Census a challenge in the remote areas of Yamal

Russian statistics service Rosstat on April 1 started a nationwide census in the remote area of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region

A nationwide census will be held throughout Russia from October 14 to 25. Alexander Surinov, the head of Rosstat, came to the tundra to observe and manage the census. Photo: nomadic reindeer herder dwelling in Yamal

Rosstat officials called a native Khanty family of five in advance, but it was not easy to reach their dwelling (chum)

On the way to Khanty, one of the vehicles got stuck in the snow.

Helicopters are the best means of transportation to remote nomadic settlements but are also the most expensive. According to Yamalstat, a single helicopter flight, including takeoff and landing costs, runs around 86,000 rubles (almost $3,000)

Census takers are to gather information on 45,000 respondents in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region. More than 500,000 Russians live in remote areas. Photo: nomadic family in Yamal

Individual nomadic families can live several kilometers away from each other. Reindeer are the only means of transportation in such conditions.

The census was initially postponed until October 2013 due to the economic crisis. The government, however, decided in November that the census should be held as scheduled, on the grounds that it would help shape Russia's social and economic policies in the post-crisis period. Russia has allocated around 10.5 billion rubles for the census. Photo: nomadic family in Yamal

Most of the census takers will be students. They will receive around 5,500 rubles per month. Those census takers who work in the remote areas of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region speak all the national dialects of the inhabitants.

During the survey, the Tayshin family spoke one of the national dialects. Photo: nomadic family in Yamal

Hospitable Yamal family welcomes the census takers with local delicacies, stroganina, or uncooked frozen fish

After the exotic lunch, census takers and the head of Rosstat continued their thrilling trip along the Gulf of Ob to register the nomads whose settlement is a five-hour journey from the administrative center of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, Salekhard