As with the earlier numbers of "Publications of Estonian National Museum", so is the Pro Ethnologia 5dedicated to one area of problems. This time the collection has been compiled, thinking firstly of some arctic cultures. The main attention is centered on the worldview of the Nenets (Samoyeds/Yuraks) and Khanty (Ostyaks) and on their sacrificial rites.

The present publication is to a large extent an intermediate scientific summary of a grant project "Examining Cultural Changes in Western Siberia", aided by the Estonian Science Foundation. The project was carried out at the Estonian National Museum in 1996–1997. Within the project great attention was paid to fieldwork. The putting together of the collected material within a scientific treatment is mainly a future task. The work that has happened within the framework of the project has been described in more detail in the last synopsis-article of the present publication, named after the project. I would like to make a short comment on the articles of this publication.

Liivo Niglas, a master student of Tartu University deals in his article "Reindeer in the Nenets worldview" with the daily attitude of the reindeer herders and their beliefs associated with these animals. The author regards the reindeer as a basic factor, the key symbol of the Nenets worldview. The article is, first of all, based on the material of fieldwork by L. Niglas. It is a really interesting paper that encourages us to expect similarly interesting treatment of the Nenets culture from this author in the future.

Art Leete's article is dedicated to a definite sacrifice of reindeer. A survey is given of a sacrifice that took place in April 1996 at lake Num-To. In the first place, the descriptions of the traditional, sacred details of the sacrificial ritual have been given. At the same time, it has been indicated that the observable sacrifice had a certain additional political aspect. Above all, this sacrifice could have been basically taken as a way of spending one's time. Consequently, it is also observing the cultural changes expressed in the ritual.

Anzori Barkalaja, a researcher in the Estonian National Museum examines in his article the collective sacrifice of the river Pim Khanty in the Surgut region of West Siberia in December 1995. The author touches on both the religious and social aspects of the sacrifice.

In addition to the three longer articles the present issue includes also three short informational pieces. These are certain selected ethnological research chronicles reflecting the work of the ethnologists of Estonia and neighbouring areas.

Olga Fishman, head of the department of the Russian Ethnographical Museum in Sankt-Petersburg, gives a short and compact survey of the collective research programme "Study of the local Baltic-Finn population groups in the north-eastern part of Russia" in the Russian Ethnographical Museum. A. Leete writes about the 2nd International Congress of Russian Anthropologists and Ethnographers in Ufa in the beginning of June 1997. At the end, L. Niglas and A. Leete introduce briefly the essential side of the grant project "Examining Cultural Changes in Western Siberia" of the Estonian Science Foundation, as mentioned above.

The editorial board thanks the Estonian Science Foundation whose help has been used in carrying out fieldwork that acted as a base for the two articles of this issue. The Estonian National Museum hopes to continue publishing collections associated with traditional and current aspects of the culture of the Siberian peoples.

December 1997

Art Leete