Ethnology 

Badmaev A.A.

Wild goose in the traditional worldview of the Buryats

The purpose of this study is to identify the image of the wild goose in the traditional worldview of the Buryats. The timeframe of this research covers the end of the 19th — middle of the 20th c., the period when the Buryats overall retained their set of mythological views. Geographically, the survey is focused on south-eastern Siberia, which includes ethnic Buryatia. The research is based on a variety of sources, including folklore, linguistic and ethnographic information. The structural-semiotic method has been chosen as the main technique of study, which allows determination of the symbolism that conveys the ideas about wild goose. It has been revealed that in minor genres of the Buryat folklore, the feminine nature of the wild goose is emphasized, and their anthroponymy manifests its gender differences. It has been found that, for the Buryats, the individual biological and behavioral characteristics of the goose were of a particular importance. It has also been determined that natural rhythms (the start of spring and the middle of autumn) were associated with the wild goose, as well as the first snowfall. At the same time, significant importance was attributed to its cry. Its image symbolized long distances and time. The motive of shapeshifting was also linked to it. This bird, both in shamanic and Buddhist traditions, was considered to be an assistant to the deity (the supreme celestial being among shamanists, and the White Elder among Buddhists). In the Buryat epics, it was endowed with a negative connotation. According to the traditional perceptions of some of the Cis-Baikal Buryats, the wild goose had a sacred status, and the interchangeability of images of a goose and another sacred bird — a swan — has been noted. The goose (precisely, the female goose) acted as a totem for a number of Cis-Baikal kins.

Keywords: Buryats, wild goose, traditional worldview, symbolism, totem, the end of the XIX — the middle of the XX century.

Tikhonov S.S.

On territorial border markers of the settlement of Russians of the Middle Tom River region in the beginning of the 18th — mid 20th centuries

The concept of studying of ethnographic and archaeological complexes (EAC) involves the analysis of their individual components: population, villages, communication routes and others, including borders — both external and internal. The analysis of archaeological, historical, and ethnographic literature has shown that borders or borderlands can be traced in almost all populations at any stage of their development. However, while the borders between large associations, like states or ethnic groups with different cultures, have been addressed by experts, almost no attention is being given to local boundaries between smaller collectives, although there are written, cartographic and oral sources that can be used as a basis for such research. After considering the materials of various origins concerning the native villages of the Middle Tom region, it became possible to discuss the boundaries between them, and the boundaries of the administrative entities which encompassed them in the 18th century. At this time, residents of villages located 15–30 km north of the Kuznetsk fortress were moving to new unoccupied lands in the upper reaches of the river Inia and its upper tributaries, as well as to the left bank of Tom below the mouth of the Mungat River. According to the drawings of S.U. Remezov, there was a boundary between the Tomsk and Kuznetsk districts. The borderline rivers could be Unga-Promyshlennaya in the north and Osipovo-Mungat in the south. Possibly, there were small settlements of Tulbers. After the middle of the 19th century, another process of settlement of the Tom riverbank territories of its both sides began. By the 1930s, all its banks were inhabited, and the reserve of free lands came to end. Indigenous people began developing islands on the river or starting settlements within 15–20 km from the village. In the second third of the 20th century, new villages were developing in the remote territories away from Tom. Almost all of them were abandoned in the second half of the 20th century. The available information suggests that there were borderlands between the villages within single districts. Most often these were represented by watercourses — small rivers and streams, ridges — elongated hills located perpendicular to terraces, and sometimes lakes. These borders were well known to locals. It cannot be ruled out that river rapids and shoals could also have been used as borders. The analysis of the correlation of locations of the villages, river rifts and stretches suggests that, in the studied area of Tom, villages were located on the river stretches between the shoals. There is also information about the existence of boundaries between minor objects, though they require further research.

Keywords: Kuznetsk district, land use, land boundaries, Cheldon villages.

Mavlyutova G.Sh.

Financial position of Islamic spiritual leaders in the Tobolsk Governorate in the second half of the 19th — early 20th century

In this paper, we analyse the material well-being of Muslim clerics who served in the Tobolsk Governorate. In 1912, there were 326 of them. Most of Islamic spiritual leaders were rural. They were rewarded in-kind and in cash. The in-kind form — grain, hay, food, etc. — prevailed. The factors affecting the material maintenance of Muslim clerics included the number of believers in the religious community, the level of the believers' income, and the presence of other occupations among the clergy. These factors resulted in different levels of material well being of mullahs in the Tobolsk Governorate in the post-reform period. In times of natural disasters and crop failures, not all members of the religious community could reward imams and muezzins. Under these conditions, it was of great importance that the clergy had other occupations apart from religious activities. The degree of religiosity of the Tatar and Bukhara population also played an important role. The sources of subsistence of Islamic spiritual leaders in the Tobolsk Governorate included the deduction of zakat or public ploughing of land, payment for the performance of ritual rites, donations (Sadaqah, awqaf), tuition fees in denominational schools (maktaba and madrasah), funds from agricultural and other activities. Overall, Muslim clergy in the Tobolsk Governorate had a higher level of material support compared to the majority of believers.

Keywords: mosque, Muslims, mullah, imam, muezzin, azanche, Muslim community, waqf.

Sinova I.V.

Epidemic and infection control measures in charitable institutions for children in the 19th — early 20th century (based on the materials from Saint-Petersburg)

Based on the documents stored in archives, here we present the analysis of the evolution of forms of the epidemic and infection control measures in charitable institutions for children in Saint-Petersburg with the development of medicine, the introduction of sanitary and hygienic standards, and guidelines based on the acquired experience. The causes of mass infection of the pupils have been identified, which were associated with the lack of well-established daily hygienic practices for pupils, their close contact within the institution, and the presence of visiting caregivers in orphanages who had extensive contacts outside. At the state level, until the end of the 19th century, there were no uniform sanitary norms and rules, as well as specialized schemes for their identification and control. As the analysis shows, this resulted in the fact that the trustee boards of orphanages and doctors assigned to them were forced, sometimes with the help of police, to independently introduce restrictive measures at the administrative level, determine treatment methods and manage all emerging issues aimed at preserving health of the pupils, while often not having sufficient professional knowledge and experience for this. The documents suggest that due to the lack of established diagnostic system, the treatment methods practically did not differ for various infectious diseases, and the recommendations of doctors for a long time mainly consisted of changing the diet, purifying the air, isolating patients, and burning possessions of sick children. Considering religious education in all charitable institutions, lents and fast days were supposed to be observed, which required the approval of the clergy, who, although as a rule did not create serious obstacles, but granted individual and limited permits. In the beginning of the 19th century, smallpox vaccination began, and such practices gradually expanded thanks to the state and benefactors, but due to the lack of support from church, as well as conservatism and superstition of a significant proportion of parents, they did not become widespread and routine.

Keywords: children, hygiene of children, Council of orphanages, medical anthropology.

Stalinov G.A., Solonenko E.A.

Collective fishing with representatives of indigenous peoples of the North as a legalization of fishing for non-indigenous rural residents in the Primorsky Krai

Rural population who lives in the same natural and cultural landscape, and sometimes within the same village, are differentiated in their rights to access natural resources. People classified as indigenous population of the North, Siberia and the Far East (KMNS), unlike officially non-indigenous population, receive legal access to various biological resources. Positive discrimination of particular groups, for various reasons attributed to ‘more’ indigenous, has been causing controversy among anthropologists and sociologists for several decades, especially regarding the situation of non-indigenous residents of multi-ethnic rural areas who do not have the right of access to natural resources, while living in the same environment. In Russia, this problem is specifically relevant for the coastal regions of the Far East, where fish and salmon roe have been historically the most important resource of self-sustainment for both indigenous residents and resettlers. Using the example of one of the coastal areas of Primorsky Krai, where representatives of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples live alongside each other, we show how unequal distribution of rights to extract natural resources affects communication between them. Based on semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and observations collected during the field research, we have found that individual salmon fishing quotas are becoming a way to partially legalize informal fishing. Villagers go out fishing with their fellow villagers, and in case of the appearance of law enforcement agencies, fishermen from among KMNS take full responsibility for the catch and fishing gear on themselves. Regardless of nationality, rural residents consider it unfair that non-indigenous peoples, who live in the same natural and climatic conditions, and have similar to KMNS economy, have no rights to catch salmonids. Thus, against the background of allocation of quotas for salmonid catching only to indigenous fishermen, new practices of reproduction of solidarity and reciprocity are emerging in multiethnic rural communities.

Keywords: indigenous peoples, indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East, quotas for salmon fishing, informal nature use, poaching, Far East, Primorsky Krai.

Aubakirova Zh.S., Makhmetova N.A., Ualieva S.K., Omyrzak T.E, Alekseenko A.N.

Ethnic specifics in birth rates in Kazakhstan in the middle of the 20th century

The purpose of this study is to examine ethnic variations in population fertility in the 1950–1960s, formed in the context of socio-economic development of Kazakhstan. The 1959, 1970, 1989 population censuses, and statistical almanacks “National Economy of Kazakhstan” became the source base of this research. The theory of modernization, interpreted as the transition from traditional to modern society and reflecting the details of ethnically differentiated process of demographic development of Kazakhstan in the mid-20th century provided the methodological basis of the research. Ethnic differentiation within the settlement system and socio-economic activities that developed in Kazakhstan in the 1950–1960s led to ethnically distinct birth rates among Kazakhs and Russians. The demographic potential acquired by Kazakhs in the middle of the 20th century became the demographic basis of sovereign Kazakhstan.

Keywords: Kazakhstan, Kazakhs, Russians, fertility, demography, traditions, large families, socioeconomic development.