Evens (former name - Lamuts), one of the peoples in the north of Siberia; live in some districts of the Magadan and Kamchatka regions. and in the sowing district of Yakut. ASSR (east of the Lena River). Number 12 thousand people (1970, census). They speak the Even language. Evenks are close in origin and culture. Main occupations in the past were reindeer herding and hunting, and near coastal E. - fishing and sea. animal hunting. According to religion, E. were formally considered Orthodox (since the 19th century), but they retained various forms of pre-Christ. beliefs (shamanism, etc.). Over the years of the Soviet authorities in the x-ve, culture and life of E. there have been fundamental changes. In the 30s. E. had its own written language, liquidated illiteracy. MH. nomadic E. moved to a settled way of life. In collective farms, in addition to traditions. occupations, animal husbandry, animal husbandry and agriculture were developed.

V. A. Tugolukov.

Materials of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia are used.

Auto-ethnonym (self-name)

Even: The origin of the ethnonym "Even", which is considered more ancient than "Evenk", is associated either with the ancient Uvan reindeer herders, who are mentioned in Chinese sources of the 7th century, as inhabitants of the mountain taiga of Transbaikalia, or with the Even word of Eastern dialects, Even, "local ”, “local”, “descended from the mountains.”

Main settlement area

On the geographical map, the ethnic territory of the Evens forms an almost regular square, the sides of which, in the north, are limited by the coast of the Arctic Ocean, in the south, by the Okhotsk coast, in the west, by the Lena basin north of Yakutsk, in the east, by the river. Anadyr and Kamchatka proper. They do not have their own national autonomy and are settled in the territories of Yakutia, Chukotka and Koryak Autonomous Okrug, Kamchatka and Magadan regions. and Khabarovsk Territory. Most of them live in the autonomies of the North-East of Siberia (1959 - 53.5%, 1970 - 67.7%, 1979 - 47%?). About 10% (1979) of Evens live outside the zone of traditional settlement. The share of urban residents is characterized by a lower average indicator for the Siberian peoples (1959 - 5.8%, 1970 - 17%, 1979 - 17.9%). Within these administrative units, they are in contact with the Yakuts, Yukaghirs, Chukchis, Koryaks, Itelmens, Evenks and Russians.

population

In connection with the complex ethnic definition of the Evens, in the 1897 census they were included in the category "Tungus proper (including identical Lamuts and Orochons) - 62.068 souls (corrected 64.500 souls), constituting 81.2% of the entire Tungus tribe." Extraction from these data, the number of Evens proper - 3131 people. In subsequent censuses, the following dynamics of the number of Evens is recorded: 1926 - 2.044, 1959 - 9.121, 1970 - 12.029, 1979 - 12.523, 1989 - 17.199.

Ethnic and ethnographic groups

Along with the above ethnonyms, there are designations for local groups Dondytkil, from Donre, Dunre, “land”, “land”, “mainland”, i.e. "mainland" opposing maritime and continental groups. The Even word mene "sedentary" was used by Even reindeer herders to designate the "foot Tungus" of the Okhotsk coast.
In the Even ethnonymy, in addition, there was a large number of terms for designating small territorial groups, for example: donretken "deep", namankan "inhabitants of the sea coast", there was a tradition of designating Evens by their generic names, for example: tyuges, dutkil, etc.
The Koryaks called the Evens koyayamko, possibly from the Koryak koyanga = “domestic deer”, yamkyn = “nomadic camp”, “camping ground”, Yukagirs, erpeye.

Anthropological characteristics

Baikal anthropological type of the North Asian race.

Language

Even: Northern, Tungus subgroup of the Tungus-Maenchu ​​group of the Uralic language family. Dialects of the Even language are territorially combined into eastern, middle and western groups.

writing

The teaching of national languages ​​in schools is conducted in the language of the titular nationality, education in boarding schools leads to the loss of the native language, including at the household level, the spread of the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication, all these factors affect the functionality of the Even language in their culture. Writing for the Even language based on the Latin alphabet was developed in 1931, in 1936, it was translated into Cyrillic. In 1932-1934. school programs and textbooks for teaching the Even language were developed.

Religion

Orthodoxy: The Evens were one of the most Christianized peoples of the North, which was facilitated by active missionary activity. Orthodox churches and chapels were built in the places where the Evens settled. In the 50s of the nineteenth century. Archpriest S. Popov published in the Even language the texts of prayers, the Gospel and the "Tungus primer" on a church basis. Priest A. Argentov, pointed out that in the Kolyma "pagans were bred" already at the beginning of the 19th century. Christianity covered almost all aspects of Even life. Birth, marriage, death, everyday behavior, the performance of rituals and holidays, everything was regulated by the Orthodox tradition. It is characteristic that the Gizhigin Evens entered into marriages with the Koryaks only if they converted to Orthodoxy. Mandatory in the decoration of the dwelling, regardless of its type, were icons, which, when moving, were transported on a deer specially designed for this purpose. Back in 1925, at the congress of the Evens of the Olsk volost, they made a request “to give a parish priest to Ola, otherwise a child will be born, you don’t know what to call him and there is no one to baptize.”
In the 20th century, during the period of active anti-religious propaganda directed against Christianity, a trend typical of the Siberian peoples can be observed among the Evens. It consists in a partial return, in a very reduced form, to fragments of the ritual life cycle and the norms of commercial and everyday behavior, based on the traditional worldview and shamanism, among the older generation.

Ethnogenesis and ethnic history

The history of the Evens is inextricably linked with the Tungus-speaking population of Eastern Siberia and is determined by a relatively late time. Features of the culture, language and anthropological type of the Evens, specific to the Evenks, were formed as a result of the interaction of the Tungus with the natives of the region, the Koryaks and Yukaghirs. In each case, socio-economic, demographic and historical reasons influenced the combination of Tungus and Paleo-Asiatic components, which determines the internal diversity of the culture of modern Evens. The resettlement of the Tungus in eastern Siberia is associated with the development of the Yakut river basin. Lena, where, during the sixteenth century. the completion of ethnogenesis and the formation of the foundations of the Yakut culture took place. In the seventeenth century The Russians met the Evens in the mountainous region of the Verkhoyansk Range and on the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. During this period, their ethnic territory in the north, on the coast, bordered on the Koryaks, and in the upper reaches of the Indigirka and Kolyma, on the Yukagirs.
Already at this time, several directions for the development of Even culture were outlined. The basis for the formation of "foot Tungus", which in the seventeenth century. settled on the Okhotsk coast in the interfluve of the Ulya and Ola rivers, mainly in the basin of the river. Hunting, made up the deer groups of the Evenks, who came out in the 15th-16th centuries. on the coast of Okhotsk and, in favorable conditions for conducting a commercial economy (fishing and hunting for sea animals), abandoned reindeer husbandry. Here they mingled with the settled Koryaks and their culture acquired a "paleoasian" appearance. Two groups of "foot Tungus" formed here. Southern, Okhotsk, whose representatives closely interacted with deer Evens and northern, Tauy, practically not connected with reindeer herders. The culture of these territorial divisions was similar, but the language differed at the level of dialects. Their numbers in the seventeenth century was determined at 4,800 people, but smallpox epidemics in the second half of the eighteenth century. claimed the lives of almost 3,500 people. In the 30s. the number of the Tauy group was 560, and in 1897, only 187 people. In the eighteenth - nineteenth centuries. the remnants of the "foot Tungus" are actively involved in the integration processes with the settled Koryaks, Yakuts and Russians. As a result, a group of "Kamchadals" is formed on the Okhotsk coast, speaking the "spoiled" Russian language, engaged in fishing, partly gardening, cattle breeding and breeding sled dogs. The external features of their material culture were characterized by a combination of Russian and Yakut traditions. The general assessment of the history of the "foot Tungus" is that by the beginning of the 20s. XX century, as a separate ethnographic group of Evens, they ceased to exist.
Otherwise, the development of Even reindeer herders took place, and it is their culture that is assessed as proper Even. In the seventeenth century they quite actively begin to move north along the coast of the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk, entering into contacts with the Koryaks, who resisted them, which was reflected in one of the names of the Koryak Evens - v ulyn, "enemy", "enemy".
At the end of the eighteenth - beginning of the nineteenth centuries. Evens master the river basin. Anadyr and come into contact with the Chuvans, and along the Chaun River, with the Chukchi reindeer herders. In the 40s, part of the Gizhigin Evens moved to Kamchatka, where they settled quite widely, having mastered the territories lying to the west of the Sredinny Range.
The most intensive contacts of the Evens with the Yukagirs took place in the basin of the river. Kolyma and flowed in the direction of the assimilation of the natives. Yes, back in the 1700s. in the upper reaches of the Kolyma, the Yukagirs outnumbered the Evens by one and a half times, but in the 30s. XVIII century the ratio of numbers has changed in favor of the latter. The reverse process could also take place, in particular, one of the divisions of the II Delyan clan of the Kolyma Evens mastered the Yukaghir language and culture. Evens penetrate into the Indigirka basin from the south and permanently settle there at the beginning of the 18th century. By the middle of the nineteenth century. they were quite strongly mixed with the Yukagirs, showing the same tendency as in the Kolyma. According to V. Yokhelson, at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, only a few people on Indigirka knew the Yukagir language.
Of the other directions in the formation of the ethnic territory of the Evens, one can note the existence from the 17th century. Aldan group, which subsequently begin to settle to the north, into the basin of the river. Yana and in the lower reaches of the Lena, where, again, they come into contact with the Yukagirs, who are partially forced out, and partially assimilated. By the end of the nineteenth century. between Lena and Yana, a mixed Eveno-Yukaghir population developed, in connection with the formation of the northern ethnographic group of the Yakuts, largely obsessed. Active assimilation of the Yukagirs and Koryaks during the 17th-19th centuries led to a significant increase in the number of reindeer Evens: in the middle of the 17th century - 3,600, in the 60s. XVIII century - 6.500, late nineteenth century. - 9.500 people. The main direction in the formation of the features of the Even culture was their integration into the reindeer herding tradition of the peoples of North-Eastern Siberia, which included the Tungus, Paleo-Asiatic and Yakut components.

economy

Integrative processes also underlay the formation of the Even culture, the assessment of which corresponds to the general Siberian pattern. “The peoples who have preserved their traditional economy to a greater extent, especially reindeer herding, preserve their national culture and, as a rule, their native language.”
Historically, the economy of the Evens was formed in the form of a complex economy, combining taiga crafts, fishing and reindeer herding. Compared to the Evenks, the reindeer husbandry of the Evens is more productive than transport. It was the needs of reindeer herding that determined their way of life and attributes of culture.
In the course of ethnocultural contacts, the Evens developed several regional variants of culture. In Kamchatka, the Bystrinsky group of Evens was exclusively engaged in reindeer herding of the Chukchi-Koryak type, the Evens of the North Kamchatka combined reindeer breeding with crafts. Among the Evens of the Okhotsk coast, three zonal groups of farms are fixed: mountain-taiga, practically not connected with the coastal territory (reindeer breeding), intermediate, which included about 70% of Even farms (reindeer breeding and commercial) and coastal, consisting of Even farms that have lost deer (trading ). The Evens of Yakutia were also engaged in reindeer herding and hunting activities, but the attributes of their culture are more consistent with the Tungus-Yakut reindeer herding tradition. Of the economic activities that are not historically characteristic of the Tungus, as a result of the influence of the Yakuts, one can note the spread among the Evens of cattle breeding and, above all, horse breeding in the Oymyakon region and on the Okhotsk coast, in the area where the Okhotsk-Kamchatka tract passes. It is discretely represented in the culture of the Evens of the north of Yakutia and the Kamchatka Lamuts. Breeding mainly horses was associated, first of all, with the possibility of their use as a transport in the Evens' commercial economy.
The economic cycle of the Evens was divided into six periods, four of which corresponded to the main seasons and two additional ones, pre-spring and pre-winter, which were important for reindeer husbandry. Each of these periods determined priorities and a combination of types of economic activity, ways of nomadism, organization of settlements, etc. The count of months was kept by months, using two types of calendars. One, more traditional, "by parts of the body." Among the Okhotsk Evens, the year began in September, which was called the month of the “rising dorsum of the hand” (left) and ended in August, the month of the “rising hand folded into a fist” (right). Another calendar was actually Orthodox and it was made in the form of a wooden board, on which the days, months, seasons of the year and church holidays were marked with marks, family dates were also entered into it.
Transport, especially reindeer, varied considerably across the territory of settlement. The Evens of Yakutia were characterized by the Tungus-Yakut type of draft reindeer husbandry, in the Kolyma and Kamchatka, Chukchi-Koryak, on the Okhotsk coast, pack-rider reindeer breeding of the Siberian type. In places of distribution of draft reindeer transport, it, as a rule, coexisted with pack-riding reindeer husbandry, traditional for the Tungus.

traditional clothing

More traditional is Even clothing, corresponding to the general Tungus costume. The borrowing of individual elements and details is recorded, first of all, in the form of trade clothing for men, this is Paleo-Asian clothing of a “deaf” cut. Even women's clothing, probably due to its aesthetic properties, it is elegantly decorated, was willingly used by Paleo-Asiatic women. The skins of marine animals were used as material for making clothes.

Traditional settlements and dwellings

Like the economy, the material culture of the Evens combines elements of various origins. In the presence of mobile nomadic camps, Evens-cattle breeders arranged summer pastoral camps sayylyk, which did not differ from the Yakut ones. The dwellings were also diverse - the Tunguska tent with birch bark or rovdug covering, the Yakut booth, the cylindrical-conical tent, close to the Chukchi-Koryak yaranga, was very widespread among the Evens. Borrowed types of dwellings, usually in detail, were adapted in connection with the Even tradition: the orientation of the entrance of the dwelling in space to the south in winter, to the northwest in summer, the absence, unlike the Paleo-Asians, of canopies in the dwelling, the arrangement of the hearth, the socialization of the dwelling space, etc. P.

Food

The Evens' food model was determined by the types of economic activity, but was based on the general Tungus origins.
This is the predominance of meat food, and, despite the significant share of domestic reindeer husbandry, they preferred to use the meat of wild animals for food, and the technology of cooking meat by roasting is also specific. The specificity of the Even food system is the increase in the length of fish dishes and their diversity, as well as the regional distribution of dairy food.

social organization

General Tungus features in the organization of Even society are represented by its tribal organization. In the eighteenth century Evens form so-called administrative clans, which include not only blood relatives, but also neighbors in the territory of residence. These associations act as subjects of economic law in the field of organization economic life, payment of yasak, etc. Traditional tribal ties are realized through the norms of exogamy, institutions of tribal mutual assistance, by redistributing meat production among all members of the camp (the “nimat” custom), which ensured patronage over all relatives, a system of tribal cults. The internal structure of the Even society was based on gender and age stratification, which determined the social roles of each person.
In Even society, there is a special softness in relation to children, they are the “eyes” of the mother, the “soul” of the father. It was not customary to punish them, the guest entering the dwelling shook hands even with small children, if they already knew how to walk. The naming was carried out when the child began to “babble”, guessing the name of the relative who was embodied in him. These names, in childhood, were not used by non-family members. At the age of 3-5 years, children were baptized and the Orthodox name became official, and the traditional one was used in household use. Children were socialized through games that imitated the main types of adult activities in accordance with gender. Until the age of 7 - 8, children were connected with the house, after that they began to take boys for close hunting or for deer grazing, from 14-15 years old boys could hunt on their own.
The marriageable age was set at 16-17 years old, and early marriages were also possible. The upbringing of children, in the absence of parents, was entrusted to relatives, the custom of an avankulata was widespread. When concluding a marriage, kalym was necessarily paid, usually in deer. The main family type of the Evens was a small one with clear areas of division of labor, but the parity roles of spouses in making family-wide decisions. Even society is characterized by the high status of women in public life, while in the economic and property spheres, in the conditions of patriarchal relations and the beginning of social differentiation, the dominant position is occupied by a man. An important role in the social life of the Evens was played by the older generation, connoisseurs and keepers of the tradition. The role of the elder of the clan, the local group, the organizer of economic and social life was informal. This tradition, at one time, was used by the tsarist administration in the formation of the institution of elders - t er e s t te of Even administrative clans. Poor old people were born under the full patronage of relatives.

Modern ethnic processes

The modern ethno-cultural development of the Evens is determined by the history of their formation and contacts with neighboring peoples, the degree of intensity of which, in the 20th century, largely depended on the socio-economic processes taking place in Siberia. In general, they are of an integration nature, but in different ethno-cultural environments and in different areas of culture, they had a different focus. So, in the Koryak Autonomous Okrug, in the process of consolidation of economic centers, the Even artels were integrated with the Koryak and Chukchi ones, which affected the system of marriage ties. For example, in 1956, there were 64 families in the Oklansky s / s: 30 Even, 12 Koryak, 5 Eveno-Koryak, 17 Russian, in Achaivayamsky s / s 68 Chukchi, 9 Even, 24 mixed, incl. 6 Russian-Even, 1 Even-Russian, 7 Even-Chukotka, 2 Chukchi-Even. In 1968, as a result of sociological and linguistic research in the Koryaksky NO, it was noted that within the main settlements of residence of the Evens, for 28 Even families, there are 22 mixed ones, in which one of the spouses is an Even. A similar picture can be observed in the north of the Magadan region in the Bilibinsky district, pos. Omolon (1973), where there were 11 mixed families for 38 Even families: 6 Chukchi-Even, 3 Yakut-Even, 1 Yukaghir-Even and 1 Russian-Even. In general, for interethnic marriages in areas where Evens live, in the early 80s. accounted for 20-35% of all marriages.
In the north of Yakutia, in the 1930s, the Evens were characterized by consolidation processes, when, in the course of the "indigenization" of all aspects of life, territorially isolated groups of Evens begin to unite in territories gravitating towards large economic centers - the village. Batagayalyt, Kharaulakh and a number of others. On the other hand, in the 60s, this contributed to the integration of the Evens with the northern Yakuts. So, in 1962 in the village. Kharaulakh, the Evens almost completely became close to the Yakuts and retained only certain elements of the language, material culture, self-consciousness, dating back to the Even tradition. A similar picture can be observed in South-Eastern Yakutia, where at the end of the 50s more than 600 Evens lived, concentrated mainly in the Oymyakonsky district (572 people). Here, for 96 one-ethnic Even marriages among the rural population, there are 42 inter-ethnic ones, and 38 with the Yakuts. The traditions of marriage with the Yakuts are quite stable here, which is recorded in the Even genealogies.
For the Evens of the Okhotsk coast, the intention to conclude interethnic marriages is less typical, which is explained by the predominance of the Even population here. So, at the end of the 60s, 1175 Evens lived in the Okhotsk district of the Khabarovsk Territory and only 228 Yakuts, in the Arka s / s, out of 196 farms, 144 were Even, 32 Yakut and 20 Russian, in the village. Arka recorded only 17 interethnic marriages.
The strengthening of the territorial ties of the Evens with other peoples prevented the consolidation of the local divisions of this people into a single cultural community. The stable orientation in the system of interethnic marriages is explained not only by the demographic situation, but also by the obligatory adherence to the norms of tribal exogamy for Evens. Since the territorial subdivisions were small and often formed on the basis of family ties, spouses had to be chosen in an ethnically different environment. The choice of the nationality of the child was determined according to the general Siberian pattern. In the case of marriage with a visitor, according to the spouse of the indigenous nationality, and in the case of a representative of another people of the North, according to the main nationality represented in a particular administrative unit. Among the Evens, other cases were also possible: by occupation, Yakuts and even Russians could be classified as Tungus if they were engaged in reindeer herding or fishing; according to the nationality of the father, the case is quite typical when both parents belong to indigenous nationalities; according to tradition, according to the territory on which another people lived in the past, for example, classifying Evens as Yukaghirs. These cases go beyond the choice of the nationality of the child by family members, but are of a socially significant nature.
The interethnic ties of the Evens are clearly manifested in the sphere of language and for the territory where the Evens live are defined as mutual linguistic assimilation. The Even language belongs to the northern (Tungus) subgroup of the Tungus-Manchurian group of the Altai language family and is divided into two groups of dialects, eastern (Okhotsk coast, Kamchatka and Kolyma) and western (Yakutia). According to the 1979 census, 56.7% of Evens define it as their native language, while at the same time, 52% of Evens are fluent in Russian and 13.6% in other languages. The most common among the Evens is the Yakut language, which, along with Russian, is the language of interethnic communication; in Even families it is often considered native. There are examples of linguistic assimilation. So, in 1953 in the village. Kharaulakh out of 224 Evens, only 63 understood Even speech and 8 representatives of the older generation spoke Even. IN modern conditions The Even language exists in forms characteristic of the people of the North, who do not have their own autonomy.

Bibliography and sources

Gurvich I. S., Ethnic history of the north-east of Siberia, M., 1966.

History and culture of the Evens. SPb., 1996.

Ethnic development of the peoples of the North in the Soviet period. M., 1987.

Ethnocultural processes among the peoples of Siberia and the North. M., 1985.

Transformations in economy and culture and ethnic processes among the peoples of the North. M., 1970.

Evens of the Kamchatka region // Tr. Institute of Ethnography. 1960. V.56. P. 63-91./Gurvich I.S.

Evens and Evenks of South-Eastern Yakutia. Yakutsk, 1964./Nikolaev S.I.

Evens of the Magadan region. M., 1981./Popova U.G.

Number -17199 people.
The language is the Tungus-Manchurian group of the Altaic family of languages. Settlement - the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Khabarovsk Territory, Magadan and Kamchatka regions.

Self-name - Evens, in ethnographic literature they are known as Lamuts (from Evenk, Lamu - "sea"). Regional self-names are widespread - orochiel, ilkan, etc. The Koryaks called them koyayamko, koyayamkyn - "reindeer camp". There are more than ten dialects in the Even language, united into the Eastern, Middle and Western dialects. Evensky is considered native by 43.9%. The resettlement of the Tungus-speaking tribes from the Baikal region took place in the first millennium AD. An important role in this was played by contacts with the aboriginal Paleo-Asiatic, as well as the newcomer Mongol and Turkic-speaking populations of Siberia.

The resettlement of the Yakuts to the Middle Lena (X - XIII centuries) caused the advance of the Evens to the north-east of Siberia, accompanied by the assimilation of the Yukaghirs and Koryaks. In turn, part of the Evens was assimilated by the Yakuts. The arrival of Russians in Eastern Siberia in the 17th century. led to the development of new territories by the Evens up to Chukotka and Kamchatka. In accordance with the traditions of farming, the population is divided into reindeer herding in the mountain-taiga zone, which is also engaged in hunting and lake-river fishing (don-retpken - "deep", "internal", i.e. nomadic within the continent); hunting-fishing-reindeer breeding with equal importance of all branches (na-matpkan - “seaside inhabitants”, from us - “sea”), wandering from the continental taiga to the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in spring, and back in autumn; non-deer settled coastal fishing and hunting with breeding sled dogs on the coast of Okhotsk (mene - "sedentary"). The economic annual cycle was divided into six seasons: early autumn (mon-gpelse), pre-winter, or late autumn(boleni), winter (gpugeni), pre-spring, or early spring (nelkeni), late spring (nenneii), summer. The Yakut and Kamchatka Evens preserved horse breeding of the Yakut type.

Riding and pack reindeer husbandry prevailed in the mountain taiga zone. In the forest-tundra they rode on straight-dust sleds borrowed from the Yakuts; in Kamchatka and in areas close to the Chukchi and Koryaks, arch-dusty sledges borrowed from them are known. Riding was taught from early childhood. Sitting astride a deer, they leaned on a stick-staff (male - nimka-mi, female - tpiyun), controlled it from the right. The Evens bred their breed of domestic deer, which is distinguished by its great growth, strength and endurance. Their small herds were on free pasture. They milked the sack. Large-herd (meat-skin) reindeer breeding was also known with an average herd size of 500 - 600, and before - up to 5 thousand deer. The men took care of the animals. Deer were caught with the help of a lasso (mautp), a bell (chog) was hung around the neck, by the ringing of which the location of the animal was determined.

Migrations (nulge) were made for 10 - 15 km. Usually the head of the camp or an experienced reindeer herder was the first to go in the argish caravan. Behind him on a leash - a pack deer (neu-eruk) carried the head of an argish, shrines, icons. Next came a wife on horseback with children from three to seven years old, who led two or three deer (onesek and kunaruk). The rest of the women followed her, each leading from seven to twelve pack deer. The last deer in the caravan (chora-ruk) carried the details of the frame of the dwelling.

They hunted sable, squirrel, red and black-brown fox, ermine, wolverine, otter, wild deer, elk, mountain sheep, hare, goose, ducks, hazel grouse, partridge, capercaillie, etc. Bow (nuua), spear ( guide), a spear-palm (ogpka), a knife (khirkan), a crossbow (berken), a trap-mouth (nan) and a gun. They hunted on horseback, on bare skis (kai-sar) and glued with fur (merengte), chasing, stealing, with a deer-caller, a hunting dog. A special place was occupied by bear hunting, regulated by strict rules and rituals. The bear was called allegorically, often with words borrowed from the languages ​​of neighboring peoples (Yakuts, Russians, Yukaghirs). On the occasion of the bear's prey, a bear festival was held.

Coastal, river and lake fisheries were developed. In the middle reaches and upper reaches of the rivers, they caught sesame, char, and grayling. Hook tackle was considered the main fishing tool. Nets and nets became available only in the 1920s. They moved along the rivers in dugout boats (momi). The Evens of Okhotsk had permanent settlements (olramachak), were engaged in fishing for salmon (pink salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon) and sea animals - they were beaten at the ice edge with sticks and harpoons, later with guns. In the spring they used dugout boats, which they bought from neighboring peoples.

They collected shiksha, blueberries, cloudberries, honeysuckle, lingonberries and other berries, nuts, bark, branches and needles of dwarf cedar (bolgig), as tanning agents and dyes - bark of bird cherry, alder, white and stone birches. Rotten wood crumbs were used as a hygroscopic material in cradles; thin soft shavings (hegri) were made from shrub birch and willow, they were wiped after washing, cleaned and wiped dishes, and burned after use. Men were engaged in blacksmithing, bone and wood processing, weaving of belts, leather lassoes, harnesses, etc., women - dressing of skins and rovduga, making clothes, bedding, pack bags, covers, etc. Even blacksmiths made knives, parts of guns, etc. They exchanged iron and silver items from the Yakuts, and later from the Russians. Jewelry made of silver, tin, copper and iron was made by melting old coins.

There were two types of portable dwellings: du - a conical tent, covered with skins, rovduga, fish skin, birch bark, and chorama-du - a cylindrical dwelling, the basis of the frame of which was made up of four support poles converging at the tops. Above the hearth, a horizontal pole for the boiler was tied to them. The poles forming the frame of the walls were a series of triangles spaced from each other in a circle. The roof was formed by poles converging at the ends in the form of a cone. The frame was covered in three layers with rovd-shaped panels (elbetyn), leaving a hole for smoke. The entrance to the dwelling was closed with a rovd-curtain decorated with an appliqué. The floor was covered with raw skins. Settled Evens in the 18th century. lived in dugouts (utan) with a flat roof and an entrance through a smoke hole. Later, quadrangular log dwellings (uranium) appeared, and piled log barns, scaffolds, etc., appeared as outbuildings.

The main element of men's and women's clothing of the same cut was an open caftan (tats) made of fawn or rovduga with non-converging floors. The sides and hem were sheathed with a fur strip, and the seams were covered with a strip ornamented with beads (for women - blue and white on a light background). Since the sides of the caftan did not converge on the chest, a knee-length bib (yul, neleken) served as an obligatory addition to it, sometimes sewn from two pieces - the actual bib and apron. Row-arc fringe was sewn to the men's breastplates at the level of the belt, the lower part of the women's breastplate was decorated with an ornament embroidered with beads and a deer's neck hair. A rovd fringe with metal bell pendants, copper plaques, rings, and silver coins was sewn to the hem. Natazniki (kherks) were worn under the caftan. In winter, fur parkas were worn with a slit in the front, but with converging floors. Depending on the season, shoes were sewn from rovduga or fur, women's shoes were decorated with beaded ornaments (nisa), worn with leggings. The headdress of men and women was a tight-fitting bonnet (avun) embroidered with beads. In winter, they wore a large fur hat over it, women sometimes wore a scarf. Women's gloves (kha-ir) were decorated with a beaded circle in the form of the sun. Festive clothing was at the same time funerary. The traditional food was venison, meat of wild animals, fish, wild plants.

The main meat dish is boiled meat (ulre), fish - boiled fish (olra), ear (khil), yukola (kom), dried fish flour powder (porsa), sour fish (dokche), raw fish, heads with cartilage , stroganina (talaq), etc. They harvested the sweet root (kochia) and consumed it boiled or raw (sometimes with dried salmon caviar). The roots of the viviparous mountaineer (nube) were eaten boiled with deer meat, wild onions (ennut) - with boiled fish and meat. They brewed and drank imported tea, as well as flowers, leaves and fruits of wild rose, leaves of willow-tea. The berries were eaten fresh. The consciousness of belonging to a particular genus is still preserved. Some generic names have turned into modern surnames: Dutkin, Dolgan, Uyagan, etc. The clans were exogamous, patrilineal, and were divided into territorial groups. They were headed by elected elders who represented the family before the administration. The camp community consisted of relatives and neighbors, the family was small. The elders wandered along with their married sons, grandchildren, nephews, when, due to advanced age or illness, they could no longer manage their own household. There was a widespread custom obliging the hunter to give part of the prey to a neighbor (ngshat).

Marriage was preceded by matchmaking and an agreement on kalym, the amount of which (Tori) was several times higher than the price of the dowry. A wife could be taken from any clan other than one's own, but preference was given to the mother's clan; there were polygamy, engagements of minors. Wedding ceremonies (treats, exchange of gifts, sacrifices to patron spirits) were held in the camps of the bride and groom. Arriving at the groom's tent, the wedding train circled it three times, after which the bride entered the tent, took out her cauldron and cooked the meat. The bride's dowry was hung out for viewing outside the chum. The birth of a child, the upbringing and care of him were accompanied by rituals and rules: prohibitions for a pregnant woman, the distribution of responsibilities between family members during childbirth, the “purification” of a woman in labor, the naming of a newborn, etc.

It is characteristic that at the birth of a child, he was given a part of the herd, which, together with the offspring, was considered his property, for a girl - a dowry. Until the XVIII - XIX centuries. the dead were buried on trees or pillars, but with the conversion to Christianity they began to be interred. The deceased was dressed in the best clothes; a man was buried with his knife, pipe, pouch, etc., a woman - with handicrafts and jewelry. A wooden figurine of a raven (kor) was placed with the deceased. The burial was accompanied by the sacrifice of a deer that belonged to the deceased. The burial place was visited a year later. A log house with a cross was placed over the grave, on which the image of a bird was often carved; the belongings of the deceased were piled at the grave.

There were fishing cults, the cult of the bear, hearth, spirits - the masters of nature, shamanism. On the occasion of the bear's prey, a holiday was organized, the bones of the animal were piled in anatomical order on a pile platform. In case of illness of one of the members of the community, a deer was sacrificed, the meat was eaten together, the skin was hung on a pole. The custom of "feeding" the fire still exists. With the adoption of Orthodoxy in mid-seventeenth 1st century Christian rituals spread, the Orthodox calendar in the form of wooden boards - "saints", the days on which were marked with holes. Every two months were separated by horizontal lines, they depicted one of the six seasons of the year. Orthodox holidays were celebrated with crosses. The division of the year into months was determined by parts of the body starting from the right hand: the beginning of the year - September (oichiri unma - "rising back surface of the hand"), October (oichiri bi-len - "rising wrist"), November (oichiri echen - "rising elbow"), December (oychirimir - "rising shoulder"), etc. Then the count of months passed to the left hand and walked along it in descending order: February (ev-ri world - “descending shoulder”), etc. January (tugeni hee) and July (dugong hee) were called the "top of winter" and "top of summer" respectively.

Folklore includes fairy tales, everyday stories, historical legends and traditions, heroic epos, songs, riddles, well-wishing spells. Fairy tales are divided into magical, domestic and animal tales, the typical images of which were a smart, cunning sable, a good-natured, trusting bear, a rustic, stupid wolf, a cowardly hare, a cunning fox. The plot of fairy tales is built around the fight against evil spirits. Everyday satirical tales, which depict real life, are directed against the lazy, stupid and greedy, they talk about clashes between the rich and the poor, and give prudent advice. Historical legends are stories about enmity between Even clans, about wars with Koryaks, Yukaghirs, etc. The epic, and he is rich, is dominated by stories related to the mysterious birth of the hero, his trials, matchmaking, and the fight against enemies. Songs were sung by love, lyrical, domestic, lullabies, based on improvisation.

Skilled singers performed laudatory and abusive songs with special song words not used in colloquial speech. In music associated with the Tungus-Manchu musical traditions, local variations can be traced. Each of the local traditions developed in interaction with the music of other peoples: Verkhoyansk - with the music of the Verkhoyansk Yakuts; Indigiro-Kolyma - with the music of the Vaduls (Alazei and Lower Kolyma Yukagirs), Kolyma Yakuts, Chukchi, Russian old-timers; Chukchi-Kamchatka - with the music of Itelmens, Koryaks, Chukchis, Chuvans (Anadyr Yukaghirs) and Russian old-timers; Okhotsk - with the music of Evenks, Lena and Okhotsk Yakuts; mountain-continental - with the music of the Lena Yakuts and Upper Kolyma Yukaghirs. Ritual customs of the Evens include mass tribal ritual festivities containing good wishes and religious dance songs, personal forms of human interaction with the world of spirits based on shamanism. Circular dance songs (hedye) are accompanied by the song of the lead singer, which is echoed by the choir.

In the 1930s as a result of the collectivization of reindeer herding and fishing farms, part of the Evens, together with the Chukchi, Yukagirs, and Yakuts, switched to a settled way of life, developing agriculture and animal husbandry. By the 90s. partnerships, small national enterprises, communities are being created, many of which could not withstand market relations. Due to economic difficulties and the deterioration of the ecological situation, the birth rate of people has sharply decreased, and mortality from various diseases has increased.

The growth of national self-consciousness is obvious, in places of compact residence children are taught their native language, they learn Even songs and dances, are engaged in embroidery and weaving with beads, sewing products from fur. TV and radio company "Gevan" (Yakutsk) and others broadcast in the Even language. publications publish materials in the Even language. National ensembles, theater circles, libraries were organized, museums were opened. Among the representatives of the creative intelligentsia are the Evens N. Tarabukin, A. Cherkanov, A. Krivoshapkin, V. Lebedev (1934 - 1982), X. Dutkin, D. Sleptsov, A. Alekseev, V. Keimetinov and others. In the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia ), Koryaksky autonomous region and other places adopted laws that contribute to the preservation and revival of the national way of life, traditional forms of management of the indigenous population. The interests of indigenous peoples are protected by various public associations and associations of indigenous peoples.

Russian pioneers in the 17th century almost immediately began to distinguish among the Tungus - Evenks and Evens. The Yakuts, for example, still call people from the northern regions Tongus, without distinguishing between Evens, Evenks, Yukaghirs and Chukchis. In the 17th-19th centuries, the Russians called the Evenks Tungus, and the Evens in a different way - Lamuts. Postnik Ivanov was the first to use the word “lamuty” in 1638 in one of his reports regarding the Even reindeer herders of the Upper Yana. This pioneer probably first met in the mountains of the Verkhoyansk Range Evens from the Lamunkha clan, whose descendants now live in the Kobyaisky, Verkhoyansky and Eveno-Bytantaysky regions. Perhaps that is why the ethnonym "Lamuts" appeared. The Cossacks, moving along the rivers, now and then met Even hunters, who were called "foot Tungus, or Lamuts." Until the 1930s, the “Namytkans” (Lamutkans) roamed on the territory of the Momsky District, as the inhabitants of the coast called themselves (nam - “resident”, lamu - “sea”). Most likely, these are individual representatives of various Even clans from the Okhotsk coast and from the upper reaches of the Kolyma, who, in search of prey, went far to the north, populating the basins of the Yana River and the lower reaches of the Lena River.

Their descendants often refer to themselves as "Lamutkans". The Evens of Lower Kolyma and Chukotka were mainly called Lamuts, where a mixture with Russian Pomors, who penetrated into the depths of Northeast Asia more than three hundred years ago, was noted.

Evens who lived in other regions of Yakutia, in particular along the Indigirka and Yana rivers, were called Tungus. This led to great confusion, which continued until the middle of the 20th century. The use of the ethnonym "Tungus" created the illusion that not only Evens lived in these areas, but also Evenks, who settled to the west and south of the Evens.
The Evens call themselves Evyn, Yvyn, Eben, Evun. The term "lamut" is not used.

By the middle of the 17th century, when the first Russians became acquainted with the Evens, hunting, fishing and reindeer herding formed the basis of their material life. Reindeer breeding was divided into taiga, mountain-taiga, tundra. In harsh natural conditions, the Evens constantly wandered in search of better lands.
The main objects of hunting were wild deer, elk, mountain sheep, musk deer. The bear was hunted only when necessary. Hunting for a bear was furnished with special rules and rituals, which was associated with the veneration of this animal. The bones and skull of a dead bear were placed with honor by the Evens on a high graveyard - delburge.

In contrast to the Okhotsk Evens, among their relatives, who roamed the territory of Yakutia, fishing played a smaller role and looked like a passing trade. They caught omul, whitefish, nelma, pike; in the upper reaches of mountain rivers - grayling, naibu and toba.

Men made various tools and objects from wood, bones, horns, built the frames of living quarters. The Evens had two main types of portable dwellings: ilum - a conical tent and chorama du - a cylindrical-conical building, original in its design, resembling a yurt. Women processed birch bark, animal skins, sewed clothes and shoes, bedding, pack bags from them. As usual, production tools and inventory were made by old people, young people did work that required great physical effort.

The reindeer has played an important role in the economy of the Evens since ancient times. It was indispensable for movement in the taiga and mountains at any time of the year. Many ancient beliefs, household traditions and customs, family, ritual, and funeral rites are associated with reindeer herding among the Evens.

The Even deer (oran) was distinguished by better domestication, had a rather large height, weight, and was highly valued by the Koryaks and Chukchi. The Evens always guarded the herd on reindeer or on foot. They allowed domestic deer to graze freely only on the shortest and most frosty winter days.

The migrations of the Evens were determined based on the productivity of the pasture, as well as the available supplies. On the way of nomadism, they replenished stocks of firewood and food.

The elder determined the route in autumn, and in winter he finally marked out the place of calving and summer grazing. One transition or migration was approximately 10 to 15 kilometers. The migration route was designated as a single measure of distance and time - nulge.
The foot Tungus and settled Evens used dogs as a means of transportation.

Deer used for transportation were divided into two types: pack and riding. Unlike other peoples of the North, the Evens never had any difficulties in collecting deer for migration. Animals were caught with a maut (lasso) or even with their hands. Preparation for the migration took no more than an hour.
Evens from childhood perfectly mastered the skill of taming a deer. Riding a reindeer requires special skills acquired from childhood. Evens approached the deer, saddled and loaded, and also sat on it only from the right side.

Each riding or pack deer had its own purpose, its own kind of work.

Small children roamed together with adults riding a deer. Children's saddles (khanka) were made with wide and high bows. On both sides, the bows were connected with additional boards (fools) so that something like a box was formed, where children aged three to six were seated. At the back, they sometimes made a back of willow and something like a canopy that protected from rain and mosquitoes. In addition, the child was fastened to the saddle with a special strap. The child could safely play while sitting, sleeping. A quiet, fearless deer (oneruk) was chosen to transport the child.

Children from 5 to 6 years old rode on their own: boys on a men's saddle (emgun), girls on a women's saddle.

The Evens, like all the nomadic peoples of the North, have an invariable companion of life and work - maut (lasso). The length of the maut (for Mom Evens - mamyk) is from 9 to 16 meters.
Braided maut is made from the skin of any adult deer. Twisted maut - from the skin of a two-year-old calf or from the skin of the neck of an adult 5 - 6-year-old male deer. Wicker maut is used only in the autumn-winter period, especially when catching large deer, twisted - at any time. It is forbidden to use a wicker mout, as it can damage deer antlers, covered with delicate antler fur, and cause profuse bleeding or blood poisoning.

In the past, the basis of food for the Evens was meat and fish of various readiness. Meat was obtained by hunting wild animals. The meat of mountain sheep and wild deer was considered the best. Domestic reindeer were rarely slaughtered for meat.

Reindeer fur, as well as fur of mountain sheep and rovdug (suede made from reindeer skins) served as the main material of the Evens' traditional clothing. The Evens had several variants of the caftan: a rovduga hire, which was worn in the summer; dudik - the lower winter caftan with fur inside, which served as a shirt, and flour - the upper winter caftan with fur outside. In addition to caftans, the clothing set also included a bib that covered the junction of non-converging sides, knee pads, leggings, knee pads, high boots, a hat and mittens.

The songs of the Evens contain early archaic forms of the song tradition. Basically, the song - ike - can be characterized as lyrical, although it covers all aspects of life.

The Even riddle nenuken has centuries-old roots. This is evidenced by her connection with ritual, myth, an archaic form of a fairy tale. The riddle has different specific forms: riddle-game, riddle-counter, riddle-proverb.

The traditional round dance of the Evens - seed'e - in the old days was held on important calendar holidays. So, on one of the fine spring days, the elder of the family went around all the dwellings and called his relatives with shouts: “seed'e, suruya, sandi, sundu, sigu, bisen!”, That is, “Everyone go to the dance!”.

Men and women, even with babies, had to leave the tents and join the round dance. According to how many people went to the dance, the elder determined the size of the clan. The arithmetic was very simple - since a person didn’t come out to seedye, it means that he died ...

The total number of Evens currently does not exceed 20 thousand people. More than 12 thousand Evens live in Yakutia, including Momsky, Kobyaysky, Eveno-Bytantaysky, Srednekolymsky uluses. Evens are also considered representatives of indigenous peoples in the Magadan region, Chukotka, in the north of the Khabarovsk Territory and Kamchatka.

Writing for the Even language based on the Latin alphabet was developed in 1931. In 1936 it was translated into Cyrillic. Separate Even texts were recorded by researchers in the Russian alphabet (for example, the Lamut Russian Dictionary of 1925). The Latin-based alphabet for the Even language was approved in 1932 at the First All-Russian Conference on the Development of Languages ​​and Writings of the Peoples of the North. In 1932 - 1934, school programs and textbooks for teaching the Even language were developed, which made it possible to introduce born reindeer herders to reading and writing.

Evens

(even, lamuts)

A look from the past

G. Maidel "Journey through the north-eastern part of the Yakutsk region in 1868-70", 1894:

Just as a sable, a fox and a squirrel can build a nest for themselves wherever there is a forest, so the lamut puts his light birch bark uros and his unpretentious household belongings on deer and wanders from place to place, constantly following the fur-bearing animal. But he does not even take on the hassle of resettlement: he puts his gun on his shoulder, hangs up a powder flask, and in winter also his skis and is ready to go. He only informs his wife that after so many days or weeks she must expect him at a certain place, and then leaves in the full conviction that she will find her home there in full readiness. The wife must herself take care of coming with the children and property to the appointed place, setting up her uros and preparing everything for the return of the owner.

The dwelling of the lamut, the uros, is very small, and is arranged in such a way that it is easy to load it and take it away on the back of a deer. The poles are made as light and comfortable as the strength required of them permits. White birch bark is sewn together in a double layer in long strips a cubit wide; it is carefully smoothed out and becomes soft and flexible from dressing. Such an urosa is very elegant, it is easy to remove, lay and put back on.

Deftly and beautifully built, strong and muscular, able to easily endure hunger and thirst, cold and heat, an excellent shooter both from a gun and from a bow, the Lamut is a true hunter, whom the most difficult deprivations cannot even make him think about. to stay at human habitation longer than is necessary for the exchange of its prey.

But because of the reindeer, the bad reputation of the lamut has developed. If you ask the merchants, you will hear from each of them that the Lamut is the most honest of the aliens of Siberia, that he never deceives and pays his debt with unfailing accuracy. A completely opposite opinion about the lamut can be heard from the Chukchi: they consider him just a thief and troublemaker. The Chukchi simply hate the Lamuts, reproaching them for the fact that, when hunting for deer, they do not always take the trouble to distinguish wild animals from those belonging to the Chukchi. In other words, the Lamuts beat everything that turns up, even if they know perfectly well that they have a tamed herd in front of them. If they are caught at the scene of a crime and try to take away a dead animal, they seem to grab a gun to defend themselves. I was told that the Chukchi were right in these cases.

Contemporary sources

The Evens are an indigenous people of Siberia and the Far East.

self-name

Even.

Ethnonym

Evens (from self-name), obsolete: Lamuts ("seaside inhabitants", from Evenk Lamu - "sea")

Number and settlement

Total: 22,000 people.

Including in the Russian Federation, according to the 2010 census, 21,830 PEOPLE

Of them:

Yakutia, 14,914 people,

Magadan region, 2,555 people,

Kamchatka Territory 1,848 people,

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, 1,392 people,

Khabarovsk Territory, 1,104 people.

In addition, in Ukraine, according to the 2001 census, 104 people.

The number of Evens in settlements (2002):

Saha Republic:

City of Yakutsk 1213

Batagay-Alyta village 726

Poplar village 671

Sebyan-Kyuel village 648

Ugt Chokurdah 363

Sasyr village 354

Kustur village 296

Village Andryushkino 271

Town Deputatsky 270

Berezovka village 267

Sayylyk village 261

Saskylakh village 247

Ugt Tiksi 233

Khonuu village 212

Cossack village 179

Khaiyr village 178

Jargalakh village 148

Ugt Chersky 146

Olenegorsk village 137

Yuchugey village 129

Village Tomtor 125

Kuberganya village 115

Urban settlement Khandyga 115

Magadan Region:

Gizhiga village 332

City of Magadan 310

Ola 292

Omsukchan 286

Takhtoyamsk village 212

Garmanda village 210

Town Evensk 191

Seymchan 127

Village Tauysk 102

Kamchatka Krai:

Esso village 498

Anavgay village 320

Khailino village 165

Ayanka village 157

Ugt Palana 111

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug:

Omolon village 417

Anyuysk village 248

City of Anadyr 142

City Bilibino 108

Khabarovsk region:

Arka village 271

Village of Ketanda 166

Uschan village 103

Nyadbaki village 102

On the geographical map, the ethnic territory of the Evens forms an almost regular square, the sides of which, in the north, are limited by the coast of the Arctic Ocean, in the south, by the Okhotsk coast, in the west, by the Lena basin north of Yakutsk, in the east, by the river. Anadyr and Kamchatka proper.

They do not have their own national autonomy and are settled in the territories of Yakutia, Chukotka and Koryak Autonomous Okrug, Kamchatka and Magadan regions. and Khabarovsk Territory.

Although, in 1930-1934, the Okhotsk-Even national district existed in the Far East of the USSR.

Ethnogenesis

The resettlement of the Tungus tribes (ancestors of the Evens, Evenks, etc.) from the Baikal and Transbaikal regions in Eastern Siberia began in the 1st millennium of our era.

In the process of settlement, the Evens included a part of the Yukaghirs, and later were subjected to partial assimilation by the Yakuts.

Under the influence of the Yakut language, the western dialect of the Even language was formed.

Language

The Even language belongs to the Tungus-Manchu group of the Altai family.

The main name of the language is Even (the outdated name is the Lamut language, which was put into practice in the 1930s, and was one of the few non-artificial, somewhat motivated names of languages ​​that the official authorities tried to replace the traditional names of ethnic groups and languages ​​in those years) .

In the Even language, up to 20 dialects and dialects are distinguished, combined into three dialects (eastern, middle and western; according to other terminology - eastern, western and extremely western dialects) or into two dialects (eastern and western).

Since the dialects of the Evens of the Verkhoyansk, Kobyai, Eveno-Bytantai and a number of other uluses of the RS (Y), distinguished into a separate western or extremely western dialect, differ little from the dialects of the Evens of the Indigirka basin, it seems reasonable to distinguish two dialects in the Even language:

East, uniting the dialects of the Evens of Kamchatka (Bistrin and Olyutor dialects), the dialects of the Evens of Chukotka, the dialects of the Okhotsk coast (Olsky, Tenkinsky, Inskoy) and the dialect of the Evens of the Srednekolymsky ulus of the RS (Y),

And the Western dialect, which includes all the dialects and dialects of the Evens of the RS (Y) - Oymyakon, Mom, Tompon, Allaikhovsky, Bulun, Ust-yansky, Sakkyry dialects), including those dialects of the Evens of the RS (Y) and the Khabarovsk Territory, which occupy transitional position between the eastern and western dialects (Upper Kolyma, Arka, Ust-May dialects).

A special place in the classification of Even dialects is occupied by the Arman dialect, in which in the 40s of the 20th century. spoke about 10 residents of the villages of Ola and Arman, and which has now disappeared.

Dialect reading and even the dialectal composition of the Even language have not been studied in detail, despite the ambition of those specialists who have been studying them since the 1940s, especially many problems are currently being identified with the inventory and description of dialects and dialects of various territorial groups of the Evens of Yakutia.

Between the dialects of the eastern dialect, common among the Evens of Kamchatka, Chukotka, Magadan region and part of the Khabarovsk Territory on their native side, and the dialects of the western dialect, which include most of the dialects of the Evens of Yakutia on the other hand, there are significant phonetic and lexical differences that prevent the use of the ethnic language as a means communication between representatives of different territorial groups of Evens.

The same circumstances became a serious obstacle to the development of a single written language of the Evens.

At the same time, interregional contacts between different groups of Evens are manifested to a minimal extent, since the existing transport schemes are focused on regional centers located at a considerable distance from each other, and even contacts of Evens from areas bordering each other are sporadic.

Writing for the Evens was created in the early 40s of the 19th century, when the Tauy priest, and later the Okhotsk archpriest Stefan (Popov) translated the Gospel of Matthew into the Even language and compiled the first primer and dictionary.

In 1932-36. officially for the Even language, the alphabet was adopted on a Latin graphic basis (a variant of the Unified Northern Alphabet), however, in local publications, the alphabet on the Russian graphic basis was used.

In 1937, the Even alphabet in the Latin script was replaced by the Cyrillic alphabet, but the Latin alphabet was used in the local press until 1939.

The graphics and alphabet of the Even language after the introduction of Cyrillic graphics were repeatedly reformed (1937, 1938, 1941, 1954, 1958), during which the ways of designation changed separate form in writing, in 1958, 3 additional letters “n with a tail” were introduced into the Even alphabet, o crossed out and o crossed out with dots (the last letter is used in less than 20 root morphemes).

From the 60s of the 20th century. in Yakutia, their own version of Even graphics is used (in it, instead of the letter “n with a tail”, the ligature sign ng is used), in the 70s, the Even poet and linguist V.D. Lebedev came up with a draft of a new graphics, which proposed using language alphabet and graphic rules of the Yakut language.

This proposal did not receive official support, although the Yakut alphabet is used by some Evens for personal records.

The introduction of a new alphabet on the basis of the Yakut for the Evens is impractical due to the fact that this alphabet will be completely incomprehensible to Evens from other regions who are unfamiliar with the Yakut language and Yakut writing.

The immoderate ambitions of supporters of the introduction of the Yakut alphabet and the Yakut script of the Evens are due to the desire to legitimize the consequences of the Even-Yakut language interference in the sphere of the Even written language.

Currently, in Yakutia, Chukotka and Kamchatka, local publications use various variants of the Even script, partly retaining the features of the Even graphic systems used in the 50s of the 20th century, partly the result of the Even-Yakut, Even-Chukot and Even - Koryak graphic interference; until the end of the 1980s. the use of local graphics options was due to technical reasons.

The basis of the written language in the 30s of the twentieth century. the so-called Olsky dialect of the Even language was established (the Even language of the environs of the city of Magadan, also common throughout the Okhotsk coast, in the upper and middle reaches of the Kolyma River, in Chukotka and in the Srednekolymsky region (ulus) of Yakutia).

On the basis of this dialect, by the mid-1950s, a standardized written Even language was formed, which has signs of a processed literary language (the written language does not use dialect words and grammatical forms, even if they are present in the main dialect).

This standardized written language is currently the language educational literature, the language of local media (newspapers), translated fiction and traditional folklore processed for printing; samples of original fiction are represented mainly by dialects.

The written language of the Evens of Yakutia, which developed in the 60s-70s under the influence of the literary work of the Even writers (P. Lamutsky, V.D. Lebedev, V.S. Keimetinov, A.V. Krivoshapkin, etc.) is oriented towards local Even dialects and does not have uniform forms and norms.

The written language of the Evens of Kamchatka was formed in the 80s independently on the basis of local dialects, for which the graphics of the Even language, used in 1940-1953, were adapted.

Both regional versions of the written language based on Even dialects are used only in fiction and local periodicals; they are not used in school teaching of the Even language - textbooks for elementary and secondary schools are compiled using the accepted Even written language.

traditional dwelling

In the presence of mobile nomadic camps, Evens-cattle breeders arranged summer pastoral camps sayylyk.

The dwellings were also varied - the Tunguska tent with birch bark or rovdug covering and the Chukchi-Koryak yaranga.

Borrowed types of dwellings, usually in detail, were adapted in connection with the Even tradition: the orientation of the entrance of the dwelling in space to the south in winter, to the northwest in summer, the absence, unlike the Paleo-Asians, of canopies in the dwelling, the arrangement of the hearth, the socialization of the dwelling space, etc. P.

Family

Multigenerational patriarchal family.

The marriageable age was set at 16-17 years old, and early marriages were also possible.

Marriage was preceded by matchmaking and an agreement on kalym, the amount of which was several times higher than the price of the dowry.

A wife could be taken in any kind, except for one's own, but preference was given to the mother's family.

At the birth of a child, he was given a part of the herd, which, together with the offspring, was considered his property, for a girl - a dowry.

The upbringing of children, in the absence of parents, was entrusted to relatives, the custom of an avankulata was widespread.

In Even society, there is a special softness in relation to children, they are the "eyes" of the mother, the "soul" of the father.

It was not customary to punish them, the guest entering the dwelling shook hands even with small children, if they already knew how to walk.

Until the age of 7-8, children were connected with the house, after that they began to take the boys for close hunting or for deer grazing, from the age of 14-15 the boys could hunt on their own.

The Evens had patrilineal exogamous clans: Kukuyun, Myamal, Doyda, Dolgan, Uyagan, Dutki, Dellyankin, and others, which broke up into territorial divisions headed by elected elders who represented the clan before the administration.

The consciousness of belonging to one or another Genus is still preserved.

Some generic names were transformed into modern surnames.

Traditional tribal ties are realized through the norms of exogamy, institutions of tribal mutual assistance, by redistributing meat production among all members of the camp (the "nimat" custom), which ensured patronage over all relatives, a system of tribal cults.

In many places, the custom is still widespread today, obliging the hunter to give part of the prey to a neighbor.

General Tungus features in the organization of Even society are represented by its tribal organization.

In the eighteenth century Evens form so-called administrative clans, which include not only blood relatives, but also neighbors in the territory of residence.

These associations act as subjects of economic law in the sphere of organizing economic life, paying yasak, etc.

traditional economy

The economic cycle of the Evens was divided into six periods, four of which corresponded to the main seasons and two additional ones, pre-spring and pre-winter, which were important for reindeer husbandry.

The traditional economy of the Evens of the inner continental regions of Siberia (donretken - literally “deep, internal”) is reindeer breeding, hunting (wild deer, elk, mountain sheep, fur-bearing animal) and fishing.

In the old days, the wolf was not hunted, because. it was considered a forbidden animal.

Among the Evens of the Okhotsk coast, three zonal groups of farms are fixed: mountain-taiga, practically not connected with the coastal territory (reindeer herding),

Intermediate, which included about 70% of Even farms (reindeer breeding and hunting),

And seaside, consisting of Even farms that have lost deer (commercial).

Groups of Evens-Namatkans (literally, "seaside dwellers") roamed from the continental taiga to the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in spring and back in autumn.

Saltless Evens on the Okhotsk coast (self-name - mene, "sedentary") were engaged in coastal fishing, hunting and seal hunting, bred sled dogs.

In the 18th century, horse breeding spread among the Yakut and Kamchatka Evens.

Even reindeer breeding is predominantly small herd with free reindeer grazing.

Migrations were made for 10-15 km.

Deer were used for riding and for packing.

In the forest-tundra, straight-dust sleds, borrowed from the Yakuts, are common, in Kamchatka and in the Magadan region - arc-dust sleds, borrowed from the Chukchi and Koryaks.

It was also known large-herd reindeer breeding for meat and skins.

They hunted on horseback or on skis (hollows - kaisar and glued with fur - merengte), chasing, stealing, with the help of a deer decoy, a hunting dog.

Coastal Evens caught migratory fish of salmon species, in the middle reaches and upper reaches of the rivers - sesame, char, grayling.

The main fishing tool was hook tackle, nets and seines became available to Evens only in the 20s of the XX century.

On the water they moved in dugout boats, which they bought from neighboring peoples. They were also engaged in gathering berries, nuts, bark and needles of pine elfin, etc.

Men were engaged in blacksmithing, bone and wood processing, weaving of belts, leather lassoes, harnesses, etc., women were engaged in processing skins, dressing rovduga, etc.

Iron and silver were obtained by exchange.

Religion and ritual

The traditional religion is animistic pantheism with elements of a shamanistic cult.

Nominally, the Evens were one of the most Christianized peoples of the North, which was facilitated by active missionary activity.

However, this had little effect on their original root cosmology and spiritual practice in everyday life, since, like all followers of the Vedic religions, they were extremely tolerant of all religions that preached Monotheism in general.

The whole World was understood as private subjective, spiritualized manifestations and incarnations of the Most High, including His Prophets and His Son.

Behind everything and everyone, in the worldview of the Northern peoples, there is an Infinite Table, All-Containing One Gd.

Such a practice was often encountered in the North, even going so far as, for example, among some nations, those shamans who converted to Christianity were considered the strongest.

Orthodox churches and chapels were built in the places where the Evens settled.

In the 50s of the nineteenth century. Archpriest S. Popov published in the Even language the texts of prayers, the Gospel and the "Tungus primer" on a church basis.

Priest A. Argentov, pointed out that in the Kolyma "pagans were bred" already at the beginning of the 19th century. Christianity covered almost all aspects of Even life.

However, if by "pagans" we mean adherents of the former traditional religions, then of course this statement was at least premature and, to put it mildly, not entirely consistent with the real state of affairs.

Nevertheless, officially, birth, marriage, death, everyday behavior, the performance of rituals and holidays, everything seemed to be regulated by the Orthodox tradition.

Characteristically, the Gizhigin Evens had the right to marry Koryaks only if they accepted Orthodoxy.

Mandatory in the decoration of the dwelling, regardless of its type, were icons, which, when moving, were transported on a deer specially designed for this purpose.

Back in 1925, at the congress of the Evens of the Olsk volost, they made a request “to give a parish priest to Ola, otherwise a child will be born, you don’t know what to call him and there is no one to baptize.”

And yet in religious beliefs The Evens continued to successfully exist the fishing cult, the cults of the Ancestors, the bear, the hearth, the “masters” of nature and the elements: taiga, fire (the custom of “feeding” the fire still exists), water, etc.

Until the XVIII - XIX centuries. practiced air burial on trees or pile platforms.

After the conversion (often violent) to Orthodoxy, the Evens began to bury the dead in the ground, placing crosses over the grave.

In the XVII-XVIII centuries. The Evens dressed the deceased in the best dress, according to the season, put it in a wooden block and placed it on trees or on poles.

After slaughtering several deer, the coffin and trees were stained with their blood.

The chum of the deceased, his utensils and other things were left under the trees.

I.A. Khudyakov wrote that the Indigirka Lamuts (Evens) buried the dead with their heads to the west, because they believed that he would "go to the east."

The Tompon Evens, according to the materials of V.A. Tugolukov, dressed the dead in clothes sewn without knots - "to facilitate the release of the soul from the body when it begins its journey."

The custom of strangling deer among the Evens, as scientists suggest, is the most ancient Tungus method of killing sacrificial animals during the funeral rite.

In the process of performing the ritual, a shaman or shaman rises from the middle world (it is called Orto-Doidu in Yakut) up to the deity Aiyy, or down to the world of evil spirits, in order to extract the soul of a sick person from there.

A unique evidence for shamanic practice is the description of a kind of exchange - the return of the evil spirit that caused the disease to the lower world and the return of the soul of a sick person to the world of living people.

A striking feature of ritual texts are words that imitate the cry of various birds, as well as exclamations that do not have an immediate meaning: kharullu, kharullu, kharullu, dergel-dergel-dergel (cf., however, Mong. dergel sara " full moon") etc.

Most likely, such exclamations either reproduce the text in a language that was not understood when the ritual was borrowed, or, most likely, serve as an imitation of significant verbal elements of the ritual text, which, along with the use of foreign language elements, is typical for shamanic texts of all the peoples of the Far Northeast.

The cult of the sun was widespread, to which deer were sacrificed, the reason for the sacrifice was usually the illness of one of the members of the community.

The sacrifice was made by all community members, the meat was eaten, the skin was hung on a pole.

The deer for the sacrifice was indicated by the shaman or was chosen with the help of divination.

The ritual tradition of the Evens includes mass general tribal ritual festivities containing hymn good wishes and mystery songs and dances.

The naming of children was carried out when the child began to "babble", guessing the name of a relative who was embodied in him.

These names, in childhood, were not used by non-family members.

At the age of 3-5 years, children were baptized and the Orthodox name became official, and the traditional one was used in household use.

Wedding rituals among the Evens are basically similar to those of the Evenks.

After paying the bride price, the parents and other relatives of the bride brought her with a dowry to the groom's parents.

The bride traveled three times in the sun around the plague, and then her parents handed her to the groom.

After this ceremony, the bride entered the chum, where a new canopy for the newlyweds had already been hung.

She took out her cauldron and boiled the meat of the dead deer.

The dowry was hung outside the chum for display.

Customs and traditions of the Evens

Guest meeting

The first meeting was accompanied by a handshake.

The handshake was different from the current common greeting where people greet with their right hands.

Among the ancient Evens, right up to the Soviet period, it was customary to greet each other with both hands.

The guest stretched out both hands, folded on top of each other, palms up, and the head of the family shook them from below and above, while his right palm was on top.

The women repeated the same greeting, but they showed a little more emotion: after greeting with their hands, they, radiating joy and tenderness, alternately pressed both cheeks to each other.

The older woman was kissing the guest with a sniff.

Even greeting, thus, was fraught with deep content.

It served as a kind of calling card for both sides.

Taking into account the highly developed natural intuition of the Evens, the guest almost unmistakably guessed the internal state of those who were meeting by facial expressions and hand movements and could guess the possible outcome of his visit if he came to resolve some controversial issue or make a request.

In turn, those meeting with the same accuracy could decide: with what intentions did the guest come to them?

When a guest entered the yurt, the hostess laid a bedding sewn from the skin of a deer's head in front of him, silently inviting him to sit down.

It was not customary for a guest to sit directly on a coniferous bedding.

It was no coincidence that the bedding was made from the skin of the heads of a deer or its frontal part, since here the fur is durable and moisture resistant.

After the obligatory questions: "How are you doing?", "What's the news?", the initiative was passed on to the guest.

It was considered tactless to bombard the guest with questions; they avoided verbosity that threatened to turn into talkativeness.

They silently waited for the guest to finish speaking, to tell about himself, about his relatives, about the purpose of his arrival.

The guest, as a rule, came with gifts.

In a gift, it was not its price that was important, but a sign of attention.

At the end of tea drinking, the guest put the cup upside down or put a teaspoon across the cup, thus showing that he would not drink anymore.

If the guest simply moved the cup away from him, the hostess could continue to pour tea indefinitely.

In honor of the guest, a deer was specially slaughtered.

The best pieces of meat and delicacies (tongue, bone marrow, milk) were intended for the guest.

The head of the family saw off the welcome guest in a special way.

We drove with him for quite a long time, several kilometers, and before parting we stopped, lit a pipe and agreed on the next meeting.

Evens presented any guest with gifts.

This custom was strictly observed.

Any thing could serve as a gift, it depended on the degree of wealth of the family.

At the same time, the expected interest of the guest was taken into account.

As a gift, a maut was more often offered, which was an indispensable companion of an Even.

In the taiga or tundra without a maut, as without hands.

They also gave clothes: a torbasa, mittens, hats, dokhas.

The most valuable gift was a deer - the leader in a team, or "uchak".

The same expensive gift was a puppy - a potential breadwinner for the family, since a good hunting dog could grow out of it.

An adult hunting dog was rarely given, only in exceptional cases, since the role of a dog in taiga life was very great.

If a person gave a dog to another, he had to give a knife in return and nothing else, with the hope that the dog's teeth would be as sharp as a knife.

If a traveler has approached a camp, he should not choose which yaranga to enter, but must enter exactly the one that he immediately noticed when he saw the camp.

If a guest enters another distant yaranga, it will become disrespectful, an insult to others.

Folk omens

The harsh living conditions forced the Evens to listen more to themselves, to look closely at the environment, to notice the unusual in it and draw certain conclusions for each specific case.

Here, for example, signs associated with hunting:

The hunter is about to hunt.

The fire cracked loudly (hin ken) - to be trouble, misfortune.

An experienced, life-sophisticated hunter, having heard this, thought: what to do, to go or not to go?

Some people divined on the coals of an extinguished fire.

They took two rags and one piece of coal: they wrapped a piece of coal in one: and the other was simply wrapped without coal and tied both rags to the two ends of the cord, twisted the cord into one piece, and then slowly untwisted it.

If the coal is on the right side, then the desire conceived by the hunter will be positive, and if it is on the left, it will be negative.

If a small child periodically hiccups - wait for a successful hunt.

You can’t talk about hunting, about tomorrow’s plans aloud, so as not to jinx it and bring trouble on yourself.

If you take eggs from partridges, geese and ducks from the nest, be sure to leave two or three eggs in the nest.

The remains of prey (birds, various animals) cannot be scattered in the place where you walk and live.

Being too lucky, happy is considered a bad sign, because nature knows that your life is short, so it bestows you in moderation.

Pay attention to the behavior of the deer:

If the deer yawns to the right, then a good day is expected, and if it yawns to the left, it is bad. If a deer frolics in severe frost, then the weather will be warm tomorrow.

To find out about their future, they guessed on a deer shoulder blade.

Hot coal was placed in the middle of the spatula, cracks appeared from heating, which suggested what awaits a person in the future.

Notes about fire:

You can't walk on fire.

The fire of a fire cannot be stabbed, cut with sharp objects.

If you do not observe and contradict these signs, then the fire will lose the strength of its spirit.

The children were told, "Don't play with fire, otherwise the fire might get angry and make you urinate all the time."

Your old clothes, things should not be thrown away and left on the ground, but things must be destroyed by burning.

If you do not follow these rules, then a person will always hear the cry of his things and clothes.

In a family, one should not often swear and argue, because the fire of your hearth may be offended and you will be unhappy.

Notes and teachings:

The child, leaning over, looks back through his legs - wait for the guest from afar, and if the dog spins around himself in the hope of catching his tail, then also wait for the guest.

Without the need to rush, you should not rush - you can quickly live your life.

You can’t laugh at a sick and weak person, otherwise everything will turn back to you.

You can’t forcefully take something from a person, otherwise you yourself can be left without anything.

Your bad deed in life is the biggest sin.

This act may affect the fate of your children.

Don't talk too much out loud, or your tongue will get a callus.

Do not laugh for no reason, otherwise you will cry in the evening.

Look at yourself first and then judge others.

Wherever you live, wherever you are, you cannot speak badly about the climate, because the land on which you live can be angry.

Do not leave your hair and nails anywhere after cutting, otherwise after death you will wander in the hope of finding them.

It is impossible to get angry and hate people without a reason. This is considered a sin and therefore, in old age, it can turn into your loneliness.

Elderly Even women tried to preserve and pass on their faith to their children and grandchildren. From generation to generation, they purposefully instructed and controlled the observance of the rules of conduct, according to folk wisdom and signs.

Folklore

In Even folklore, great importance was attached to fairy tales and bylyam-traditions.

Moreover, among the fairy tales, fairy tales about animals and birds, close in content to Evenki fairy tales, stand out in particular.

Some parts of the tales about heroes-bogatyrs, for example, the speeches of heroes, are usually sung.

Among epics, epics about female heroes who win men's competitions are especially interesting.

In general, it should be noted that when performing works of an epic nature, the song transmission of the epic was widely used and for each hero there was his own, special melody.

In the traditional folk art of the Evens, a round dance “heedye”, which has a religious and ritual character, occupied a significant place. Such collective dances were held in spring and summer at annual traditional meetings.

Even Calendar

The perception of winter and summer by the Evens was the same as that of other peoples.

In the spring, the Evens called the period that did not immediately come after the end of winter, but only after some time.

The same discrepancy in time applies to autumn.

Autumn among the Evens is called bolani, and the time until autumn is called montelse.

August - September MONTELSE (autumn)

October - November BOLANI (late autumn)

December - January TUGENI (winter)

February - March NELKYSNEN (early spring)

April - May NELKY (spring)

June NEGNI (early summer)

July DYUGANY (summer)

BEGINNING OF THE YEAR September - oychiri unma (literally: rising back of the hand).

October - oichiri bilen (literally: rising wrist).

November - oychiri echhen (literally: rising elbow).

December - oychiri world (literally: rising shoulder).

January - tugeni hee - the crown of winter (literally; crown of the head).

February - evry world (literally: descending shoulder)

March - evri yechen (literally: descending elbow)

April - evry bilen (literally: descending wrist)

Mai - evri unma (literally: descending back surface of the hand)

June - evry chon (literally: dropping fist)

July - dugani heen (literally: top of summer)

August - oychiri chor (literally: rising fist)

traditional clothing

Even clothing is more traditional, corresponding to the general Tungus costume.

The borrowing of individual elements and details is recorded, first of all, in the form of trade clothing for men, this is Paleo-Asian clothing of a “deaf” cut.

Even women's clothing, probably due to its aesthetic value (it is richly decorated), was readily used by Paleoasian women.

The skins of marine animals were used as material for making clothes.

The headdress was a tight-fitting ka-nor, embroidered with beads.

In winter, a large fur hat was worn over it.

Women sometimes wore a headscarf.

When you look at Even national costumes - elegant caftans, aprons, torbasas, when you look at various bags embroidered with beads (avea), bags for women's needlework (khiltek), a pipe case (misuk), it may seem that there is no limit to the variety of beaded patterns .

But that's not the case at all.

In fact, the Evens do not have so many ornaments that are embroidered with beads and, in fur technique, with deer hair.

Each ornament embroidered with beads had its own name: itikagcha, ostakagcha, konkeche, komelikegche, tyannyakagchaneche, kiresegche.

Sometimes they say that a whole fairy tale could be embroidered with beads, deer hair and pieces of leather dyed different colors.

Example: “Many girls lived in one camp (drawing “itikagcha” - faces).

One of them had a loved one who went somewhere far, far away on a deer, (the “khashcha” pattern is mixed) - black dots on a white background.

The girl was waiting for her beloved, thought that he would never return to her and decided to drown herself in the river.

And the river is about to open up (drawing: a black stripe on a blue field, this is water over the ice).

A spider sits in the water (picture: "atikagcha" spiders).

The spider says to the girl: “What are you thinking?

Go home soon, your loved one will be back soon.

The girl returned to her family and soon her beloved arrived, everyone was delighted and began to dance the hede - the Even dance (drawing: “itikagcha” figures - faces).

This tale is well known to the Evens living in Chukotka and neighboring regions.

National cuisine

The Evens' food model was determined by the types of economic activity, but was based on the general Tungus origins.

This is the predominance of meat food, and, despite the significant share of domestic reindeer husbandry, they preferred to use the meat of wild animals for food, and the technology of cooking meat by roasting is also specific.

The specificity of the Even food system is the increase in the length of fish dishes and their diversity, as well as the regional distribution of dairy food.

Along with imported tea, they used flowers, leaves and rose hips brewed with boiling water,

Fish was harvested for the future by drying yukola, fermentation, dried fish was used to make powder-porsa.

They also ate raw and frozen fish.

:
21,830 (All-Russian census 2010)

Ukraine:
104 (2001)

Language Religion Included in Related peoples

Settlement and population

The total number is about 20 thousand people. They live mainly in the east of the Russian Federation. Thus, according to the 2002 census, 11,657 Evens lived in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), 2,527 in the Magadan Region, 1,779 in the Kamchatka Region (751 of them in the Koryak Autonomous Okrug), 1,407 in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, and 1,407 in the Khabarovsk Territory. 1272.

The number of Evens in Russia:

The number of Evens in settlements (2002)

Topolinoe village 671

Kustur village 296

Berezovka village 267

Cossack village 179

Khaiyr village 178

Olenegorsk village 137

Takhtoyamsk village 212

Khailino village 165

Language

The Even language belongs to the Tungus-Manchu group of the Altai family; has more than a dozen dialects, which are combined into three dialects - eastern, middle and western. 52.5% of Evens are fluent in Russian, 27.4% consider it their native language. But the vast majority of Evens switched to the Yakut language. The settlement of the Tungus tribes (ancestors of the Evens) from the Baikal and Transbaikal regions in Eastern Siberia began in the 1st millennium AD. In the process of settlement, the Evens included a part of the Yukaghirs, and subsequently were subjected to partial assimilation by the Yakuts. Under the influence of the Yakut language, the western dialect of the Even language was formed. With the beginning of contacts with the Russians in the 17th century, the Evens experienced their strong influence. Since the 20s of the 20th century, the majority of Evens have been moving towards a settled way of life, mass bilingualism. In addition to the official registration of their nationality, they are not distinguished by anything among the Yakuts and are considered by many to be the same Sakha, but Evens who nominate themselves only to use the social benefits provided by the state.

Until 1932, the Even language had no written language. Separate Even texts were recorded by researchers in the Russian alphabet (for example, the Lamut-Russian dictionary of 1925). The Latin-based alphabet for the Even language was approved in 1932 at the First All-Russian Conference on the Development of Languages ​​and Writings of the Peoples of the North. In 1936 a written language based on the Russian alphabet was created. In 1932-1934, school programs and textbooks for teaching the Even language were developed.

In the 1990s, an active policy began to be carried out aimed at reviving the language and culture of the Evens. Radio broadcasts are conducted in the Even language, newspapers, original and translated literature are published. The Even language is being taught in schools, teacher training colleges and universities. The teaching of national languages ​​in schools is conducted in the language of the titular nationality, education in boarding schools leads to the loss of the native language, including at the household level, the spread of the Yakut and Russian languages ​​as languages ​​of interethnic communication, all these factors affect the functionality of the Even language in their culture .

Religion and customs of the Evens

Evens were one of the most Christianized peoples of the North, which was facilitated by active missionary activity. Orthodox churches and chapels were built in the places where the Evens settled. In the 50s of the nineteenth century. Archpriest S. Popov published in the Even language the texts of prayers, the Gospel and the "Tungus primer" on a church basis. Priest A. I. Argentov, pointed out that in the Kolyma "pagans were bred" already at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Christianity covered almost all aspects of Even life. Birth, marriage, death, everyday behavior, the performance of rituals and holidays, everything was regulated by the Orthodox tradition. It is characteristic that the Gizhigin Evens entered into marriages with the Koryaks only if they converted to Orthodoxy. Mandatory in the decoration of the dwelling, regardless of its type, were icons, which, when moving, were transported on a deer specially designed for this purpose. Back in 1925, at the congress of the Evens of the Olsk volost, they made a request "to give a parish priest to Ola, otherwise a child will be born, you don’t know what to call him and there is no one to baptize."

In the religious ideas of the Evens, there was a cult of the "masters" of nature and the elements: taiga, fire, water, etc. A special place was occupied by the worship of the sun, to which deer were sacrificed. Fishing cults, master spirits of nature, and shamanism were developed. Until the XVIII-XIX centuries. practiced air burial on trees or pile platforms. After the adoption of Orthodoxy, the Evens began to bury the dead in the ground, placing crosses over the grave. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. The Evens dressed the deceased in the best dress, according to the season, put them in a wooden block and placed it on trees or on poles. After slaughtering several deer, the coffin and trees were stained with their blood. The chum of the deceased, his utensils and other things were left under the trees. I. A. Khudyakov wrote that the Indigirka Lamuts (Evens) buried the dead with their heads to the west, because they believed that he would "go to the east." The Tompon Evens, according to the materials of V. A. Tugolukov, dressed the dead in clothes sewn without knots - "to facilitate the release of the soul from the body when it begins its journey." The custom of strangling deer among the Evens, as scientists suggest, is the most ancient Tungus method of killing sacrificial animals during the funeral rite.

In Even folklore, great importance was attached to fairy tales and bylyam-traditions. Moreover, among the fairy tales, fairy tales about animals and birds, close in content to Evenki fairy tales, stand out in particular. Some parts of the tales about heroes-bogatyrs, for example, the speeches of heroes, are usually sung. Among epics, epics about female heroes who win men's competitions are especially interesting. In general, it should be noted that when performing works of an epic nature, the song transmission of the epic was widely used and for each hero there was his own, special melody.

In the traditional folk art of the Evens, a round dance “heedye”, which has a religious and ritual character, occupied a significant place. Such collective dances were held in spring and summer at annual traditional meetings. They instilled in small ethnic groups of Evens a sense of unity, collective intelligence, confidence in overcoming adversity, faith in goodness. The cult of the sun was widespread, to which deer were sacrificed. the reason for the sacrifice was usually the illness of one of the members of the community. The sacrifice was made by all community members, the meat was eaten, the skin was hung on a pole. The deer for the sacrifice was indicated by the shaman or was chosen with the help of divination.

At present, there are Even writers and poets (N. S. Tarabukin, A. A. Cherkanov and others) who write in their native language. Traditional holidays of the Evens are being revived (Evinek, Urkachak, Reindeer Breeder's Festival, etc.).

economy

The economic activity of the Evens combined nomadic reindeer herding, hunting for meat and fur animals, and fishing. Integrative processes also underlay the formation of the Even culture, the assessment of which corresponds to the general Siberian pattern. The peoples who have preserved their traditional economy to a greater extent, especially reindeer herding, preserve their national culture and, as a rule, their native language. The needs of reindeer herding determined the way of life and attributes of the Even culture. Historically, the economy of the Evens was formed in the form of a complex economy, combining taiga crafts, fishing and reindeer herding. Among the Evens of the Okhotsk coast, three zonal groups of farms are fixed: mountain-taiga, practically not connected with the coastal territory (reindeer herding), intermediate, which included about 70% of Even farms (reindeer herding and commercial) and coastal, consisting of Even farms that have lost deer (trading ). The economic cycle of the Evens was divided into six periods, four of which corresponded to the main seasons and two additional ones, pre-spring and pre-winter, which were important for reindeer husbandry. Each of these periods determined priorities and a combination of types of economic activity, ways of nomadism, organization of settlements, etc. The count of months was kept by months, using two types of calendars. One, more traditional, "by parts of the body." Among the Okhotsk Evens, the year began in September, which was called the month of the “rising dorsum of the hand” (left) and ended in August, the month of the “rising hand folded into a fist” (right). Another calendar was actually Orthodox and it was made in the form of a wooden board, on which the days, months, seasons of the year and church holidays were marked with marks, family dates were also entered into it.

Transport, especially reindeer, varied considerably across the territory of settlement. For the Evens on the coast of Okhotsk, pack and riding reindeer husbandry of the Siberian type. In places of distribution of draft reindeer transport, it, as a rule, coexisted with pack-riding reindeer husbandry, traditional for the Tungus.

Traditional settlements and dwellings. Like the economy, the material culture of the Evens combines elements of various origins. In the presence of mobile nomadic camps, Even pastoralists arranged summer pastoral camps dugadyak. The dwellings were also varied - the Tunguska tent with birch bark or rovduk covering. The borrowed types of dwellings, usually in detail, were adapted in connection with the Even tradition: the orientation of the entrance of the dwelling in space to the south in winter, to the northwest in summer, the absence, unlike the Paleo-Asians, of canopies in the dwelling, the arrangement of the hearth, the socialization of the dwelling space, etc. n. During winter migrations, they hunted fur and meat animals. In the old days, the wolf was not hunted, as it was considered a forbidden animal.

The Evens had two types of dwellings: the Eveno-Evenk tent and the Chukchi-Koryak yaranga. The clothes of this people were similar to those of the Evenk in terms of the composition of the costume and cut. The embroidery was located along the seams and edges of the clothes in order to "interfere" with the penetration of evil spirits into the clothes. The ornament in clothes (the Tungus-speaking people have a predominance of geometric patterns in the ornament) had a certain sacred power that inspires the owner of this thing with a sense of confidence and invulnerability, strength and courage.

In the XVII-XVIII centuries. Evens continued to live in conditions of patriarchal-clan relations. They were divided into exogamous patrilineal clans, which were often scattered over a large area. Therefore, these genera were divided, and therefore parts of them, in addition to the generic name, also received serial numbers. Already according to the XVII century. one can ascertain in them a far-reaching decomposition of the consanguinity and property differentiation. At its core, like any nomadic pastoral people, was the possession of deer. There was a custom of "nimat", the collective distribution of hunting and fishing products. So, the hunter, upon returning from a meat hunt, had to give his prey to one of the neighbors in the camp, who distributed it among all families, leaving the hunter only an insignificant part of the carcass and the skin. Nimat was especially strictly observed in the case of hunting a bear, which among the Evens was also considered a sacred animal.

In the 17th century the Even family was patriarchal. Nevertheless, the independent position of women in the family was noted in the relationship. Before the separation from the father, the sons were completely dependent on him.

Wedding rituals among the Evens are basically similar to those of the Evenks. For the bride paid kalym - tori. Its value exceeded the dowry by two or three times. After paying the bride price, the parents and other relatives of the bride brought her with a dowry to the groom's parents. The bride traveled three times in the sun around the plague, and then her parents handed her to the groom. After this ceremony, the bride entered the chum, where a new canopy for the newlyweds had already been hung. She took out her cauldron and boiled the meat of the dead deer. The dowry was hung outside the chum for display.

At the birth of a child, he was allocated a certain number of deer in the herd. When she got married, the girl received as a dowry a herd formed from the reproduction of these deer.

traditional clothing

More traditional is Even clothing, corresponding to the general Tungus costume. The borrowing of individual elements and details is recorded, first of all, in the form of trade clothing for men, this is Paleo-Asian clothing of a “deaf” cut. Even women's clothing, probably due to its aesthetic value (it is richly decorated), was willingly used by Paleoasian women. The skins of marine animals were used as material for making clothes. The headdress was a tight-fitting ka-nor, embroidered with beads. In winter, a large fur hat was worn over it. Women sometimes wore a headscarf.

Food

The Evens' food model was determined by the types of economic activity, but was based on the general Tungus origins. This is the predominance of meat food, and, despite the significant share of domestic reindeer husbandry, they preferred to use the meat of wild animals for food, and the technology of cooking meat by roasting is also specific. The specificity of the Even food system is the increase in the share of fish dishes and their diversity, as well as the regional distribution of dairy food. Along with imported tea, they used flowers brewed with boiling water, rosehip leaves and fruits, and dried leaves of willow-tea.

Saltless Evens on the Okhotsk coast (self-named - me-ne, "sedentary") were engaged in coastal fishing, hunting and seal hunting, bred sled dogs.

Coastal Evens caught migratory fish of salmon species, in the middle reaches and upper reaches of the rivers - sesame, char, grayling. The main fishing tool was hook tackle, nets and seines became available to Evens only in the 1920s. 20th century Fish was harvested for future use by drying yukola, pickling, and drying. They also ate raw and frozen fish. On the water they moved in dugout boats, which they bought from neighboring peoples.

social organization

General Tungus features in the organization of Even society are represented by its tribal organization. In the eighteenth century Evens form so-called administrative clans, which include not only blood relatives, but also neighbors in the territory of residence. These associations act as subjects of economic law in the sphere of organizing economic life, paying yasak, etc. Traditional tribal ties are realized through the norms of exogamy, institutions of tribal mutual assistance, by redistributing meat production among all members of the camp (the “nimat” custom), which ensured patronage over all relatives, a system of tribal cults. The internal structure of the Even society was based on gender and age stratification, which determined the social roles of each person. In Even society, there is a special softness in relation to children, they are the “eyes” of the mother, the “soul” of the father. It was not customary to punish them, the guest entering the dwelling shook hands even with small children, if they already knew how to walk. The naming was carried out when the child began to “babble”, guessing the name of the relative who was embodied in him. These names, in childhood, were not used by non-family members. At the age of 3-5 years, children were baptized and the Orthodox name became official, and the traditional one was used in household use. Children were socialized through games that imitated the main types of adult activities in accordance with gender. Until the age of 7-8, children were connected with the house, after that they began to take the boys for close hunting or for deer grazing, from the age of 14-15 the boys could hunt on their own.

The marriageable age was set at 16-17 years old, and early marriages were also possible. The upbringing of children, in the absence of parents, was entrusted to relatives, the custom of an avankulata was widespread. When concluding a marriage, kalym was necessarily paid, usually in deer. The main family type of the Evens was a small one with clear areas of division of labor, but the parity roles of spouses in making family-wide decisions. Even society is characterized by the high status of women in public life, while in the economic and property spheres, in the conditions of patriarchal relations and the beginning of social differentiation, the dominant position is occupied by a man. An important role in the social life of the Evens was played by the older generation, connoisseurs and keepers of the tradition. The role of the elder of the clan, the local group, the organizer of economic and social life was informal.

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

Geography

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

Language

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

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

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

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

Name

Perhaps it sounds strange, but even the very name of the Evenki people is fanned with the spirit of myths and doubts. So, from the time of the development of the vast territories occupied by the Evenks by the Russians, until 1931, it was customary to call this people (and at the same time their kindred Evens) with the common word "Tungus". At the same time, the origin of the word "tungus" is still unclear - whether it comes from the Tungus word "kungu", meaning "a short fur coat made of reindeer skins, sewn with wool up", or from the Mongolian "tung" - "forest", then whether from the Yakut "tong was" - "people with frozen lips", i.e. speaking in an unknown language. One way or another, but the name "Tungus" in relation to the Evenki is still used by a number of researchers, which confuses the already confusing history of the Evenk people.

One of the most common self-names of this people - Evenki (also Evenkil) - was recognized as official in 1931 and acquired the form of “Evenki”, which is more familiar to the Russian ear. The origin of the word "Evenki" is even more mysterious than "Tungus". Some scholars argue that it comes from the name of the ancient Transbaikal tribe “uvan” (also “guvan”, “gyui”), from which the modern Evenks supposedly have their roots. Others completely shrug their shoulders, refusing to attempt to interpret this term and pointing out only that it arose about two thousand years ago.

Another very common self-name of the Evenks is "orochon" (also "orochon"), literally meaning "a man who owns a deer", "deer" man. That is how the Evenks-reindeer herders called themselves in a vast territory from Transbaikalia to the Zeya-Uchursky region; however, some of the modern Amur Evenki prefer the name "Evenki", and the word "orochon" is considered just a nickname. In addition to these names, among the various groups of Evenks there were also self-names "Manegri" ("Kumarchens"), "Ile" (Evenks of the Upper Lena and Podkamennaya Tunguska), "Kilen" (Evenks from Lena to Sakhalin), "Birars" ("Birarchens" - i.e. living along the rivers), "khundysal" (i.e. "owners of dogs" - this is how the deined Evenks of the Lower Tunguska called themselves), "salts" and many others, often coinciding with the names of individual Evenk clans.

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

History

II millennium BC - I millennium AD - human settlement of the Lower Tunguska valley. Sites of ancient people of the Neolithic era of the Bronze Age and the Iron Age in the middle reaches of the Podkamennaya Tunguska.

12th century - the beginning of the settlement of the Tungus in Eastern Siberia: from the coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk in the east to the Ob-Irtysh interfluve in the west, from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Baikal region in the south.

Among the northern peoples not only of the Russian North, but of the entire Arctic coast, the Evenks are the most numerous language group: on

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

The name "Evenki" with the creation of the Evenki district has firmly entered the social, political and linguistic everyday life. Doctor historical sciences V.A. Tugolukov gave a figurative explanation of the name "Tungus" - going across the ridges.

Tungus from ancient times settled from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the Ob. Their way of life made changes in the name of the genera, not only on geographical grounds, but, more often, on household ones. Evenks living along the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk were called Evens or, more often, Lamuts from the word "lama" - the sea. The Trans-Baikal Evenks were called Murchens, because they were mainly engaged in horse breeding, and not reindeer breeding. And the name of the horse is “mur”. Evenk reindeer herders who settled in the interfluve of the three Tunguskas (Upper, Podkamennaya, or Middle, and Lower) and the Angara called themselves Orochens - deer Tungus. And they all spoke and still speak the same Tungus-Manchu language.

Most Tungus historians consider Transbaikalia and the Amur region to be the ancestral home of the Evenks. Many sources claim that they were driven out by more warlike steppe people at the beginning of the 10th century. However, there is another point of view. The Chinese chronicles mention that even 4,000 years before the Evenks were forced out, the Chinese knew about the strongest people among the "northern and eastern foreigners." And these Chinese chronicles testify to the coincidence in many ways of that ancient people - the sushi - with the later one, known to us as the Tungus.

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

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

Second half of the 16th century - the penetration of Russian industrialists and hunters into the basins of the rivers Taz, Turukhan and the mouth of the Yenisei. The neighborhood of two different cultures was interpenetrating. The Russians were trained in the skills of hunting, survival in the northern conditions, they were forced to accept the norms of morality and the hostel of the natives, especially since the newcomers took local women as wives and created mixed families.

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

the districts were united into the Evenk national district. According to the 2002 census, 35,000 Evenks live in Russia.

Life of the Evenks

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

Food, housing and clothing

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

Evenki traditional clothing: cloth natazniks, leggings, a caftan made of reindeer skin, under which a special bib was put on. The women's bib was distinguished by beaded decoration and had a straight lower edge. Men wore a belt with a knife in a sheath, women - with a pincushion, a tinderbox and a pouch. Clothing was decorated with fur, fringe, embroidery, metal plaques, beads. Evenk communities usually consist of several related families, numbering from 15 to 150 people. Until the last century, the custom was preserved, according to which the hunter had to give part of the prey to his relatives. Evenks are characterized by a small family, although earlier polygamy was common in some tribes.

Beliefs and folklore

Cults of spirits, trade and tribal cults, shamanism were preserved. There were elements of the Bear Festival - rituals associated with butchering the carcass of a dead bear, eating its meat, and burying bones. Christianization of the Evenki has been carried out since the 17th century. The influence of Buddhism was strong in Transbaikalia and the Amur region. Folklore included improvisation songs, mythological and historical epic, animal tales, historical and everyday legends, etc. The epic was performed

recitative, often listeners took part in the performance, repeating individual lines after the narrator. Separate groups of Evenks had their own epic heroes (soning). Constant heroes - comic characters were also in everyday stories. From musical instruments known harp, hunting bow, etc., from dances - a round dance (heiro, sadyo), performed to song improvisation. The games were in the nature of competitions in wrestling, shooting, running, etc. Artistic carving on bone and wood, metal processing (men), beadwork, silk embroidery, applique with fur and fabric, embossing on birch bark (women) were developed among the Eastern Evenks.

Evenki of China

Although in Russia it is usually believed that the Evenks live in Russian Siberia, on the adjacent territory In China, they are represented by four ethnolinguistic groups, the total number of which exceeds the number of Evenks in Russia: 39,534 versus 38,396. These groups are united into two official nationalities living in the Evenk Autonomous Khoshun of the Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia and in the neighboring province of Heilongjiang (Nehe County):

• Orochons (literally "reindeer herders", Chinese 鄂伦春, pinyin: Èlúnchūn Zú) - 8196 people according to the 2000 census, 44.54% live in Inner Mongolia, and 51.52% live in Heilongjiang province, 1.2% - in Liaoning province. About half speak the Orochon dialect of the Evenki language, sometimes treated as a separate language; the rest are only in Chinese. At present, Evenk reindeer herders in China are a very small ethnic group, numbering only about two hundred people. They speak a dialect of the North Tungus language. The existence of their traditional culture is under great threat.
• Evenki (Chinese: 鄂温克族, pinyin: Èwēnkè Zú) - 30,505 in 2000, 88.8% in Hulunbuir, including:
• a small group of Evenki proper - about 400 people in the village of Aoluguya (Genhe county), who are now being moved to the suburbs of the county center; they call themselves "yeke", the Chinese - yakute, since they erected themselves to the Yakuts. According to the Finnish altaist Juha Janhunen, this is the only ethnic group in China that practices reindeer herding;

• The Khamnigans are a strongly Mongolized group that speaks the Mongolian languages ​​- the Hamnigan proper and the Hamnigan (Old Barag) dialect of the Evenki language. These so-called Manchurian Hamnigans emigrated from Russia to China within a few years of the October Revolution; about 2500 people live in the Starobargut khoshun;
• Solons - together with the Daurs, they moved from the Zeya River basin in 1656 to the Nunjiang River basin, and then in 1732 partly went further west, to the Hailar River basin, where the Evenk Autonomous Khoshun was later formed with 9733 Evenks. They speak the Solon dialect, sometimes treated as a separate language.

Since both the Hamningans and the "Yakut-Evenks" are very small in number (about 2000 of the first and probably about 200 of the second), the vast majority of persons assigned in China to the Evenki nationality are Solons. Salons were estimated at 7,200 in 1957, 18,000 in 1982, and 25,000 in 1990.

Great people of the Evenk people

GAUDA

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

Bombogor

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

Nemtushkin A.N.

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

After studying, Alitet Nikolaevich comes to work in Evenkia as a correspondent for the Krasnoyarsk Rabochy newspaper. In 1961 he became the editor of the Evenk radio and worked in journalism for over 20 years. His first book, a collection of poems Tymani Agidu (Morning in the Taiga), was published when Alitet Nikolaevich was still a student in 1960. Since then, more than 20 books have been published by Nemtushkin, which were published in Krasnoyarsk, Leningrad, Moscow, Yakutsk. Nemtushkin's poems and prose have been translated into dozens of languages former USSR and socialist countries.

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

Chapogir O.V.

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

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

About the talent and activities of Oleg Chapogir, G.V. Shakirzyanova: “The works of an earlier period, written by him immediately after graduating from college, are mainly devoted to youth topics, they have an unstoppable rhythm and a clear pulse of time. Song works of the late period bear the imprint of a deep thoughtful attitude to folk poetry, to their historical roots, which noticeably distinguishes Oleg Chapogir's composing art from the work of other composers of Evenkia. Oleg Chapogir drew his inspiration not only from the unique beauty of the taiga nature, but also from the poems of our famous Evenk poets A. Nemtushkin and N. Oyogir.” Oleg Chapogir is the author of over 200 songs and melodies. He released eight albums with songs about the Evenks and the North.

Atlasov I.M.

Atlasov Ivan Mikhailovich - a well-known public figure, one of the modern leaders of the Evenks, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Evenk people of Russia. Ivan Mikhailovich was born in 1939 in the Ezhansky nasleg of the Ust-Maya region of Yakutia in the family of an Evenk hunter. From an early age, he worked on a par with adults, knowing the hardships of wartime. He graduated from the 7-year-old Ezhansky school, a secondary school in Ust-May. In 1965, he graduated from the Yakutsk State University with a degree in industrial and civil engineering, remaining to teach at the same faculty. Since 1969, he worked at the Ministry of Housing and Public Utilities of the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, then as Deputy Director of Yakutgorpishchetorg. From 1976 until retirement, he worked at Yakutagropromstroy, built the largest commercial and warehouse buildings of that time.

From the end of the 80s. 20th century is one of the founders of the social movement of indigenous peoples in Yakutia. For several years he headed the Association of Evenks of the Republic of Sakha, in 2009 he was elected Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Evenk people of Russia. The initiator of a number of legislative acts of republican significance aimed at supporting indigenous peoples, an active defender of the environment and the legal rights of small ethnic groups.