Cattle breeding in the Eveno-Bytantaysky District in Sakha Republic (Russia, 2013).
Yakutian cattle are a cattle landrace – a species variety that has adapted over time to local conditions, with isolation from other populations contributing to its development. In the case of Yakutian cattle, this development has led to their extreme hardiness and tolerance in the freezing temperatures of the Arctic Circle.
The purest of the Yakutian cattle are raised in the Eveno-Bytantaysky District, under the directorship of Peter Gorokhov (second from the right in the second photo). These cows give milk with a 5-9% fat content.
Although Kustur (the rural locality where the cattle are kept) has plenty of pasture and grassland, most of it is not well-developed. Workers mow the grass manually, and transport it to a dry place. In winter, they carry hay in the Urals for 70 kilometres.
The first photo shows Ulyana Nikitina, an experienced livestock breeder who worked for 43 years, 33 of them as a milkmaid. She used to work on the Leninsky state farm, where seven milkmaids would be responsible for 7-8 cows. She was highly-regarded as a milkmaid, and was once put forward for a medal for her work, although she did not receive it.
