Ethnic stereotypes largely determine the actions of an individual during his contacts with strangers – representatives of a different culture. At the same time, these actions, like stereotypes, are not permanent. The objective of the paper is to study the evolution of the attitude to the Yugra aborigines at the turn of the 19^th– 20^th centuries. To achieve it, it is necessary to address the local sociocultural realities. Information about them is reflected in various historical and ethnographic sources, which, in particular, can include some works of fiction. A special place belongs to the genre of Christmas (Yuletide) stories, which specifics are usually studied by literary scholars. At the same time, provincial literature often contains information about the perception of aborigines by the Russian population. The specifics of the study required the use of an interdisciplinary approach, in which the theoretical developments of literary criticism complement historical and ethnographic methods. The results obtained indicate an ambivalent attitude to interethnic contacts with the peoples of the North in Russian culture. Images of the aborigines were associated with potential threats from another world. And, at the same time, they acted as victims of deception, violence and rejection by bearers of genuine Christian virtues. In addition, there was a noticeable difference in value judgments between folk and official culture. Folk culture tended towards stability, repetition and cyclical nature. On the contrary, the official culture with its European rationalism, was oriented towards the values of progress. Christmas stories by peripheral writers complemented by ethnic flavor were the evidence of something new in the public consciousness. At the regional level, the importance of interethnic communication and ethnic tolerance increased. The disparate components of Russian culture gradually came closer together, although these processes were not yet completed. Only further consideration of literary tests can help in understanding the contradictions of the past.