Happy People: A Year in the Taiga

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.

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 disarm the trap.

take away the bait.

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 any more.

But he gets all the appropriate perks

a dog is entitled to.

He chases after b*tches all he Wants

and gets the best food.

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!

The snow crust after a good frost

is very tough.

No, 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, mean.

This is the best time of the yeah.

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.

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.

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 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,

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