A kornevatik is a braided basket with a lid. It was widespread among the Ob River Ugrians (Khanty and Mansi) and is still familiar to many locals that live near the Yugra River. Such baskets were used to store various small household items: arrowheads, pieces of horn, plaques, tools, and food.

Thanks to the hygroscopic properties of the material, the dense weaving and a well-fitted lid, the kornevatik basket protected its contents from spoiling and becoming damp. They were also well-suited for travel.

The process of making such baskets was very labor-intensive. Weaving one required sarga, which is “thin lath, rods, and roots for knitting and weaving”. It was acquired by preparing elastic and sturdy roots of young cedar trees, the length of which could reach 20 meters.

The roots were split into four pieces and several thin layers were peeled from their outer part. The resulting strips were cleared of rough patches and, if necessary, made even narrower.

The sarga would then be rolled into circles, left to dry and stored until it was needed. Soaking it in water restored its natural properties.

Making such a basket required one to lay a bird cherry rod rolled into a spiral and braid it with cedar root strips: a cedar rot strip was pulled through a hole made by an awl on the lower coil. After that, one needed to pull the strip tightly so that the future basket retains its form after drying. The traditional shapes of kornevatik baskets are round, oval and rectangular. It was determined by the shape of the bird cherry rod at the base.

The lid was made separately. It was usually convex, with a rectangular top, and trapezoidal sides. The lid was tied to the basket with buckskin straps, which was also used for later making the handle.

The process of making kornevatik baskets required considerable physical effort, so it was traditionally considered a man’s job.

In 2010, kornevatik was nominated for the title of one of the wonders of the Finno-Ugric peoples. The technology of weaving mats from wooden fibers is included in the Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the peoples of Yugra. Nowadays, kornevatik baskets are made as souvenirs.