A remote village in central Russia has hosted an international sled dog race, with participants coming from Australia, the US and Canada. The idea behind the event belongs to a local nun.

For almost a week the people of the small Kotkishevo village in the Kostroma region have been listening to the canine chorus barking by their windows.

Locals are proud that the event has put their little village on the map as a Mecca for ‘mushers’ – the dog-drivers – but they never thought that their very own huskies and malamute dogs could beat the visiting competitors and become the world’s top dogs.

The first sled dog was brought to the village from Australia.

The race was organized by a nun and four orphans. Five years ago Mother Paraskevna built a dog kennel in the village. Kids from the local orphanage came round to take care of the puppies and stayed.

Now it's one big family, where it's hard to say who takes care of whom.

“It’s a great pity but our kids miss out on some things in their childhood. They even lack physical warmth which a mother and a father are supposed to give. They can miss out on emotions and feelings. So they tell everything to a dog, they cuddle it. And the dog warms them,” said the nun.

Aleksey is one of Mother Paraskevna’s boys who shares his warmth and dreams with dogs. He said he didn’t like his life in an orphanage. It was harsh and he would rather forget those days.