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Ermolin D. Ust-Tsilma: Mobility and Infrastructure under Conditions of Geographical Isolation

D. Ermolin
Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) RAS
St. Petersburg, Russia
ORCID: 0000-0001-8474-9120
E-mail: denis.ermolin@gmail.com

 

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ABSTRACT. This article explores the everyday and seasonal mobility of the population in the Ust-Tsilma district, with particular attention to the geographical and climatic conditions shaping the settlement patterns. Using this territory as a case study, the article examines how mobility infrastructure is established and operates in relation to both daily life and the summer holiday cycle. Located on the banks of the Pechora River, the village of Ust-Tsilma faces significant transport challenges due to the absence of automobile bridges across the Pechora River and its tributaries (including the Tsilma, Pizhma, and Neritsa rivers). These geographical constraints fundamentally shape the region’s mobility patterns, transport infrastructure, and logistical systems. Mobility in Ust-Tsilma follows a seasonal rhythm, which can be broadly divided into three periods: summer, when travel relies on river navigation; winter, when temporary winter roads facilitate it; and the rasputa (thaw) period, when transportation becomes highly restricted and depends on air travel or specialized vehicles such as hovercraft. In such conditions, time, whether as a surplus or a deficit, and personal networks among transport providers become critical resources for sustaining the daily mobility needs of the population. The month of July is especially demanding, as many Ust-Tsilma residents living elsewhere, along with tourists, travel to the village to attend holiday events.

 

KEYWORDS: mobility, infrastructure, transport accessibility, Ust-Tsilma, Komi Republic, Old Believers

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8600-2025-4(30)-104-121
UDC 316.334.55(470.13)

 

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