REVIEW
Pastoralism
Introducing a Special Issue: What Lessons to Be Learnt from Reindeer-Herding Research in Russia?
1. University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
2. Evropejskij universitet v Sankt-Peterburge, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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Abstract
This introductory paper outlines the aim and tasks of the special issue "Reindeer herding research: Crossing disciplinary and regional borders of biology and social science". After presenting the content of the special issue, the article illustrates the importance of overcoming political and disciplinary borders by focusing on one aspect of Soviet/Russian reindeer-herding research which is little discussed in the other contributions to the issue: zootechnics. In particular, reindeer zootechnics include functional types, herd structure, pasturing techniques, slaughter strategy, and productivity indicators. Attention is paid to tracing how this research was received, deliberated, and utilized in Fennoscandia, and to its role in developing the so-called Røros Model. It is demonstrated that Soviet reindeer-related research as perceived in Fennoscandia can best be understood as a (partial) traveling model. Similarly, it can be suggested that Fennoscandian experiments with fenced herding were perceived by Soviet specialists in a similar manner. Finally, it is shown how expert scientists gradually came to acknowledge reindeer herders' own knowledge, thus shifting from "recommendation" mode towards more mutual knowledge exchange.
Summary
Keywords
pasturing techniques, productivity indicators, reindeer herd structure, slaughter strategies, traveling models
Received
31 October 2025
Accepted
04 March 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Habeck and Istomin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Joachim Otto Habeck
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