Verkhoyansk

The Chuchunya of Verkhoyansk

The Chuchuna (Yakut: Chuchunaa; Evenki: Mulen) is a legendary "wild man" and relict forest wanderer pervasive in the oral traditions of indigenous populations across Northeastern Siberia. Centered within the jagged slopes of the Verkhoyansk Range and the subarctic river basins of the Yana, Adycha, Dulgalakh, and Sartang (Verkhoyansky District, Sakha Republic / Yakutia), the entity is traditionally depicted as a tall, feral nomad clad in raw reindeer hides who raided storage caches and avoided all human contact. During the 20th century, the Chuchuna transitioned into a cornerstone of Soviet cryptozoology and hominology alongside the Yeti and the Central Asian Almas.