Who are the Chukchi really? The Chukchi people have their own pride

Residents of the tundra save guests from the frost with the help of their naked wife

What have we heard about the Chukchi and the northern peoples in general, besides anecdotes? Yes, practically nothing! However, there are people who thoroughly understand the topic. In particular, a world-famous scientist, Professor Sergei ARUTYUNOV, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who conducted ethnographic field work in Japan, Vietnam, India, the Caucasus, as well as in the Far North and Siberia, including Chukotka. Although jokes are also information!

“Chukchi, go to the shower and wash yourself!” - “It’s impossible, however! There will be grief! The first time I washed myself, the war began. I washed myself the second time - Stalin died. At all
woe!
They finally forced the Chukchi into the shower. A couple of minutes later a joyful exclamation: “Hurray! I found the shirt!” - "Where?!" - “It was under a sweatshirt!”
- Sergey Alexandrovich, why are there so many jokes about the Chukchi?
- For the same reason that in India they tell jokes about the Sikhs, in Great Britain - about the Scots, and throughout Europe - about the Belgians. IN human nature choose some victim for ridicule. Despite the fact that everyone understands that these peoples are no worse than others. By the way, the Chukchi also have jokes about Russians. For example this one. A young Russian comes to Chukotka for the first time. Naturally, they take it with vodka - they drink one bottle, a second, a third... Finally, he asks: “How to become one of our own in Chukotka?” - “We need to sleep with a Chukchi woman and shake the bear’s paw.” The Russian staggers out. He returns in the morning, all tattered: “Well, I slept with the bear, now give the Chukchi woman - I’ll shake her hand!” In general, the Chukchi are very hospitable people and are also ready to laugh at themselves.

What shocked you most about the customs? northern peoples?
- I am an ethnographer, accustomed to everything. But there were also funny moments. One of the visits to a Chukotka family about 50 years ago is very memorable. We arrived at yaranga, the dwelling of the Chukchi. It's cold in there, so in the center there's also a fur canopy made of reindeer skins...
- Is it warm underneath?
- Certainly! People heat up the space so much with their breath that they strip down to their underwear. The nomadic Chukchi are very fond of silk underwear. And not for the sake of beauty, but because lice do not grow in it - washing often under such conditions is problematic.
So, we sit and wait for the treat. And then the baby started crying and wanted to go potty. The hostess takes off his warm fur overalls and a diaper made of dried moss and gives him the opportunity to relieve himself in a wooden dish. Then this dish is placed behind the canopy - into the cold space of the yaranga, where the dogs are. A few seconds - and the dogs lick it all off until it shines. The hostess returns the dish and quite calmly begins to cut cold venison on it. This is what we ate with tea. By the way, she did not forget to thoroughly wipe the cups with a towel... To be fair, I will say that now, of course, the situation with hygiene has changed dramatically.

Fly agarics

Chukchi says to Russian:
- If you guess how many deer I have, I’ll give you both!
- Two.
- Wow, shaman!
- In one of your interviews you said that the Chukchi do not recognize mushrooms.
- Yes, they disdain them, they call them the excrement of the devil. This is primarily due to the fact that mushrooms pose a threat to losing deer. Deer experience protein starvation all the time. And the mushroom is the source of this very protein. So if a mushroom place comes across a deer’s path, that’s it, you won’t be able to gather the herd anymore, it will simply scatter. Therefore, as they approach the mushroom places, the Chukchi begin to yell, throw sticks, set dogs on fire - in a word, do everything so that the herd passes by as quickly as possible.
- But they still have respect for one mushroom.
- If you mean fly agaric, then yes. Among the Chukchi, fly agaric is common as a hallucinogen. And in order not to get poisoned, young people drink the urine of old people who use fly agarics, accustoming themselves to this “delicacy”. I just urge you not to practice this under any circumstances, the consequences can be fatal!
- And this kind of thing happens these days?
- Even about 20 years ago, young people were actively involved in fly agaric eating. That is, now these are people of about 40 years old. And there are even more fly agaric grandfathers! I don’t know how it is in our time. Still for last years A new generation has grown up with a more urbanized, urban mentality. Almost everyone receives secondary education. Although they certainly retain their Chukotka psychology.
- What does it consist of, this psychology?
- Don't stress. Not with anything. Including in sexual relationships.

One for two

The Russian asked the Chukchi for a loan of arctic fox skins for sale. He gave it. The second time he asked, he gave. The Chukchi sees him - for the third time Russian is coming. He says: “Wife, tell me that I’m hunting, otherwise he’ll beg for skins again!” And he himself - under the bed. The Russian comes in, his wife says: “He’s hunting!” - "What a pity! And I brought the money with interest. Well, let's celebrate the deal! They drank and went to bed. And the Chukchi lies under the bed and thinks: “I need to take the money, I need to shoot the Russian, I need to beat my wife. And as luck would have it, I’m on the hunt!”
- How do the Chukchi generally relate to sexual intimacy?
- Easy enough. Let's say, in the past it often happened that a person lost in the taiga came across a nomadic camp. How to save him from hypothermia? The naked guest was placed with the naked wife of the owner of the house. And then - how it goes... By the way, in 1977, in the same way, a swimmer from the United States was saved from certain death, who was swimming from an American island to a Soviet one in the Bering Strait area. She was carried away by the current and was very cold. And the Russian doctor, familiar with the life of the Chukchi, undressed and climbed into one of her sleeping bags. Everything worked out fine.

In folklore, Chukchi women often sleep with Russians. How attractive can a Chukotka woman be to anyone? white man?
- Among them there are many nice ones, by our standards. It is not for nothing that all polar explorers had representatives of northern peoples as mistresses or temporary wives. For example, the legendary American admiral Robert Peary, who first reached the North Pole at the beginning of the twentieth century, had an Eskimo as his “field wife.” The archives contain a nude photograph of her, a very impressive woman. And then his legal wife Josephine came to Piri. The ladies met and got along quite well.
- Well, in principle, how important is marital fidelity for the Chukchi?
- The Eskimos in Canada and Alaska still have a tradition of exchanging wives when their families go hunting in the summer. This usually happens between friends and very often on the initiative of women. In our Soviet time Nevertheless, communist morality prevailed, so the Chukchi never advertised such behavior. But the women there are very proud and freedom-loving. I knew one Chukchi family. His name was Robton, he was a whaler and a drunkard. And his wife named Ani got tired of his endless drinking.
“So that’s it,” she said. - I’m your wife, I’ll wash your underpants, put grass in the bag (the kind fur boots), so that you don’t freeze, but as a husband you’re of no use. Therefore, at such and such a time, leave, and the store manager will come to me.
He seemed to have resigned himself. But when the store manager was at Anya’s, Robton came and told him: “Come on, putilka!” A bottle of vodka, I mean. He gave it. He comes for the second time: “Let’s go!” And then an enraged Ani jumped out into the corridor. “Who gave you the right to buy me for a bottle?!” - she shouted to the store manager. And she said this to her husband: “I am a free woman and I decide for myself who to sleep with!” With these words, she slashed him on the nose with a semicircular carving knife. And he, pressing the tip of his nose, ran to the paramedic. They barely sewed that nose on to him. In general, it is not uncommon for Chukchi women to have lovers, and their husbands take this calmly.

Like the Jews

The Chukchi became rich and bought a car. A month later they ask him: “So how?” - “Okay, however! Only the deer get very tired and the roof is slippery, I keep falling!”
- Sergei Alexandrovich, are there any rich Chukchi?
- In Soviet times, the Chukchi could earn eight thousand a year from whaling and arctic fox fisheries. And even more! By Soviet standards - a lot of money. But there were few such drummers, and they all drank. The situation changed somewhat under Gorbachev. During the fight against alcoholism, many stupid things were done, but for the Far North it was a blessing. After all, the physiology of the Chukchi is such that they get drunk from the first drink. Having lost the opportunity to drink freely, they rose up so much! AND Appliances appeared (for those who lived in the villages), and they began to go to resorts.

A Chukchi friend told me: “I was in Crimea. I liked it, but it was very hot - plus 13 - 15 degrees!” He also bought a Moskvich. True, I went fishing from my village only about once a week, and then during the season - 12 kilometers. “What about the tundra?” - I ask him. “We buy snowmobiles for this, but many still use dogs.” - "Why?" - “What if there’s a snowstorm and you get stuck there for a long time? You leave with 12 dogs and return with four. Eight will go to feed the rest and eat yourself. But you can’t eat a snowmobile!”

And with the advent of capitalism, “new Chukchi” appeared?
- There are still guys who don’t drink who earn two to three million rubles a year. Mostly fishing. Once an Eskimo I knew tried to explain to me how they differ from the Chukchi. “You know, for us the Chukchi are like Jews for Russians. Compared to us, they are more crafty, commercially successful, and cunning.” However, a “new Chukchi” will never appear. There are few Chukchi in general, only 14 thousand, most of whom live in Chukotka. But everyone has nephews, cousins, uncles... “You get so much, but you don’t treat us!” - this is what the successful Chukchi hears. And - he treats, it’s customary. Until the money runs out.
- How many Eskimos are there in total?
- There are more than a hundred thousand of them, although only 1800 live in Russia. But there are even more small peoples. For example, the Uilta - there are only 300 of them left on Sakhalin. Or the Enets - only 250 in Taimyr.

You are a great protector for small nations. What can the state do for the same Chukchi? Look after them more? Or, conversely, not to interfere?
- Don’t interfere, don’t interfere! I think it would be right to put them on a reservation. And this is not an infringement at all. Vice versa! In America, when entering an Indian reservation, an announcement: “By crossing the red line, you agree to obey all decisions of the local tribal council!” If you look at a map of the United States, it is covered like a rash with reservation territories. It has its own laws. If, of course, God forbid, some complicated murder occurs, the investigation will be led by an FBI employee. But all the “everyday issues” are sorted out by local authorities. Of course, everyone is free to choose whether to live with their family or in another place.
- But what is this for? So that the Chukchi preserve their identity?
- First of all, to gain self-respect and survive. And then it is quite likely that the drunkenness to which nine-tenths of the Chukchi are subject will finally be put to an end.

Chukotka reindeer herders do not live in tents, but in more complex mobile dwellings called yarangas. Next, we propose to get acquainted with the basics of construction and structure of this traditional dwelling, which Chukchi reindeer herders continue to build today.

Without a deer there will be no yaranga - this axiom is true in the literal and figurative sense. Firstly, because the material needed for “construction” is deer skins. Secondly, without deer, such a house is not needed. Yaranga - mobile portable dwelling reindeer herders is necessary for the territory where there is no timber, but there is a need for constant migration for the reindeer herd. To build a yaranga you need poles. Birch ones are best. Birches in Chukotka, strange as it may seem to some, are growing. In the continental part along the banks of rivers. The limited area of ​​their distribution was the reason for the emergence of such a concept as “scarcity”. The poles were taken care of, they were passed on and are still passed on by inheritance. Some yaranga poles in the Chukotka tundra are more than a hundred years old.

Encampment

Yaranga frame prepared for the filming of the film "Territory"

The difference between a yaranga and a chum is the complexity of its design. It's like an airbus and a corn truck. A chum is a hut, vertically standing poles, which is covered with waterproof material (birch bark, skins, etc.). The structure of the yaranga is much more complicated.

Pulling the tire (rathem) onto the yaranga frame

The construction of a yaranga begins with determining the cardinal directions. This is important because the entrance should always be in the east. First, three long poles are placed (as in the construction of a tent). Then, small wooden tripods are installed around these poles, which are fastened together with horizontal poles. From the tripods to the top of the yaranga there are poles of the second tier. All the poles are fastened to each other with ropes or belts made of deerskin. After installing the frame, a tire (ratem) made of skins is pulled on. Several ropes are thrown over the upper poles, which are tied to the awning tire and, using the elementary laws of physics and the command “eeee, one,” only in the Chukotka version, the tire is put on the frame. To prevent the tire from blowing off during a snowstorm, its edges are covered with stones. Stones are also hung on ropes to the tripod posts. Poles and boards that are tied to the outside of the yaranga are also used as anti-sails.

“Strengthening” the yaranga to prevent the tire from blowing off

Winter tires are definitely made from hides. One ratem takes from 40 to 50 deer skins. There are options with summer tires. Previously, old rathams, sewn and altered, with peeling wool, were used for summer tires. The Chukotka summer, although harsh, forgives a lot. Including an imperfect tire for the yaranga. In winter, the tire must be perfect, otherwise a huge snowdrift will blow into the small hole during a snowstorm. In Soviet times, the lower part of the tire, which was most susceptible to moisture, began to be replaced with strips of tarpaulin. Then other materials appeared, so today’s summer yarangas are more reminiscent of a grandmother’s colorful blanket.

Yaranga in the Amguem tundra

Third brigade of MUSHP "Chaunskoe"

Yaranga in the Yanrakynnot tundra

Externally, the yaranga is ready. Inside, a large 5-8 meters in diameter sub-tent space appeared - chottagin. Chottagin is the economic part of the yaranga. In the chottagin, the cold room of the yaranga, in winter the temperature is the same as outside, except that there is no wind.

Now you need to make a room for living. On the wall opposite the entrance, a rectangular frame is attached using poles, which is covered with skins and wool inside. This canopy is a living space in a yaranga. They sleep in the canopy, dry clothes (through natural evaporation of moisture), and in winter they eat. The canopy is heated using a grease stove or kerosene stove. Due to the fact that the skins are tucked inward, the canopy becomes almost airtight. This is good in terms of heat retention, but bad in terms of ventilation. However, frost is the most effective fighter against natures with a refined perception of smells. Since it is impossible to open the canopy at night, they relieve themselves in a special container right there in the canopy. Believe me, this won’t bother you either if you find yourself in the tundra without transport for more than two days. Because one of the main human needs is the need for warmth. But it’s warm in the tundra, only in the canopy. Nowadays, a yaranga usually has one canopy; previously there could have been two or even three. One family lives in the canopy. If a family has adult children who already have their own families, a second canopy is placed in the yaranga for the first time. But over time, the young will need to assemble their yaranga.

Canopy outside

Canopy inside. Lighted and heated by a grease stove or kerosene stove

The hearth is organized in the center of Chottagin. The smoke from the fire escapes through a hole in the dome. But despite such ventilation, it is almost always smoky in Chottagin. Therefore, standing in a yaranga is not recommended.

Making a fire

Where can you get wood for a fire if trees don’t grow in the tundra? There are really no trees (with the exception of floodplain groves) in the tundra, but you can almost always find shrubs. Actually, the yaranga is mainly placed near a river with bushes. The fireplace in the yaranga is built exclusively for cooking. Heating chottagin is pointless and wasteful. Small twigs are used for fire. If the branches of the bush are thick and long, they are cut into small logs 10-15 cm in length. The amount of firewood that a taiga resident burns per night will last a reindeer herder for a week, or even more. What can we say about the young pioneers with their bonfires? Economy and rationality are the main criteria in the life of a reindeer herder. The same criterion is used in the design of the yaranga, which is primitive at first glance, but very effective upon closer examination.

The kettle is suspended above the fireplace on chains, vats and pots are placed on bricks or stones. They stop adding firewood to the fire as soon as the container begins to boil.

Firewood harvesting

Utensil. Small tables and small stools are used as furniture in the yaranga. Yaranga is a world of minimalism. Furniture in the yaranga also includes cabinets and shelves for storing food and utensils. With the advent European civilization in Chukotka, especially in Soviet period, in the life of reindeer herders such concepts as kerogas, primus, and abeshka (generator) appeared, which somewhat simplified some aspects of life. Cooking food, especially baked goods, is now done not on a fire, but on primus stoves or kerosene gases. In some reindeer herding farms, in winter, stoves are installed in yarangas, which are heated with coal. Of course, you can live without all this, but if you have it, why not use it?

Afternoon

Evening leisure

In each yaranga there is always meat or fish hanging on the top and side poles. Rationalism, as I said above, is a key aspect of human life in traditional society. Why should the smoke go to waste? Especially if it, smoke, is an excellent preservative.

Yaranga's "bins"

Every nation living far from civilization has traditions and customs that seem at least strange to the uninitiated. Now, in the era of globalization, the originality of small nations is rapidly eroding, but some centuries-old foundations are still preserved. For example, the Chukchi have a very extravagant system of marriage and family relations.

The Chukchi - the indigenous people of the Far North - live according to the laws of the levirate. This is a marriage custom that does not allow families that have lost their breadwinner to be left without support and livelihood. To a brother or someone else close relative the deceased man is given the responsibility to marry the widow and adopt her children.


Obviously, the effect of levirate explains the popularity of the tradition of group marriage. Married men agree to unite families in order to provide each other with labor and material support. Of course, the poor Chukchi strive to enter into such an alliance with rich friends and neighbors.


Ethnographer Vladimir Bogoraz wrote: “When entering into a group marriage, men sleep without asking, interspersed with other people’s wives. The Chukchi wife exchange is usually limited to only one or two friends; however, examples are not uncommon when such close relationships are maintained with many.”


Children born into families in group marriage relationships are considered siblings. And all members look after them big family. So group marriage is a real salvation for childless couples: a friend will always help an infertile man to have children. And the birth of a baby for the Chukchi is always a very joyful event, regardless of who his biological father is.

The small Chukchi people are settled over a vast territory - from the Bering Sea to the Indigirka River, from the Arctic Ocean to the Anadyr River. This territory can be compared with Kazakhstan, and just over 15 thousand people live on it! (Russian population census data in 2010).

The name Chukchi is the name of the people “Louratvelans” adapted for Russian people. Chukchi means “rich in deer” (chauchu) – this is how northern reindeer herders introduced themselves to Russian pioneers in the 17th century. “Loutwerans” is translated as “real people,” since in the mythology of the Far North the Chukchi are the “superior race” chosen by the gods. Chukchi mythology explains that the gods created the Evenks, Yakuts, Koryaks and Eskimos exclusively as Russian slaves, so that they would help the Chukchi trade with the Russians.

Ethnic history of the Chukchi. Briefly

The ancestors of the Chukchi settled in Chukotka at the turn of the 4th-3rd millennium BC. In such a natural-geographical environment, customs, traditions, mythology, language and racial characteristics were formed. The Chukchi have increased thermoregulation, high level hemoglobin in the blood, rapid metabolism, therefore the formation of this Arctic race took place in the conditions of the Far North, otherwise they would not have survived.

Mythology of the Chukchi. world creation

In Chukchi mythology, the raven appears - the creator, the main benefactor. Creator of the earth, sun, rivers, seas, mountains, deer. It was the raven who taught people to live in difficult natural conditions. Since, according to the Chukchi, Arctic animals participated in the creation of space and stars, the names of constellations and individual stars are associated with deer and ravens. The Capella star is a reindeer bull with a human sleigh. Two stars near the constellation Aquila - “A female deer with a fawn.” Milky Way- a river with sandy waters, with islands - pastures for deer.

The names of the months of the Chukchi calendar reflect the life of wild deer, its biological rhythms and migration patterns.

Raising children among the Chukchi

In the upbringing of Chukchi children, one can trace a parallel with Indian customs. At the age of 6, the Chukchi begin the harsh education of boy warriors. From this age, boys sleep standing up, with the exception of sleeping supported by a yaranga. At the same time, adult Chukchi were raised even in their sleep - they sneaked up with a hot metal tip or a smoldering stick, so that the boy would develop a lightning-fast reaction to any sounds.

Young Chukchi ran behind reindeer teams with stones on their feet. From the age of 6, they constantly held a bow and arrow in their hands. Thanks to this eye training, the Chukchi's vision is long years remained sharp. By the way, this is why the Chukchi were excellent snipers during the Great Patriotic War. Favorite games are “football” with a ball made of reindeer hair and wrestling. We fought in special places - sometimes on walrus skin (very slippery), sometimes on ice.

Rite of passage adult life– a test for the viable. The “exam” relied on dexterity and attentiveness. For example, a father sent his son on a mission. But the task was not the main thing. The father tracked his son while he walked to carry out his task, and waited until his son lost his vigilance - then he released an arrow. The young man’s task is to instantly concentrate, react and dodge. Therefore, passing the exam means surviving. But the arrows were not smeared with poison, so there was a chance of survival after being wounded.

War as a way of life

The Chukchi have a simple attitude towards death - they are not afraid of it. If one Chukchi asks another to kill him, then the request is carried out easily, without a doubt. The Chukchi believe that each of them has 5-6 souls, and there is a whole “universe of ancestors”. But in order to get there, you must either die with dignity in battle, or die at the hands of a relative or friend. Your own death or death from old age is a luxury. Therefore, the Chukchi are excellent warriors. They are not afraid of death, they are fierce, they have a sensitive sense of smell, lightning-fast reactions, and a sharp eye. If in our culture a medal is awarded for military merits, then the Chukchi are on the back side right palm got a dot tattoo. The more dots, the more experienced and fearless the warrior.

Chukchi women correspond to the harsh Chukchi men. They carry a knife with them so that in case of serious danger they can stab their children, parents, and then themselves.

"Home Shamanism"

The Chukchi have what is called “domestic shamanism.” These are echoes ancient religion louravetlanov, because now almost all Chukchi go to church and belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. But they are still “shamanizing” to this day.

During the autumn slaughter of livestock, the entire Chukotka family, including children, beats a tambourine. This ritual protects deer from disease and early death. But this is more like a game, like, for example, Sabantui - the holiday of the end of plowing among the Turkic peoples.

Writer Vladimir Bogoraz, ethnographer and researcher of the peoples of the Far North, writes that in real shamanic rituals people are cured of terrible diseases and mortal wounds are healed. Real shamans can grind a stone into crumbs in their hands and “sew up” a lacerated wound with their bare hands. The main task of shamans is to heal the sick. To do this, they fall into a trance in order to “travel between worlds.” In Chukotka, people become shamans if a Chukchi is saved in a moment of danger by a walrus, deer or wolf - thereby “transferring” ancient magic to the sorcerer.

Chukchi (self-name - lyg'o ravetl'an) is a distorted Chukchi word "chavchu" (rich in deer), which Russians and Lamuts call a people living in the extreme north-east of Russia. The Chukchi were divided into reindeer - tundra nomadic reindeer herders (the self-name Chauchu - “reindeer man”) and coastal - sedentary hunters of sea animals (the self-name Ankalyn - “coastal”), living together with the Eskimos.

The Chukchi encountered Russians for the first time back in XVII century. In 1644, the Cossack Stadukhin, who was the first to bring news of them to Yakutsk, founded the Nizhnekolymsk fort. The Chukchi, who at that time were wandering both east and west of the Kolyma River, after a persistent, bloody struggle, finally left the left bank of the Kolyma, pushing the Mamalli tribe from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to.

Since then, for more than a hundred years, bloody clashes between the Russians and the Chukchi, whose territory bordered the Kolyma River in the west and Anadyr in the south, from the Amur region, have not stopped. In 1770, after Shestakov’s unsuccessful campaign, the Anadyr fort, which served as the center of the Russian struggle against the Chukchi, was destroyed and its team was transferred to Nizhne-Kolymsk, after which the Chukchi began to be less hostile towards the Russians and gradually began to enter into trade relations with them.

In 1775, the Angarsk fortress was built on the Angarka River, where, under the protection of the Cossacks, an annual fair for barter trade with the Chukchi took place. Since 1848, the fair was moved to the Anyui fortress (250 versts from Nizhne-Kolymsk, on the banks of the Maly Anyui). The Chukchi brought here not only the everyday products of their own production (clothing made from reindeer furs, reindeer skins, live deer, seal skins, whalebone, polar bear skins), but also the most expensive furs (beavers, martens, black foxes, blue foxes), which the so-called nose Chukchi exchanged for tobacco with the inhabitants of the shores of the Bering Sea and the northwestern coast of America.

TO end of the XVIII century, the territory of the Chukchi extended from Omolon, Bolshoy and Maly Anyuy in the west to the Penzhin and Olyutor nomads in the southeast. Gradually it increased, which was accompanied by the identification of territorial groups: Kolyma, Anyui, or Maloanyu, Chaun, Omolon, Amguem, or Amguem-Vonkarem, Kolyuchino-Mechigmen, Onmylensk, Tumansk, or Vilyunei, Olyutor, Bering Sea and others. In 1897, the number of Chukchi was approximately 11 thousand people. In 1930, the Chukotka National Okrug was formed, and since 1977 it has been an autonomous okrug. According to the 2002 census, the number of Chukchi was 16 people.

The main occupation of the tundra Chukchi is nomadic reindeer herding. Reindeer provide the Chukchi with almost everything they need: meat for cooking, skins for clothing and housing, and are also used as traction animals.

The main occupation of the coastal Chukchi is hunting sea animals: in winter and spring - seals and seals, in summer and autumn - walruses and whales. At first, traditional hunting weapons were used for hunting - a harpoon with a float, a spear, a belt net, but in the 19th century the Chukchi began to use firearms. To this day, only bird hunting with the help of a “bol” has been preserved. Fishing is developed only among some Chukchi. Women and children also collect edible plants.

Traditional Chukchi dishes are mainly prepared from venison and fish.

The main dwelling of the Chukchi is a collapsible cylindrical-conical tent-yaranga made of reindeer skins among the tundra Chukchi and walrus among the coastal Chukchi. The vault rests on three poles located in the center. The home was heated with a stone, clay or wooden fat lamp, on which food was also prepared. The yaranga of the coastal Chukchi differed from the dwellings of the reindeer herders in the absence of a smoke hole.

The Chukchi type is mixed, generally Mongoloid, but with some differences. Eyes with an oblique cut are less common than eyes with a horizontal cut; the width of the cheekbones is smaller than among the Tungus and Yakuts, and more often than among the latter; there are individuals with thick facial hair and wavy, almost curly hair on their heads; complexion with a bronze tint.

Among women, the type with wide cheekbones, a blurry nose and everted nostrils is more common. The mixed type (Asian-American) is confirmed by some legends, myths and differences in the peculiarities of life of the reindeer and coastal Chukchi.

Chukchi winter clothing is of the usual polar type. It is sewn from the fur of fawns (grown up autumn calf) and for men consists of a double fur shirt (the lower one with the fur towards the body and the upper one with the fur outward), the same double pants, short fur stockings with the same boots and a hat in the form of a woman's bonnet. Completely unique women's clothing, also double, consisting of seamlessly sewn trousers together with a low-cut bodice, cinched at the waist, with a slit on the chest and extremely wide sleeves, thanks to which the Chukchi can easily free their hands while working.

Summer outerwear There are robes made of reindeer suede or colorful purchased fabrics, as well as kamleykas made of fine-haired deer skin with various ritual stripes. Most of Chukchi jewelry - pendants, headbands, necklaces (in the form of straps with beads and figurines) - have religious significance, but there are also real jewelry in the form of metal bracelets and earrings.

The original pattern on the clothes of the coastal Chukchi is of Eskimo origin; from the Chukchi it passed to many polar peoples of Asia. Hair styling is different for men and women. The latter braid two braids on both sides of the head, decorating them with beads and buttons, sometimes releasing the front strands onto the forehead (married women). Men cut their hair very smoothly, leaving a wide fringe in front and two tufts of hair in the form of animal ears on the crown.

According to their beliefs, the Chukchi are animists; they personify and idolize certain areas and natural phenomena (masters of the forest, water, fire, sun, deer), many animals (bear, crow), stars, sun and moon, believe in hosts of evil spirits causing all earthly disasters, including diseases and death, have a number of regular holidays ( autumn holiday slaughter of deer, spring - horns, winter sacrifice to the star Altair) and many irregular ones (feeding the fire, sacrifices after each hunt, funeral services for the dead, votive services).

The folklore and mythology of the Chukchi are very rich and have much in common with those of the American peoples and Paleo-Asians. The Chukchi language is very rich in both words and forms; the harmony of sounds is quite strictly observed in it. Phonetics is very difficult for the European ear.

The main mental traits of the Chukchi are extremely easy excitability, reaching the point of frenzy, a tendency to murder and suicide at the slightest provocation, love of independence, perseverance in the fight; At the same time, the Chukchi are hospitable, usually good-natured and willingly come to the aid of their neighbors, even Russians, during hunger strikes. The Chukchi, especially the coastal Chukchi, became famous for their sculptural and carved images of mammoth bone, striking in their fidelity to nature and boldness of poses and strokes and reminiscent of the wonderful bone images of the Paleolithic period. Traditional musical instruments- Jew's harp (khomus), tambourine (yarar). In addition to ritual dances, improvised entertaining pantomime dances were also common.