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The purpose of Expedition Siberia is as follows:
The main aim is to use words, pictures and film to make a record of this unknown part of our world. This is a vital task, since in the course of our extensive research work we have realised that not even the Russians or the Siberians themselves have a comprehensive picture of the area along the Kolyma River. The obstacles are the cold, the distance, the size and the isolation. The area is untouched, remote and unknown. Nonetheless the area is as rich in gold, oil and mineral deposits as the rest of Siberia. This part of the world is one of the few remaining places on earth that is virgin territory. This is a genuine journey of discovery. We also believe that it is in this untouched area that the answers to many of the questions asked by modern men are to be found: What are we doing here? What is our task? How do we find calm, harmony and satisfaction in our lives?
Making such a record is a task that is not only vital, , but urgent. It concerns both the harmony and insight available to future generations as well as knowledge not only about this unique area of tundra and taiga that is as yet untouched, but also the equally unique people who live there. It is surely only a matter of time before someone begins attempting to exploit the riches of the area. When that happens, the changes will be dramatic and mostly for the worse. Where such activities have already taken place in Siberia, the effects on nature in those areas have been disastrous. Some places are ecological catastrophes where everything is dead and ugly. With the arrival of modern society, the native peoples have ended up in a no-man’s-land between their own culture and the new one. The result has been alcoholism, social deprivation, violence and spiritual and cultural meaninglessness.
We shall do everything in our power, to make a realistic record of how we and the people we meet experience the daily life and dreams of this area, but we will primarily focus on what is positive. We want our work not only to be educational, but also to inspire hope, motivation, energy and enormous joie de vivre! It goes without saying that there will be a large helping of excitement and adventure as well…
We shall also record the adventures and personal hardships we endure. There is an ever-growing need for dreams, excitement and adventure. It is almost a prerequisite for feeling good nowadays. We shall therefore record how we endure the cold, how we deal with the polar bears we meet, how our dog Sigge copes with brown bears and wolves, what we do about our various mishaps, how we cross pack ice and open water and how we survive by hunting and fishing. That in itself will be a great adventure. The same can no doubt be said of our relationship. Will it survive such extreme conditions or not? That is the question we are most often asked at our lectures, which indicates how important it is.
We also want to ascertain how the area has been affected by the enormous changes in society that have been the result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. This is generally considered to be a transition from a dictatorial rule that was exercised over the populace from the cradle to the grave, to the current Russian chaos of every man for himself. But perhaps the question should be: Have the people along the Kolyma been affected by ninety years of Soviet rule in any way whatsoever? |
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Siberian beauty , wilderness and polarcold...
....and documenting, the lifes and thoughts of the regions ethnic groups are the aim and purpose of the Expedition
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