Traditional Nyul-Takhli Wrestling on the Day of Hunter, Fisherman and Reindeer Breeder

The annual tournament on the traditional nyul-takhli wrestling was held in the Russkinskaya village of the Surgut district of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District – Yugra.

It has been the third consecutive year that the traditional nyul-takhlil wrestling, involving the indigenous inhabitants of the Surgut region, is held on the Day of Hunter, Fisherman and Reindeer breeder by the Federation of Ethnosport of the Yugra District.

Holding traditional festivals and rituals is quite natural in the Russkinskaya village, since it was established in 1926 as an inhabited locality to interact with the indigenous peoples of the district – the Mansi, Nenets and Khanty peoples. In the village there is a boarding school for the children of the reindeer breeders, and a veterinary station has been opened as well as the center for purchasing meat, fish and wild plants.

Wrestling competitions in early spring are part of the traditional culture of the Surgut Khanty people, they are of a ritual nature and are held to prepare men for the symbolic confrontation with the owner of the taiga — the bear, on the eve of his awakening.

Aleksey Klauzer, President of the Federation of Ethnosport of the Yugra District, said that the tournament had already gained fame far beyond the Surgut region. Now people from among the indigenous peoples of the Ugra district and even from other areas are seeking to participate in it.

\»Maybe the Russkinskaya tournament will acquire regional status as soon as next year, because its popularity contributes to the development of ethnosport in other areas of the district and fully meets the objectives of involving more people. The latter is particularly important, because the event is held with the support of the Department of Physical Culture and Sport of the Ugra District,\» said Aleksey Klauzer.

The competitions were held in two weight categories — under 72 kg and over 72 kg. Konstantin Solovyov was Chief Justice of the tournament, assisted by Malik Garayev, Yegor Kelmin, Stanislav Antonov, Vyacheslav Gusev and Stanislav Gusev.

Winners of the Tournament
in the Traditional Nyul-Takhli Wrestling of 2015

Under 72 kg

1. Multanov, Konstantin
2. Kechimov, Vitaly 
3. Tevlin, Vasily

Over 72 kg

1. Sopochin, Stepan
2. Tevlin, Valentin
3. Tevlin, Aleksey

Video of the tournament in the traditional nyul-takhli wrestling of 2015