Traditional occupations of the indigenous peoples of Siberia. Population of Siberia: number, density, composition. Indigenous peoples of Siberia
Khanty and Mansi: Population 30 thousand people. They speak the languages of the Finno-Ugric group of the Ural family (Khanty, Mansi). Traditional occupations: hunting, fishing, and among some peoples - farming and cattle breeding. They raise horses, cows, sheep, poultry. IN Lately fur farming, livestock farming, and vegetable growing began to develop. They moved on skis, sleds in dog and reindeer sleds, and in some areas on sleighs. The settlements were permanent (winter) and seasonal (spring, summer, autumn).
Traditional home in winter: rectangular log houses, often with earthen roof, in the summer - conical birch bark tents or quadrangular frame buildings made of poles covered with birch bark, among reindeer herders - covered with reindeer skins. The home was heated and lit open hearth made of poles coated with clay. Traditional women's clothing: dress, swinging robe and double deer fur coat, with a scarf on the head; men's clothing: shirt, trousers, close-up clothing with a hood made of cloth. Reindeer herders' clothing consists of reindeer skins, and their shoes are made of fur, suede or leather. The Khanty and Mansi wear a large amount of jewelry (rings, beaded necklaces, etc.)
Traditional food is fish and meat in dried, dried, fried, frozen form, berries, bread, and tea as a drink. A traditional village was inhabited by several large or small, mostly related families. Patrilocal marriage with elements of matrilocality matrilocality. In the XIX - early XX centuries. a territorial community is formed. Believers are Orthodox, but traditional beliefs and cults are also preserved, based on ideas associated with totemism, animism, shamanism, the cult of ancestors, etc. Tattooing was famous.
Nenets: Number 35 thousand people. They speak the Nenets language of the Ural family, which is divided into 2 dialects: tundra and forest; Russian is also widespread. Traditional activities: hunting fur-bearing animals, wild deer, upland and waterfowl, fishing, domestic reindeer husbandry. Most Nenets led a nomadic lifestyle. The traditional dwelling is a collapsible pole tent covered with reindeer skins in winter and birch bark in summer. Outerwear and shoes were made from deer skins. They moved on light wooden sledges. Food: deer meat, fish. The main social unit of the Nenets in late XIX century there was a patrilineal clan, and 2 exogamous phratries were also preserved. Religious views were dominated by belief in spirits - the masters of heaven, earth, fire, rivers, and natural phenomena; Orthodoxy became widespread among some of the Nenets.
Buryats: Total number 520 thousand people. They speak the Buryat language of the Mongolian group of the Altai family. Russian and Mongolian languages are also common. Beliefs: shamanism, Buddhism, Christianity. The predominant branch of the traditional Buryat economy was cattle breeding. Later, more and more people began to engage in arable farming. In Transbaikalia there is a typical Mongolian nomadic economy. Divorced cattle, horses, sheep, goats and camels. Hunting and fishing were of secondary importance. There was a seal fishery. Among the crafts, blacksmithing, leather and hide processing, felt making, harness making, clothing and footwear making, carpentry and carpentry were developed.
The Buryats were engaged in iron smelting, mica and salt mining. Clothing: fur coats and hats, fabric robes, high boots, women's sleeveless outerwear, etc. Clothing, especially women's, was decorated with multi-colored materials, silver and gold. The set of decorations included various kinds earrings, bracelets, rings, corals and coins, chains and pendants. For men, silver belts, knives, and pipes served as decorations. Food: meat and dairy products. The Buryats widely consumed berries, plants and roots and stored them for the winter. In places where arable farming developed, bread and flour products, potatoes and garden crops. Housing: wooden yurts. Social organization: tribal relations were preserved. In the family and marriage system important role Exogamy and bride price played.
The Samoyed tribes are considered to be the first indigenous inhabitants of Siberia. They inhabited the northern part. Their main occupations include reindeer herding and fishing. To the south lived the Mansi tribes, who lived by hunting. Their main trade was the extraction of furs, with which they paid for their future wives and bought goods necessary for life.
The upper reaches of the Ob were inhabited by Turkic tribes. Their main occupation was nomadic cattle breeding and blacksmithing. To the west of Baikal lived the Buryats, who became famous for their iron-making craft. The largest territory from the Yenisei to the Sea of Okhotsk was inhabited by Tungus tribes. Among them were many hunters, fishermen, reindeer herders, some were engaged in crafts.
Along the shore of the Chukchi Sea, the Eskimos (about 4 thousand people) settled down. Compared to other peoples of that time, the Eskimos had the slowest social development. The tool was made of stone or wood. The main economic activities include gathering and hunting.
The main way of survival of the first settlers of the Siberian region was hunting, reindeer herding and extraction of furs, which was the currency of that time.
By the end of the 17th century, the most developed peoples of Siberia were the Buryats and Yakuts. The Tatars were the only people who, before the arrival of the Russians, managed to organize state power.
The largest peoples before Russian colonization include the following peoples: Itelmens (indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka), Yukaghirs (inhabited the main territory of the tundra), Nivkhs (residents of Sakhalin), Tuvinians ( indigenous people Republic of Tuva), Siberian Tatars(located in the territory of Southern Siberia from the Urals to the Yenisei) and Selkups (residents of Western Siberia).
Peoples of Siberia and the Far East.
More than 20 peoples live in Siberia. Since their main occupation is taiga and tundra hunting, sea hunting and reindeer herding, they are usually called the small fishing peoples of the North and Siberia. One of the largest peoples are the Yakuts (382 thousand). Many peoples of Siberia have historical names. For example, in Russian sources the Khanty and Mansi were called Yugra, and the Nenets were called Samoyeds. And the Russians called the inhabitants of the eastern coast of the Yenisei Evenks Tungus. For most residents of Siberia traditional type dwellings - portable plague. A winter parka made of reindeer fur is also typical for the life of hunters. From the first half XVII V. Russians, having passed the taiga nomads of the Tungus, in the middle reaches of the river. Lena met with the Yakuts (self-name “Sakha”).
These are the northernmost livestock breeders in the world. The Yakuts assimilated some other peoples of the North, in particular the Dolgans, living in the north-west of Yakutia on the border with Taimyr. Their language is Yakut. Dolgans are reindeer herders and also fishermen. In the northeast of Yakutia live the Yukaghirs (Kolyma River basin), of whom there are approximately 1,100 people. These are the oldest people of Siberia. The Yukaghir language is Paleo-Asian and does not belong to any language family. Linguists find some connection with the languages of the Uralic family. The main activity is hunting on foot. Also not numerous are the peoples of Kamchatka and Chukotka: Chukchi (about 15 thousand), Koryaks (about 9 thousand), Itelmens (2.4 thousand), Chuvans (1.4 thousand), Eskimos and Aleuts (1.7 and 0 ,6 thousand respectively) Their traditional occupation: tundra large herd reindeer herding, as well as sea fishing.
Small nations are also interesting for ethnography Far East, living in the Amur basin and its tributaries, in the Ussuri taiga. These are: Nivkhs (4.7 thousand), Nanai (12 thousand), Ulchi (3.2 thousand), Orochi (900 people), Udege (2 thousand), Orok (200 people), Negidal (600 people). The languages of these peoples, except Nivkh, belong to the Tungus-Manchu group of the Altai language family. The most ancient and special language is Nivkh, which is one of the Paleo-Asian languages. In everyday life, in addition to taiga hunting, these peoples were engaged in fishing, collecting wild plants and marine hunting. In summer - hunting on foot, in winter on skis. Quite large peoples live in the south of Siberia: Altaians (69 thousand), Khakassians (78 thousand), Tuvinians (206 thousand), Buryats (417 thousand), etc. They all speak languages of the Altai language family. The main activity is domestic reindeer husbandry.
Indigenous peoples of Siberia in the modern world.
According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, every people of Russia received the right to national self-determination and identification. Since the collapse of the USSR, Russia has officially turned into a multinational state and the preservation of the culture of small and endangered nationalities has become one of the state priorities. The Siberian indigenous peoples were not left out here either: some of them received the right to self-government in autonomous okrugs, while others formed their own republics within new Russia. Very small and endangered nationalities enjoy full support from the state, and the efforts of many people are aimed at preserving their culture and traditions.
In this review we will give brief description to every Siberian people whose number is more than or approaching 7 thousand people. Smaller peoples are difficult to characterize, so we will limit ourselves to their name and number. So, let's begin.
Yakuts- the most numerous of the Siberian peoples. According to the latest data, the number of Yakuts is 478,100 people. IN modern Russia The Yakuts are one of the few nationalities that have their own republic, and its area is comparable to the area of the average European state. The Republic of Yakutia (Sakha) is geographically located in the Far Eastern Federal District, but the Yakut ethnic group has always been considered an indigenous Siberian people. The Yakuts have an interesting culture and traditions. This is one of the few peoples of Siberia that has its own epic.
Buryats- this is another one Siberian people with its own republic. The capital of Buryatia is the city of Ulan-Ude, located east of Lake Baikal. The number of Buryats is 461,389 people. Buryat cuisine is widely known in Siberia and is rightfully considered one of the best among ethnic cuisines. The history of this people, its legends and traditions is quite interesting. By the way, the Republic of Buryatia is one of the main centers of Buddhism in Russia.
Tuvans. According to the latest census, 263,934 identified themselves as representatives of the Tuvan people. The Republic of Tyva is one of the four ethnic republics of the Siberian Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kyzyl with a population of 110 thousand people. The total population of the republic is approaching 300 thousand. Buddhism also flourishes here, and the Tuvan traditions also speak of shamanism.
Khakassians- one of the indigenous peoples of Siberia numbering 72,959 people. Today they have their own republic within the Siberian Federal District and with its capital in the city of Abakan. This ancient people has long lived on the lands west of the Great Lake (Baikal). It was never numerous, but that did not prevent it from carrying its identity, culture and traditions through the centuries.
Altaians. Their place of residence is quite compact - the Altai mountain system. Today Altaians live in two regions Russian Federation- The Altai Republic and the Altai Territory. The number of the Altai ethnic group is about 71 thousand people, which allows us to speak of them as a fairly large people. Religion - shamanism and Buddhism. The Altaians have their own epic and a clearly defined national identity, which does not allow them to be confused with other Siberian peoples. This mountain people has a centuries-old history and interesting legends.
Nenets- one of the small Siberian peoples living compactly in the area of the Kola Peninsula. Its population of 44,640 people allows it to be classified as a small nation whose traditions and culture are protected by the state. The Nenets are nomadic reindeer herders. They belong to the so-called Samoyed folk group. Over the years of the 20th century, the number of Nenets approximately doubled, which indicates the effectiveness of state policy in the field of preserving the small peoples of the North. The Nenets have their own language and oral epic.
Evenks- people predominantly living on the territory of the Republic of Sakha. The number of this people in Russia is 38,396 people, some of whom live in the regions adjacent to Yakutia. It is worth saying that this is approximately half of the total number of the ethnic group - approximately the same number of Evenks live in China and Mongolia. The Evenks are a people of the Manchu group who do not have their own language and epic. Tungusic is considered the native language of the Evenks. Evenks are born hunters and trackers.
Khanty- the indigenous people of Siberia, belonging to the Ugric group. The majority of the Khanty live on the territory of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, which is part of the Ural Federal District of Russia. The total number of Khanty is 30,943 people. About 35% of the Khanty live in the Siberian Federal District, with the lion's share of them in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The traditional occupations of the Khanty are fishing, hunting and reindeer herding. The religion of their ancestors is shamanism, but recently more and more Khanty people consider themselves Orthodox Christians.
Evens- people related to the Evenks. According to one version, they represent an Evenki group that was cut off from the main halo of residence by the Yakuts moving south. For a long time far from the main ethnic group made the Evens a separate people. Today their number is 21,830 people. Language - Tungusic. Places of residence: Kamchatka, Magadan region, Republic of Sakha.
Chukchi- nomadic Siberian people who are mainly engaged in reindeer herding and live on the territory of the Chukotka Peninsula. Their number is about 16 thousand people. The Chukchi belong to the Mongoloid race and, according to many anthropologists, are the indigenous aborigines of the Far North. The main religion is animism. Indigenous industries are hunting and reindeer herding.
Shors- Turkic-speaking people living in the southeastern part of Western Siberia, mainly in the south Kemerovo region(in Tashtagolsky, Novokuznetsky, Mezhdurechensky, Myskovsky, Osinnikovsky and other districts). Their number is about 13 thousand people. The main religion is shamanism. The Shor epic is of scientific interest primarily for its originality and antiquity. The history of the people dates back to the 6th century. Today, the traditions of the Shors have been preserved only in Sheregesh, as most of ethnic group moved to the cities and was largely assimilated.
Muncie. This people has been known to Russians since the beginning of the founding of Siberia. Ivan the Terrible also sent an army against the Mansi, which suggests that they were quite numerous and strong. The self-name of this people is Voguls. They have their own language, a fairly developed epic. Today, their place of residence is the territory of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. According to the latest census, 12,269 people identified themselves as belonging to the Mansi ethnic group.
Nanai people- a small people living along the banks of the Amur River in the Russian Far East. Belonging to the Baikal ethnotype, the Nanais are rightfully considered one of the most ancient indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Far East. Today the number of Nanais in Russia is 12,160 people. The Nanais have their own language, rooted in Tungusic. Writing exists only among the Russian Nanais and is based on the Cyrillic alphabet.
Koryaks- indigenous people Kamchatka region. There are coastal and tundra Koryaks. The Koryaks are mainly reindeer herders and fishermen. The religion of this ethnic group is shamanism. Number of people: 8,743 people.
Dolgans- a people living in the Dolgan-Nenets municipal region of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Number of employees: 7,885 people.
Siberian Tatars- perhaps the most famous, but today not numerous Siberian people. According to the latest census, 6,779 people self-identified as Siberian Tatars. However, scientists say that in fact their number is much larger - according to some estimates, up to 100,000 people.
Soyots- an indigenous people of Siberia, a descendant of the Sayan Samoyeds. Lives compactly on the territory of modern Buryatia. The number of Soyots is 5,579 people.
Nivkhi- indigenous people of Sakhalin Island. Now they live on the continental part at the mouth of the Amur River. As of 2010, the number of Nivkhs is 5,162 people.
Selkups live in the northern parts of the Tyumen and Tomsk regions and in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The number of this ethnic group is about 4 thousand people.
Itelmens- This is another indigenous people of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Today, almost all representatives of the ethnic group live in the west of Kamchatka and the Magadan Region. The number of Itelmens is 3,180 people.
Teleuts- Turkic-speaking small Siberian people living in the south of the Kemerovo Region. The ethnos is very closely related to the Altaians. Its population is approaching 2 and a half thousand.
Among other small peoples of Siberia, such ethnic groups are often distinguished as “Kets”, “Chuvans”, “Nganasans”, “Tofalgars”, “Orochs”, “Negidals”, “Aleuts”, “Chulyms”, “Oroks”, “Tazis”, “Enets”, “Alutors” and “Kereks”. It is worth saying that the number of each of them is less than 1 thousand people, so their culture and traditions have practically not been preserved.
Sustainable economic and cultural types of indigenous peoples of Siberia:
1. Foot hunters and fishermen of the taiga zone;
2. Wild deer hunters in the Subarctic;
3. Sedentary fishermen in the lower reaches of large rivers (Ob, Amur, and also in Kamchatka);
4. Taiga hunters and reindeer herders of Eastern Siberia;
5. Reindeer herders of the tundra from the Northern Urals to Chukotka;
6. Sea animal hunters on the Pacific coast and islands;
7. Cattle breeders and farmers of Southern and Western Siberia, the Baikal region, etc.
Historical and ethnographic areas:
1. West Siberian (with the southern, approximately to the latitude of Tobolsk and the mouth of the Chulym on the Upper Ob, and the northern, taiga and subarctic regions);
2. Altai-Sayan (mountain taiga and forest-steppe mixed zone);
3. East Siberian (with internal differentiation of commercial and agricultural types of tundra, taiga and forest-steppe);
4. Amur (or Amur-Sakhalin);
5. Northeastern (Chukchi-Kamchatka).
For many centuries, the peoples of Siberia lived in small settlements. Each individual settlement had its own clan. The inhabitants of Siberia were friends with each other, ran a joint household, were often relatives to each other and led an active lifestyle. But due to the vast territory of the Siberian region, these villages were far from each other. So, for example, the inhabitants of one village already led their own way of life and spoke a language incomprehensible to their neighbors. Over time, some settlements disappeared, while others became larger and actively developed.
History of population in Siberia.
The Samoyed tribes are considered to be the first indigenous inhabitants of Siberia. They inhabited the northern part. Their main occupations include reindeer herding and fishing. To the south lived the Mansi tribes, who lived by hunting. Their main trade was the extraction of furs, with which they paid for their future wives and bought goods necessary for life.
The upper reaches of the Ob were inhabited by Turkic tribes. Their main occupation was nomadic cattle breeding and blacksmithing. To the west of Baikal lived the Buryats, who became famous for their iron-making craft.
The largest territory from the Yenisei to the Sea of Okhotsk was inhabited by Tungus tribes. Among them were many hunters, fishermen, reindeer herders, some were engaged in crafts.
Along the shore of the Chukchi Sea, the Eskimos (about 4 thousand people) settled down. Compared to other peoples of the time, the Eskimos had the slowest social development. The tool was made of stone or wood. The main economic activities include gathering and hunting.
The main way of survival of the first settlers of the Siberian region was hunting, reindeer herding and extraction of furs, which was the currency of that time.
By the end of the 17th century, the most developed peoples of Siberia were the Buryats and Yakuts. The Tatars were the only people who, before the arrival of the Russians, managed to organize state power.
The largest peoples before Russian colonization include the following peoples: Itelmens (indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka), Yukagirs (inhabited the main territory of the tundra), Nivkhs (inhabitants of Sakhalin), Tuvinians (indigenous population of the Republic of Tuva), Siberian Tatars (located in the territory of Southern Siberia from Ural to Yenisei) and Selkups (residents of Western Siberia).
Indigenous peoples of Siberia in the modern world.
According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, every people of Russia received the right to national self-determination and identification. Since the collapse of the USSR, Russia has officially turned into a multinational state and the preservation of the culture of small and endangered nationalities has become one of the state priorities. The Siberian indigenous peoples were not left out here either: some of them received the right to self-government in autonomous okrugs, while others formed their own republics as part of the new Russia. Very small and endangered nationalities enjoy full support from the state, and the efforts of many people are aimed at preserving their culture and traditions.
As part of this review, we will give a brief description of each Siberian people whose population is more than or approaching 7 thousand people. Smaller peoples are difficult to characterize, so we will limit ourselves to their name and number. So, let's begin.
- Yakuts- the most numerous of the Siberian peoples. According to the latest data, the number of Yakuts is 478,100 people. In modern Russia, the Yakuts are one of the few nationalities that have their own republic, and its area is comparable to the area of the average European state. The Republic of Yakutia (Sakha) is geographically located in the Far Eastern Federal District, but the Yakut ethnic group has always been considered an indigenous Siberian people. The Yakuts have an interesting culture and traditions. This is one of the few peoples of Siberia that has its own epic.
- Buryats- this is another Siberian people with their own republic. The capital of Buryatia is the city of Ulan-Ude, located east of Lake Baikal. The number of Buryats is 461,389 people. Buryat cuisine is widely known in Siberia and is rightfully considered one of the best among ethnic cuisines. The history of this people, its legends and traditions is quite interesting. By the way, the Republic of Buryatia is one of the main centers of Buddhism in Russia.
- Tuvans. According to the latest census, 263,934 identified themselves as representatives of the Tuvan people. The Republic of Tyva is one of the four ethnic republics of the Siberian Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kyzyl with a population of 110 thousand people. The total population of the republic is approaching 300 thousand. Buddhism also flourishes here, and the Tuvan traditions also speak of shamanism.
- Khakassians- one of the indigenous peoples of Siberia numbering 72,959 people. Today they have their own republic within the Siberian Federal District and with its capital in the city of Abakan. This ancient people have long lived in the lands west of the Great Lake (Baikal). It was never numerous, but that did not prevent it from carrying its identity, culture and traditions through the centuries.
- Altaians. Their place of residence is quite compact - the Altai mountain system. Today Altaians live in two constituent entities of the Russian Federation - the Altai Republic and the Altai Territory. The number of the Altai ethnic group is about 71 thousand people, which allows us to speak of them as a fairly large people. Religion - shamanism and Buddhism. The Altaians have their own epic and a clearly defined national identity, which does not allow them to be confused with other Siberian peoples. This mountain people has a centuries-old history and interesting legends.
- Nenets- one of the small Siberian peoples living compactly in the area of the Kola Peninsula. Its population of 44,640 people allows it to be classified as a small nation whose traditions and culture are protected by the state. The Nenets are nomadic reindeer herders. They belong to the so-called Samoyed folk group. Over the years of the 20th century, the number of Nenets approximately doubled, which indicates the effectiveness of state policy in the field of preserving the small peoples of the North. The Nenets have their own language and oral epic.
- Evenks- people predominantly living on the territory of the Republic of Sakha. The number of this people in Russia is 38,396 people, some of whom live in the regions adjacent to Yakutia. It is worth saying that this is approximately half of the total number of the ethnic group - approximately the same number of Evenks live in China and Mongolia. The Evenks are a people of the Manchu group who do not have their own language and epic. Tungusic is considered the native language of the Evenks. Evenks are born hunters and trackers.
- Khanty- the indigenous people of Siberia, belonging to the Ugric group. The majority of the Khanty live on the territory of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, which is part of the Ural Federal District of Russia. The total number of Khanty is 30,943 people. About 35% of the Khanty live in the Siberian Federal District, with the lion's share of them in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The traditional occupations of the Khanty are fishing, hunting and reindeer herding. The religion of their ancestors is shamanism, but recently more and more Khanty people consider themselves Orthodox Christians.
- Evens- people related to the Evenks. According to one version, they represent an Evenki group that was cut off from the main halo of residence by the Yakuts moving south. A long time away from the main ethnic group made the Evens a separate people. Today their number is 21,830 people. Language - Tungusic. Places of residence: Kamchatka, Magadan region, Republic of Sakha.
- Chukchi- nomadic Siberian people who are mainly engaged in reindeer herding and live on the territory of the Chukotka Peninsula. Their number is about 16 thousand people. The Chukchi belong to the Mongoloid race and, according to many anthropologists, are the indigenous aborigines of the Far North. The main religion is animism. Indigenous industries are hunting and reindeer herding.
- Shors- Turkic-speaking people living in the southeastern part of Western Siberia, mainly in the south of the Kemerovo region (in Tashtagol, Novokuznetsk, Mezhdurechensky, Myskovsky, Osinnikovsky and other regions). Their number is about 13 thousand people. The main religion is shamanism. The Shor epic is of scientific interest primarily for its originality and antiquity. The history of the people dates back to the 6th century. Today, the traditions of the Shors have been preserved only in Sheregesh, since most of the ethnic group moved to the cities and were largely assimilated.
- Muncie. This people has been known to Russians since the beginning of the founding of Siberia. Ivan the Terrible also sent an army against the Mansi, which suggests that they were quite numerous and strong. The self-name of this people is Voguls. They have their own language, a fairly developed epic. Today, their place of residence is the territory of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. According to the latest census, 12,269 people identified themselves as belonging to the Mansi ethnic group.
- Nanai people- a small people living along the banks of the Amur River in the Russian Far East. Belonging to the Baikal ethnotype, the Nanais are rightfully considered one of the most ancient indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Far East. Today the number of Nanais in Russia is 12,160 people. The Nanais have their own language, rooted in Tungusic. Writing exists only among the Russian Nanais and is based on the Cyrillic alphabet.
- Koryaks- indigenous people of the Kamchatka Territory. There are coastal and tundra Koryaks. The Koryaks are mainly reindeer herders and fishermen. The religion of this ethnic group is shamanism. Number of people: 8,743 people.
- Dolgans- a people living in the Dolgan-Nenets municipal region of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Number of employees: 7,885 people.
- Siberian Tatars- perhaps the most famous, but today not numerous Siberian people. According to the latest census, 6,779 people self-identified as Siberian Tatars. However, scientists say that in fact their number is much larger - according to some estimates, up to 100,000 people.
- Soyots- an indigenous people of Siberia, a descendant of the Sayan Samoyeds. Lives compactly on the territory of modern Buryatia. The number of Soyots is 5,579 people.
- Nivkhi- indigenous people of Sakhalin Island. Now they live on the continental part at the mouth of the Amur River. As of 2010, the number of Nivkhs is 5,162 people.
- Selkups live in the northern parts of the Tyumen and Tomsk regions and in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The number of this ethnic group is about 4 thousand people.
- Itelmens- This is another indigenous people of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Today, almost all representatives of the ethnic group live in the west of Kamchatka and the Magadan Region. The number of Itelmens is 3,180 people.
- Teleuts- Turkic-speaking small Siberian people living in the south of the Kemerovo Region. The ethnos is very closely related to the Altaians. Its population is approaching 2 and a half thousand.
- Among other small peoples of Siberia, such ethnic groups are often distinguished as “Kets”, “Chuvans”, “Nganasans”, “Tofalgars”, “Orochs”, “Negidals”, “Aleuts”, “Chulyms”, “Oroks”, “Tazis”, “Enets”, “Alutors” and “Kereks”. It is worth saying that the number of each of them is less than 1 thousand people, so their culture and traditions have practically not been preserved.
Siberia is a vast historical and geographical region in the northeast of Eurasia. Today it is almost entirely located within the Russian Federation. The population of Siberia is represented by Russians, as well as numerous indigenous peoples (Yakuts, Buryats, Tuvinians, Nenets and others). In total, at least 36 million people live in the region.
In this article we'll talk about general features population of Siberia, about the largest cities and the history of the development of this territory.
Siberia: general characteristics of the region
Most often, the southern border of Siberia coincides with the state border of the Russian Federation. In the west it is limited by ridges Ural mountains, in the east - the Pacific Ocean, and in the north - the Arctic Ocean. However, in a historical context, Siberia also covers the northeastern territories of modern Kazakhstan.
The population of Siberia (as of 2017) is 36 million people. Geographically, the region is divided into Western and Eastern Siberia. The demarcation line between them is the Yenisei River. The main cities of Siberia are Barnaul, Tomsk, Norilsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk, Omsk, Tyumen.
As for the name of this region, then its origin has not been precisely established. There are several versions. According to one of them, the toponym is closely related to the Mongolian word “shibir” - this marshy area, overgrown with birch groves. It is assumed that this is what the Mongols called this area in the Middle Ages. But according to Professor Zoya Boyarshinova, the term comes from the self-name of the ethnic group “Sabir,” whose language is considered the ancestor of the entire Ugric language group.
Population of Siberia: density and total number
According to the census taken back in 2002, 39.13 million people lived within the region. However, the current population of Siberia is only 36 million inhabitants. Thus, it is a sparsely populated area, but its ethnic diversity is truly enormous. More than 30 peoples and nationalities live here.
The average population density in Siberia is 6 people per 1 square kilometer. But it is very different in different parts region. Yes, the most high performance population density in the Kemerovo region (about 33 people per sq. km.), and the minimum in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Tyva (1.2 and 1.8 people per sq. km., respectively). The valleys of large rivers (Ob, Irtysh, Tobol and Ishim), as well as the foothills of Altai, are most densely populated.
The level of urbanization here is quite high. Thus, at least 72% of the region’s residents currently live in the cities of Siberia.
Demographic problems of Siberia
The population of Siberia is rapidly declining. Moreover, the mortality and birth rates here, in general, are almost identical to the all-Russian ones. And in Tula, for example, birth rates are completely astronomical for Russia.
The main reason for the demographic crisis in Siberia is the migration outflow of the population (primarily young people). And the Far Eastern Federal District is leading in these processes. From 1989 to 2010, it “lost” almost 20% of its population. According to surveys, about 40% of Siberian residents dream of traveling to permanent place residence in other regions. And these are very sad indicators. Thus, Siberia, conquered and developed with such great difficulty, becomes empty every year.
Today, the balance of migration in the region is 2.1%. And in the coming years this figure will only grow. Siberia (in particular, its western part) is already experiencing a very acute shortage of labor resources.
Indigenous population of Siberia: list of peoples
Ethnically, Siberia is an extremely diverse territory. Representatives of 36 indigenous peoples and ethnic groups live here. Although, of course, Russians predominate in Siberia (approximately 90%).
The ten most numerous indigenous peoples in the region include:
- Yakuts (478,000 people).
- Buryats (461,000).
- Tuvans (264,000).
- Khakassians (73,000).
- Altaians (71,000).
- Nenets (45,000).
- Evenks (38,000).
- Khanty (31,000).
- Evens (22,000).
- Muncie (12,000).
The peoples of the Turkic group (Khakas, Tuvans, Shors) live mainly in the upper reaches of the Yenisei River. Altaians are concentrated within the Altai Republic. Mostly Buryats live in Transbaikalia and Cisbaikalia (pictured below), and in the taiga Krasnoyarsk Territory- Evenks.
The Taimyr Peninsula is inhabited by Nenets (on next photo), Dolgans and Nganasans. But in the lower reaches of the Yenisei, the Kets live compactly - a small people who use a language that is not included in any of the known language groups. In the southern part of Siberia, within the steppe and forest-steppe zones, Tatars and Kazakhs also live.
The Russian population of Siberia, as a rule, considers itself Orthodox. Kazakhs and Tatars are Muslims by religion. Many of the region's indigenous peoples adhere to traditional pagan beliefs.
Natural resources and economics
“The Pantry of Russia” is how Siberia is often called, meaning the region’s enormous scale and diversity of mineral resources. Thus, colossal reserves of oil and gas, copper, lead, platinum, nickel, gold and silver, diamonds, coal and other minerals are concentrated here. About 60% of all-Russian peat deposits lie in the depths of Siberia.
Of course, the economy of Siberia is completely focused on the extraction and processing of the region’s natural resources. Moreover, not only mineral and fuel and energy, but also forest. In addition, the region has a fairly developed non-ferrous metallurgy, as well as the pulp industry.
At the same time, the rapid development of the mining and energy industries could not but affect the ecology of Siberia. So, this is where the most polluted cities in Russia are located - Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk and Novokuznetsk.
History of the region's development
After the collapse of the Golden Horde, the lands east of the Urals were effectively no man's land. Only the Siberian Tatars managed to organize their own state here - the Siberian Khanate. True, it did not last long.
Ivan the Terrible took up the colonization of Siberian lands seriously, and even then only towards the end of his tsarist reign. Before this, the Russians had practically no interest in the lands located beyond the Urals. At the end of the 16th century, the Cossacks, under the leadership of Ermak, founded several fortified cities in Siberia. Among them are Tobolsk, Tyumen and Surgut.
At first, Siberia was developed by exiles and convicts. Later, already in the 19th century, landless peasants began to come here in search of free hectares. Serious development of Siberia began only at the end of the 19th century. This was largely facilitated by the construction of the railway line. During the Second World War, large factories and enterprises of the Soviet Union were evacuated to Siberia, and this had a positive influence on the development of the region's economy in the future.
Main cities
There are nine cities in the region whose population exceeds the 500,000 mark. This:
- Novosibirsk
- Omsk
- Krasnoyarsk
- Tyumen.
- Barnaul.
- Irkutsk
- Tomsk
- Kemerovo.
- Novokuznetsk.
The first three cities on this list are “millionaire” cities in terms of the number of residents.
Novosibirsk is the unofficial capital of Siberia, the third most populous city in Russia. It is located on both banks of the Ob - one of the largest rivers in Eurasia. Novosibirsk is an important industrial, commercial and Cultural Center countries. The leading industries of the city are energy, metallurgy and mechanical engineering. The basis of the Novosibirsk economy is about 200 large and medium-sized enterprises.
Krasnoyarsk is the oldest of the large cities in Siberia. It was founded back in 1628. This is the most important economic, cultural and educational center of Russia. Krasnoyarsk is located on the banks of the Yenisei, on the conventional border of Western and Eastern Siberia. The city has a developed space industry, mechanical engineering, chemical industry and pharmaceuticals.
Tyumen is one of the first Russian cities in Siberia. Today it is the most important oil refining center in the country. Oil and gas production contributed to the rapid development of various scientific organizations. Today, about 10% of the working population of Tyumen works in research institutes and universities.
Finally
Siberia is the largest historical and geographical region of Russia with a population of 36 million people. It is unusually rich in various natural resources, but suffers from a number of social and demographic problems. There are only three million-plus cities within the region. These are Novosibirsk, Omsk and Krasnoyarsk.
Buryatsthis is another Siberian people with their own republic. The capital of Buryatia is the city of Ulan-Ude, located east of Lake Baikal. The number of Buryats is 461,389 people. Buryat cuisine is widely known in Siberia and is rightfully considered one of the best among ethnic cuisines. The history of this people, its legends and traditions is quite interesting. By the way, the Republic of Buryatia is one of the main centers of Buddhism in Russia.
National home
The traditional dwelling of the Buryats, like all nomadic pastoralists, is the yurt, called ger (literally dwelling, house) among the Mongolian peoples.
Yurts were installed both portable felt and stationary in the form of a frame made of timber or logs. Wooden yurts of 6 or 8 corners, without windows. There is a large hole in the roof for smoke and lighting to escape. The roof was installed on four pillars - tengi. Sometimes there was a ceiling. The door to the yurt is oriented to the south. The room was divided into the right, male, and left, female half. There was a fireplace in the center of the dwelling. There were benches along the walls. WITH right side from the entrance to the yurt there are shelves with household utensils. On the left side there are chests and a table for guests. Opposite the entrance is a shelf with burkhans or ongons.
In front of the yurt there was a hitching post (serge) in the form of a pillar with an ornament.
Thanks to the design of the yurt, it can be quickly assembled and disassembled and is lightweight - all this is important when migrating to other pastures. In winter, the fire in the hearth provides warmth; in summer, with an additional configuration, it is even used instead of a refrigerator. The right side of the yurt is the men's side. On the wall hung a bow, arrows, a saber, a gun, a saddle and harness. The left one is for women, here there was a household and kitchenware. In the northern part there was an altar. The door of the yurt was always on the south side. The lattice frame of the yurt was covered with felt, soaked in a mixture of sour milk, tobacco and salt for disinfection. They sat on quilted felt - sherdeg - around the hearth. Among the Buryats living on the western side of Lake Baikal, wooden yurts with eight walls were used. The walls were erected mainly from larch logs, while inner part had walls flat surface. The roof has four large slopes (in the form of a hexagon) and four small slopes (in the form of a triangle). Inside the yurt there are four pillars on which the inner part of the roof - the ceiling - rests. Large pieces of bark are laid on the ceiling coniferous species (inside down). Final coating is carried out in even pieces turf.
In the 19th century, wealthy Buryats began to build huts borrowed from Russian settlers, preserving elements of the national home in the interior decoration.
Traditional cuisine
Since ancient times, products of animal and combined animal-plant origin have occupied a large place in the food of the Buryats: (b helyor, sh len, buuza, khushuur, hileeme, sharbin, shuhan, hiime, oreomog, hoshkhonog, z hey-salamat, x sh en - milk foam, rme, arbin, s mge, z heitei zedgene, goghan, as well as drinks hen, zutaraan sai, aarsa, x renge, tarag, horzo, togonoy arkhi (tarasun) - alcoholic drink, obtained by distilling kurunga). Sour milk of a special leaven (kurunga) and dried compressed curdled mass - huruud - were prepared for future use.
Like the Mongols, the Buryats drank green tea, into which milk was poured, salt, butter or lard was added.
Unlike Mongolian cuisine, a significant place in Buryat cuisine is occupied by fish, berries (bird cherry, strawberries), herbs and spices. Baikal omul, smoked according to the Buryat recipe, is popular.
The symbol of Buryat cuisine is buuza (traditional name buuza), a steamed dish. Corresponds to Chinese baozi.(dumplings)
National clothes
Outerwear
Each Buryat clan (obsolete - tribe) has its own national clothing, which is extremely diverse (mainly for women). The national clothing of the Transbaikal Buryats consists of degel - a kind of caftan made of dressed sheepskin, which has a triangular cutout on the top of the chest, trimmed, as well as the sleeves, tightly clasping the hand, with fur, sometimes very valuable. In summer, the degel could be replaced by a cloth caftan of a similar cut. In Transbaikalia, robes were often used in the summer, the poor had paper ones, and the rich had silk ones. In inclement times, in addition to the degel in Transbaikalia, a saba, a type of overcoat with a long kragen, was worn. In the cold season, especially on the road - dakha, a type of wide robe made from tanned skins, with the wool facing out.
Degel (degil) is tied at the waist with a belt sash, on which a knife and smoking accessories were hung: flint, hansa (small copper tube with a short chibouk) and a tobacco pouch. Distinctive feature From the Mongolian cut is the chest part of the degel - enger, where three multi-colored stripes are sewn into the upper part. At the bottom there is a yellow-red color - hua ungee, in the middle there is a black color - hara ungee, at the top there are various; white - sagan ungee, green - nogon ungee or blue - huhe ungee. The original version was yellow-red, black, white. The history of introducing these colors as insignia goes back to ancient times towards the end of the 4th century AD. e., when the Proto-Buryats - Xiongnu (Huns) before Sea of Azov divided into two directions; the northern ones accepted the black color and became the black Huns (hara hunud), and the southern ones accepted White color and steel - the White Huns (Sagan Hunud). Part of the Western (northern) Xiongnu remained under the rule of the Xianbei (proto-Mongols) and adopted hua ungee - yellow-red color. This division by color later formed the basis for the formation of clans (omog) - Huasei, Khargana, Sagangud.
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 to every small nation the inalienable right of self-identification and self-determination.
The Khanty are a small indigenous 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, herd reindeer husbandry and taiga hunting.
The ancient names of the Khanty, “Ostyaks” or “Ugras,” are still widely used today. The word "Khanty" comes from the ancient local word "kantakh", which simply means "man", and it appeared in documents during the Soviet years. The Khanty are ethnographically close to the Mansi people, and are often united with them under the single name Ob Ugrians.
The Khanty are heterogeneous in their composition, among them there are separate ethnographic territorial groups that differ in dialects and names, methods of farming 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, modern Khanty writing 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 are between 150 and 160 cm tall with black straight hair, a dark complexion and brown eyes. Their face is flat with widely prominent cheekbones, a wide nose and thick lips, reminiscent of a Mongoloid. But the Khanty, unlike the Mongoloid peoples, have regular eyes and a narrower skull.
In historical chronicles, the first mentions of the Khanty appear in the 10th century. Modern research showed that the Khanty lived in this territory already in 5-6 thousand years BC. Later they were seriously pushed north by nomads.
The Khanty inherited numerous traditions of the Ust-Polui culture of taiga hunters, which developed at the end of the 1st millennium BC. – beginning of the 1st millennium AD In the 2nd millennium AD. The northern Khanty tribes came under the influence of the Nenets reindeer herders and assimilated with them. In the south, the Khanty tribes felt the influence Turkic peoples, later Russians.
The traditional cults of the Khanty people include the cult of the deer, which became the basis of the entire life of the people, vehicle, a source of food and skins. The worldview and many norms of life of the people (inheritance of the herd) are associated with the deer.
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 Northern Sosva, Lozva, Vogulka, Kazym, Nizhnyaya they have winter settlements and summer nomads.
The Khanty have long worshiped the elements and spirits of nature: fire, sun, moon, wind, water. Each clan has a totem, an animal that cannot be killed or used for food, family deities and patron ancestors. Everywhere the Khanty revere the bear, the owner of the taiga, and even hold a traditional holiday in his honor. Revered patroness hearth and home, happiness in the family and women in labor is a frog. In the taiga there are always sacred places where shamanic rituals are performed, appeasing their patron.
Muncie
Mansi (the ancient name is Voguls, Vogulichs), numbering 12,269 people, live mostly in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. This very numerous people has been known to Russians since the discovery of Siberia. Even Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible ordered that archers be sent to pacify the numerous and powerful Mansi.
The word "Mansi" comes from the Proto-Finnish-Ugric old word"mansz", meaning "man, person". The Mansi have their own language, which belongs to the Ob-Ugric separate group of the Ural language family and a fairly developed national epic. The Mansi are linguistically close relatives of the Khanty. Today up to 60% are used in Everyday life Russian language.
Mansi successfully combines in its public life cultures of northern hunters and southern nomadic pastoralists. Novgorodians had contact with Mansi back in the 11th century. With the advent of the Russians in the 16th century, some of the Vogul tribes went north, others lived next door to the Russians and assimilated with them, adopting the language and the Orthodox faith.
The beliefs of the Mansi are the worship of the elements and spirits of nature - shamanism, they are characterized by the cult of elders and ancestors, the totem bear. Mansi have a rich folklore and mythology. The Mansi are divided into two separate ethnographic groups of the descendants of the Uralians Por and the descendants of the Ugrians Mos, differing in origin and customs. In order to enrich the genetic material, marriages have long been concluded only between these groups.
The Mansi are engaged in taiga hunting, reindeer breeding, fishing, agriculture and cattle breeding. Reindeer husbandry on the banks of 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 were adopted.
In everyday life and the original creativity of the Mansi, ornaments similar in motifs to the drawings of the Selkups and Khanty are of particular importance. Regular geometric patterns clearly predominate in Mansi ornaments. Often with elements of deer antlers, diamonds and wavy lines, similar to the Greek meander and zigzags, images of eagles and bears.
Nenets
The Nenets, in ancient times Yuracs or Samoyeds, a total of 44,640 people live in the north of the Khanty-Mansiysk and, accordingly, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The self-name of the Samoyed people “Nenets” literally means “man, person.” They are the most numerous of the northern indigenous peoples.
The Nenets are engaged in large herd nomadic reindeer herding in. In Yamal, the Nenets keep up to 500 thousand reindeer. 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 husbandry, they are actively involved in tundra and taiga hunting and fishing, and collecting taiga gifts. The Nenets eat rye bread, venison, meat of sea animals, fish, and gifts from the taiga and tundra.
The Nenets language belongs to the Ural Samoyed languages; it is divided into two dialects, tundra and forest, which in turn are divided into dialects. The Nenets people have a rich folklore, legends, fairy tales, and epic stories. In 1937, learned linguists created a writing system for the Nenets based on the Cyrillic alphabet. Ethnographers describe the Nenets as stocky people with a large head, a flat, sallow face, devoid of any vegetation.
Altaians
The territory of residence of the Turkic-speaking indigenous people of the Altaians became. They live in numbers of up to 71 thousand people, which allows them to be considered 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 Teles (3712 people), Tubalars (1965 people), Teleuts (2643 people), Chelkans (1181 people).
Altaians have long worshiped the spirits and elements of nature; they adhere to traditional shamanism, Burkhanism and Buddhism. They live in clan seoks, kinship is considered through the male line. Altaians have a centuries-old rich history and folklore, tales and legends, their own heroic epic.
Shors
The Shors are a small Turkic-speaking people, mainly living in remote mountainous areas 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 was shamanism, which had developed over centuries.
The Shors ethnic group was formed in the 6th-9th centuries by mixing Keto-speaking and Turkic-speaking tribes that came from the south. The Shor language is a Turkic language; today more than 60% of Shors speak Russian. The epic of the Shors is ancient and very original. The traditions of the indigenous Shors are well preserved today; most Shors now live in cities.
Siberian Tatars
In the Middle Ages, it was the Siberian Tatars who were the main population of the Siberian Khanate. Nowadays the subethnic group of Siberian Tatars, as they call themselves “Seber Tatarlar”, consisting, according to various estimates, from 190 thousand to 210 thousand people lives in the south of Western Siberia. In terms of anthropological type, the Tatars of Siberia are close to the Kazakhs and Bashkirs. Today, Chulyms, Shors, Khakassians, and Teleuts can call themselves “Tadar.”
Scientists consider the ancestors of the Siberian Tatars to be the medieval Kipchaks, who had contact for a long time with the Samoyeds, Kets, and 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.
Most Siberian Tatars use 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 it is celebrated during the spring equinox New Year. The arrival of the rooks and the beginning of field work, the Siberian Tatars celebrate the hag putka. Some Muslim holidays, rituals and prayers for the sending of rain have also taken root here, and the Muslim burial places of Sufi sheikhs are revered.
