On September 25, 2024 in Yakutsk in the historical park “Russia - My History” the opening of the exhibition “Ancestors' Code - Through the Depth of Ages” curated by the Olenek Historical and Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of the North took place. The exhibition is open until October 10. The main artifact of the exhibition is an ancient caftan of Olenek Tunguska dating back to the 17th century. In addition, the exhibition presents modern works of Olenek craftswomen.

An ancient Tunguska caftan was found by archaeologist, Doctor of Historical Sciences Nikita Deyevich Arkhipov in September 1984 in the area of the left tributary of the Olenek River - Surak River. The archaeologist worked as a member of the expedition of the Yakutsk State University. It was he who identified in the above-ground burial the Evenki female clothing, also noted Yakut elements in the found clothing, such as a mane, headdress with a plaque, earrings in the form of a question mark, etc.). The burial dates from the late 17th century to the early 18th century. Above-ground or air burial is a common practice for northern peoples. The coffin was made from a hollow tree cut in half, then the coffin was placed on top of two cut tree trunks or additional rungs were inserted for stability of the coffin. It is assumed that the body of a shamaness rests in the coffin.

The analysis of a fragment of a sleeveless caftan revealed that the Surak kaftan is cut in the form of a swinging garment with centrally converging shelves with a basque and, presumably, two pleats on the back. The swing type of caftan is defined as one of the ethnic markers of Evenk clothing. Another ethnic distinction in the found clothing is a wide collar - pelerina (mireptun in Evenki). The collar is almost entirely embroidered with beads of blue, white and black colors typical of northern Evenks. In addition to beads, there are also embroidered beads of blue color on the edges of the collar and river pearls. Small metal parts - openwork solar pendants - are also sewn to the collar. As a rule, mireptun (beaded jewelry to the collar) is a removable detail of the caftan. As noted in the work of the famous Soviet linguist, ethnographer and Tungusologist Glafira Makarievna Vasilevich, the presence of a lapel collar in the caftan is characteristic of Evenks who had ties with Yakuts, and in some cases the sleeves were sewn in gatherings. Metal bead pendants also refer to the influence of Yakuts on Evenks. According to the researcher, changes in clothing are more common among women who married a representative of a neighboring people. On this basis, it is not excluded that an Evenki woman could have been married to a Yakut. In general, experts attribute the caftan to the ritual one, which is confirmed by the presence of fringe with metal pendants. This find was restored by the staff of the All-Russian Art Research and Restoration Center named after Academician I.E. Grabar.

The exhibition opening itself was traditionally accompanied by an offering to the spirit of fire. The opening ceremony was accompanied by speeches of gratitude by the heads and representatives of ministries of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). A special tone of the opening was set by the Evenki folk ensemble “Oronchikan”, which performed a theatrical performance “All Living Things is Saveki's Child”. The dance and accompanying traditional singing revealed the soul, identity and beauty of the Olenek Tungus. A performance containing the cultural code of ancestors. A striking event was a fashion show of women's clothes by Evenki fashion designer Natalia Benchik. The clothes reflected the ability and flexibility of traditional Evenki elements to harmoniously adapt to modern cuts of the female figure. Along with the presentation of the caftan, the works of folk artisans were presented: a full set of clothes, bags, jewelry, and mats.

Photos and video from the event.