The Nenets Autonomous Okrug in 3 Russian words

Gateway to Russia

Nov 04 2025

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This is one of the harshest regions of Russia, where temperatures rarely rise above 20 degrees Celsius (68°F). It’s also the most sparsely populated – only 40,000 people live in this vast territory. Here are three of its main symbols.

1. ТУНДРА (Tundra)

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The Nenets Autonomous Okrug is a land of endless tundra (a vast, treeless biome), which occupies two-thirds of its territory. In winter, the tundra becomes a sea of blinding white snow, while, in summer, it transforms into a vibrant carpet of diverse flowering plants. You can drive hundreds of kilometers across it without seeing a single human.

2. КАНИНСКИЙ МАЯК (Kanin Lighthouse)

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The Kanin Lighthouse was opened in 1915 on Cape Kanin Nos, where the White and Barents seas converge. It serves not only as a navigational marker, but also as a monument to all the conquerors of the Russian North.

3. НЕФТЬ (Oil)

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The Nenets Autonomous Okrug is one of Russia's leading oil producers. The black gold was first discovered there in 1916. A local reindeer herder near the coast saw a lake "with a thick layer of oil floating on its surface. From the lake, the oil flowed in a thin stream toward the sea, disappearing into the tundra…"