samoyed

Breed of dog originating in Siberia. It weighs about 25 kg/60 lb and is 58 cm/23 in tall. It resembles a chow chow, but has a more pointed face and a white or cream coat.

Samoyed

Member of a group of peoples of northern Siberia living on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. They are seminomadic reindeer herders in the north, sedentary fishers in the south. Their language belongs to the Uralic language family. The most numerous Samoyed people are the Nenets, numbering about 30,000; others include the Enet, Nganasan, and Selkup. Most of the Nenets still speak their own language.

Known since the 11th century, they paid tribute to Moscow from the 16th century, but continued the struggle for independence in the 16th–17th centuries. In 1929–30 three Samoyed national districts were formed.