The Paper Trail Leads to Syktyvkar

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

"More than 70 different nationalities live in Syktyvkar, with Russians making up just over half of the population. Komi, the area’s indigenous inhabitants, are the second-largest group. They became a minority population of about 30 percent following a rise in immigration to the Komi republic in the post-World War II period." This article in the St. Petersburg Times on the city of Syktyvkar makes (all too brief) mention of the Finno-Ugric Komi people and their mythology, specifically the story of Yirkap and his magic skis. The full English version article may be read here.