The museum exhibition presents traditional men’s summer footwear of the Northern peoples. In the language of the Khanty people, the knee-high boots are called ‘nyuki wei’.

The boots are hand-sewn from ‘rovduga’ (deerskin) and richly decorated with ornaments. The pattern is applied by a wooden stick with a sharp end. Special dye is produced according to an old technology from birch wood rot. This paint gets inside the leather and is not washed off.

The Khanty people believe that the traditional ornament serves as a talisman and protects the person from the spirits of the Lower World, the spirits of diseases. That is why you can wear clothes or shoes only if they have a special decoration pattern. This pattern usually consists of geometric shapes or stylized images of animals or birds.

The front side of the tops of the ‘nyuki wei’ boots is longer than the back. Leather straps are sewn on the bottom and top of the shoes. They go through the rovduga (deerskin suede) loops sewn on the sides of the boot. Loops are traditionally painted red with natural dyes, for example, made from berry juice. With the help of straps, men additionally fix the boots, tying them around the knee. Women’s boots are tied to the body belt in the same way.

The “nyuki wei” boots are very practical: high tops protect against insects, and authentic deerskin does not allow moisture to pass through, which prevents the appearance of intertrigo. Straw insoles are usually placed in such boots, which create a kind of an “air cushion” and prevent from flat feet.

The Khanty sew not only shoes but also clothes, bedspreads, toys, and other household items from deerskin. Reindeer breeding has been the basis of the life of the northern peoples for many centuries. The Khanty consider the deer a symbol of life and prosperity, and the reindeer sled is one of the most convenient vehicles for moving around the taiga territories.