Nenets Autonomous District

The Nenets Autonomous District is an autonomous part of the Arkhangelsk Region located in the Russian Far North, between the Arkhangelsk Region, the Komi Republic and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. Much of the district is located above the Arctic Circle.

Along with its neighbour of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, the Nenets Autonomous District is home to the Nenets people, also known as the Samoyeds, who speak Nenets, an Uralic language. However less than 20% of the population are ethnic Nenets. The Nenets’ traditional way of life is reindeer herding which is still practised widely in the district.

The centre of the district is Naryan-Mar. The first Russian settlement in the district was Pustozyorsk which was founded at the end of the 15th century. The city no longer exists today as it lost its economic significance in the 18th century.