The territory on which the indigenous peoples of Russia live is located along 28 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. It stretches from the Far Eastern regions right up to the Kola Peninsula.
According to the official list of 2006, representatives of 45 indigenous peoples live in the North, Siberia, the Far East and other regions of the Russian Federation, which gives a total population close to 250 thousand people.
The most numerous of them are the Nenets, their number reaches 44 thousand. Among the small nations include the Enets, who identify themselves under the name Encho. Their number does not exceed 200 people. Ihorites — 450 people, and the Vod people, the number of which, according to the latest data, was less than 100 people, also belong to endangered peoples . What are the other small nations of Russia called? A list of them can be seen below.
List of small peoples of Russia
- Chukchi.
- Eskimos.
- Chuvans.
- Kamchadals.
- Koryaki.
- Alyutorets.
- Aleuts.
- Nivkhi.
- Oroks.
- Orochi.
- Udegeans.
- Negidals.
- Ulchi.
- Evenki.
- Evens.
- Yukagirs.
- Dolgans.
- Abazins.
- Kets.
- Veps.
- Izhorians.
- Nenets.
- Igelmen.
- Sami.
- Chulymts.
- Shors.
- Khanty.
- Besermans.
- Koreans.
- Mansi.
- Sepkupy.
- Soyots.
- Pots.
- Teleuts.
- Tofalars.
- Tuvans-tojins.
- Kumandins.
- Nanaians.
- Nagaybaki.
- Naganasans.
- Tubalars.
- Nganasans.
- Chelkans.
- Karelians.
- Drive.
The traditional worldview of the indigenous peoples of the North
Traditionally, the Evens, like other indigenous small peoples of Russia, deify the firmament with all the main luminaries, as well as the main elements of the surrounding flora and fauna - mountains, rivers, taiga forests and various animals that inhabit them. So, for example, the Sun in the traditional consciousness of Even is represented by a kind person, fully interested in the interests and protection of the local population. The God of the Sun can be persuaded to interact by offering sacrifices, as well as faith and prayers. The deity is able to fulfill the will of believers, to give them healthy and strong offspring, to multiply herds of deer, bring good luck to hunters and favor fish catch.
Many indigenous peoples of Siberia have a pagan and polytheistic religion, with a rather special trait of attachment, both soul and body, to their native nature and phenomena, but not to nature as a whole. That is, the land on which this or that people lives is for him a divine and animated entity that can influence events both in nature and in society. Its power is recognized to be superior and people are trying to tame its power through various spiritual practices, such as prayers, spells, etc.
In turn, animals, like plants, are taken for closer entities. So, for example, in the village of Sebyan-Kel, located in the Kobiai ulus, a sacred tree grows, whose spirit protects people. Sacrifices are made in honor of the tree, and various things are offered to it. In addition, there are cults of the sacred deer, swan, eagle and other tribal totems.
Modern Christian Current in Yakutia
Member of the Institute of Problems of the Small Peoples of the North N. Zakharova in his research, he notes that the current Orthodox indigenous northerners tend to discriminate against their pagan roots, seeing in them only degradation, idolatry, as well as "the frenzy of national identity." Thus, in the eyes of modern Christian figures, the shaman often appears as an object of national disgrace due to the fact that he prefers the worship of objects of nature to worship of one God.
In this regard, an irreconcilable struggle is being waged with shamanism. So, according to N. Zakharova, the government of the Republic of Sakha and the Yakut diocese set themselves the task of completely eradicating paganism in the territory where the small peoples of the north of Russia live.
It should be noted that such a struggle with shamans has been going on for about three centuries, starting from the time of Tsarist Russia. However, the northern pagans remained the same even after formal baptism. As a result, shamanism began to gradually penetrate the Russian cultural environment. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the modern cultural heritage appears as a successor to the pagan worldview. This finds some confirmation when considering the Renaissance - the revival of secular pagan society from the ashes of the darkness of the Middle Ages.
Be that as it may, the combination and close interweaving of the cultures of traditional Christianity and shamanism provide bizarre and interesting paintings, the study of which the small peoples of Russia provide their own existence.
The peoples of the northwestern part of Russia
In this list, the small nations of Russia are in descending order of population:
- Karelians (92 thousand people).
- Vepsians (8 thousand people).
- Saami (2 thousand people).
- Izhora (450 people).
- Vod (82 people).
Karelians
One can guess the place of residence of the Karelians by the name of this people. He is the titular and indigenous people of the Karelian Republic. Some Karelians densely settled in the Leningrad and Vyborg regions. The Karelian ethnic group began to form from about the 13th century on the territory that covered the Karelian Isthmus and part of modern Finland, where there are still separate settlements of Karelians.
The mass baptism carried out by order of the prince of Novgorod did not affect the Karelian folk culture too much. It was almost formal, since at that time few understood the Russian language in which religious propaganda was conducted. However, the moral and spiritual principles of the Karelians were reflected in folk songs, dances, runic poems and incantations. The languages of the people are Finnish and Russian. In the northern regions, the main occupation of the Karelians is reindeer herding and other livestock farming, in others - fishing and forestry. At present, in Karelia the wood-mining and manufacturing industry is well developed, in which part of this ethnic minority is employed .
Izhora
Izhora is the self-name of the Finno-Ugric people, which in the past, along with the small number of people, comprised the main population of Izhora land. The name of this people is rooted in the Swedish name of the Ingermanland province (Ingermanland). In addition, some Izhors call themselves in the plural "karyalaysht". This is consistent with the fact that representatives of the Vod people designate Izhora as “Karelians”.
In 1897, the number of this people reached 14,000 people, but today their number is close to 400. In 1920, even its own written language was developed, but it also had to sink into oblivion by the end of the 1930s.
Izhorians received their first mention as "ingres" back in 1223. In the XV century, this people is part of the Russian state. He smoothly underwent assimilation with the rest of the population due to the Orthodox faith. In the XVII century, part of the lands of the Dnieper region (Ingermanland) became a Swedish province, and Izhora assimilated with the Finns, and in 1943 the population was exported by German troops to Finland. Subsequently, until the mid-1950s, the process of resettlement of Izhora residents in their former places underwent some restrictions on the part of the authorities.
The farm of Izhora is similar to the Russian one and basically involves agriculture: the cultivation of vegetables and grain crops, followed by gathering, drying and grinding flails and upholstery on a bench, as well as animal husbandry and specific fishing, which includes the stages of winter fishing, to which the Izhora go, like as a rule, the whole population, spending nights in wooden booths.
Izhorians lived in villages, usually in small families. Despite Orthodoxy, the people had their own authentic funeral rites. Burials took place in holy places groves. Together with the deceased, a supply of food and woolen reins, as well as a knife, were put in the coffin.
Of great cultural value is the runic heritage of Izhora in the form of a large number of epic works. So, the Finnish folklorist Elias Lennorot used the runes of Izhora in the compilation of the text Kalevala.
Vod
The smallest people in Russia today totals only 82 people and lives mainly in the southwestern part of the Leningrad region. Vod belongs to the Finno-Ugric peoples. There are three languages spoken by the population of the people - these are Vodsky, Izhora and Russian. The language closest to the Vodian dialect is Estonian. The main and traditional occupation of this small nation was agriculture, as well as forestry, fishing, and small craft. The products received at the farm were usually sold to large centers such as St. Petersburg.
The smallest people in Russia could not keep their original language. This was prevented not only by the coming Orthodoxy (sermons were conducted in Russian), but also by the irregularity of the language, the absence of schools in which written Vodian language was taught, a small number of people and many mixed marriages. Thus, the Vodian language is practically lost, and the culture of the Vod nationality was very susceptible to Russification.