Settlement of the Evenks. There is such a people - Evenks

But first of all, they ask for iPads as a gift - a report from the MK special correspondent from the most remote region of Russia

Endless taiga, deer, plagues. You can only get to some villages in Evenkia by helicopter (or by snowmobile on frozen rivers). There is no Internet here and there is no cell phone reception. Bank cards? Yes, no one here has even seen them! In general, all the measures of the big world that we are accustomed to do not fit here and only get in the way...

But civilization has insidiously penetrated even here: a couple of TV channels operate on electricity generated by oil. It is TV, and even vodka and wolves, that constitute the main evil for local residents. Because of them, they lose the most valuable thing - deer. And because of them, Evenks increasingly dream of leaving for the mainland.

How the indigenous peoples of Evenkia live and survive today and how they celebrate their most important day of the year - a MK reporter found out.

At the ends of the Earth

“An exciting journey awaits you in one of the most depressing corners of the planet,” said our guide Sergei. He turned out to be both right and wrong at the same time.

We are going to Evenkia, or more precisely, to the tiny and unique village of Surinda. It takes 5 hours to fly from Krasnoyarsk to Surinda (with a stop at oil workers for refueling), but not everything is so simple. Evenkia did not let us in the first time: due to bad weather, the helicopter did not reach our destination, getting stuck in the middle of the taiga. This is common in this area. And this year, due to the oddities of winter (the ice was weak, the snow was melting quickly), it was not possible to continue winter roads everywhere. So the Evenki actually found themselves in complete isolation. And this is their pain and salvation at the same time.

“Who knows if this people would have survived if trains ran from there to Krasnoyarsk every day or helicopters flew?..,” Sergei sighs.

— Are many people drawn to the city in general? — I ask the guide.

- The youth. Moreover, enrollment in universities for representatives of indigenous peoples of the North is preferential. Not everyone returns after studying. You can only work in the village on a reindeer herding farm. You can also engage in tanning skins and making decorative items. As they say, the choice is limited. Although, maybe it’s just a good thing that this is the case? The Evenks will preserve themselves if they work as reindeer herders. And by the way, local guys have the opportunity to do alternative service in the army... as reindeer herders!

We were warned that the celebration of Reindeer Herder's Day would begin early in the morning and last almost until the evening. The holiday will end... with a disco, where, as in the famous film, “everyone dances.” In general, Reindeer Herder's Day means more to the local population than New Year does to us. On the eve of the holiday, men return from the taiga along with the deer, women and children run out to meet them - in general, everything is like in the old days... However, in the Evenki village now they live not in tents, but in ordinary one-story houses. But you can’t take the house with you into the taiga, so you can’t live without plague anyway. And on Reindeer Herder’s Day you can see him everywhere. In one tent they prepare treats, in another they treat guests, in a third they tell children stories about... deer, who else!

Reindeer Breeder's Day without a reindeer sled race is like New Year's without Santa Claus and a Christmas tree. But the most beautiful competitions are not on sleds, but on the back of a reindeer. And by the way, the Evenks are generally the only people who ride a deer just like a horse! But this time in Surinda, it was mostly children who took part in the riding races. They weigh less, which means it's easier for deer.

“They felt sorry for the deer, because they got a lot of trouble last season,” the Evenks sigh. — There was intense heat in the summer, the streams dried up. The deer did not have enough food and became weak. And the wolves took advantage of this and attacked more often.

Vodka, wolves and free will

There were once almost 90 thousand deer in Surinda. Now - about three thousand. It’s even difficult to convey how the locals treat them. Reverence? No, not that. Delight? Not the same again. They treat them much like life in general. And they accept life in this harsh land as it is, do not complain about it and consider it their duty to take care of it, because otherwise the law of balance will be violated. The Evenki language contains about 20 names for deer depending on gender, age, character, etc. Just think about it - 20 names for one animal! This is because the deer is both a breadwinner, a healer, and... everything combined.

What do you think clothes and shoes are still worn in Surinda? The one we are used to is, of course, available in the village store. But, firstly, it is very expensive due to delivery. Secondly, it is impractical.

What do you think the Evenks prepare their breakfast, lunch and dinner from? That's right, from venison. In different “performances”. Deer meat kebabs, isamna (stew with deer fat in its own juice), boiled tongues, sile soup... it’s impossible to even list all the deer dishes. Evenks sometimes drink deer blood and eat raw liver, because they know that it contains a lot of vitamins and microelements, and this will save them from scurvy. The body of local residents is generally not well suited for the food that we eat. Recently, children were taken to an event in the city; there was a festive table with fruits and vegetables. So, the teachers strictly ensured that the children only tasted the food, but did not gorge themselves. Otherwise - poisoning, pain, hospital. This has all been done many times before. And by the way, when medicine is powerless, the same deer may well come to the rescue: its antlers make an excellent cure for many ailments. The deer is also a breadwinner in the sense that the state provides subsidies for it as part of a program to support indigenous peoples.

When the deer were last counted, almost a third were missing. Wolves in these parts are not the size of a dog, but almost the size of a calf, and they attack in whole packs. And it's not easy to shoot them. From a helicopter it’s incredibly expensive (80 thousand rubles – an hour of Mi-8, Mi-2 flight time), from the ground it’s dangerous.

“That’s why they charged a good price for the skin of a wolf,” says the head of the village, Tatyana Savvateeva. — In total, up to 20 thousand can be obtained for a female. We have hunters from more than one generation. They know special methods to lure a wolf. One of them skied against predators and killed 5 wolves last year, for which we awarded him a rubber boat at the festival.

5 wolves - for the residents of the village this seems like a lot. In total, in recent months, only 8 gray predators have been destroyed by land methods. The Evenks even raised a cry for help to Krasnoyarsk extreme hunters. They asked them to come and hunt, even if only purely out of sporting interest. They promised to reward everyone who caught a wolf with local souvenirs and talismans (and here they are made of incredible beauty). Didn't arrive...

“We are often asked whether it is difficult for us to live without hot water,” the Evenks say. - What nonsense! Is that a problem? Wolves are a problem!

In addition to wolves, vodka brings trouble to local residents, but they don’t like to talk about it themselves. It is a well-known fact that such nationalities are, in principle, prone to drunkenness. And then there’s this isolation, a feeling of hopelessness that sometimes rolls in, so that the Evenks reach for the bottle. In one of the villages they tried to ban the sale of vodka in stores, but this did not lead to anything good: the residents were outraged and switched to tinctures.

“Specifically in Surinda, we did not introduce any bans on alcohol,” says Tatyana Arkadyevna. — But we limit its sale during certain periods (when animals are calving, etc.). And before Reindeer Herder’s Day, they also limited it.

On the threshold of Heaven

Currently, 462 residents live in Surinda, of which 449 are representatives of the indigenous nationality. It would seem that everyone here should know the Evenki language. Scientists who recently conducted research thought so too. An entire expedition of employees from the Research Center of Moscow State University and the Research Center for National-Linguistic Relations (SRC NLA) of the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences went to Surinda.

“The village supports reindeer herding, which should also contribute to the preservation of the language,” the scientists write. “Nevertheless, the sociolinguistic survey we conducted showed that children no longer use the Evenki language, since their parents speak Russian to them. At school, Evenki is taught as a subject, but “on a residual basis.” The media also played their deplorable role. Among young people, knowledge of the Evenki language is passive (as a rule, they understand, but do not speak). We talked to 18-year-old boys who were considered the best in ethnic language proficiency among their peers, but all they could do was remember a certain number of words (about 15% of the list we presented). The language shift in Surinda began relatively recently - 10-15 years ago. At the same time, in the older generation there are several people who speak almost no Russian (all of them are over 80).”

The key to this study is the influence of the media. There are no newspapers in the village, but there is television. And local residents sit for hours in front of the blue screen watching TV series. As a result, they experience a kind of confusion of reality. What they see on TV clearly does not match the lifestyle they lead. And that’s why they are drawn to the city, dreaming about it, about that other life, where instead of deer there are BMWs, instead of tents there are mansions, instead of taiga there are clubs and restaurants. And so the Evenks asked for gifts to be sent to them for the holiday - iPads. And they don’t even understand what to do with these “toys” in the taiga, where there is no mobile Internet...

“We imagined an ideal picture of the future: all deer are tagged with chips or wearing electronic collars,” says the head of the scientific enterprise, Alexander Salman. — And the reindeer herder sits in the tent with a tablet, watching their movements. But if you think about it, this will completely destroy their way of life. So technology here is rather evil.

Alexander himself brought several collars to the holiday to track the migration routes of wild deer. I wanted to demonstrate to reindeer herders how environmentalists will put them on the “savage” this summer. The scientist says that since the times of the USSR, no one has studied the migration of deer. Therefore, it happens that Evenk hunters in the taiga waste their time waiting for a meeting with wild deer. As a result, they are left without production...

The only thing that could not kill TV about the Evenks was their belief in the spirits of nature. There seem to be no shamans in the village of Surinda, but there are descendants of those who were once considered great Guides of the spirit. And people are drawn to them... Christianity has not really taken root in Evenkia. It turned out to be lifeless here, where there is taiga all around and nature controls everything. Here, for example, is a case described by researchers: a child fell ill, his grandmother took him from the hospital to the taiga, where she sang for a long time at the icon of Jesus Christ and rang the bell so that the Russian God would hear the Evenki prayer. Then they brought a deer so that the girl could inhale its breath. And so that the disease would finally go away, a deer was sacrificed in front of the icon of the Savior. The most interesting thing is that the child survived. Either thanks to prayers, or a sacrificial deer... Or maybe simply thanks to the purest taiga air and a strong body.

And the Evenks have not lost their somewhat naive, but such captivating simplicity and kindness. An Evenki citizen can take off his talisman (which he inherited from his great-grandmother and protected him for many years) and give it to a stranger. Simply because I felt that it was more necessary for him. This is probably why crime is low in Evenkia, although almost every house has a gun. “You bring us Muscovites for re-education,” the Evenks joke. Not such a bad idea...

Evenks

(Evenkil, orochen, ile, kilen, kilin, qilin, o-lunchun.orochnun, hamnegan, tongus, tungus)

A look from the past

“Description of all the living peoples in the Russian state” 1772-1776:

The Tungus roam alone or in groups of two or three families. Despite the fact that in the southern regions many Tungus are baptized, they give their children random names. And although the children are subsequently given Christian names, they are still called first in the tribe. In rich families, the cradle is made of leather and trimmed with fur, while in poor families it is made of birch bark and on the road the mother carries it on her back.

N.V. Latkin, “Yenisei province, its past and present”, 1892:

Tunguses, or as they are called now,The Evenks, although not too numerous, are spread over a very vast territory. The roots of the Tungus go back to Transbaikalia and Manchuria. Settling north, they assimilated the aboriginal tribes, and therefore the northern Tungus differ from the Transbaikal ones, who were called Orochens and Manegras (we will return to them later). Evens (Lamuts) and Negidals were also sometimes called Tungus, whom we will also not forget to consider separately in one of the subsequent parts of the review.

The Tungus are of medium height, have an oval head, a face that is rather round than oblong, the skin color is dark-skinned, their chest is wide, their forehead is wide and flat, their eyes are narrow, black or brown, their eyebrows are arched, their nose is flat, their cheekbones are prominent, their mouth is wide. , hair is black, hard and straight, not combed or washed from birth. They have sparse beards and mustaches and most of them are not allowed to grow; they pluck everything out so that they don’t freeze in the winter. The women, except the very young, are extremely ugly and generally all are extremely unclean, no one ever washes themselves.

The character of the Tungus is generally ardent and easily excited, especially under the influence of vodka, but at the same time the Tungus is, of course, a dexterous and fearless hunter and extremely kind-hearted. From mixing with other neighboring foreigners, Ostyaks and especially Yakuts, as well as with Russian Cossacks and industrialists, who did not disdain Tungus women in these remote and desert regions, the original Tungus type has now undergone some changes.

Tungus people get married in adulthood, and often the groom is 30-35, or even more, years old, and the bride is 12-14 years old. Any matchmaking, both among Christians and pagans, is associated with the payment of bride price to the bride’s parents, depending on her dignity, from 2 to 10 deer; Often added to this are some household items, and even money, if anyone has any. The girl, despite the fact that she had lovers before the wedding, also marries freely, only the bride price is paid less for her. The groom, who has paid part of the bride price, approaches the betrothed bride as if he were his own wife.

The Tungus loves and caresses his wife. If he is unbaptized, then he has not one, but two or three wives, and in order to avoid quarrels, a separate chum is made for each. Although the morality of the Tungus women is not particularly high, there are relatively few unfaithful wives. Girls behave quite freely, and love affairs between young people are not uncommon, but little attention is paid to this.

More than half of the Tungus have already been baptized, and therefore are considered Orthodox Christians, but what kind of Orthodox are they? They somehow know how to cross themselves, and say: “Lord have mercy,” and even that is not all; all their concepts about Christianity are limited to this. True, he knows that he needs to baptize the child, get married and bury the deceased, and for this he should give the “dad” a squirrel, an arctic fox, a fox, a fish or some other game, or a skin.

Here is an example of a somewhat civilized Tungus. “Antoshka,” I ask the Tungus leader, “do you have children?” - “There are two, sons” - “What’s the name?” - “One is Elijah the prophet, and the other is Peter Sosulin!” (Sosulin is the surname of one gold miner).

The Tungus are hospitable and will spare nothing for a guest; they demand the same for themselves. The Tungus are friendly and affectionate among themselves, respectful to their elders and ready to help their neighbors and fellow tribesmen in any way they can. They are not averse to having fun, especially if there is vodka. The Tungus do not sing songs, but when dancing in a circle, around a stick stuck in the ground, they chant in time, stepping from foot to foot - this is how the whole night is sometimes spent.

The food of the Tungus is simple, he eats everything that the local country provides: fish, game and animals, but his favorite food is venison. If you can get it, bread, porridge with lard, even bear lard, tea, crackers and vodka. You can have everything for vodka, everything is sold for vodka, nothing is treasured, without vodka you can’t buy a pair of hazel grouse from the Tungus, however, this applies not to them alone, but to all northern foreigners.

"Peoples of Russia. Ethnographic essays" (publication of the magazine "Nature and People"), 1879-1880:

The lifestyle of the sedentary Tungus is completely different from the nomadic ones. The settled Tungus have small buildings in their settlements, where, in addition to the common family room, you will find each Tungus a separate, clean room for receiving an honored guest. Stoves are considered unnecessary, and they are usually replaced with fireplaces, carefully coated and painted with clay. In the windows, due to the lack of glass in the north of Siberia, mica and purified seal bladders, or even thick ice, are used. In general, the economy of the sedentary Tungus approaches Russian rural life, even with regard to cattle breeding, despite the fact that very few of them are accustomed to this type of occupation. The sedentary Tungus willingly improve their life, and thus attract the attention of trading nomadic foreigners.

It goes without saying that the ever-wandering Tungus deer needs to have a portable home. He covers his tent with suede or an inner layer of birch bark, to which he gives flexibility to the skin by washing it, smoking it and keeping it exposed to water vapor. The yurt of the settled Tungus consists of a square space with a flat earthen roof, and of such a size that it is quickly heated by a fireplace made of broken clay.

There are sessile Tunguses who do not have deer or households. Their way of life, despite the shortcomings they suffer, deserves compassion. Their dwellings consist for the most part of dugouts or yurts, accommodation in which in winter can only be allowed under difficult conditions of the animal state in which these people remain due to poverty. They purchase clothing from the reindeer Tungus in the form of alms, and their daily food consists of fish caught during the day. If fish are not caught, it often happens that they are left without food for several days. All their wealth consists of six or seven dogs, with the help of which they move from one river to another for fishing, which is the only thing that supports their existence.

Only one extreme need can force a Tungus to abandon his free life in the forests, because the Tungus is a nomad, with all the passion of his soul. After just a few days, he moves his tent to another place and claims that there is no worse fate than living constantly in the same place in Russian or Yakut. With its carefreeness and cheerfulness, mobility, dexterity and wit, pleasantness and cheerful humor, the Tungus differs from all other Siberian tribes: the gloomy Samoyed, the clumsy Ostyak, the sour, inhospitable Yakut, and therefore the Tungus can be called the Frenchman of the tundra and forest. Morally, however, he is much worse, for he is cunning and cunning.

The Tungus's clothing is very consistent with his mobility, and at the same time shows his frivolity. He does not dress in a clumsy fur coat made of deer skins, but from the same skins he sews himself a special suit, usually decorated with beads, strips of cloth and horsehair, and so narrow that it can barely be buttoned, for according to the Tunguska fashion it is necessary to leave the chest open so that it is visible. there was a beaded undergarment covering the chest. On his head the Tungus wears a Tatar yarmulke, all studded with beads. Short trousers reaching to the knees, made of thin suede, and shoes, similarly decorated with stripes of beads; on the shoulders hangs a necklace of beads and a bag with flint, tinder and flint.

Regarding food and drink, the Tungus are completely indiscriminate, and they drink and eat whatever they come across. One of their favorite foods consists of the undigested stomach contents of reindeer; Having added berries to it, they spread it in thin layers on tree bark and dry it in the sun or wind. The Tungus drink a lot of brick tea; They prepare a thick paste from it with fat and berries. This unhealthy food makes the Tungus even more yellow, although they are yellow by nature.

A. Middendorf, “Indigenous inhabitants of Siberia”, 1878:

I don’t know of any other people whose life would be spent in such solitude for most of the year. Each tent on its own goes into the wilderness, indulging in hunting or fishing. From this circumstance, the Tungus developed a very primitive kind of writing, consisting of signs. So, in the forest you come across a felled tree, in the notch of which an arrow sticks out with the end down. This means: I place bows nearby. If the arrow points upward, then the hunter has gone far. A branch from a bush, wedged in the same way, indicates the presence of a hunter at close range. A twig placed across the trail prohibits going further in this direction; A block of wood placed in the place where the entrance to the tent was previously does not allow or does not advise setting up a tent. A horse's head, painted on the bark removed from a tree, suggests looking for a horse that disappeared at the resting place.

In the event of illness or death of the breadwinner, another family dies helplessly from hunger. The conversation with the Tungus, in passing, concerns one or another case of this kind, as if this is how it should be. They find skeletons or notice that their acquaintances are missing: they all died without a trace. I met three completely impoverished Tungus families. One of them had only one reindeer, another had three, and the third had none at all. These three families united with each other to help each other.

No matter how secluded the Tungus lives in its wilderness, it is still very active. If he is unlucky in one place, he goes to another, and moves further and further, so that gradually, mostly in very small transitions, he visits the most remote areas and meets with the most diverse neighbors.

The life of the Tungus is a striking mixture of nomadism and sedentism. He does not miss the opportunity to visit places throughout the year that are more than a thousand and even two thousand miles apart from one another, fishing here and hunting the best sables there. But on the other hand, he also loves to constantly return for the winter to the same places where he makes his observations, sets traps, and makes pits.

Sixty and seventy year old Tungus men often seemed to me to be the fathers of infants; sometimes even the mother turned out to be the first, already very shrunken wife.

Modern sources

Evenks are a small indigenous people of Siberia and the Far East, related to the Manchus.

Self-name

Evenkil.

Local self-names of Evenki: Orochen (from the Oro River or from Oron - “deer”) - Transbaikal-Amur Evenki; ile ("man") - Katangese and Upper Lena; kilen - Okhotsk coast, etc.

Ethnonym

The name “Tungus” has been known to Russians since the 16th century, and the self-name “orochen” in the Amur region (“orochel” - on the Okhotsk coast) and “even” - in the Angara region, since the 17th century.

The Chinese called the Evenks kilin, qilin, o-lunchun (from “orochen”), the Manchus - orochnun, the Mongols - khamnegan (see Khamnigans), the Tatars and Yakuts - tongus.

Evenki, the name became an official ethnonym in 1931.

Anthropology

Anthropologically, the Evenks living in the Russian Federation present a rather motley picture, revealing a complex of features characteristic of the Baikal, Katanga and Central Asian types.

Number and settlement

Total: 77,000 people.

Including the PRC, according to the 2010 census, 39,534 people.

Of them:

Inner Mongolia 29,771 people,

Heilongjiang 6,591 people.

Russian Federation according to the 2010 census 37,131 people.

Of them:

Yakutia 20,782 people,

Krasnoyarsk Territory 4,177 people,

Khabarovsk Territory 4,003 people,

Buryatia 2,925 people,

Amur region 1,448 people,

Trans-Baikal Territory 1,337 people,

Irkutsk region 1,241 people.

Mongolia, according to 1995 data, 2,500 people, according to other estimates, up to 4 thousand people.

Evenks inhabit a vast territory from the Ob- the Irtysh basin in the west to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in the east and the Arctic Ocean in the north.

The southern border of settlement runs along the northeast of China (20 thousand people, spurs of the Khingan ridge) and Mongolia (near Lake Buir-Nur and the upper reaches of the Iro River).

RF

A characteristic feature of the Evenki settlement is dispersion.

In the Russian Federation, there are about a hundred settlements where they live, but in most settlements their number ranges from several dozen to 150-200 people.

There are few settlements where Evenks live in relatively large compact groups.

The most accurate data on the number of Evenks in Russia before the revolution was provided by the 1897 census - 64,500 people.

Of these, “vagrant” (hunters) - 28.5 thousand people, nomadic (horse) - 29.7 thousand people.

It should be understood that the peoples of Siberia tried in every possible way to avoid participation in the census in order to avoid tribute, taxes and taxes.

Thus, the real number of Evenks should be assumed to be probably one and a half to two times more than indicated.

However, according to available evidence, the “original” number of Evenks at the time of the arrival of the Russians in the 17th century, in relation to the actual number in 1897, was many times greater.

Its main catastrophic reduction occurred in the first century after “contact” with the Muscovites.

China

In China, the Evenks are represented by 4 ethnolinguistic groups, which are united into 2 official nationalities, living in the Evenki Autonomous Khoshun of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and in the neighboring province of Heilongjiang (Nehe County):

Orochons (lit. “reindeer herders”) ( whale. ex. 鄂伦春族 , pinyin: Èlúnchūn Zú), 44.54% live in Inner Mongolia, and 51.52% live in Heilongjiang Province, 1.2% live in Liaoning Province.

About half speak a dialect of the Evenki language (sometimes considered as a separate language), the rest speak only Chinese.

Evenki (Chinese: 鄂温克族 , pinyin: Èwēnkè Zú), 88.8% in Hulunbeier, include:

A small group of Evenki proper - about 400 speakers in the village of Aoluguya (Genhe County), which is now being moved to the suburbs of the county center; They call themselves “Yeke”, the Chinese call themselves Yakute (Chinese ex.雅 库特 , pinyin: Yǎkùtè), since they traced themselves to the Yakuts.

The Khamnigans are a highly Mongolized group, speaking the Mongolian language - Khamnigan and the Khamnigan (Old Barag) dialect of the Evenki language.

These so-called Manchu Khamnigans, emigrated from Russia to China within a few years after the 1917 revolution, about 2,500 people live in Starobarag Khoshut.

Solons - moved (together with the Daurs) from the Zeya River basin in 1656 to the Nunjiang River basin, and then, in 1732, partly moved further east to the Hailar River basin (where the Evenk Autonomous Khoshun is now formed with 9,733 Evenks in 2000).

They speak the Solon dialect, sometimes considered a separate language.

Dynamics of the number of Evenks in China (according to all-China population censuses)

1953 - 4.95 thousand people.

1964 - 9.68 thousand people.

1982 - 19.39 thousand people.

1990 - 26.37 thousand people.

2000 - 30.50 thousand people.

2010 - 30.87 thousand people.

Mongolia

In Mongolia, the Evenks are represented only by the Khamnigans (about 3 thousand people) living in the Selenga aimag.

Administrative-territorial entities

Evenki administrative-territorial entities currently (2009) exist in Russia and China.

In Russia, these include the Evenkisky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory (formerly the Evenki Autonomous Okrug), the Anabarsky, Zhigansky and Olenyoksky uluses of Yakutia, the Bauntovsky district of Buryatia and a number of rural settlements in the Irkutsk region, Buryatia and Yakutia.

In the past, there were other Evenki ATOs, now abolished under the guise of referendums.

In China, the Evenki ATOs include the Orochon and Evenki autonomous khoshuns in Inner Mongolia and several national volosts and soums in Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang.

Ethnogenesis

In the 3rd millennium BC. e. The ancestors of the Evenks moved from the territory of northern China, creating the Glazkov culture.

According to one hypothesis, it was the carriers of the Bronze Age Glazkov culture who were the ancestors of the Tungus-Manzhurs in general.

Presumably, the Evenks are included in the genealogical chain of Susheni - Yilou - Wuji - Mohe - Jurchen - Evenki.

There is reason to consider the Trans-Baikal people of the Uvan as the immediate ancestors of the Evenks, who, according to Chinese chronicles (5-7 centuries AD), lived in the mountain taiga northeast of Barguzin and Selenga.

The Uvani were not aborigines of Transbaikalia, but were a group of nomadic herders who came here from a more southern area.

In the process of settling across the expanses of Siberia, the Tungus encountered local tribes and, ultimately, assimilated them.

Economic and cultural types of Evenks

The peculiarities of the ethnic formation of the Tungus have led to the fact that they are characterized by three anthropological types, as well as three different economic and cultural groups: reindeer herders, cattle breeders and fishermen.

“On foot” (hunters), “reindeer”, orochen (reindeer herders) and mounted, murchen (horse breeders), also known in Transbaikalia as khamnegan, solon (Russian solony), ongkors, in the middle Amur region - as birarchen (birars), manyagir ( Manegry), Kumarchen (along the Kumara River), etc.

Language

Evenki language (obsolete: Tungus language) - widespread in Russia in the territory, mainly in Eastern Siberia - from the left bank of the Yenisei to Sakhalin Island, as well as in northern China (Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region).

Along with the Even and Negidal languages, it belongs to the northern group of Tungus-Manchu languages ​​of the Altai family.

The dialects of the Evenks living in the Russian Federation are divided into groups: northern - north of the lower Tunguska and lower Vitim, southern - south of the lower Tunguska and lower Vitim and eastern - east of Vitim and Lena.

It has northern, southern and eastern dialects with a large number of dialects.

Based on phonetic characteristics, “hacking”, “cutting” and “shecking” dialects are distinguished. The Solonian dialect is sometimes distinguished as a special language.

The literary language is based on the Nepa (since 1953 - Polygusovsky) dialect of the southern dialect.

In the Evenki language there is a complex (so-called stepwise) law of qualitative-quantitative vowel harmony.

According to its grammatical structure, it belongs to languages ​​of the suffixal-agglutinative type.

It has a developed system of cases, aspectual and voice forms of the verb, and gerunds. The vocabulary reflects traces of close contacts with the Yakut and Buryat languages.

Story

From the beginning of our era, the Evenks constituted a single people, territorially and chronologically united by the union of the Mohe tribes, the state of the Tungus-Manchu Bohai, the state of the Khitan-Mongols Liao, the Jurchen Empire, and then the Chingizid Empire.

At the turn of the 1st - 2nd millennium AD. e. The Evenks were cut apart by the advance of the Yakuts to the north.

The first Russian to encounter the Tungus was Cossack Beketov in the Angara region in the 17th century.

By the middle of the 17th century they were subject to yasak.

Since the 17th century, the Evenks have been displaced by the Yakuts, Russians and Buryats from the middle Vilyui, Angara, Biryusa, upper Ingoda, lower and middle Barguzin, the left bank of the Amur, the Manegras and Birars fled to Northern China.

The famous Tungus prince of that time was Gantimur.

Russian documents of that time record the names of other princes: Babug, Tyaksh, Kagil, Topuk, Boldonoy and Indak. The princes ruled the clans and lands.

In the 18th century, the Tungus of Dauria were influenced by Russian missionaries.

In 1761, a five-hundred-strong Tungus Cossack regiment led by a foreman was formed in Transbaikalia.

In the 19th century, the Evenks roamed the lower Amur and Sakhalin; some Evenks from the Yenisei went to the Taz and Ob.

In 1924-25, the anti-imperial Tunguska uprising for independence from Soviet Russia took place in the Far East.

In 1927, the Ilimpiysky, Baykitsky and Tungus-Chunsky national districts were created, and in 1930 they were united into the Evenki National District.

Traditional home

Winter camps consisted of 1-2 tents, summer camps - up to 10, and more during holidays.

The chum (du) had a conical frame made of poles on a frame of poles, covered with nyuk tires made of rovduga or skins (in winter) and birch bark (in summer).

When migrating, the frame was left in place.

A fireplace was built in the center of the plague, and above it there was a horizontal pole for the cauldron.

In some places, semi-dugouts and log dwellings, the Yakut yurt-booth, in Transbaikalia - the Buryat yurt, and among the settled Birars of the Amur region - a quadrangular log dwelling of the fanza type were also known.

Family

Multigenerational patriarchal family with a tribal structure of society and social relations.

Traditional farming

Economically, the Evenks are noticeably different from other peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East.

First of all, they are reindeer hunters.

The Evenk hunter spent a good half of his life riding a deer. The Evenki also had groups that hunted on foot, but in general it was the riding deer that was the main calling card of this people.

Hunting played a leading role among most Evenki territorial groups. The hunting essence of the Evenk is clearly manifested even in such a secondary matter for him as fishing.

Fishing for an Evenk is the same as hunting.

For many years, their main fishing tools were a hunting bow with blunt arrows, which were used to kill fish, and a spear, a type of hunting spear.

As hunting resources were depleted, after their forced excessive production, during the period of Russian explanation, the importance of fishing in the livelihood of the Evenks began to increase.

Reindeer husbandry of the Evenks is taiga, pack and riding.

Free grazing and milking of females were practiced.

Evenks are born nomads.

The length of the migrations of reindeer hunters reached hundreds of kilometers per year.

Individual families covered distances of a thousand kilometers.

Dressing skins and decorating products

For a long time, the Evenks learned to process and tan hides, to make rovduga - suede from the skin of a deer or elk.

Women sewed practical and reliable clothes, which were essential in the taiga.

Moving across the vast expanses of the taiga in search of new pastures and rich hunting grounds, the Evenks noticed colors and patterns and transferred them to clothes and household items.

The aesthetic basis of Evenki decorative and applied art was the surrounding nature with all its richness.

Rovdugu was used to make shoes, clothes, gaiters, lassos, and coverings for tents.

People have learned to paint it, achieving the desired shade, using minerals, tree bark, and soot.

To this day, rovdugs of various shades, deer, squirrel, and sable fur are used.

Evenki women knew several ways to decorate products: decorating with beads, deer hair, painting patterns and materials with natural dyes.

The ornaments used mythological motifs of animals sacred to the Evenks - elk, white and motley deer, and birds - loons and swan. Totem animals were depicted on amulets, and embroidery with white deer hair, according to Evenki beliefs, provided protection to the hunter in the taiga from evil spirits.

The main material for decorating clothes, shoes, household items, harnesses, and other equipment was beads.

It was believed that the more beads on the product, the more exquisite the clothing. When preparing clothes for hunting for their husbands, in addition to the costume, women decorated mittens with beads - kokollol, an upper belt - natruska with pendants, a case for a gun - nagaliska, and a cartridge belt - pulkeruk.

For the Evenks, the center of the universe was a deer; things embroidered with its under-neck hair protected the owner from misfortunes and troubles.

The under-neck deer hair was dyed to various shades and used to decorate pack bags - inmek, bags for clothes, on which white stitching from twisted deer hair was used to separate individual elements of the ornament.

Boxes were often the bride's dowry.

The box cover, made from rovduga (a type of suede made from deer skin), was always richly decorated with embroidery from deer hair, geometric patterns applied with multi-colored paint, and fringe from rovduga.

The wooden rim of the box protected the dishes from damage even during long migrations over long distances.

Kumalan occupies a special place in the work of Evenki craftswomen.

These carpets, with alternating white and black fragments, have always been considered a measure of a family’s wealth and well-being.

Large kumalans were spread in front of the chum for guests; the most beautiful ones were given to the girls and were an important part of the dowry. Fur mosaic can also be found on gun cases, handbags and boxes for handicrafts, for storing clothes, and, of course, on blankets.

Blacksmithing and Jewelry

Researcher I. Georgi provides information about the blacksmithing of the Evenks: “There are blacksmiths among the forest Tungus, but no other artisans. An anvil, a hammer, endure, which they, like the iron itself, exchange for soft junk from the Cossacks: after forging, sitting on the ground, spades, spears, flints, knives, saws, spears, tin idols and the like are better than you might think "

The Evenks were good blacksmiths.

Almost every family had bellows - kurge for fanning the fire and an anvil - taitkit.

One man was forging, the other was pumping air with bellows.

Blacksmiths were mainly engaged in reforging products from finished metal. They knew how to smelt lead and tin.

Decorations for clothing, amulets, fire stands, hooks, and spears were made.

In ancient times, the ancestors of modern Evenks made jewelry from mammoth tusks and deer antlers, made them from colored stones - jade and crystal, poured lead and tin into wooden and clay molds. Women wore jewelry that was also considered amulets: metal buttons, copper rings, tin disks, silver plated plates, crosses.

Sewn to clothes they rang, scaring away evil spirits.

Wood, birch bark and bone

The life of a taiga person is closely connected with the forest.

They built storage sheds from wood to store food and things, made the frame of a dwelling from poles, and built fences for deer.

From soft birch and pine wood they made sleds and cargo sleds - tolgokil, tables on short legs - table, oars - ulivur, drawers for utensils - savodal.

Wooden objects were decorated with patterns that were applied with a knife, chisel, or drill.

They carved wooden masks for shamans, graceful figurines of animals and birds, wooden dishes, children's toys - whistles, dolls.

Birch bark was widely used in farming in the old days.

They covered tents with it, keeping them cool in the summer; light portable boats and kitchen utensils were made from it: a large vessel for storing meat and fish, a small vessel for collecting berries, various snuff boxes, containers in which butter was whipped from thick reindeer milk.

If necessary, elk meat was stored in a pit on birch bark.

Birch bark was used for the frame where pack bags were attached; for a newborn's cradle, for snuff boxes and sheaths.

The parts of the products were sewn together with threads from tendons.

For children, the Evenks prepared a wooden cradle - emke, which was passed down through the family.

First, they split the log into boards, then thinly planed and bent two boards over the fire.

The ends of the boards were drilled and tied together with rope straps.

The craftswoman decorated the finished cradle along the upper edge with fabric strips made of beads, and at the bottom with a cover made of kamus (a piece of skin from the legs of a deer).

The newborn's relatives made a box in which they placed a bird - wooden or made of rovduga - the guardian of the child's soul.

Bone cheek plates for deer bridles

Deer antlers were the most accessible material for artistic processing.

Previously, horns were cut by hand at home, now they are engraved and inlaid in souvenir shops.

Evenk craftsmen make household items and hunting equipment: combs, buckles, shovels, pipes, tambourine beaters, ski poles and more.

Religion and ritual

Animistic Pantheism, which, based on cosmological-semantic and secondary cult characteristics (up to the similarity of pronunciation in mythology), can be attributed to the historically exaggerated (as a result of forced Christianization) Vedic tradition, with elements of shamanic rituals.

Agdy (thunder) is the master of thunder and lightning in the myths of the Evenks, Orochs, Oroks, etc.

The Evenks represented Agdy in the image of a heavenly old man who, waking up in the spring, strikes a fire with a fire, so thunder rolls are heard on the earth, and sparks of lightning strike evil spirits.

According to other versions, Agdy has the appearance of a small dancing creature with a bear's head, a human body and the wings of an eagle, or the appearance of a bird with fiery eyes, the flight of which causes thunder, and the sparkling of its eyes causes lightning.

Agdy is one of the shamanic helping spirits.

It was believed that shamans could send Agdy to someone else’s clan (this is how the Evenks explained the fall of the Tunguska cosmic body).

In Orc myths, Agdy is the husband of the mistress of the water element, who lives on an island and controls sea spirits, animals and fish.

He flies to his wife in spring, mid-summer and autumn.

Bakha is a frog in Evenki myths that reached and secured the earth.

According to some myths, Bakha watches over the earth on behalf of the creator of the earth Seveki, according to others - at the request of the snake, which was already damp and frozen in the water.

When Bakha brought the earth to the surface of the water, the evil brother of the creator, Khargi, shot at it, Bakha turned over and has since supported the earth with her paws in the middle of the water space.

Baja is one of the shamanic spirits who guard peace in the middle earth.

Shamans hang an image of a frog as a symbol of the earth from their costume.

Buni, Bukit, Buli - the afterlife, the path to which was paved by the cultural hero Hedau or his son - the first to die, by opening a hole in the ground, which had previously been closed by a boiler, thereby preventing the overpopulation of the earth by old people and creating conditions for the normal circulation of the soul.

The souls of the dead were taken to Buni by shamans or spirit assistants to shamans. Seeing off in Buni was carried out during a special ceremony, held no earlier than a year after the death of a person; often the shaman sent the souls of several people to Buni at once.

In Buni, the dead live the same life as on Earth: they hunt, fish, build houses, sew clothes (according to some versions, they cry all the time).

For a living person who accidentally finds himself in Buni, or for a shaman who descends there during a ritual, Buni appears as a country where the sun shines dimly, the sky is like fog, and the earth is like steam.

Everything good there turns into bad, and bad into good (that’s why funeral equipment - clothes, dishes, hunting equipment - are specially torn, smashed, broken).

A living person in Buni is invisible to its inhabitants, his words are taken for the crackling of a hearth, and penetration turns out to be as harmful to the dead as the appearance of a spirit among the people of the middle world.

Only the shaman of the world of the dead can see him and send him back to earth.

Buga, Buva, Boa - all the surrounding space that is felt and not perceived by a person: the universe, the world, the earth, the sky, the weather.

According to the ideas common to all Tungus-Manchu peoples, Bug also means the Supreme Being, the Absolute, governing the Universe by the forces of nature, the life of the taiga, animals and the human race.

According to the ideas of the Evenks, the Bug is purely conventionally divided into three Worlds in the perception of people: the upper one - above the sky (the entrance to it is the opening of the sky - the Polar Star), the middle one - the earth and the lower one, which includes crevices in the ground and whirlpools. .

According to the Evenki, the spirit of the “mistress” of the universe - Buga musin - appears either in the form of a female elk or wild deer, or in the form of an old hunched woman in charge of the souls of people and animals.

Dunne - Dunne musun - the mistress spirit of the land, taiga, ancestral territory in Evenki myths.

Associated with Buga as a designation of the middle world - earth, water, land.

Duente are bear people, as well as the master spirit of the taiga, in the myths of the Nanai, Oroch, and Ulchi.

Duente appears in the form of an old man or a huge bear, whose paw print is the size of a musk deer (an animal up to one meter), and the depth of the track is knee-deep for a man.

It is believed that the origin of the bear family is traced back to the marriage of the first bear with a woman (the relationship between them is emphasized by the resemblance of a skinned bear carcass to a human body).

According to myths, the woman's younger brother, who married Duente, killed him, and then his sister, who bequeathed to her brother the raising of bear cubs, the rules for holding a bear festival, including raising a bear in a cage, its subsequent ritual killing, ceremonial exchanges of food with representatives of other clans and seeing off the bear's soul to the owner of the taiga, ensuring the revival of the killed bear.

Dyabdar is a giant snake in Evenki myths.

According to one version of the myth, Dyabdar participated in the creation of the world: together with the mammoth Seli, he drained the earth, laying river beds with his body.

Among the Tungus-Manchu peoples of the Amur region, Dyabdar, a boa constrictor or Ussuri python, could heal people.

To do this, he brought the sick person from the forest to the house, fumigated him with wild rosemary smoke, fed him and let him wrap himself around the patient’s body to drive out the disease.

Kalu is the master spirit of mountains, rocks and rivers, in charge of fur-bearing animals and fish, Kalgama - among the Nanais, Kalgamu - among the Negidals, Kaldyama - among the Oroks, Kagdyama - among the Orochs, Kaldyama - among the Ulchi.

Despite the differences in names, all Tungus-Manchus imagined Kala as a giant with a pointed head, arms and long nails ending in powerful hooves.

According to some versions, the Kalu live in entire tribes in mountain gorges, feeding on tree resin, elk meat and fish.

Descending from the mountains, they kidnap people, taking advantage of their carelessness or punishing them for their careless attitude towards the gifts of the forest.

According to other versions, Kalu owns a hunting bag in which he keeps generous hairs - the souls of game animals.

A hunter who enters into single combat with Kalu manages to obtain this talisman, and with it strength, hunting success and wealth.

In other versions of the myth, the hunter is helped to take possession of the talisman by his own wife, whom Kalu got into the habit of going to in the absence of her husband. One day Kalu forgot his bag of wool with her, and when he returned, the woman put a hot iron in Kalu’s hands and kept the bag for herself; from then on, her husband always had good luck in hunting.

Mayin is one of the host spirits (or mistresses) of the upper world in the myths of the Evenks, Negidals, and Nanais.

Mayin patronized the well-being of people, shamans and sent good luck in hunting.

Some Evenki groups also called Mayin the threads by which the supreme deity holds the souls of people, trees, and herbs.

As soon as the thread breaks for some reason, the person begins to get sick and dies, the tree dries, the grass withers.

Mangi, Mani - the ancestor, hero-hunter in the myths of the Evenks, Orochs, Nanais, Ulchis, etc. was represented in the guise of a giant bear that pursues the heavenly elk, the bear or she-bear Heglen, who stole the sun.

This plot explains the change of day and night and the origin of the constellations: the hunter and the elk or bear, the bear is the Big Dipper, and the hunter's ski trail is the Milky Way.

Among the Orochi, Mangi is the son of the cultural hero Hadeu, who chased a moose cow with a calf across the sky, in addition, he was the first person to die who voluntarily went to Buni to prevent overpopulation of the earth.

Orochi carved Mangi on staffs and other shamanic attributes.

Many shamans of the Transbaikal Evenks considered him their ancestor and traced their lineage back to him.

The Nanai called the wooden anthropomorphic image Mangi, which they placed next to the buried head of a bear.

Among the Udege, the idol of Mangani - Seveki in the form of a large wooden figure with a beak and a spear stood in the house opposite the entrance.

Among the ritual objects of the Ulchi there are also images of Manga.

In the fairy tales and myths of the Baikal Evenks, Mangi also means a bear, monster, cannibal.

Mugdy is the soul of the deceased, the spirit of ancestors in Evenki myths, Mugde is among the Nanai and Orochi.

The Evenki called images of ancestral spirits Mugdy, which supposedly protected them from the malevolent spirits of black shamans, from diseases, as well as from the evil spirits of the lower world (Buni).

The Mugdas were the patrons of shamans, they helped them in selecting people for initiation into shamans, in carrying out initiation, and then in their practice.

Among the Nanai, Mugde was an anthropomorphic image smaller than human height, which was made for the shamanic ritual of seeing off the soul in Bugi.

Among the Orochi, Mugde was depicted in the form of columns with the image of a human face and placed on the graves of shamans and twins.

Musun, Muhun, Musin, Musen are the host spirits in the myths of the Evenks and Evenks.

It was believed that they were possessed by natural phenomena (wind, rain, clouds, river flows), various natural objects (mountains, landslides, landslides), objects made by human hands (for example, a crossbow), a human word when it entailed an action, as well as gifted storytellers and shamans.

Muhun were represented in the form of living people, for example, Muhun of the hearth (grandmother living under the hearth), home (an old man living under the mala - a place in the house that is located opposite the entrance behind the hearth), rivers (lives near rapids, whirlpools), mountains ( lives on difficult passes), etc.

Some Muhun were married and had children, others did not have wives; they responded kindly to a person’s good attitude, so the first piece of meat, the first drops of wine were given to the Muhun of fire or the Muhun of a home, and during migrations the Muhun of rivers and rifts was always given as a gift (tobacco, a strip of fabric, etc.).

Muhun was also called the sacred power of the master spirit of the upper world (Seveki, Bug, etc.) and the master spirit of the hunting grounds of Shinken, which the shamans extracted from them and imported into a dedicated deer, idol, hunting equipment, etc.

Omi, Omie - the soul of a person (fetus or child up to one year old) and animals in the myths of the Evenks, Nanais, Negidals, Orochs, Ulchis.

It was believed that before the birth of the child, Omi in the form of birds lived on the branches of the world tree in the domain of the patroness of childbirth, Omian-mama (among the Nanais); in the sources of the world river Engdekit (among the Evenks of the Yenisei), the star Cholbon (Venus), on the larches, where the Omi of ordinary people lived in the form of tit chicks, and the Omi of future shamans lived as chicks of migratory birds: eagles, swans, loons, etc. (among the Evenks Orochonov).

From the world of unborn souls, Omi descends to earth in the form of birds (among the Nanais), needles or fluff (among the Evenks), and a puffball mushroom (among the Orochi). By entering a woman, Omi gives birth to the life of a child.

If a child died of hunger, then his Omi returned to the world of unborn souls and could after some time again inhabit the mother. If a woman remained childless or her children constantly died, the shaman carried out a ritual of obtaining souls: he went into the world of unborn souls, begging or stealing Omi and, returning to earth, handed her over to the mother or put her in a cradle with an image of a child, or hid vaults in the soul (amiruk).

According to the Tungus-Manchus, the Omi of animals is located in that part of the body that is involved in obtaining the means of subsistence: in deer - in the incisors, in fur-bearing animals, in bears - in the paw, etc.

If an animal died of old age or was killed in compliance with the rules of hunting, its soul returned to it and could give rise to a new cycle of its life.

The Evenks also called human figurines (created by the creator of the universe Seveki from clay and stone) Omi or the life force that he introduced into these figurines.

Podya is the master spirit of fire and hearth in the myths of the Negidals and Nanais; Pudya - among the Orochi, Ulchi, Udege; Togo Monsun - among the Evenks. Toi Muraki - among the Evens, Tava Edeni - among the Oroks, Toi Edeni - among the Orcs.

The Evenks and Nanais represented Pody in the guise of a very old woman; The Evens considered a man and called fire the father; The Orochi imparted fire to the whole family.

Podya is an old man, his wife, children, dogs; the Negidals depicted Podya (husband and wife) in the form of anthropomorphic wooden figures without legs (because the spirit was shown to people from the fire only up to the waist), etc.

Podya was considered the main home shrine.

He had the power to drive out evil spirits, he used it to cleanse the home, hunting equipment, and shamanic attributes before the ritual; he promoted well-being, economic activity, successful hunting, the health of deer, warned of upcoming events with the crackle of burning wood, flashes of flame, broken coal, and the flight of sparks. .

The veneration of Podya was expressed in numerous prohibitions: you cannot throw sharp objects into the fireplace or chop wood close to the fire, so as not to injure the spirit, spill water on the fire, spit, etc.

Before the meal, Pod was fed by throwing pieces of food into the fire.

Hunters in the taiga treated Pod, asking him to send the beast, since success depended on Pod no less than on the spirit master of the hunt.

It was believed that Polya walked ahead and if she caught the soul of the beast, it would become the hunter’s prey.

Shinken, Khinken, Shinken - the master spirit of fishing, the patron of hunting and wild animals in the myths of the Evenks, Negidals, and Orochs.

Among the Evenks it was also known under other names: Bayakai, Balakcha, Dachechen, Mogun, Uretki, Yaku, etc.

Shinken was believed to be located at the base of a tree trunk, in a valley or near a ridge,

Sometimes it was placed on the lower layer of the sky (orochi) or on the lunar earth. Shinken was presented in an anthropomorphic form; tigers, bears and other large animals served as his mounts.

In a number of myths, Shinken appears in the guise of a young woman; a successful hunt depends on her location.

Shinken was also called a hunting talisman that brings good luck; among the Ulchi it was called sunke or su, among the Oroks - sunke, among the Nanai - su.

Shinke was served by those parts of the body that were considered the seat of the soul - omi (pieces of animal fur, bird feathers, teeth or claws and other objects resembling parts of the animal's body).

Seveki, Kheveki, Sheveki, Sevki - the creator of the earth, animals and humans, the master spirit of the upper world, the patron of people and deer in the myths of the Evenks, Evens and Negidals, his other names: Amaka (grandfather), Eskeri (Essheri), Buga.

According to myths, in the beginning there was only water, Seveki and his older brother Khargi.

Seveki took out some earth from the bottom (according to versions, this was done on his instructions by the loon and goldeneye or Bach's frog), placed it on the surface of the water and fell asleep.

Khargi, wanting to destroy the earth, began to push it out from under his brother, but only stretched it so much that it took on modern dimensions.

Having created a stone and a tree, Seveki ordered them to grow, but they, arguing over who would be taller, almost began to prop up the sky; then Seveki brushed off the excess with his hand, and since then the rocks have been crumbling, and the parched trees are drying up from the top.

Then the brothers made figurines of animals (Seveki - useful to humans, edible, and the old brother Khargi - harmful).

Seveki also sculpted figures of people from clay and stone and, leaving them under the supervision of a guard (a raven, a dog and a bear), retired to the upper world, from where he continued to monitor the behavior of people through his assistants.

Ideas about Seveki's appearance are very contradictory - an old man, an old woman, an elk or a moose cow.

It was believed that during the spring annual ritual (Seveken, Ikeninke) Seveki gave sacred power - monsun, which ensures the revitalization of nature, successful hunting, the health of people and deer herds.

In case of illness and failure, Seveki dedicated a deer of light color (Sevek).

Seven is the assistant spirit of the shaman in the myths of the Evenks, Evens (Hevun), Nanais, Negidals, Oroks, Orochs, Ulchis (Sevon), Udege. The Seven were represented in a zooamorphous form (animal, bird, fish, reptile), but had an anthropomorphic face and could understand his instructions.

Seveki were usually located on the tributaries of the shamanic river Engdekit, and at the call of the shaman, each of the Seven went his own way - night, midday, upper or lower.

The functions of Seven were distributed depending on the task of the shaman: the search for souls by air was entrusted to birds, by water - to fish; In seeing off the soul of the deceased in Bugi, the shaman was helped by fish, deer, and dogs.

The shaman was carried by air by loons, eagles, and seagulls, by water by taimen, and by land by moose, bears, and tigers.

Among the Nanai and other Tungus-Manchu peoples of the Amur region, Seven also called amulets, amulets and images of a helping spirit on the costume and ritual accessories of the shaman.

Seli (Heli, Sheli), Khelir, Kholir - Mammoth, assistant to the creator of the Universe Seveki, who took part in the creation of the earth according to Evenki myths.

Together with the snake Dyabdar, according to variants - in the process of their collision, Seli drained the earth, turning out sand, clay and stones, which turned into plains, mountains, cliffs.

Then Sali and Dyabdar fell underground, becoming guardian spirits of the entrance to the lower world.

Seli was one of the main spirit assistants of the shaman.

Metal images of Sali, combining the features of an elk and a fish, were sewn to the back of the shaman’s costume, and wooden (sometimes two-headed) figures were placed in front of the entrance to the shaman’s tent.

Torganei, Torgani is the ancestor of bears in the myths of the eastern Evenks and Evens.

According to myths, a woman fell into a den and then gave birth to two children - a bear cub and a boy.

When they grew up, the young man Torganei entered into a fight with his brother-bear and killed him.

Before his death, the bear told Torganei that now there would be many bears on earth and people would be able to hunt them, and also bequeathed to Torganei the rules for holding the bear festival (Duente) and forbade women from eating certain parts of the carcass.

Temu, Temu edeni - the master spirit of the water element, fish, sea animals in the myths of the Orochi, Ulchi, Udege; Mutemuni - among the Nanais, Takhmuni - among the Negidals, Mudiko - among the Evenks.

In myths, Temu often appears as an anthropomorphic couple; an old man and an old woman who live far out to sea; they release fish from the lake located in their house (according to variants, the scales that Temu throws into the sea turn into fish).

The amount of fish in the rivers and the success of hunting sea animals depend on the will of Temu, so before the start of fishing, usually in spring and autumn, water feeding rituals were organized: a dish with berries, porridge, grass, tobacco, etc. was lowered into the waters.

Temu was also called a killer whale, which was considered a sea spirit (or boat of the sea spirit), an assistant or relative of Temu; By order of Temu, killer whales drive schools of fish, seals, and seals ashore, making it easier for people to hunt and fish.

Hanyan, Heyan, Hanan - the soul of a person in the myths of the Evenks and Evens; Khatyan - among the Negidals, Pan - among the Oroks, Ulchis, Nanais.

According to some versions of Hanyan Pan, a person’s soul appears at the moment of birth and accompanies him throughout his life; according to others, Khanyan Pana appears in a child when he begins to walk and talk.

Externally, Hanyang Pana is an exact copy of a person; in sunny weather she can be seen in the form of a shadow, reflection in a mirror, etc.

During sleep, Hanyang Pana can leave the body and move away to long distances, which causes dreams (therefore, the sleeping person should not be abruptly awakened so that Hanyang Pana has time to return).

Hanyang Pana could be abducted by evil spirits (including the spirit of the deceased or the assistant spirit of a hostile shaman), which leads to a person’s illness.

In this case, they invited a shaman who looked for Hanyan Pan, took her from the spirits by persuasion, gift or force, and returned her to her place.

The Nanai also called Pan an image of a deceased person in the form of a wooden figurine on a stand with a triangular head and a hole in place of the mouth.

This figurine was put to bed at night, and fed during the day, food was placed in front of it, and a previously lit pipe was inserted into the opening of the mouth.

The figurine of Pan served as a warning to the soul of the deceased until the shaman directed it to Mugdy before sending it to the world of the dead (Buni).

Among a number of Evenki groups, Pana (Khanyan, Henyan) meant the spirit of an ancestor, including an ancestor who called his descendant to shamanic service, and served as his patron.

Khargi is the master spirit of the lower world, the elder brother of Seveki, who competed with him in acts of creation according to Evenki myths.

Khargi created animals and blood-sucking insects that were harmful to humans, and spoiled the figurines of people sculpted by his brother: by seducing the guarding figurines with food (or warm clothes) and, having gained access to the figurines, he spoiled and broke their statues, which is why people began to get sick and die.

Having left for the lower world after a quarrel with Seveki, Khargi continues to send his assistants to earth - evil spirits who prevent people from hunting and bring diseases.

Among some groups of Evenks, Khargi were also called spirit assistants to shamans, who had a zooanthropomorphic appearance and accompanied them during their journey to the lower world.

Heglen - among the Evenks, Negidals, Hevlen - among the Evens, Padume - among the Oroks, Orochs, Nanais, Ulchis - the personification of the Big Dipper in the myths of the Tungus-Manchu peoples.

In most versions, Haglen is a giant heavenly elk who stole the sun, or a moose cow with a calf, pursued by a hero-hunter - Mani, Chan Chiy, Chakhintylan or three hunters, for example, Ket, Evenk, Russian.

The hunt, traces of which are visible in the sky in the form of the stars of the Big Dipper and the Milky Way (the hunter's trace), explains the origin of day and night - a calf, which, after the hunter's shot, darted to the side in fright and fell through a hole in the sky - the North Star - to the ground, gave the beginning of the earth's moose.

According to another version, the moose threw the bone of the unborn Munchi the hunter and the elk calf onto the ground, and she went to the sea and turned into a mammoth - Sali.

Among the peoples of the Amur region - Nanai, Oroch, Ulchi - the constellation Ursa Major - Haglen was considered a heavenly barn or hangers for drying yukola, which the celestial old man ordered his son-in-law to build.

Cholbon among the Evenks and Yakuts is the personification or master spirit of the planet Venus, a heavenly deity.

Appears in the guises of the morning and evening star. The Evenks consider Cholbon to be a powerful and formidable deity (you cannot tell tales when he is in heaven).

Engdekit is a shamanic river in the myths of Western Evenks, connecting the upper and lower worlds.

At the origins of Engdekit, at the foot of the mountain of the upper world, there is a world of unborn souls - Ngaktar, and a little lower, on a large reindeer pasture - the world of unborn deer - Kuturuk.

In the middle part of Engdekit there are many tributaries, each of which belongs to a shaman of a certain kind.

Sevani were located on the tributaries - the spirit assistants of shamans, guarding the passages from Engdekit to the middle earth; the entrance there served as whirlpools of rivers flowing in the world of people.

In the lower half of Engdekit there was a world of the dead - Buni: on the rocks and the mouth of each tributary lived the ancestors who passed on their family and life to the shaman, on the reaches there were the ancestral villages of the dead, and at the mouth of Engdekit itself - the first shamans.

Behind the mouth there was a lower world from which they did not return; only the souls of the dead who died in Buni fell into it.

The lower reaches of Engdekit were cut by seven (according to variants, nine) rapids, where evil spirits lived, bringing death.

It was believed that during the ritual, shamans ascended to the upper world along Engdekit for the souls of children and deer and then along a tree-staircase to the master spirit of the upper world; The shaman also went down his river to the lower world in search of the souls of the sick, but below the fourth threshold he usually sent his helping spirits.

When seeing off the soul, the shaman's road went down from the mouth of his river along Engdekit to the ancestral villages of the deceased.

The most ancient rituals of the cult of nature included offerings in the form of “feeding, donation” and “requests” addressed to fire, mountain passes, fords, springs and other especially revered places.

Such rituals turned into customs and became so familiar that they did not eat meat until they threw a piece into the fire or oven with the words “the same goes.”

During the transitions, they threw a pinch of tobacco or sugar into the fire, and small strips of beautiful fabric were tied on trees in designated places.

These customs have been preserved by many Evenks who are engaged in traditional farming today.

They are also characterized as hunting rituals.

The Evenki ritual of getting good luck “Sinkelevun, Khinkelevun, Shinkelevun” was typical for all Evenki groups.

It represented the magical hammering of an image of a cloven-hoofed animal.

It was performed only by hunters.

If the hunt was unsuccessful, the hunter knitted an image of a deer or elk from twigs, prepared a small bow and arrow, and went into the taiga.

There he placed an image of an animal and shot at it from a short distance.

If the arrow hit, then the hunt would be successful, then the hunter imitated cutting up the carcass, he always hid part of it, and took part with him to go hunting from the camp.

Among the Evenks of the Timtom and Suntar regions of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), a shaman took part in this ritual.

In this version, there was an ancient method of hunting - throwing a lasso, it was done before the hunter shot with a bow at the image.

Among the Central Amur Evenki-Birars, this ritual turned into an autumn prayer to the spirit of the owner of the taiga “magin”.

Having chosen a place in the taiga, the oldest of the hunters made a sacrifice in front of a tree - he burned a piece of meat and asked to send the beast.

Among the Sym Evenks, this ritual boiled down to hanging white stripes on a birch tree and shooting an arrow at its top with a request to the “mother of animals” to send prey.

Shamans developed this ritual, adding to it a visit to the spirit of the owner of the taiga to “ask” him for “shinken” animals, as well as a ritual of purification of hunters.

The “ikenipke” ritual was an eight-day hunting mystery—the pursuit of a divine deer, its slaughter and sharing with its meat. Shamans added to this ritual fortune-telling, prediction and renewal of parts of the shaman's costume and attributes.

The existence of this ritual determined the Evenki’s veneration of deer and elk. They believed that the souls of eaten animals would be resurrected, and they would be sent back to Earth by good spirits - the master of the Upper World and the spirit of the master of the taiga.

Considering the relationship of traditional dances with religious ideas, as well as with various aspects and components of the material, spiritual culture and life of the Evenks, traditional choreographic art is revealed as one of the manifestations of the relationship between ethnopedagogy and folk art culture, which allows us to look into the system of plastic-figurative thinking, on which layers layers of subsequent periods of development of the religious Universe.

Rituals of getting good luck for a hunter among the Evenks “Bear” rituals - “Sinkelevun”, the ritual of chasing an imaginary deer, hunting for it and introducing meat - “ikenipke”, fortune telling on the shoulder blade, small rituals - appeals to the good spirit “Heveke” with a request to send beast.

Sometimes the funeral ceremony for the dead was carried out without a shaman.

Anthropomorphic figurines of a human bear, found by archaeologists in the territory of the Evenki settlement, date back to the Neolithic and confirm the antiquity of the existence of the bear cult.

Observing the similarity in the structure of the limbs of a bear and a person, the ancient Evenki came to the conclusion that the bear was previously a person.

The Ayan Evenki have preserved a myth about a bear - man's brother, in which there is an element of struggle between man and bear, where man wins, and the bear, dying, bequeaths how to hunt and bury the bear. An echo of the same myth, preserved among the Amgun and Urmi-Ud Evenks, was the belief in the custom that a bear can challenge a hunter to a duel by scratching tree trunks; in the same way the bear establishes the boundaries of its territory.

If the hunter wanted to meet a bear, he made notches above the bear's scratches; if he did not want to, then below these scratches.

The most common tradition in bear hunting and bear rituals was to liken oneself to a raven - “oli”.

The raven, according to the myth of the Ilympian Evenks, was the creator’s assistant, but for bad deeds he was punished and left on earth to look after people.

The Evenks, who roamed along the spurs of large ridges, believed that mountain crows were people turned into birds.

The basis of these ideas were observations of crows that lived in pairs and were able to reproduce the voice of a person.

The proximity to peoples whose cult hero was the raven had an effect.

Previously, only relatives and relatives of the hunters could take part in the hunt for a bear located in a den.

During the hunt, they could only speak allegorically.

In all actions, from approaching the den to eating, shouts imitating a raven were obligatory: “Ki-i-k! Cuckoo! Kikak!

In some cases, they waved their arms like crows with their wings and smeared their faces with soot.

The eldest of the hunters always killed, but the skinner was flayed by his relative - “nimak, khuyuvren.”

Custom - the rite of thanksgiving to fire among the Evenks

The spirit master of the fire - “togo musunin” - has the definition of a driving, burning animated force and is represented in the image of an old grandmother - “enike”, because the Evenki from time immemorial considered a woman to be the keeper of the hearth.

This is confirmed by archaeological finds of female figurines and images near the hearths of ancient settlements.

Since fire was considered the guardian of the well-being of relatives, the best piece of food was always thrown into the fire, always with a request for good luck in the hunt.

The custom-rite of feeding the fire is a kind of reflection of the custom of treating and sharing spoils among relatives, which symbolizes general well-being, prosperity and continuation of life.

All these ideas resulted in some small customs-prohibitions - “ode” in relation to fire.

So, for example, you cannot leave a knife or a needle pointing towards the fire, you cannot throw pine cones into the fire, pour resin, water, or chop wood near or butcher dead animals.

In turn, according to the old people, fire, caring for people, can warn a person; its “language,” in their opinion, is the special crackling or squeaking of burning wood - “hinken.”

If you heard these sounds in the morning, then the fire foreshadowed good things, if in the evening - then bad things; if you heard them while eating, you understood that you had to pack up and leave; if the fire clicked while going hunting, then the hunter remained in the camp, so it was regarded Unsuccessful hunting in this sign.

Traditional clothing

The traditional outerwear of the Evenks is a kaftan.

It was sewn from deer skins, and so that raindrops would roll off without penetrating inside, a fringe of goat fur was inserted into the shoulder seam.

A fur bib was worn under the caftan.

The festive bib was made of rovduga (suede) and decorated with bead patterns.

In more severe areas, in the forest-tundra, thick fur clothing - sokui - was worn over the caftan.

The men's suit differed little from the women's, mainly in some features of the cut and the number of decorations.

The headdress was made from the skin of a deer's head.

The skin was stretched to the shape of a person's head and dried; the holes from the eyes and horns were sewn up and decorated with beads, the edges were trimmed with rovduga.

The Evenks also wore bonnet-like hats trimmed with fur.

South of the Lower Tunguska, men tied scarves folded into a wide rope around their foreheads and the back of their heads.

In winter, a long scarf made from the tails of fur-bearing animals was wrapped around the neck and head.

Evenki shoes are so well suited for long treks through the taiga that neighboring peoples borrowed them.

They sew high boots (this is the name of this type of footwear in the Far North and Siberia) from rovduga, cloth, leather, kamus (skin from a deer’s leg).

High boots can be short (up to the ankle) or long (cover the entire leg).

In winter, high boots are worn with fur stockings.

National cuisine

The traditional cuisine is northern, containing a lot of meat, fish and reindeer milk.

TYKHEMIN

Tychemin is a fish soup prepared with caviar.

The caviar is crushed and ground until smooth.

Usually this was done in a wooden trough, crushed with a wooden spoon - a fish lamb.

The resulting mass is dipped into boiling broth, gradually adding chopped fish meat.

Salt, you can also add other spices to taste.

Stir well and bring to a boil.

HUNGEL

This soup is cooked if dried blood and typtun - dried meat with bones - have been prepared since the summer.

When cutting up a deer carcass, the cleaned stomach is filled with fresh blood, sewn up, then hung on a tree, dried in the sun in a ventilated place until the blood turns into a dense lump.

They set the typtun broth to boil and, while it is boiling, the required amount of blood is cut off from the lump, wrapped in a piece of a clean rag and crushed into powder using a dire - a round stone.

When the broth is ready, crushed dried blood is added to it, thoroughly stirring it in the boiling broth.

But they stir it not with a spoon, but with a special whorl - ytyk.

Only by vigorously rotating can you obtain a homogeneous mass.

Hungel is served hot.

SHASHLIK IN EVENKI STYLE

Meat from the dorsal part of the deer is cut into flat pieces the size of a palm, sprinkled with salt, and skewered on gouges.

Rots are stuck around the fire, the meat is fried, turning over, making sure that it does not burn or become saturated with smoke.

The finished pieces, usually the top ones, are placed on a dish or plate. At the same time, the tubular bones are freed from meat and tendons, cut into pieces, and the bone marrow is carefully removed.

Pieces of bone marrow are placed around the hot kebab, sprinkled with a little salt and served immediately.

TELIK

The meat, sun-dried for 2-3 days, is lightly smoked over a fireplace. Chop or crush as finely as possible, then mix with lingonberries and serve with tea.

AKIN

Raw deer liver is freed from films, cut into noodles, laid out on a clean film, taken out into the cold and frozen.

Serve after sprinkling with salt and pepper.

TALA

This dish is prepared from fresh nelma, sturgeon, taimen, lenok or other delicious fish.

The insides are removed, the fish is washed, and cut into pieces.

Then take the required amount, cut it into noodles, add salt and pepper and mix carefully.

Place on plates, sprinkle with finely chopped green onions and serve as an appetizer.

DUKTEMI

This is a delicacy of the Evenki table, prepared for dear guests or on special occasions.

The fish is cut along the ridge, the spine and head are separated, and the gills are removed.

Then the meat is straightened and strengthened on sticks, dried over the fire.

And the bones are crushed using dire.

Before serving, you can season it with fish oil.

MANING

Fresh blueberries are sorted, rinsed with cold water, and dried a little.

The berries should be thoroughly crushed with a wooden pestle or spoon, poured with reindeer milk, and stirred.

Then pour into glasses and can be served.

Proverbs and sayings

Evenk can usually say about the coming of the day: inelche (dawn).

But it may also be like this: Gewan samche (The Morning Star has died).

Moreover, the Evenk likes to use the second expression more often.

An Evenk can simply say about rain: it started to rain, but an old man will express his thought figuratively: buga songollon (the sky is shedding tears, or the sky has burst, opened up).

The Evenks have a proverb “Togo dugee achin” (Fire has no end), which has the meaning: life is eternal.

When asked to explain the meaning of this proverb, a seventy-year-old Evenk said: “Here you live, your house is warmed by fire.

You light it up, support it. If you die, your children will keep the fire going, then your grandchildren, great-grandchildren.

And so on endlessly: Life will go on - the fire will burn forever.”

In terms of the depth of thought, this proverb can be compared with the philosophical judgment about the infinity of matter.

From Evenki proverbs you can find out how the Evenki ancestor imagined the world.

Let us turn to the proverb “Dongne checheven etenny bokono” (not to reach the edge of the earth), which has the meaning: the earth is great, you cannot reach its edge.

They usually use it when they want to say that the world is vast.

There are several more proverbs containing the phraseological unit “dongne chechen”: Dunne chechen hurudo (Go to the ends of the earth, that is, far), Dunne chechelen akhada (Expel to the ends of the earth).

Many Evenki proverbs, taken together, form a set of rules of behavior and moral standards.

Deromomi bee eten sirare (Having stolen, a person will not reward himself. In the sense: theft will not save a person).

About a good person: the ear hears far, but the eye wants to see close, i.e. Word of a good man spreads far and people are glad to see him.

When teaching someone how to live, an Evenk will say: “Do you want to get lost in life?!”

And to sum up his moral: “Biniduk tulili hurudes?”

The proverb can be conveyed with a direct meaning: “you can’t get away from what surrounds you,” or figuratively: “you can’t get away from life.”

Many proverbs condemn the shortcomings of people.

About an unscrupulous, impudent Evenk he will say: “This man has absolutely no face.”

About someone who has lost his human appearance, about a scoundrel: “Hair has grown on your face.”

“You frostbitten your eyes,” that is, you are not ashamed to look people in the eyes.

Chatterboxes and gossipers are characterized by the following proverbs: “Eruduk eruve tavdyari bee” (A person who collects the worst of the worst); “Daladyavki tekene achin” (Lapping like a dog, i.e. saying anything, not giving an account of his words); “Innin kotovo ureche” (His tongue is like a knife blade, i.e. it cuts anything and can ruin a lot).

The last proverb can also characterize a good person, not afraid to speak the truth, fair and straightforward.

The proverb “Ekunma hentanna?” (What did it reflect, like an echo?) is close in meaning to the Russian expression “I heard a ringing, but you don’t know where it is.”

They say about people who are “on their own”: “Simuladeren, urin kulin bine” (He behaves quietly, although he has worms in his stomach).

The proverb is identical to the Russian one: “There are devils in still waters.”

A reckless person is characterized by another proverb: “Deluvi-nyun sukederi bee” (A man who chops the branch under him).

The Evenki woman never occupied a humiliating position.

“Beeve ahi irgivki” (A woman raises a man) - says the Evenki proverb.

But this same proverb is also used when they want to refer to the priority of a woman, a wife in the family.

The following proverbs are similar to the previous one: “Bee ahi unyakandin bee ovki” (A man with the help of his wife’s fingers will become a man), “Akhiya achin bee angadyakan” (A husband without a wife is an orphan), “Kergenmi sanmimi togos sivdyan” (If you lose your wife, the fire will go out).

The proverb “Bee beeduk yuvki” (Man is born from man) is close to the Russian proverb “The apple does not fall far from the tree.”

Other proverbs have the same meaning: “Nginakin ngi nakinduk tatyvki - bee beeduk” (Man learns from man, dog learns from dog).

Dependence on nature led the Evenks to the need to somehow consolidate their observations of it, generalize them, and know signs, often formulated in proverb form.

“Tamnakha ugirivden - nengdeleden, tamnakha tykigni - tygdelden” (The fog will rise - there will be good weather, the fog will fall - there will be rain).

“Kukku dikte irillekin etevki kukkudan” (The cuckoo will stop crowing when the dove begins to ripen).

The saying “Dylvas buchidyav” (I will dry your head), meaning “I will destroy you, deal with you, kill you,” is obviously a reflection of clan and tribal wars.

Moreover, the saying has a connotation of an oath: by pronouncing it, a person seems to swear to take revenge on the offender.

True, now this expression has a slightly different meaning - “I will take revenge on you somehow.”

The proverb “Aya murin umun kimnichi, aya bee umun turechi” (For a good horse there is one whip, for a good man there is one word) became common among those clans of Evenks who switched to a sedentary lifestyle and kept horses.

It is possible that this is a simple copy of a Yakut proverb.

Many Evenki proverbs are contained in Evenki folklore, especially in legends.

The legendary Evenki heroes, when entering into single combat with someone, addressed the enemy with the words “Irgelevi iktevkel, dolavi doldykal, senduvi sildikal!” (Put it into your brain, hear it inside, string it to your ears!)

The meaning of what has been said is simple: listen to me carefully.

And now, turning to someone, demanding to listen carefully, the Evenk will say the same thing.

But in colloquial speech, one of the parts of this lengthy address is most often used.

The proverbs of the Evenks, like those of other peoples, have a concise, clear and strict form, which is supported by its construction.

The sound side is also important. Take, for example, the proverb “Enget bude bee evki bude” (He who is not destined to die will not die).

The meaning of this proverb can be explained by comparing it with the Russian “He who burns will not drown.”

The proverb is sealed by a continuous sound repetition.

Evenki proverbs, pearls of folk art, have passed on experience to subsequent generations for centuries.

These short sayings contain the feelings and thoughts of the northern people.

Evenki (the self-name Evenkil, which became an official ethnonym in 1931; the old name is Tungus from Yakut Toҥ Uus) is an indigenous people of the Russian Federation (Eastern Siberia). They also live in Mongolia and northeast China. Separate groups of Evenks were known as Orochens, Birars, Manegrs, Solons. The language is Evenki, belongs to the Tungus-Manchu group of the Altai language family. There are three groups of dialects: northern, southern and eastern. Each dialect is divided into dialects.

Geography

They live from the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in the east to the Yenisei in the west, from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Baikal region and the Amur River in the south: in Yakutia (14.43 thousand people), Evenkia (3.48 thousand people), Dudinsky district of the Taimyr Autonomous Okrug, Turukhansky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory (4.34 thousand people), Irkutsk region (1.37 thousand people), Chita region (1.27 thousand people), Buryatia (1.68 thousand people .), Amur region (1.62 thousand people), Khabarovsk Territory (3.7 thousand people), Sakhalin region (138 people), as well as in the northeast of China (20 thousand people, spurs Khingan ridge) and in Mongolia (near Lake Buir-Nur and the upper reaches of the Iro River).

Language

They speak the Evenki language of the Tungus-Manchu group of the Altai family. Dialects are divided into groups: northern - north of the lower Tunguska and lower Vitim, southern - south of the lower Tunguska and lower Vitim and eastern - east of Vitim and Lena. Russian is also widespread (55.7% of Evenks speak fluently, 28.3% consider it their native language), Yakut and Buryat languages.

The Evenki language, along with Manchu and Yakut, belongs to the Tungus-Manchu branch of the Altai language family.

In turn, the Tungus-Manchu language family is something intermediate between the Mongolian (the Mongols belong to it) and the Turkic language family (which, for example, includes the Tuvans, although many do not perceive the Tuvans as Turks (such as Tatars, Uighurs, Kazakhs or Turks) , because Tuvans do not profess Islam, but are partly shamanists, like the Yakuts and Evenks, and partly Buddhists, like the Manchus and Mongols. It should be noted that the Manchus also partly profess Buddhism). The Evenks are very close to the Manchus, but unlike them, they did not create famous state formations. And in this they are similar to the Yakuts close to them.

The Evenki, both in Russia and in China and Mongolia, with the help of scientists from the respective countries, adapted the writing system adopted by the titular peoples of these states to record their language. In Russia, the Evenks use the Cyrillic alphabet, in Mongolia they use the Old Mongolian alphabet, and in China they use the Old Mongolian alphabet and hieroglyphs. But this also happened recently, in the 20th century. Therefore, the following excerpts from Chinese foreign broadcasts say that the Evenks do not have a written language.

Name

Perhaps this sounds strange, but even the very name of the Evenki people is covered in the spirit of myths and doubts. Thus, from the time the Russians mastered the vast territories occupied by the Evenks until 1931, it was customary to call this people (and at the same time the Evens related to them) with the general word “Tungus”. At the same time, the origin of the word “Tungus” still remains unclear - either it comes from the Tungus word “kungu”, meaning “a short fur coat made of reindeer skins, sewn with the wool up”, or from the Mongolian “tung” - “forest”, then Li from the Yakut “tong uos” - “people with frozen lips”, i.e. speaking an unknown language. One way or another, the name “Tungus” in relation to the Evenki is still used by a number of researchers, which adds confusion to the already complicated history of the Evenki people.

One of the most common self-names of this people – Evenki (also Evenkil) – was recognized as official in 1931 and acquired the form “Evenki”, which is more familiar to Russian ears. The origin of the word “Evenki” is even more mysterious than “Tungus”. Some scientists claim that it comes from the name of the ancient Transbaikal tribe “Uvan” (also “Guvan”, “Guy”), from which modern Evenks allegedly trace their roots. Others completely shrug their shoulders, refusing attempts to interpret this term and pointing out only that it arose about two thousand years ago.

Another very common self-name of the Evenks is “orochon” (also “orochen”), literally meaning “a person who owns a deer,” a “deer” person. This is exactly what the Evenki reindeer herders called themselves on a vast territory from Transbaikalia to the Zeysko-Uchursky region; However, some of the modern Amur Evenks prefer the name “Evenki”, and the word “Orochon” is considered just a nickname. In addition to these names, among the various groups of Evenki there were also self-names “Manegry” (“Kumarchen”), “Ile” (Evenki of the Upper Lena and Podkamennaya Tunguska), “Kilen” (Evenki from Lena to Sakhalin), “Birary” (“Birarchen” - i.e. living along the rivers), “hundysal” (i.e. “dog owners” - this is how the deerless Evenki of the Lower Tunguska called themselves), “solons” and many others, often coinciding with the names of individual Evenki clans.

At the same time, not all Evenks were reindeer herders (for example, the Manegros, who lived in the south of Transbaikalia and the Amur region, also bred horses), and some Evenks were completely on foot or sedentary and were engaged only in hunting and fishing. In general, until the 20th century, the Evenks were not a single, integral people, but rather represented a number of separate tribal groups, sometimes living at great distances from each other. And yet, at the same time, they were connected by a lot - a common language, customs and beliefs - which allows us to talk about the common roots of all Evenks. But where do these roots lie?

Story

II millennium BC — 1st millennium AD – human settlement of the Lower Tunguska valley. Sites of ancient people of the Neolithic era of the Bronze and Iron Ages in the middle reaches of the Podkamennaya Tunguska.

XII century – the beginning of the settlement of the Tungus throughout Eastern Siberia: from the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in the east to the Ob-Irtysh interfluve in the west, from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Baikal region in the south.

Among the northern peoples not only of the Russian North, but also of the entire Arctic coast, the Evenks are the largest linguistic group: on

More than 26,000 people live on the territory of Russia, according to various sources, the same number in Mongolia and Manchuria.

With the creation of the Evenki Okrug, the name “Evenki” firmly entered into social, political and linguistic usage. Doctor of Historical Sciences V.A. Tugolukov gave a figurative explanation for the name “Tungus” - walking across the ridges.

Since ancient times, the Tungus have settled from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the Ob. Their way of life introduced changes in the names of clans not only based on geographical characteristics, but, more often, on household ones. The Evenks living along the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk were called Evens or, more often, Lamuts from the word “lama” - sea. The Transbaikal Evenks were called Murchens, because they were mainly engaged in horse breeding rather than reindeer herding. And the name of the horse is “mur”. The Evenki reindeer herders who settled in the interfluve of the three Tunguskas (Upper, Podkamennaya, or Middle, and Lower) and Angara called themselves Orochens - reindeer Tungus. And they all spoke and speak the same Tungus-Manchu language.

Most Tungus historians consider Transbaikalia and the Amur region to be the ancestral homeland of the Evenks. Many sources claim that they were forced out by the more warlike steppe inhabitants at the beginning of the 10th century. However, there is another point of view. Chinese chronicles mention that 4,000 years before the Evenks were forced out, the Chinese knew about a people who were the strongest among the “northern and eastern foreigners.” And these Chinese chronicles indicate similarities in many features of that ancient people - the Sushens - with the later ones, known to us as the Tungus.

1581-1583 - the first mention of the Tungus as a people in the description of the Siberian kingdom. The first explorers, explorers, and travelers spoke highly of the Tungus: “helpful without servility, proud and brave.” Khariton Laptev, who examined the shores of the Arctic Ocean between the Ob and Olenek, wrote:

“In courage, humanity, and sense, the Tungus are superior to all the nomadic people living in yurts.” The exiled Decembrist V. Kuchelbecker called the Tungus “Siberian aristocrats,” and the first Yenisei governor A. Stepanov wrote: “their costumes resemble the camisoles of the Spanish grandees...” But we must not forget that the first Russian explorers also noted that “their kopeyts and spears are made of stone and bone”, that they do not have iron utensils, and “tea is brewed in wooden vats with hot stones, and meat is only baked on coals...” And again: “there are no iron needles and they sew clothes and shoes with bone needles and deer veins.”

Second half of the 16th century. – penetration of Russian industrialists and hunters into the basins of the Taza, Turukhan and the mouth of the Yenisei rivers. The proximity of two different cultures was interpenetrating. The Russians learned the skills of hunting, survival in northern conditions, and were forced to accept the moral standards and social life of the aborigines, especially since the newcomers took local women as wives and created mixed families.

Gradually, the Evenki tribes were forced out by the Yakuts, Russians and Buryats from part of their territory and moved to Northern China. In the century before last, Evenks appeared on the lower Amur and Sakhalin. By that time, the people were partially assimilated by the Russians, Yakuts, Mongols and Buryats, Daurs, Manchus and Chinese. By the end of the 19th century, the total number of Evenks was 63 thousand people. According to the 1926-1927 census data, 17.5 thousand of them lived in the USSR. In 1930, the Ilimpiysky, Baykitsky and Tungus-Chunsky national

The districts were united into the Evenki National District. According to the 2002 census, 35 thousand Evenks live in Russia.

Life of the Evenks

The main occupation of the “foot” Evenks is hunting. It is carried out mainly for large animals - deer, elk, roe deer, bear, however, fur hunting for smaller animals (squirrel, arctic fox) is also common. Hunting is usually carried out from autumn to spring, in groups of two or three people. Evenki reindeer herders used animals for riding (including for hunting) and for carrying and milking. After the end of the hunting season, several Evenki families usually united and moved to another place. Some groups had different types of sleds, which were borrowed from the Nenets and Yakuts. The Evenki bred not only deer, but also horses, camels, and sheep. In some places, seal hunting and fishing were common. The traditional occupations of the Evenks were processing of hides, birch bark, and blacksmithing, including custom-made work. In Transbaikalia and the Amur region, the Evenks even switched to settled agriculture and cattle breeding. In the 1930s, reindeer herding cooperatives began to be created, and with them permanent settlements. At the end of the last century, the Evenks began to form tribal communities.

Food, shelter and clothing

The traditional food of the Evenks is meat and fish. Depending on their occupation, Evenks also eat berries and mushrooms, and sedentary people eat vegetables grown in their own gardens. The main drink is tea, sometimes with reindeer milk or salt. The national home of the Evenks is chum (du). It consists of a conical frame of poles covered with skins (in winter) or birch bark (in summer). There was a hearth in the center, and above it there was a horizontal pole on which the cauldron was suspended. At the same time, various tribes used semi-dugouts, yurts of various types, and even log buildings borrowed from Russians as homes.

Traditional Evenki clothing: cloth natazniks, leggings, caftan made of reindeer skin, under which a special bib was worn. The women's breastplate featured beaded decoration and had a straight bottom edge. Men wore a belt with a knife in a sheath, women - with a needle case, tinderbox and pouch. Clothes were decorated with fur, fringe, embroidery, metal plaques, and beads. Evenki communities usually consist of several related families, numbering from 15 to 150 people. Until the last century, a custom persisted according to which the hunter had to give part of the catch to his relatives. The Evenks are characterized by a small family, although polygamy was previously common in some tribes.

Beliefs and folklore

Cults of spirits, trade and clan cults, and shamanism were preserved. There were elements of the Bear Festival - rituals associated with cutting up the carcass of a killed bear, eating its meat, and burying its bones. Christianization of the Evenks has been carried out since the 17th century. In Transbaikalia and the Amur region there was a strong influence of Buddhism. Folklore included improvised songs, mythological and historical epics, tales about animals, historical and everyday legends, etc. The epic was performed

recitative, listeners often took part in the performance, repeating individual lines after the narrator. Separate Evenki groups had their own epic heroes (soning). There were also constant heroes - comic characters - in everyday stories. Among the musical instruments known are the jew's harp, the hunting bow, etc., and among the dances - the round dance (cheiro, sedio), performed to song improvisation. The games were in the nature of competitions in wrestling, shooting, running, etc. Artistic bone and wood carving, metal working (men), bead embroidery, silk embroidery among the eastern Evenks, fur and fabric appliqué, and birch bark embossing (women) were developed.

Evenks of China

Although in Russia the Evenki are generally believed to live in Russian Siberia, in the contiguous territory of China they are represented by four ethnolinguistic groups, the total number of which exceeds the number of Evenki in Russia: 39,534 versus 38,396. These groups are united into two official nationalities living in the Evenki Autonomous Hoshun of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and neighboring Heilongjiang Province (Nehe County):

• Orochon (literally “reindeer herders”, Chinese: 鄂伦春, pinyin: Èlúnchūn Zú) - 8196 people according to the 2000 census, 44.54% live in Inner Mongolia, and 51.52% - in Heilongjiang Province, 1.2% - in Liaoning Province. About half speak the Orochon dialect of the Evenki language, sometimes considered a separate language; the rest are only in Chinese. Currently, Evenki reindeer herders in China are a very small ethnic group, numbering only about two hundred people. They speak a dialect of the North Tungusic language. The existence of their traditional culture is under great threat.
• Evenki (Chinese: 鄂温克族, pinyin: Èwēnkè Zú) – 30,505 in 2000, 88.8% in Hulun Buir, including:
• a small group of Evenks themselves - about 400 people in the village of Aoluguya (Genhe County), who are now being moved to the suburbs of the county center; They call themselves "Yeke", the Chinese - Yakute, since they elevated themselves to the Yakuts. According to Finnish Altaist Juha Janhunen, this is the only ethnic group in China engaged in reindeer herding;

• Khamnigans are a heavily Mongolized group that speaks Mongolian languages ​​- Khamnigan proper and the Khamnigan (Old Barag) dialect of the Evenki language. These so-called Manchu Hamnigans emigrated from Russia to China within a few years of the October Revolution; about 2,500 people live in the Starobargut khoshun;
• Solons - they, together with the Daurs, moved from the Zeya River basin in 1656 to the Nunjiang River basin, and then in 1732 they partly went further to the west, to the Hailar River basin, where the Evenk Autonomous Khoshun was later formed with 9733 Evenks. They speak the Solon dialect, sometimes considered a separate language.

Since both the Hamningans and the “Yakut-Evenks” are very small in number (about 2000 of the former and probably about 200 of the latter), the overwhelming majority of people assigned to Evenki nationality in China are Solons. The number of solons was estimated at 7,200 in 1957, 18,000 in 1982, and 25,000 in 1990.

Great people of the Evenki people

GAUDA

Aguda (Agudai) is the most famous historical figure in the early history of the Tungus, the leader of the Tungus-speaking tribes of the Amur region, who created the powerful state of Aisin Gurun. At the beginning of the second millennium, the Tungus, whom the Chinese called Nyuizhi (Zhulichi) - Jurchens, ended the rule of the Khitans (Mongol tribes). In 1115, Aguda declared himself emperor, creating the Aisin Gurun (Anchun Gurun) Empire - the Golden Empire (Chinese: "Jin"). In 1119, Aguda decided to start a war with China and in the same year the Jurchens took Kaifeng, the capital of China at that time. The victory of the Tungus-Jurchens under the leadership of Aguda was won by a number of 200 thousand soldiers against a million-strong Chinese army. The Aisin Gurun Empire lasted more than 100 years before the rise of the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan.

Bombogor

Bombogor - leader of the alliance of Evenki clans in the Amur region in the fight against the Manchu conquerors in the 17th century. Led by Bombogor, the Evenks, Solons and Daurs confronted the Manchus of the Qing Dynasty in the mid-1630s. Up to 6 thousand soldiers gathered under his banner, who fought for several years with the regular Manchu army. Only 5 years later the Manchus were able to capture Bombogor and suppress the resistance of the Evenks. Bombogor was captured by the Manchus in 1640, taken to the capital of the Manchu Emperor - the city of Mukden and executed there. With the death of Bombogor, the Evenks and all the peoples of the Amur region on the territory of China were subordinated to the emperor and the Qing dynasty.

Nemtushkin A.N.

Nemtushkin Alitet Nikolaevich is a famous Evenki writer and poet. Born in 1939 in the Irishki camp of the Katangsky district of the Irkutsk region in the family of a hunter, he was raised in boarding schools and by his grandmother Ogdo-Evdokia Ivanovna Nemtushkina. In 1957 he graduated from Erbogachenskaya secondary school, in 1961 from the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute named after Herzen.

After studying, Alitet Nikolaevich comes to work in Evenkia as a correspondent for the newspaper “Krasnoyarsk Worker”. In 1961 he became editor of Evenki Radio and worked in journalism for more than 20 years. His first book, a collection of poems “Tymani agidu” (Morning in the Taiga), was published when Alitet Nikolaevich was still a student in 1960. Since then, Nemtushkin has written more than 20 books, which were published in Krasnoyarsk, Leningrad, Moscow, and Yakutsk. Nemtushkin’s poems and prose have been translated into dozens of languages ​​of the peoples of the former USSR and socialist countries.

The most significant and popular works of Alitet Nemtushkin are the poetry collections “The Bonfires of My Ancestors”, “Breath of the Earth”, prose books “I Dream of Heavenly Deer”, “Pathfinders on Reindeer”, “The Road to the Lower World”, “Samelkil - Marks on a Deer Ear "and others. In 1986, A. Nemtushkin was elected executive secretary of the Krasnoyarsk Writers' Organization; in 1990 he was awarded the title “Honored Worker of Culture”; in 1992 he was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of literature; Member of the Writers' Union since 1969.

Chapogir O.V.

Famous composer, author and performer of many Evenki songs. Oleg Vasilyevich Chapogir was born in 1952 in the village of Kislokan, Ilimpiysky District, Krasnoyarsk Territory, into a family of Evenk hunters. From childhood, he heard folk melodies from his mother and other Evenks, which, together with his natural gift, later influenced his life choice.

After graduating from eight classes at Turin Secondary School, Oleg Vasilyevich entered the Norilsk Music School in the folk instruments class of the northern department. Having received his diploma, in 1974 the future composer returned to his native Evenkia, where he began to create his works. He worked in the Ilimpiysky district department of culture, in an art workshop, in the district scientific and methodological center.

G.V. spoke beautifully about the talent and activities of Oleg Chapogir. Shakirzyanova: “The works of an earlier period, written by him immediately after graduating from college, are devoted mainly to youth themes, they contain an uncontrollable rhythm and a clear pulse of time. Song works of the late period bear the imprint of a deep thoughtful attitude towards folk poetry, towards its historical roots, which significantly distinguishes the compositional art of Oleg Chapogir from the work of other composers of Evenkia. Oleg Chapogir drew his inspiration not only from the unique beauty of the taiga nature, but also from the poems of our famous Evenki poets A. Nemtushkin and N. Oyogir.” Oleg Chapogir is the author of more than 200 songs and melodies. He released eight albums with songs about the Evenks and the North.

Atlasov I.M.

Atlasov Ivan Mikhailovich is a well-known public figure, one of the modern Evenki leaders, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Evenki people of Russia. Ivan Mikhailovich was born in 1939 in the Ezhansky nasleg of the Ust-May region of Yakutia in the family of an Evenk hunter. From an early age he worked along with adults, having experienced the hardships of wartime. He graduated from the 7-year Ezhan school, a secondary school in Ust-May. He graduated from Yakut State University in 1965 with a degree in industrial and civil engineering, remaining to teach at the same faculty. Since 1969, he worked at the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of the YASSR, then as deputy director of Yakutgorpischetorg. From 1976 until his retirement, he worked at Yakutagropromstroy, where he built the largest retail and warehouse buildings of that time.

Since the late 80s. XX century is one of the founders of the social movement of indigenous peoples in Yakutia. For several years he headed the Association of Evenki of the Republic of Sakha, in 2009 he was elected Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Evenki People of Russia. The initiator of a number of legislative acts of republican significance aimed at supporting indigenous peoples, an active defender of the environment and the legal rights of small ethnic groups.

In the corner of the waiting room there were about 20 people, as far as I remember. Women, children, and of course, men. They were all quite short, each man had a small-caliber rifle with a cut-off cut-off for some reason behind his back. The barrel. I found out later. That people who hunted squirrels in the taiga often sawed off the barrels of their rifles so that they would not interfere with movement through the forest. Yes, there were still a lot of dogs. But people drove them out of the airport building, and they wandered nearby. We ran through the surrounding forest in search of mice, squirrels and chipmunks.

The entire male population of the airport, after the announcement of bad weather, went to the village where there were two shops. By evening the men were drunk. However. None of them ever took up arms, although there were clashes between them. All these people had to fly further north - to Baykit, Mutorai, etc.
A few years later I happened to live in the north of the Irfkut region, where many Evenks live. Here I learned much more about them and their lives.


According to scientists studying the history of peoples, their movement in the world, etc., the Evenks from the region of eastern Khingan, under the pressure of more aggressive and more warlike tribes of Mongolia and Northern China, migrated to their current places of residence, and here they have already settled from the Yenisei to the Quiet ocean. Wherein. On the banks of the N. Tunguska, in the Evenki district of the modern Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the northern part of the Irkutsk region, and some other places, there are much more of them left than anywhere else. In the Irkutsk region, the Evenks stopped at Lake Baikal, but later moved to the northern part of the region - mainly along the Lower Tunguska River.
It is not always easy to get to the Evenki district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory; this is easiest to do from the regional center of Boguchany, which is on the Angara - from there planes fly both to the tour and to Vanavara.

It is possible to fly to the north of the Irkutsk region from the airport in the city of Kirensk, and from there you can fly by helicopter, but this is only possible in flying weather, which is not always the case here. On the Lower Tunguska below Erbogachen there are several villages in which it is always possible to meet Evenks. These are Hamakar, Nakano, Inarigda.


But in villages where people of several nationalities live, the Evenks stand out little; in the taiga, especially in the summer, you can immediately distinguish an Evenk from a Russian, a Yakut, or even a Buryat. The fact is that the Evenks move around the taiga on foot when hunting, but in other cases they can most likely be seen riding a deer.


A group of Evenks in an old photo.
In general, in old photographs, images of any people, including Evenks, are more realistic, in my opinion.


Doesn’t this photo say more than all modern ones about what the Evenks look like at their summer chum? Frankly speaking, it is not always possible to find modern plagues in photographs, and plagues standing on a plank floor or paving slabs are no longer plagues, but museum exhibits. True, this tent looks more like a yurt, but it’s hard for me to say for sure.


And this winter chum already quite accurately corresponds to the real chum used by the Evenks in winter.

However, it is worth noting that Evenks do not always and not always live in tents. Many of them bought, and sometimes built, houses in the villages. I noticed the following feature of such houses: most often there are no partitions in them, heating is carried out by a large Russian stove, but along with it there is also an iron “potbelly stove” in the house. A potbelly stove is installed so that in the morning it is possible to quickly heat the air in the house.

At the end of the last century, the Evenks very often gave names to boys Vasya, Kesha (Innokenty), why this is so is difficult to say, but it was so. Their religion is Orthodoxy. But in the Evenki family there is often a shaman, that is, in some way shamanism is preserved among the people whose original religion it was. The Evenki language is used in dealing with Russians and other peoples, Russian, but in the family they often speak their own language, that is, they are completely bilingual.


It is not always possible to see Evenks dressed so colorfully.


More often you can meet a man riding a deer in simple modern clothes in the forest.


I had to visit the plague. Apart from the abundance of fur, I didn’t see anything special there, but this is understandable, almost all Evenks hunt from October until the first thaw. The start of hunting is due to the fact that in early October in Evenkia and part of the Irkutsk region, permanent snow cover is established, and the skins of game animals (squirrels, sable) become “off”.

In this short article I would like to note that Evenki women are amazing craftswomen in the business of dressing fur and sewing it into national clothing. Look at the pattern! By the way, the edges of the clothes are always finished with special care, the ornament is smaller the further from the edges.

The Evenks are one of the most numerous northern peoples who have preserved their identity and traditional religious beliefs. The Evenks were called the aristocrats of Siberia, the French of the tundra and taiga. They also wore tailcoats, gave life to the word “shaman” and considered ravens to be enchanted people.

Name

Until the 30s of the last century, the Evenks were known as the Tungus. This name comes from the Yakut toҥ uus; the exonym was subsequently adopted by the Russians, reflecting it in reporting and historical documents.
The self-name of the Evenks is Evenkil, which is translated as “people living in mountain forests” or “walking across the ridges.” It is believed that the name came from the habitat of ancient Evenki tribes in the mountain taiga territories of Transbaikalia. Another well-known self-name of the ethnic groups of Evenki reindeer herders is Orochens. It comes from the Evenk “oron” - deer, orochen - “a person who owns a deer”. Individual groups of the ethnic group had their own names: Solons, Manegras, Birars.
Other peoples had their own names for Evenks:

• kilin, qilin, o-lunchun (from “orochen”) - Chinese;
• Orochnun - Manchus;
• hamnegan - Mongols;
• Tongus - Tatars.

Where live

Before the Russians began to develop Transbaikalia, the Evenki, leading a nomadic lifestyle, occupied vast territories from the border with China to the Arctic Ocean, from the Yenisei to Kamchatka. Such a wide distribution is explained by the tendency to constant long-term migrations: from several hundred to a thousand kilometers per season. Each Evenk accounted for 25 km2 of undeveloped territory. Representatives of the people considered the whole earth home and said: “Evenks are nowhere and everywhere.”

Since the 17th century, Russians, Buryats, and Yakuts have been displacing the Evenks from the territories of Barguzin, Angara, and the left bank of the Amur. Some Evenks move to Sakhalin and occupy the free territories of the Ob and Taz. The borders of Russia and China are established: this leads to the migration of Birars and Manegros to Northern China.
Today, the Evenks do not have national villages, living in close proximity to Russian and northern peoples. The general boundaries of settlement of most of the representatives of the nationality are delineated by the following boundaries:

1. North - Arctic Ocean.
2. South - Amur River, territories of the Baikal region.
3. East - Sea of ​​Okhotsk.
4. West - Yenisei River.

Number

The total number of Evenks in the world is about 80,000 people: half live in Russia, the other part in China. According to the 2010 census, there are 35,527 Evenks in Russia. Distribution by region:

• Yakutia - 18,232 people.
• Krasnoyarsk Territory - 4,632 people.
• Khabarovsk Territory - 4,533 people.
• Buryatia - 2,334 people.
• Amur region - 1,501 people
• Trans-Baikal Territory - 1492 people.
• Irkutsk region - 1,431 people

The 2000 Chinese census showed 38,396 representatives of historical Evenks in China. Formally, they are divided into 2 subethnic groups, officially recognized among other nations of the PRC:

1. Orochon - 8196 people living in Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces.
2. Evenki - 30,505 people, from which separate groups of Evenki proper, Khamnigans and Solons are distinguished. They live in the urban district of Hulun Buir, about 25,000 people are registered as solons. About 1,000 Evenks live scatteredly in Mongolia, having undergone significant assimilation and having lost their cultural characteristics.

There is a people related to the Evenks - the Evens, who live in the eastern part of Russia: in Yakutia, Chukotka, Magadan and Kamchatka regions, Koryak Autonomous Okrug. There are two versions of the appearance of the ethnic group:

1. In the first millennium AD, during the period of settlement of the Tungus from the Baikal region, a separate group of clans reached the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, where they assimilated the local population: the Yukaghirs and Koryaks.
2. In the XIV-XVI centuries, the walking Tungus, who were engaged in dog breeding and did not have deer, were forced to migrate to the north under the influence of the aggressive development of territories by the Yakuts.

The 2010 census showed that 21,830 Evens live in Russia. Another common name for the people is Lamut.

Language

The Evenki language belongs to the Tungus-Manchu family, along with Negidal and Even. It can be characterized as a transitional variant between the Turkic and Mongolian languages. It is distinguished by a complex multi-stage use of vowel sounds, an abundance of complex words: gerunds, case, verb forms.
Writing appeared in the 30s of the last century, first based on Latin, then Russian graphics. Previously, the Evenks used primitive pictograms: a system of signs associated with nomadism and hunting. Notches in the trees near the abandoned camp indicated the time of departure: a blunt tooth meant bad weather, a sharp tooth meant a sunny day. Their number and combination determined the time of departure for migration. If the people who left did not plan to return, a spruce branch was placed in the direction of the path of movement. A branch folded in a circle meant the intention to return to the site of the camp again.
Special signs existed during the hunt:

• a stick placed on top of the footprint - you can’t go further;
• an arrow pointing downwards, sticking out of a notch - crossbows are placed nearby;
• a slightly beveled arrow, pointing upward - the hunter left the arrow far away;
• a branch in the same position means hunting is going on nearby.

Story

The ancient ancestors of the Evenks were the ancient Tungus Mongoloid tribes, who formed the Glazkov culture in the Bronze Age. Scattered tribes occupied the territories of the Angara region, the Baikal region, the lower reaches of the Selenga, and the upper reaches of the Lena. In the 5th-7th centuries AD, the nomadic herders of the Uvan tribe who came from the south, migrated through Transbaikalia, moved east and north, forming the proto-Evenki people.
At the end of the first millennium, the Yakuts invaded the region, presumably dividing the ethnic group into eastern Evenks and western Evenks.
When Russians arrived in the region in the 17th century, the Evenks formed an independent people, divided into separate clans. Each was headed by princes - elders, shamans or the most powerful warriors of the clan. The reporting documents noted about 360 births, each with 100-400 people.
The Tungus were stronger than other northern peoples in opposing the new government. They moved from the place of migration, came into conflict, one report noted: “The Lena Tunguz in 1640 plucked the beards of yasak collectors.” The Baikal groups of Evenks submitted in 1643, the eastern ones who lived under Vitim only in 1657.

One of the most influential princes was Gantimir, under whose rule were 15 nomadic clans belonging to the branch of the mounted Tungus. Gantimir was an extraordinary personality: he had 9 wives, more than 30 children, who were trained in military wisdom and handling weapons from childhood. The prince was of remarkable strength and powerful physique: his bow of impressive size is kept in the Amur Museum.
Gantimir had a decisive influence on the establishment of partnerships with the Russian state in the 80s. XVII century having accepted Christianity and citizenship of Russia. The ruler achieved the right to autonomously rule the people, in return he pledged to protect the borders from Mongol raids and provide, if necessary, trained warriors. A century later, a five-hundred-strong Tunguska Cossack cavalry regiment was created, which in the middle of the 19th century was included in the Transbaikal cavalry army.
The Evenks did not accept the arrival of Soviet power; in 1924-1925. starting the Tunguska uprising, which was quickly suppressed. In the 1930s Teaching in the Evenki language begins in local schools. At the same time, collective farms and city industrial farms were created, a sedentary way of life was imposed on the people: the way of life that had existed for centuries was destroyed, assimilation erased national characteristics. Today, traditional activities, including nomadic reindeer herding, are preserved only in inaccessible northern regions. Most Evenks lead a modern lifestyle, practicing only hunting among their usual activities.

Appearance and character

Mixing with a number of aboriginal and neighboring peoples, as well as a significant area of ​​settlement, led to the identification of three anthropological types of appearance among the Evenks. Among them:

1. Baikalsky.
2. Katangese.
3. Central Asian.

Despite the differences, the following characteristic features of the appearance of the Tungus are distinguished:

• average height;
• disproportionate physique;
• rounded face shape;
• wide arched eyebrows;
• narrow dark brown eyes;
• wide flat forehead;
• prominent cheekbones;
• pointed chin;
• wide mouth;
• black coarse hair;
• weak hair on the face and body.

Ethnographers, researchers, and Cossacks who came to the region noted the Evenki’s mobility of body, sharpness of mind, good nature bordering on naivety, good-heartedness, hospitality, cheerful disposition, and cleanliness. According to the researchers’ notes, “in contrast to the clumsy Ostyak, the gloomy Samoyed, the inhospitable and sour Yakut, the Evenks made a more pleasant impression, for which they were nicknamed “the French of the tundra and forest.”

Cloth

The Evenks were also called “aristocrats of Siberia” for the rich decoration of their national costumes. Everyday clothing was called “in theme” - a tailcoat, for its unusual cut: a whole deer skin was placed in the central part on the back, tied at the front with braid. Holes were cut out in the upper side parts for the sleeves, which were sewn on separately, the shoulder seams were collected, and wedges made of deer skins reaching to the floor were sewn into the back.
The upper front part remained open: under it the Evenks wore fur bibs richly decorated with beads. The lower part was covered with natazniks made of rovduga: straight for women, angular for men. High boots made of rovduga, sealskin, and fur were put on their feet: the functional shoes of the Evenks were adopted by many neighboring peoples. In everyday life, simple straight-cut parkas were used, sewn from deer skins turned with the fur on the outside. Their heads were covered with hoods. The hair of men and women was cut short or braided into two braids. Jewelry included voluminous women's earrings, pendants, and talisman pendants.
The decoration of the bib and fur coat deserves special attention: dog and deer fur, beads, beads, coins, embroidery, and fur appliques were used. Ornaments had a sacred meaning: it was forbidden to transfer exact images of animals, birds and people onto things, so allegorical symbols were used. Triangles were associated with the cult of fertility, childbirth, and the strength of the tribal community. Solar signs and schematic representations of spiders - symbols of well-being, guardians - were of great importance.

Family life

The Evenks lived in patriarchal communities consisting of 2-3 generations; the youngest son usually remained to live with his parents. The elders got married and left their father's house for new places. The clan played a decisive role and consisted of small families connected by close and distant kinship through the male line. In the summer, when the due date for the birth of important women arrived, related families gathered in a common camp: joint holidays, celebrations, weddings took place, and family relationships were strengthened. In winter, small families went nomadic, uniting in 2-3 chums.
The marriageable age for men came late: at 20-30 years old. They preferred to marry women who were experienced and over 20 years old, but there were marriages with girls 12-15 years old. Weddings took place by agreement with the payment of a dowry, which included one of three forms:

1. Deer (from 2 to 15).
2. Working out in the bride's family.
3. Sister exchange between two families.

Women

Premarital relations were not prohibited, but brides who led a free lifestyle before marriage were given a smaller bride price. In the life of the Evenks, a woman had a dependent position: she was forbidden to eat with guests, contradict her husband, step over weapons, participate in public affairs, or inherit property. Elderly women were respected: in the Evenki beliefs, the mistress of the earth and taiga, the spirit of the Universe, was a woman, represented in the form of a hunched old woman.

There were special family rituals that only the wife could perform. The woman was the keeper of the hearth: she made sure that it did not go out, she was engaged in feeding - she threw meat into the fire after the hunt, before eating. The Ulgani ritual, dedicated to welcoming spring migratory birds, occupied an important place. The ritual was performed by elderly women: the Evenks associated the annual arrival of birds with the cycle of life, and experienced women who gave birth carried the eternal connection of birth and death. The action consisted of tying colored ribbons on sacred trees or family idols, asking for well-being, and greeting the messengers of spring.

Housing

The traditional dwelling of the Evenks is a conical-shaped chum-urus. The base of tightly assembled poles was covered with reindeer skins in winter. In the summer - smoked and soaked birch bark blankets: processing the material gave softness, strength, and made it waterproof. When leaving the site, they kept the base of poles and took skins, birch bark, and utensils with them.
In the center of the urus there was an open hearth or fireplace covered with clay; a pole for the boiler was placed on top. The back of the chum was intended for honored guests; women were not allowed to enter it. Sedentary Evenks lived in half-dugouts with a flat roof, herders built yurts, like the Mongol ones.

Life

The Evenks assimilated the indigenous northern peoples and were influenced by the Buryats and Yakuts, which led to the emergence of branches of different types of economic activity:

1. Walking dog breeders engaged in fishing.
2. Hunters and reindeer herders.
3. Sedentary pastoralists.

Most of the Evenks led a nomadic lifestyle associated with the development of new hunting grounds. They moved between sites on reindeer: this method of using animals is the “calling card” of the Evenks. Deer were used as pack animals; the herd usually consisted of 3-5 heads.

They hunted individually; they hunted large animals in groups of 3-5 people. They used bows, crossbows, spears, and tracked elk, deer, bears, hares, and sables. For camouflage, they put on the skin from the head of a deer, sewing up the slits for the eyes and antlers with beads.
Fishing played a secondary role for most Evenks. They went out into the rivers in dugout boats, boats made of birch bark, deer skin, and sea animals. The fish were beamed, pierced with a spear, and less often constipated. Women were engaged in collecting roots, herbs, nuts; farming and gardening were not developed.

Religion

The traditional religion of the Evenks is shamanism, based on the deification of the forces of nature, animism, and belief in master spirits and patrons. Bug's universe was divided into 3 worlds:

1. Upper - located above the sky, is the home of deities. Its entrance is the North Star.
2. The middle one is earthly, where people and spirits live.
3. Lower - one of the souls goes there for eternal life. The entrance to the lower world is whirlpools and crevices in the rocks.

Shamans traveled between worlds, were guides between the living and the dead, and brought messages from the gods and dead ancestors. The shaman's costume personified a wolf or a bear and was decorated with animistic figures, fringe, and bird feathers. For rituals they used a tambourine, a harp, and fire was an invariable element.

Shamans took part in common ancestral festivals, helped during childbirth and illness, and predicted the future. The places of prayer were large clearings during general family gatherings, sacred trees, mountain passes, and large stones.

Traditions

Animism, hunting rituals and traditions, which only men could carry out, played a large role in the life of the Evenks. The wolf was a sacred animal for the Evenks; they did not hunt it. The raven was revered: it was believed that it conveyed earthly messages to the gods. Since crows could talk, the Evenks considered them to be the souls of people, dressed in bird form.
The customs of the bear holiday are well known. The bear was considered the father of the Evenks, who in ancient times married a woman who gave life to the people. The animal was called “amaka” - “grandfather”. They did not take the blame for the murder; they carved out faces on the trees, pointing at them and saying: “It wasn’t me who killed, it was him.”
Superstitions also arose based on the idea that the carcass of a skinned bear resembled a human one. The killing of an animal was accompanied by a family gathering, the calling of a shaman, and a general holiday. The bear's bones were not cut, but separated by joints. In some births, they were then gathered together, hung up, and a ceremony was performed for one of the children to “wrestle” with the “resurrected” bear. Others organized a ritual of air burial of bear bones: in ancient times, the Evenks also used it for their fellow tribesmen.

When the Russians arrived in the region, the dead were buried in the ground, in wooden boxes. According to the Evenks, in the lower world souls continued to live the same way as on the average. However, after death, everything was turned upside down, so things from his daily life, broken, were placed in the coffin of the deceased: a pipe, a bow, arrows, household items, jewelry.

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