Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
snowraven.com
This video showcases a symbolic fragment of the extensive traditional Sakha wedding ritual, which historically could span up to seven years. During this time, the families negotiated, with the groom’s family offering horses and cattle to demonstrate the strength and readiness of their lineage. Once the agreement was accepted, the final ritual—“Süktüü”—took place, when the bride adorned herself with her entire dowry, assisted by the women of her maternal line.
This ceremony typically occurred in winter. The bride was dressed in multiple layers of clothing—from symbolic undergarments to summer garments—culminating in luxurious fur coats and intricate silver jewelry. Each ornament, from headpieces to bracelets, was crafted both for protection from evil and as a reflection of ancestral strength. The weight of the dowry, often 20 kilograms or more, symbolized both physical and spiritual endurance.
The actresses in this video are directly connected to this tradition. The silver jewelry was handcrafted by master blacksmith Pyotr Alexeyev, whose family members—Aitalina and Naryika—also participated in the film. The fur coats were tailored by local artisans Valeriana Nikiforova and Olga Vasilieva. My mother also appears in the video, playing herself.
This video is deeply personal to me, as it symbolizes a metaphorical marriage with nature—a reflection of my connection to the natural world. Filmed in Khanalas County at temperatures of –50°C, the community—family, sisters, and an incredible crew—came together to bring this vision to life. The song “Aan Alaxchyn” (Spirit of Nature) accompanies this powerful metaphor of stepping into a new life, with nature as the bride’s ultimate partner.
Filmed, directed and edited by: Dmitry Bochorukov
Executive Producers: Valentin Argunov, Snow Raven
Creative Directors: Dima Bogorukov, Valentin Argunov, Snow Raven
Producer: Snow Raven
Screenwriting: Dmitry Bochorukov, Valentin Argunov, Snow Raven
Backstage: My mother Ariadna Kopyrina. My sisters Alina Alekseeva, Anya Ammosova, Vika Tkacheva
Special gratitude for the director of the Nikolsky Museum of History Praskovya Protopopova, professor of the NEFU Svetlana Petrova, antropologist Alexandra Prokopieva
No AI was used in the making of this video
Music: Snow Raven, Andreas Om
Lyrics: Tumus Mekheele
Brown winter coat collection: Valeriana Nikiforova
White winter coat: Olga Vasilieva
Undergarments, summer and winter garments: Professor Svetlana Petrova
Silver jewelry: Blacksmith (Uus) Pyotr Alexeyev
Actresses:
Mother – Ariadna Kopyrina
Sister – Naryia Alekseeva
Aunt – Aitalina Alekseeva
Grandmothers: Valeriana Nikiforova, Olga Vasilieva
Bride – Snow Raven
snowraven.com
This video showcases a symbolic fragment of the extensive traditional Sakha wedding ritual, which historically could span up to seven years. During this time, the families negotiated, with the groom’s family offering horses and cattle to demonstrate the strength and readiness of their lineage. Once the agreement was accepted, the final ritual—“Süktüü”—took place, when the bride adorned herself with her entire dowry, assisted by the women of her maternal line.
This ceremony typically occurred in winter. The bride was dressed in multiple layers of clothing—from symbolic undergarments to summer garments—culminating in luxurious fur coats and intricate silver jewelry. Each ornament, from headpieces to bracelets, was crafted both for protection from evil and as a reflection of ancestral strength. The weight of the dowry, often 20 kilograms or more, symbolized both physical and spiritual endurance.
The actresses in this video are directly connected to this tradition. The silver jewelry was handcrafted by master blacksmith Pyotr Alexeyev, whose family members—Aitalina and Naryika—also participated in the film. The fur coats were tailored by local artisans Valeriana Nikiforova and Olga Vasilieva. My mother also appears in the video, playing herself.
This video is deeply personal to me, as it symbolizes a metaphorical marriage with nature—a reflection of my connection to the natural world. Filmed in Khanalas County at temperatures of –50°C, the community—family, sisters, and an incredible crew—came together to bring this vision to life. The song “Aan Alaxchyn” (Spirit of Nature) accompanies this powerful metaphor of stepping into a new life, with nature as the bride’s ultimate partner.
Filmed, directed and edited by: Dmitry Bochorukov
Executive Producers: Valentin Argunov, Snow Raven
Creative Directors: Dima Bogorukov, Valentin Argunov, Snow Raven
Producer: Snow Raven
Screenwriting: Dmitry Bochorukov, Valentin Argunov, Snow Raven
Backstage: My mother Ariadna Kopyrina. My sisters Alina Alekseeva, Anya Ammosova, Vika Tkacheva
Special gratitude for the director of the Nikolsky Museum of History Praskovya Protopopova, professor of the NEFU Svetlana Petrova, antropologist Alexandra Prokopieva
No AI was used in the making of this video
Music: Snow Raven, Andreas Om
Lyrics: Tumus Mekheele
Brown winter coat collection: Valeriana Nikiforova
White winter coat: Olga Vasilieva
Undergarments, summer and winter garments: Professor Svetlana Petrova
Silver jewelry: Blacksmith (Uus) Pyotr Alexeyev
Actresses:
Mother – Ariadna Kopyrina
Sister – Naryia Alekseeva
Aunt – Aitalina Alekseeva
Grandmothers: Valeriana Nikiforova, Olga Vasilieva
Bride – Snow Raven
