Northern nature. – Finnish tribe and its division

Looking at the geographical map of Russia, you can see that in the basins of the Middle Volga and Kama river names ending in “va” and “ha” are common: Sosva, Izva, Kokshaga, Vetluga, etc. Finno-Ugrians live in those places, and translated from their languages "va" And "ha" mean "river", "moisture", "wet place", "water". However, Finno-Ugric toponyms{1 ) are found not only where these peoples make up a significant part of the population, form republics and national districts. Their distribution area is much wider: it covers the European north of Russia and part of the central regions. There are many examples: the ancient Russian cities of Kostroma and Murom; the Yakhroma and Iksha rivers in the Moscow region; Verkola village in Arkhangelsk, etc.

Some researchers consider even such familiar words as “Moscow” and “Ryazan” to be Finno-Ugric in origin. Scientists believe that Finno-Ugric tribes once lived in these places, and now the memory of them is preserved by ancient names.

{1 } Toponym (from the Greek “topos” - “place” and “onima” - “name”) is a geographical name.

WHO ARE THE FINNO-UGRICS

Finns called people inhabiting Finland, neighboring Russia(in Finnish " Suomi "), A Ugrians in ancient Russian chronicles they were called Hungarians. But in Russia there are no Hungarians and very few Finns, but there are peoples speaking languages ​​related to Finnish or Hungarian . These peoples are called Finno-Ugric . Depending on the degree of similarity of languages, scientists divide Finno-Ugric peoples into five subgroups . Firstly, Baltic-Finnish , included Finns, Izhorians, Vodians, Vepsians, Karelians, Estonians and Livonians. The two most numerous peoples of this subgroup are Finns and Estonians- live mainly outside our country. In Russia Finns can be found in Karelia, Leningrad region and St. Petersburg;Estonians - V Siberia, Volga region and Leningrad region. A small group of Estonians - setu - lives in Pechora district of Pskov region. By religion, many Finns and Estonians - Protestants (usually, Lutherans), setu - Orthodox . Little people Vepsians lives in small groups in Karelia, Leningrad region and in the north-west of Vologda, A water (there are less than 100 people left!) - in Leningradskaya. AND Veps and Vod - Orthodox . Orthodoxy is professed and Izhorians . There are 449 of them in Russia (in the Leningrad region), and about the same number in Estonia. Vepsians and Izhorians have preserved their languages ​​(they even have dialects) and use them in everyday communication. The Votic language has disappeared.

The biggest Baltic-Finnish people of Russia - Karelians . They live in Republic of Karelia, as well as in the Tver, Leningrad, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions. In everyday life, Karelians speak three dialects: Karelian, Lyudikovsky and Livvikovsky, and their literary language is Finnish. Newspapers and magazines are published on it, and the Department of Finnish Language and Literature operates at the Faculty of Philology of Petrozavodsk University. Karelians also speak Russian.

The second subgroup consists Sami , or Lapps . Most of them are settled in Northern Scandinavia, but in Russia Sami- inhabitants Kola Peninsula. According to most experts, the ancestors of this people once occupied a much larger territory, but over time they were pushed to the north. Then they lost their language and adopted one of the Finnish dialects. The Sami are good reindeer herders (in the recent past they were nomads), fishermen and hunters. In Russia they profess Orthodoxy .

In the third, Volga-Finnish , subgroup includes Mari and Mordovians . Mordva- indigenous population Republic of Mordovia, but a significant part of this people live throughout Russia - in Samara, Penza, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Ulyanovsk regions, in the republics of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, in Chuvashia etc. Even before the annexation in the 16th century. Mordovian lands to Russia, the Mordovians had their own nobility - "inyazory", "otsyazory"", i.e. "owners of the land." Inyazory They were the first to be baptized, quickly became Russified, and later their descendants formed an element in the Russian nobility that was slightly smaller than those from the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate. Mordva is divided into Erzya and Moksha ; each of the ethnographic groups has a written literary language - Erzya and Moksha . By religion Mordovians Orthodox ; they have always been considered the most Christianized people of the Volga region.

Mari live mainly in Republic of Mari El, as well as in Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Udmurtia, Nizhny Novgorod, Kirov, Sverdlovsk and Perm regions. It is generally accepted that this people has two literary languages ​​- Meadow-Eastern and Mountain Mari. However, not all philologists share this opinion.

Even ethnographers of the 19th century. noted the unusually high level of national self-awareness of the Mari. They stubbornly resisted joining Russia and baptism, and until 1917 the authorities forbade them to live in cities and engage in crafts and trade.

In the fourth, Permian , the subgroup itself includes Komi , Komi-Permyaks and Udmurts .Komi(in the past they were called Zyryans) form the indigenous population of the Komi Republic, but also live in Sverdlovsk, Murmansk, Omsk regions, in the Nenets, Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrugs. Their original occupations are farming and hunting. But, unlike most other Finno-Ugric peoples, there have long been many merchants and entrepreneurs among them. Even before October 1917 Komi in terms of literacy (in Russian) approached the most educated peoples of Russia - Russian Germans and Jews. Today, 16.7% of Komi work in agriculture, but 44.5% work in industry, and 15% work in education, science, and culture. Part of the Komi - the Izhemtsy - mastered reindeer husbandry and became the largest reindeer herders in the European north. Komi Orthodox (partly Old Believers).

Very close in language to the Zyryans Komi-Permyaks . More than half of this people live in Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug, and the rest - in the Perm region. Permians are mainly peasants and hunters, but throughout their history they were also factory serfs in the Ural factories, and barge haulers on the Kama and Volga. By religion Komi-Permyaks Orthodox .

Udmurts{ 2 } concentrated mostly in Udmurt Republic, where they make up about 1/3 of the population. Small groups of Udmurts live in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, the Republic of Mari El, in the Perm, Kirov, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk regions. The traditional occupation is agriculture. In cities, they most often forget their native language and customs. Perhaps this is why only 70% of Udmurts, mostly residents of rural areas, consider the Udmurt language as their native language. Udmurts Orthodox , but many of them (including the baptized) adhere to traditional beliefs - they worship pagan gods, deities, and spirits.

In the fifth, Ugric , subgroup includes Hungarians, Khanty and Mansi . "Ugrimi "in Russian chronicles they called Hungarians, A " Ugra " - Ob Ugrians, i.e. Khanty and Mansi. Although Northern Urals and lower reaches of the Ob, where the Khanty and Mansi live, are located thousands of kilometers from the Danube, on the banks of which the Hungarians created their state; these peoples are their closest relatives. Khanty and Mansi belong to the small peoples of the North. Muncie live mainly in X Anti-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, A Khanty - V Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs, Tomsk Region. The Mansi are primarily hunters, then fishermen and reindeer herders. The Khanty, on the contrary, are first fishermen, and then hunters and reindeer herders. Both of them confess Orthodoxy, however, they did not forget the ancient faith. The industrial development of their region caused great damage to the traditional culture of the Ob Ugrians: many hunting grounds disappeared and the rivers became polluted.

Old Russian chronicles preserved the names of Finno-Ugric tribes that have now disappeared - Chud, Merya, Muroma . Merya in the 1st millennium AD e. lived in the area between the Volga and Oka rivers, and at the turn of the 1st and 2nd millennia merged with the Eastern Slavs. There is an assumption that modern Mari are descendants of this tribe. Murom in the 1st millennium BC. e. lived in the Oka basin, and by the 12th century. n. e. mixed with the Eastern Slavs. Chudyu modern researchers consider the Finnish tribes that lived in ancient times along the banks of the Onega and Northern Dvina. It is possible that they are the ancestors of the Estonians.

{ 2 )Russian historian of the 18th century. V.N. Tatishchev wrote that the Udmurts (formerly called Votyaks) perform their prayers “beside any good tree, but not near pine and spruce, which have no leaves or fruit, but aspen is revered as a cursed tree... ".

WHERE THE FINNO-UGRICS LIVED AND WHERE THE FINNO-UGRIANS LIVE

Most researchers agree that the ancestral home Finno-Ugrians was on the border of Europe and Asia, in the areas between the Volga and Kama and in the Urals. It was there in the IV-III millennia BC. e. A community of tribes arose, related in language and similar in origin. By the 1st millennium AD. e. the ancient Finno-Ugrians settled as far as the Baltic states and Northern Scandinavia. They occupied a vast territory covered with forests - almost the entire northern part of what is now European Russia to the Kama River in the south.

Excavations show that the ancient Finno-Ugrians belonged to Ural race: their appearance is a mixture of Caucasian and Mongoloid features (wide cheekbones, often Mongolian eye shape). Moving west, they mixed with Caucasians. As a result, among some peoples descended from the ancient Finno-Ugrians, Mongoloid features began to smooth out and disappear. Nowadays, “Ural” features are characteristic to one degree or another of everyone to the Finnish peoples of Russia: average height, wide face, nose, called “snub”, very light hair, sparse beard. But in different peoples these features manifest themselves in different ways. For example, Mordovian-Erzya tall, fair-haired, blue-eyed, and Mordovian-Moksha and shorter in stature, with a wider face, and their hair is darker. U Mari and Udmurts Often there are eyes with the so-called Mongolian fold - epicanthus, very wide cheekbones, and a thin beard. But at the same time (the Ural race!) has blond and red hair, blue and gray eyes. The Mongolian fold is sometimes found among Estonians, Vodians, Izhorians, and Karelians. Komi they are different: in those places where there are mixed marriages with the Nenets, they have black hair and braids; others are more Scandinavian-like, with a slightly wider face.

Finno-Ugrians were engaged in agriculture (in order to fertilize the soil with ash, they burned areas of the forest), hunting and fishing . Their settlements were far from each other. Perhaps for this reason they did not create states anywhere and began to be part of neighboring organized and constantly expanding powers. Some of the first mentions of the Finno-Ugrians contain Khazar documents written in Hebrew, the state language of the Khazar Kaganate. Alas, there are almost no vowels in it, so one can only guess that “tsrms” means “Cheremis-Mari”, and “mkshkh” means “moksha”. Later, the Finno-Ugrians also paid tribute to the Bulgars and were part of the Kazan Khanate and the Russian state.

RUSSIANS AND FINNO-UGRICS

In the XVI-XVIII centuries. Russian settlers rushed to the lands of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Most often, settlement was peaceful, but sometimes indigenous peoples resisted the entry of their region into the Russian state. The Mari showed the most fierce resistance.

Over time, baptism, writing, and urban culture brought by the Russians began to displace local languages ​​and beliefs. Many began to feel like Russians - and actually became them. Sometimes it was enough to be baptized for this. The peasants of one Mordovian village wrote in a petition: “Our ancestors, the former Mordovians,” sincerely believing that only their ancestors, pagans, were Mordovians, and their Orthodox descendants are in no way related to the Mordovians.

People moved to cities, went far away - to Siberia, to Altai, where everyone had one language in common - Russian. The names after baptism were no different from ordinary Russian ones. Or almost nothing: not everyone notices that there is nothing Slavic in surnames like Shukshin, Vedenyapin, Piyasheva, but they go back to the name of the Shuksha tribe, the name of the goddess of war Veden Ala, the pre-Christian name Piyash. Thus, a significant part of the Finno-Ugrians was assimilated by the Russians, and some, having converted to Islam, mixed with the Turks. That is why Finno-Ugric peoples do not constitute a majority anywhere - even in the republics to which they gave their name.

But, having disappeared into the mass of Russians, the Finno-Ugrians retained their anthropological type: very blond hair, blue eyes, a “bubble” nose, and a wide, high-cheekboned face. The type that writers of the 19th century. called the “Penza peasant”, is now perceived as typically Russian.

Many Finno-Ugric words have entered the Russian language: “tundra”, “sprat”, “herring”, etc. Is there a more Russian and beloved dish than dumplings? Meanwhile, this word is borrowed from the Komi language and means “bread ear”: “pel” is “ear”, and “nyan” is “bread”. There are especially many borrowings in northern dialects, mainly among the names of natural phenomena or landscape elements. They add a unique beauty to local speech and regional literature. Take, for example, the word “taibola”, which in the Arkhangelsk region is used to call a dense forest, and in the Mezen River basin - a road running along the seashore next to the taiga. It is taken from the Karelian "taibale" - "isthmus". For centuries, peoples living nearby have always enriched each other's language and culture.

Patriarch Nikon and Archpriest Avvakum were Finno-Ugrians by origin - both Mordvins, but irreconcilable enemies; Udmurt - physiologist V. M. Bekhterev, Komi - sociologist Pitirim Sorokin, Mordvin - sculptor S. Nefedov-Erzya, who took the name of the people as his pseudonym; Mari composer A. Ya. Eshpai.

ANCIENT CLOTHING V O D I I ZH O R T E V

The main part of the traditional women's costume of the Vodi and Izhorians is shirt . Ancient shirts were sewn very long, with wide, also long sleeves. In the warm season, a shirt was the only clothing a woman could wear. Back in the 60s. XIX century After the wedding, the young woman was supposed to wear only a shirt until her father-in-law gave her a fur coat or caftan.

Votic women long preserved the ancient form of unstitched waist clothing - hursgukset , which was worn over a shirt. Hursgukset is similar to Russian poneva. It was richly decorated with copper coins, shells, fringes, and bells. Later, when he came into everyday life sundress , the bride wore a hursgukset under a sundress to the wedding.

A kind of unstitched clothing - annua - worn in the central part Ingria(part of the territory of modern Leningrad region). It was a wide cloth that reached to the armpits; a strap was sewn to its upper ends and thrown over the left shoulder. The annua parted on the left side, and therefore a second cloth was put on under it - Khurstut . It was wrapped around the waist and also worn on a strap. The Russian sarafan gradually replaced the ancient loincloth among the Vodians and Izhorians. The clothes were belted leather belt, cords, woven belts and narrow towels.

In ancient times, Votic women shaved my head.

TRADITIONAL CLOTHING KH A N T O V I M A N S I

Khanty and Mansi clothes were made from skins, fur, fish skin, cloth, nettle and linen canvas. In the manufacture of children's clothing, they used the most archaic material - bird skins.

Men wore in winter swing fur coats made of deer and hare fur, squirrel and fox paws, and in summer a short robe made of coarse cloth; the collar, sleeves and right hem were trimmed with fur.Winter shoes It was made of fur and was worn with fur stockings. Summer made of rovduga (suede made from deer or elk skin), and the sole was made of elk skin.

Men's shirts they were sewn from nettle canvas, and the trousers were made from rovduga, fish skin, canvas, and cotton fabrics. Must be worn over a shirt woven belt , to which hung beaded bags(they held a knife in a wooden sheath and a flint).

Women wore in winter fur coat from deer skin; the lining was also fur. Where there were few deer, the lining was made from hare and squirrel skins, and sometimes from duck or swan down. In summer wore cloth or cotton robe ,decorated with stripes made of beads, colored fabric and tin plaques. The women cast these plaques themselves in special molds made of soft stone or pine bark. The belts were already men's and more elegant.

Women covered their heads both in winter and summer scarves with wide borders and fringes . In the presence of men, especially older relatives of the husband, according to tradition, the end of the scarf was supposed to be cover your face. They lived among the Khanty and beaded headbands .

Hair Previously, it was not customary to cut hair. Men parted their hair in the middle, gathered it into two ponytails and tied it with a colored cord. .Women braided two braids, decorated them with colored cord and copper pendants . At the bottom, the braids were connected with a thick copper chain so as not to interfere with work. Rings, bells, beads and other decorations were hung from the chain. Khanty women, according to custom, wore a lot copper and silver rings. Jewelry made from beads, which were imported by Russian merchants, were also widespread.

HOW THE MARIES DRESSED

In the past, Mari clothing was exclusively homemade. Upper(it was worn in winter and autumn) was sewn from homemade cloth and sheepskin, and shirts and summer caftans- made of white linen canvas.

Women wore shirt, caftan, trousers, headdress and bast shoes . Shirts were embroidered with silk, wool, and cotton threads. They were worn with belts woven from wool and silk and decorated with beads, tassels and metal chains. One of the types headdresses of married Maries , similar to a cap, was called shymaksh . It was made from thin canvas and placed on a birch bark frame. An obligatory part of the traditional costume of the Maries was considered jewelry made of beads, coins, tin plaques.

Men's suit consisted of canvas embroidered shirt, pants, canvas caftan and bast shoes . The shirt was shorter than a woman's and was worn with a narrow belt made of wool and leather. On head put on felt HATS and sheepskin caps .

WHAT IS FINNO-UGRIAN LINGUISTIC RELATIONSHIP

Finno-Ugric peoples differ from each other in their way of life, religion, historical destinies and even appearance. They are combined into one group based on the relationship of languages. However, linguistic proximity varies. The Slavs, for example, can easily come to an agreement, each speaking in his own dialect. But the Finno-Ugric people will not be able to communicate as easily with their brothers in the language group.

In ancient times, the ancestors of modern Finno-Ugrians spoke in one language. Then its speakers began to move, mixed with other tribes, and the once single language split into several independent ones. The Finno-Ugric languages ​​diverged so long ago that they have few common words - about a thousand. For example, “house” in Finnish is “koti”, in Estonian – “kodu”, in Mordovian – “kudu”, in Mari – “kudo”. The word "butter" is similar: Finnish "voi", Estonian "vdi", Udmurt and Komi "vy", Hungarian "vaj". But the sound of the languages ​​- phonetics - remains so close that any Finno-Ugric, listening to another and not even understanding what he is talking about, feels: this is a related language.

NAMES OF FINNO-UGRICS

Finno-Ugric peoples have been professing (at least officially) for a long time Orthodoxy , therefore their first and last names, as a rule, do not differ from Russians. However, in the village, in accordance with the sound of local languages, they change. So, Akulina becomes Oculus, Nikolai - Nikul or Mikul, Kirill - Kirlya, Ivan - Yivan. U Komi , for example, the patronymic is often placed before the given name: Mikhail Anatolyevich sounds like Tol Mish, i.e. Anatolyev's son Mishka, and Rosa Stepanovna turns into Stepan Rosa - Stepan's daughter Rosa. In the documents, of course, everyone has ordinary Russian names. Only writers, artists and performers choose the traditionally rural form: Yyvan Kyrlya, Nikul Erkay, Illya Vas, Ortjo Stepanov.

U Komi often found surnames Durkin, Rochev, Kanev; among the Udmurts - Korepanov and Vladykin; at Mordovians - Vedenyapin, Pi-yashev, Kechin, Mokshin. Surnames with a diminutive suffix are especially common among Mordovians - Kirdyaykin, Vidyaykin, Popsuykin, Alyoshkin, Varlashkin.

Some Mari , especially unbaptized chi-mari in Bashkiria, at one time they accepted turkic names. Therefore, the Chi-Mari often have surnames similar to Tatar ones: Anduga-nov, Baitemirov, Yashpatrov, but their names and patronymics are Russian. U Karelian There are both Russian and Finnish surnames, but always with a Russian ending: Perttuev, Lampiev. Usually in Karelia you can distinguish by surname Karelian, Finnish and St. Petersburg Finn. So, Perttuev - Karelian, Perttu - St. Petersburg Finn, A Pertgunen - Finn. But each of them can have a first and patronymic Stepan Ivanovich.

WHAT DO THE FINNO-UGRICS BELIEVE?

In Russia, many Finno-Ugrians profess Orthodoxy . In the 12th century. Vepsians were baptized in the 13th century. - Karelians, at the end of the 14th century. - Komi At the same time, to translate the Holy Scriptures into the Komi language, it was created Perm writing - the only original Finno-Ugric alphabet. During the XVIII-XIX centuries. Mordovians, Udmurts and Maris were baptized. However, the Maris never fully accepted Christianity. To avoid conversion to the new faith, some of them (they called themselves “chi-mari” - “true Mari”) went to the territory of Bashkiria, and those who stayed and were baptized often continued to worship the old gods. Among among the Mari, Udmurts, Sami and some other peoples, the so-called double faith . People revere the old gods, but recognize the “Russian God” and his saints, especially Nicholas the Pleasant. In Yoshkar-Ola, the capital of the Mari El Republic, the state took under protection a sacred grove - " kyusoto", and now pagan prayers take place here. The names of the supreme gods and mythological heroes of these peoples are similar and probably go back to the ancient Finnish name for the sky and air - " ilma ": Ilmarinen - among the Finns, Ilmayline - among the Karelians,Inmar - among the Udmurts, Yong -Komi.

CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE FINNO-UGRICS

Writing many Finno-Ugric languages ​​of Russia were created on the basis Cyrillic alphabet, with the addition of letters and superscripts that convey sound features.Karelians , whose literary language is Finnish, are written in Latin letters.

Literature of the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia very young, but oral folk art has a centuries-old history. Finnish poet and folklorist Elias Lönrö t (1802-1884) collected the tales of the epic " Kalevala "among the Karelians of the Olonets province of the Russian Empire. The final edition of the book was published in 1849. "Kalevala", which means "the country of Kalev", in its rune songs tells about the exploits of the Finnish heroes Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen and Lemminkäinen, about their struggle with the evil Louhi , mistress of Pohjola (northern country of darkness). In a magnificent poetic form, the epic tells about the life, beliefs, customs of the ancestors of the Finns, Karelians, Vepsians, Vodi, Izhorians. This information is unusually rich, they reveal the spiritual world of farmers and hunters of the North. "Kalevala" stands on a par with the greatest epics of humanity. Some other Finno-Ugric peoples also have epics: "Kalevipoeg"("Son of Caleb") - at Estonians , "Pera the hero" - y Komi-Permyaks , preserved epic tales among the Mordovians and Mansi .

FINNISH TRIBES- Chud, Merya, all, Muroma, Cheremis, Mordovians, Perm, Pechora, Yam.
History finds the Finnish tribe in the far north; it is very likely that Herodotus's androphages, melanchlenes and physsagetes belonged to this tribe. The German name of the Chud tribe - Finns - is first encountered in Tacitus; Ptolemy also mentions the Finns; from Iornand, in the distorted names of the peoples conquered by the Gothic king Germanaric, one can recognize Chud, Ves, Merya, Mordovians, Cheremis, and, perhaps, even Perm. The initial Russian chronicler knows the following Finnish peoples who lived in his time in midnight countries and paid tribute to Rus': Chud, Merya, Ves, Muroma, Cheremis, Mordovians, Perm, Pechora, Yam. The common tribal name Finns is a German name, Chud is a Slavic name, and Suomaline is a native name. Finn in German means an inhabitant of a swampy, damp lowland; The Finnish names of different tribes also mean the same, for example, em or yam (Ham) means wet, watery, all explained from the Finnish Vesi - water. And now Finnish place names are found mainly in marshy areas. Our chronicler shows us the Finnish tribes mainly near lakes; in the middle of the 9th century, the southern borders of the Finnish tribe with the Slavic can be placed in the region of the Moscow River, where the Finns had to encounter the Slavic tribe of the Vyatichi, the villages of the latter we have the right to continue to the Lopasnya River, because, as can be seen, all the Vyatichi belonged to the Chernigov principality , and the city of Lopasnya was the border city of this principality with Suzdal. The villages of the Vyatichi should have already been in contact with the villages of the Finnish tribes, because in the Bronnitsky district of the Moscow province we find the Merskaya or Nerskaya river, which by its name clearly shows that it flowed through the ancient land of the Meri.
If not the most ancient, then at least one of the most ancient inhabitants of the Russian state region, the Finns had an unenviable fate: they were pressed on three sides by peoples of the Slavic, Germanic and Turkish tribes; we see how our Finns are constantly inferior to the Slavs, submit to the influence of their nationality, and are equated with them; The reason for this phenomenon is not difficult to explain from external circumstances. First we see that the Slavic and Finnish tribes live on an equal footing; the Finns, together with the Slavs, call upon princes - dressers, but the eldest and soon the only prince establishes his table among the Slavic tribe; then we see the movement of the princes to the south, along the great waterway all the way to the Black Sea; The princely table is established in Kyiv, the foundations of the new state are laid mainly to the south of Novgorod, on both sides of the Dnieper, but the population living here belongs entirely to the Slavic tribe. The Slavic tribes unite under one government, through this unity they acquire material strength, and then the beginnings of Christian education, and thus receive a material and spiritual advantage over the Finnish tribes, before which they had to bow. One thing can be said only that the Slavic tribe was brought up under more favorable natural circumstances and, having already gained strength in the southwest, appeared among the Finns in the northeast. According to our chronicler, it is clear that the Finns had cities, like the Slavs, like the latter, they suffered from tribal strife after the expulsion of the Varangians, as a result of which they called the princes along with them; In Scandinavian legends, Finns are skilled blacksmiths, Finnish swords are famous in the north. From these sedentary industrial Finns, neighbors with the Slavs and allies with them, their northern fellow tribesmen, the Lapons, should be distinguished, whom, apparently, harsh nature stopped at the lowest stage of human development, and now in the character of their own Finns and Lapons one can see the same difference as between courage and childhood. Undoubtedly, Tacitus means the latter when he describes the way of life of the Finns, when he speaks of their amazing savagery, vile poverty: they have no weapons, no horses, no houses; their food is grass, their clothing is leather, their bed is earth; their whole hope is in arrows, which, due to a lack of iron, are sharpened by bones; hunting nourishes husbands and wives. Children have no other shelter from animals and bad weather except tents, somehow woven from tree branches - young people return here from hunting, old people rest here. But they consider it more blessed to lead such a lifestyle, Tacitus continues, than to work in the fields, build houses, and look with hope and fear at their own and other people’s property. Safe from people, safe from gods, they achieved the most difficult thing - the absence of desires. Here one cannot help but pay attention to the words of Tacitus that the Finns consider themselves blessed and have achieved the most difficult thing - the absence of desires; These words explain to us the origin of the tale of the blessed Hyperboreans: the thinkers of the ancient educated peoples, tired of the unrest of life stemming from the unsatisfied passions of pagan man, loved to dwell with envy on the savage peoples, who have almost no desires, who cannot acquire much, not much to lose and therefore are not subject to painful fluctuations between fear and hope, they are not afraid of either people or gods; in Herodotus, the gods are jealous of human well-being and therefore do not allow it to continue.
The life of the Finnish tribes living south of the Gulf of Finland seems pitiful to us; The spiritual weakness of these tribes corresponds to the weakness of the body, combined, however, with a higher degree of insensitivity to external impressions; None of the European nations displays so little spiritual tension, is not so downtrodden; An Estonian, for example, differs sharply from his neighbors - Russians and Latvians - in that he does not sing at all, dancing is almost unknown to him. We are aware of the unfavorable historical circumstances that could have had a harmful influence on the development of this tribe, but how much the nature of the tribe itself contributed to these circumstances is difficult to decide.

What does a typical Finn look like to us? Residents of border towns are likely to list the qualities of culturally dim-witted tourists hungry for cheap alcohol and entertainment as something along the lines of “drunk on skis with a beer in their hands.” Residents of Petrozavodsk, Moscow and St. Petersburg have more worthy examples, but they are also likely to remember the prevailing stereotypes about “hot guys” - simplicity, slowness, thriftiness, unsociability, touchiness. However, all of the above describes the character traits of an “individual” Finn or a small group of people, but is not relevant to the whole people.

The Finns as a nation are distinguished, first of all, by their special attitude towards themselves, towards others and towards their country. And the basis of the Finnish national mentality was their religion - Lutheranism. And even though 38% of Finns consider themselves non-believers, and 26% attend church out of respect for tradition, this religion is so successfully intertwined with the national traits of the Finns and the historical foundations of society that all Finnish citizens, without exception, involuntarily profess Lutheran values.

The teachings of Martin Luther fell like a fertile seed onto the fertile soil of the Finnish character and grew an amazing, modest and strong northern flower - the Finnish people.

Everyone knows that Finland has a unique teaching methodology - the more non-standard the task, the better. At one of the classes, Finnish students were offered a fun game - to play associations and think, “if a Finn were a tree or a flower, what kind would it be?” The guys approached the task with all Finnish thoroughness, drawing up an extended portrait of the “real Finnish character”, which they later shared on the Internet:

• If Finn were a tree, he would be an oak.

Just as firmly standing on his own two feet and confident in the future.

• If a Finn were a flower, he would be a cornflower: the flowers are modest, but beautiful, the favorite Finnish color. They are also a little prickly, surviving on dry ground and among rocks.
• If Finn were a drink, it would be... “my classmates shouted in unison - beer! This is more of a stereotype than an association: Finns really drink a lot of beer. But I have an association with vodka. Bitter, heavy and gloomy, which you drink, and you will feel happy and light for a moment, and then sad again.”

“Perhaps a Finn would have coffee,” smiled my Finnish friend, with whom I shared this game in association. – Coffee is as dark as our autumn-winter days, bitter as the history of our country, strong as our character and invigorating as our taste for life. Maybe that’s why Finns drink so much coffee?

• If Finn were an animal, he would be... “At first the guys suggested a bear or a wolf. But then they decided that he would still be an elephant. Behind the thick skin and impenetrability lies a vulnerable, impressionable core.”
• If Finn were a book, he would be a good quality detective. Thus, when it seems that you have sort of figured everything out, and the answer lies on the surface, only in the end it turns out that everything is far from being so - the deeper, the more surprising.
• If Finn were a car, he would be a heavy tractor. Finn, sometimes like a tractor, rushes in a straight line towards his goal. The path may turn out to be wrong, but he will not turn away from it.
• If Finn were a sport, it would be hockey and skiing. In hockey, a team atmosphere and the ability to unite for victory are important. And the Finns know how to do this. On the contrary, you can ski alone, slowly, enjoying your thoughts and nature.

And this is how most Finns not only ride, but also live, imperceptibly forming a wonderful people, descended either from the Ural tribes (judging by the language), or from pro-Germans (judging by the genes), and maybe even from a tribe with superpowers called the white-eyed Chud (according to ancient legends). True, even if the Finns inherited from their distant ancestors a tendency towards extra abilities, they hide them well, showing quite human “miracles” in everyday life.

The Finnish people are distinguished primarily by:

• Autonomy, independence, honesty

From childhood, Finns are taught to stand up for themselves and rely only on their own strengths. Parents do not rush to help their fallen child, there is no mutual assistance in teams, and friends do not cover up for each other’s faults. Finn “is to blame for everything and he can fix everything himself.” And if not, then society has created a wide network of organizations providing professional assistance.

Since a Finn is left to himself and to God (if he believes) and is not accountable to anyone, not even to God (according to Finnish religion), he has no desire to lie. “You lie to yourself for the rest of your life,” says a Finnish proverb.

Well, if a Finn has achieved everything on his own, he does not need outside approval. Finns understand that other people are just as good if they put in the effort.

Everyone is equally good - one of the main ideas of Lutheranism.

• Equality

Finns do not give people an aura of “holiness” or “sinfulness”, do not divide them into “elites” or “servants”. Even the priest is the most ordinary person, only more enlightened in matters of religion. Hence the equality of all people, regardless of titles, titles, official position and popularity. Everyone knows that the Finnish president rides an ordinary bicycle to an ordinary supermarket and stands in an ordinary queue.

• Modesty is another national trait

It is combined with honesty and directness - be yourself, don’t pretend and don’t show off. That’s why Finns don’t try to embellish themselves outwardly with clothes and cosmetics.

• Special attitude towards work and wealth

Since everyone is equal, then all work is equal. There is no shameful job or elite job. Work is the most important thing in Lutheran teaching. It's a shame not to work. And in Finland, “the land of granite and swamps,” growing something required considerable effort, which determined whether the family would survive until spring. That’s why Finns have been hardworking people since time immemorial. The Lutheran worldview added to the popular truth that it was permissible to be rich. For work must be rewarded: “where there is honest work, there will be wealth,” “everyone will be rewarded according to his deeds.”

On the other hand, Finns work without fanaticism, without going beyond the boundaries of what is necessary. They know that a tired person is a bad worker, so Finns have one of the longest vacations - 40 days a year, and work on weekends or in the evenings is paid at double the rate.

• Sisu's tenacity

Life among rocks and swamps forged another trait of the Finnish character - determination and perseverance in completing what was started, no matter how difficult it may be. “The ability to make bread from stone” is one of the main features of the Finnish people.

• Thoughtful, thorough, unhurried

Lutheranism is the teaching of consciously religious people who must be able to think. The main thing in Luther's sermons is a call for a rational, critical attitude towards faith. Every Finn undergoes a rite of confirmation in his youth, deliberately accepting or renouncing his faith. They prepare for this from childhood, teaching them to say “yes” or “no” responsibly. And it takes time to think. Therefore, Finnish slowness is actually a mental decision-making process: “It’s better to think about it for a day than to do it wrong for a week.”

• “Where words are few, they have weight.” Shakespeare

Finns are talkative when it comes to “nothing”, and turn into deep thinkers if you need to answer questions of a personal nature: “They take the bull by the horns, but take a man at his word,” “to promise is the same as to do.” It’s not customary to criticize here: if you know how to fix it, fix it, no, don’t say the empty “should have been.”

• Law abiding

Lutheranism professes human freedom of choice. But, respecting foreign territory, Finns know: “the freedom of one person ends where the freedom of another begins.” In addition, the Finns understand perfectly well that in order to preserve their beloved land, it is necessary to comply with the laws: “Where the law is powerless, there is omnipotent grief,” “laws are made to be observed,” people say. Therefore, the Finns do not discuss the high taxes, fines and other “strictness” adopted by the state, they take it for granted, in response to their law-abidingness, they demand from the state to maintain and develop the achievements of the Finnish people: an environmentally friendly country, where half-empty transport runs according to schedule, cleaning is carried out during streets and roads are built with high quality. The Finnish state does not object; on the contrary, it accounts for every euro spent and successfully seeks funds to effectively support low-income citizens. However, Finns do not demand reports from the state; relations are built on equality and trust.

After all, the state is the same Finns, brought up on conscientiousness, loyalty to their word, honesty, a developed sense of self-esteem and responsibility.

• Self-esteem is not just a Finnish character trait, it is one of the country’s main assets

Finn, who has mastered all 8 of the above points, coped independently (with a little support from the state and society) with all life's difficulties and grown into an honest, responsible, persistent, hardworking, modest and successful person, has every right to be proud of himself. The whole country treats itself the same way. Finland has a difficult and bitter history. In just 50 years, a poor, dependent, destroyed, “poor” region has turned into a prosperous, high-tech state with a high standard of living, clean ecology and “prize” places in world rankings for the best country.

Finns really have something to be proud of.

• Patriotism

Well-deserved pride and the preservation of traditions are the basis of Finnish patriotism, which, in turn, has a number of features.

Features of Finnish patriotism

Patriotism for Finns is not about defending their homeland and giving their lives for it. This is the duty of a Finnish citizen. What is patriotism, students of the Helsinki Business College (Suomen Liikemiesten Kauppaopisto) tried to express while helping their fellow student collect material for a scientific paper. Every Finn has his own concepts, but together they make up the patriotism of the Finnish nation.

“For me it’s love, affection for my small homeland”

Finns do not love their country at all. They love their home, yard, street, city. Moreover, this love is practical - they decorate their homes, arrange their yards, and not only their own. Finn feels responsible for order, he is the owner who will clear the common paths in the winter, in the summer he will collect garbage scattered in the forest by careless foreigners, and in the spring he will go out with all his neighbors to a cleanup day. Finns love to live in cleanliness and know: “cleanliness is not done, but maintained.” They don’t criticize the state because “it doesn’t clean up”; they simply don’t litter. And if they litter, for example, on May Day, then they immediately organize points for paid collection of garbage from the population, and by the morning the city is clean again.

Finns love and protect nature very much, they not only rush around with cameras, capturing wonderful moments, and spend their holidays by the water, they are looking for new sources of energy, widely use waste recycling opportunities and invest heavily in the environment.

“Patriotism is also complicity and helping the people who live next to you”

Finns, for all their isolation and non-interference in other people's lives, are very sympathetic and ready to help where their concern is really important. 73% of Finns have done charity work at least once (2013), and 54% do it regularly. Responsiveness and mercy in society are part of public policy.

There are no homeless people, animals, orphanages in the country, and nursing homes are more like rest homes for the elderly. A normal, fulfilling life has been created for people with disabilities in the country. One of the sages said: “The greatness of a nation’s spiritual development can be judged by how it treats animals, the elderly and children.” In this sense, the Finns are a highly spiritual nation.

Patriotism starts with your family

A Finnish child watches how his parents and grandparents behave and tries to do the same. But in order for a child to imitate his elders, he must respect them. The Finns have tried to set their priorities correctly: family is the most important thing, patience and friendship are the basis of family relationships. The older generation does not interfere in the life of the younger one, and the whole extended family happily gets together on holidays and on vacation. Young people imitate their elders, sometimes simply out of tradition. How many of us go to church out of respect for our grandmother and play the piano out of respect for our mother? And the Finns go and play.

“Patriotism is preserving one’s history”

To respect the past generation, you need to know why. Finns preserve and respect the history of the region and the traditions of the people. There is no shame in singing in the choir; manual labor is held in high esteem. There are countless different museums and museum workers in the country. The Finns can create a colossal scientific Center “Eureka”, telling about Finland, or they can glorify the most ordinary thing - for example, a chainsaw and create a “Chainsaw Museum”: you will learn so many interesting things about this prosaic tool that you will become a chainsaw patriot. And there is also a museum of buns, a museum of chains and handcuffs, and much more that helps a Finn feel unique and find something that he can rightfully be proud of.

“Patriotism is caring for the future generation”

Finns respect the younger generation: they are the smartest and most talented. They are patient with all the liberties of young people, they only guide them on the true path - study, work, comprehend the world. But take your time, choose what you really like, we will be patient. 98% of Finnish youth who go abroad to study return to their home country. Not because they feel bad in a foreign world, but because they are very comfortable in their homeland. “My country gives me everything - education, medicine, an apartment, financial benefits, a secure future and a confident old age.”

“Patriots are ready to serve the Fatherland without asking for anything in return”

It is an honor for Finnish young men to serve in the army, and for work in the Finnish police or for a military career, young men and women are especially prepared by earning positive characteristics and intensely playing sports. Although the work is not easy, and the salary is ordinary, the competition for such institutions is very high.

And yet, patriotism does not suddenly arise in the souls of people. This is a painstaking educational process, woven from little things. These are Finnish flags on holidays, which are hung in all courtyards and on all private houses.

These are “Christmas lessons” - 4 candles that parents light every week before Christmas, presenting their child with a fairy tale lesson, for example, love for their country, pride in their people.

This is Independence Day - a beautiful, quiet, solemn holiday that everyone wants to celebrate by decorating their houses in blue and white, because they are not honoring a “great state,” but ordinary people who have achieved success and were invited to the Presidential Palace.

These are also ordinary lessons at school, which can be replaced by watching a live broadcast of a hockey match, or a performance at Eurovision - because it is very important to watch and rejoice at the success of the country together, and physics can wait.

Patriotism penetrates Finnish souls slowly, thoroughly, taking root in the genes, being passed on to future children, who will never think of destroying everything that their ancestors created with such diligence.

Finns are patriots not only of their country, but also of their people and nationality.

Finland is a small northern country with a unique flavor. The birthplace of Santa Claus, the land of a thousand lakes - such associations arise when mentioning Finland. And also a sauna, fishing, and special Finnish humor.

However, few people know that “Finland” is not a Finnish word at all. What do Finns call their country, if not Finland? Suomi is the name of the state. Let's figure out where it came from.

A little history. State formation

For almost seven centuries Finland was under Swedish rule. All this time, the Russian Empire was fighting for Finnish lands. Only at the beginning of the 19th century Finland ceded to Russia, and gained independence in 1917. Nevertheless (or maybe that’s why), Finns are very sensitive to the issue of self-determination and national identity. Anxiously, but patiently, accepting the fact of a multilingual and multinational society. Swedish has the status of a second state language, and Russian, although not officially recognized, is studied in many schools and used in everyday life. Signs, price tags in stores, announcements in Russian are the norm, especially in border areas.

Why Suomi?

The way Finns call their country has several interpretations. According to one version, the name comes from the word “suomaa” - swamp, swampy land. According to another, from the word "suomu" - fish scales.

In modern Russian there is also a consonant word “Sami”, the name of a small people living in Lapland, as well as in the northern part of Norway. The Sami are a nomadic tribe of reindeer herders who have preserved their language (in Norway it is the second state language), traditions, and customs.

If you dig deeper, the root of the word "suomi" echoes the Baltic "zeme", which simply means "land".

Finland vs Suomi. What do Finns think?

There is no clear explanation of where the word Finland comes from. Historians only agree that it dates back to the times of Swedish rule. The Scandinavian word "finnland" literally means "beautiful land". This is exactly what the Swedes called part of the territories of modern southwestern Finland back in the 12th century.

The Finns themselves, with their characteristic equanimity, accept both names. Loving your country is a national trait. Moreover, this love is deep, not subject to feelings of false patriotism. What is the Finnish country? The homeland for the Finns is thousands of lakes, endless forests, northern lights and self-esteem. What word this is called outside the country is a secondary matter.

The national idea is not a political system or territorial integrity. For Finns, this is, first of all, silence, peace and respect for nature.

- (self-name Suomalayset) nation, the main population of Finland (4.65 million people), total number of 5.43 million people (1992), including in the Russian Federation 47.1 thousand people (1989). Language Finnish. Protestant believers (Lutherans) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

FINNS, Finns, units. Finn, Finn, husband 1. The people of the Finno-Ugric group, inhabiting the Karelo Finnish SSR and Finland. 2. The general name of the peoples of the Finnish branch of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

FINNS, ov, units. Finn, ah, husband. The people who make up the main population of Finland. | wives Finnish, I. | adj. Finnish, aya, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (self-name suomalay set), people. In the Russian Federation there are 47.1 thousand people living in Karelia, the Leningrad region, etc. The main population is Finland. The Finnish language is a Baltic-Finnish branch of the Finno-Ugric family of languages. Believers... ...Russian history

People living in the northwestern region of Europe. Russia and mainly in Finland. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

FINNS- FINNS, see Cysticercosis. FISTULA, see Fistula... Great Medical Encyclopedia

Finns- residents of a state in Northern Europe, Finland. However, they themselves do not call their country that way. This is a foreign name for them of Germanic origin. Finnish doesn't even have the f sound itself. For them, their country is Suomi, and they themselves are suoma layset (people... ... Ethnopsychological Dictionary

Ov; pl. Nation, main population of Finland; representatives of this nation. ◁ Finn, a; m. Finka, and; pl. genus. nok, dat. nkam; and. Finnish, oh, oh. F. epic. F. language. F. knife (short knife with a thick blade, worn in a sheath). F e sleigh, sleigh (sleigh,... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

FINNS- in a broad sense, a number of Ural-Altai peoples. They were divided into four groups: a) Finnish in the narrow sense (Finns, Ests, Livs, Korels, Lapps); b) Ugric (Magyars, Ostyaks, Voguls); c) Volga region (Meshcherya, Merya, Muroma, Mordva, Cheremisy, Chuvash) and... ... Cossack dictionary-reference book

Books

• Finns serving in the SS troops during the Second World War, V. N. Baryshnikov. The monograph, based on Russian, Finnish and German sources, examines key events relating to relations between Finland and Germany in the 1920-1930s, as well as the period of the so-called…
• Finns serving in the SS troops during the Second World War. Second edition, corrected and expanded, Baryshnikov V.. The monograph, based on Russian, Finnish and German sources, examines key events relating to relations between Finland and Germany in the 1920-1930s, as well as the period of the so-called...