Who belongs to the small indigenous peoples. The smallest nations in the world

Details Published on 08/13/2014 04:32 PM Friday, December 18, 2011, at Russian newspaper The official census results were published. Of course, they were incomplete, the complete ones are never published and lie in the archives, and the Saami complete of those published - not in newspapers, of course - occupy several volumes (in Russia / USSR from one book in 1979 to almost 100 in 1897).

I managed to find the data on the national composition that I was interested in. But they were in the form of a drawing, and so small that I had to tinker with translating them into a readable, and then into a digital form. (True, in the Internet Russian newspaper there was a link to Federal Service state statistics. But on the FSGS website, an attempt to call up any of the "Information materials on the final results of the All-Russian Population Census of 2010" ended with the answer The page cannot be found. The following week, access still appeared. –http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/perepis_itogi1612.htm - and I also used his data).

Before turning to the question of the change in the number of the peoples of the North, two fundamental remarks must be made.

The first is about the specific 2010 census. In it, about 4% of the population (5.6 million people) did not indicate their nationality. This huge growth- almost 4 times - in comparison with the 2002 census (then 1.5 million, or about 1%) and quite an avalanche in comparison with the late Soviet censuses - then there were not even two tens of thousands.

The opinion was expressed that they were all foreigners. But, in our opinion, this is not at all the case. Some of these people really did not want to answer this question, but there are apparently very few of them. The vast majority of those who "did not indicate" are those to whom the counters did not come. They were recorded on the basis of some lists, databases, etc., they simply wrote out their gender and age and nothing more. This was practiced in 2002, and by 2010 it was even legally allowed. But there are also those who were simply drawn / attributed. And these, judging by some distortions in the age structure of the population of a number of regions, in 2010 are also quite a few.

All reasoning about the national composition according to the census should be done with an eye on the mass of "not indicated".

The second is about the inclusion of nationality in censuses. In the minds of Russians, national/ethnic affiliation is something obligatory: an inalienable sign received at birth and irreplaceable throughout life. The official record of nationality in the documents reflected this opinion, strengthened and consolidated it. And even with the disappearance of such a record, this belief remains widespread. In reality, everything is much more complicated.

From census to census, many people change what the 2010 census form called "your nationality." Ethnographers speak in such cases of a "change of ethnic identification." Among the peoples of the North, such processes are quite noticeable. This is especially true for people of mixed ethnicity. For example, children from mixed families, where, as a rule, the mother is “indigenous” and the father is “non-indigenous”, recorded in one census according to the nationality of the mother, in the next, when they grow up, indicate the nationality of the father. And in the third census, they again talk about belonging to the nationality of the mother.

In addition, methodological factors also come into play: one census singles out a given people, the other “hides” it in a larger, related one. For example, the 1926 census took into account about 700 Chuvans, in 1939 they were also taken into account as a separate people (“etels”), but they were not singled out, but attributed to “other northern peoples”. And in the censuses of 1959, 1970 and 1979. all those who called themselves Chuvans were referred to the Chukchi in the development. And ethnographers called it "ethnic consolidation". And it happens vice versa. In relation to the peoples of the north: the same Chuvans in 1979 were attributed to the Chukchi, and in 1989 they were considered a separate people (about 1.4 thousand people). Or, for example, the Enets, who were listed as Nenets in the results of all Russian/Soviet censuses and only since 1989 began to be singled out as a separate people (200 people).

Finally, in addition to methodology, there is also the practice of conducting a census, when administrative resources are often used, as in elections. Bashkir-Tatar disagreements are known in Bashkortostan, when in 2002 the leadership of the republic campaigned for certain border groups of the population, previously recorded as Tatars, to be recorded as Bashkirs. Less well known are similar cases in Dagestan, where, for example, census takers simply told the small Archins that there was no such people, and recorded them as Avars, or in Kamchatka, where census takers demanded evidence of this from those who called themselves Kamchadals. All this is clearly contrary to the census regulations and its instructions, but most likely this was indicated to the enumerators at the local level.

I dwell on this in such detail so that it is clear that not only, but often, and not so much birth and death rates, affect the change in the number of peoples between censuses. And sometimes these processes are very far from "reproduction" and "extinction".

Finally, about the peoples of the North. I checked the list of the peoples of the North according to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 17, 2006 N 536-r (as amended on May 18, 2010 N 352). Judging by it, 40 ethnic groups belong to the indigenous peoples of the North (it is interesting that the website of the Committee of the North of the State Duma http://www.severcom.ru/nations/, where a list of 38 peoples is given, is at least 5 years behind the times - checked on 12/25/2011) .

So, what did the 2010 census tell us about the peoples of the north, “indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East Russian Federation” (Indigenous Peoples) in official terminology, or simply “indigenous”, as the inhabitants of the North say.

Below is a table of changes in the number of these forty peoples of the North of Russia over the past three censuses. By the way, when analyzing the census, one can speak of not 40, but 38 peoples: the 2010 census did not find the Alyutors at all (in 2002 - 12 people assigned to the Koryaks), and the Kereks counted only four, and in their habitat - the Chukotka District - only one.

It should be noted right away that many of the peoples mentioned in this table began to be taken into account by state statistics only from the 1990s, on the rise of democratization, and along with it, national movements. Therefore, it is impossible to trace the dynamics of their numbers over the entire more than 20-year period. And to compare the number of twenty-eight peoples in 1989 with the number of thirty-eight in 2002 and 2010, as was often done, is completely wrong. Therefore, we separately gave the dynamics for the entire period of a group of unchanged 28 peoples, so that the general situation would be better understood. Moreover, the intervals between censuses are different: almost 14 and 8 years. Therefore, in addition to the growth for the entire intercensal period, we present the average annual growth, which will allow us to make more accurate comparisons.

Some of the SIPN in the all-Russian census scale are classified as ethnographic groups as part of other, large nations. They are marked with (*) in the table. Tuvans-Todzhans were considered an ethnic group of Tuvans in 2002, but the Telengits, Tubalars and Chelkans were separate peoples in 2002, and now they have become ethnic groups within the Altaians. What influenced such a change in the opinion of ethnographers, namely, their recommendations are based on statistics when taking into account national composition, for 8 years is unclear? After all, even earlier, before the 2002 census, they insisted that these indigenous peoples, together with the Kumandins and Teleuts, be considered independent peoples and separate them from the Altaians. On the other hand, the Alyutors, who in 2002 were considered part of the Koryaks, were made into separate peoples, but none of the rewritten people called themselves that.

In general, the number of all indigenous peoples has increased, although much less than in 1989-2002. However, in the country as a whole, the population is declining, and a small numerical increase of the SIM against this background looks more impressive. Perhaps voices will again be heard about the "moderately optimistic demographic situation" among the indigenous northerners.

But, looking more closely at the table, we will see that the increase was noted not among all peoples, but only among fourteen; in 24 - there was a decrease in the number. In the last inter-census period, 18 peoples grew, and only 10 peoples decreased in number. There is a clear deterioration in the situation.

If we talk about the increase in the number of certain peoples, we note right away that in current situation numbers above 12-15% (corresponding to an average annual growth of 1.4-1.8%) are impossible from a demographic point of view. The average annual increase among the most rapidly growing peoples of Russia only due to the natural increase - the Chechens and Ingush - amounted to about 1%. We believe that this is the maximum possible for the period 2002-2010. Therefore, when we see numbers of the order of 20-50%, it is clear that this increase was achieved due to non-demographic factors. Most likely, this indicates some kind of ethnic processes, since there is no need to talk about the migration of the indigenous peoples to Russia from outside. This applies both to the growth of the Telengits, Chelkans, Tubalars and Soyots, and to the decline of the Tuvans-Todzhans, Chulyms and Vepsians.

Of course, the change of ethnic identity as a source of population growth is quite normal, but for small and newly constituted communities, it is neither very constant nor reliable. An example of this can be a strong decrease in the number of those who in 2010 called themselves Tuvan-Todzha or Kamchadal. And, if we go beyond the official list of the indigenous peoples of the North, the number of Komi-Izhma also sharply decreased (from 15,607 in 2002 to 6,420 in 2010).

If we evaluate the natural growth of the three unusually grown peoples from the Republic of Altai, we should compare it with the Teleuts, Kumandins, who are close to them, and the Altaians who live nearby. All of the indicated ones showed a slight increase or a slight decrease: the number remained practically unchanged.

This means that only seven peoples remain with stable positive dynamics: Nenets, Dolgans, Evenks with Evens, Yukaghirs, Khanty and Mansi. Of these, perhaps, only the Nenets are growing in numbers due to the high birth rate among the reindeer herders of Yamal and Taimyr (but not the European tundras of the Nenets district). In all other cases, there are other explanations. For example, the change in ethnic identification as a source of growth in the number of Khanty and Mansi, which was also noted in the 1990s. Dolgans are growing exclusively at the expense of Yakut tribesmen (from the Anabar ulus), where their number increased 1.5 times (and in 1989-2002 it even tripled); in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the number of Dolgans remained unchanged. We cannot explain only the growth in the number of Yukaghirs. The demographic parameters of this people are not too different from the neighboring Evens and Chukchis, and even the Yakuts, which means that non-demographic factors also take place here. But these factors are stable and provide fast growth Yukagirs for half a century. 440, 593, 801, 1112, 1509, 1603 - these are the dynamics of their number in Russia according to post-war censuses. Small Yukaghirs "assimilate" their neighbors - otherwise you cannot explain the annual growth rate of 2-3% from 1959 to 2002, and even 0.8% in the last eight years is not at all small.

As for the peoples whose numbers have decreased, there is no single factor responsible for this process. There is a decrease in the birth rate, and ethnic processes- Russian assimilation. The most culturally Russified and/or miscegenated are decreasing more rapidly. These are Veps and Shors, Saami, peoples of the Amur region, Aleuts and Chuvans. Previously, we believed that the number of the Saami would continue to grow, as in 1989-2002, thanks to the same “change of ethnic identification” that is observed among the Mansi. But the national revival of the Saami in the 2000s subsided and everything returned to the previous assimilation, recorded almost from the end of the 19th century.

Speaking about the resettlement of the indigenous peoples in the country, it must be said that for the second decade they have been concentrated in the areas of the main settlement: in 1989, 6.7% of the indigenous peoples lived outside their "own" regions, in 2002 - 4.3, in 2010 - 3.4% . The urbanization of indigenous northerners is growing, although it remains much lower than the national average: in 2002, 30.3% of indigenous peoples lived in urban settlements, and in 2010 - 32.5%. Moreover, the peoples who joined the SIM in the 1990s are more urbanized than the peoples of the 1989 list (“old NS”) – 41% versus 31%.

If we take individual regions, then out of 26 territories where there is data on the indigenous peoples, an increase in their number was recorded in 7 (Republic of Altai, Buryatia, Sakha-Yakutia, Khakassia, Tyumen and Magadan regions and in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug), in the remaining 19 The population of the indigenous peoples of the North has declined, especially in the Republics of Tyva, Komi and Kareli, Tomsk and Leningrad regions.

Green marks the regions with an increase in the number of indigenous peoples.

The 2010 census noted a decrease in the number of most of the indigenous peoples throughout the country and in most areas of their settlement. However, in general total number SIM increased slightly. But the entire population of Russia continued to decrease and this will be the main result of the census. Therefore, there is reason to believe that the deterioration of the situation among the indigenous peoples of the North again, like eight years ago, will be retouched by scientists and not noticed by society.

Dmitry Bogoyavlensky

Institute of Demography, Higher School of Economics
2012

© Center for Assistance to the Indigenous Minorities

in the Russian Federation, such peoples are recognized as living in the territories of the traditional settlement of their ancestors, preserving their way of life, managing and crafts, numbering less than 50 thousand people in the Russian Federation and recognizing themselves as independent ethnic communities. A single list of K. m. n. The Russian Federation is approved by the Government of the Russian Federation on the proposal of the state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in whose territories these peoples live.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

concept used in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. According to Art. 69, the Russian Federation guarantees the rights of indigenous peoples in accordance with generally recognized principles and norms international law and international treaties of the Russian Federation. The Constitution of the Russian Federation also uses the concept of "small ethnic communities". For example, paragraph "m" of Article 72 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation refers to the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation "protection of the original habitat and traditional way of life of small ethnic communities."

In international documents, the concepts of "indigenous population", "indigenous people" are used: for example, in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 107 "On the protection and integration of indigenous and other populations leading a tribal and semi-tribal lifestyle in independent countries" (1957 .); in ILO Convention 169 "Indigenous and tribal peoples in independent countries" (1989). However, their interpretations in these documents and in Russian science and practice diverge somewhat. International documents are more focused on peoples who have lost their traditional places of residence or have problems in terms of using them, as if incapable of self-organization in the form of national-territorial and other formations. It is rather about improving the way of life and the standard of living in the country as a whole.

In Russia, the equality of all peoples, the possibilities of their self-organization were consolidated from the very beginning, including with the use of forms of national-territorial autonomy, the creation of national regions, village councils, etc. Opportunities for the use of the language, the development of writing, etc., were constantly created. the problems of the organization of life and life K. of medical science gradually accumulated, especially in areas of the North and the Northeast. Technological progress has affected the use of traditional types of crafts by some peoples, and the industrial development of oil and gas deposits in its own way has had an even more negative impact on them. Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

The Russian Federation includes a considerable number of the most diverse peoples - according to experts, about 780 groups. So called minorities Russians live in the northern territory, which runs along 30 regions of the country. If you sum up their number, then there will be not so many of them: a little more than a quarter of a million. As of 2010, about 45 indigenous groups live in our state. This article will talk in detail about the features of residence, legal powers, problems and the legal status of the small peoples of Russia.

What are the Russian minorities?

Small specialists call small ethnic communities that preserve their traditions, customs and cultural characteristics of residence. The problem of the life of small peoples is raised not only at the all-Russian, but also at the world level. Thus, in 1993, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution according to which special attention should be paid to small and indigenous communities. Russia then did not stand aside: the 1993 Constitution proclaimed the principle of guaranteeing rights and freedoms, both for ordinary citizens and for the indigenous representatives of the country. At the constitutional level, the consolidation of the rights of indigenous people is an integral element in the system of protection and support for democratic state development.

Why has special attention been paid to the problem of the existence of the small peoples of Russia lately? The answer to this question lies in history. The fact is that at the beginning of the 20th century, some peoples of our state faced a number of problems: economic, demographic, social and, of course, cultural. It happened, as it is not difficult to guess, because of the deepest state changes: revolutions, repressions, civil and Great Patriotic Wars, etc. In the early 90s, the question of preserving the remaining indigenous and small peoples of Russia was acute.

It must be said that ethnic groups of a small type play an important role in the cultural development of the country. Moreover, they are an integral part of the multinational people of Russia, they act as an independent factor due to which the revival of the once great Russian statehood takes place. So what is the policy current authorities in relation to the small peoples of Russia? This will be discussed further.

The legal basis for the existence of indigenous peoples in the Russian Federation

The legal fixing of the status of certain ethnic groups is far from a new phenomenon. As early as the beginning of the 19th century in Russian Empire there was a special Charter on the life of foreigners, dating back to 1822. In this document, the indigenous inhabitants of certain territories of Russia were guaranteed the rights to self-government, land, cultural identity, etc. In Soviet times, a similar policy continued, but the places of settlement national minorities began to share ruthlessly. Resettlement from place to place, as well as the principle of paternalism (dictatorship of behavioral norms) played with small nations bad joke: age-old traditions and customs gradually began to disappear.

The problem was discovered in the 90s. In order to prevent further acceleration of the removal of language and cultural characteristics among the indigenous and small peoples of Russia, a number of legal norms were enshrined, proclaiming the principle of originality and the preservation of traditional culture among indigenous ethnic groups.

The first and most important source is, of course, the Russian Constitution. Here it is worth highlighting Article 72, which refers to the joint regulation of the rights and freedoms of national minorities by the regions and the federation. Articles 20 and 28 refer to the possibility to indicate one's nationality. Many federal laws and other regulations enshrine the principle of equal rights for different ethnic groups. It is worth highlighting the Federal Law "On the Basic Electoral Rights of Citizens", the Federal Law "On Languages ​​in the Russian Federation" and many other laws.

The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation is the main state body in the country, whose duties include the legal protection of small peoples. The same instance establishes special guarantees and rights for ethnic groups, which will be discussed later.

On benefits and guarantees for the small peoples of Russia

What do Russian federal laws guarantee to ethnic minorities? If we are talking about the political sphere, it is worth highlighting here separate legal prerequisites for the broad participation of indigenous peoples in the work of state bodies of the Russian Federation and local self-government instances. How does it work? According to the Federal Law "On the Electoral Rights of Citizens", special quotas for representation in government bodies should be established. This should happen through the formation of constituencies, which would include a smaller number of people than established by law. Constituencies may relate to individual national settlements, ethnic associations, tribes, etc.

The next area in which preferential rights Indigenous peoples of Russia is the economy. In this area, methods for the qualitative development of economic activities of the traditional type should be applied. Measures should be taken to create special territories in which it would be possible to use traditional methods of nature management. Do not forget about budget allocations aimed at supporting folk crafts. With strict regard to the interests of indigenous peoples, manufacturing enterprises may be subject to privatization. At the same time, the taxation of such enterprises will be carried out taking into account possible benefits and subsidies.

Finally, the preferential rights of the small peoples of Russia can also be exercised in the socio-cultural field. Here it is worth talking about accepting conditions for the preservation of spiritual and cultural foundations one or another indigenous people. ethnic means mass media, the corresponding language and literature should be supported in every possible way by the state authorities. Research needs to be done periodically cultural spheres small peoples.

International Law on Indigenous Peoples

National legal framework containing rules on the protection legal status indigenous peoples of Russia, is based on the principles established by international law. In other words, Russian law should not contradict international legal norms. This rule is enshrined in the national Constitution of 1993.

All normative acts of an international character, which speak about the problems of the small peoples of the earth, can be divided into three main groups. The first such group includes documents that are advisory in nature. What does this mean? In short, the Declaration on Linguistic Minorities, Vienna (1989), Paris (1990), Geneva (1991) and many other declarative documents are aimed at stimulating a favorable attitude towards ethnic minorities.

The second group includes documentation, the purpose of which is to provide ideological and cultural influence on the legal system of a particular state. For example, Convention No. 169 speaks of tribal peoples, the CIS Convention of 1994 on the implementation of high-quality protection of the rights of minorities, etc. A feature of the presented group is that Russia ignores the documentation contained in it. Does this constitute a group of problems of the indigenous peoples of Russia? Most likely no. After all, there is a third group, which includes legally binding documents for any state.

The latter consists of international documents designed to protect national minorities from various kinds of discriminatory and degrading moments. Thus, there is a pact on political and civil rights 1965, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms of 1950 and many other documents binding on the Russian state.

Rights and freedoms of Russian minorities

Today, Russia has Federal Law No. 256-FZ "On Guarantees of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Russia" of 1999. Article 8 of the submitted normative act informs about the rights of ethnic minorities. What exactly is worth highlighting here?

Peoples of a small type, as well as their associations, must be supported in every possible way by state power. This is necessary to protect their original habitat, traditional way of life, various kinds of crafts and management. That is why such peoples have the right to use minerals, soils, animals and plants in their habitats.

It is provided, of course, free of charge. However, this is far from the only right of the peoples of the type under consideration. It's also worth highlighting here:

• the right to participate in the exercise of control over the use of their own lands;
• the ability to carry out control and supervisory activities over the execution federal laws and regulations of the Russian Federation;
• the right to build and reconstruct economic, domestic and industrial facilities;
• the opportunity to timely receive from the Russian Federation funds or material allowances necessary for the cultural or socio-economic development of peoples;
• the right to participate in the exercise of state power or local self-government - directly or through authorized representatives;
• the ability to delegate their representatives to authorities;
• the right to compensation for damages that have been caused as a result of damage natural environment a habitat;
• the right to receive assistance from the state in the form of reforming a particular social sphere.

This, of course, is far from all the possibilities that the law enshrined. Here it is also worth highlighting the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian one, the ability to create special self-government instances, the right to exercise judicial protection, etc. It must be said that all the rights presented constitute the legal status of the small peoples of Russia.

Problems of small Russian peoples

Before proceeding to a story about the features of the life of the most famous indigenous ethnic groups of our state, it is worth identifying the main problems that these ethnic groups often have to face.

The first and probably the most important problem is the identification of national minorities. The identification process can be group and individual. Difficulties arise in the search for appropriate criteria and procedures. The second issue concerns the rights of minorities. As you know, indigenous peoples require special rights. To do this, it is necessary to qualitatively determine the conditions under which the implementation of special rights would be possible. Difficulties can arise in ensuring that rights are targeted and properly enforced in private or public legal areas.

The third problem of the indigenous peoples of the North of Russia can be called the difficulty of self-determination of such ethnic groups. The fact is that in this area there are problems of the expediency of forming territorial entities, conferring rights or building guarantees of these rights. This leads to another problem closely related to the system legal regulation and security. Here, the issues of correlation between the principles of regional and federal level, the conclusion of agreements between ethnic groups, the application of customary law, etc. By the way, the problem of state administration for the affairs of small peoples of the Russian Federation is also quite acute. If we are talking about the levels of the relevant state institutions, about the delegation of powers to local self-government instances, then some organizational difficulties may arise here.

It is also worth highlighting the problem of the status of public organizations of national minorities. The fact is that such organizations could be given rather large and voluminous rights regarding the electoral process, protection of interests, control over the exercise of powers, etc. Difficulties here may arise, again, when it comes to the question of the appropriateness of such actions.

Influence on the culture of small peoples

Various international treaties and national regulations establish rules that should never be violated. They also concern the centuries-old cultural traditions of a particular people. Still, Soviet times did not have the best effect on individual small peoples. So, it is worth paying attention to the Izhorians, who decreased several times between 1930 and 1950. And this is just a single example. State paternalism, chosen as a priority vector of cultural development in the Soviet era, had a very bad effect on almost all the original peoples of Russia. It must be said that a certain form of paternalism is present today, contrary to all established laws and regulations. And this is another problem of the small peoples of Russia, which should be paid close attention.

The thing is that in many peoples of the North there is an uncompromising struggle against shamanism. At the same time, it is shamanism that provides greatest influence on the traditions and culture of national minorities. All-Russian clericalization also contributes to the struggle to some extent. So, in the Republic of Sakha, the local Orthodox diocese set the task of completely eradicating paganism in the surrounding territories. Of course, one can refer to history, because such a struggle was fought back in the days of tsarist Russia. But is it good today? In the context of maintaining secularism and the priority of cultural customs, such actions of the church should be regarded as forceful pressure on the traditions of certain peoples.

List of Indigenous Peoples of Russia

From the Kola Peninsula, located in Murmansk region, up to the Far Eastern regions there are many different national minorities. The list of the small peoples of Russia, although established quite a long time ago, is nevertheless supplemented from time to time. It is worth mentioning the most famous national minorities in Russia:

• Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Region: Vepsians, Izhors, Vods and Kumadins;
• Kamchatka: Aleuts, Alyutors, Itelmens, Kamchadals, Koryaks, Chukchis, Evenks, Evens and Eskimos;
• Krasnoyarsk region and Yakutia: Dolgans, Nganasans, Nenets, Selkups, Teleuts, Enets;
• Sakha and Magadan region: Yukagirs, Chuvans, Lamuts, Orochs, Koryaks.

Naturally, the list is not complete. It can be constantly supplemented, because some peoples are still being discovered, while others are completely "dying out". A description of the small peoples of the North of Russia will be presented below.

About the largest and smallest peoples of the North of Russia

The list of small peoples of the Russian Federation is constantly updated. This is due to the discovery of new, hitherto unknown settlements. For example, not so long ago, the Vod group, consisting of only 82 people, acquired the status of an ethnic minority. By the way, it is Vod that is the smallest people in Russia. This ethnic group lives in the Leningrad region, and therefore is part of the Finno-Ugric group. Vod representatives speak the Estonian dialect. Until now, the main occupation of this people is agriculture, handicrafts and forestry. At the moment, the Vod is engaged in the supply of products to the capital of the Leningrad Region. It must be said that the spread of Orthodoxy and multiple mixed marriages had a significant impact on the national group. This was expressed in the almost complete loss of the national language and centuries-old culture.

It is worth telling a little more about the rest of the small peoples of the North of Russia. So, in contrast to the smallest people of a small type, there is also the largest. At the moment it is a group of Karelians. On the territory of the Vyborg and Leningrad regions there are about 92 thousand of them. The Karelian ethnos was formed by the beginning of the 13th century. Surprising is the fact that the mass baptism in Novgorod territory had practically no effect on the culture of the Karelians. In this group, few people understood the Russian language, and therefore the propaganda of Orthodoxy did not touch such an original group and could not influence the traditions of this people. The main occupation of the Karelians is fishing and reindeer herding. To date, the woodworking industry is well developed in the Karelian Republic.

Peoples of Chukotka

Many people know that it is on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug that the largest number national minorities. Chuvans, for example, there are about one and a half thousand people. This is an Arctic race of a large Mongoloid group. Most of the Chuvans speak the Chukchi language with a small Russian dialect. Another such group is known to all Russians: the Chukchi. There are about 15 thousand of them. The Chukchi live in Yakutia.

In total, about 90 thousand people live in Chukotka. Although 30 years ago this figure was much higher. What is the reason? Why has the number of representatives of national minorities decreased noticeably since the beginning of the 1990s? Even the most prominent experts find it difficult to answer this question. After all, a similar situation is happening in Kamchatka, where from 472 thousand people as of 1991 there are only 200 thousand left today. Perhaps it's all about urbanization, although statistics do not show any high indicators in this area. In fairness, it should be noted that the problems are solved by pursuing a quality policy to preserve the small peoples of Russia.

Residents of large cities in Russia know little about the peoples living in the North of the country and carefully preserving their extraordinary culture and way of life. Some individual knowledge comes to us from books and the media, but nothing more. Let's get to know these small northern peoples better.

Indigenous peoples of the North (Siberia)

For many centuries in a row, the territories of Siberia were inhabited by different peoples who lived in small villages. They lived in clans or communities, peacefully adjoining each other. Conducted a joint household and maintained family ties. The large expanses of the Siberian Territory became the reason for the isolation of each community and formed many languages ​​and language groups. Also, some settlements were absorbed by stronger ones and disappeared, while others, on the contrary, acquired new territories and developed intensively.

Selection

Definition of the inhabitants of the North, Siberia in special group starts at the time of arrival Soviet power. Then it was possible to count about fifty separate groups. As a rule, the peoples of the North were engaged in reindeer herding, and their nomadic image life was significantly different from the vision of the new government.

Speaking about the inhabitants of Siberia, they meant the small peoples of the North. As for the language, so far some language groups have not been able to find close relatives. The Soviet government adopted separate bills on the economic and social development of peoples, but due to the intervention of the authorities, alcoholism and other social problems were actively spreading there.

By the 80s, it turned out that the indigenous peoples of the North did not forget their language, retained their culture and the desire to increase and use the knowledge of their ancestors. They are entirely dependent on their animals and have managed to keep the ancient way of life in harmony with nature.

Story

The Samoyed tribes, who settled in the north, are considered the very first inhabitants of the Siberian expanses. They were engaged in catching fish and breeding deer. To the south of them lived the Mansi, who mainly worked on hunting and led a predominantly nomadic lifestyle. It was the valuable skins of animals that were their main currency, for which they bought goods or used them as a ransom to the relatives of their wives.

In the upper reaches of the Ob River settled Turkic tribes. Their main occupations are nomadic cattle breeding, ore mining and blacksmithing. Buryats settled to the west of Lake Baikal, who also mined iron ore and made products from this metal.

Vast lands from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk to the Yenisei were occupied by the Tungus tribes. They were mainly engaged in reindeer herding, fishing and hunting, some were engaged in handicrafts.

By the end XVII century the most developed of all were the Yakut and Buryat peoples, and the Tatars were even able to organize a state.

Indigenous peoples of the North

The Constitution of the Russian Federation clearly singled out the right of every person to national self-determination. In fact, Russia is a multinational state with many small nationalities on the territory, so the preservation of their culture and exceptional way of life is one of the priorities of the state.

Yakuts

The most numerous people of Siberia, its number reaches 478 thousand people. The Yakut Republic of Sakha has a rather impressive territory of the Far Eastern Federal District. The Yakuts themselves have a vibrant culture, distinctive customs and even a unique epic, folk tales, legends.

Buryats

Another people of the north of Siberia with the republic of the same name and the same number as in Yakutia. Buryat cuisine is very popular in the Siberian regions. Quite an interesting history and traditions make the inhabitants of these lands special. In addition, the Republic of Buryatia is a recognized center of the Buddhist movement in Russia.

Tuvans

The Tyva Republic is another significant republic on the territory of the Siberian Federal District. The total number of Tuvans reaches 300 thousand. The traditions of the population are connected with shamanic rites and Buddhism.

Khakasses

The ancient people of Siberia, who live to the west of Lake Baikal. They also managed to create their own republic with the capital in the city of Abakan. Distinctive features Khakasses are a small number, original culture and customs.

Altaians

The peoples of the North, living in the zone of the Altai mountain system, created their own compact habitats - the Altai Territory and the Republic of Altai. Despite the small number - 70 thousand, this is a fairly large group. Pronounced Altai culture and rich own epic do not allow them to get lost among the numerous peoples of Siberia. Centuries-old habitation in the mountains and severe weather conditions have left their mark on the life and traditions of the Altaians.

Nenets

Compact living on the territory of the Kola Peninsula and the culture protected by the state legislation made them one of the most known to the world nomadic reindeer herders. The unique language and rich oral epic give the Nenets an opportunity to increase their numbers today.

Evenki

They live not only in the expanses of the Russian Federation, but also in China and Mongolia. The Evenks are well-known trackers and experienced hunters, but due to their non-compact living, they were partially assimilated. Evenk culture and reindeer husbandry are very interesting for Western media and culturologists.

Khanty

Ugric language group of small Siberian peoples. Scattered across the territories of the Ural and Siberian Federal Districts. Although shamanism is considered the traditional religion, gradually more and more Khanty identify themselves as Christians, which leads to the loss of their original culture.

Chukchi

Siberian nomads, peoples of the Far North living on the Chukotka Peninsula. The main worldview is animism, and Mongoloid roots attribute the people to the aborigines.

Shors

One of the most ancient Turkic-speaking peoples of Siberia with rich history and epic. The bulk of the Shors moved to big cities, assimilated and lost its roots.

Ethnography describes many more peoples, which in more lost their primitive culture and only some of its elements have survived to this day. These are: Mansi, Nanais, Koryaks, Dolgans, Siberian Tatars, Soyots, Itelmens, Kets and other small peoples of the North. All of them to some extent assimilated with other indigenous peoples, speak different local dialects and are engaged in their characteristic trades. And deer breeding became a profitable state industry.

Contemporary Issues

Nowadays, the modern peoples of the North, Siberia attract close attention of the authorities and the public due to a number of factors.

The areas where small indigenous peoples live are rich in minerals. This is gold, and oil, and uranium, and gas. It turns out that the peoples of the North live in strategically important territories. Therefore, at this stage, there is a clash of interests of people who want to live on the land of their ancestors, and commercial organizations that pursue consumer goals. State companies who want to derive any benefit from these lands, only harm with their activities local residents- pollute water bodies, destroy forests. This negatively affects the ecological situation and the original life of the peoples of the North.

In order to protect their lands, rights, culture and way of life for local settlements, it is necessary to be included in the list of indigenous peoples of the North. And if there is no territory, then it will be practically impossible to ensure the safety and subsequent study of the native language by the heirs of the group. At the moment, many peoples have lost their special dialects, Yakut has become native for many, and almost everyone knows Russian. Therefore, joining one of the groups makes it possible to fully develop and transfer knowledge to the coming generations.

minorities

Indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation (hereinafter - the small peoples of the North) - peoples numbering less than 50 thousand people living in the northern regions of Russia, Siberia and the Russian Far East in the territories of the traditional settlement of their ancestors, preserving the traditional way of life , management and crafts and self-conscious ethnic communities.

general information

Indigenous peoples of the Far North, Siberia and the Far East - this is the official name, more briefly they are usually called the peoples of the North. The birth of this group dates back to the very beginning of the formation of Soviet power, to the 1920s, when a special resolution was adopted "On assistance to the peoples of the northern outskirts." At that time, it was possible to count about 50, if not more, various groups who lived in the Far North. They, as a rule, were engaged in reindeer herding, and their way of life was significantly different from what the first Soviet Bolsheviks saw for themselves.

As time went on, this category continued to remain as a special category of accounting, this list gradually crystallized, more accurate names of individual ethnic groups appeared, and in the post-war period, at least since the 1960s, especially in the 1970s, this category began to include 26 nations. And when they talked about the peoples of the North, they meant 26 indigenous peoples of the North - they were called back in their time the small peoples of the North. These are various language groups, people who speak different languages, including those whose close relatives have not yet been found. This is the language of the Kets, whose relations with other languages ​​are quite complex, the language of the Nivkhs, and a number of other languages.

Despite the measures taken by the state (at that time it was called communist party Soviet Union and the Soviet government), separate resolutions were adopted on the economic development of these peoples, on how to facilitate their economic existence - after all, the situation remained quite difficult: alcoholism was spreading, there were a lot of social diseases. So gradually we lived until the end of the 1980s, when it suddenly turned out that 26 peoples did not fall asleep, did not forget their languages, did not lose their culture, and even if something happened, they want to restore it, reconstruct it, and so on, want to use in their modern life.

At the very beginning of the 1990s, this list suddenly began to take on a second life. Some peoples of Southern Siberia were included in it, and so there were not 26, but 30 peoples. Then gradually, during the 1990s - early 2000s, this list expanded and expanded, and today it is about 40-45 ethnic groups, starting from the European part of Russia and ending with the Far East, a significant number of ethnic groups are included in this the so-called list of indigenous peoples of the north of Siberia and the Far East.

What does it take to be on this list?

First of all, you as a people are officially forbidden to be fruitful and multiply in the sense that, let it sound rude, you should not be more than 50,000 people. There is a size limit. You must live on the territory of your ancestors, engage in traditional farming, preserve traditional culture and language. Everything is actually not so simple, not just to have a special self-name, but you must consider yourself an independent people. Everything is very, very difficult, even with the same self-name.

Let's try to look, say, at the Altaians. Altaians themselves are not included in the list of indigenous peoples. AND for a long time in Soviet ethnography, Soviet science, it was believed that this united people, formed, however, from different groups, but they formed into a single socialist nationality. When the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s came, it turned out that those who made up the Altaians still remember that they are not quite Altaians. Thus, new ethnic groups appeared on the map of the Republic of Altai and on the ethnographic map: Chelkans, Tubalars, Kumandins, Altai proper, Telengits. Some of them were included in the list of indigenous peoples of the North. There was a very difficult situation - the 2002 census, when the authorities of the Altai Republic were very afraid that due to the fact that a significant part of the former Altaians suddenly enrolled in indigenous peoples, the population of the republic, that is, the titular people, would significantly decrease and then they would be taken away portfolios - there will be no republic, and people will lose their posts. Everything turned out well: in our country there is no such direct correlation between the titular ethnic group and the status of the entity in which it lives - it can be a republic, an autonomous region, or something else.

But as far as ethnic identity is concerned, the situation is much more complicated. We said that several groups of these Altaians emerged. But if we take each of them, we find that each of them consists of 5, 10, maybe 20 divisions. They are called genus, or, in Altaic, “sok” (‘bone’), some of them are of very ancient origin. In the same 2002, the leaders of the clans - they are called zaisans - when they learned that the people's response would not affect the status of the republic in any way, they said: “Oh, how good. So, maybe now we will sign ourselves as Naimans, Kipchaks (by the name of the genus). That is, it really turns out that a person is generally an Altaian, but at the same time he can be a representative of some ethnic group as part of the Altaians. He may be one of a kind. If you dig, you can find even smaller ones.

Why should you be on this list?

Once there is a list, you can get into it, you can sign up for it. If you are not included in this list, then you will not have any benefits. People usually say about benefits: "They signed up because they want benefits." Of course, there are some benefits, if you know about them and can use them. Some people don't know what they are. These are benefits for medical care, for getting firewood (relevant in villages), it can be preferential admission of your children to the university, there is some other list of these benefits. But that's really not the most important thing. There is such a moment: you want to live on your own land, and you have no other land. If you are not included in this list of indigenous peoples of the North, then you will be treated like everyone else, although you are already a citizen of the Russian Federation. Then you will not have additional leverage in terms of protecting the territory where you and your ancestors lived, hunted, fished, did in the traditional way life, which is very important to you.

Why is it very important? Sometimes with laughter, sometimes without laughter, they say: “Well, what can we take from him? Even if he is a white-collar worker, it’s time for a season or to collect cones in the taiga, he goes to the taiga to collect cones or a season, disappears into the sea and fishes.” A man works in an office, but he cannot live without it. Here they are told with laughter or even disdain. If we find ourselves, say, in the United States, then we will simply find that self-respecting companies will give a person a vacation for this time, because they understand that he cannot live without it, and not because it is his whim, that he wants to go fishing, as any of us might want to go somewhere for the weekend to relax. No, this is something sitting in the blood that drives a person from the office back to the taiga, to the lands of their ancestors.

If you do not have the opportunity to additionally protect this land, then various difficult life situations can occur. It is no secret that the territory inhabited by small indigenous peoples of the North is rich in minerals. It can be anything: gold, uranium, mercury, oil, gas, coal. And these people live on lands that are very important from the point of view of the strategic development of the state.

7 smallest peoples of Russia

Chulyms

Chulym Turks or Iyus Kizhiler ("Chulym people") live on the banks of the Chulym River in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and have their own language. In former times, they lived in uluses, where dugouts (odyg), semi-dugouts (kyshtag), yurts and chums were built. They were engaged in fishing, hunting for fur-bearing animals, mined medicinal herbs, pine nuts, grew barley and millet, harvested birch bark and bast, wove ropes, nets, made boats, skis, sleds. Later they began to grow rye, oats and wheat and live in huts. Both women and men wore trousers made of burbot skins and shirts trimmed with fur. Women braided many braids, wore pendants made of coins and jewelry. Dwellings are characterized by chuvals with open hearths, low clay ovens (kemega), bunks and chests. Some Chulymchi adopted Orthodoxy, others remained shamanists. The people have preserved traditional folklore and crafts, but only 17% of 355 people speak their native language.

Oroks

Indigenous people of Sakhalin. They call themselves Uilta, which means "deer". The Orok language is unwritten and is spoken by almost half of the 295 remaining Oroks. The Oroks were nicknamed by the Japanese. The Uilta are engaged in hunting - sea and taiga, fishing (they get pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon and sim), reindeer herding and gathering. Now reindeer husbandry has declined, and hunting and fishing are under threat due to oil developments and land problems. Scientists evaluate the prospects for the further existence of the nationality with great caution.

Enets

Enets shamanists, they are Yenisei Samoyeds, call themselves Encho, Mogadi or Pebay. They live in Taimyr at the mouth of the Yenisei in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. traditional dwelling- conical plague. Of the 227 people, only a third speaks their native language. The rest speak Russian or Nenets. National clothes Enets - a parka, fur pants and stockings. For women, the parka is oar, for men it is one-piece. Traditional food is fresh or frozen meat, fresh fish, fishmeal - porsa. From time immemorial, the Enets have been hunting reindeer, reindeer herding, and fox hunting. Almost all modern Enets live in stationary settlements.

Tazy

Tazy (tadzy, datzy) is a small and rather young people living on the Ussuri River in Primorsky Krai. First mentioned in the 18th century. The Tazy originated from a mixture of Nanai and Udege with the Manchus and Chinese. The language is similar to the dialects of northern China, but very different. Now there are 274 Tazis in Russia, and almost none of them speak their native language. If at the end of the 19th century 1050 people knew it, now it is owned by several elderly women in the village of Mikhailovka. The Tazy live by hunting, fishing, gathering, farming and animal husbandry. Recently, they are trying to revive the culture and customs of their ancestors.

Izhora

The Finno-Ugric people Izhora (Izhora) lived on the eponymous tributary of the Neva. The self-name of the people is Karyalaysht, which means "Karelians". The language is close to Karelian. They profess Orthodoxy. During the Time of Troubles, the Izhors fell under the rule of the Swedes, and fleeing the introduction of Lutheranism, they moved to Russian lands. The main occupation of the Izhors was fishing, namely, the extraction of smelt and herring. The Izhors were carpenters, weavers and basket weavers. IN mid-nineteenth century, 18,000 Izhors lived in the St. Petersburg and Vyborg provinces. The events of the Second World War catastrophically affected the population. Part of the villages burned down, the Izhors were taken to the territory of Finland, and those who returned from there were transported to Siberia. Those who remained in place disappeared among the Russian population. Now there are only 266 Izhors left.

Vod

The self-name of this Orthodox Finno-Ugric disappearing people of Russia is vodyalain, waddyalaizyd. In the 2010 census, only 64 people identified themselves as Vod. The language of the people is close to the southeastern dialect of the Estonian language and to the Liv language. From time immemorial, Vod lived south of the Gulf of Finland, on the territory of the so-called Vodskaya Pyatina, which is mentioned in the annals. The nation itself was formed in the 1st millennium of our era. Agriculture was the basis of life. They grew rye, oats, barley, raised cattle and poultry, and were engaged in fishing. They lived in rigs, similar to Estonian ones, and since the 19th century - in huts. The girls wore a sundress made of white canvas, a short "ihad" jacket. Young people chose their own bride and groom. married women they cut their hair short, and the elderly shaved their heads and wore a “paykas” headdress. In the rites of the people, many pagan remnants have been preserved. Now the Vodi culture is under study, a museum has been created, and the language is being taught.

Kereki

Disappearing people. Only four of them remained on the entire territory of Russia. And in 2002 there were eight. The tragedy of this Paleo-Asiatic people was that since ancient times they lived on the border of Chukotka and Kamchatka and found themselves between two fires: the Chukchi fought with the Koryaks, and the Ankalgakku got it - that's what the Kereks call themselves. In translation, it means "people living by the sea." Enemies burned houses, women were taken into slavery, men were killed.

Many Kereks died during epidemics that engulfed the lands in late XVIII century. The Kereks themselves led a settled way of life, they got food by fishing and hunting, they beat sea and fur-bearing animals. They were engaged in reindeer herding. The Kereks contributed to dog riding. Harnessing dogs in a train is their invention. The Chukchi harnessed the dogs "fan". The Kerek language belongs to the Chukchi-Kamchatka. In 1991, there were three people left in Chukotka who spoke it. To save it, a dictionary was written, which included about 5000 words.

What to do with these people?

Everyone remembers the movie "Avatar" well and that nasty character who said that "they are sitting on my dough." Sometimes one gets the impression that those firms that are trying to somehow regulate relations with people living in places where something can be mined and sold treat them that way, that is, these are people who simply get in the way. The situation is quite complicated, because everywhere, in all cases, where something like this happens (it can be some sacred lake Nouto, where the Khanty or Forest Nenets live, it may be Kuzbass with its coal deposits, it may be Sakhalin with its oil reserves), there is a certain clash of interests, more or less clearly expressed, between the indigenous peoples of the North, between the local population, in basically everyone. Because what's the difference between you, an aborigine, and a Russian old-timer who behaves in the same way, lives on the same land, does the same fishing, hunting, and so on, and suffers in the same way from dirty water and so on. negative consequences extraction or development of some minerals. Among the so-called stakeholders, in addition to the natives, are state structures and the companies themselves that are trying to extract some profit from this land.

If you are not included in this list of indigenous peoples of the North, then it will be much more difficult for you to defend your land and your rights to the lifestyle that you want to lead. It is important to preserve your culture, because if you do not have the territory where you live compactly with your fellow tribesmen, it will be very difficult to ensure that your children learn their native language, transmit some traditional values. This does not mean that the people will disappear, disappear, but in the way you perceive the situation, there may be such an idea that if my language disappears, I will cease to be some kind of people. Of course you won't stop. Throughout Siberia, a huge number of peoples of the North have lost their languages, but this does not mean that they do not speak any language. Somewhere the Yakut language became native, almost everyone has Russian. However, people keep their ethnic identity, they want to develop further, and the list gives them this opportunity.

But there is one interesting twist here, which no one has thought about yet. The fact is that more and more often one hears among younger generation among the indigenous peoples of the North, which, in fact, have lost their ethnic specificity (they all speak Russian, do not wear traditional clothes): “We are indigenous peoples, we are indigenous peoples.” A certain commonality appears, perhaps it is a class identity, as in tsarist Russia. And in this sense, it seems to make sense for the state to take a closer look at the processes that are now taking place in the North, and, perhaps, if we talk about assistance, it may not be for specific ethnic groups, but for that new estate community called the indigenous peoples of the North. .

Why are northern peoples disappearing?

Small nations differ from large ones not only in numbers. It is more difficult for them to maintain their identity. A Chinese man can come to Helsinki, marry a Finnish woman, live there with her all his life, but he will remain a Chinese until the end of his days, and he will not become a Finn. Moreover, even in his children, there will probably be a lot of Chinese, and this manifests itself not only in appearance, but much deeper - in the characteristics of psychology, behavior, tastes (even just culinary ones). If in similar situation one of the Sami people gets in - they live on Kola Peninsula, in northern Norway and northern Finland, then, despite the proximity to his native places, after some time he will essentially become a Finn.

So it is with the peoples of the North and the Far East of Russia. They preserve their national identity while they live in villages and are engaged in traditional farming. If they leave their native places, break away from their own people, then they dissolve into another and become Russians, Yakuts, Buryats - depending on where they end up and how life goes. Therefore, their number is almost not growing, although the birth rate is quite high. In order not to lose national identity, you need to live among your people, in their original habitat.

Of course, small peoples have intelligentsia - teachers, artists, scientists, writers, doctors. They live in the district or regional center, but in order not to lose touch with their native people, they need to spend a lot of time in the villages.

In order to preserve the small peoples, it is necessary to maintain the traditional economy. This is the main difficulty. Reindeer pastures are declining due to growing oil and gas production, seas and rivers are polluted, so fishing cannot develop. The demand for reindeer meat and furs is falling. The interests of the indigenous population and the regional authorities, large companies, it's just that local poachers come into conflict, and in such a conflict, power is not on the side of small peoples.

At the end of the XX century. the leadership of the districts and republics (especially in Yakutia, in the Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets districts) began to pay more attention to the problems of conservation national culture. Festivals of the cultures of small peoples have become regular, at which storytellers perform, rituals are performed, and sports competitions are held.

All over the world, well-being, standard of living, preservation of the culture of small national minorities (Indians in the countries of America, Aborigines of Australia, Ainu of Japan, etc.) are part of the country's calling card and serve as an indicator of its progressiveness. Therefore, the significance of the fate of the small peoples of the North for Russia is incommensurably greater compared to their small number, which is only 0.1% of the country's population.

State policy

Anthropologists tend to criticize public policy in relation to the small peoples of the North.

Policy towards the peoples of the North in different years changed. Before the revolution, they were a special estate - foreigners who had self-government within certain limits. After the 1920s culture, economy and society of the northerners, like the rest of the country, have undergone major transformations. The idea of ​​developing the peoples of the North and bringing them out of the state of "backwardness" was adopted. The economy of the North has become subsidized.

In the late 1980s - early 1990s. ethnographers have formulated a rationale for the direct interdependence of traditional cultural identity, traditional economy and traditional habitat. Economy and language were added to the romantic thesis of soil and blood. The paradoxical idea that a condition for the preservation and development ethnic culture- language and customs - is the conduct of a traditional economy in a traditional habitat. This de facto concept of hermetic traditionalism became the ideology for the SIM movement. It was the rationale behind the alliance between the ethnic intelligentsia and the nascent business. In the 1990s romanticism received a financial base - first, grants from charitable foreign foundations, and then from mining companies. The industry of ethnological expertise was enshrined in the same law.

Anthropologists' research today shows that management can exist and develop without preserving the language. At the same time, languages ​​can also come out of live family communication when managing a household. For example, Udege, Saami, many dialects of Evenki and many other indigenous languages ​​no longer sound in the taiga and tundra. However, this does not prevent people from engaging in reindeer herding, hunting, and fishing.

In addition to cultural figures and businessmen, an independent layer of leaders and political activists has formed among the indigenous peoples of the North,

There is a point of view among SIM activists that benefits should not be selective, but should be extended to all representatives of the SIM, wherever they live and whatever they do. As arguments, for example, arguments are offered that the need for fish in the diet in the body is based on genetic level. A solution to this problem is proposed to expand the areas of traditional residence and traditional economy throughout the region.

The countryside in the Far North is not an easy place to live. In agriculture, people of various ethnic backgrounds work there. They use the same technologies, overcome the same difficulties, face the same challenges. This activity should receive state support also regardless of ethnicity. The state guarantee of the protection of the rights of the peoples of Russia is primarily in the guarantee of the absence of any discrimination based on ethnic and religious grounds.

As the analysis shows, the Law "On Guarantees of the Rights of the Indigenous Minorities of the Russian Federation" stands out in its approach from the entire Russian legal system. This law considers nations as subjects of law. The impossibility of leading gives grounds for the formation of an estate - a group of people endowed with rights due to their ethnic origin. Law enforcers on the ground will for a long time face attempts to legally close a fundamentally open social system.

The principal way out of this situation may be to overcome the romanticism of traditionalism and separate the policy of supporting economic activity and supporting ethno-cultural activity. In the socio-economic part, it is necessary to extend the benefits and subsidies of the indigenous peoples to all rural population Far North.

In the ethno-cultural part, the state can provide the following types support:

1. Scientific support, represented by research organizations and universities, in the development of programs and training of specialists.
2. Legal support in the form of development and adoption of norms for the preservation and development of ethno-cultural heritage.
3. Organizational support in the form of development and implementation of ethno-cultural programs of cultural institutions and educational institutions.
4. Financial support for NGOs developing ethno-cultural initiatives in the form of grant support for promising projects.