The Ethnographic Park Museum of the Varyogan Village became one of the first national museums in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug — Yugra. It was founded in 1987. The museum tells a compelling story of the indigenous people of Yugra, their fate, and their land. The museum has embodied the hope for national revival and become an inspiration for the local population.
The museum’s story is reminiscent of northern legends. In 1986, the ethnographer Izmail Nukhovich Gemuyev came to Varyogan. He needed a guide and an interpreter. Yuri Vella volunteered to help him. When visiting an abandoned camp, Izmail Gemuyev asked his guide, “Tell me, when you come to such a place, do you feel anything special?” Yuri Vella replied, “Of course. I imagine all the people who lived here — some of them are still alive, others have passed away. I can hear their voices. I know them all. Here, at this camp, they visit me.” Izmail Gemuyev said, “There you have it — this is already a museum.”
