Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Russian Fraternal Twin Flags: pt 6

Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets
Flag of Yamalo-Nenets
Region in Asia


Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets are Russian Federal Subjects. Russia is mostly divided into provinces and territories (Oblasts & Krais). But there is another category that is shrinking -the autonomous region or in Russian an Okrug.

What this means...this is going to be a bit confusing... is that both Nenets and Yamalo-Nents are still a part of another federal subject while also being a federal subject themselves. Nenets is within the province of Arkhangelsk and Yamalo-Nenets is within Tyumen Province.
Old Man Winter is a Nenet, ring the bell
on his staff
and your dreams come true

Autonomous regions in Russia are basically special zones dedicated to a particular ethnic group, that don't make it as a republic for whatever reason. These northern autonomous regions take their name after the Nenets ethnic group. The Nenets people are sort of like Eskimos or Inuit of North America. They are distantly related cousins but - Inuit and Nenets differ much in culture, language, and customs. They do not build igloos rather the Nenets like Native Americans used to do - build tepees. The traditional lifestyle of the Nenet people revolves around reindeer herding.

Coat of arms of
Yamalo-Nenets
Subsequently the essence of the reindeer is an icon on their flags. The complex geometric stripe is supposed to represent reindeer antlers. Nenets has eight blue reindeer antlers rooted to the blue stripe, while Yamalo-Nenets has seven white reindeer antlers rooted to the white stripe. Below the Yamalo-Nenets 'blue reindeer stripe' is a large solid green stripe, and below the 'white reindeer stripe' of Nenets is thin red line.

Coincidentally the colours of Christmas are red and green, and it has been authenticated by Christmasologists that many of Santa's reindeer were born in the Nenet Regions.

Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets are two parts of Russia in a perpetual winter wonderland. Both of these autonomous regions have Arctic Ocean beach front property. Like Yin and Yang they straddle the north point in between Asia and Europe. Nenets is on the Western-European side of the Ural Mountain North slope while Yamalo-Nenets is on the Eastern-Asian side.


Flag of Nenets
Region in Europe








Russia Today Youtube Links

Nenets People





Visit Salekhard the Capital of Yamalo-Nenets


CLICK HERE FOR PART 7


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