“Siberia is a place where I was interested to see the remains of prehistoric animals of the Ice Age, such as the mammoth or woolly rhinoceros, and compare them with the mummies of the pharaohs. I did it. In the local history museum of the port city of Dudinka, we saw the Sopkarga mammoth, which was also called the mammoth Zhenya, by the name of the 11-year-old boy who found the well-preserved carcass in 2012 near a polar weather station. Scientists found out that Zhenya had lived about 45 000 years befor and his age at the time of his death was about 15 years. I didn’t want to leave the museums, there were so many incredible things!
I often cast my mind back to the Russian North as I have such unusual impressions, although thanks to my profession I have traveled much around the world.
I remember, as soon as we arrived in Norilsk, I fell ill. I got cold. The organizers tried to heal me, gave me tea with lingonberries and honey. It was advised to take a hot bath. I didn’t understand what it was, in Egypt we are not used to lying in a bath. Finally, they managed to lift me to my feet. And I was able to watch the international curling competition that takes place every year in Dudinka. I’m a sports journalist, I couldn’t miss that event. I filmed and published in social networks everything that happened around to the delight of my subscribers. They asked to upload any little things. Many people did not believe that I was beyond the Arctic Circle.
I have a weakness – I love dogs. In Dudinka and Norilsk I saw a lot of people walking with dogs of different breeds. They all hit my camera lens. I liked the huskies most of all, they are extraordinary. In Dudinka, the guys of our team laughed at how I was chasing one husky along the embankment, I wanted to make friends but it did not understand my intentions.
And one more thing: the most beautiful girls live in Taimyr! I would not mind coming again!”
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Text: Natalia Popova, Photo: Mahmoud Maher’s personal archive and open sources
