Interaction with Indigenous Minorities
Approach to Interaction with Indigenous Minorities
In its relations with indigenous minorities, the Gazprom Group is guided by principles of long-term partnership and mutual interest in addressing shared challenges. The Group takes into account social and economic development of the regions where it operates and takes meaningful steps to ensure environmental safety.
Through its support programs, Gazprom Group entities are able to make a difference for the lives of indigenous peoples by:
- preserving the traditional culture of indigenous minorities;
- creating platforms for cultural exchange;
- promoting national sports;
- supporting families of nomads;
- enhancing tourist appeal of regions where indigenous minorities live.
Respect for cultures
- Preservation of original habitats and traditional way of life of indigenous minorities.
- Rational use of natural resources in territories where indigenous minorities live.
- Planning the Gazprom Group’s operations in respective regions to reflect activities and nomadic lifestyle of indigenous minorities.
Social responsibility
- Involvement in addressing social issues of indigenous minorities.
- Assistance in implementing projects of educational institutions in local settlements and preservation of long-standing traditions.
- Support for academically successful and talented students from among indigenous minorities.
- Ensuring accessibility of products and healthcare services for nomadic peoples in the regions where the Gazprom Group operates.
Geography of Interaction with Indigenous Minorities
The Gazprom Group entitiesGazprom Neft Group, Achimgaz (a joint venture of the Gazprom Group), Severneftegazprom, Sakhalin Energy (the Gazprom Group’s associated entity), Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg, Gazprom Nedra, Gazprom Dobycha Urengoy, Gazprom Transgaz Surgut, Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk. engage with eight indigenous peoples in six regions of Russia:
- Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area
- Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area
- Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
- Irkutsk Region
- Sakhalin Region
- Sverdlovsk Region
The indigenous peoples that the Gazprom Group entities interact with include:
- Khanty
- Mansi
- Nenets
- Selkups
- Evenks
- Evens (Lamuts)
- Nivkh
- Ulta (Orok)
The right of local communities to engage in a traditional way of life in areas where they have been living for ages is an absolute priority for the Gazprom Group. The Group’s projects take into account current geographies and specifics of indigenous minorities’ lifestyle. No relocation is initiated, and no relevant programs are underway.
- Financing of initiatives to support indigenous minorities and promote their traditional activities;
- notification of local governments well in advance of the Group’s plans to engage in any operational activities (construction and laying of gas trunklines, temporary roads and railroads, etc.) in the regions where indigenous minorities traditionally live and are active;
- assistance in provision of transportation services to peoples engaged in traditional activities;
- charity support to regional non-profit organizations of indigenous minorities.
For more details on the Gazprom Group’s interaction with indigenous minorities, see Appendix.
Key areas of support for indigenous minorities in 2023:
- initiatives to support indigenous minorities and promote traditional activities, investment in farming and fishing craft;
- social care services, aid for people of the Far North with limited mobility, diagnostic assistance, medical treatment and rehabilitation of gravely sick and disabled children;
- environmental activities to clean up territories of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area.
Employment and Education Opportunities for Indigenous Minorities
In 2023, Gazprom launched the Yasavey program, which seeks to establish equal opportunities for the professional development of indigenous minorities of the North and to contribute to their successful onboarding within the Gazprom Group and acceptance of the Gazprom Group’s corporate standards, values and traditions. The program is available to young employees of Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg (aged under 35) from among indigenous minorities applying for low-skilled positions.
In February 2023, the Gazprom Group approved the Edeyko program, designed to create professional growth and development opportunities for training qualified workers and professionals from among indigenous minorities of the North. Eligible for the program are high school students from the Tazovsky, Nadymsky, and Purovsky districts. They are enrolled in a target training program at Gazprom Vocational School Novy Urengoy and at Novy Urengoy Multidisciplinary College, with subsequent employment offered by Gazprom. Also, pre-graduation and industrial work placements are available to students, as well as summer internships.
Addressing Socially Significant Issues of Indigenous Minorities
Indigenous minorities have been receiving targeted assistance, including for the purposes of treatment and health promotion, as well as purchase and delivery of foods to the tundra for the benefit of nomadic people.
For them, one of the key challenges is the lack of modern healthcare facilities accessible by foot. Gazprom provides tundra people with opportunities to get quality healthcare and appointments with specialist physicians at mobile outpatient clinics at fields.
Following a request from head of the Kindigir nomadic community of Evenks in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk introduced more stringer control over access of individuals and vehicles to a haul road near the community area so as to prevent poachers from entering the Kindigirsky area of traditional natural resources use.
Preserving Culture and Traditions of Indigenous Minorities
Gazprom strives to preserve the original habitat and support the traditional lifestyles, customs and values of indigenous peoples.
Throughout 2023, Gazprom Group entities provided organizational and financial support for national holidays of indigenous minorities of the North, such as Fishermen's Day and Reindeer Herders' Day in Yamal, Gathering of Reindeer Herders of the Yamalsky District, traditional festivals "Honoring the Spirit of the Sea" in Poronaysk on Sakhalin and "Raven Day" in the Beloyarsky District (Khanty-Mansi – Yugra Autonomous Area), along with other events that seek to preserve and promote cultural traditions of indigenous minorities.
Gazprom Dobycha Nadym signed general agreements with administrations of the Yamalsky, Purovsky, and Nadymsky districts of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, which set out the company’s participation in driving the territories’ social and economic development, with specific provisions on support for indigenous minorities. Traditional reindeer migration routes pass through the Bovanenkovskoye field, a circumstance that is reflected by Gazprom Dobycha Nadym, which operates there, in its construction and operational plans. In 2023, the company provided organizational support for the seasonal migration of two reindeer herding brigades and 8,000 reindeer across the Bovanenkovskoye field: on sections of road with heavy traffic, all traffic was temporarily halted, and special pavement was put in place to prevent damage to runners of sledges.
Assistance to Associations of Indigenous Minorities
In the reporting year, Gazprom Group entities provided charitable support to associations of indigenous minorities by purchasing vehicles, household items, medications and other goods that people needed.
Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk provided financial support to the Olongro (Rybnoye) nomadic indigenous community association to purchase a tent and a cooker for the improvement of living conditions of indigenous people; financial assistance was also made available to the Druzhba (Friendship) nomadic indigenous community association to help with purchases of snowmobiles as a way to preserve the natural habitat and promote a traditional way of life.
Movie about the lives of indigenous minorities of the Far North “Reindeer Herders: An Endless Journey”
In response to a request from the administration of the Yamalsky District of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, Gazpromneft-Zapolyarye constructed a trading post facility for Yamal residents engaged in traditional crafts. Featuring a recreational area for tundra people, amenities for product preparation and storage, as well as equipment repairs capacities, the facility became a transshipment point for more than 300 families of local reindeer herders. Available for tundra people are a store, warehouse premises with equipment for freezing and storage, a bakery, and a recreational space with furniture and electronics. Indigenous Yamal people can now have a comfortable stopover during seasonal reindeer migration. The facility has generators in place, along with telecommunications equipment. Craft communities, fishers and reindeer herders can trade their products, buy staples and fuel, and have their vehicles repaired.
Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk, under its agreement on cooperation and financing for social projects entered into with the Purovsky District (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area), helps with transportation services for nomadic people, reindeer herding and fishing brigades, as well as agricultural enterprises. The company also provides employment opportunities. The agreement seeks to develop stable mutually beneficial relations in the long run and to provide the organizational, economic, legal and other framework necessary for that. In the reporting year, the company provided financial support to Dyanki-Koi, a non-profit indigenous community association, to help purchase medications and adaptive equipment for an indigenous girl diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Gazprom Dobycha Yamburg went on with its targeted assistance to district branches of the Association of Indigenous Minorities of the Far North. In the reporting year, charity support was made available to over 200 nomadic families. The company's financial support also helped members of the Yamal for Posterity! association take part in the Treasures of the North 2023 exhibition, where they were among the prize winners.
First Forum of Women of the North
In St. Petersburg in June, the Association of Indigenous Minorities of the North, Siberia and Far East together with Russia’s Federation Council, with support from Sakhalin Energy as the general partner, organized the first Forum of Women of the North. The event became a communication platform to help promote the role and fulfil the mission of women from among indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and Far East in contexts of sustainable development, preserving the traditional way of life of ethnic communities, native languages, and the culture and traditional family values of indigenous minorities.
The forum brought together around 1,000 participants, including women from among 40 indigenous minorities living in 28 Russian regions.
The forum included events such as the Health and Beauty of the North festival, workshops, Strong Women of the Great North exhibition, which was organized in partnership with the State Historical Museum, and a personal exhibition of Veronika Osipova, an UltaThe Ulta, or Orok, people are one of the indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and Far East of Russia. artist, titled “I Draw Legends...”. Throughout the forum, the site provided the services of the Mobile Healthcare Center, Advice Center for Social Support, media room “Talking to Forum Participants”, and Women’s Health Office set up by the Regional Center of Preventive Medicine of Novy Urengoy.
The forum's participants discussed and published recommendations drafted during the first Forum of Women of the North. The final document calls for heads of federal executive and legislative authorities, governments of Russian regions, municipalities and other stakeholders to take part in implementing the document's provisions regard social transformations, healthcare, economic development, and preservation of the languages and cultures of indigenous minorities. The forum laid the groundwork for a new project titled “Strong Women of the Great North”, which will be run jointly with the State Historical Museum and the Association of Indigenous Minorities of the North, Siberia and Far East, as well as for an educational project targeting leaders of non-profit organizations for indigenous minorities.