The village is situated on the right bank of the Ob’, by the mouth of the Polnovatka river. The name of the village, according to one version, is related to the expression pↄʌn awət, ’nettle river head’. The protective spirit of the settlement is χǫləχ aki, ’Raven uncle’. The song language name of the village is pĭt[i] χǫləχ ʌatmaŋ mŭw, ’black raven landing place’.

The Tupolev and Nëmysov families are considered the founders of the village. The settlement was created in 1713. The first church, consecrated in honor of Mary’s Ascension, was erected here a year later. This also became the center for spreading Christianity in the region. 13 Ostyak settlements belonged to the church at this time (with Polnovat as the center): 1. Polnovat pogost – 7 homes, 2. Mazjanskoe (Mazjami) – 7 homes, 3. Vyrgim – 5 homes, 4. Amnja – 2 homes, Kunlar (Khullor) 11 homes, 6. Pamiti (12 homes), 7. Juilsk – 7 homes, 8. Rezany – 2 homes, 9. Tugijany – 5 homes, 10. Surei – 5 homes, 11. Najpugor – 1 home. 12. Čueli – 4 homes, 13. Vanzevat – 8 homes, 76 homes (households) in total. After the consolidation of Soviet rule, in 1929, the church was given a ’cultural function’. The building served as a cultural center until the end of the 1990s, and then it stood empty. It was renovated in 2006 and has been used by the church again since then.