Shaman Nadja Stephanova on the Ukok Plateau (Swiss Stories 2012, by Stefan Maurer) - Swiss Press Award

Shaman Nadja Stephanova on the Ukok Plateau

Stefan Maurer

The shaman Nadja Stephanova prays to the spirits and ancestors on the Ukok Plateau to prevent the planned pipeline that the gas giant Gazprom intends to build through the heart of the UNESCO-protected Ukok Plateau to China. At the same time, she prays for the return of the spirit of the Princess of Ukok. The princess's grave lies on the plateau, and since the mummy was brought to a laboratory in Novosibirsk, there have been disasters in the area, the earth trembles, and the soil becomes barren. The shamans warn faraway Moscow: If you don't return the mummy, we'll give you a good shake. The Ukok Plateau, bordering Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and China, is a restricted area and under the control of the FSB.