MARRIAGE CUSTOMS KALIM - the price for the bride, one of the types of compensation for the wife. The forest Yukaghirs, the Chukchis of other peoples of the Far North - East originally had unmarried marriages. The size of the kalym and the procedure for its payment were determined at the negotiations during the matchmaking. Most often, dowry was paid in the form of deer, copper or iron cauldrons, fabrics, and animal skins. With the development of commodity-money relations, part of the kalym could be paid in cash. The amount of kalym depended on the property status of the families of the bride and groom.

MARRIAGE CUSTOMS Levirate is a marriage custom whereby a widow was obliged or entitled to marry her deceased husband's brother. It was common among most peoples of the North. The right to the wife of the deceased elder brother belonged to the younger, and not vice versa. Sororat is a marriage custom, according to which a widower is obliged to marry the younger sister or niece of the deceased wife.

Dwellings Dwellings of peoples are classified on the basis of different criteria: according to the materials of manufacture - wooden (from logs, boards, hewn poles, poles, split blocks, branches), bark (birch bark and from the bark of other trees - spruce, fir, larch), felt, bones of marine animals, earthen, adobe, with wicker walls, as well as covered with deer skins; in relation to the ground level - ground, underground (semi-dugouts and dugouts) and piled; according to the layout - quadrangular, round and polygonal; in shape - conical, gable, single-slope, spherical, hemispherical, pyramidal and truncated-pyramidal; by design - frame (from vertical or inclined pillars, covered on top with skins, bark, felt).

FIRE CULT Fire - the main family shrine - was widely used in family rituals. The hearth was constantly sought to be maintained. During the migrations, the Evenks transported him in a bowler hat. Fire rules have been passed down from generation to generation. The fire of the hearth was protected from defilement, it was forbidden to throw garbage, cones into it (“so as not to close up the grandmother’s eyes with resin” - Evenks), touch the fire with something sharp, pour water into it. The veneration of fire was also transferred to objects that had long-term contact with it.

FOLK SIGNS OF THE EVENS v You can't walk on fire. v 2. The fire of a fire cannot be stabbed, cut with sharp objects. If you do not observe and contradict these signs, then the fire will lose the strength of its spirit. v 3. Your old clothes, things must not be thrown away and left on the ground, but things must be destroyed by burning. If you do not follow these rules, then a person will always hear the cry of his things and clothes. v 4. If you take eggs from partridges, geese and ducks from the nest, be sure to leave two or three eggs in the nest. v 5. The remains of prey cannot be scattered in the place where you walk and live. v 6. In the family, you can not often swear and argue, because the fire of your hearth may be offended and you will be unhappy.

CLOTHING Clothing of the peoples of the North is adapted to local climatic conditions and lifestyle. For its manufacture, local materials were used: the skins of deer, seals, wild animals, dogs, birds (loons, swans, ducks), the skin of fish, the Yakuts also have the skins of cows and horses. Rovduga was widely used - suede made of deer or elk skins. They insulated clothes with the fur of squirrels, foxes, arctic foxes, hares, lynxes, among the Yakuts - beavers, among the Shors - with sheep fur. An extremely important role was played by the skins of domestic and wild deer, obtained in the taiga, tundra. In winter, they wore two-layer or single-layer clothes made of deer, less often dog skins, in summer - worn winter coats, parkas, malitsas, as well as clothes made of rovduga, fabrics.

THE ITELMENS Modern science considers the Itelmens to be very ancient inhabitants of Kamchatka, without answering exactly the question of when and where they came from. Since it is known that the Koryaks and Chukchis came here around 1200-1300, apparently fleeing from Genghis Khan, we can assume that the Itelmens appeared here earlier. Analyzing life, the researcher finds analogies with the ancient Chinese. The final conclusion: the Itelmen once lived "outside of China, in the steppes of Mongolia, below the Amur". This is indicated by numerous coincidences in the language of the Mongols and Itelmens, as well as physiological similarities. Most likely, the Itelmens once lived in the South Ural steppes, and were a Turkic tribe, possibly with Mongoloid features, like the current Kalmyks, strongly Iranianized (under Scythian influence). It was the ancestors of the Itelmens who were the pygmies that Greek mythology speaks of. Hence the elements of Greek mythology among the Itelmens, hence several ancient coins found in Kamchatka.

YAKUTS For the first time, Russian industrialists penetrated into Yakutia in the 20s of the 17th century. Following them, service people came here and began to explain to the local population, which caused resistance from the local nobility, who did not want to lose the right to exclusive exploitation of their relatives. In 1632, Beketov put on the river. Lena prison. In 1643, it was moved to a new place 70 versts from the old one and was named Yakutsk. But gradually the struggle with the Russians ceased, because the Yakuts were convinced of the benefits of peaceful ties with the Russian population. By the middle of the 17th century, the entry of Yakutsk into the Russian state was basically completed.

BURYATS According to anthropological characteristics, the Buryats belong to the Central Asian type of the Mongoloid race. The ancient religion of the Buryats is shamanism. In the 17th century The Buryats made up several tribal groups, the largest among which were Bulagats, Ekhirits, Khorints and Khongodors. The convergence of the Buryat tribes among themselves was historically due to the proximity of their culture and dialects, as well as the unification of the tribes after they became part of Russia. This process ended at the end of the 17th and 18th centuries. The basis of the economy of the Buryats was cattle breeding, semi-nomadic among the western and nomadic among the eastern tribes; hunting and fishing played some role in the economy.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! :) I hope that the presentation didn't seem boring and everyone learned something new. Thanks for watching.

Chernova Tatyana Dmitrievna
Job title: teacher of Russian language and literature
Educational institution: MBOU secondary school No. 19
Locality: Rubtsovsk, Altai Territory
Material name: research
Subject:"Holidays of the peoples of Siberia"
Publication date: 20.03.2017
Chapter: complete education

Municipal educational institution

secondary school No. 19

School scientific and practical conference “School. The science. Intelligence"

Folk holidays of the Russian and indigenous peoples of Siberia.

Completed:

Tailakov Kirill, 8th grade

Supervisor:

Chernova T. D.,

Russian teacher and

literature

Rubtsovsk

Introduction

Main part

Traditional holidays of the Russian and indigenous peoples of Siberia

Folk holidays of the indigenous inhabitants of Siberia

3. Conclusion

Practical part

Literature

Introduction

They say that now, for the last 20-25 years, Russia is losing its traditions, its

face, our identity, that we are increasingly turning our gaze to

America or Europe. I strongly disagree with this. In my opinion, at

the interest of the people in the history of the country, in its cultural heritage, has increased. AND

this is no accident.

According to the customs of grandfathers and great-grandfathers, a person’s life from birth to death was

is inseparable from church holidays, from oral-poetic folk

creativity. Raising a child, introducing him to moral principles

society, to work was carried out through specific labor activity

and through folklore. They accompanied the person all his life.

It is here that the origins of folk holidays celebrated in Rus' with

time immemorial. Where did this or that holiday come from? Like him

celebrated with us in Siberia? What folk holidays are celebrated today and

Why? These are the questions I asked myself when starting this work.

Goal of the work: determine how and what holidays were celebrated in Rus', in

Siberia, which of them have survived to this day.

Work tasks:

Find out the reasons for the appearance of folk holidays.

Get to know how the most popular

holidays in Siberia.

Find out what folk holidays are celebrated today.

Find out which folk holidays in our time are the most

popular.

Find out why people in our time celebrate folk

holidays.

Hypothesis: in recent years, the interest of the people in cultural

heritage of their country.

Object of study: culture and traditions of the indigenous peoples of Siberia.

Subject of study: folk holidays of Siberia.

Research methods: study of available literature, analysis

received materials, interviewing, observation, conversations.

When and how holidays appeared.

Holidays are loved by everyone: both adults and children. On such days, everyone congratulates a friend

friend, give gifts, something tasty appears on the table. And on the streets

these are folk festivals, fireworks in the evening sky ... We are used to

Holidays are a time of relaxation and fun. It is hard to even imagine that once everything

it was different.

For many millennia, every holiday was dedicated to some

one of the gods that inhabited the world. How could it be otherwise - after all, the gods were considered

masters of the world. There were many of them, they are everywhere, and people revered them. Ancient

the faith of the Slavs was called polytheism, or paganism. The most important and

the sun became the beloved god. It is associated with holidays dedicated to

seasons: Carols, Ivan Kupala, Christmas of the Sun, Christmas time, holidays

harvest, spring and autumn equinoxes, etc. these days people sang

hymns to the Sun, praised the sunshine. Our ancestors thanked from the bottom of their hearts

The sun for the fact that it gives life to the whole world. Festive tables at that

time was also covered, but they were not as rich as they are now.

The main dish at the feast was kutya - ordinary boiled grain with

herbs and roots, whole, unground. And yet it was real

feast! After all, kutia is not a simple food, but divine. First, boiled

secondly, they ate their fill that day. It is probably from there that the tradition began.

day of the holiday to lay the tables and put on them all the best.

There was another holiday, especially revered by our pagan ancestors,

it has survived to this day, although it has undergone changes. This is Shrovetide.

He coped during the spring equinox. People burned fires

rolled down the hills, and cakes were baked on the stones - all these are symbols

the spring sun gaining strength - Yarila. So our ancestors gladly

saw off the winter. The celebration lasted a whole week. At this time there were

feasts, fun games and skiing from the mountains. On the last day of the holiday they arranged

burning Shrovetide - a large doll in a woman's dress. Her burning

symbolized the victory of the spring god Yarila over the terrible Mora-

Madder. The sun has driven winter! After that, they met spring, purifying themselves,

doi and yard, kindled fires and, having broken willow branches, our ancestors lashed

them to each other, saying: “Health - to the hut, sickness - to the forest!”. People

believed in the magical power of the willow, the first to open buds in spring. And then

there was a holiday associated with spring weddings - Krasnaya Gorka.

But the brightest holiday was considered the day of commemoration of the departed ancestors.

- Radunitsa or Rodonitsa, named after one of the most ancient Slavic

gods - Rod, who gave life to everything that is on earth. People in Radunitsa

went to the cemetery so that, together with the departed relatives

enjoy the long-awaited summer, which is about to begin. Let the ancestors

in the next world it will be as sunny and clear as in this! Let them know that they

not forgotten here.

On Radunitsa at the cemetery they brought food with them, the graves were decorated with branches

willows and birches and invited their ancestors for refreshments. They were told about

what is going on in the world. Leaving, they left food on the grave, crumbled

food for the birds. They believed that the birds, having tasted treats, would intercede in the next world

for the deceased before the gods. This tradition has continued to this day

And about one more ancient holiday that has passed to our days, I would like to

to mention - this is Kupalo (later this holiday with the adoption of Christianity was

renamed, having received the name of the biblical John the Baptist). In this

the short night the sun turns to winter: tomorrow the sunny day will begin

subside, the cuckoo will fall silent, the nightingale will stop singing - autumn is just around the corner. All

evil spirits, joyfully, get out of their holes to celebrate the coming disaster

and growing darkness. On a bathing night, they necessarily went around the fields,

speaking them from corruption. So the Slavs guarded the evil spirits ripening

of bread. However, this did not prevent our ancestors from having fun: guys and

girls, guessing the future, jumped over fires, led round dances and,

swimming, of course. Water, like fire, cleansed from evil spirits.

knew the clues. For example, if the night on Kupala is starry, then the year will be

mushroom, the dew that fell in the morning promised a good harvest of cucumbers.

This is how our ancestors lived on earth: they plowed, sowed, met and saw off

seasons, prayed to the gods - year after year, century after century, millennium after

millennium.

We are now in the third millennium, and during this time a great event has taken place,

from which the new time is taken. Jesus Christ was born on earth

God, who was destined to save the whole world from evil, to teach people

love each other and forgive. This event was so important that everything in

The world has since been divided into two parts - before the birth of Christ and after.

From that moment on, people had a new true God, and with Him

a new life began. Public holidays have also received a new life.

Traditional holidays of the Russian and indigenous peoples of Siberia.

Christmas and Epiphany.

As we have seen from the previous chapter, all public holidays in one way or another

associated with the religious beliefs of the people. With the acceptance of Baptism on

Rus', new holidays appeared, and the old ones underwent changes and

got a new life.

In the 19th century, one of the most popular holidays among the people was the New Year.

(By the way, it appeared as a holiday just a little over 150 years ago). IN

New Year's Eve in the governor's house or in the building of the noble assembly

balls were held. They could be costumed, as in Tomsk or

One of the new holidays and the most beloved in Rus' was and remains

Christmas. In Soviet times, this and other holidays associated with the name and

the birth of Jesus Christ, were not publicly celebrated, except perhaps in a narrow

family circle, and even then in believing families. These days were not holidays,

many of the young people born in the Soviet era knew little about

them. But after the New Year, at Christmas, before Epiphany, according to tradition, many

girls guessed, trying to find out their fate, as they did in the old days.

The following fortune-telling was especially popular: with the help of a saucer and

magic circle summoned the spirit of a famous person, who

I talked with fortunetellers (my mother told me about this), they also burned

paper and by the outlines that appear on the wall after it has burned down,

guessed the future.

Nowadays, Christmas is a national holiday during which

services are held in temples, people attend services, tables are laid at home,

receive guests. Among those with whom we spoke, all respondents

celebrate Christmas, each in their own way, but no one celebrates this holiday

misses. And in ancient times, at Christmas, they cleaned the house, arranged a feast

mountain, because it was preceded by a forty-day fast, eagerly awaited

nativity scene - the owner of the puppet theater-nativity scene. The nativity scene looked like

doll house with two or three floors, on the upper tier of which

housed the sky, angels and a cave, and on the lower - the palace and the throne of the king

Herod. Puppets made of wood or clay were attached to rods so that they could be

was to move. In the den played out the story of the birth of the Divine

Baby, and then scenes from life were shown.

We, in Western Siberia, used to have our own traditional rites, for example,

on this day, children and teenagers walked around the city and “praised Christ”. By

message, Sulotsky, who dealt with issues of traditional rites

indigenous and Russian peoples of Siberia, "children of petty bourgeois, retired soldiers and

poor raznochintsy ran to Christmas time along the windowsills of the wealthy with a den, with

district committee and, for their humming and breaking, received nickels and hryvnias, and indus and

half."

The Great Feast of Epiphany is celebrated with festive divine services,

illumination of holy water. This is a new holiday that appeared in Rus' with

acceptance of faith. It was forgotten in Soviet times, but I know that many

believers visited temples on this day, defended services, but for

for most people it was not a holiday. Today even many

unbelievers visit the temple, take holy water in the church. What is it: tribute

traditions or still unconscious faith in God? It probably doesn't matter

the main thing is that after visiting the temple all people become kinder,

more enlightened.

Maslenitsa and Easter

Spring is about to come, and with it the most important holiday on

Orthodox Rus' - Easter, when Christ rises from the dead. Long-

the faith of our ancestors has long changed, but Maslenitsa still remains. At

this holiday is the happiest fate of all folk. Festive

festivities were arranged even in Soviet times. On the central square

people gathered in any settlement, sold pancakes, tea, pastries,

sweets, etc. In the middle of the square there was a pillar, to the very top of which

hung some prize, the post was slippery, move along it

up was difficult, but this did not stop the daredevils, and they stubbornly

aspired upward, for the prize. What was the joy of the winner,

pulling a rooster or a chicken out of a bag!

Similar holidays are held today. In every area of ​​my city

people gather in large squares to spend the winter and meet

In Siberia in the first half of the 19th century, Maslenitsa celebrations lasted all

week before Lent. The organizer of the holiday was appointed,

who was in charge of everything.

Riding from the icy mountains and in a sleigh is a characteristic feature of the celebration

Maslenitsa both in villages and in all cities of Western Siberia. in the villages

arranged ice rolling mountains along or across the river, in cities -

usually in city squares. In some cities of Western Siberia

Shrovetide skating had its own characteristics. In Tomsk and Tyumen, along with

traditional horseback riding was also practiced, which

passed on the ice of the river. In Omsk, Maslenitsa skating was different

feature: at the back of many carriages with young ladies stood

cavalier. "Cavaliers" in the city were young officers who sought to

thus show off gallantry and valiant prowess. Both in cities and

mining and industrial settlements of Western Siberia until the middle of the 19th century

Shrovetide skating was the same. They usually rode in a sleigh, and

young people who could afford it preferred horseback riding.

In Tobolsk, on Maslenitsa, they also skated. Shrovetide skating

have always been massive. For the "noble public" skiing from the mountains was at least

and pleasant fun, but by no means the only means of festive

public pastime. In Omsk in the middle of the 19th century

"noble" skated from 12 o'clock, and they considered staying after 2 o'clock in the afternoon

indecent. The common people did not know such a restriction and, on the contrary,

saw off Maslenitsa by riding from the mountains on the last day of the holiday “almost until

midnight."

On Maslenitsa and on some other holidays in a number of cities in Western

Siberia - Tyumen, Tobolsk, Tomsk - were fisticuffs. One of

residents of Tyumen noted that in the city "there is a fight and a fistfight

pleasure first. Fist fights were very popular.

The fistfight was started by the youngsters, then the adults joined in, and finally, -

even old people. Particularly valued the participation of strong famous fighters,

who were invited from the district, previously stipulating the conditions

speeches.

The fights were held with strict observance of the established rules: to fight

fists, to avoid blows to the face, “not to beat a lying or fallen person and in general

mortal blows to be avoided and avoided. Injuries did happen, though.

many, as the locals recalled, “don’t go out for a week or two after

outside".

In the middle of the 19th century, representatives of various

strata of the urban population: philistines, guilds, merchants, as well as gymnasium students

senior classes.

Another type of entertainment during Maslenitsa is wrestling. In her usually

the entire male population of the village was drawn in, and sometimes several at once

villages. “Usually, wrestlers from the upper end wrestle in turn with

wrestlers from the bottom end. But on big, annual holidays, usually

both ends unite to fight together with those who came from other

wrestler villages. Only two fight, the rest as

curious people surround the place of struggle with a thick living ring. fight

it's always the little wrestlers who start. Each wrestler, entering the circle, must

be tied over the shoulder and around the waistband. The aim of the fight is

to drop the opponent to the ground three times."

Maslenitsa was celebrated for a whole week, and every day was scheduled and

dedicated to a certain event, action, had its own meaning, name.

Maslenitsa always starts on Monday. And this day is called

Meeting(Monday)

By this day - the first day of Maslenitsa - common mountains, swings,

sweet food tables. Children in the morning made a doll out of straw -

Maslenitsa - and dressed her up.

On this day, in the morning, children in the villages gathered together and went from house to house.

with songs. The hostesses treated the children to pancakes. This went on until lunchtime.

after dinner, everyone went to ride from the snowy mountains and sing songs:

Shrovetide, Shrovetide!

We praise you

We ride on the mountains

We eat pancakes!

The first day of skiing from the mountains was for children, adults joined in

skiing only in the middle of the week. Riding from the mountains was associated with a sign:

flirtatious(Tuesday)

The second day, as a rule, was considered a day for the newlyweds. Week - two

Back in the villages, weddings were played. Now these young families were invited

ride down the mountain. All couples who recently had the whole village on

wedding, had to roll down the mountain. On the same day there was

only skiing from the snowy mountains, but the treat of pancakes continued during

all houses: these days, young people were looking for brides for themselves, and girls

furtively looked at the betrothed.

Gourmand(Wednesday)

On Wednesday, mothers-in-law invited their sons-in-law to pancakes. There is even an expression in

Russian language "to mother-in-law for pancakes." Young people on this day dressed as

it was at a wedding. On the same day, young unmarried guys and unmarried

the girls were rolling down the mountains.

Interestingly, over the guys who were not lucky this year, and they are not

managed to get married, the whole village joked, came up with all sorts of

"punishments" from which young guys paid off with treats - pancakes and

sweets. But the most important event of this day was still the visit of the son-in-law -

"to mother-in-law for pancakes."

walk around ( Thursday)

This day was often called a wide quarter, revelry, a break. On this day

the whole community gathered for the feast. The famous fists were arranged

fighting, taking snowy towns. Plots are connected with this day of Maslenitsa

paintings, for example, by Surikov and Kustodiev “The Capture of the Snow Town” and

"Maslenitsa". On this day, villagers often dressed up in different ways.

wanted. The effigy of Maslenitsa made of straw was raised up the mountain.

Mother-in-law's party(Friday)

On this day, it was the mother-in-law's turn to visit her son-in-law: pancakes were baked for the mother-in-law.

The son-in-law from the evening had to personally invite the mother-in-law. Mother-in-law,

invited by her son-in-law, she sent her son-in-law everything from which and on what pancakes are baked:

a tub for dough, frying pans, and father-in-law - a bag of flour and butter. This meeting

symbolized honor to the wife's family.

Zolov's gatherings \ seeing off(Saturday)

On this day, the young daughter-in-law invited relatives to her place. Typically, this

the same day, a dressed-up Maslenitsa - a scarecrow made of straw - was carried on a stretcher until

end of the village, and there, with songs, they “buried”: a big fire was made and

Maslenitsa was burned in it. They had fun around the fire: they sang songs, danced.

So they said goodbye to Maslenitsa both seriously and jokingly, because this cheerful

I had to wait a week for a whole year.

Forgiveness Sunday

On Sunday, everyone remembered that Great Lent is coming on Monday,

therefore, in an effort to be cleansed of everything sinful, people asked each other

friend of forgiveness and said to each other: “Forgive me, please be in

what is wrong with you." On this day, all insults and insults are forgiven.

On Forgiveness Sunday, people went to the cemetery, left on the graves

After Forgiveness Sunday, Great Lent began, ending

a great and joyful holiday - Easter, because on this day Christ came to life.

But before telling how people celebrate this holiday, I want to

mention palm sunday, about the feast in honor of the resurrection of Lazarus

and Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. It is interesting that this holiday was remembered in

Soviet times: people bought willow twigs, and it didn’t matter to them

whether they are illuminated or not (my teachers told me about this when I

asked them about the folk festivals celebrated during their childhood and

youth). Now this tradition has been preserved, only willow branches are always

illuminate in the temple and put in the house. By the way, everyone I've talked to about this

holiday, noted that willow twigs persist for a very long time,

probably because they are lit in the church. After Palm Sunday

everyone has been waiting and waiting today for Easter - the most joyful holiday for everyone

Christians, because on this day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. "Holiday

holidays” is called by the Orthodox. And I would say a holiday forgotten in

Soviet times and gained a new life in the last 10-15 years. None

one person who would have missed Easter, at least somehow did not celebrate it.

Usually they paint eggs, bake Easter cakes, Easter, all this is illuminated in the church.

When people meet, they greet each other, saying: “Christ is risen!” and in

the answer is heard: “Truly risen!”. Many on the evening before Easter

go to the temple, where all night, like our ancestors many years ago,

defend the service, which is called the all-night vigil. "Vigil" - from

verb "watch": to be attentive, not to sleep. Previously with parents

children were also vigilant, now parents rarely take their children with them to the temple for

all-night vigil. In our city, not all churches make the cross

a move for Easter, although in the old days it was mandatory. In front of the priest

cross, and behind it children and adults with lit candles went out into the street

and with prayers and singing of psalms they went around the temple area, because the Son of God

was born of light and brought light to people. So people proved their loyalty

To Christ the Light: Thousands of Lights Were Lit in Rus' in the Easter Spring

at night. Not all of us keep this tradition today. We do not comply

another rule: after the temple, after the all-night vigil, sit down at

a festive table, a rich table, and then go to folk festivals.

Not all of us light Easter candles on Easter cakes, although every house has

this is a treat. Easter cakes judged what the future would be: the hostess was successful

Easter cake - everything will be fine, the crust cracked - misfortune will happen. We

we don’t believe in this sign, but believers really believe, and they are traditions

observe everything and do everything as it should be, as our ancestors did in

antiquity. Easter week begins with Easter, which passed as one

a great joyful day, because renewal begins with Easter,

salvation of the world and man, the triumph of life over death. Today, like

earlier, Easter, along with Christmas, is one of the most favorite holidays for

us in the country.

Rainbow and Trinity

We have already talked about the ancient holiday Rodonitsa or Radunitsa, recalling

pagan holidays. This is the day of remembrance of the dead. In the new story this

the day is better known as Parent's Day. On the eve of his people go to

graves of relatives, relatives, introduce them, put things in order there after winter,

and on parental day they come to commemorate the dead, bring food

(usually these are cookies, pastries, sweets, scatter millet for birds; many

they don’t even know why it is necessary to scatter millet or grain, but such is the tradition),

flowers, both living and artificial, decorate the graves with them. Exists

the tradition of leaving the gates of the fence on the graves open. To me

they said that this is a symbol of the fact that a visit to the dead can come

any, thereby commemorating the deceased. Work that day in the cemetery

it is impossible: this day is holy - the day of remembrance. I have not found it anywhere in the literature

information that this holiday appeared in modern times, but

talking with people, I learned that this day is revered by all, is

holy to all people. So the pagan holiday was preserved and entered into life

modern people. I think it is very significant to remember your

ancestors is very important and necessary in order not to forget your roots, your

ancestors. Parents' Day is celebrated on the eve of another bright

feast of the Trinity.

On Trinity Day, everything is green around, and greenery is renewal, so everything

went to church with flowers, herbs and branches. Illuminated plants carried

into the house and laid out in different places. It was believed that the branches protect the house

from fires, people believed: Trinity greenery can cure a person.

After the service, they hurried to the birches. It was believed that on the Trinity in the branches of a birch

the souls of deceased relatives settled. Birch - girlfriend, godfather, and under her

branches in the Trinity you can make a wish. All year round throughout Russia

it was forbidden to break this sacred tree, except for Trinity Day, when a birch

cut down, decorated with ribbons, beads, dressed up in a peasant dress and

they went around the huts and fields with her so that she would transfer her strength to them. Guessing

girls on birch wreaths, all the songs on Trinity are about birch. Modern

The feast of the Trinity is another day of commemoration of the dead. As well as in

Parents' day people visit the graves of relatives, until this day

clean them, decorate with flowers, plant fresh flowers. We see that

this holiday today has lost its original content, but remained as

bright day of remembrance.

Three Spas.

In Rus' there were three Spas - three holidays dedicated to the Savior Jesus

Christ, and they went one after another: the first Spas - Honey, the second -

Apple, the third - Walnut. On the first Savior they collected raspberries,

bird cherry, rye, rye, like honey. This Spas was also called "wet" weather

began to deteriorate, the last time horses were bathed at this time, because. water

was getting cold. Autumn began to host. To the third Savior

nuts ripened. This saved was also bread: the harvest is already over, housewives

they baked pies, bread, buns from freshly ground flour for the holiday.

The most popular, of course, is Apple Spas. Looking forward to it

especially the kids, because until that day you can’t pick apples and eat them. IN

Apple Spas collected the most beautiful apples. And also peas, potatoes,

turnips, rye and carried them to the church for lighting. Consecrated Products

kept separately from the rest, and rye was left for seeds. Apple Spas

- "Autumn", the first meeting of autumn: what is the Apple Savior, such is January.

The holiday ended with “seeing off the sunset”. In the evening everyone went out into the field and

accompanied the sun with songs.

In our time, Apple Savior, of course, is not a great holiday, but

can be collected, and in September-October they celebrate "autumn". Usually

"autumn" is a holiday in children's educational institutions, and in the village

- a harvest festival, which is widely celebrated by grain growers.

Folk holidays of the indigenous inhabitants of Siberia

Remembering the folk holidays of Siberia, we cannot pass by

holidays of the indigenous inhabitants of Siberia - the Shors, Altaians. Their cultural

the heritage is very rich and interesting and closely connected, like ours, Russian, with

the history of religion. For a long time, the cultural traditions of the Shors and Altaians

were in oblivion, few people knew about them, and even more so no one

did. Recently, the situation has changed dramatically: Shor

and Altai communities, centers of folk culture, which are engaged in

propaganda of the cultural heritage of these wonderful, but, unfortunately,

now minorities. The task of people living in Siberia is to revive

The most popular Shor holiday is Shachyg. It's ritual

ritual actions performed actions performed in spring and autumn

on the sacred places of the Shor people. Sacrifices are being made;

thus: people thank the spirits they worship.

A national stew is being prepared, which is served to all those present.

People say goodbye to spirits in autumn, festivities take place, songs are sung,

a theatrical show is staged with the participation of a shaman (so the organizers

reproduce what was obligatory in pagan times). In the spring,

on the contrary, they meet the spirits, ask them for help in the upcoming work,

rich harvest, etc. Bonfires are lit, colorful

ribbons, among them there is a black one, it must be burned in a fire, everything goes with it

bad (black forces).

Another famous Shor holiday is Payram: manages after

completion of spring field work in June, during it

various types of competitions are held: kuresh - wrestling, horse racing,

archery, etc. Today it takes place in the form of a theatrical

actions, here - performances of Shor amateur groups,

fairs-exhibitions.

The territory of the Altai Republic is rich in historical and cultural monuments,

has a unique heritage of material and spiritual culture,

expressed in the ancient customs and rituals of the local population.

There are tens of thousands of archaeological and ethnographic

monuments. The peoples inhabiting the republic have a rich

folk heritage.

A fascinating spectacle is the holidays of the peoples of the Republic

Altai, such as interregional folk holiday El-Oiyn, which

has been held in different regions of the republic since 1988, Chaga Bayram,

Dylgayak and many others.

The traditional holidays of the Altaians are subject to the annual economic

cycle. The time unit consists of two large cycles:

cold and warm.

In calendar holidays, the rituals were considered the most significant.

holidays that marked the beginning and end of the season. So, at the beginning of summer, during the period

of the new moon, the rite "dazhyl byur" - "green foliage" was obligatory, and

also - "blessing to Altai". In the autumn period, the rite "sirs" was performed

bur" - "yellow foliage". It, like at the beginning of summer, was carried out with the aim of

gaining the favor of the spirit of Altai, on which the well-being and

good luck during the winter period.

The New Year is held according to the lunar calendar - "Chaga Bayram". Here also

the ritual "blessing of Altai" is performed. People rejoice at the arrival of the ambulance

spring, the new cycle of the calendar year. Considered to be of particular importance

the arrival of the year for those who turn 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 years old.

At the folk holidays held in the Republic of Altai, each district

presents his talents, virtues, features.

The traditional national holiday of the Oirot-Altaians with the participation of all

peoples and folklore groups living in Altai is a holiday "El-

Oiyn", i.e. "national holiday".

Thousands of people rush to the mountains in summer to plunge into the elements together

folk fun. Not only residents of Altai gather for the holiday,

delegations come from Mongolia, Tuva, Khakassia, Kazakhstan. Each

the delegation arranges its own yurt or tent camp. "El-Oiyn" -

these are performances of multilingual folklore groups of all dialects of the people.

Beautiful theatrical performances that tell about the past

Altaians (about the heroes of legends, myths, epics), the flavor of national

costumes and rows of lined ensembles of yurts and villages produce

indelible impression.

"El-Oiyn" is not only a folklore, but also a sports holiday.

Athletes compete in 9 sports. This is kuresh - national

wrestling, shatra - Altai drafts, kamchi - whipping wooden

babok, kodurge kesh - lifting a stone, as well as juggling with the feet

a piece of lead wrapped in a goat skin (tebek), a review of horse harness and

saddlery (malchi mergen). But the most beautiful sight on these

holidays are, of course, equestrian sports. national rodeo

"Emdik Uredish" is not only a sport, but also a risk.

The final performance of equestrian athletes on the most enduring and

fast-footed horses - argymaks can be called the culmination

sports festival, where the winner is waiting for a valuable prize - a car.

In addition, competitions are organized at the festival, costumed

processions, an exhibition-fair of handicrafts, a competition of national

suit. One of the main requirements of the organizers of the holiday is

the obligatory presence of the national costume of their people.

Tyuruk-Bayram - the younger brother of El-Oiyn

Tyuruk-Bayram - "cedar holiday". One of the most revered trees in

Altai - Cedar. Tyuruk-Bayram is a typical holiday of taiga people,

revering nature, he takes his origins from the time when the ancestors

paid tribute and praised the cedar-breadwinner, at the level of intuition and

practices perceiving natural patterns. Cedars give a lot of nuts

- if the year was fruitful, which means that squirrel, sable, capercaillie will breed,

hazel grouse, work up fat and give offspring rodents - and hence the fox wolf,

the bear will be well fed and numerous. So, the hunter has a place

roam.

Tyuruk-Bayram was timed to coincide with the beginning of the collection of pine nuts and was held

late August - early September. Collecting a cone is a big deal, which means

big celebration. Before going to the harsh taiga, they arranged a rich

a feast, where on the tables there was meat, and kurut - milk cheese, and chegen, and ayran, and

airaka - Altai vodka. An obligatory element of the "program" was

cedar climbing - who will get to the top sooner? If anyone thinks that

it's simple - come to Altai, try it! Likewise, arranged

competitions in knocking down cones, in marksmanship. In the evening they lit

a big bonfire in honor of the cedar, they sang, danced, before a big job. Long

time, the holiday of honoring the cedar was not held, since 2000 on the initiative

five communities of indigenous peoples - Tubalars,

Kumandins, Chelkans, Telengits and Teleuts, it is celebrated again. Now

Tyuruk-Bayram is held every two years, but not in autumn, but at the beginning of summer -

to attract more guests and participants.

Chaga Bayram

"Chaga-bairam" in translation means "White holiday". It's long forgotten

holiday. For the first time it was held in the distant high-mountainous Chuya steppe,

since it was the Chui people who preserved the lamaist rite of celebrating the new year.

This holiday is celebrated together with the Mongols, Tuvans, Buryats,

Kalmyks, the peoples of Tibet and India.

The holiday begins with the beginning of the new moon in late February - early March.

From early morning, a ritual of worship of the Sun, Altai is performed. On

a special tagyl-altar is presented with treats from dairy products,

kyira ribbons are tied, a fire is lit and all this is accompanied by

good wishes. Usually the rite is performed by men who adhere to

New Year's fast with the reading of the sutras, etc.

After the performance of the rite, the celebration begins directly -

people gather, all kinds of cultural and sports events are organized

Events. They ride down the mountain on sleds and on the skins of cattle, etc.

Dyylgayak

The pagan holiday Dyylgayak is the same as the Russian Maslenitsa

people. Although many peoples adopted Christianity, but this holiday

symbolizing paganism still remained and is celebrated. On this day

people gather on the street. Straw and other stuffed animals are burned -

symbolism of the outgoing year. Entertainment events are organized in

jester's clothes. There is a comprehensive fair, and merry

attractions with chants.

Diazhyl Bur

Traditionally, the Dyazhyl Bur holiday takes place on a sacred place,

located in the Kosh-Agach region between the villages of Ortolyk and Kosh-Agach.

customs, the number 12 has a sacred meaning. National

The festival includes both a cultural part and sports competitions -

horse racing, national wrestling Altai-Kuresh. As usual, a holiday

will begin with the first rays of the sun, with the sacred rite of worship of Altai

and heavenly luminary. Treats will be served on a special altar

from milk, after which the holiday program will begin.

Kurultai of storytellers

Storytelling through throat singing (kai) is the oldest genre

oral folk art not only of the Turkic peoples of Central

Asia, but it is also present in the cultural heritage of many Indo-

European, Finno-Ugric peoples, as well as indigenous peoples

Central America. This unique type of creativity brought to our

days of the tradition of mythology, methods of transmission from generation to generation

national spiritual and moral values ​​of the peoples of the world.

Unique texts of legends contain genetic, social and

moral, spiritual traditions of the development of nations. Preservation and development

of this original, unique type of creativity, the most important task

modern cultural community, which sets itself the goal -

preservation of intangible cultural values ​​of mankind.

People who have the gift take part in the kurultai of storytellers

throat singing. In another way they are called kaichi. They perform

heroic tales about the glorious deeds of the heroes of the past in a peculiar

throat sound - kai to the accompaniment of topshur - two-stringed

musical instrument. Such singing represents a low throaty

recitative requiring great vocal skill.

Since ancient times, storytellers have enjoyed great love and respect of the people and

rightfully considered the keepers of folk wisdom.

From time immemorial, their tales sang of the beauty and generosity of their native land,

dreams and aspirations of a simple person, kindness, love of life,

justice. The common man fought and defeated his enemy by force,

intelligence and ingenuity. The hero was helped to overcome obstacles by nature itself:

mountains, forests, rivers. Together with the narrator, they experienced, cried and rejoiced

listeners.

It is said that even shamans who had the skill through singing and

performance of various rhythms on tambourines emotionally affect

superstitious masses, preferred not to hold their religious mysteries in

those valleys and villages where the storytellers were. The shamans were afraid to enter

in dispute with the great power of their art.

Conclusion

In the course of work, I found out that many modern holidays appeared

long before the adoption of the Nativity, many received their lives

only after this significant event. Almost all folk

holidays are associated with the name of Christ, with faith in the Almighty. I found out that in

In Soviet times, these holidays were not state holidays, for example:

Christmas, Easter, Epiphany, Trinity, although many people celebrated them,

True, you had to hide the fact that you believe in God. I think that

precisely the fact that people did not renounce faith, from God, made it possible to preserve

folk culture, folk traditions. It is because of this that we

today we not only know the holidays of our ancestors, but also know what

preserved the heritage of their ancestors, today we were able to return again to faith in

God, and we can celebrate those holidays that were honored by our grandfathers and great-grandfathers.

I also found out why people celebrate holidays that came to us from

of the past. For many, this is a spiritual need, reverence

memory of the past, cultural heritage. But without the past never

will be real.

A great discovery for me was the acquaintance with the cultural heritage

indigenous inhabitants of Siberia - Shors, Altaians. I took a fresh look at

representatives of these nationalities, learned what a rich culture these

people, I realized that they can be proud of their past. For me this is very

important, because I also live in Siberia. Respect and know the past of the indigenous

population is very important. I am pleased to note that, together with the Shors and

Altaians also celebrate their national holidays by Russians living in

neighborhood, who respect the traditions of these peoples of Siberia and help

revive their culture.

Thus, I can say with certainty that the hypothesis put forward by

me at the beginning of the work that the people's interest in cultural heritage

the past grows, turned out to be true. This is evidenced by the results

survey conducted during the course of the work.

Practical part

Studying the history of folk holidays in Siberia, we conducted a survey to

find out which ones are the most popular today. Also we

wanted to find out why and how people celebrate them. Respondents were asked

next questions:

What national holidays do you know?

What folk holidays are celebrated in your family?

Why do you celebrate national holidays:

tribute to tradition;

spiritual need;

another opportunity to get together and have fun.

How do you celebrate public holidays?

Is it necessary to know folk traditions?

During the survey, we found out that many folk holidays are known

people are celebrated by them in compliance with ancient traditions. For many this

became a spiritual need, because believe that cultural heritage is

an integral part of modern life, it helps to educate

the younger generation makes people better, cleaner, more spiritual.

In our school, students in grades 5-6 traditionally go to the Children's

library for the autumn holiday. So we see off autumn and meet

winter. In the fall, the Harvest Festival is held in the elementary grades. My

classmates either went through the rite of baptism or watched it.

And before Easter, the participants in the fine arts circle with their

Easter eggs are painted by the leader, though they are wooden, but

they paint them in different styles: in the style of Gzhel, Khokhloma, Palekh, etc.,

they also make a Russian toy - a matryoshka. This is how we study and preserve

folk crafts, traditions. I think this is very important, because this is how we

getting to know the culture of our people.

Poll results

Question number 1: what folk holidays do you know?

Maslenitsa

New Year

Ivan Kupalo

Christmas

Question number 2: what folk holidays are celebrated in your family?

New Year

Ivan Kupalo

Maslenitsa

Christmas

Question number 3: why do you celebrate national holidays:

tribute to tradition;

spiritual need;

another opportunity to get together and

have fun?

Column1

Tribute tra-

Spiritual

need

Opportunity

have some fun

Question number 4: how do you celebrate national holidays?

Gerashchenko N. V., deputy. director of BP: On Easter we set the table,

Be sure to bake Easter cakes, Easter, paint eggs. At Epiphany we light the water in

temple, we guess, all the relatives are going. I never work for Trinity

on the ground and with the ground. I remember the dead.

Kochkina V.P., school worker: we buy willows on Palm Sunday

and illuminate them in the temple. During the Apple Savior, we distribute apples from

own garden to acquaintances, friends, neighbors.

Chernova T. D. class teacher of the 10th grade: on Radonitsa - parental

Saturday - I distribute cookies, sweets to children, we commemorate the dead, I go to

cemetery.

During Christmas time, we guess. On Easter I go to church for a solemn liturgy.

Obraztsova M., 10th grade student: we set a festive table for Christmas

and invite guests, treat them with sweets. For Easter, we paint eggs, bake sweets.

Myakishev D., 11th grade student: on the night before Christmas we guess. For Easter

we paint eggs with the whole family, prepare a festive table, bake for Maslenitsa

pancakes, be sure to put sour cream, honey, jam on the table.

Baeva A., 11th grade student: We meet Maslenitsa at our grandmother’s, she cooks

festive table, bakes pancakes. On Easter morning we gather with the family at

festive table, "beat" eggs, eat a festive cake.

Nikiforenko D., student of the 10th grade: on Epiphany in the church we bless the water,

then we wash ourselves with it, washing away all our sins.

Question number 5: is it necessary to know folk traditions?

Column1

Necessarily

Didn't think about it

Everyone's business

Literature

Rusakova L.M., Minenko N.A. Traditional rites and art

Russian and indigenous peoples of Siberia. Novosibirsk, Nauka, Siberian

department, 1987

Mezhieva M. Holidays of Rus'. Moscow, "White City", 2008.

Bardina P.E. Life of Russian Siberians of the Tomsk Territory. Tomsk, publishing house

Tomsk University, 1995

Minenko N.Ya. Folklore in the life of the West Siberian village in the 18th-19th centuries.

"Soviet ethnography", 1983.

Bardina P.E. They lived and were. Folklore and rituals of Siberians. Publishing house

Tomsk University, 1997

More than 125 nationalities live today, of which 26 are indigenous peoples. The largest in terms of population among these small peoples are the Khanty, Nenets, Mansi, Siberian Tatars, Shors, Altaians. The Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees every small people the inalienable right of self-identification and self-determination.

The Khants are called the indigenous, small Ugric West Siberian people living along the lower reaches of the Irtysh and Ob. Their total number is 30,943 people, with most of them 61% living in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, and 30% in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The Khanty are engaged in fishing, reindeer herding and taiga hunting.

The ancient names of the Khanty "Ostyaks" or "Ugras" are widely used today. The word “Khanty” comes from the ancient local word “kantah”, which simply means “man”, and it appeared in documents in the Soviet years. The Khanty are ethnographically close to the Mansi people, and are often united with them under the single name of the Ob Ugrians.

The Khanty are heterogeneous in their composition, among them there are separate ethnographic territorial groups that differ in dialects and names, ways of managing the economy and original culture - Kazym, Vasyugan, Salym Khanty. The Khanty language belongs to the Ob-Ugric languages ​​of the Ural group, it is divided into many territorial dialects.

Since 1937, the modern writing of the Khanty has been developing on the basis of the Cyrillic alphabet. Today, 38.5% of the Khanty speak Russian fluently. The Khanty adhere to the religion of their ancestors - shamanism, but many of them consider themselves Orthodox Christians.

Externally, the Khanty have a height of 150 to 160 cm with black straight hair, a swarthy face and brown eyes. Their face is flat with widely protruding cheekbones, a wide nose and thick lips, reminiscent of a Mongoloid. But the Khanty, unlike the Mongoloid peoples, have a regular eye slit and a narrower skull.

In historical chronicles, the first mentions of the Khanty appear in the 10th century. Modern studies have shown that the Khanty lived in this area as early as 5-6 thousand years BC. Later they were seriously pushed northward by the nomads.

The Khanty inherited numerous traditions of the Ust-Polui culture of taiga hunters, which developed at the end of the 1st millennium BC. - the beginning of the 1st millennium AD In the II millennium AD. the northern tribes of the Khanty were influenced by the Nenets reindeer herders and assimilated with them. In the south, the Khanty tribes felt the influence of the Turkic peoples, later Russians.

The traditional cults of the Khanty people include the cult of a deer, it was he who became the basis of the whole life of the people, a vehicle, a source of food and skins. It is with the deer that the worldview and many norms of the life of the people (inheritance of the herd) are connected.

The Khanty live in the north of the plain along the lower reaches of the Ob in nomadic temporary camps with temporary reindeer herding dwellings. To the south, on the banks of the Northern Sosva, Lozva, Vogulka, Kazym, Nizhnyaya, they have winter settlements and summer camps.

Khanty have long worshiped the elements and spirits of nature: fire, sun, moon, wind, water. Each of the clans has a totem, an animal that cannot be killed and used for food, deities of the family and patron ancestors. Everywhere the Khanty revere the bear, the owner of the taiga, they even hold a traditional holiday in his honor. The revered patroness of the hearth, happiness in the family and women in childbirth is the frog. There are always sacred places in the taiga where shamanic rites are held, appeasing their patron.

Mansi

Mansi (the old name for the Voguls, Vogulichi), whose number is 12,269 people, mostly live in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. This very numerous people has been known to Russians since the discovery of Siberia. Even the sovereign Ivan IV the Terrible ordered to send archers to pacify the numerous and powerful Mansi.

The word "Mansi" comes from the ancient Ugric word "mansz", meaning "man, person." The Mansi have their own language, belonging to the Ob-Ugric isolated group of the Ural language family and a fairly developed national epic. The Mansi are close linguistic relatives of the Khanty. Today, up to 60% use Russian in everyday life.

The Mansi successfully combine the cultures of northern hunters and southern nomadic herders in their social life. Novgorodians were in contact with the Mansi as early as the 11th century. With the advent of the Russians in the 16th century, part of the Vogul tribes went north, others lived next to the Russians and assimilated with them, adopting the language and the Orthodox faith.

Mansi beliefs are the worship of the elements and spirits of nature - shamanism, they have a cult of elders and ancestors, a totem bear. Mansi have the richest folklore and mythology. The Mansi are divided into two separate ethnographic groups of the descendants of the Por Urals and the descendants of the Mos Ugrians, which differ in origin and customs. In order to enrich the genetic material, marriages have long been concluded only between these groups.

Mansi are engaged in taiga hunting, deer breeding, fishing, farming and cattle breeding. Reindeer husbandry on the banks of the Northern Sosva and Lozva was adopted from the Khanty. To the south, with the arrival of the Russians, agriculture, breeding of horses, cattle and small cattle, pigs and poultry was adopted.

In everyday life and original creativity of the Mansi, ornaments similar in motifs to the drawings of the Selkups and Khanty are of particular importance. Mansi ornaments are clearly dominated by correct geometric patterns. Often with elements of deer antlers, rhombuses and wavy lines, similar to the Greek meander and zigzags, images of eagles and bears.

Nenets

Nenets, in the old way Yuraks or Samoyeds, in total 44,640 people live in the north of the Khanty-Mansiysk and, accordingly, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs. The self-name of the Samoyedic people "Nenets" literally means "man, person." Of the northern indigenous peoples, they are the most numerous.

The Nenets are engaged in large-scale nomadic reindeer husbandry in. In Yamal, the Nenets keep up to 500,000 deer. The traditional dwelling of the Nenets is a conical tent. Up to one and a half thousand Nenets living south of the tundra on the Pur and Taz rivers are considered forest Nenets. In addition to reindeer herding, they are actively engaged in tundra and taiga hunting and fishing, collecting gifts from the taiga. The Nenets feed on rye bread, venison, sea animal meat, fish, gifts from the taiga and tundra.

The language of the Nenets belongs to the Ural Samoyedic languages, it is divided into two dialects - tundra and forest, they, in turn, are divided into dialects. The Nenets people have the richest folklore, legends, fairy tales, epic stories. In 1937, linguists created a script for the Nenets based on the Cyrillic alphabet. Ethnographers describe the Nenets as stocky people with a large head, a flat earthy face, devoid of any vegetation.

Altaians

The territory of residence of the Turkic-speaking indigenous people of the Altaians became. They live in an amount of up to 71 thousand people, which allows us to consider them a large people, in the Altai Republic, partly in the Altai Territory. Among the Altaians, there are separate ethnic groups of Kumandins (2892 people), Telengits or Teleses (3712 people), Tubalars (1965 people), Teleuts (2643 people), Chelkans (1181 people).

Since ancient times, the Altaians have worshiped the spirits and elements of nature; they adhere to traditional shamanism, Burkhanism and Buddhism. They live in clans of seoks, kinship is considered through the male line. The Altaians have a centuries-old rich history and folklore, tales and legends, their own heroic epos.

Shors

The Shors are a small Turkic-speaking people, mainly living in remote mountainous regions of Kuzbass. The total number of Shors today is up to 14 thousand people. The Shors have long worshiped the spirits of nature and the elements; their main religion has become centuries-old shamanism.

The ethnos of the Shors was formed in the 6th-9th centuries by mixing the Ket-speaking and Turkic-speaking tribes who came from the south. The Shor language belongs to the Turkic languages, today more than 60% of the Shor people speak Russian. The epic of the Shors is ancient and very original. The traditions of the indigenous Shors are well preserved today in, most of the Shors now live in cities.

Siberian Tatars

In the Middle Ages, it was the Siberian Tatars that were the main population of the Siberian Khanate. Now the sub-ethnos of the Siberian Tatars, as they call themselves "Seber Tatarlar", according to various estimates, from 190 thousand to 210 thousand people live in the south of Western Siberia. According to the anthropological type, the Tatars of Siberia are close to the Kazakhs and Bashkirs. Chulyms, Shors, Khakasses, and Teleuts can call themselves "Tadar" today.

Scientists believe that the ancestors of the Siberian Tatars are the medieval Kipchaks, who for a long time had contact with the Samoyeds, the Kets, and the Ugric peoples. The process of development and mixing of peoples took place in the south of Western Siberia from the 6th-4th millennium BC. before the emergence of the Tyumen kingdom in the 14th century, and later with the emergence of the powerful Siberian Khanate in the 16th century.

In the majority, Siberian Tatars use the literary Tatar language, but in some remote uluses, the Siberian-Tatar language from the Kipchak-Nogai group of Western Hunnic Turkic languages ​​has been preserved. It is divided into Tobol-Irtysh and Baraba dialects and many dialects.

The holidays of the Siberian Tatars contain features of pre-Islamic ancient Turkic beliefs. This is, first of all, amal, when the new year is celebrated during the spring equinox. The arrival of the rooks and the beginning of field work, the Siberian Tatars are celebrating the hag putka. Some Muslim holidays, ceremonies and prayers for sending down rain have also taken root here, Muslim burial places of Sufi sheikhs are revered.

Boris Ermolaevich Andyusev.

Andyusev B.E.

If you want to learn more about the old Siberian culture, traditions, customs, about the life of old-time peasants, about the Siberian character - you are welcome to take a trip to the history of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and all of Siberia!

Word about Siberia

The land on which we live, Mother Siberia. Since childhood, we have felt its harsh disposition, its low level of accommodation and uncomfortability, its frosty breath and serious distances. But, looking into the heart, we feel affection for our district, district, city; true affection for the amazing beauty and uniqueness of Siberian nature.

There comes a moment when one day we freeze in place and discover the expanse of the taiga under the mountain at our feet or the landscape of the river valley, the boundless hilliness of the South Siberian steppe, or the mountain range behind the fields-forests with snowy peaks sparkling even in summer - "squirrels" of the Sayan peaks on horizon. There comes an awareness of the values ​​of ancient Siberian rituals and beliefs. One day we notice that we still involuntarily use in conversation the words and expressions of the old Siberian dialect.

Looking around, we see skillfully cut and decorated wooden houses around us, not similar to each other. These are not the houses that would-be carpenters are now building and quickly fall into disrepair. Old houses are durable and can tell a lot about their owners: whether he was hardworking and diligent, accurate and thorough, or, conversely, laziness settled in this household for a long time.

From childhood we know that we are Siberians. But, only when we get to distant Russian lands, we are proud to realize that Siberians have always and everywhere been spoken of with special reverence. Residents of distant cities look at us with surprise and curiosity - they say, how do you live in your harsh land? It is no secret that many still believe that bears roam the streets of Siberian cities at night.

Far from home, communicating with Norilsk and Tobolsk, Irkutsk and Novosibirsk, Transbaikal and Tomsk, Altaians and Omsk, we begin to feel especially keenly that we are all fellow countrymen.

However, being Siberians, we feel like Russians, citizens of a great country with a unique historical past. But it was in our area that the West and the East met and intertwined, their civilizational values ​​and ideals, the heroic and tragic pages of the eternal desire for freedom and the experience of building democratic relations under the conditions of age-old despotism. It was in Siberia that from eternity a person became free, a person with the highest and utterly heightened sense of his own dignity. There was no serf man either in terms of status or psychology.

A person on Siberian soil was evaluated according to two criteria: what is your conscience and what are you like in work? Siberians have always been honored with the concepts of high morality, conscientiousness and diligence.

We are all different in this vast country, unique and special, and we must accept each other as we are. Our Siberian uniqueness comes from the harsh extreme climate and nature, from mutual agreement and heightened honesty, from firmness and perseverance in overcoming trials. The result of complete adaptation to the harsh realities of the struggle for survival is the Siberian character. The whole world remembers how the Siberians near Moscow in 1941 proved that the Siberian character was, is and will be.

“Russian history at its very core is primarily the history of various regional masses of the people, the history of the construction of territorial structures,” this is how our famous Siberian fellow countryman, historian A.P. Shchapov defined the role of individual regions in the history of Russia. Critical assessments and negative conclusions alone cannot reveal the rich everyday life of Siberians. It is also obvious that many troubles of recent times and, interestingly, of the beginning of the 20th century, occurred as a result of forgetfulness of primordial traditions, certain, albeit conservative, principles of life. The greatest mistake of recent years has been the widespread reckless attraction to the culture, values ​​and religious teachings of the West. Russia.

We must not forget that each region of Russia has a rich cultural past, its own spiritual values ​​and millennial roots of traditional paganism, Orthodoxy and other religious denominations. Man lives in his time, in the world of his spiritual ideals. Understanding and respecting the past is the duty and duty of the current generation of Siberians, the descendants of the old-timers and settlers of the 17th-20th centuries.

• Word about Siberia.
• The mentality of Siberians.
• Peasant community in Siberia.
• The economic life of an old-timer.
• Culture of everyday life: clothes, food, folk medicine of Siberians.
• Spirituality and traditions.
• Literacy and education in the Yenisei province in the XIX - early XX centuries.
• Customs and rituals of old-timer Siberia.
• Folk signs of the Siberian calendar.
• Folk art of Siberians.
• Dictionary of the dialect of the old-timers of the Yenisei Territory.
• Appendix: "Siberian character" Fedorov-Omulevsky I.V.

Sources

Published based on materials from the personal site of Boris Ermolaevich.

A new reader on the history of Siberia

The Novosibirsk publishing house "Infolio-Press" publishes "Anthology on the history of Siberia", addressed to schoolchildren who independently or together with their teachers study the history of our region. The compilers of the manual are Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Novosibirsk Pedagogical University V.A. Zverev and Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Novosibirsk Institute for Advanced Studies and Retraining of Educational Workers F.S. Kuznetsova.
The reader is part of the educational and methodological set "Siberia: 400 years as part of Russia", intended for students of educational institutions. Earlier, in 1997-1999, A.S. Zuev "Siberia: milestones of history", as well as three parts of the textbook under the general title "History of Siberia" (authors - V.A. Zverev, A.S. Zuev, V.A. Isupov, I.S. Kuznetsov and F. S. Kuznetsova). "History of Siberia" has already passed the second mass edition in 1999-2001.
"Anthology on the history of Siberia" is a textbook that helps to create a full-fledged national-regional component of education in grades VII-XI of Siberian schools. But it does not contain ready-made answers to problematic questions. This is a collection of legislative acts, bureaucratic reports, materials of administrative and scientific surveys, excerpts from the memoirs of Siberian townspeople and literate peasants, essays by travelers and writers. Most of these people were eyewitnesses and participants in the events that took place in Siberia in the 17th - early 20th centuries. Other authors judge Siberian history by the material remains of a past life, by the written, oral, and pictorial evidence that has come down to them.
The texts of the documents are grouped into eight chapters according to the problem-chronological principle. Taken as a whole, they give the reader the opportunity to form their own idea of ​​the past of the region, to answer important questions that interest many Siberians. What peoples lived on the territory of our region in the XVII-XVIII centuries and why some of them cannot be found on the modern map of Siberia? Is it true that the Russian people, having settled in North Asia, over time have so adapted to the local natural features, mixed so much with the indigenous people, that by the middle of the 19th century. made up a completely new "Chaldon" people? Did Siberia strongly lag behind European Russia in its development by the beginning of the 20th century? Is it appropriate to say that it was "a country of taiga, prisons and darkness", a realm of "semi-savagery and real savagery" (these are assessments that were expressed in Soviet times)? What achievements of our great-grandfathers-Siberians "Russia grew" in the old times, and what can we, Siberians of today, be proud of in the historical heritage of our ancestors?
The compilers of the anthology tried to pick up evidence in such a way that they would highlight the state of traditional folk culture, everyday life and customs of Siberians - "indigenous" and "alien", rural and city dwellers. By the end of the XIX century. established orders began to crumble, unusual innovations penetrated culture and way of life. The modernization of society that began then was also reflected on the pages of the anthology.
To delve into the problems of a particular chapter, you must definitely read the introduction placed at its beginning. Such texts briefly characterize the significance of the topic, speak about the main assessments and judgments that exist in historical science and in the public consciousness, and explain the principles for selecting materials.
Each document is preceded by small information about the author and the circumstances of the creation of this text. After the document, the compilers placed questions and tasks - under the heading "Think and answer." The assignments are designed to help students read documents carefully, analyze historical facts, draw and argue their own conclusions.
At the end of each chapter, "Creative tasks" are formulated. Their implementation involves working with a complex of texts. The compilers of the reader recommend that schoolchildren carry out such work under the guidance of a professional historian. The result of the creative assignment may be a historical essay, a presentation at a scientific and practical conference, the creation of an exposition in a family or school museum.
Since the manual is intended primarily not for scientific, but for educational work, the publication rules are simplified. Notes are not specified in the text, except for the omission of words inside or at the end of the sentence (the omission is indicated by ellipsis). Some long texts are divided into several parts. Such parts, as well as entire texts, are sometimes preceded by headings in square brackets, invented by the compilers of the anthology. In square brackets are also taken the words placed by the compilers in the text of the document for its better understanding. Asterisks indicate comments made by the author of the document. The notes of the compilers of the anthology are numbered with numbers.
The fifth chapter of the anthology is offered to the attention of readers - “What was everyday life in the life of generations” (the title has been changed in a newspaper publication).

Vladimir ZVEREV

Life and traditions of Siberia

Family of Siberian peasants.
Engraving by M. Hoffmann (Germany)
according to the sketch by O. Finsch, made in
Tomsk province in 1876

This chapter of the reader is devoted to the description of the traditions characteristic of the culture and way of life of the Siberian peasantry in the 18th - early 20th centuries.
Traditions are such elements of culture or social relations that exist for a long time, change slowly and are passed on without a critical attitude towards them from generation to generation. For centuries, traditions have played the role of the foundation, the core of the daily life of the people, therefore, Russian society - at least until the "complete collectivization" of the turn of the 1920s-1930s. - some historians call the society of the traditional type, and the then mass culture - traditional culture.
The meaning of peasant life was the labor produced by the forces of family members on “their” arable land (legally, the main part of the land in Siberia belonged to the state and its head, the emperor, but peasant land use was relatively free until the beginning of the 20th century). Agriculture was supplemented by animal husbandry and crafts.
The knowledge of the environment, the “way” of family and community relationships, the upbringing and education of children were also traditional. The entire material and spiritual culture of the village turned out to be traditional - the objective world created by one's own hands (tools, settlements and dwellings, clothes, etc.), beliefs preserved in the mind and "at the heart", assessment of natural and social phenomena.
Part of the folk traditions was brought to Siberia from European Russia during the settlement of this region, the other part was already formed here, under the influence of specific Siberian conditions.
The research literature reflects different approaches to the assessment of traditional folk culture, rural life in Russia and, in particular, Siberia. On the one hand, already in the pre-Soviet period, a purely negative view of “patriarchalism, semi-savagery and real savagery” (Lenin’s words), which allegedly reigned in the pre-revolutionary, pre-kolkhoz village and interfered with the authorities and intelligentsia, this village "cultivate". On the other hand, for a long time there has been and has recently become more active the desire to admire the old folk traditions, even to their complete “revival”. These polar assessments, as it were, outline the space for the search for truth, which, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle.
For publication in the anthology, historical documents have been selected that describe and explain some aspects of the traditional culture of Siberians in different ways. The views of the peasants are also interesting, as are the judgments of external observers - scientists (ethnographers, folklorists) and amateurs - a local doctor and teacher, an idle traveler, etc. Basically, the situation is presented through the eyes of Russian people, but there is also the opinion of a foreigner (an American journalist).
The questions of modern readers will be legitimate: how did the culture and life of our ancestors fundamentally differ from today's everyday life? Which of the folk ideas, customs and rituals retains its viability in modern conditions, needs to be preserved or revived, and which is hopelessly outdated by the beginning of the 20th century?
It is unlikely that the picture highlighted by the sources allows unambiguous answers ...

F.F. Devyatov

The annual cycle of working peasant life

Fedor Fedorovich Devyatov (c. 1837 - 1901) - a wealthy peasant from the village of Kuraginskoye, Minusinsk district, Yenisei province. In the second half of the XIX century. actively collaborated with scientific and educational institutions and the press in Siberia.

[Take] the average family in terms of labor force. Such a family usually consists of a household worker, his [wife], an old father and an old mother, an adolescent son from 12 to 16 years old, two young daughters and, finally, a small child. These families are the most common. This family is busy all year round. No one here has time for extraneous earnings, and therefore, during the harvest, help is often collected here, which occur on a holiday.
Such a family, having 8 working horses, 2 plows, 5-6 harrows, can sow 12 acres. She releases 4 scythes for mowing, 5 sickles for reaping. With such an economy, it seems possible to keep up to 20 heads of cattle, horses, mares and adolescents, 15 heads in total; sheep up to 20-30 heads and pigs 5. Geese, ducks, chickens are an integral part of such a farm. Although fishing exists, all the fish is spent at home and is not sold. Fishing is usually done by an old father or grandfather. If he sometimes sells part of the fish, then only in order to get a few coppers to God for candles.
6 tithes are sown with rye and yaritsa, 3 tithes with oats, 2 tithes with wheat; and barley, buckwheat, millet, peas, hemp, all together 1 tithe. Potatoes and turnips are sown in special places. In the years of average harvest, the entire harvest from 3 acres of rye, from 2 acres of oats, from 1 acres of wheat goes to household consumption. All small bread is also left at home. Bread is sold from 3 acres of rye, from 1 acres of oats and from 1 acres of wheat. All other products of the economy, such as cattle and sheep meat, pork, poultry, milk, butter, wool, feathers, etc. - all this goes to their own consumption in the form of food or clothing, etc.
Dealers in manufactured and petty goods, and in general with all peasant needs, are almost always buyers of bread and other products of the peasant economy; in the shops, peasants take various goods according to the bill and pay with household products, bread, livestock, etc. In addition, due to the remoteness from cities, doctors and pharmacies, their own home self-help. This is not like the treatment of healers, but just every thrifty old housewife has five or six infusions, for example: an infusion of pepper, troel, birch bud, cut grass ... and St. John's wort, and more thrifty camphor lotion, lead lotion, strong vodka , turpentine, mint drops, chilibuha, various herbs and roots. Many of these medicinal substances are also bought from the shop.
The peasants make carts, sledges, arches, plows, harrows and all the necessary implements of agriculture themselves. A table, a bed, a simple sofa and chairs are also made by many at home - with their own hands. Thus, the total expenditure in the aforementioned peasant family is up to 237 rubles per year. The arrival of money can be determined up to 140 rubles; the rest, therefore, is paid in products.
Not included in the account of income, as well as in expenditure: bread given for work in kind, for example, for sewing ... sheepskin coats, azyam from home cloth, shoes (many of these things are sewn at home by women, family members), for wool yarn , flax, soap factory for making soap, etc.; bread is also exchanged for lime for whitewashing the walls. Muravlenaya utensils, wooden utensils, seeders, vessels, troughs, sieves, sieves, spindles, tarsals are delivered by settlers from the Vyatka province and are also exchanged for bread. The exchange is made in this manner: whoever wants to buy a vessel pours it with rye, which he gives to the seller, and takes the vessel for himself; This is called the "scree price".
This expresses almost the entire annual cycle of working peasant life. Its source is the labor force. The labor force arrives in the family, the development of the land arrives and increases; the sowing of grain, cattle breeding is increasing; in a word, income and expenditure are growing.

Devyatov F.F. Economic life of the Siberian peasant /
Literary collection. SPb., 1885.
pp. 310-311, 313-315.

Notes

1 Help- Collective neighborly mutual assistance. The church did not allow work on holidays, but the time of suffering was expensive, and the peasants circumvented the ban by working not on their own farm, but on help.
2 tithe- the main dometric measure of area in Russia, equal to 1.09 ha.
3 Rye and rye- in this case - winter and spring rye.
4 Azam- men's outerwear, a kind of caftan or sheepskin coat.
5 etched dishes- glazed.
6 tarsus- a wooden tube, part of a device for spinning or weaving.

THINK AND ANSWER

1. What types of occupations were traditional in the peasant economy?
2. What type (natural, market, mixed) can be attributed to the described economy? Why?
3. What, according to F. Devyatov, is the main "source of peasant life"? What character of the peasant economy is indicated by this statement of the author?
4. Does your family have a medical "home care"? What is it made up of?

N.L. Skalozubov

The peasants admired the plowing ...

Nikolai Lukich Skalozubov - Tobolsk provincial agronomist, prominent public figure. As part of the Kurgan exhibition in September 1895, he organized two competitions for plowmen. In total, 87 local peasants took part in them, who were supposed to plow the paddocks allocated to them "soon and well."

First competition

The assessment [of the results of plowing] was given to the peasants themselves, and the deputies treated their task with the utmost conscientiousness. If there were disagreements among them, the field was carefully examined again by all, and in most cases the verdicts were unanimous. The commission was also accompanied by some of the plowmen participating in the competition, carefully listening to the assessment.
The results of the assessment were eagerly awaited by the plowmen; the excitement of some was very great. One old man approached the manager and asked: “What is it, to know, my plowing didn’t look like?” - “Yes, the old people say, you plow small, you need to plow better!” Without saying a word, the old man falls off his feet and lies unconscious for several minutes. It is said that another plowman wept when he learned that his arable land was rejected.
Contrary to the existing opinion that the Siberian peasant is chasing the productivity of arable implements to the detriment of the quality of work, it turned out to be quite the opposite: appraisers recognized the best arable land where there were more furrows per pen, and it is remarkable that this feature was found out last, i.e. first, the arable land was evaluated by the thoroughness of the development of the land, by depth, and only then the furrows were counted.

Second competition

The best arable land, like last time, was considered to be the one that, at the greatest depth, seemed to be more even, with a large number of furrows in the corral, small-blocky, without virgin soils, with straight furrows and well-covered stubble. The best arable land, as was to be expected, and by the unanimous verdict of the peasants, was the arable land made by the Sacca plow. The peasants admired this plowing: not a single straw was visible on the arable land, the clods were crushed so finely and the layers covered one another so well that the field looked like a hedgerow. Nevertheless, half of the votes of the commission did not [immediately] agree to value this arable land above excellent ploughshare.
The appraisers did not even want to compare plow plowing with plow: “But this is a factory plow, you can plow it wherever you like, it will plow well; we love our own plow: it’s cheap, but you can plow well.” “It’s good, but the road is not for us,” was the review [about the factory plow].

Skalozubov N.L. Report on [agricultural and handicraft]
exhibition [in Kurgan] and its catalogue. Tobolsk, 1902. S. 131-132, 134-135.

Notes

1 Plow Sacca- a steel plow manufactured by Rudolf Sakk (Kharkiv).
2 Sosh plowing- in this case - made by a Siberian plow with two wooden openers and blades.

THINK AND ANSWER

1. What criteria were presented by the peasants when assessing the quality of plowing?
2. What in the above description indicates the serious attitude of the peasants to the work of the plowman?
3. Why did the peasants prefer the plow rather than the plow in their daily work? How does this fact characterize their economic life and mentality (world outlook)?

Eyewitnesses about family agricultural rites

The first spring plowing in Western Siberia as described by F.K. Zobnin

Filipp Kuzmich Zobnin - a native of Siberian peasants, a village teacher, author of a number of ethnographic works.

Early in the morning, after breakfast or tea, they began to gather for arable land. Every business must begin with prayer. This is where the plowing begins. When the horses are already harnessed, the whole family gathers in the upper room, closes the doors and lights candles in front of the icons. Before the start of prayer, according to custom, everyone should sit down, and then get up and pray. After prayer in good families, the sons who go to the arable land bow at the feet of their parents and ask for blessings. Before leaving the gate, they often send to see if there are any women on the street. It is considered a bad omen when a woman crosses the road at such an important exit. After such a disaster, at least go back ...
This is what they do if they have not yet left the yard: they go back to the upper room to wait, and only then they leave.

Zobnin F.K. From year to year (description of the cycle of peasant life
in with. Ust-Nitsinsk, Tyumen District) //
Living antiquity. 1894. Issue. 1. S. 45.

The beginning of spring sowing in Eastern Siberia as described by M.F. Krivoshapkin

It's time to sow. We are planning to go to the field tomorrow. Preparations begin. First of all, they certainly go to the bathhouse and put on clean linen; and not only is it clean, but more moral men put on underwear even completely new, brand new, because “sowing bread is not a simple matter, but all prayer to God is about it!” In the morning a priest is invited and a prayer service is served. Then they spread a white tablecloth on the table and put a rug with a salt shaker that they have hidden since Easter; they light candles in front of the image, pray to God; say goodbye to family; and if the father does not go himself, then he blesses the children who bow at his feet.
Upon arrival, horses are laid in the field; and the senior owner pours the grain into a sack (i.e., a sack of birch bark or some kind of twigs) and leaves it at the porch of the winter hut. Then, as usual, everyone squats side by side; get up; pray on all 4 sides; the elder goes to scatter the grain, while the others plow. Having done this, in their words, beginning (beginning), everyone returns home, where dinner has already been prepared and all relatives have gathered. It remains, if close, to send for the priest, who should bless both bread and wine and drink the first glass with the owner. Lunch is over. The younger members of the family or workers are sent to plow properly; and the elder escorts the guests, pours grain into bags and leaves to sow.

Krivoshapkin M.F. Yenisei district and its life.
SPb., 1865. T. 1. S. 38.

THINK AND ANSWER

1. What is common in household family rituals among the peasants of Western and Eastern Siberia?
2. How do these rituals characterize the attitude of peasants to their work? Do the described rites have a rational basis?
3. What conclusions about the relationship in the peasant family can be drawn on the basis of the proposed sources?

John Fraser

It won't be long before the Russian peasant becomes capable ofto a colonial role

John Fraser is a well-known American journalist who visited Siberia in 1901. He described his impressions in a book translated into various European languages.

Nowhere in the United States - after all, Siberia is often called the new America - is there such a vast expanse of beautiful land, as if created for arable farming and waiting only for human hands to cultivate it. However, there is little hope that Siberia, through the labor of its inhabitants alone, will give something of its natural wealth to other countries. This state of affairs will probably continue for several generations.

Siberian peasant is a bad worker

The fact that the Russian peasant is one of the worst colonizers on the entire globe is recognized as undoubted. The simple muzhik strives mainly to eat his fill and put a few kopecks aside for Sunday in order to be able to get drunk.

The Russian government is sincerely trying, as far as possible, to alleviate the fate of the settlers. Thus, it orders American agricultural implements and sells them at a very low price. But wherever you look, everywhere you notice how little endurance the migrant has. First of all, for example, he does not want to live [on a farm] at a distance of 3, 5 or 10 miles from his neighbors, but strives to live in a village or city, even if the allotment allotted to him is 30 miles away from them. Whether he cultivates a plot of land, sows wheat, but does not start harvesting in time and, thus, the crop is half destroyed. He reaps with a sickle, and meanwhile part of the wheat is lost from the rains. He has no idea about fertilizing the soil, he does not think at all about the future. He has no desire to get rich. His only desire is to work as little as possible. The principle by which he is guided in life is best denoted by the well-known word - "nothing". This word means: “I don’t care, I shouldn’t pay attention to it!” In other words, it expresses the concepts contained in the words: phlegm, indifference, negligence.
Of course, all settlers are descendants of serfs; in the face of their ancestors, human dignity was subjected to the greatest humiliation. Therefore, one cannot hope to meet in their descendants enterprising and independent people; even in the expression of their faces lies the stamp of humiliation and indifference.
The government is doing its best to educate the settlers in such a spirit that they understand the full benefit of the latest improvements in agriculture and begin to apply them. But all his efforts do not lead to tangible results ...
In all likelihood, the Russian peasant will not soon become capable of a colonial role.

Poor life and low level of culture

The villages here are very deplorable. The huts are built of roughly hewn logs. The gaps between individual logs or boards are sealed with moss to protect against snow and wind. During the winter the double windows are tightly closed and nailed shut, and in the summer they are not opened very often.
Russian peasants have no idea about hygiene. They do not know a completely separate bedroom. At night, they spread skins and pillows on the floor and sleep on them without undressing. In the morning, they only slightly moisten their faces with water, they do not use soap at all.
It is clear that the entertainment of these people, who live far from cultural centers, is very limited. Drunkenness is the most common occurrence here, and vodka is often of extremely poor quality. There are guys in every village who can play harmonies; folk dances are often arranged to the sounds of it. Women are not very attractive: they have no mind, their eyes are without any expression. Their only dream is to acquire a red scarf with which they tie their heads.
Dwellings are distinguished by terrible hygienic conditions and a stench, but this does not prevent their inhabitants from being extremely hospitable. While the peasant huts are wretched, in almost every village here one can find a large white church with golden or gilded domes. The men are simple-hearted, very religious and superstitious. This is a people uncouth and dark; his passions are the most primitive. The Siberian peasant will never do today what can be put off until tomorrow. But he was moved to a rich country, and there is hope that soon culture will develop more here, and then Siberia will be able to cover the whole world with its riches.

Gleiner A. Siberia, America of the future.
Based on the composition of John Foster Fraser "The Real Siberia".
Kyiv, 1906. S. 15-17, 19-20.

Note

1 Mile- English non-metric measure of length, equal to approximately 1.6 km.

THINK AND ANSWER

1. How does the assessment of peasant culture made by the author differ from the judgments contained in previous documents? Can it be considered absolutely indisputable?
2. What role does the author assign to the state in the “education of migrants”, what are the reasons for the failure of its activities?
3. Compare the description of the settlements and dwellings of Siberians, made by an American journalist, with the descriptions given in this reader and in the textbook on the history of Siberia. What could be the reasons for such a striking discrepancy between estimates?
4. What future did John Fraser promise for Siberia? Was his prediction justified in a hundred years?

S.I. turbines

Siberians are not porridge hunters...

When the coachman and I entered the hut, the hosts were already sitting at the table and slurping cabbage soup; but let the reader not think that Siberian cabbage soup is the same as Russian. There is no resemblance between them. In Siberian cabbage soup, except for water, meat, salt and thick cereals, there are no impurities. Putting cabbage, onions, and in general any kind of greens is considered completely unnecessary.
The shchi was followed by jelly, to which they served mustard, unfamiliar to our common people, diluted with kvass. Then came not exactly boiled and not exactly roasted, but rather a steamed pig, lightly salted and very fatty. The fourth dish was an open pie (stretch) with salted pike. In the pie, only the stuffing was eaten; the edges and the back are not accepted. Finally, something like pancakes with cottage cheese, fried in cow's oil, appeared.
There was no kasha. Siberians are not hunters before it, and they don’t even like buckwheat. The bread is exclusively wheat, but very sour, and baked from batter. It was the daily lunch of a serviceable peasant. Kvass, and even very good one, can be found in every well-built house in Siberia. Where bread is baked from rye flour, it is always sown on a sieve. Eating a sieve is considered reprehensible.
- We, thank God, are not pigs! Siberians say.
- How did the chaff ist, God save! Siberians say.
For sieve bread, a lot goes to new settlers who have a strong addiction to it.

Turbin S.I. Old-timer. Country of exile and disappeared people:
Siberian essays. SPb., 1872. S. 77-78.

Notes

1 Thick grits- large, not finely ground, peeled.
2 Chaff- chaff, grain ears, from which the grain is blown away. At the sieve, the cells were smaller than at the sieve, so the sifted flour turned out to be cleaner, without any admixture of bran and chaff.

THINK AND ANSWER

1. What was the difference between lunch in the house of a wealthy Siberian old-timer from an ordinary Russian meal (highlight at least five features)?
2. How did sieve bread differ from sifted bread? Why, according to the author, did the new settlers prefer sieve bread?

A.A. Saveliev

In the spring, when the river breaks up, everyone rushes to wash themselves with fresh water ...

Winter carts at the inn.
Engraving from a book published in Paris in 1768.

Records of signs, customs, beliefs and rituals were made by the ethnographer Anton Antonovich Savelyev (1874-1942) during the period of exile (1910-1917) in the Pinchug volost of the Yenisei district of the Yenisei province. In this publication they are grouped thematically.

In trade and arable land

The old owner gets along "venter" (ventel) "in the spring to go fish for fish." To get into the hut, you have to step over the fishing tackle laid out on the floor. - “No, boy, this is not necessary; no need. Don't step through. Through this, the fish will not go into it. It is possible to spoil the venter.
At the first spring fishing ... the first more or less large fish caught is beaten with a stick and at the same time they say, hitting the fish, - “hit, but not that one, send mother and father, grandmother and grandfather.”
It is advisable to steal something from someone on the day of sowing, at least, for example, a seryanka [match]. Harvest and sowing will be successful.
During the planting [tubers] of potatoes, one should not eat them, otherwise the mole will carry them away and spoil them.

About natural phenomena

How, how, soaring, that's right - a fire from a thunderstorm, it's like not "God's mercy." So they say - "burn with God's mercy." No, you cannot extinguish such a fire with water. Then you can clear [the ashes].
During hail and during a thunderstorm, they throw out into the street through a window (v. Yarki) or through a gate (v. Boguchany, v. Karabula) onto the street the same shovel, with which they put bread in the oven ... or a stove stick, so that both stop sooner.
In the spring, when the river breaks up, everyone rushes to wash themselves with fresh water - to be healthy.

About pets

Peasant dwelling at night.
Engraving from a book published
in Paris in 1768.

It happens that the dog loses its appetite. In the village of Pinchuga, in order for her to eat, they chop off the tip of her tail, and in the village. The Boguchans put on her neck a bezel made of a bird-cherry twig smeared with tar, or simply “a rope of dekhtyarn”.
Cows are released into the wild shortly after Easter. The eldest member of the family goes out into the yard and there he coats the doors of the stables, flocks and gates with pitch like a cross, while saying a prayer. Along those gates through which the cows are let out, on the ground he spreads a belt that is removed from himself. Putting down the belt and again making a prayer, he makes several half-bows. Then, standing in front of the gates, he "three times" will block (cross) them. Then the hostess [takes] a loaf of bread in her hands, goes out the gate and, breaking off piece by piece, beckons the cow - “go, go, go, go, Ivanovna, go, go,” etc. She gives a piece of bread to a passing cow. So all the cows pass one after another, crossing the belt, which is spread out so that they know their home, their gates. And the owner, following the departing cows, whispers: “Christ is with you, Christ is with you!” - and baptizes one after another. This day is considered a semi-holiday and during it it is not supposed to swear.

When building a new house

When choosing a place of construction, lots are thrown. The hostess bakes 3 small “kolobushki” loaves of rye flour. These latter are baked before the rest of the concoction. The next day, before sunrise, the owner takes these loaves and puts them in his bosom, having previously girded himself. Arriving at the intended place, the owner ... reads a prayer; then unbelts and monitors the number of loaves that have fallen out of the bosom. If all three loaves fall out, the place is considered successful and happy for the settlement; if two fall out - then “so-and-so”, and one is completely bad - you should not settle.
When they raise the "mother" on the newly erected walls of a house under construction, they do so. On the "matitsa", which lies on the wall at one end, they put a loaf of bread, a little salt and an icon; everything is tied to the matitsa with a new rukoternik [towel]. After raising the mother, the rest of the day is considered festive.
In the old days, when building a hut for lining [the lower crown of log walls], they always put money in a small amount, and under the matnya [matitsa] a third of what is put under the lining.
It is impossible to cut through a window or a door in a residential building - the owner will die or there will be a major loss in general.

Bread is the head of everything

E! Boy, you're not good, don't bite off a piece of mine and don't drink from my cup. Get it right, dude. You will take all my strength through your mouth. Debilitate me.
Bread cut off side or broken off should be placed inside the table. In the same way, you can’t put a carpet or kalach up with the “underneath” [lower] crust. In the first case, there will be little bread, and in the second - in the next world [devils] will be kept upside down.
When dividing in a family [family division], the elder cuts a carpet of rye bread into slices according to the number of men divided or existing in the family. The one who separates takes his part and moves away from the table. The women pour out the sourdough and carry away their parts.
In the old days, it was customary not to destroy an unopened loaf of bread in the evening. They said that "the carpet is sleeping."
You can’t poke bread with a fork - in the next world [devils] will lift themselves on the forks.

In family life

You can’t put the child or put it on the table - it will be ugly [to be capricious].
You can’t grab a child by the legs - it can be bad for him - he won’t be able to walk soon.
The bride goes down the aisle - she must put a silver coin under her left heel - which means that she will not need money in marriage.
During an illness, one should not take off the shirt in which one fell ill, otherwise the illness will not go away soon.
A tow is placed in the coffin of the deceased, and sometimes even pure linen fiber, so that it lies softer in the ground.

Religion and church holidays

The Russian people are prayerful.
And we, cheldons, do not know their [prayers]. There are seven people in our family, and Ivan alone knows "Father" and "Virgin Mary".
After Easter, until Trinity, you can’t throw anything out the window - Christ is standing there - “so as not to hurt him.”
On the evening before the holidays, you can’t sweep the hut and throw rubbish out of it. The owners will not have wealth.
You can’t stretch on the bench with your feet towards the goddess - God will take away the strength.
Every holiday necessarily begins the day before with sunset and ends with sunset as well. The eve of the holiday is called "evenings".

Folklore of the Angara region at the beginning of the 20th century // Living Antiquity:
Magazine about Russian folklore and traditional culture.
2000. No. 2. S. 45-46.

Notes

1 According to other sources, it was supposed to sow not one's own, but someone else's (donated or even "stolen") seeds.
2 Semi-holiday- a day when only light work is allowed or work only until noon.
3 Matica- a log beam across the entire hut, on which the ceiling is laid.
4 Tow- a combed bunch of flax, hemp, made for spinning.
5 "Our Father" and "Virgin Mother of God"- the most common prayers among the peasantry.
6 Goddess- a cupboard or shelf in the front corner of a clean room where icons and other objects of religious worship are placed, the Gospel is placed.

THINK AND ANSWER

1. What features of the peasant mentality are evidenced by the described beliefs and customs?
2. What self-assessment of peasant religiosity does the source contain?
3. Why was the first pasture of cows and the raising of the “matitsa”, as well as the beginning of plowing, sowing, considered among the peasants as special days?
4. What beliefs and customs have been preserved in Siberia to this day? What do your parents and grandparents know about them?

Siberian poet V.D. Fedorov

about your ancestors

Vasily Dmitrievich Fedorov (1918-1984) - Russian poet. Born in the Kemerovo region. For a long time he lived in Siberia.

Siberia, my land

Covering all edges

Oh, my golden penal servitude,

Shelter of the harsh forefathers

disenfranchised,

Where there were no lordly-royal whips,
But we don't know my bast shoes
With iron shackles gone

equally.

People don't forget anything
What in generations
It was life.

The Siberian is a living reality
Inspired and severity, and gum anness.
In almost every family of a Siberian
For the fugitives it was considered a matter

honor

In the most visible and accessible place
Put a glass of milk overnight.
And, touched by sinful lips,
Baptized with hardened fingers.

Vasily Fedorov. From the poem "The Marriage of Don Juan".

THINK AND ANSWER

1. How to understand - from a historical point of view - the words: "There were no bar-royal lashes"; "Lyko us unknown bast shoes with iron shackles passed on an equal footing"?
2. Why does the poet call assistance to fugitive convicts a Siberian's "deed of honor"?

F.K. Zobnin

Before Easter, my brother and I do not leave the church ...

Maundy Thursday - on the seventh, last,
week of Lent

village church
in Transbaikalia. Engraving from a book
G. Lansdell, published
in London in 1883.

My brother and I were told the day before to get up earlier tomorrow: whoever gets up on Maundy Thursday before the sun and puts on his shoes will find many duck nests a year.
On Thursday morning, we just get up - we see that on the goddess, near the icons, there is a loaf of bread and a large carved wooden salt shaker: this is quarter bread and quarter salt. This is the custom, established from time immemorial. After mass at the table, quarter bread with salt is eaten, but not all: part of it goes to livestock - horses, cows and sheep. From this bread, God better preserves both livestock and people for a whole year.

Great Saturday - the last day
Lent on the eve of Easter

On the morning of that day, the eggs were dyed and divided. We guys got as much as everyone else. But this is just the beginning. Soon, and look, mother or father will add from his share. After the division, everyone takes his share until tomorrow, and tomorrow he can spend it as he pleases. We, the complete and uncontrolled owners of our shares, of course, did not even think of using them the day before: we fasted for seven weeks and did not finish it for several hours - that's really shameful.
Before Easter, my brother and I do not leave the church. It’s good in the church, and everything reminds us that the holidays are not far away: they clean the candlesticks, pour bowls, insert new candles, carry a fir tree and a puff for the church - they do all this only for Easter. All this delights our young hearts; we rejoice and rejoice in everything.

Spring wood cutting

Woodcutter - the same suffering. If you don’t cut it to plowing, then you’ll drown the winter with cheesecake. Those that are older and stronger go to chop wood away from the settlement, on the basis, i.e. nights for three - for four, or even for a week. The guys will chop firewood somewhere nearby: “still, they’ll come in handy at least for the fall.” Chopping wood is fun. In the forest, even though there is no green grass, no flowers, but you can feast on: birch [birch sap] ran. You take a thuyasak, put it under a birch - on a day, you see, the thuyas is full of caps. Of the small birches, the birch is not sweet, and not enough; birch should be drained from large birches. Mom didn’t give us a lot of birch to drink: she says - “unhealthy”.

At the flax sowing

Sowing flax is the most interesting for us. Feeding a family is a man's business, and dressing men is a woman's business. Therefore, when sowing flax, it has become a custom to appease the peasants by putting boiled eggs in flax seeds. That is why we love to sow flax. The father pours seeds into the basket, and with the seeds, egg after egg fly out: “Robyata, take it.” You can’t take an egg straight and eat it, you must first throw it up and say: “Grow flax above a standing forest.”
They also say that in order for flax to grow well, you need to sow it naked, but we have never tried it: it’s a shame, everyone says to say, but undress, they will make you laugh.

Holy Trinity - Sunday in the seventh week
after Easter

Old Believer Woman
from Altai in a festive
clothes.
Rice. N. Nagorskaya.
1926

On the evening of Trinity Day, young people of both sexes gather for clearing- this is the name of the festive gathering that takes place on the banks of the Nice River. In the clearing, the maidens and fellows, holding hands and making up several rows, walk one row after another, singing songs. It is called walk in a circle.
They play in the meadow sentry. The players are divided into pairs and become one pair after another. One or one of the players stand guard. The game consists in the fact that the pairs alternately run forward, and the one standing on guard while running tries to catch them. If he succeeds, then he, together with the caught player, makes a pair, and the remaining one stands guard.
One of the most necessary accessories of the clearing is wrestling. As a rule, wrestlers from the upper end [of the village] wrestle alternately with wrestlers from the lower end. Only two of them fight, while the rest, as curious, surround the place of struggle with a thick living ring.
The fight is always opened by small wrestlers.
Each wrestler, entering the circle, must be tied over one shoulder and around himself with a belt. The goal of the fight is to drop the opponent to the ground 3 times. Whoever manages to do this before the other is considered the winner. During the fight, it is strictly forbidden to lower your hands from the belt.
From small struggle gradually passes to the big. In the end, the most skillful fighter remains, whom no one could defeat, and he, as they say, blows the circle. To carry away the circle means to win such a victory, which serves as a source of pride not only for the wrestler himself, but for the entire “end” or village to which he belongs.

Zobnin F.K. From year to year: (Description of the cycle
peasant life in Ust-Nitsinsk, Tyumen District) //
Living antiquity. 1894. Issue. 1. S. 40-54.

THINK AND ANSWER

A.A. Makarenko

Evenings and masquerades continue with extraordinary animation until Epiphany…

Alexey Alekseevich Makarenko (1860-1942) - ethnographer. He collected materials about the life of Siberians in the Yenisei province (in particular, in the Pinchug volost of the Yenisei district) during the period of exile 1886-1899. and during scientific expeditions in 1904-1910. The book "Siberian folk calendar in ethnographic terms" was first published in 1913. The fragments published here are dated according to the Julian calendar (old style).

Christmas masks of disguised Siberians and Russian northerners, late 19th – early 20th centuries From the collection of the ethnographic museum (St. Petersburg)

1st [January]."New Goth" (year), aka "Vasil's Day".
On the eve of December 31 in the evening, Siberian village youth of both sexes ... are busy divination on their favorite topics - who will marry and where, who will marry, what kind of wife he will take, etc. In the Pinchug volost ... divination "on Novaya Goth" is accompanied by the singing of "observant" songs with the participation of girls and "bachelor" (guys), who gather for this in one of the suitable residential huts. In this case, the Pinchu people support the custom of the inhabitants of the Great Russian provinces of European Russia.
More than ten people (girls and boys) do not sit at one table, so that each person would have one song. The table is covered with a white tablecloth; each of the participants, taking a piece of bread, puts it under the tablecloth in front of him; ten rings are put on a served plate (you need to know your rings well or put “notes” on them). The plate is closed “tightly” with a handkerchief; then sing a song; before the end of it, one of those not participating in the game ... shaking the plate, takes out the first ring that comes across through a slit in the handkerchief: whose it turns out to be, he “bequeaths” to himself (guesses). They sing to him (drawn-out motive):

This song tells who will get married or get married. [According to other songs, it turns out that in your own village or in a foreign one you have to find a betrothed; whether he will be rich or poor, whether he will love; the girl will fall into a friendly or “disagreeing” family; will she soon become a widow, etc.]
Having finished the "observant" songs, they begin to divination. Here I will note the most characteristic forms of Siberian divination ...
Putting a ring on the ring finger of the right foot, this bare foot is bathed in the "hole" (hole). For example, the fortune-teller puts one stick across the hole, the other - “closes” the hole; therefore, one stick means "lock", the other - "key"; with this key they turn it into the hole three times “against the sun” and take it home; the castle remains in place. From the ice hole, “zapetki” return, saying: “Betrothed-mummer, come to me to ask for the key to the ice hole, water the horse, ask for the ring!” Which fellow comes in a dream to the key, he will be the groom. The same way guys tell their brides.
The girls alone go to the threshing floor or to the bathhouse, so that the “threshing floor” or “bath house” strokes the bare part of the body that was deliberately set up for this: stroke it with a shaggy hand - to a rich marriage, and vice versa.
The girls and boys, having gathered in one circle, steal a “white mare” or a horse for a while, take them out to the “parting” of the roads, blindfold her eyes with a bag; and when a girl or a guy sits on it, they circle it up to three times and let it go free: in which direction the horse goes, the girl will marry there, and the guy will take a wife from there.
On New Year's Eve, at dawn, "servants" (children) run around the huts alone or in groups and "sow" oats, as is done in Russia. The grains are thrown into the “front” or “red corner” (where the image is “God”), and they themselves sing:

Little "sowers", in whom they see the harbingers of the future harvest of "bread" and new happiness for people, are bestowed with whatever they can.
In the evening, persons of both sexes, from young to old, are “mashkaruutsa”, i.e. they disguise themselves in whatever they want, and visit the huts or “run around to the peddlers” in order to amuse the owners. In the "farmed" (hired) huts, "evenings" or "evenings" are started with "games", i.e. singing, dancing and various games.
But on St. Basil's Day (January 1) on the Angara, they try to finish the "party" before midnight (the first roosters) in order to avoid visiting the so-called shilikuns (evil spirits).
It was once, according to the belief of the Pinchu people ... that on an evening that dragged on long after midnight, devils came running in the form of small people on horseback legs, in “naked parks” (Tungus clothes), with sharp heads, and dispersed the party.
In the following days, the usual work is carried out; but the evenings and masquerades continue with unusual animation right up to Epiphany. This custom is not local, Siberian, but is also inherent in the peasants of European Russia.

Makarenko A.A. Siberian folk calendar.
Novosibirsk, 1993. S. 36-37, 39-41.

THINK AND ANSWER

1. Why in the youth environment in the old days such a serious importance was attached to various fortune-telling?
2. What role did the song play in the life of peasant youth?

N.P. Protasov

After talking about this and that, I moved on to the song ...

Having recognized all the singers of a given village, I usually asked the owner to invite them to me, as a lover of antiquity and songs, to talk. When the invitees arrived, I started a conversation with them about their household, land allotments, family life, etc., then imperceptibly moved on to the rites of antiquity and to the song.
At first our conversation was monosyllabically strained, and then gradually livened up; when I explained that I myself was a Siberian peasant [by origin], we quickly drew closer and after an hour of such a frank conversation we already became our own people. I was helped a lot by my knowledge of places, villages and population, which I acquired over the course of many years, wandering around Siberia on foot and on horseback and having traveled up to forty-five thousand miles.
During the conversation, the hosts treated us to tea and snacks, and if there were girls, then sweets - sweets and gingerbread, which I stocked up in Verkhneudinsk. After talking about this and that, I switched to song, and began to sing the old songs myself and prove all the charm of them, with which everyone present usually agreed, especially the old women.
If there were girls here, then the old men began to reproach them for not memorizing old songs, but singing some kind of “magpie tongue twisters”. Taking advantage of this, I tried to challenge them to a competition, and the song flowed like a river, calmly, not tortured, but pure, bright, performed from an excess of feelings. Having praised any of the songs, I asked them to repeat it in order to memorize it myself. At the same time, my hand, holding a pencil, sketched the song on paper, and with the next repetitions, the song was completely corrected.
On the phonograph I recorded as follows. When the singers have gathered, you will take the phonograph and put it in a conspicuous place. The singers, when they see it, will become interested and start asking what kind of car it is. When you say that this machine listens to people and sings and speaks in human voices, they begin to prove the impossibility of this. Then you invite them to sing a song, they willingly agree, and the phonograph writes.
After each recording, I usually changed the diaphragm, the phonograph sang, the girls recognized each other's voices, and often one of the singers would say to her friend in surprise:
- Listen, Anyukha: Dunyashka somehow brings it out!
After two or three hours, I already enjoyed special trust in this village, and then they sang anything at my request. I gave all the singers and singers silver rubles, and I gave two gold rubles to one old woman who sang six spiritual verses to me.
During this trip, I recorded 145 melodies, of which 9 are spiritual verses, 8 are hymns, 15 are wedding songs, 3 are laudatory, 3 are ritual: Pomochansky - 1, Easter - 3, Trinity - 3, round dance - 9, dancing - 12, comic - 2, vocal - 60, recruiting - 5, prisoners - 5, soldiers - 10.

Protasov N.P.. How I Recorded Folk Songs: A Report on a Trip to Transbaikalia /
News of the East Siberian Department of the Russian Geographical Society.
1903. V. 34. No. 2. S. 134-135.

Notes

1 spiritual verses- works of folk poetry and music of a religious nature, performed at home.
2 Wish- the lamentations of the bride at the wedding about her "girlish will", as well as weeping over the deceased during the funeral. Next: songs pomochanskie- performed by the participants of the help; Trinity- sounding during the celebration of the Holy Trinity; vocal- lingering; recruiting- intended for wires to the army of recruits, recruits, etc.

THINK AND ANSWER

Historical traditions and legends of Siberians

About the "royal envoy" on the Chun River

Recorded by I.A. Chekaninsky in 1914 in the village of Vydrina (Savvina) of the Nizhneudinsky district of the Irkutsk province from the old-timer Nikolai Mikhailovich Smolin. The Smolins considered a certain Savva, a long-time migrant from European Russia, to be their ancestor and the first Russian inhabitant of Prichunia. When recording the legend, I. Chekaninsky sought to convey the features of the Chunar language.

And it was almost two hundred years, or even two hundred can’t be saved ... Along Chuna, there were FSE Assans and a little yasashna (Tungus), they were afraid of her, they didn’t go to Chuna. And the rassar [king] will send a messenger from the city of Tumen*. Here is a messenger floating (and he was sailing from Udinsk **), at his tray with windows, and even with him an assistant was swimming. They swim, and they swam to the [river's] threshold.
The royal messenger says: “I,” he says, “I’m afraid to swim, because it’s dangerous, but I’ll go better along the coast!” He went along the shore, and he himself was chained in armor and climbed [iron], and his assistant sits and swims. That's just the tsar's messenger went along the shore, a little (Chud, Tungus) evo and let's treat tamaras from the lukof ***, fsevo and killed. Che-jo, they took the beast through their arrows.
And the assistant of the tsar’s messenger in the window says: “You will remember our sary, you will be the tsar’s messenger!” And one and evo let's treat tamars and evo killed ****.
Apostle tovo and let's crush ourselves: which the labas will cut down, put earth there, cut the pillars, the labas will fall and crush it. So they translated themselves a lot. Now there are few miracles, they used to come out to us [from the taiga], but now they come out for something less [less]. Once the vice-tu [threshold] was sent, the nickname Tyumenets became, who was a messenger from the city from Tumen.
And Savva was swimming after Etov, but okay, he was swimming, nothing, he didn’t touch him a bit (chud). He also sailed from Udinsk to look for good places. He swam to this place (to Savvina), and settled here, built a hut, but this anbarushka remained from him. (M[ikandra] M[ikhalych] pointed with his hand at the old, but not collapsed "anbarushka".) Tovda ush (in) the circle of the Russian villagers became.

* City of Tyumen, Tobolsk province.
** City of Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk province.
*** "Tamara" or "tamaruk" is the Tungus name for an arrow.
**** This legend is similar to the numerous Siberian versions of the legend about the death of Yermak.

Chekaninsky I.A. Yenisei antiquities and historical songs:
Ethnographic materials and observations on the river. Chuna. - M., 1915. - S. 86-88.

Notes of the compilers of the anthology

1 Assans yes a little yasashna- related to the Kets, the people of the Assans (now disappeared) and the Evenki, whom Smolin calls the yasak Chud, and Chekaninsky in the explanations - the Tungus.
2 Labas(storage) - an outbuilding on wooden poles-piles.

On the discovery of the Baikal "sea"

The legend was recorded in 1926 by the folklorist I.I. Veselov from N.D. Strekalovsky, a 78-year-old fisherman from the village of Bolshoe Goloustnoye, Olkhonsky District, Irkutsk Region.

When the Russians went to war in Siberia, they had no idea about our sea. They made their way to Mongolia for gold and, in order to get shorter, went straight. They walked and walked and went to the sea. Painfully surprised, the Buryats ask:
- Otkel taco the sea came from? What's your name?
And the Buryats in those days didn’t know how and what to speak Russian, and they didn’t have an “interpreter” for that. They wave at the sea and shout one thing:
- Was-gal. Was-gal.
This means, he wants to say, that there was a fire here, and after the fire everything collapsed and the sea became. And the Russian again understood that this is how they call the sea, and let's write in the book: "Baikal." So he [with this name] remained.

Gurevich A.V., Eliasov L.E. Old folklore of the Baikal region.
Ulan-Ude, 1939. T. 1. S. 451.

Note

1 After the fire everything fell apart... The legends of the Buryats and Russians reflected the emergence of Lake Baikal as a result of a catastrophic fracture of the earth's crust.

THINK AND ANSWER

1. How deep is the historical memory of the Siberian peasants?
2. What methods of formation of geographical names (toponyms) are recorded by the people's memory?
3. How do folk legends explain the reasons for the disappearance of the Chud people?
4. What peoples can hide behind this name?
5. Do you know any other, more scientifically correct explanations for the name of Lake Baikal?

From the folk dictionary of Western Siberia

Folk metrology

Tools of labor of the peasants of the Narym Territory: 1 - plow, wooden harrow with iron teeth, taratayka for the export of manure from the yard to arable land, forks with iron tips and wooden pick for spreading manure; 2 - kleps for catching foxes and hares; 3 - cherkan for hunting squirrels; 4 - devices for fishing: nets, traps, slings, snouts, boats of various types

harness- the time that a horse can go out in a plow without feeding and harnessing.
Gon, moving- part of a strip of arable land in 10-20 sazhens, which is passed by a plow at a time, without turning it (Tobolsk district).
Del- 1) a measure of a [fishing] net, 1 arshin wide, 1 fathom long; 2-3 deli form pillar(Tyumen district); 2) the part of the network attributable to the share of each shareholder in the sewn seine.
paddock- 1) part of the field between two large furrows; 2) A small longitudinal piece of land approximately 75-125 sq. fathoms (5 x 15-25 fathoms). This is not a well-defined measure; it is used to determine the approximate size of areas sown with flax, hemp, and turnips.
Flooding- the time the oven is heated.
Istoplyo- the amount of firewood sufficient to heat the stove once.
Cad- a measure of loose bodies, equals four pounds [see. below] or half a quarter.
Deck- the totality of salary taxes (per capita quitrent taxes, private volost duty and land surveying tax) paid by peasants. In addition to salary fees, they, as you know, also pay volost, lay or rural, and others. In the province of Tobolsk, the size of the deck fluctuates, depending on the locality, between 4 1/2 and 5 rubles per soul per year.
Kopna- a pile of hay in 5-7 pounds; in the north of the Tobolsk province, it is used as a measure of the meadow: plots are allotted per capita from which you can get an approximately equal number of kopen.
Hand mop in the north of Tobolsk is 3-4 pounds, female when women are cleaning, - 3-3 1/2 pounds.
Peasant tithe- a measure of land in 2700 square meters. sazhens, less often 3200 sq. sazhens or 2500 sq. sazhens, in contrast to the official tithe of 2400 sq. fathoms.
Peasant sazhen- hand fathom, as opposed to printed. The peasant sazhen is of two kinds: 1) it is equal to the distance between the ends of two horizontally outstretched arms; 2) the distance from the upper surface of the foot to the end of the fingers of the outstretched hand.
Najin- the number of sheaves that can be pressed from a certain measure of the earth.
Barn- 1) a dryer for bread, in which a pit plays the role of an oven; in the latter they burn firewood. With a two-row cage, about 200 sheaves of spring and
180-190 sheaves of winter bread, with single-row - about 150 sheaves; 2) a measure of grain bread in sheaves; winter sheep in 150-200 sheaves and spring in 200-300 sheaves.
Pleso- the visible space of the river between its two bends, which close its further course from the eyes. Pleso serves as a measure of length in the Tobolsk district. For example, if they are traveling by the river and do not know the number of versts left to travel, they often say that there are two reaches, three reaches, etc. to go.
Pudovka- a measure for bread (usually wooden, less often iron), containing about 1 pood. Previously, grain bread was measured mainly with this pudovka; now they are switching to a more accurate weight pood. That is why they distinguish bulk pud(pudovka) and hanging pud, or weight.
Sieve- a measure of vegetable seedlings in 50-60 plants.
Sheaf- 1) a bunch of grain bread; a sheaf of hemp consists of four handfuls; 2) measure of arable land in the northern part of the Tobolsk district; for example, they say: "We have land for 300 sheaves."
Stack- a measure of hay in the Tobolsk district is approximately 20 kopecks; for example, they say: “We have mowing haystacks for 20”.
Pillar- in addition to the usual meaning, it also means: a measure of the length of the canvas, equal to 2 arshins. The five pillars make up wall canvas.

Folk theology

Andili-archandili(angels and archangels) - good spirits sent from God. One passage from a spiritual verse says of them:

God- 1) the supreme being, mostly invisible; 2) any icon, no matter whom it depicts.
Sky- a solid stone vault above our heads. God and the Saints dwell in heaven. The sky sometimes opens or opens for a single moment, and in that moment people see a reddish light.
Rainbow- drinks water from the river and lakes with the ends and raises it to the sky for rain. Swimming when a rainbow appears is considered dangerous: it will drag you to the sky.
Terrible Court- will be in Jerusalem, the navel (center) of the earth, all the peoples of the earth will gather there, both living and long dead. “At the Last Judgment, Batyushko the True Christ orders all sinners to be covered with turf so that neither voice nor teeth scraping can be heard.”
Cloud- the origin of thunder is attributed to Elijah the prophet. At every clap of thunder, it is customary to cross oneself and say: “Holy, holy, holy! Send, Lord, quiet dew. It is also believed that at times stone arrows fall from the clouds to the ground, which split the trees. This action of the arrow is explained by the persecution of the devil, who hides from it behind various objects.
Kingdom of heaven- the afterlife eternal life, which is awarded to ... those who, during earthly life, were diligent in visiting the temple of God, read or listened to the word of God, kept fasts, honored their father, mother, old men and old women. In addition to a righteous life, the Kingdom of Heaven is awarded to those who, at the time “as the sky opens”, manages to say: “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom.”

Name and evaluation of human qualities

Windiness- a general term for three qualities: friendliness, courtesy and talkativeness. Vetlyanuy person - lively and talkative, friendly.
burnout- a lost man who squandered everything and became capable of all sorts of dirty tricks. Expletive.
gomoyun- a diligent man in housework and family. “Everything is busy and Uncle Ivan is trying, [s]look how nicely he has set up his household!”
bawler(or gorlan) - a noisy, noisy person who tries to win the upper hand in a dispute by shouting. A derogatory term.
mean-spirited- quick-witted, inventive, resourceful, smart (who can "reach" everything). “We have a deacon who has come down, - a master of all trades, look - he will rise to the rank of bishop!”
Durnichka- stupidity, savagery, ignorance, lack of education, bad manners, habits. “He looks good, [yes] with a fool in his head: all of a sudden he barks [scolds] for nothing, for nothing.”
serviceable- prosperous.
self-interest- 1) benefit, profit, benefit; 2) thirst for profit, greed for money. “Self-interest has eaten up: everything is not enough for him, even sprinkle with gold!”
Mighty(And cannoy) - 1) powerful, hefty, strong, powerful (physically). “[In] this man is a duck man: he is wide with meat and bone, but God has not offended with strength ... Look for such capable men today”; 2) economically strong, serviceable, independent. “Eat a mighty owner doesn’t give a damn about taxes [i.e. easy to pay].
everyday life- neatness, landscaping household. “She has golden hands: look, what kind of everyday life is in her hut!”
obikhodka- diligent, clean hostess.
Exchange- abusive epithet for children, especially babies. Meaning: changed (by the devil) child. It is based on the following belief, now hardly accepted by anyone: the devil steals children from some mothers who show good inclinations, and in return for them slips his own, damn, children.
Ohrete- dirty, unclean.
hairy- polite, knowledgeable and following the rules of good treatment with people.
obedient- obedient, obedient. “Their guy is nice: so quiet and obedient.”
Prosecutor's office- a person who witty laughs, cheerful, joker, glib in the tongue. “Well, this Vaska is a procurator,” they laughed all lunch because of Evo, “they just tore the bolons [i.e. stomach ache.]
Uglan- shy person literally - huddled from outsiders into a corner. ironic term.
Luck- luck; lucky girls- smart and lucky. These words were probably brought to Siberia by exiles.
firth- literally: a person standing in the form of a letter firth. In general, it means: importantly, a pompous, pretentious person (both internally and externally: in posture, speech, look). “A new clerk came out to the girls on the street, became a fort. Feet, chickpeas, sleighs are bent ... Know, they say, we are urban!
frya(not inclined) - a person who thinks too much about herself, arrogant, touchy, turning up her nose. A contemptuous epithet applied to men and women. They also say "Frya Ivanovna".
Sharomyzhnik- a slacker with vicious inclinations. A derogatory term.

Patkanov S.K., Zobnin F.K. List of Tobolsk words and expressions,
recorded in the Tobolsk, Tyumen, Kurgan and Surgut districts //
Living antiquity. 1899. Issue. 4.
pp. 487-515;

Molotilov A. The dialect of the Russian old-timers
Northern Baraba (Kainsky district, Tomsk province):
Materials for Siberian dialectology //
Proceedings of the Tomsk Society for the Study of Siberia.
Tomsk, 1912. T. 2. Issue. 1. S. 128-215.

Notes

1 standard fathom was approximately 2.1 m.
2 One arshin corresponded to approximately 0.7 m.
3 Bishop(correctly - bishop) - the highest Orthodox clergyman (bishop, archbishop, metropolitan).

THINK AND ANSWER

1. How does folk metrology differ from scientific? What are the reasons for the appearance of the first and its existence in a traditional society?
2. Determine the features of the picture of the world of the Siberian peasants. What features of Christian and pagan consciousness were present in it?
3. What human qualities did Siberian peasants value? What personality traits were perceived by them as negative? Why?

Let's smile together

That's the "talk"!

Do you know what they called in Russia "Siberian conversation"? The habit of Siberians in complete silence to crack pine nuts for hours when they come to visit or gather in the evening for gatherings.

Siberian joke

In autumn, miners leave the gold mines. Many - with big money. Until they reach the house, they are met everywhere, like dear guests, treated, drunk, robbed in every manner. And even hunt them like wild animals.
And such a prospector, still a young guy, stopped for the night in one village. The hosts - an old man and an old woman - met him as if they were their own: they fed him, gave him drink and put him to bed. In the morning the prospector went out for a smoke and a breath of fresh air. Looks - the old owner sits on the porch and sharpens a large knife.
- Who are you, grandfather, sharpening such a knife? - asked his guy.
- I'm on you, honey. At you. Here I will direct it properly and slaughter it.
Here the guy sees that his affairs are bad. The yard is large, the seal is high, dense, the gates are strong and locked. House on the outskirts. Start screaming - you won't call anyone.
Meanwhile, the old man sharpened a knife - and on the guy. And that, of course, from him. From the porch to the yard. The old man is behind him. Guy from him. The old man is behind him. The old woman from the porch watches the old man chasing the guy around the yard. We made one circle. Second. On the fourth lap, the old man collapsed completely exhausted.
The old woman sees this and begins to scold the guy. And he is like this, and like this:
They took you in like family! They gave you drink, food, and put you to bed. And you, instead of gratitude - what are you doing? Oh you son of a bitch! Look what you brought the old man to ...

Rostovtsev I. At the end of the world: Notes of an eyewitness. M., 1985. S. 426-427.

Publisher:

Publishing House "First of September"