Portland Press Herald Staff Writer Tom Bell and his wife and daughter are traveling this month to a remote mountain village in the Russian Far East that was once his wife’s home.

Svetlana Bell, a dressmaker who lives in Yarmouth, hasn’t been to the village of Krasny Yar since she immigrated to the United States 17 years ago. The Bells’ youngest daughter, 16-year-old Ihila, a junior at Yarmouth High School, is traveling with them. She will meet her Russian relatives for the first time.

Krasny Yar is in a forest with an enormous variety of wildlife, including elk, wild boar and the Siberian tiger. Most of the villagers are members of an indigenous tribe called the Udegeh. Most of the men are hunters and trappers.

Ihila and Tom Bell will chronicle the family’s journey on a blog, www.peopleofthetiger.com, where they will post stories, photos and videos of their experiences. They will update the blog periodically, when they find Internet access.