On July 29-30, 2023, in the Vorkuta tundra at the foot of the western slope of the Ural Mountains, the traditional gathering of indigenous believers from paganism took place—Nenets, Khanty, and Komi.
The beauty of the Polar Urals is truly mesmerizing! The purity of mountain air, crystal-clear refreshing streams from melting glaciers, and the uniqueness of the region attract many tourists from various parts of the country.
For the local inhabitants, this is their historical homeland, the place of their ancestral migrations, where for centuries, the designated territory for grazing reindeer herds has been silently preserved.
The Arctic land… These places hold many sad and well-known stories from the past… Today, the younger generation can barely recount the events of the Stalinist era that occurred 80 years ago. But forgetting one’s history is detrimental to the future!
Even today, occasionally at youth gatherings, we can hear legendary lines from wartime:
“They cannot be found in the dust of paths,
Amidst the taiga and the Ural ridges,
And on the little hill, a friend’s hand,
Will not place a bouquet of violets.”
A militant atheism annihilated thousands of living Christians in the first half of the last century… But the law of “sowing and reaping” was never repealed, and as a result, today’s youth confidently echo in their hymns:
“Oh, distant North, do you see the barrenness,
Holy seeds are already growing!
And on your abandoned fields,
Fruits will be harvested in future times.”
Thanks to the prayers and sacrifices of many faithful Christians, people in the far north are turning to God!
Ministry in the Far North – R. T.