Happy People: A Year in the Taiga Page #2

All the provisions here

have to be secured against bears.

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 fee.

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.

If you ask me, industry and perseverance

is top of the agenda.

Doubt if anyone would agree.

But we all agree that greed is

the trapper's worst quality...

which and my friends despise.

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 eases 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.

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.

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 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.

His territory comprises

of some 1,500 square kilometers.

This area was consigned to him

during Communist times...

when he trapped for the state.

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

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