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Larisa Chirkova, 45, an assistant of Ivan Plakhuta, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, shapes wool in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Larisa Chirkova, 45, an assistant of Ivan Plakhuta, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, shapes wool in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. Plakhuta, former lumberman, started his small business in 2000, based on traditional methods, which don't involve chemical components with vintage machinery of the beginning of the 20th century used. Plakhuta and his assistant Larisa Chirkova work inside a wooden bath house in a rural court yard and monthly produce up to 20 pairs of valenki, felt high-knee footwear made of sheep wool and commonly worn in Russian rural areas. His clients are mostly inhabitants of villages in southern districts of Krasnoyarsk, Tuva and Khakassia regions, who buy valenki at the price of about 2,000 Russian roubles for a children's pair, 4,000 for women and 5,000 for men, according to Ivan Plakhuta. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, takes a valenok after boiling it on a furnace in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, takes a valenok after boiling it on a furnace in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, operates a machine to shape wool in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, operates a machine to shape wool in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, hits a valenok to soften and put it into shape in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, hits a valenok to soften and put it into shape in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, rolls a valenok in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, rolls a valenok in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, measures a valenok in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, measures a valenok in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, works on a valenok in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, works on a valenok in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, burns a valenok to make it smooth in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, burns a valenok to make it smooth in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, burns a valenok to make it smooth in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, burns a valenok to make it smooth in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, inspects a valenok before putting it into a dryer in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, inspects a valenok before putting it into a dryer in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)



Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, packs ready for sale valenki at his wooden house in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Ivan Plakhuta, 54, the owner of a small workshop manufacturing valenki, Russian traditional footwear, packs ready for sale valenki at his wooden house in the remote Siberian village of Bolshaya Rechka, located in Taiga area in the foothills of the Western Sayan Mountain Ridge in the Yermakovsky district of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 10, 2015. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)
16 Nov 2015 08:03:00