Charity & Responsibility

In order to protect the cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of the North, Natura Siberica has started a collaboration with the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East of the Russian Federation (http://www.raipon.info). We truly hope that our cooperation with RAIPON and the FE of the RF will help revive and preserve the unique traditions of Siberia’s native peoples.

Siberia is a remarkable Russian region, home to 40 distinctive ethnic groups, all of whom have long preserved their own unique cultural heritages. The variety of forms and manifestations of ethnic cultures of Northern peoples is extraordinary. Three hundred thousand people still preserve their indigenous ethnic and local traditions, and continue to speak about two hundred different dialects and languages.

Unfortunately, for years there have been obvious tendencies for indigenous peoples to slowly disappear, gradually dissipating into the general Russian melting pot. The cultural peculiarities, traditions and values of these Siberian ethnic groups are being lost.

Natura Siberica has sponsored the English edition of the First Encyclopedia of Indigenous Peoples of the North. This is crucial text will provide a great number of people, all over the world, with the opportunity to discover this region’s native culture and traditional ways of life.

In addition, with the support of Natura Siberica, the Second Russian Open Dance Championship of the Indigenous Peoples of the Kamchatkan North will be held, within the framework of the Itelman “Alkhalalalay” festival, in September.

We in Natura Siberica find it especially vital to support the activity of RAIPON and the FE of the RF, to enand to preserve the endangered culture and traditions of the peoples of the North.

We at Natura Siberica are committed to purchasing wild Siberian herbs in an ethical and responsible way so as to help sustain livelihoods of indigenous people of Siberia and Russian Far East. There are 41 ethnic groups and each of them has preserved its own language and unique culture. Some of these groups have less than 1000 people left. Thus, there are only 540 Aleut and 276 Tazy people left. This is why we strongly believe that our help is a vital step in the preservation of distinct cultures and traditions of Siberian tribes. We pay premium prices for wild manually harvested herbs and plants in order to help small Siberian tribes so that they could not only take care of their families but also to meet social and environmental needs of their community. Thus Natira Siberica aims to bring positive changes in those people lives. Just by choosing to by one of our products you are helping small indigenous Siberian tribes, their families and their surrounding communities.

On July 2nd Natura Siberica took part in a traditional Grass Ball, organized by WWF Russia (http://www.wwf.ru/) for the sixth time. Natura Siberica provided a basket of its cosmetic products for the Charity Auction. All the proceeds from its sale were forwarded to the competition of projects aimed at preserving rare and endangered plant species, which is held annually by WWF among national parks. This year the total proceeds of WWF Russia for the program «Reservations and national parks» amounted to 2 200 000 rubles. For more information, please, visit WWF site http://wwf.ru/bal/partners2011

Since 2007 our company has been helping The Botanic Garden of Irkutsk State University in researches in the area of preserving and reproduction of rare plant species of the Baikal Siberia. Founded in 1940, The Botanic Garden is a learning subsidiary of Irkutsk State University and constitutes about 27 hectare 70 km away from the Baikal Lake. It is the only Botanic Garden in the whole Baikal region included into The International list of World Botanic Gardens. It is a Museum of live nature in the open air.

The mission of the Garden is “to preserve and enrich the flora of the Baikal region and the world for people by means of enlightening society, collecting, reproducing, researching and preserving the diversity of plants”.

Since 2007 «Natura Siberica» has been supporting The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Novosibirsk. The Church is a unique architectural monument. It is the only wooden log Church that stayed intact during the arson of 1909 in Novosibirsk.

The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin was founded on the 16th of May 1901 and has become the third Church in Novo-Nikolaevsk after the Church of Saint Prophet Daniel (1898) and the Church of the Blessed Knight Alexander Nevsky (1899). The construction of the Church was sponsored by local philanthropists under the patronage of the Church of Alexander Nevsky.

Dear friends,

We are happy to inform you that on September 21st- 22nd 2012 within the framework of the Itelmen  “Alkhalalalay”  fest, Natura Siberica will support the second championship of Russia in dancing of the indigenous people of the Northern Kamchatka.

“Alkhalalalay” is famous for holding different interesting national competitions: in the nominations for the best hostess “Mimskh”, for the best cooking of the Itelmen national dish, for the best salmon treater, for the best Itelmen grimace.  In the past several years the most famous competitions have become the ones for the best singing in Itelmen language, and for the best story about the aboriginal population.

In the framework of the Itelmen “Alkhalalalay” fest there will be held the ritual of gratifying nature.  At the same time  on other sights you can learn how to carve Khantaichiks, treat fish skin, to embroider with beads etc.

The culmination of the fest will become the dancing marathon – a truly fascinating activity when it’s impossible to stay a passive observer, and your legs cant’t help but start dancing. Last year the dancing marathon finished with record dance duration of 16 hours 10 minutes.