Peoples of the North of Russia. Small peoples of the North and Far East

The peoples of the North and the Far East are called small. This term is embedded not only in the demography of the ethnos, but also in its culture - traditions, customs, everyday life, etc.

The law clarified the concept of small numbers. These are peoples with a population of less than 50 thousand people. This manipulation allowed the Karelians, Komi, and Yakuts to be "thrown out" from the list of northern peoples.

Who stayed

What small nations of the North of Russia are known today? These are the Yukagirs, Ents, Tuvans-Tojins, Kereks, Orochi, Ketaks, Chukchi, Aleuts, Eskimos, Tubalars, Nenets, Teleuts, Mansi, Evenes, Evenks, Shorians, Evenks, Nanais, Nganasans, Alutors, Veps, Chulymians, Pellets , Chuvans, Soytas, Dolgans, Itelmen, Kamchadals, Tofalars, Umandins, Khanty, Chulkans, Negidals, Nivkhs, Ulta, Sami, Selkup, Telengits, Ulchi, Udege.

Indigenous peoples of the North and their language

All of them belong to the following language groups:

• Saami, Khanty and Mansi - to the Finno-Ugric;
• Nenets, Selkups, Nganasans, Enets - to the Samoyedic;
• Dolgany - to the Turkic;
• Evenki, Evens, Negidals, terms, Orochi, Nanais, Udege and Ulchi - to the Tungus-Manchu;
• Chukchi, Koryak, Itelmen speak the languages of the Chukchi-Kamchatka family;
• Eskimos and Aleuts - Eskimo-Aleutian.

Also there are isolated languages. They are not part of any group.

Many languages are already forgotten in colloquial speech and are used only in the everyday life of the old generation. Mostly they speak Russian.

Since the 90s, they are trying to restore their native language lessons in schools. Given this is difficult, because he is very little known, it is difficult to find teachers. When studying, children perceive their native language as foreign, because they rarely hear it.

Peoples of the Far North of Russia: features of appearance

Appearance of indigenous peoples of the North and the Far East monolica in contrast to their language. By anthropological properties, most can be attributed to the Mongoloid race. Slight growth, dense body, light skin, black hair, dark eyes with a narrow cut, small nose - these signs and point to it. An example is the Yakuts, whose photos are given below.

With the development of the north of Siberia in the 20th century by the Russians, some peoples, as a result of mixed marriages, acquired the europeoid outlines of individuals. Eyes became lighter, their incision wider, more and more often they began to meet fair-haired hair. For them, too, a traditional way of life is acceptable. They belong to their indigenous nation, but they have names, they have Russian names. The peoples of the North of Russia try to stick to their nation nominally for a number of reasons.

First, to preserve the benefits that give the right to free fishing and hunting, as well as various subsidies and benefits from the state.

Secondly, to preserve the number.

Religion

Previously, indigenous peoples of the North were basically adherents of shamanism. Only in the beginning of the 19th century. They turned to Orthodoxy. During the Soviet Union, they had very few churches and priests. Only a small part of the people kept their icons and observes Christian rites. The bulk adheres to traditional shamanism.

Life of the Peoples of the North

The land of the North and the Far East is of little use for agriculture. The villages are mainly located off the coasts of bays, lakes and rivers, since only sea and river trade routes work for them. The time by which goods can be delivered to settlements through rivers is severely limited. The rivers quickly freeze. Many become captives of nature for long months. It is also difficult to get to them in villages to someone from the Big Land. At this time, to get coal, gasoline, as well as the necessary goods can only be with the help of helicopters, but it is not everyone can afford.

The peoples of the North of Russia observe and honor centuries-old traditions and customs. They are mainly hunters, fishermen, reindeer herders. Despite the fact that they live by the examples and teachings of their ancestors, in their everyday life there are things from modern life. Radio, walkie-talkies, gasoline lamps, boating motors and much more.

Small peoples of the North of Russia are engaged mainly in reindeer herding. From this fishery they receive skins, milk, meat. Most of them they sell, but for themselves there is enough. Also deer are used as transport. This is the only means of transportation between villages that are not divided by rivers.

Kitchen

The prevalence of raw diet. Traditional dishes:

• Kaniga (semi-digested stag's stomach contents).
• Deer antlers (growing horns).
• Kopalchen (fermented meat under the press).
• Kiwiak (carcasses of birds, spread out by bacteria, which are stored in seal skin up to two years).
• Bone marrow of a deer, etc.

Work and craft

Some peoples of the North have developed whaling. But only Chukchi, Eskimos are engaged in it. A very popular type of income - fur farm. They are bred arctic foxes, mink. Their products are used in sewing shops. They make both national and European clothes.

In villages there are mechanics, sellers, mechanics, nurse. But most reindeer herders, fishermen, hunters. Families who are engaged in this all year round, live in the taiga, on the banks of rivers and lakes. They occasionally call in villages to buy various products, essential goods or send mail.

Hunting - year-round fishing. The peoples of the extreme North of Russia hunt skiing in winter. They take small sledges for their equipment, most of them are taken by dogs. Often hunt alone, rarely - in the company.

Accommodation of small peoples

Basically these are log houses. Nomads move with plague. It resembles a high conical tent whose base is reinforced with multiple poles. The plague is covered with reindeer skins sewn together. They transport such dwellings on a sleigh with deer. They put the plague, as a rule, women. They have beds, bedding, chests. In the center of the plague - a stove, some nomads can see a bonfire, but this is rare. Some hunters and reindeer breeders live in beams. This is a rack house, also covered with skins. They are similar in size to the building wagon. Inside the table, a bunk bed, an oven. This house is transported by sleigh.

Yaranga is a more complex wooden house. Inside there are two rooms. The kitchen is not heated. But the bedroom is warm.

Only the indigenous peoples of the North are able to build such dwellings to this day. Modern youth are no longer trained in this kind of fishing, because they mostly want to go to cities. Few people remain to live according to the laws of their ancestors.

Why the peoples of the North disappear

Small nations differ not only in their low numbers, but in their everyday life. The peoples of the European North of Russia retain their existence only in their villages. It is worth the man to leave and eventually he becomes a different culture. Little people come to the lands of the Northern peoples. And the children, growing up, almost all leave.

The peoples of the North of Russia are mostly local (autochthonous) ethnic groups from the West (Karelians, Veps) to the Far East (Yakuts, Chukchi, Aleuts, etc.). Their population in their native places does not grow, despite the high birth rate. The reason is that almost all the children grow up and leave the northern latitudes for the Greater Land.

In order for such peoples to survive, it is necessary to help their traditional economy. Pastures for deer quickly disappear due to the extraction of gas and oil. The farms lose profitability. The reason - expensive food and the impossibility of grazing. Water pollution affects fishing, which becomes less active. The small peoples of the North of Russia are disappearing very rapidly, their total population is 0.1% of the country's population.