This waterproof sack of the burbot skin was handmade at the end of the 19th century. It could sustain the weight of up to 30 kg and due to its sustainability was an essential thing in the household of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Such fish skin sacks were used to store various products and household goods, especially flour and grain.

Peoples of the North had a zero-waste production as each product was used. Fish flesh was for eating, fish oil was applied to the skin to repel mosquitoes, fish scales were used to produce glue and manufacture footwear and stockings. The fibers of fish skin are closely woven, for that reason, clothes made of such a skin are very durable and it could be worn much longer than clothes made of cattle leather.

In the 17th century, it was first mentioned that peoples of the North used fish skin to sew goods. In the Yesipov Chronicle it is written, ‘the Ostyaks have their clothes from fish’.

In order to make clothes or sacks, material was processed by hand. The process was difficult and took a lot of time. Only a large fish was chosen as it was easier to handle it. First, a burbot was scaled, then, it was cleaned and decorticated. Both sides of the skin were carefully scrubbed and rinsed. The clean skin was placed on a special wooden device or an even surface and left for 8-10 hours to dry. Having been dried, the skin became very rigid. Then special bone knives were used to crumple the skin on a wooden device for several hours.