Yurij Kylevich Ayvaseda of the Vella clan was born in the tundra. He grew up in the 30th founded settlement Var'egan, studied literature in Moscow and founded the ethnographic museum of Var'egan. In 1990 he moved back to the woods with his family. He bought reindeers, built a house and living a traditional way he is trying to save the land of his ancestors from the exploitation of the oil companies.

In 1995 the territory north of the Pochovskoe oil field inhabited by him and neighbouring families was announced for oil exploitation.The license was awarded to the LUKOIL company. Since then the conflict has come to a climax. With road barricades, public protests in the capital of the region he is trying to point out the dramatic situation of the reindeer breeders in the regions of oil exploitation.

His attempt in co-operation with lawyers experienced in indigenous land rights and the anthropologist Natalja Novikova to claim his rights before court have so far failed because of bureaucratic resistances. Now LUKOIL even stopped its compensation payments which had been guaranteed by contract to Yurij and his neighbours.On the 14th of September workers of LUKOIL started to destroy a bridge connecting the clan lands of Yurij Vella and his neighbours with the village Var'egan with an excavator. In self-defense he cut up the tyres with his axe.

Now he is investigated for damage of property. Twice he was able to escape the feared arrest. He told us on the telephone: "...and if they sentence me to pay the damage I'll pay it from the money I still get from LUKOIL." When Jurij asked the responsible police officer if it was okay for him to leave town to go on a trip latter replied he had no objections because Yurijs assistance would no longer be necessary in the case'. Yurij concludes the case has been dropped.

The actual conflict though is far from over. Now the reindeerbreeders of the region and especially Yurij's family are likely to be even more harassed by the LUKOIL company.

contact for further information

Letters/faxes in support of Yuriy Vella can be send among others

to the Governor of Khanty-Mansiyskiy Avtomny Okrug,
Aleksander V. Filipenko,
ul. Mira. 5, g. Khanty-Mansiysk 626200,
Tjumenskaja oblast', fax: 007 34671 3 34 60; fax: 007 0671 32967

to the Deputy Governor
Vasili S. Sondykov
fax: 007 34671 32545

to the president of President LUKOIL,
Vagit Jusufovich Alikperov
fax: 007 095 9160020, secretary 9219906

to the chief of the security service of Kogalymneftegaz branch of Lukoil Western Siberia,
Mr. Aleksandr Vasilevich Volchkov,
626481 g. Kogalym, ul. Mira 4,
tel. +7 34667 29190 or 26303:

to the superior of the department of inner affairs Khanty-Mansijsk.
S. A. Shmitkov
fax: 007 34671 98522, secr.. 98208

to the district attorney
fax: 007 34671 33289

to the head of the regional department of indigenous affairs in Nizhnevartovskiy Rayon,
Mr. Anatoliy Prokopevich Kaurtaev,
626440 g. Nizhnevartovsk, ul. Pionerskaya 11-19.

Here we will offer some documents (in german only) about the conflict and a prepared protest letter for download.

Call for Support of the Protest against the prosekution of Yurij Vella, Social regional Organization "Rodnik" Centre of Law
[in russian]

Russian netpages

About the Conflict with LUKOIL

Natalja Novikova about Yurij in nezavisimaya gazeta

Natalja Novikova about the protest of Yurij

Marina Katys about the fight of Yurij whith the oilindustry

Letter of the president of the Assoziation of the small peoples of the North and the far East to the governor of the XMAO

About Yurij

Story about a visit to Yurij Vella by the patriarch of the russian Hippies

Interview with the filmproducer Olga Kornienko

About fish, studied at the land of Yurij (with a map of the land of Yurij)

Winner of the Price of "Soros-Funds"

fish basket at the Jorsch-river. Aug. '99 

1988 left place of oilexploitation. Aug. '99