The artist first visited the North in 1954. Later he often went on expeditions with geologists to the region. In order to depict the beauty of the region in his paintings, the artist had to use helicopters, small planes and sleighs pulled by reindeer for transportation.

The painting Family Routine evokes feelings of sadness and anxiety. A chum, reindeer and figures of the people seem lost and helpless in the vast snow-clad space under the grey sky. The title of the painting is supposed to tell about the mundanity of reindeer keepers’ everyday life. Men go away and return, female housekeepers meet them and see them off. A chum is a traditional conical-shaped dwelling, which consists of the poles covered with birchbark, reindeer hides or felt. Such dwellings are widespread all over Siberia. Some chums can be up to eight meters in diameter.

The whole life of the taiga nomads is connected to reindeer. They are irreplaceable as the main mean of transport in taiga at any time of year. Reindeer are used for transportation of people and cargo. In order to recognize their own reindeer, the owners apply the figured marks to the ears of newborn animals. Reindeer isn’t only used as a mean of transport, it provides its family with a shelter, clothes and food.

Khanty and Mansi started to practice reindeer breeding between the 13th and 15th centuries. They adopted breeding techniques from their northern neighbors Nenets. In the territory of the Okrug the Northern Nenets breed of reindeer was bred. It was adapted to the life in taiga. Those deer belong to the group of the smaller forest representatives. In the picture one can also see a long narrow sledge usually pulled by reindeer or dogs. Such sledge was widespread in the Northwest Russia (Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug), Far East and Siberia. The sledge was also used as a trailer.