Tourist Routes of Izhma

Holidays and Crafts

The national art of Izhma craftsmen and сraftswomen is most vividly displayed in reindeer fur items. Jumpers and parkas trimmed with national patterns are the most interesting for ethnographic museum workers. Pimy are a different thing. These are fur slippers, which are in high demand with guests. Reindeer-skin footwear sewn by hand according to century-old technologies is still popular with both the country and city residents of the Komi Republic.

Besides everyday things which are in demand on the market, the Izhma craftswomen have started the production of Komi-izhrna tol and souvenir pictures made of reindeer skin pieces. Izhma Reindeer, a workshop manufacturing fur and leather goods and uniting all the home-workers, is locate« the village of Sizyabsk. Another center preserving national crafts operates quite effectively in the village of Vertep. The products of craftsmen of this center are sold at all area and local folklore holidays and national fairs. The main regional holiday. Lud, is celebrated on the last Sunday of June or the Sunday of July, just before the start of the haymaking season. Besides performance of folklore groups, this holiday is interesting for its unusual horse races which have cross-country courses passing through water-meadow and ravines, horse races are a tradition which has been retained since very old times, and _revived in the last part of the 20th century.

Reindeer herder's Day is celebrated in March with reindeer harness races, snow races and "Northern All-Round Competitions".

Ethnographic Tourism

Ethographic tourism and folklore studies attract many scientists, explorers and tourists to the region. However, it is quite difficult to familiarize oneself with the veryday life of Izhma reindeer herders in the summer. Only helicopters fly to their ares at the Kara Sea. That is why those loving ethnography had better come to Ihrna in the winter, when reindeer herders' nomadic tents are located in white moss forests and reindeer get reindeer moss from loose snow that has no hard crust. A tour visiting winter pastures is intended for the connoisseurs of Northern minor group cultures. It provides an opportunity to see reindeer herders' everyday life, as well as traditional sport contests — leaps over sleds, tynzey (lasso) throwing and ax throwing. The Izhma Area is the only area in the Komi Republic where these sports develop not only on an individual bases, but also in special sports schools. An essential part of a winter Izhma tour is reindeer harness riding (using three or four trained reindeer).