Aimuldan - a ritual holiday of indigenous peoples of the North of Yakutia
On June 11-12, 2024, the ritual holiday of the indigenous peoples of the North of Srednekolymsky District of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) as part of the Even festival "Evinek" was held in the "Perviy Ysyakh Ellaye" on the territory of the cult place "Us Khatyng". Aimuldan was held in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Bereyozovsky national (nomadic) settlement of the Srednekolymsky District of Yakutia, and was also dedicated to the Year of the Family in Russia and the Year of Childhood in Yakutia. The festival was attended by Evens, Evenks, Yukaghirs, Dolgans, Chukchi and guests from the other districts and the city of Yakutsk.
The celebration was attended by residents of Yakutsk who come from the indigenous peoples of the North and the residents of the districts where indigenous peoples of the North live. At the joyous event, the elders held rituals of feeding the spirits of the area upon arrival. Meeting of the Sun "Noeltem bakaldadyak" was accompanied by the construction of a delburge, where each participant tied a brightly colored rag with a wish for prosperity, the same ritual was repeated directly at the opening ceremony of the Aimuldan holiday; an elder cleansed each participant with the smoke of the holly bush.
Representatives of public organizations and the Ministry of Arctic Affairs of Yakutia spoke at the opening ceremony, and representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North were deservedly honored with certificates of merit. The program of the holiday was dense and consisted of gastronomic, song, literary and sports contests nad events. The celebration was imbued with the spirit of kinship, almost all participants wore beautiful festive traditional clothes, including children, some guests came from nomads to share the joy of the new year with their kin, more than once performed a ritual round dance haedje. Aimuldan and Evinek are joyful celebrations that affirm that the indigenous peoples of the North are living and thriving.
Videos requiring processing will be released at a later date.
Photos from the celebration:
Asya Konstantinova, Leading Specialist of the UNESCO Chair at M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University
