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A Very Old Russian Fishery

A Russian fisherwoman at work

In Oranzherei, a very small village in south-eastern Russia, in the Astrakhan region, very near the Caspian Sea, there is a fish processing factory which was established in the 17th century, and has been in constant operation ever since.

The fish come in from the ships

Fishing ships from the Caspian Sea send their holds full of fish to the factory for processing, drying, and salt-curing.

A seemingly endless supply of dead fish streams into the factory

The city is best known among Russians as a manufacturing center for greenhouses. Yet, the humble fish factory has provided fish for Russian families and restaurants for over 200 years.

Hanging fish to dry..

..on 200+ year-old wooden racks

After each fish is gutted by hand (not shown here - you're welcome), they are hung one by one on 200 year-old wooden racks to dry.

Each fish is individually tied to the rack

The women of the factory thread a string through the gill and out the mouth of each of the millions of fish and tie it securely to the rack. There is no automation or mechanization here. Everything is accomplished, one fish at a time, by the women's nimble and experienced hands.

When the fishing is good..

During those seasons when the fishing is good, the women will string several fish per string in order to save room in the factory's racks.

After the fish have dried

After the fish have dried, the women untie them and pile them into carts for carrying to the salting room. The salting room is filled with 200+ years-old oak vats full of salt brine. Each of the vats holds up to 20 tons of fish. After a few weeks, the fish have pickled in the brine solution and are again dried before being shipped out to customers all over Russia.

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