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Pomors and Their Lifestyle

  1. The Land of Pomors.

Pomorye, or the Land of Pomors, is the Polar region in the European part of the Russian North, washed by cold seas, the word is derived from Russian morye – sea. In ancient times the land was inhabited by Finno-Ugric tribes. Their influence can still be traced in many northern place-names.

According to the old chronicles, Novgorodian colonies of the 11-12th centuries grew along the shores of the White sea and the Arctic Ocean. In the later period (12-14th centuries), the inhabitants of the Upper Volga area followed the Novgorodians to settle in the North. Veliki Novgorod (“Lord Great Novgorod), the then possessor of the lands, found itself powerless to maintain its hold over the vast dominions and so, in reality, it was divided among separate and independent rulers, who forcibly took possession of the individual districts. In the 13th century, on the establishment of better government in Moscow, the struggle for predominance over the Dvina lands started between Veliki Novgorod and the Moscow princes. It ended in the victory of Moscow and the joining of Northern lands to the centralized Russian state in the late 15th century.

From that time on the population of the Russian North came to form a separate distinctive cultural group of pomors (literary – “those by the sea”) and specific pomor cultural traditions developed. The names pomorye and pomors were first found in the written chronicle of 1526 and since that time have been used in official documents to denote either the territory of the Russian White sea coast and its dwellers, or, later, in a wider meaning, the whole territory of the Russian North and its inhabitants.

Owing to favourable historical conditions, the people inhabiting this remote province of Russia turned it into a real cultural treasure – house. Thanks to impassable forests and swamps this land was not invaded by the Batiy cavalry, which crushed Kievan Russia but never advanced as far as the distant North. The mongol yoke retarded the development of the central provinces for centuries. Capable builders and craftsmen came to Northern Russia, where – poor or rich – they were free. Moreover, this land was never touched by serfdom. In the Russian North there were no serfs or souls as they were named, who could be bought or sold or bartered. Pomorye was a unique place, which offered great opportunities to everyone including peasants, who produced here wonderful works of art and promoted various trades and crafts.

  1. The Pomor Character

The centuries have shaped the character of the Pomors. Having settled on the coasts of the White and Barents seas, brave hunters and fishermen had to adapt themselves to the extreme conditions of life in the North. Descendants of the liberty-loving Novgorodians, the Pomors preserved the enterprising character, unruliness and the daring of their ancestors. The nature of their surroundings and the constant perils of their seafaring life made fearless sailors and courageous fishermen of the Pomors. A.P.Engelhardt, the Governor of the Province of Archangel, described his observations of the Pomors in his book “A Russian Province of the North”, where he wrote:

“They never think twice about undertaking distant and dangerous sea-voyages in vessels of primitive build, some to the fisheries on the Murman, some to Novaya Zemlya and even to Spitsbergen, others to Norway and England. The Pomor never dreams of the risks he incurs when venturing with his little craft into unknown latitudes, nor is he deterred by the thoughts of hardships, storms or cold – the sea and its ice-floes are his native element.

Constant exposure to dangers of all sorts, in their contests with stormy seas and rude climates, has bred a spirit of dogged determination, energy and enterprise in our northern Pomors, besides developing a sense of mutual assistance. Fearless in the extreme, the Pomor will imperil his life, without a moment s hesitation, to save a companion in distress.”

The trait of character most appreciated by the Pomors was honesty. A dishonest Pomor wasn t admitted to a hunting or fishing unit (artel ). Honesty proved to be the most valuable quality during fishing and hunting activities when it was unthinkable to conceal food or money, tell lies or absent oneself without letting the others know. A 19th century traveler recalls that he tipped a 15-year-old Pomor boy a rouble for a small service, and the boy shared the money with all the members of the artel. Pomors often left their full hunting bag or catch of fish on the seashore and it was as safe there as under lock and key. A carcass with a branded stick beside it, or a boat with an oar lying across it were not to be touched by anybody – it was a sin even to approach them.

Seafaring required literate people, and Pomors always felt respect for those able to read and write. In the families of Old Believers and at monastic schools both boys and girls were taught reading and writing. The male fishing and hunting community was another school for boys who were taught there by their fathers. According to the data available, in the early 20th century 66% of the male population of Pomorye were literate. In this respect Pomors were on a level with the urban population of Russia. This also accounts for the fact that Pomors were such expert navigators, for in spite of the primitive make and rigging of their ships, the casualties were comparatively few.

The Pomors had one more common feature – the feeling of their uniqueness. They looked down on the peasants of agricultural areas whom they called “country-folk”. Intermarriages between Pomors and country folk were rare.

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