Yura is a tailor or a "master" in Russian. He makes reindeer boots, as well as national costumes. Today he also fixed Abigail's back pack and Misha' shirt.
A pair of reindeer boots or /untal/ in Evenki sell for 10000 rubles or $330. They are Yura's bread and butter when he sells them. Sometimes he gets money for them, and sometimes he garters them for more furs from hunters, to make even more boots.
The quality is very high. I can't even afford a pair, but it gets quite cold in these parts. In Winter it is consistently -40 or colder for three months. People spend money on what they consider to be the highest priority, and reindeer skin boots are very warm in the Siberian Winter.
It can take up to two days to make a pair of boots, a day per boot. Only the skin from the legs of the reindeer can be used, as naturally this is best suited, being closest to the ground on the reindeer. The fur from the body will fall out more easily. It takes the skin from the legs of five to six reindeer to make one pair of boots. Of course the rest of the fur is still used, as well as the meat.
Even though there are reindeer herds, Yura gets his furs from hunters who catch wild reindeer.
A reindeer fetches 20000 rubles or $660.
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| Various moulds for different sized feet. |
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