Twenty years ago, Sean Vann and his family-owned logging company had a problem. The timber industry in the Pacific Northwest was struggling and work was scarce. So he did what anyone would do: he packed his bags and moved to Russia in search of timber in the cold tundra of Siberia.
After nearly two decades of working overseas, Vann, 48, of Kalispell, has started his own Russian logging company and is now the subject of a new Discovery Channel reality show called “Siberian Cut,” which premiered on June 3.
The show features Vann and a crew of Siberian and American loggers, including Brandon Woodward of Columbia Falls and Jared Fitchett of Libby, working in the harsh conditions of northern Russia.
Vann has worked in the timber industry since the late 1980s throughout Montana and the Northwest. In 1995, after hearing about the virgin forests of Russia, he has split his time between Montana and Siberia. His family still lives in Kalispell and he tries to come home every three months.
The harvesting season in Siberia usually runs from mid-October until April. Vann says logging must take place in winter because that’s the only time they can really haul logs out due to a lack of roads. Even something as simple as replacing a piece of machinery is a massive challenge because the timber grounds are so far removed from populated areas.
“When a piece of machinery goes down it’s a huge ordeal,” Vann said, adding that the challenges are what keep the job exciting. “I really miss the place when I leave Russia because everything back here seems so boring or simple, even logging.”
A few years ago, a reporter from the Financial Times visited Vann in Russia for a story about the timber industry there. Upon meeting the American, they realized that his story was much more interesting and he became the focus of the article. Soon, various filmmakers and television producers contacted Vann about filming his work. At first, Vann rejected most of the officers but two producers from Raw TV, Sam Maynard and Jos Cushing, were persistent and Vann invited them to Siberia earlier this year.
The producers also helped Vann find the American loggers, including Fitchett, who lives east of Libby. He started logging as a kid and quit high school in 1998 to log full time in an attempt to save the family home. He took over the family business in 2001 but, like many other loggers in the area, had struggled to find jobs. When he heard about Siberian Cut, he decided he would take the chance.
“It was hard. It was very cold and the village we were working in was very poor. It was like going back in time,” he said. “The language barrier and the remoteness were probably the hardest parts.”
Although there were struggles, Fitchett said he wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. He said he was nervous at first to see himself on television, but his family loves being able to see what he does at work, even when it’s halfway around the world. Vann has also become a big fan of the show and said the producers have done a great job staying true to the story.
“I love what they’ve done with the show,” Vann said. “The way they’ve crafted the show is amazing and it brings back a lot of memories of the challenges we faced over there … I love watching it and I’m already addicted to it every Tuesday night.”
“Siberian Cut” can be seen on the Discovery Channel every Tuesday night at 8 p.m.