In the 1970s, the Soviet Buran snowmobile was tested for the first time in Nenets Okrug, giving the race its name. Today, participants drive foreign-made snowmobiles—but the venerated old-timer Buran sometimes shows up on the starting line, too.
The race got its name and Russia-wide recognition in 2010, and is included in the annual schedule of the Motorbike Federation of Russia. The name literally means 'the day of the Buran race'.
A 1,000-metre track with hills, sharp turns, and jumps is currently being built near the Pechora river, by the Kachgortinskaya Kurya Gulf. The races are separated into categories: men's, women's, junior, veteran, and the 'free-ride' and 'Buran' classes.
The winners receive snowmobiles, household appliances, or money.
Even visitors who aren't interested in races have something to keep them occupied—there's a concert, an outdoor theatre, reindeer sledge rides, contests, a funfair and, of course, delicious northern cuisine. If you get cold, you can sit in a traditional Nenets 'chum' to warm up.
The exact date of the next festival has not been decided yet, but it has traditionally been held in March.
