenings children and Alexandra decorated the chum: cut snowflakes out of paper, made garlands of colored paper, prepared wishing cards and made pictures. 

Kostya and Alexander's road wasn't that easy at all. You might think, it is a lot of snow here in tundra - it's North after all. But it's wrong. The tundra is a huge open space without any trees, so snow don't stay on the ground for long. So now snowstorm ("had"), that lasted for several days, moved all snow south of Yuribey. Tundra looked as in September - broun frozen ground, slightly covered with snow. It's hard and even dangerous to ride snowmobile on this surface, especially hard is's for passengers, who feel all ups and downs. 

The men finished all their tasks in Yar-Sale in one day as planned. On December 29th they started back, and the way was much easier - with a couple of stops in other chums for cup of tea - and in the evening Kostya and Alexander have arrived in our chum. 

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 Hasavako cuts a snowflake:

Edeyko while making chum's New Year decoration:

Semyon is making a garland:

Olya is making New Year's wishing card:

On December 30th we dismantled and constructed our chum again (because of the snowstorm it sank a little) - and in the evening decorated it with hand made and bought in Salekhard decorations. New Year's spirit instantly filled the space. There only wasn't Christmas tree, but it's impossible to find it in this area.

Decorating the chum:

For the last day of 2015 it was planned a lot of things to do. In the morning we built a coral, Kostya brought there the herd. Children rushed our of the chum to feed avkas (domesticated reindeers) with bread. Then we picked two animals and ate fresh meat to celebrate a new year coming soon. Around this time Hanuta and Natena (Albina's brother and her sister's husband) were on their way to our chum to pick up spare parts for snowmobile and celebrate New Year together. 

After it got dark, we turned on generator, and guests from Mordy-Yaha came to our chum. Same as it would be in the city, television was on the whole evening (on laptop in our case) - and women were watching movies and making pelmeni for the New Year's dinner. We have to admit that pelmeni with staffing of reindeer's meat are very tasty. 

Making pelmeni - Russian ravioli - for New Year's feast:  

It was kind a problem for us to choose right time - all mobile phones in chum showed it differently. We just selected randomly one of them, and hope it showed exact moment of 00:00 according to Yamal time zone. 15 minutes before two hostesses of different sides of the chum set two tables. Usually Serotetto family (same as other families in all over Russia) is watching television all evening, listening to the president's speech - but this year TV reciever was brocken.  At midnight we opened two bottles of sparkling wine (also brought by Kostya and Alexander in the shuttering sledge), as well as some stronger drinks, lighted firework sparkles, kids shut flip flaps and everybody started to congratulate each other. 

The men brought some gifts from the town, including fireworks (although it's not allowed in Yar-Sale to sale them), and we shooted them off neat the chum. Then real Santa and his granddaughter Snow Maiden came to chum (Alexander and Alexandra in the costumes) and gave everyone - all kids and adults - a gift in exchange to their sing a song or read a poem. It was a full success - even after several days kids still asked when Santa and Snow Maiden were going to visit the chum again. Everybody loves gifts! 

We went to bed at 2 am - it was a lot to do planned for the next day. 

Kostya and Albina's eldest daughter Yana:

All together in the first minutes of 2016:  above - Olya and Edeyko, adults from right side - Albina, Yana'mama, Nache, Natena, Kostya, below - Pedava, Yana, Hasavako and Semyon.