In spring, “the glare of snow” begins in the tundra. At this time, the arctic sun rises very high. Bright light is refracted by ice crystals, and everything around looks white, even the snow ledges do not cast shadows. Eyestrain and exposure to too much ultraviolet light lead to snow blindness.

The sunburn of the cornea results in inflammation, tearing, discomfort and pain. The eyelids swell and people feel dizzy. They see darkness and flickering flashes. Snow blindness is reversible: if a person immediately hides in a dark room, gives rest to the eyes and applies an opaque bandage, then the vision will be restored in a few days. However, if the person continues to look at the snow shining in the sun, real blindness can develop.

This disease was first described by travelers who explored the Far North. They used opium drops to save their eyes, but the drops only relieved the pain symptoms. The indigenous people of the North came up with their own way of protection from snow blindness. Eye goggles, vaguely reminiscent of modern glasses, were made of wood and birch bark, and the Nenets sewed special leather bandages. Nenets artisans took a piece of fur or rawhide about 20 centimeters long. They inserted thin copper plates with slits for the eyes — the inserts performed the function of spectacle lenses. The slits were under five centimeters long and under two millimeters wide.

The copper inserts were fixed in the fabric with a double leather rim and strong tendon threads. On the sides, there were leather straps, which were tied at the back of the head. The surface of the glasses was decorated with colored cloth, like the traditional Nenets clothes. Sometimes, when making snow goggles, the Nenets did not use metal plates, and made slits right in the fabric. Occasionally they used thin wooden or bone plates.

Thanks to Nenets glasses, the number of northerners suffering from eye diseases has significantly decreased. The exhibition “Peoples of the North” of the Purovsky Museum presents authentic snow sunglasses that belonged to the Nenets Ilyusha Pyak.

Name: Nenets sunglasses
№: 19059695
Date of creation: the late 19th — early 20th century
Place of creation: The Russian Empire
Technique: sewing, assembly
Dimensions: 8,9×19 cm

In the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, winter lasts up to eight months, and frosts reach 50 degrees Celsius. Making warm outerwear is part of the traditional Nenets culture, a prerequisite for surviving in the Arctic climate. Women pass down sewing techniques and skills from generation to generation. Many Nenets leave their dwelling (chum) and work in the open air. They also herd deer and travel hundreds of kilometers in severe frosts. Their main protection against the cold is their clothing sewn from deer hides.

A sovik’s design differs from the one of a malitsa. It does not include mittens, but has a hood, often trimmed with luxuriant deer fur or two Arctic fox tails. Unlike a malitsa, a sovik is worn without a belt. To make it longer and warmer, people attach a fur trimming of a different color. A sovik’s color depends on the natural tone of the hides, and white is considered the most beautiful and expensive shade.

The gus’ (sovik) is a type of outerwear, an additional source of heat in severe frosts and snowstorms. It is worn during long work or when traveling in an open sleigh. The wearer usually does not bring the sovik inside, but leaves it on the sled. It is put with its back up, with the hood and sleeves folded so the sovik would not get cold inside. When camping in winter, a sovik can be used as a sleeping bag: it is pulled together around the legs and the hood and sleeves are turned inside. The owner lies down on the snow or in a pit that was specially dug in the snow — the latter is called “a partridge chum”.