For the first time ever, the majority of the world’s population lives in a city, and this proportion continues to grow. Today, the number of urban residents is growing by nearly 60 million every year. This is influenced by mass industry, technology, and service based economy, leaving rural areas with less and less dwellers. But some are never going to move – remote wilderness is their home and they live there in intense closeness with nature. Oleg Timofejevic, who is going to turn 60 soon, is one of them, and nothing could wheedle him out of severe Taiga.

Russia, Siberia, Krasnoyarsk region along the polar circle.

Evenkia: Population – 18 000 inhabitants. Area – 767 660 km2 (~1,5 France)

„It’s been 30 years, since I started to travel back and forth to my cabin. I know the route by heart, I don’t need a GPS“, – says Oleg smiling widely, before disappearing in the woods. Three decades ago, he chose a place for living by the Diupkun lake, where now he spends a few months yearly hunting and fishing. He used to live there with family, but now his wife, daughter and son are in Tura, the capital of Evenkia. Only helpers come to Diupkun.

Oleg’s cabin is behind the polar circle and far away from civilization. To get there, Oleg every time has to make his path. The sleds of the animals in the snow help him to find his way through the endless woods.

But he still needs to deal with snow banks, steep mountains and frozen rivers, which is the trickiest part because of “naledi”.  When the river bed freezes to its bottom, cracks appear. The water that flows from these cracks creates a new thin surface above the old ice. This thin layer can prove especially treacherous, with the result that unsuspecting travellers can quickly find themselves submerged in frozen water. And in summer the only way to reach cabin is by helicopter or boat.

What is all this distress and hardship for? “Because I really live here, I thrive here,” – explains Oleg. “I could not find a better place for myself”, – he adds. Word “Dikiy” in local language means “Wild” and is used frequently. Wild land, wild nature, wild man, wild animal… Those deer, Oleg is hunting, he also calls “Dikiy”. They are the wilderness they inhabit.

“I’m not killing, I’m producing”, – Oleg explains his take on hunting. There are no hunters, living in such remote place of Taiga left, but Oleg and his helpers. They hunt deer in spring, when they migrate to North and in autumn, when they are moving South.

“Taiga doesn’t like flouncing”, – says Oleg in a respectful manner, referring to Taiga as to rigorous, pretentious and very demanding lady. “You can’t make fun of it, but to respect and love”, – he adds.

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