KYNDYKAN project

Once upon a time, there was an Even girl who was miraculously found by Yakut hunters 200 years ago near the Verkhoyansk mountain range in a tribal camp completely extinct from smallpox. Kyndykan was her name. Today, it has turned into a common name as a symbol of the preservation of the language, culture and traditional way of life of small indigenous minorities. The story of a little Even girl rallied talented Yakutians, united and driven by the idea of changing the world for the better — introducing the North to the whole world. Thus, the «Kyndykan» project was born, a bright brand that in a short time became recognizable far beyond the borders of Yakutia. Inspired by the «Kyndykan» mission, a team of creative professionals produce bright products, share talents, experience, skills, opportunities and resources to achieve a common goal — to preserve the North, indigenous small-numbered peoples, the main keepers of the energy balance in the world. Thus, Sergey Sharin, a famous photographer, started a photographic project called «In Search of Kyndykan», which shows reindeer herders of different generations, the beauty of the landscapes of the North and the Arctic. Yakut singer KitJah together with young rapper Moskila dedicated a song to the brave girl. Music video was shot in one of the hard-to-reach reindeer herding camps. The song became an absolute hit. «The Incredible History of Kyndykan» fairy tale was published, which absorbed elements of the spiritual and material components of the culture of the Even people. The creative association managed to draw serious attention to the problems of the small indigenous peoples of the North. A famous Russian YouTube blogger Ilya Varlamov made a documentary about the life of Even reindeer herders. The video hit million views in less than a month. Providing reindeer hering camps with free internet was one of the great achievements, done by the team’s. «ALROSA», a diamond mining company, named the diamond after Kyndykan and, together with the team, arranges competitions for jewelers to produce a special collection. The «Kyndykan» creative association has some serious plans — as of today, an animated cartoon «Kyndykan» is in production. The Kyndykan phenomenon continues its journey with confidence, presenting the world community with a vivid palette of the North.

Location: Yakutsk, Russia