Gastronomic Festival "Nyan Fest" To Take Place in Yamal

On August 9-10, the gastronomic festival "Nyan Fest" will be held for the first time in Yamal. Chefs and culinary experts will showcase their skills in preparing dishes of the indigenous northern peoples. More than 20 teams, including both professionals and amateurs, have registered to participate in the festival, as reported by the portal of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO) government.

"Nyan" translates to "bread" in various languages of the indigenous peoples. "I believe that 'Nyan Fest' will become a successful practice for developing youth, ethnographic, and gastronomic tourism in Yamal," said Inessa Youngad, the author and organizer of the festival.

Festival guests will be introduced to traditional and modern recipes from the Nenets, Khanty, Komi, and Selkup peoples. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit a fair at a recreation base near the village of Gornoknyazevsk and taste local products. "We plan to bake numerous shangi (savory pies) filled with cottage cheese and northern berries in stove ovens," the portal reported.

In addition to the culinary highlights, the festival will feature cultural and sports events. Guests can look forward to master classes, performances by Yamal artists, an evening of bard songs, and a match of "Football in Malitsa and Yagushka" (traditional clothing).

The festival is timed to coincide with the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The project aims to preserve and promote the national local cuisine of the indigenous peoples of the North, as well as to develop domestic tourism.

"The enhancement of Yamal's tourist attractiveness is receiving significant attention. According to experts, more than 220,000 tourists are expected to visit the region this year, and by 2030, tourist traffic is projected to double to 430,000," the YNAO government noted.