Yaranga is the traditional dwelling of Chukchi reindeer herders (22 photos). How modern Chukchi live (29 photos)

general information

The Chukchi are an indigenous people of the Russian Federation, one of the small peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. The self-name is lygyoravetlan (“real people”). Self-names based on place of residence or migration are common: uvelelyt - “Uelenians”, chaalyt - “nomadic along the Chaun River”, etc. According to their way of life, the Chukchi are divided into two large groups: tundra nomadic reindeer herders (self-name - chauchu, “reindeer man”) and coastal ones - sedentary hunters of sea animals (self-name - ankalyn, “coastal”). Among the Western Chukchi, the self-name Chugchit (probably from Chauchu) is common. The Russian name "Chukchi" also comes from Chauchu.

They speak the Chukchi language, which has several very close dialects that are quite well preserved to this day. Writing was created in 1931 on a Latin graphic basis, which was later replaced by the Russian alphabet.

According to modern research, the ancestors of the Chukchi lived in the interior regions of Chukotka at least 6 thousand years ago. At the beginning of the 1st millennium AD. e. Due to the appearance of a surplus population in the Chukotka tundra and changes in climatic and natural conditions, some Chukotka tribes moved to the sea coast, into the area inhabited by the Eskimos, partially assimilating them, partially adopting many features of their culture. As a result of the interaction of land and sea hunting cultures, an economic division of labor occurred. The Yukaghirs also took part in the ethnogenesis of the Chukchi.

Territory of settlement and number

In 2002, 15,767 Chukchi lived in the Russian Federation, of which 12,622 people (about 70%) live in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the Chukchi lived mainly in the Chukotka, Providensky and Iultinsky regions. The intensive development of reindeer husbandry in the 18th century and the need for new pasture lands caused the Chukchi to move west and south. By the beginning of the 20th century, they occupied the entire modern territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, some of the Chukchi ended up in Kamchatka, another small group - beyond the Kolyma in Yakutia. They live here at the present time: in Kamchatka - in the Olyutorsky district (village Achai-Vayam, etc.) of the Koryak Autonomous Okrug (1,530 people), in Yakutia - in the Nizhne-Kolyma region (1,300).

The distribution of the Chukchi among the regions of the district in recent decades indicates their weak migration. Changes in numbers are mainly due to natural growth and changes in the boundaries of districts (Shmidtovsky, Anadyrsky). The Chukchi live in all settlements of the district together with Russians, Eskimos, Evens, Chuvans and other peoples. There are no purely Chukchi settlements, but in most villages the Chukchi predominate.

Lifestyle and support system

The main traditional occupation of the tundra (reindeer) Chukchi is nomadic reindeer herding. Reindeer herders spent most of the year on the move. Each group of Chukchi had permanent migration routes and their own grazing territory. In the forest zone, migrations occurred every 5-6 days, in the tundra - 3-4 times during the winter. Semi-free grazing of deer was practiced everywhere. In the summer, the herds were located on the ocean coast, where there were fewer mosquitoes and gadflies. About a quarter of the reindeer Chukchi spent the summer in the continental part of Chukotka on the northern slopes of the mountains, where snow remained. With the onset of autumn, all the reindeer herders moved inland to the forest border. The Chukchi did not know a shepherd dog, and the shepherds were with the herd around the clock. Reindeer husbandry provided everything necessary for life: food, clothing, housing, means of transportation.

The basis of the economic activity of the coastal Chukchi was sea hunting, the products of which (meat, fat for food and heating, clothing) also provided all the needs of life, and also served as an object of exchange with reindeer herders. Some of the Chukchi reindeer were also engaged in marine hunting during the stay of the herds on the coast. Fish was caught in case of emergency in free time from grazing. Fishing was somewhat more important in the basins of large rivers - Anadyr, Chaun, Kolyma. The development of trade relations stimulated the development of the fur trade, which had also not been of great importance before. In Soviet times, reindeer husbandry in Chukotka developed successfully. Improved breeding of animals, a more rational structure of the herd, successes in the fight against necrobacteriosis (hoof bacilli) and other diseases, and anti-water treatment of animals contributed to a significant increase in the number of animals and the productivity of the industry as a whole. By the beginning of the 90s. in Chukotka there was one of the largest herds of domestic reindeer in the world - about 500 thousand. Reindeer husbandry formed the basis of the economy of state farms, covering the losses of other industries, was the main area of ​​employment for a significant part of the Chukchi, and ensured their economic prosperity.

In conditions of market reforms, intensive destruction of the industry is observed. The number of deer in the area has dropped by more than half. The reform of state farms, the transition to new forms of industry organization based on private and collective shared ownership, not supported by material and technical resources, led to a curtailment of production. Almost all livestock farms and a number of fur farms where Chukchi women worked were liquidated.

Ethno-social situation

The ethno-social situation in many areas of Chukotka is extremely difficult. Its main components are mass unemployment of the indigenous population, problems with providing villages with fuel, food, electricity, and an increase in the incidence and mortality of aborigines. According to these and a number of other parameters, Chukotka, due to the peculiarities of its geographical location and climatic conditions, is in the most disastrous situation among other regions of the North. The incidence of tuberculosis among the Chukchi and other indigenous peoples of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is 10 times higher than the corresponding indicators for the non-indigenous population. In 1996, per 100 thousand people with active tuberculosis among indigenous people there were 737.1, including 233 children. The socio-economic situation in Chukotka in some years became so aggravated that it required the intervention of the federal government and humanitarian assistance from the international communities. In September 1996, the Government of the Russian Federation adopted a decree “On urgent measures to stabilize the socio-economic situation in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.” In recent years, with the arrival of a new governor, the situation has changed for the better, but much remains to be done to overcome the crisis.

Ethno-cultural situation

According to the 2002 census, the Chukchi language was considered the native language by 27.6% of the Chukchi. The Chukchi language is taught in many villages. Since 1992, it has been studied as part of the secondary school curriculum. Educational, artistic and socio-political literature is systematically published in the Chukchi language, and district radio and television broadcasts. Since 1953, the newspaper “Sovetken Chukotka” has been published (currently “Murgin Nuteneut”, a supplement to the district newspaper “Far North”). Teachers of the Chukchi language are trained by the Anadyr Pedagogical College, Russian State Pedagogical University named after. Herzen in St. Petersburg, Magadan Pedagogical Institute. Some of the Chukotka youth speak their native language, which is certainly a positive and stabilizing factor. The basic elements of traditional material and spiritual culture are preserved: means of transportation, housing (in the tundra among reindeer herders), holidays, rituals and customs, and religious beliefs.

The work of the artists of the professional Chukchi-Eskimo choreographic ensemble “Ergyron” and the Chukchi poetess A. Kymytval is widely known in the country and abroad. The traditional art of engraving and bone carving has been preserved and developed. The Chukotka branch of the North-Eastern Complex Institute of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences has been established in Anadyr, which employs about 10 researchers from among the Chukchi and other peoples of the North. Various aspects of the traditional culture of the Chukchi, their language, folk methods of treatment, problems of transforming economic relations and forms of ownership and other relevant problems for the district are studied. However, the difficult socio-economic situation in the district as a whole does not provide the opportunity for the full development of all traditional forms of culture and art. People, especially in remote villages and in the tundra, are busy surviving in these difficult conditions. Today it is important to at least carefully preserve the surviving centers of culture.

Management and self-government bodies

The Chukchi are one of the few indigenous peoples of the North of the Russian Federation that formally have their own autonomous entity. Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is currently a subject of the Russian Federation. The creation of the district played an important role in the development of the economy and culture of the local indigenous population. However, as the mining industry developed in Chukotka and the number of newcomers grew, the district increasingly lost the features of a national-state formation, turning into an ordinary administrative-territorial unit. The only reminder of his former purpose remained the position of Chairman of the district executive committee, which, according to established tradition, was occupied by a representative of the Chukchi people. In other government bodies, the Chukchi were represented purely symbolically. Suffice it to say that in the late 80s. Only 96 Chukchi worked in the sphere of state and economic management, most of them in minor positions. Unfortunately, this trend continues today. The functions of the self-government body are performed by the Association of Indigenous Minorities of the North of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, created in 1989. Its territorial branches operate in each district of the district.

Legal documents and laws

The legislative framework of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in relation to small peoples is represented by a number of documents. The Charter of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (adopted by the Duma in 1997) contains articles that define the policy of government authorities to protect and ensure the rights of indigenous peoples, the development of education, culture, environmental protection, the organization of local self-government and other important for the indigenous population questions. A temporary regulation “On the procedure for transferring land plots for reindeer herding farms” has been developed. A temporary regulation “On the procedure for approving the allocation of land plots for the use of the subsoil of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug” was approved, which takes into account the interests of small peoples. The laws “On preferential taxation of enterprises participating in the development of social infrastructure of national villages”, “On the referendum of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug”, “On the procedure and principles for providing tax benefits” were adopted. A number of vital provisions for the Chukchi and other indigenous peoples of the district are reflected in the Executive Resolutions: “On measures to implement the program for the development of national villages (1996), “On measures to streamline the production and sale of biologically active reindeer raw materials” (1996), “ About the Chukotka District Scientific Advisory Council on Whaling" (1997), etc.

Contemporary environmental issues

The state of the natural environment in the district began to cause serious concern already in the late 80s. By this time, as a result of industrial development and mismanagement of land, the area of ​​reindeer pastures had decreased by 5 million hectares compared to 1970. Widespread deterioration of pasture areas and a decrease in feed supplies are still observed today. 8 specially protected areas with an area of ​​3 million hectares (4% of the entire territory of the district) have been created here. Attempts are being made to implement international projects in the district (Beringia Park, EKORA project).

Prospects for preserving the Chukchi as an ethnic group

The Chukchi are one of the few northern peoples of Russia that are not yet in danger of disappearing from the national map of Russia in the promising future. The degree of preservation of the traditional culture of the Chukchi, the level of their ethnic self-awareness and ethnic solidarity allows us to make positive forecasts and look to the future. However, if in the near future the state and regional authorities do not provide significant support to the indigenous ethnic group of Chukotka and do not raise the socio-economic status of the district, then the Chukchi, as the most vulnerable part of the population, will be thrown far back in their development and survival. It is also necessary to emphasize that the Chukchi organizations themselves and their leaders must play a huge role in preserving and consolidating the people.

Every nation living far from civilization has traditions and customs that seem at least strange to the uninitiated. Now, in the era of globalization, the originality of small nations is rapidly eroding, but some centuries-old foundations are still preserved. For example, the Chukchi have a very extravagant system of marriage and family relations.

The Chukchi - the indigenous people of the Far North - live according to the laws of the levirate. This is a marriage custom that does not allow families that have lost their breadwinner to be left without support and livelihood. The brother or other close relative of the deceased man has the responsibility to marry the widow and adopt her children.


Obviously, the effect of levirate explains the popularity of the tradition of group marriage. Married men agree to unite families in order to provide each other with labor and material support. Of course, the poor Chukchi strive to enter into such an alliance with rich friends and neighbors.


Ethnographer Vladimir Bogoraz wrote: “When entering into a group marriage, men sleep without asking, interspersed with other people’s wives. The Chukchi wife exchange is usually limited to only one or two friends; however, examples are not uncommon when such close relationships are maintained with many.”


Children born into families in group marriage relationships are considered siblings. And all members of the extended family take care of them. So group marriage is a real salvation for childless couples: a friend will always help an infertile man to have children. And the birth of a baby for the Chukchi is always a very joyful event, regardless of who his biological father is.

The northernmost region of the Far East is the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Its territory is home to several indigenous peoples who came there thousands of years ago. Most of all in Chukotka there are Chukchi themselves - about 15 thousand. For a long time, they roamed throughout the peninsula, herding deer, hunting whales and living in yarangas.
Now many reindeer herders and hunters have turned into housing and communal services workers, and yarangas and kayaks have been replaced by ordinary houses with heating.
Cucumbers for 600 rubles per kilogram and a dozen eggs for 200 – modern consumer realities in remote areas of Chukotka. Fur production is closed, as it does not fit into capitalism, and the extraction of venison, although still going on, is subsidized by the state - deer meat cannot compete even with expensive beef, which is brought from the “mainland”. A similar story is with the renovation of housing stock: it is not profitable for construction companies to take on repair contracts, since the lion's share of the estimate is the cost of transporting materials and workers off-road. Young people leaving the villages, and serious problems with healthcare - the Soviet system collapsed, and a new one has not really been created.

The ancestors of the Chukchi appeared in the tundra before our era. Presumably, they came from the territory of Kamchatka and the current Magadan region, then moved through the Chukotka Peninsula towards the Bering Strait and stopped there.

Faced with the Eskimos, the Chukchi adopted their marine hunting trade, subsequently displacing them from the Chukotka Peninsula. At the turn of the millennium, the Chukchi learned reindeer husbandry from the nomads of the Tungus group - the Evens and Yukaghirs.

“Now it is no easier to get into the reindeer herders’ camps of Chukotka than in the time of Tan Bogoraz (the famous Russian ethnographer who described the life of the Chukchi at the beginning of the 20th century).
You can fly to Anadyr and then to national villages by plane. But then it’s very difficult to get from the village to a specific reindeer herding team at the right time,” explains Puya. Reindeer herders' camps are constantly moving, and over long distances. There are no roads to get to their camp sites: they have to travel on tracked all-terrain vehicles or snowmobiles, sometimes on reindeer and dog sleds. In addition, reindeer herders strictly observe the timing of migrations, the time of their rituals and holidays.

Vladimir Puya

Life of reindeer herders

But the Soviet government, which came to Chukotka in the 30s of the last century, was dissatisfied with the “uncontrolled” movement of people. The indigenous people were told where to build new – semi-permanent – ​​housing. This was done for the convenience of transporting goods by sea. They did the same with the camps. At the same time, new jobs arose for indigenous residents, and hospitals, schools, and cultural centers appeared in the settlements. The Chukchi were taught writing. And the reindeer herders themselves lived almost better than all other Chukchi - until the 80s of the 20th century.

Now residents of Konergino send letters at the post office, shop in two stores (Nord and Katyusha), call “the mainland” from the only landline telephone in the entire village, sometimes go to the local cultural club, and use the medical outpatient clinic. However, the residential buildings in the village are in disrepair and are not subject to major repairs. “Firstly, they don’t give us much money, and secondly, due to the complex transport scheme, it is difficult to deliver materials to the village,” said the head of the settlement, Alexander Mylnikov, several years ago. According to him, if previously the housing stock in Konergino was repaired by utility workers, now they have neither building materials nor labor. “It is expensive to deliver construction materials to the village; the contractor spends about half of the allocated funds on transportation costs. The builders refuse, it is not profitable for them to work with us,” he complained.

About 330 people live in Konergino. Of these, there are about 70 children: most go to school. Fifty local residents work in housing and communal services, and the school, together with the kindergarten, employs 20 educators, teachers, nannies and cleaners. Young people do not stay in Konergino: school graduates go to study and work in other places. The depressive state of the village is illustrated by the situation with the traditional crafts for which the Konergins were famous.

“We no longer have marine hunting. According to capitalist rules, it is not profitable,” says Puya. “The fur farms closed, and the fur trade was quickly forgotten. In the 90s, fur production in Konergino collapsed.” All that remains is reindeer husbandry: in Soviet times and until the mid-2000s, while Roman Abramovich remained as governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, it was successful here.

There are 51 reindeer herders working in Konergino, of which 34 work in brigades in the tundra. According to Pui, reindeer herders' incomes are extremely low. “This is an unprofitable industry, there is not enough money for salaries. The state covers the lack of funds so that the salary is higher than the subsistence level, which in our case is 13 thousand. The reindeer farm that employs the workers pays them approximately 12.5 thousand. The state pays up to 20 thousand extra so that the reindeer herders don’t die of hunger,” complains Puya.

When asked why it is impossible to pay more, Puya replies that the cost of producing venison on different farms varies from 500 to 700 rubles per kilogram. And wholesale prices for beef and pork, which are imported “from the mainland,” start at 200 rubles. The Chukchi cannot sell meat for 800-900 rubles and are forced to set the price at 300 rubles - at a loss. “There is no point in capitalist development of this industry,” says Puya. “But this is the last thing left in the ethnic villages.”

Evgeny Kaipanau, a 36-year-old Chukchi, was born in Lorino into the family of the most respected whaler. “Lorino” (in Chukchi – “Lauren”) is translated from Chukchi as “found camp”. The settlement stands on the shore of Mechigmenskaya Bay of the Bering Sea. Several hundred kilometers away are the American islands of Krusenstern and St. Lawrence; Alaska is also very close. But planes fly to Anadyr once every two weeks - and only if the weather is good. Lorino is covered from the north by hills, so there are more windless days here than in neighboring villages. True, despite relatively good weather conditions, in the 90s almost all Russian residents left Lorino, and since then only Chukchi have lived there - about 1,500 people.

The houses in Lorino are rickety wooden buildings with peeling walls and faded paint. In the center of the village there are several cottages built by Turkish workers - insulated buildings with cold water, which in Lorino is considered a privilege (if you run cold water through ordinary pipes, it will freeze in winter). There is hot water throughout the settlement, because the local boiler house operates all year round. But there is no hospital or clinic here - for several years now people have been sent for medical care by air ambulance or on all-terrain vehicles.

Lorino is famous for its marine mammal hunting. It’s not for nothing that the documentary film “Whaler” was filmed here in 2008, which received the TEFI prize. Hunting sea animals is still an important activity for local residents. Whalers not only feed their families or earn money by selling meat to the local trapping community, they also honor the traditions of their ancestors.

Since childhood, Kaipanau knew how to properly slaughter walruses, catch fish and whales, and walk in the tundra. But after school he went to Anadyr to study first as an artist and then as a choreographer. Until 2005, while living in Lorino, he often went on tour to Anadyr or Moscow to perform with national ensembles. Due to constant travel, climate change and flights, Kaipanau decided to finally move to Moscow. There he got married, his daughter was nine months old. “I try to instill my creativity and culture in my wife,” says Evgeniy. “Although many things seemed wild to her before, especially when she found out the conditions in which my people live. I instill traditions and customs in my daughter, for example, showing national clothes. I want her to know that she is a hereditary Chukchi.”

Evgeny now rarely appears in Chukotka: he tours and represents the Chukchi culture around the world together with his ensemble “Nomad”. In the ethnopark “Nomad” of the same name near Moscow, where Kaipanau works, he conducts thematic excursions and shows documentaries about Chukotka, including Vladimir Pui.

But living far from his homeland does not prevent him from knowing about many things happening in Lorino: his mother remains there, she works in the city administration. Thus, he is sure that young people are drawn to those traditions that are being lost in other regions of the country. “Culture, language, hunting skill. Young people in Chukotka, including young people from our village, are learning to catch whales. Our people live with this all the time,” says Kaipanau.

In the summer season, the Chukchi hunted whales and walruses, and in the winter season, they hunted seals. They hunted with harpoons, knives and spears. Whales and walruses were hunted together, but seals were hunted individually. The Chukchi caught fish with nets made of whale and deer tendons or leather belts, nets and bits. In winter - in an ice hole, in summer - from the shore or from kayaks. In addition, until the beginning of the 19th century, bears and wolves, rams and moose, wolverines, foxes and arctic foxes were hunted with bows, spears and traps. Waterfowl were killed with a throwing weapon (bola) and darts with a throwing plank. From the second half of the 19th century, guns began to be used, and then whaling firearms.

Products that are imported from the mainland cost a lot of money in the village. “They bring “golden” eggs for 200 rubles. I’m generally silent about grapes,” adds Kaipanau. Prices reflect the sad socio-economic situation in Lorino. There are few places in the settlement where one can show professionalism and university skills. “But the situation of the people is, in principle, normal,” the interlocutor immediately clarifies. “After Abramovich’s arrival (from 2001 to 2008), things became much better: more jobs appeared, houses were rebuilt, and first aid stations were established.” Kaipanau recalls how whalers he knew “came, took the governor’s motor boats for free and left.” “Now they live and enjoy,” he says. The federal authorities, according to him, also help the Chukchi, but not very actively.

Kaipanau has a dream. He wants to create educational ethnic centers in Chukotka, where indigenous peoples could relearn their culture: build kayaks and yarangas, embroider, sing, dance.
“In the ethnopark, many visitors consider the Chukchi to be an uneducated and backward people; They think that they don’t wash and constantly say “however.” They even sometimes tell me that I am not a real Chukchi. But we are real people.”

Every morning, Natalya, a 45-year-old resident of the village of Sireniki (who asked that her last name not be used), wakes up at 8 a.m. to go to work at the local school. She is a watchman and technical worker.
Sireniki, where Natalya has lived for 28 years, is located in the Providensky urban district of Chukotka, on the shores of the Bering Sea. The first Eskimo settlement appeared here about three thousand years ago, and in the vicinity of the village remains of the dwellings of ancient people are still found. In the 60s of the last century, the Chukchi joined the indigenous inhabitants. Therefore, the village has two names: from Ekimo it is translated as “Valley of the Sun”, and from Chukchi – “Rocky Terrain”.
Sireniki is surrounded by hills, and it is difficult to get here, especially in winter - only by snowmobile or helicopter. From spring to autumn, sea vessels come here. From above, the village looks like a box of colorful candies: green, blue and red cottages, an administration building, a post office, a kindergarten and an outpatient clinic. Previously, there were many dilapidated wooden houses in Sireniki, but a lot has changed, says Natalya, with the arrival of Abramovich. “My husband and I used to live in a house with stove heating; we had to wash dishes outside. Then Valera fell ill with tuberculosis, and his attending physician helped us get a new cottage due to his illness. Now we have a European-quality renovation.”

Clothing and food

The shepherd always had to protect the number of deer, so livestock breeders and families ate vegetarian food in the summer, and if they ate deer, then it was completely, right down to the antlers and hooves. They preferred boiled meat, but often ate it raw: the shepherds in the herd simply did not have time to cook. The sedentary Chukchi ate the meat of walruses, which were previously killed in huge quantities.

How do they live in Sireniki?

Dome

The woman knows little about production, salaries and investments in the region, but often repeats: “The Dome helps us.” The fact is that the Canadian company that owns the deposit created a Social Development Fund back in 2009; it allocates money for socially significant projects. At least a third of the budget goes to support the indigenous peoples of the Autonomous Okrug. For example, Kupol helped publish a dictionary of the Chukchi language, opened courses in indigenous languages, and built a school for 65 children and a kindergarten for 32 in Sireniki.

“My Valera also received a grant,” says Natalya. – Two years ago, Kupol allocated him 1.5 million rubles for a huge 20-ton freezer. After all, the whalers will get the animal, there is a lot of meat - it will spoil. And now this camera is a lifesaver. With the remaining money, my husband and his colleagues bought tools to build kayaks.”

Natalya, a Chukchi and hereditary reindeer herder, believes that the national culture is now being revived. He says that every Tuesday and Friday the local village club holds rehearsals for the Northern Lights ensemble; courses of Chukchi and other languages ​​are opening (albeit in the regional center - Anadyr); competitions like the Governor's Cup or the Barents Sea regatta are held. “And this year our ensemble is invited to a grand event - an international festival! Five people will fly to the dance program. It will all be in Alaska, she will pay for the flight and accommodation,” says the woman. She admits that the Russian state also supports national culture, but she mentions the Dome much more often. Natalya does not know of a domestic fund that would finance the peoples of Chukotka.

Another key issue is healthcare. In Chukotka, as in other northern regions, says Nina Veisalova, a representative of the Association of Small Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East (AMKNSS and FERF), respiratory diseases are very common. But, according to available information, tuberculosis dispensaries are closing in ethnic villages. There are many cancer patients. The previously existing health care system ensured the identification, observation and treatment of sick people from among small peoples, which was enshrined in law. Unfortunately, such a scheme does not work today. The authorities do not answer the question about the closure of tuberculosis dispensaries, but only report that in every district and settlement of Chukotka hospitals, medical outpatient clinics and medical and obstetric centers have been preserved.

There is a stereotype in Russian society: the Chukchi people drank themselves to death after the “white man” came to the territory of Chukotka - that is, since the beginning of the last century. The Chukchi never drank alcohol, their body does not produce an enzyme that breaks down alcohol, and because of this, the effect of alcohol on their health is more detrimental than that of other peoples. But according to Evgeniy Kaipanau, the level of the problem is greatly overestimated. “With alcohol [among the Chukchi], everything is the same as everywhere else. But they drink less than anywhere else,” he says. At the same time, says Kaipanau, the Chukchi actually did not have an enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the past. “Now, although the enzyme has been developed, people still do not drink as the legends say,” sums up the Chukchi.

Kaipanau’s opinion is supported by Doctor of Medical Sciences GNICP Irina Samorodskaya, one of the authors of the report “Mortality and the share of deaths in economically active age from causes related to alcohol (drugs), MI and IHD from all deaths aged 15-72 years” for 2013. According to Rosstat, the document says, the highest mortality rate from alcohol-related causes is indeed in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug - 268 people per 100 thousand. But these data, Samorodskaya emphasizes, apply to the entire population of the district. “Yes, the indigenous population of those territories are the Chukchi, but they are not the only ones who live there,” she explains. In addition, according to Samorodskaya, Chukotka is higher in all mortality indicators than other regions - and this is not only alcohol mortality, but also other external causes. “It is now impossible to say that it was the Chukchi who died from alcohol, this is how the system works. First, if people do not want an alcohol-related cause of death on their deceased relative's death certificate, it will not be listed. Secondly, the vast majority of deaths occur at home. And there, death certificates are often filled out by a local doctor or even a paramedic, which is why other reasons may be indicated in the documents - it’s easier to write that way.”

Finally, another serious problem in the region, according to Veisalova, is the relationship between industrial companies and the indigenous local population. “People come like conquerors, disturbing the peace and quiet of the local residents. I think there should be regulations on the interaction between companies and peoples,” she says.

Language and religion

The Chukchi have long believed that the world is divided into upper, middle and lower. At the same time, the upper world (“cloud land”) is inhabited by the “upper people” (in Chukchi - gyrgorramkyn), or “people of the dawn” (tnargy-ramkyn), and the supreme deity among the Chukchi does not play a serious role. The Chukchi believed that their soul was immortal, they believed in reincarnation, and shamanism was widespread among them. Both men and women could be shamans, but among the Chukchi the shamans of the “transformed sex” were considered especially powerful - men who acted as housewives, and women who adopted the clothes, activities and habits of men.

Time and the Chukchi themselves will draw all the conclusions.

Schoolchildren can easily answer the question “Where do the Chukchi live?” In the Far East there is Chukotka or the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. But if we complicate the question a little: “Where do the Chukchi and Eskimos live?”, difficulties arise. There is no region of the same name; we need to find a more serious approach and understand the national intricacies.

Are there any differences between the Chukchi, Eskimos and Koryaks?

Of course there is. All these are different nationalities, once tribes, having common roots and inhabiting similar territories.

The regions in Russia where the Chukchi or Luoravetlans live are concentrated in the north. These are the Republic of Sakha, Koryak Autonomous Okrug and Since ancient times, their tribes have inhabited the extreme regions of Eastern Siberia. At first they were nomadic, but after taming the reindeer they began to adapt a little. They speak the Chukchi language, which has several dialects. The Luoravetlans or Chukchi (self-name) divided themselves into sea hunters living on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, and reindeer hunters of the tundra.

Some anthropologists classify the Eskimos as a Mongoloid race of Arctic origin. This nation lives in the state of Alaska (USA), in the northern regions of Canada, on the island of Greenland (Denmark) and quite a few (1,500 people) in Chukotka. In each country, Eskimos speak their own language: Greenlandic, Alaskan Inuit, and Canadian Eskimo. All of them are divided into different dialects.

Who are the Chukchi and Koryak? The Luoravetlans first pushed back the Eskimo tribes, and then separated territorially from the Koryaks. Today, the Koryaks (a common people with the Chukchi) constitute the indigenous population of the autonomous district of the same name in the Kamchatka region in Russia. In total there are about 7,000 people. The Koryak language belongs to the Chukchi-Kamchatka group. The first mentions of the Koryaks are found in documents of the 16th century. People are described, some of whom were engaged in reindeer herding, and others in marine fishing.

Appearance

Where do the Chukchi live and what do they look like? The answer to the first part of the question is formulated above. More recently, scientists have proven the genetic relationship of the Chukchi and Indians. Indeed, their appearance has a lot in common. The Chukchi belong to a mixed Mongoloid race. They are similar to the inhabitants of Mongolia, China, and Korea, but are somewhat different.

The eye shape of Luoravetlan men is more horizontal than slanting. The cheekbones are not as wide as those of the Yakuts, and the skin color has a bronze tint. Women of this nationality are more similar in appearance to Mongoloids: wide cheekbones, wide noses with large nostrils. Hair color for representatives of both Men cut their hair short, women braid two braids and decorate them with beads. Married women wear bangs.

Luoravetlan winter clothes are two-layer, most often sewn from fawn fur. Summer clothing consists of capes or jackets made of deer suede.

Character traits

When drawing a psychological portrait of this nationality, they note the main feature - excessive nervous excitability. Luoravetlan are easily disturbed from a state of spiritual balance; they are very hot-tempered. Against this background, they have a tendency towards murder or suicide. For example, a relative can easily respond to the request of a seriously ill family member and kill him so that he does not suffer in agony. extremely independent, original. In any dispute or struggle they show unprecedented persistence.

At the same time, these people are very hospitable and good-natured, naive. They selflessly come to the aid of their neighbors and everyone in need. They take the concept of marital fidelity very lightly. Wives are rarely jealous of their husbands.

Living conditions

Where the Chukchi live (pictured below), there is a short polar summer, and the rest of the time is winter. To refer to the weather, residents use only two expressions: “there is weather” or “there is no weather.” This designation is an indicator of the hunt, that is, whether it will be successful or not. From time immemorial, the Chukchi have continued their fishing traditions. They love seal meat very much. A happy hunter catches three in one go, then his family with children (usually 5-6 of them) will be fed for several days.

Places for yarang families are most often chosen surrounded by hills so that there is more calmness. It is very cold inside, although the dwelling is lined length and breadth with skins. Usually there is a small fire in the middle, surrounded by round boulders. There is a hanging cauldron of food on it. The wife takes care of the housework, butchering carcasses, cooking, and salting meat. There are children near her. Together they collect plants in season. The husband is the breadwinner. This way of life has been preserved for many centuries.

Sometimes such indigenous families do not go to the villages for months. Some children don't even have a birth certificate. Parents then have to prove that this is their child.

Why is the Chukchi the hero of jokes?

There is an opinion that Russians composed humorous stories about them out of fear and respect, a sense of superiority over themselves. Since the 18th century, when Cossack troops moved across endless Siberia and met the Luoravetlan tribes, rumors began to circulate about a warlike nation that was very difficult to surpass in battle.

The Chukchi taught their sons fearlessness and dexterity from childhood, raising them in Spartan conditions. In the harsh terrain where the Chukchi live, the future hunter must be sensitive, be able to endure any discomfort, sleep standing up, and not be afraid of pain. The favorite national wrestling takes place on a spread of slippery sealskin, along the perimeter of which sharply sharpened claws protrude.

Militant reindeer herders

The Koryak population, which before the Chukchi became part of the Russian Empire, fled from the battlefield if they saw at least several dozen Luoravetlans. Even in other countries there were tales about militant reindeer herders who are not afraid of arrows, dodge them, catch them and launch them at the enemy with their hands. Women and children who were captured killed themselves to avoid being enslaved.

In battle, the Chukchi were merciless, accurately killing the enemy with arrows, the tips of which were smeared with poison.

The government began to warn the Cossacks not to engage in battles with the Chukchi. At the next stage, they decided to bribe, persuade, and then solder the population (more so in Soviet times). And at the end of the 18th century. A fortress was built near the Angarka River. Fairs were periodically organized near it to trade with reindeer herders in exchange. Luoravetlans were not allowed into their territory. Russian Cossacks have always been interested in where the Chukchi live and what they do.

Trade affairs

Reindeer herders paid tribute to the Russian Empire in the amount they could afford. Often she was not paid at all. With the beginning of peace negotiations and cooperation, the Russians brought syphilis to the Chukchi. They were now afraid of all representatives of the Caucasian race. For example, they did not have trade relations with the French and British simply because they were “white.”

We were establishing relations with Japan, a neighboring country. The Chukchi live where it is impossible to extract metal ores in the depths of the earth. Therefore, they actively bought protective armor, armor, other military uniforms and equipment, and metal products from the Japanese.

The Luoravetlans exchanged furs and other extracted goods for tobacco with the Americans. The skins of blue fox, marten, and whalebone were highly valued.

Chukchi today

Most of the Luoravetlans mixed with other nationalities. There are almost no purebred Chukchi left now. The “ineradicable people,” as they are often called, assimilated. At the same time, they preserve their occupation, culture, and way of life.

Many scientists are confident that the small indigenous ethnic group is threatened not by extinction, but by the social abyss in which they find themselves. Many children cannot read and write and do not go to school. The standard of living of the Luoravetlans is far from civilization, and they do not strive for it. The Chukchi live in harsh natural conditions and do not like having their own rules imposed on them. But when they find frozen Russians in the snow, they bring them to the yaranga. They say that they then put the guest under the skin along with his naked wife so that she can warm him up.

sabeltiger 14-01-2010 10:29

Life and survival of the Chukchi.
They live in camps of 2-3 houses, which are removed as the reindeer food depletes. In the summer, some go down to the sea. Despite the need for migration, their dwelling is quite cumbersome and can be easily transported only due to the abundance of reindeer (the camp's trainload reaches up to 100 sleighs). The Chukchi dwelling consists of a large tent of irregular polygonal shape, covered with panels of reindeer skins, with the fur facing out. Resistance against wind pressure is provided by stones tied to the pillars and cover of the hut. The fireplace is in the middle of the hut and surrounded by sleighs with household supplies. The actual living space, where the Chukchi eat, drink and sleep, consists of a small rectangular fur tent-canopy, fixed at the back wall of the tent and sealed tightly from the floor. The temperature in this cramped room, heated by the animal warmth of its inhabitants and partly by a fat lamp, is so high that the Chukchi strip naked in it. Chukchi winter clothing is of the usual polar type. It is sewn from the fur of fawns (grown up autumn calf) and for men consists of a double fur shirt (the lower one with the fur towards the body and the upper one with the fur outward), the same double pants, short fur stockings with the same boots and a hat in the form of a woman's bonnet. Women's clothing is completely unique, also double, consisting of seamlessly sewn trousers together with a low-cut bodice, cinched at the waist, with a slit on the chest and extremely wide sleeves, thanks to which Chukchi women can easily free their hands while working. Summer outerwear includes robes made of reindeer suede or colorful purchased fabrics, as well as kamleikas made of fine-haired deer skin with various ritual stripes. The infant's costume consists of a reindeer bag with blind branches for the arms and legs. Instead of diapers, a layer of moss with reindeer hair is placed, which absorbs feces, which are removed daily through a special valve attached to the opening of the bag.

Most of the Chukchi jewelry - pendants, headbands, necklaces (in the form of straps with beads and figurines, etc.) - have religious significance; but there are also real decorations in the form of metal bracelets, earrings, etc. The embroidery of the Reindeer Chukchi is very rough. Painting the face with the blood of the murdered victim, with the image of a hereditary-tribal sign - a totem, also has ritual significance. The most favorite pattern, according to Mr. Bogoraz, is a row of small holes sewn along the edges (English embroidery). Often the design consists of black and white squares of smooth deerskin, cut and sewn together. The original pattern on the quivers and clothes of the coastal Chukchi is of Eskimo origin; from the Chukchi it passed to many polar peoples of Asia. Hair styling is different for men and women. The latter braid two braids on both sides of the head, decorating them with beads and buttons, sometimes releasing the front strands onto the forehead (married women). Men cut their hair very smoothly, leaving a wide fringe in front and two tufts of hair in the form of animal ears on the crown. The utensils, tools and weapons currently used are mainly European (metal cauldrons, teapots, iron knives, guns, etc.), but even today in the life of the Chukchi there are many remnants of recent primitive culture: bone shovels, hoes, drills, bone and stone arrows, spearheads, etc., a complex bow of the American type, slings made of knuckles, armor made of leather and iron plates, stone hammers, scrapers, knives, a primitive projectile for making fire by friction, primitive lamps in the form of a round flat a vessel made of soft stone filled with seal fat, etc. Their light sleds, with arched supports instead of hoofs, adapted only for sitting astride them, have been preserved in primitive times. The sled is harnessed either to a pair of reindeer (among the reindeer Chukchi), or to dogs, according to the American model (among the coastal Chukchi). The Chukchi food is predominantly meat, boiled and raw (brain, kidney, liver, eyes, tendons). They also readily consume wild roots, stems, and leaves, which are boiled with blood and fat. A unique dish is the so-called monyalo - half-digested moss extracted from a large deer stomach; Various canned food and fresh dishes are prepared from monyal. Semi-liquid stew made from monyal, blood, fat and finely chopped meat until very recently was the most common type of hot food. The Chukchi are very partial to tobacco, vodka and fly agarics. The Chukchi clan is agnatic, united by the commonality of fire, consanguinity in the male line, a common totem sign, family revenge and religious rites. Marriage is predominantly endogamous, individual, often polygamous (2-3 wives); among a certain circle of relatives and brothers-in-arms, mutual use of wives is allowed, by agreement; levirate is also common. Kalym does not exist. Chastity does not matter for a girl. According to their beliefs, the Chukchi are animists; they personify and idolize certain areas and natural phenomena (masters of the forest, water, fire, sun, deer, etc.), many animals (bear, crow), stars, sun and moon, believe in hosts of evil spirits that cause all earthly disasters, including illness and death, have a number of regular holidays (autumn festival of deer slaughter, spring - antlers, winter sacrifice to the star Altair, the ancestor of the Chukchi, etc.) and many irregular ones (feeding the fire, sacrifices after each hunt, funerals of the dead , votive ministries, etc.). Each family, in addition, has its own family shrines: hereditary projectiles for producing sacred fire through friction for famous festivals, one for each family member (the bottom plate of the projectile represents a figure with the head of the owner of fire), then bundles of wooden knots of “misfortune removers”, wooden images of ancestors and, finally, a family tambourine, since the Chukchi ritual with a tambourine is not the property of only specialist shamans. The latter, having sensed their calling, experience a preliminary period of a kind of involuntary temptation, fall into deep thought, wander without food or sleep for whole days until they receive real inspiration. Some die from this crisis; some receive a suggestion to change their gender, that is, a man should turn into a woman, and vice versa. Those transformed take on the clothes and lifestyle of their new sex, even get married, get married, etc. The dead are either burned or wrapped in layers of raw deer meat and left in the field, after first cutting the throat and chest of the deceased and pulling out part of the heart and liver. First, the deceased is dressed, fed and told fortunes, forcing him to answer questions. Old people often kill themselves in advance or, at their request, are killed by close relatives.
With the advent of Soviet power, the Chukchi, with the exception of nomadic reindeer herders, moved to modern European-style houses. Schools, hospitals, and cultural institutions appeared in populated areas. A written language was created. The Chukchi literacy level (ability to write and read) does not differ from the national average.
Religiously, most Chukchi by the beginning of the 20th century were baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church, however, among the nomads there are remnants of traditional beliefs (shamanism).
Chukchi carved bone is a type of folk art that has long been common among the Chukchi and Eskimos of the northeastern coast of the Chukotka Peninsula and the Diomede Islands; plastically expressive figures of animals, people, sculptural groups made of walrus tusk; engraved and relief images on walrus tusks and household items.
Bone carving in Chukotka has a long history. The Old Bering Sea culture is characterized by animalistic sculpture and household objects made of bone and decorated with relief carvings and curvilinear designs. In the next, Punuk period, which lasted approximately until the beginning of the second millennium, the sculpture acquired a geometrized character, the curvilinear ornament was replaced by a strict rectilinear one. In the 19th century, plot engraving on bone appeared, taking its origins from Pegtymel petroglyphs and ritual drawings on wood.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, as a result of the development of trade with American and European merchants and whalers, souvenir objects decorated with carvings appeared and were intended for sale. The beginning of the 20th century was characterized by the appearance of walrus tusks with images engraved on them.
In the 1930s, fishing gradually concentrated in Uelen, Naukan and Dezhnev. In 1931, a stationary bone-carving workshop was created in Uelen. Its first leader was Vukvutagin (1898-1968), one of the leading craftsmen. In 1932, the Chukotka Integral Union created five bone-carving artels in the villages of Chaplino, Sireniki, Naukan, Dezhnev and Uelen.
The figures of walruses, seals, and polar bears created in 1920 - 1930 are static in form, but expressive. But already in the 1930s, sculptures appeared in which carvers strive to convey characteristic poses, deviating from the symbolic, static image. This trend expands in subsequent years. In the 1960-1980s, sculptural groups dominated in Chukotka carvings.

Bahadur_Singh 14-01-2010 12:31

Where does the material come from?

This thing touched me about the Chukchi, “incendiary” the guys lived in post #36, and there my colleagues gave links to the book.

sabeltiger 14-01-2010 13:09

quote: Where does the material come from?

Vorkutinets 14-01-2010 13:17

ONEMEN (San Tolich) will confirm, and a little later from the scene of events he will tell EVERYTHING AS IS for today.

Ustas1978 16-01-2010 23:06

up, so as not to lose!)))
We are waiting "from the scene"!

Papa Karla 17-01-2010 01:56

The way of life and way of life of the Chukchi, Evens, and Yakuts of the 20-30s of the twentieth century is very well described in the book by S.V. Obruchev “Into Unknown Lands.” http://podorozhnik.nn.ru/literatura/ObrucVNK.zip

kiowa 17-01-2010 16:33

Origin of material:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chukchi_carving

Off-top. Well, at least look at the current You in your avatar...

avkie 17-01-2010 19:29

uh, I've been there on business trips...
Probably, unfortunately, now everything is not quite like that.
northern peoples (Yakuts, Evenks) are losing their culture.
old people die, and many young people move to cities. the ability to make tents is being lost (now they are made from plastic film, cardboard boxes and roofing felt, some have switched to army-style canvas tents with an iron stove)
These peoples more often eke out a miserable existence in poverty.
I have no idea how they survive

Challenger 17-01-2010 22:21

They survive because survival is in their blood, no matter how trite it may sound. They just know how to survive. But just until civilization woke them up.

Kapasev 19-01-2010 23:54

They don't even survive at all. You can drive a brigade tractor driver into an artel to earn money on a bulldozer. I only know a couple of examples, but after finishing the season they returned to the bosom of reindeer herding.
By the way, we started producing venison stew
toKiowa I don’t look like that, this beard was grown on a hill in the winter especially for the photo and was subsequently shaved off.

Yuripupolos 20-01-2010 15:13

Oh, venison stew...
Has anyone seen anything like this in Novosibirsk?

sabeltiger 20-01-2010 15:28

A Chukchi lives with his family in a tent, the hearth is in the center, there is a hole in the roof, the frost outside is -50. And they sleep there and somehow survive... There are no hospitals, no telephones.

Challenger 20-01-2010 18:17

Yes, they don’t need hospitals and telephones. They are their own doctors. Without us, everyone knows how to survive, what to take for diseases... They have their own civilization. What's good for us is death. And vice versa.

Kapasev 20-01-2010 20:27

From birth, the Chukchi did not live in tents; they lived in yarangas and still do, but now they mostly live in fur tents or a combination of a tent and a yaranga.
A telephone is a necessary thing in the sense of listening to music, but for communication it is a radio station

Werewolf_Zarin 21-01-2010 17:54

But what about bul bul agly.....
and the Chukchi in the tent are waiting for the blossoming, the blossoming will come in the summer
next chorus

avkie 21-01-2010 22:05

quote: Originally posted by Kapasev:

The Chukchi did not live in tents when they were born; they were and still are in yarangas

You’re right, but at the time of writing my message I completely forgot this word, it’s spinning in my head, I can’t remember
Thank you for reminding me. Chukchan chum is yaranga.

Udavilov 21-01-2010 22:35

Previously, the Chukchi lived little. 30-40 years old.

Challenger 21-01-2010 23:19

and now, what, have they become bigger?..-)

Papa Karla 22-01-2010 01:27

quote: But what about bul bul agly.....

Kapasev 23-01-2010 20:25

quote: Originally posted by Contender:
and now, what, have they become bigger?..-)

Kapasev 23-01-2010 20:32

Can you feed that many dogs with red fish?

Challenger 23-01-2010 21:54

And what will a Chukka do with a laptop? I'm very interested.

Kapasev 25-01-2010 12:44

Same as everyone else. Thank Abramovich, there are computer classes in every village.
The brigades have generators.

onemen 25-01-2010 17:04

I just saw the thread, I’ll be more free and hang up some photos.

Kapasev 25-01-2010 23:29

"Survivors of Enurmino" photo sketch
(poorly dressed Muscovites)

Challenger 25-01-2010 23:46

How does a laptop help the Chukchi survive? For that matter?...

Kapasev 26-01-2010 02:12

That is, how is this “how”? There is a lot of leisure!
Thanks for the topic. I’ll download it and be in the brigades to drain it for dried meat.
By the end of the summer, the first question over communications will be: “Well, did you survive?”
Please send me a photo of a Chukotka migrant worker from the capital!

Challenger 26-01-2010 12:49

krysoboj 26-01-2010 21:16

It seems that in the Russian museum in St. Petersburg it is mentioned that in the 16-19 centuries the Chukchi were like the Genghis Khans of the Siberian flood - it took 3 years for the Chukchi to get to China or Rus', buy steel armor, the same amount back - and in this form of a Stone Age robocop enslaved all the local tribes. not at all anecdotal, stupid, cunning

Kapasev 27-01-2010 12:11

And in Enurmino the elders decided that drinking was the joy of Rus'
Photo "Nutepelmen - poor, rickety wrecks, unhappy people, hungry dogs..."

Kapasev 27-01-2010 12:16

In fact, jokes arose when an agreement on visa-free travel for indigenous residents was signed. Perhaps directly in the then kilometer-long queue at Am. embassies

Vorkutinets 27-01-2010 09:38

We are waiting for more photos from Onemen and Kapasev.
San Tolich, start teaching your teams a little order - get the dog out of the yaranga, shake out the bed in the morning and fold it in the corner...)))
For clarity, here is the European yaranga (North Komi). Show them.)))

Bahadur_Singh 27-01-2010 22:14

In the 4th photo I was impressed by the herd of deer, it’s interesting how many heads there are in the frame.

onemen 27-01-2010 22:19

quote: It’s interesting how many heads there are in the frame.

Bahadur_Singh 27-01-2010 22:32

quote: Originally posted by onemen:

onemen 27-01-2010 22:38

No, they roam once every 1-1.5 months. A lot depends on the place, the time of year, and much more.

Vorkutinets 28-01-2010 12:40

quote: To be honest, I don’t remember, but there seemed to be about 5-7 thousand in the brigade.

Kapasev 28-01-2010 04:22
The “special vessel” is called “achulkhen”. The classic one with a handle is hammered out of wood to create something like a large ladle. It copes with needs, large and small, in the evening, and empties in the morning.
Yuzhak ends, I'll take a photo

onemen 28-01-2010 09:53

quote: The special vessel is called "achulkhen".

Absolutely, thank you.

quote:

Yuripupolos 28-01-2010 19:28

Is Yuzhak a blizzard? O_o

zhurnalist 29-01-2010 22:22

The Chukchi lived for 1000 years without us and will live for many more, unless they get drunk, of course.

onemen 30-01-2010 16:12

quote: Is it hard for you to spend the winter at -70 and even with the wind?

Who are you asking?

Vorkutinets 30-01-2010 20:42

quote: Is it hard for you to spend the winter at -70 and even with the wind?

Lat.(izvinite) strelok 30-01-2010 22:55

quote: Originally posted by Vorkutinets:

And there have never been such low temperatures in Russia.

Bahadur_Singh 30-01-2010 23:14

quote: Originally posted by zhurnalist:
Is it hard for you to spend the winter at -70 and even with the wind?
The Chukchi lived for 1000 years without us and will live for many more, unless they get drunk, of course.

om_babai 01-02-2010 13:59

quote: But in this photo it will be somewhere around 1500-1700.

I can't open the photo properly, but from what I see, I would give more. At least two times... One and a half thousand, this was the average size of the brigades on our state farm before the collapse. In a dense heap they will occupy an area... well, somewhere around 100x50, even less.

quote: Is it hard for you to spend the winter at -70 and even with the wind?
The Chukchi lived for 1000 years without us and will live for many more, unless they get drunk, of course.

Forgive me. Weak.
I simply won’t find such conditions anywhere in our hemisphere. You will decide - either the wind, or minus seventy.
By the way, we've already drunk ourselves a long time ago.

onemen 02-02-2010 19:47

quote: By the way, we've already drunk ourselves a long time ago.

dukat 03-02-2010 10:38

I haven’t been to Chukotka, but I’ve visited all of Yamal and Gydan. I had the opportunity to work on drilling exploration expeditions. I saw what civilization did to virgin nature. Abandoned drilling rigs with piles of rusting metal, ruts from lugs, which over time turn into deep ditches. Because the top layer of moss and soil has been removed, and underneath is permafrost. And this process is already irreversible. The Khanty have already learned how to cook mash. We really loved (I don’t know how it is now) cologne. As they told me, it smells delicious. The youth have already served in the army and have also seen.... The workers are mainly old people, and schoolchildren, who were caught every year by helicopter to study in boarding schools. And their parents hide them. I lived with them in the tent (not for long, though) and wore their shoes (ichigi). A very good thing. Light, warm and very comfortable. Prada takes some getting used to. You walk in from the fresh air... wow!!! The smell of rotten skins. sweat, fish. The eyes begin to water. And then it seemed like nothing!!! The food was very meager. Deer meat, fish, goose eggs in the spring...... and that's it. They lose teeth very early. Lack of vitamins affects. For flour, ammunition and other provisions they go to trading posts, where they are fleeced like crazy. The people are very kind and welcoming. They will always help. They will give you something to drink, feed and give you lodging for the night, but they do not tolerate lies and deception. Yes, and naive!! Somehow we came to the same camp. We look and there is a wooden cross above the tent. The eldest's name was Petya. Sing, we say, what kind of cross do you have? He tells us, “But you geologists don’t understand anything... it’s an antenna!!! We almost died laughing. So what... do you watch TV in the evenings? No, he says the TV is broken. And the antenna, purely wooden. But in general they don’t need civilization. That’s right, it was said. We will only do harm with our interference. And what kind of hunting and fishing is there? The cleanest water and air. The climate is really very harsh and their life is not easy. How many years have passed, but I'm drawn there. I'm unlikely to see such nature untouched by man again. I worked there from 85 to 90.

Kapasev 04-02-2010 23:53

It’s not like Dukat in Chukotka: in August you’ll tear up the tundra in droves moving from Ryveem to Yakan so that you want to write a denunciation against yourself in ZelenyPis, but the next year you think you’re lost. Only on the clay in the stream were GTT prints preserved.
“And the Russian leader in computerization of the population has become Chukotka, where 88 families out of a hundred use computers.”
See http://www.itartass-sib.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16341-301.html

dukat 05-02-2010 08:29

I’ve never been to Chukotka, but on Mar-Sala, near the Gulf of Ob, everything is so scarred that you want to cry. At the time when I was there, people in Moscow only dreamed about computers. So, I don’t dare to argue..... Granted, I haven’t been to those parts and I think little has changed.

krysoboj 11-02-2010 23:43

uv. numb, why is there ice without snow? I'm from Murmansk - I've never seen such beauty.

onemen 12-02-2010 12:10

quote: why ice without snow?

Vorkutinets 12-02-2010 09:39

The photo with ice is amazing! Who was the bicycle brought to in the yaranga?)))

om_babai 12-02-2010 14:34

quote: bike to whom

I liked the top photo and where it is on the ice (good light would be there, and approach with imagination... wow)

ATS... A friend of mine drives his own from us in the winter to Bilibino, through the village. Omolon. In the first version, he cut it in half and welded another piece of the boat, so there were 7 rollers on board. Well, diesel, of course, is not native. Several years passed... And this year he has a new product - 8 skating rinks!!! A 20-foot container is placed on the platform. Chukotka will precipitate when it sees it (if it gets there)

Sleds.. We called them “karyats”. One to one.

Tents with two poles on the sides. In our forest area, one was always enough. The annex - vestibule in front of the entrance was called "dyukan", something like a summer kitchen. The Chukchi have more serious ones, made from skins...

onemen 12-02-2010 14:59

quote: I liked the top photo and where it is on the ice (good light would be there, and approach with imagination... wow)

zhurnalist 27-03-2010 13:49

It really is a snowy dawn!
A harsh land, and harsh beauty.

kotowsk 27-03-2010 18:33

If we talk about survival, then the Chukchi model of survival was the strictest. survival of the species at the expense of individuals.
and as for the military affairs of the Chukchi, there is a book about it
http://mirknig.com/2007/10/29/voennoe_delo_chukchejj_seredina_xvii__nachalo_xx_v.html
or from deposit file
http://depositfiles.com/ru/files/2173269
Even Suvorov fought with them.