Blood Weddings, Walrus Heads, and Sky Burials: Five Unsettling Indigenous Traditions in Russia

In Russia, 195 ethnic groups live side by side. Each has its own traditions, passed down since ancient times. Some customs, however, are enough to make your blood run cold. Hard as it is to believe, some of them aren’t legends from the distant past but are very much part of 21st-century Russian reality. Here’s a closer look at some of the most vivid (and unsettling) traditions of the indigenous peoples from different corners of this vast land.

Chukchi blood wedding straight out of Game of Thrones

Life in Chukotka is harsh — it’s a cold, inhospitable land — yet people have lived there since time immemorial. Not only do they survive, herding reindeer and fishing, but they also marry — in a way that would impress George R. R. Martin himself. The beautiful bride, adorned with beads and furs, rides her own reindeer in the company of her entire family toward the groom’s tent. Behind the tent, special poles are prepared for blood sacrifices. To ensure a happy marriage, a reindeer must be sacrificed to both the sunset and the sunrise. The reindeer’s blood is used for several rituals: first, the groom and bride have the family symbol painted on their faces — marking the bride’s departure from her own family and her joining her husband’s. (Kind of like changing your last name, only more… intense.) Next, the bride smears the blood on the wedding sled — the narta — and places the animal’s bone marrow by the yaranga (tent) for good luck. The blood rites don’t end there — the new wife must light the sacred household fire. A handful of ash is mixed with reindeer blood, rubbed between her palms, and used to start the hearth, as she whispers: “Live well with me.”

Why Chukchi keep walrus heads

While we’re still in Chukotka — ever wondered why the locals keep walrus heads? For them, it’s like your box of Christmas ornaments in the attic. In summer, Chukchi bring up animal skulls from their cellars to celebrate the “Festival of Heads” — marking the end of seal-hunting season. The skulls are arranged in the center of the yaranga, with the largest tied to a rope to mimic pulling a walrus from the water. In autumn, they throw another celebration — this time honoring Kertekun, the master of sea creatures. They weave a net from reindeer sinew, fetch their most beautifully decorated “holiday oars,” and don costumes sewn from walrus intestines. This raucous festivity comes with dancing, music, and sacrifices. The event ends with the ceremonial burning of a Kertekun effigy — a gesture of respect, so to speak.

Hospitable sex

On Kamchatka, the coastal Koryaks — a small indigenous group — have had a very unusual tradition of hospitality for centuries. A stranger isn’t only offered shelter, dinner, and a bed — but also the mistress of the house. Among the Koryaks, this is considered a blessing and a great honor. If the woman becomes pregnant from the guest, the entire village holds a huge celebration. The reason for this tradition is simple: survival. Infant mortality was historically high among the Koryaks due to inbreeding, so this was their way of diversifying the gene pool and sustaining the population.

Funeral celebration for the dead

Among many indigenous groups — such as the Veps, who live in Karelia, Vologda, and Leningrad regions — there exists a peculiar ritual known as “cheering the dead.” If you didn’t know a funeral was taking place, you might mistake it for a festival: people dressed in their finest clothes, singing, dancing, and jingling bells. Traditionally, this send-off was reserved for those who died unmarried. In some cases, it was done according to the deceased’s last wish — for example, if a grandmother wanted to be buried “as a bride,” with songs, wheat, fish pie, and accordion music, her wish would be honored.

Hanging the dead

An even stranger burial practice was once widespread — from the Far North to the Caucasus. Yakuts, Nenets, Khanty, Mansi, Buryats, Khakas, Adyghe, Circassians, and Georgians practiced “sky burial.” Instead of being buried in the ground, the coffin was hung high in a tree, where it remained until the body completely decayed. Among some peoples, this was a special honor reserved for respected leaders; among others, it was simply the standard way of laying anyone to rest.