Gerken Vachelanov talks about the shaman's costume

00:00 – 20:14

First, Gerken Vachelanov speaks about his family’s long lineage of powerful and respected shamans. During the Soviet era, however, religious and shamanic traditions were concealed out of fear. Only later did he recognize his own calling as a shaman. He describes his path as difficult, as the connection to his ancestors and the rituals associated with them had largely been lost over generations. The shaman’s costume he describes, with all its attributes, serves both as protection and as a means of identification in relation to the spirits. The connection to the ancestors is particularly important, which is why their burial practices are also given special attention. The breastplate features representations of various deceased shamans from his family as well as sacred places. The eagle, depicted as a family symbol, not only points to the genealogical significance of the costume but, together with the other animal figures, also provides insight into Evenk cosmology. Finally, he points to the growing interest among many Evenks in their former shamanic traditions. Increasingly, people are reconnecting with their ethnic heritage, and he advises and supports them on the basis of his own experience.
(Subtitles: cc)

Recorded by Mariia Berel’tueva (Tepkegir), Uliunkhan, Kurumkan District, Republic of Buryatia, December 2025.
Transliteration: Daniil Nikitenko.
Editing: Nadezhda Mamontova.