Reindeer and politics in Russia

As Russians vote in the country's elections, Tim Whewell has been gauging opinion in the north of the country, a region rich in oil and home to various indigenous tribes and large numbers of reindeer.

Politics and oil interests are affecting Russia's reindeer

The fact that the British drive on the left has long held a strange fascination for many Russians.

Many is the time I have asked people returning from their first visit to the UK what surprised them most - hoping to hear about the multi-ethnicity of London, the strange absence of Dickensian fogs, or even - back in Soviet times - the mesmerising plenitude of the shops, and instead - with sinking heart - heard, "You ride on the wrong side of the road."

So travelling five hours in the icy darkness last week down a turningless Siberian highway I was sad but not surprised when my companion launched into the usual harangue.

"But why do you? Why? No-one else does."

"What about the Japanese?" I say.

Members of north Siberia's native tribes strolled around in voluminous coats sewn from alternate strips of white and brown reindeer skin

"And - till recently - even Sweden, though it must have been dangerous when they changed over."

"Reindeer drivers don't," he says.

"They sit on the left side of the sledge, so they can hold the reins with their right hand - just the way you ought move the gears with your right hand, not your left."

Traditional knowledge

It had been a day when we had had to examine every problem through the prism of reindeer, a trip to what was called a "festival of the aboriginal family".

In a snowy clearing we found a circle of felt-covered tepees.

The contest, sponsored by oil companies and local authorities, was to find families which had best preserved the age-old skills of nomadic herders

From the swirl of poles at the top of each, wispy smoke led up past the dark fir trees towards a huge yellow moon.

Below, members of north Siberia's native tribes strolled around in voluminous coats sewn from alternate strips of white and brown reindeer skin.

The contest, sponsored by oil companies and local authorities, was to find families which had best preserved the age-old skills of nomadic herders.

There were prizes for youngest herder, oldest herder, best lassoer, largest herd bred from a single doe. And what prizes.

Outboard motors, power saws, and state-of-the art sound systems for those long winter nights in the tepee.

Of course, they wanted to know about British aborigines, what kind of tepees they live in and what they herd.

I tried to describe the life of hardy Welsh shepherds sheltering in little stone cottages by the Western ocean, but a rising sense of absurdity forced me to give up.

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Instead I interrogated them on how much they really loved the massive state-controlled oil and gas companies who have spread their shining tubular tentacles across Siberia, or the president whose slogan "Putin's Plan - Russia's Victory" refers vaguely to every good thing that has happened here in the last seven years, including wizzo prizes for preserving traditional culture.

In other words, what does Putin's plan mean for reindeer?

Local politics

Nadezhda, a grandmother with sharp narrow eyes set deep in a weathered face, said oilmen were pressing in on the reindeer from all sides.

And, she said, global warming means the mosquitoes are out later in the year. They goad the deer to wander off, so it is harder to round them up in the autumn.

This, frankly, was off-message. But luckily I had the five-hour return journey with the man so outraged by left-hand gears to put me right.

He was both a bureaucrat advising the local government on aboriginal affairs, and a leader of an independent aboriginal movement.

For a foreigner like me who has known Russia for 30 years it is hard not to be ravished by the quality of the facilities

"No conflict there," he said, "A pressure group should be inside the state, involved in decision-making.

"What a weak civil society it would be if interest groups could only wave placards in a square."

The same day, dozens of opposition activists were arrested in St Petersburg as they waved placards in a square.

What Putinites call an inclusive civil society might look to others like a one-party state but gosh - it does offer some good prizes - and not just outboard motors.

Oil wealth

We were finally back in Khanty-Mansiisk - the small capital of a territory that holds half Russia's oil.

A town where glossy new buildings sprout from every snowdrift.

For a foreigner like me who has known Russia for 30 years, it is hard not to be ravished by the quality of the facilities.

The performing arts school, the recreation centres, a hospital cleaner and better equipped than any I have seen in the NHS [UK National Health Service].

This of course is the Texas of Russia, but I know similar facilities - and a kind of middle-class lifestyle - are slowly appearing in other regions, too.

I asked a young surgeon in Khanty-Mansiisk, how he would vote.

He said: "There's one serious party - Putin's - that wins elections.

"I'm glad about the changes that people link to this party.

"But I remember communism and while we want to believe there's one good wizard who can improve our lives, it would be better to have lots of wizards competing to do it.

"That's better than when there's just one with no-one to compare himself to."

One way - or several? It brings us back to reindeer and gearboxes.

"What," I asked finally, "about left-handed people?"

"Left-handed people?" he said, "They're just unlucky from the start."

From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday 24 November, 2007 at 1130 GMT on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times.