The most numerous peoples of the world. List of largest nationalities. Small peoples

August 9 is the International Day of the World's Indigenous People. We decided to provide a list of the smallest indigenous peoples who are on the verge of extinction.

This group of small dark-skinned tribes came to the territory of modern Asia during one of the migration waves from the African continent. Ethnologists believe that Asian pygmies became the ancestors of the Papuans and Australia. This small people, together with the inhabitants of Sri Lanka, are usually united into the Australoid race. Gradually, the newcomer tribes were forced out by agricultural Asian tribes and survived only on a few small islands.

This people suffered greatly during the great geographical discoveries, when sailors delivered small dark-skinned slaves to the court, receiving huge money for them.

These are small representatives of the people called the Finno-Ugrians; they are considered the indigenous population of the territory of modern St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Leningrad aborigines are considered the smallest and most ancient people of modern Russia.

The self-name of the people is Vodi, which translated from Votic sounds like “local”. The people are included in the UNESCO list of endangered and small peoples of Russia. Today, there are several dozen representatives of the Vod people, many of whom do not live on the territory of the Russian Federation. The Votic language is considered extinct.

The tribes of this small people live east of the Amazon, and, according to scientists, no other people are as threatened with extinction as the Guadja. At the moment, only about 350 representatives remain, a third of which are cut off from the outside world, living in inaccessible tropical forests.

Problems for Guaj, like many peoples of the New World, began after the start of colonization. The Guadja were forced to leave their sedentary way of life and turned into nomads, which radically violated their age-old way of life and put them in danger of extinction.

Deforestation for agricultural purposes caused enormous damage to the people, which the authorities agreed to stop only under pressure from international organizations.

Kereks are one of the smallest peoples of the Russian Federation. They also call themselves “ankalgakku”, which translates as “seaside people”. At the moment, there are only a few representatives of this small people, and, most likely, in a few years there will not be a single representative left. The Kerek suffered greatly from the assimilation of the Chukchi. It is believed that it was from this people that the Chukchi learned how to harness dogs to sleds, since it was the Kereks who invented this method of transportation.

The people live in the northeast of Tanzania and are the smallest people in the region. Representatives of this ancient people They do not know animal husbandry and live exclusively by gathering and hunting. The main source of food is forest animals and beekeeping. The Okiek are some of the most skilled beekeepers who can handle bees and can produce some of the best honey on the continent. Okieki came under threat after deforestation began, causing the number of animals and bees in the forest to decline.

The Russian Federation includes a considerable amount the most various peoples- according to experts, about 780 groups. The so-called small peoples of Russia live in the northern territory, which runs along 30 regions of the country. If you add up their numbers, there won’t be that 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 peculiarities of residence, legal powers, problems and legal status of the small peoples of Russia.

What are Russian small peoples?

Small specialists call small ethnic communities that preserve their traditions, customs and cultural characteristics of residence. The problem of the livelihoods of small nations is raised not only at the all-Russian, but also at the global 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 did not stand aside then: the 1993 Constitution proclaimed the principle of guaranteeing rights and freedoms both for ordinary citizens and for 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 of democratic state development.

Why does the problem of the existence of small peoples of Russia in Lately is special attention given? 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. This happened, as it is not difficult to guess, due to profound state changes: revolutions, repressions, the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, etc. At the beginning of the 90s, the question of preserving the remaining indigenous and small peoples of Russia became acute.

It must be said that ethnic groups of a small type do not play last role in the cultural development of the country. Moreover, they are integral part multinational people of Russia, act as an independent factor thanks to which the revival of the once great Russian statehood is taking place. So what is the policy? current authorities in relation to the small peoples of Russia? This will be discussed further below.

Legal basis for the existence of indigenous peoples in the Russian Federation

Legal recognition of the status of certain ethnic groups is far from a new phenomenon. Also in early XIX century in the 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. Soviet time A similar policy continued, but the places where national minorities settled began to be ruthlessly divided. Relocation from place to place, as well as the principle of paternalism (dictation of behavioral norms) played a role in small nations cruel joke: centuries-old traditions and customs gradually began to disappear.

The problem was discovered in the 90s. In order to prevent further acceleration of the process of removing language and cultural characteristics among the indigenous and small peoples of Russia, a number of legal norms were enshrined, proclaiming the principle of identity and 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 talks about the joint regulation of the rights and freedoms of national minorities by regions and the federation. Articles 20 and 28 provide for the possibility of indicating one's nationality. In many federal laws and others regulations the principle of equality of different ethnic groups is enshrined. It is worth highlighting the Federal Law “On Fundamental 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 government body in the country, whose responsibilities include the legal protection of small peoples. The same authority establishes special guarantees and rights for ethnic groups, which will be discussed below.

On benefits and guarantees for small peoples of Russia

What do Russian federal laws guarantee to ethnic minorities? If we're talking about about the political sphere, then it is worth highlighting certain legal prerequisites for the broad participation of indigenous peoples in the work government agencies Russian Federation and local government authorities. 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 electoral districts, which would include a smaller number of people than established by law. Electoral districts may concern individual national settlements, ethnic associations, tribes, etc.

The next area in which it is possible preferential rights indigenous peoples of Russia is the economy. Methods for the qualitative development of economic activity should be applied in this area traditional type. Measures should be taken to create special areas in which it would be possible to use traditional methods of environmental management. We should not forget about budgetary allocations aimed at supporting folk crafts. May be subject to privatization with strict regard to the interests of indigenous peoples manufacturing enterprises. At the same time, 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 the acceptance of conditions for preserving the spiritual and cultural foundations of a particular indigenous people. Ethnic means mass media, the corresponding language and literature must be supported in every possible way by the state authorities. It is necessary to carry out periodically Scientific research cultural spheres small peoples.

International law on indigenous peoples

The national legal framework, which contains rules on the protection of the legal status of 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 also enshrined in the Russian Constitution of 1993.

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

The second group includes documentation, the purpose of which is to exert ideological and cultural influence on the legal system of a particular state. For example, Convention No. 169 talks about 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 documents legally binding for any state.

The latter consists of international documents designed to protect national minorities from various kinds of discriminatory and degrading aspects. Thus, there is the Covenant on Political and Civil Rights of 1965, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms of 1950 and many other documents that are binding on the Russian state.

Rights and freedoms of Russian small peoples

Today, Federal Law No. 256-FZ “On Guarantees of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Russia” of 1999 is in force in Russia. Article 8 of the presented normative act talks about the rights of ethnic minorities. What exactly is worth highlighting here?

Small peoples, as well as their associations, must be supported in every possible way by the state authorities. This is necessary to protect their original habitat, traditional way of life, various types of crafts and management. That is why such peoples have the right to use minerals, soils, animals and plant organisms in their habitats.

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

• the right to participate in exercising control over the use of one’s own lands;
• the ability to carry out control and supervisory activities over the implementation federal laws and regulations of the Russian Federation;
• the right to build and reconstruct economic, domestic and production facilities;
• the opportunity to receive from the Russian Federation in a timely manner cash or material allowance necessary for the cultural or socio-economic development of peoples;
• the right to participate in the exercise of state power or local government - directly or through authorized representatives;
• the opportunity to delegate their representatives to government authorities;
• the right to compensation for losses that were 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.

These, of course, are not all the possibilities that the law enshrines. Here it is also worth highlighting the replacement of military service with alternative civilian service, the ability to create special self-government authorities, 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 we begin the story about the peculiarities of 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 or individual. Difficulties arise in finding appropriate criteria and procedures. The second issue concerns minority rights. As is known, 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 may arise in ensuring that rights are targeted and correctly applied in private or public legal spheres.

The third problem of the indigenous peoples of the Russian North can be called the difficulty of self-determination of such ethnic groups. The fact is that in this area there are problems of the feasibility of forming territorial entities, granting 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 the relationship between the principles of the regional and federal levels, the conclusion of agreements between ethnic groups, the application of customary law, etc. are extremely relevant. By the way, the problem government controlled The issue of the affairs of small-numbered peoples of the Russian Federation is also quite acute. If we are talking about the levels of relevant government authorities, about the delegation of powers to local government authorities, then some difficulties of an organizational nature 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 quite large and voluminous rights regarding electoral process, protection of interests, control over the implementation of powers, etc. Difficulties here may arise, again, when questioning the appropriateness of this kind of action.

Influence on the culture of small peoples

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

The whole point is that in many peoples of the North there is an irreconcilable struggle against shamanism. Moreover, it is shamanism that has the greatest influence on the traditions and culture of national minorities. All-Russian clericalization also contributes to the struggle to some extent. Thus, 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 a similar struggle was waged back in the days of Tsarist Russia. But is it really that 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 small peoples of Russia

From the Kola Peninsula, located in the Murmansk region, all the way to the Far Eastern regions, there are many different national minorities. The list of 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, Izhorians, Vodians and Kumadins;
• Kamchatka: Aleuts, Alyutors, Itelmens, Kamchadals, Koryaks, Chukchi, 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 Russian North 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 a group of Vods, consisting of only 82 people, acquired the status of an ethnic minority. By the way, the Vod are 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 Estonian. Until now, the main occupation of this people is agriculture, handicrafts and forestry. At the moment, Vod is engaged in supplying products to the capital of the Leningrad region. It must be said that the spread of Orthodoxy and multiple mixed marriages significantly influenced the national group in question. This was expressed in the almost complete loss national language and centuries-old culture.

It is worth telling in a little more detail about the other small peoples of the North of Russia. Thus, in contrast to the smallest people of a small type, there is also the largest. At the moment this is a group of Karelians. On the territory of the Vyborg and Leningrad regions there are about 92 thousand people. The Karelian ethnic group was formed by the beginning of the 13th century. It seems surprising that mass baptism on Novgorod territory had virtually 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 affect such a distinctive group and could not influence the traditions of this people. The main occupation of Karelians is fishing and reindeer herding. Today, 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 greatest number national minorities. Chuvans, for example, number about one and a half thousand people. This is an Arctic race of the large Mongoloid group. Most 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 people. 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 there been a noticeable decrease in the number of representatives of national minorities since the beginning of the 90s? 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, only 200 thousand remain today. Perhaps it’s all about urbanization, although statistics do not give any high indicators in this area. To be fair, it should be noted that problems are solved through the implementation of a high-quality policy for the preservation of the small peoples of Russia.

Despite the efforts of historians and ethnographers, the history of these peoples still keeps its mysteries.

1. Russians

Yes, Russians are one of the most mysterious peoples. Scientists still cannot come to a conclusion unanimous opinion neither about when the Russians became “Russians”, nor about where, in fact, this word came from. The question of the origin of the people remains controversial. The ancestors of the Russians included the Normans, the Scythians, the Sarmatians, the Wends, and even the South Siberian Usun people.

We do not know the origins of the Maya people, nor where they disappeared to. Some scientists trace the roots of the Mayans to the legendary Atlanteans, others believe that their ancestors were the Egyptians. The Mayans created an effective farming system and had deep knowledge of astronomy. The calendar developed by the Mayans was also used by other peoples of Central America. They used a hieroglyphic writing system, partially deciphered. The Mayan civilization was very developed, but by the time the conquistadors arrived it was in deep decline, and the Mayans themselves seemed to have disappeared into history.

3. Laplanders

Laplanders are also called Sami and Lapps. The age of this ethnic group is at least 5000 years. Scientists are still arguing about who the Laplanders are and where they came from. Some consider this people to be Mongoloid, others argue that the Laplanders are Paleo-Europeans. The Sami language is classified as a Finno-Ugric language, but the Laplanders have 10 dialects of the Sami language, which are so different from each other that they can be called independent. This even makes it difficult for some Laplanders to communicate with others.

4. Prussians

The very origin of the Prussian name is shrouded in mystery. The first time it is found only in the 9th century in the form Brusi in a draft by an anonymous merchant, and later in Polish and German chronicles. Linguists find analogies for it in many Indo-European languages ​​and believe that it goes back to the Sanskrit purusa - “man”. There is also no sufficient information preserved about the language of the Prussians. Its last bearer died in 1677, and the plague of 1709-1711 exterminated the last Prussians in Prussia itself. Already in the 17th century, instead of Prussian history, the history of “Prussianism” and the kingdom of Prussia began, the local population of which had little in common with the Baltic name of the Prussians.

5. Cossacks

The question of where the Cossacks came from still remains unresolved. Their homeland is found in the North Caucasus, the Azov region, and Western Turkestan. The ancestry of the Cossacks is traced back to the Scythians, Alans, Circassians, Khazars, Goths, and Brodniks. Supporters of all versions have their own arguments. Today the Cossacks are a multi-ethnic community, but they themselves like to insist that the Cossacks are a separate people.

6. Parsis

Parsis are an ethno-religious group of followers of Zoroastrianism in South Asia, of Iranian origin. Its number now amounts to less than 130 thousand people. Parsis have their own temples and so-called “towers of silence”, where, in order not to desecrate the sacred elements (earth, fire, water), they bury the dead (the corpses are pecked by vultures). Parsis are often compared to Jews; they were also forced to leave their homeland and are meticulous in matters of religious observance. The Iran League in India at the beginning of the 20th century promoted the return of Parsis to their homeland, reminiscent of the Zionism of the Jews.

7. Hutsuls

There is still debate about the meaning of the word “hutsul”. Some scientists believe that the etymology of the word goes back to the Moldavian “gots” or “guts”, which means “robber”, others - to the word “kochul”, which means “shepherd”. The Hutsuls are also called “Ukrainian highlanders.” Among them, the traditions of witchcraft are still strong. Hutsul sorcerers are called molfars. They can be white or black. Molfars enjoy unquestioned authority.

8. Hittites

The Hittite power was one of the most influential forces on the geopolitical map of the Ancient World. The first constitution appeared here, the Hittites were the first to use war chariots and revered the double-headed eagle, but information about the Hittites is still fragmentary. In their “tables of the courageous deeds” of the kings there are many notes “for the next year,” but the year of the report is unknown. We know the chronology of the Hittite state from the sources of its neighbors. The question remains open: where did the Hittites disappear? Johann Lehmann in his book “Hittites. People of a Thousand Gods" gives a version that the Hittites went north, where they assimilated with Germanic tribes. But this is just a version.

9. Sumerians

The Sumerians are the most interesting and still one of the most mysterious peoples of the Ancient World. We don't know where they came from or what language family their language belonged to. A large number of homonyms suggests that it was tonal (like, for example, modern Chinese), which means that the meaning of what was said often depended on intonation. The Sumerians were one of the most advanced peoples of their time, they were the first in the entire Middle East to use the wheel, create an irrigation system, invent a unique writing system, and the Sumerians’ knowledge of mathematics and astronomy is still amazing.

10. Etruscans

The ancient Etruscan people suddenly arose in human history, but also suddenly dissolved in it. According to archaeologists, the Etruscans inhabited the northwestern part of the Apennine Peninsula and created a fairly developed civilization there. It was the Etruscans who founded the first cities in Italy. Historians also believe that Roman numerals can also be called Etruscan. It is unknown where the Etruscans disappeared to. According to one version, they moved to the east and became the founders of the Slavic ethnic group. Some scientists argue that the Etruscan language is very close in structure to the Slavic ones.

11. Armenians

The origin of the Armenians remains a mystery. There are many versions. Some scientists correlate the Armenians with the people of the ancient state of Urartu, but the genetic component of the Urartians is present in the genetic code of the Armenians in the same way as the genetic component of the same Hurrians and Luwians, not to mention the proto-Armenians. There are Greek versions of the origin of the Armenians, as well as the so-called “Hayasian hypotheses”, in which Hayas, the territory east of the Hittite kingdom, becomes the original homeland of the Armenians. Scientists have never given a final answer to the question of the origin of the Armenians and most often adhere to the migration-mixed hypothesis of Armenian ethnogenesis.

12. Gypsies

According to linguistic and genetic studies, the ancestors of the Roma left Indian territory in numbers not exceeding 1,000 people. Today there are about 10 million Roma in the world. In the Middle Ages, Gypsies in Europe were considered Egyptians. The word Gitanes itself is a derivative of the Egyptian. Tarot cards, considered the last surviving remnant of the cult of the Egyptian god Thoth, were brought to Europe by the gypsies. It was not for nothing that they were called “Pharaoh’s tribe.” It was also amazing for Europeans that the gypsies embalmed their dead and buried them in crypts, where they placed everything necessary for life after death. These funeral traditions are still alive among the Roma today.

13. Jews

Jews are one of the most mysterious living peoples. For a long time it was believed that the very concept of “Jews” was cultural rather than ethnic. That is, that “Jews” were created by Judaism, and not vice versa. There are still fierce discussions in science about what the Jews originally were - a people, a social class or a religious denomination.

There are many mysteries in the history of the Jewish people. At the end of the 8th century BC, five-sixths of Jews disappeared completely - 10 out of 12 ethnic groups. Where did they disappear to? big question. There is a version that from the Scythians and Cimmerians, as descendants of 10 tribes, come the Finns, Swiss, Swedes, Norwegians, Irish, Welsh, French, Belgians, Dutch, Danes, Irish and Welsh, that is, almost everyone European peoples. The question of the origin of the Ashkenazim and their closeness to Middle Eastern Jews also remains debatable.

14. Guanches

Guanches are the natives of Tenerife. The mystery of how they ended up in the Canary Islands has not yet been solved, since they did not have a fleet and did not have seafaring skills. Their anthropological type did not correspond to the latitudes where they lived. The rectangular pyramids on the island of Tenerife, similar to the Mayan and Aztec pyramids in Mexico, are also controversial. Neither the time of their construction nor the purpose for which they were erected is known.

15. Khazars

Neighboring peoples wrote a lot about the Khazars, but they themselves left virtually no information about themselves. How unexpectedly the Khazars appeared on historical scene, just as suddenly they left her. Historians still do not have sufficient archaeological data about what Khazaria was like, nor an understanding of what language the Khazars spoke. It is also unknown where they eventually disappeared. There are many versions. There is no clarity.

16. Basque

The age, origin and language of the Basques are one of the main mysteries modern history. The Basque language, Euskara, is considered the only relict pre-Indo-European language that does not belong to any currently existing language family. When it comes to genetics, according to a 2012 study by the National Geographic Society, all Basques contain a set of genes that significantly distinguishes them from other peoples around them.

17. Chaldeans

The Chaldeans are a Semitic-Aramaic people who lived at the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 1st millennium BC. in the territory of Southern and Central Mesopotamia. In 626-538 BC. Babylon was ruled by the Chaldean dynasty, which founded the Neo-Babylonian kingdom. The Chaldeans were a people who are still associated with magic and astrology. In Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome Chaldeans were the name given to priests and fortune-tellers of Babylonian origin. The Chaldeans made predictions to Alexander the Great and his successors Antigonus and Seleucus.

18. Sarmatians

Sarmatians are one of the most mysterious peoples in world history. Herodotus called them “lizard-headed,” Lomonosov believed that the Slavs descended from the Sarmatians, and the Polish gentry called themselves their direct descendants. The Sarmatians left a lot of mysteries. They probably had a matriarchy. Some scientists trace the roots of the Russian kokoshnik to the Sarmatians. Among them, the custom of artificially deforming the skull was widespread, thanks to which the human head took on the shape of an elongated egg.

19. Kalash

The Kalash are a small people living in the north of Pakistan in the Hindu Kush mountains. They are probably the most famous "white" people in Asia. Disputes about the origins of the Kalash continue today. The Kalash themselves are sure that they are the descendants of Macedonian himself. The Kalash language is called phonologically atypical; it has retained the basic composition of Sanskrit. Despite attempts at Islamization, many Kalash retain polytheism.

20. Philistines

The modern name "Palestine" comes from "Philistia". The Philistines are the most mysterious people mentioned in the Bible. In the Middle East, only they and the Hittites mastered the technology of steel smelting, marking the beginning of the Iron Age. The Bible says that these people originate from the island of Caphtor (Crete), although some historians correlate the Philistines with the Pelasgians. Both Egyptian manuscripts and archaeological finds testify to the Cretan origins of the Philistines. It is still not clear where the Philistines disappeared to. Most likely, they were assimilated by the peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean.

General information about the small peoples of Russia

Note 1

Since ancient times, many people lived within Russia different nations and tribes. Each nation has its own culture, characteristic dialect, and traditions. To date, some of the small peoples have completely disappeared, the remaining ones have become even smaller in number.

A special place among small peoples is occupied by those whom experts in the field of geography and ethnography call the small peoples of the North of Siberia and the Far East.

Some peoples live in their own autonomous territorial entities, for example: Evenki, Khanty-Mansi, in Arkhangelsk region– Nenets, Dolgano-Nenets, Chukotka and Koryak autonomous districts.

Most small peoples do not have their own autonomy. Small nations are distinguished not only by their numbers, but it is difficult for them to preserve their identity. And it is preserved only where there are national villages and traditional farming.

Having broken away from their people and dissolved in another, they become Russians, Yakuts, Buryats. The process of ethnic assimilation and, above all, interethnic marriages and “extra-family” assimilation have become widespread in Russia.

Traditional farming is a very important feature for the preservation of small peoples, but this is the main difficulty. Today, in the habitats of small nations, natural systems are being destroyed - reindeer pastures are dying due to oil and gas production, rivers and seas are being polluted, and the demand for reindeer meat and furs is falling.

Large areas of reindeer pastures and hunting grounds have been removed from traditional economic use. In the 1990s, a number of diseases and pathologies developed among representatives of small nations with a violation of the traditional way of life.

Mortality rates among them have increased and exceeded the Russian average. Child mortality increased 1.8 times. Alcoholism and infectious diseases have increased.

In addition, the interests of small nations are in strong conflict, large companies and regional authorities.

Within Russian territory, official statistics identify 65 indigenous peoples. Their total number reaches 50 thousand, including 13 nations with only 100 to 1000 people.

Their habitat:

• 6 peoples live within the European part of Russia;
• 23 peoples - in the North Caucasus;
• in Siberia and the Far East - 36 peoples.

The current state of small nations

Government statistics show that during the 1990s the numbers of indigenous peoples declined. It is unlikely that a reliable picture can be obtained from these data, because the information concerns rural residents sample areas.

It must be said that demographic processes occur differently among different peoples of the North, so the demographic situation will be different. The result is that the current count reflects a decline in the number of indigenous people, while the census shows an increase since the previous census.

Not all groups of the indigenous population are increasing in number; there are those in which their numbers are decreasing. Despite this, the change in the number of indigenous peoples according to census data is more favorable compared to the demographic situation in the country as a whole.

These facts indicate that officials, the public, and the media use incomplete and often distorted data during the period between censuses.

The population census conducted in 2002 showed that 26 small peoples of the North with a special status have noticeably decreased in 5 cases: the number of Orochs, Aleuts, Alyutors, Udeges and Kets has decreased.

The decrease for demographic reasons did not occur everywhere; the number of Udege, for example, decreased because they began to count the Taz separately. A similar situation happened with the Orochs - according to previous census data, part of the people were classified as Orochs and called them “Oroks”. The result was a strong reduction in Oroks and an increased number of Oroks.

There are groups with stable numbers because the decrease is insignificant:

• Koryaks;
• Negidalians;
• Ulchi.

The stable category also includes those groups in which there was a slight increase in numbers:

• Evens;
• Dolgans;
• Chukchi;
• Nanais.

The number of such peoples as the Mansi, Yukaghirs, Itelmens, Khanty, Nenets, Entsy and Evenks increased by 20 and even 30%.

Ambiguous ethnicity in Russia, according to experts, is typical for 10% of the population. This applies not only to large urban agglomerations, but also to small-numbered peoples of the North. For example, among the Itelmens - residents of Kamchatka - marriages with Russians are widespread. The Itelmens who switched to the Russian language simultaneously consider themselves to be Itelmens, Russians, and Kamchadals. Some consider themselves to be Koryaks.

The question quite rightly arises: the figure obtained as a result of the census really reflects the number of those who consider themselves Itelmens.

The change in ethnic attribution is also clearly visible among such peoples as the Selkups, Evenks, Yukaghirs, Kets, etc.

Note 2

Such results indicate that the census program does not include dual or multiple ethnicities. From here to different years the final calculations differ markedly. The reason for such fluctuations and deviations is caused not only by demographic and assimilation processes, but, to a greater extent, by the inability of the census to reflect the complexity of the ethnic situation.

Life and life of small nations

Representatives of such peoples live in Russia, which not everyone has heard of, and did not even suspect about their existence. There are few of them, but they managed to preserve their culture, their traditions. We managed to preserve the most important thing – faith and way of life.

For example, vodlozers or lake people live in Karelia. To this day, only five villages have survived, with a total population of 550 people. Despite the fact that their ancestors were Moscow and Novgorod settlers in Vodlozero continue to honor Slavic customs. One of the customs prohibits going into the forest without first appeasing its owner, the goblin. Hunters brought a killed animal as a gift to the forest spirit.

Speaking about small nations, it is necessary to say about Semeis. Their life personifies the life of pre-Petrine times. These are Old Believers who once settled Transbaikalia. The name of the nationality comes from the word “family”. According to the 2010 census, there are 2,500 Old Believers. Their culture is primordial, having changed little since the times of their ancestors.

With the development of Siberia in the 17th century, the Russian Ustyinsky people appeared - settlers from the Cossacks and Pomors. They once created their own ethnic group, but despite difficult living conditions, they managed to partially preserve their culture and language.

The first Russian settlers of the 16th century were called Chaldons by the Siberians, and their descendants also bear this name. The way of life of the Chaldons is similar to the life of the Slavs before the establishment of princely power. The uniqueness of this people lies in the fact that their language, appearance, and culture are not similar to either Slavic or Mongoloid. Like other small peoples, the Chaldons are gradually dying out.

Tundra peasants are considered to be the descendants of the Eastern Pomors. These friendly people, who actively interact, are characterized by a unique culture, faith, and traditions. In 2010, only 8 people considered themselves to be members of this nationality.

Scientists classify the related Khanty and Mansi peoples as endangered peoples. Once they were the greatest hunters, and the fame of their courage reached Moscow. Nowadays, both peoples live in the Khanty-Mansiysk Okrug. Their way of life, culture and faith have long been built on the basis of unity with nature. They had no distinction between animal and human. Nature and animals have always come first. Their beliefs say that the bear gave birth to the first woman, and the Great Bear gave people the first fire. The elk is a symbol of prosperity and strength, and the beaver led them to the sources of the Vasyugan River. Scientists are of great concern about oil developments, which can negatively affect both the beaver population and the way of life of an entire people.

Note 3

The proud inhabitants of the North, the Eskimos, the easternmost people of Russia, settled on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Their origin remains controversial. They believed in the existence of spirits, and Christianity hardly affected them. Diseases and misfortunes were brought by both dwarf spirits and giant spirits.