The Zatundra peasants are not only residents of northern territories but also a distinct Russian ethnic group. Since the 16th century, they began migrating to Taymyr in search of a better life, primarily from Eastern Pomorye. Travelers referred to them as peasants due to their rural lifestyle, although they did not engage in agriculture. The Pomors sustained themselves through livestock farming and fishing, performing transport and postal functions. Their self-designation is linked to the term "Zatundra," which denotes the forest-tundra on the Putorana Plateau.

One of the main activities of the Zatundra peasants was fur trapping using snares, traps resembling a toothy mouth. These traps were placed at significant distances from each other, sometimes numbering up to 200. Collecting the catch could take an entire day or even two. Therefore, in remote areas, they built wintering huts or traveling cabins with stoves and high bunks. Such huts were set up every 15-20 kilometers. Over time, nomadic peoples would stop there to exchange news and goods.

By the early 20th century, Taymyr began to develop actively. Factories with grain storage facilities and state grain warehouses for emergencies appeared here. Trading shops sold essential goods for the North: matches, kerosene, flour, gunpowder, cartridges, salt, and much more. Sometimes these goods were exchanged for the skins of wild animals. After the October Revolution, supplies ceased, although in the first months goods were still delivered out of inertia.

Today, very few Zatundra peasants remain. According to the 2002 census, only 8 people identified themselves as such, while the others consider themselves simply Russian.