FolkCostume&Embroidery: February 2026

Hello all,

Today I wish to talk about the peoples of Central Siberia. These are mostly speakers of Tungusic Languages. I will cover the Evenk, Even, Dolgan, Yakut and Yukaghir. The ladies in the image above are Dolgan. For more general information about Siberia, see my first article. The teepee like tent called the chum is used over this area.

Evenk

These people were formerly called Tungus, a term which Russian got from the Yakut language. The language family to which they belong is still called Tungusic. They are extremely widespread, from the Yenisey to the Amur, and from the treeline south to Buryatia and Manchuria. There are some 38000 Evenk in Russian Siberia, and a similar number in Manchuria. There are about 500 more in Mongolia, where they are called Khamnigan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evenki_people

English has borrowed a handful of words from the Evenk Language, notably shaman and mammoth. Shamanism is important here, as it is across Siberia. We borrowed their word for mammoth because they actually had one. Their hunters would occasionally encounter a mammoth, and they believed that mammoths lived underground, and died immediately upon exposure to the upper air. This may sound strange, but it fits what they knew about them. They were always found mostly buried, and always dead. None were ever seen striding through the forest.

The Evenk raise reindeer, like so many of the northern peoples, but are distinguished by the fact that they, along with their close relatives, the Oroqen and the Even, breed reindeer that are large enough to ride. No other people ride reindeer, the rest hitch them to sleds. In Chinese historical records, they are called Elunchun 'deer riders'.

Since the Evenk are so widespread, they often borrow clothing styles from others around them, the Buryat or Yakut, and in the far north they wear closed parkas over their other clothes. One branch, the Negidal, have adopted the clothing style of the Amur river peoples.

The ancestral clothing of the Evenk consisted of a garment which covered the front, and a jacket that did not close, plus boots and undergarments. The jacket may be seen in the images above.

The front piece, plastron or apron, was highly ornamented with beadwork for dress, for both men and women.

The jackets are full in back, for riding, and have some banded ornament.

A collar is added for dress occasions.

Shamans will add various accouterments to their dress.

Boots are also beaded, and come in various heights.

Hats are separate garments.

Here are some Evenk doing a dance of unity, Delehintcho, where everyone moves together in a circle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rY6KF5leII&list=PLnOSH5j1sQh8WrRXECPqu4mYQB5xBm_C3

Here are some Evenki women from China singing a polished stage version of the same song in unfortunate stage costumes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sknMMCCCpYw&list=RDsknMMCCCpYw&start_radio=1

Here are Evenk girls singing a lyrical song and dancing to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_0Z7C9xJU0&list=RDsknMMCCCpYw&index=2

Here are some Evenki young people doing a vigorous choreographed dance in stage costumes that attempt to look traditional to prerecorded music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV_2inKqQiU&list=RDDV_2inKqQiU&start_radio=1

Even

These people were formerly called the Lamut, and live east of the Evenk. Their languages are related. The Even are found in Yakutia, Chukotka, Kamchatka, and along the Pacific coast.

There are roughly 22000 Even in Siberia today. Their culture is very similar to that of the Evenk, They also raise and ride reindeer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evens

The traditional costume of the Even is also very similar to that of the Evenk, and consists of the same pieces, a plastron, a jacket, pants, boots, and hat. I admit that the outfit does not look as warm as that of some of their neighbors.

Mens boots

Womens boots

Today, some Even have adopted the parka from their neighbors.

Here we see some modern stage costumes that are not too bad.

Here are some young people doing an Even dance from Kamchatka.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rTOvl3xW1Y

Yukaghir

The Yukaghir are a small people who live northeast of the Even. They speak a pair of languages unrelated to any other. They were more numerous in the past, speaking a handful of related languages. They have suffered greatly under Russian Colonialism, and now number only about 1500.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukaghir_people

The traditional clothing of the Yugaghir is similar, again, to that of the Even.

Shamanism continues to be strong in this culture.

Here is a Yukaghir folk song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikiB1nOq_iE&list=PLnOSH5j1sQh8plJZq9SSHy4pORuidvlsl&index=2

Dolgan

The Dolgan are a branch of the Evenki who have adopted a Turkic language from the Yakut. Their language differs as a result of admixture of Tungusic elements. There are about 8000 Dolgan alive today. They inhabit the Arctic coastal areas between the Taymyr Peninsula and Yakutia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolgans

The folk clothing of the Dolgan are clearly derived from that of the Evenki. The largest difference is that the jacket is worn closed. The bands of beadwork are also wider and of a distinct style. They have a particular love for zigzags and chevron designs.

Here is a short documentary about the Dolgan in French, with English Subtitles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkgDbax0D9Y

Yakut or Sakha

The Yakut are a bit of an exception in several ways. They are still commonly called Yakut in Russian and around the world, but they call themselves Sakha. They speak a Turkic language, having migrated from the south some hundreds of years ago, and intermingling with the native Tungusic and Yugaghir people of the region. Most of the Sakha inhabit the Sakha Republic, which is almost de facto independant. They are remote enough that Russia mostly just leaves them alone.

The Sakha number some 470.000, and are a slight majority in their homeland. They do raise reindeer, but have retained the habit of raising horses as well, having bred them to their northern climate. The horses are raised for riding, as well as for their meat and milk. Fermented mare's milk is an important drink here, as well as in the southern steppes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakuts

The traditional costume of the Sakha mostly consists of an ankle length coat, very full with pleats in the rear for riding, a hood shaped hat with an ornamental peak, and much jewelry.

Here is an old photo of a Sakha woman dishing out koumis, fermented horse milk, and a few other old photographs.