Discover Kargasok

• The 2025 municipal program includes the Museum of the Art of the Peoples of the North as a visitor destination on the regional “Zhemchuzhiny Severa” route.
• The museum collection includes items made from leather, fur, and goose foot skin, richly decorated with national ornaments.
• A playful museum quest is aimed at school pupils and students.
• The interdistrict festival of small towns and villages, “Medvezhiy Ugol,” has been held in Kargasok since 2019.

The collection of the Museum of the Art of the Peoples of the North brings together several materials: leather, fur, and goose foot skin. The objects are richly decorated with national ornaments. This allows two aspects to be distinguished when considering their cultural context: the materials used and the patterns with which they are embellished. Both are part of the collection’s distinctive profile.

The museum is also included as a visitor destination on the regional “Zhemchuzhiny Severa” route. The 2025 municipal program explicitly notes this designation. The route thus provides a second point of reference alongside the collection: it places the museum within a regional visitor offering, while the objects themselves draw attention to craft materials and ornamentation.

A playful museum quest is aimed at school pupils and students. It introduces them to the traditions and everyday life of the Khanty, Selkup, and Evenk peoples in Kargasoksky District. The quest therefore offers a different approach from the collection: it focuses on ways of life and traditions, while the collection objects described stand out for their materials and ornaments.

The “Medvezhiy Ugol” festival is also part of local culture. It is an interdistrict festival of small towns and villages and, according to municipal information, has been held in Kargasok since 2019. If you would like to include the festival in your plans, check the dates for your intended travel period.

Tomsk Oblast offers a broader context of cultural and natural attractions. A 27-kilometer route for rides in an all-terrain swamp vehicle and hikes runs through Bakcharsky District. It is intended for visitors aged 12 to 70. Excursions must be booked in advance and accompanied by staff. Check the current arrangements directly with the nature reserve before your trip. The route’s length, means of transport, age range, and booking requirement give a concrete sense of how this regional offering differs from the cultural attractions in Kargasok.

In Parabelsky District, Tomsk Oblast, the “Chumel Chvech” museum introduces visitors to the culture and everyday life of the southern Selkup group. Visits are by prior arrangement. The first museum buildings showcase homes and everyday structures, including a half-dugout with a pyramidal roof that was used until the 17th century, the “chulmat” log house, a clay oven, raised granaries, and a Russian log house with a vegetable garden. These examples focus on housing and everyday life; they form a distinct regional theme.

At “Okolitsa” Park, you can view works by craftspeople year-round. Special event areas showcase traditions shaped by Russian, Tatar, Chinese, Uzbek, Selkup, and other cultures. The rural park is also a traditional venue for the “Prazdnik Topora” festival. The festival has been held in Tomsk Oblast since 2008 and features four craft competitions, a large decorative and applied arts fair, and a concert program. Hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators from across the country and nearby countries attend; dates and programs vary from year to year.

What does the museum collection in Kargasok include?

It includes items made from leather, fur, and goose foot skin, richly decorated with national ornaments.

Since when has “Medvezhiy Ugol” been held in Kargasok?

According to municipal information, the interdistrict festival of small towns and villages has been held in Kargasok since 2019.

Who is the museum quest for?

The playful quest is aimed at school pupils and students. It introduces them to the traditions and everyday life of the Khanty, Selkup, and Evenk peoples in Kargasoksky District.

For the broader travel overview: Kargasoksky District.