Welding
What peoples inhabit Karelia the world around. Karelian people

What peoples inhabit Karelia the world around. Karelian people

"Karjala" ("Karelia") - the name of the region, located on the border of Russia with Finland, in different eras did not mean exactly the same territory. The borders changed many times after the Swedish-Russian wars, and the Karelians settled throughout the region over the centuries. The Karelian language belongs to the northern branch of the Baltic-Finnish group of the Finno-Ugric language family, its closest relative is Finnish. Some researchers consider the Karelian language to be just an eastern dialect of Finnish. Unequivocally, however, the status of the linguistic independence of the Karelian language is evidenced by the fact that most of its speakers live outside of Finland, belong to a different cultural sphere, profess Orthodoxy, and in addition, the Karelians have their own awareness of their national identity, different from the Finns. Due to the large territorial dispersion, they speak several significantly different local dialects, of which some scholars consider the Ludic dialect to be a separate language. While northern Karelian dialects are fairly close to Finnish, southern Karelian dialects differ to a large extent from it.

According to official data for 1989, in Russian Federation 131 thousand Karelians live. Of these, 60% - about 80 thousand people. - lives in the Republic of Karelia. About 23 thousand people live in the Tver region, 12 thousand people live in the Leningrad and Murmansk regions, but among other peoples and nationalities, the Karelians also live in Siberia. The number of Finnish Karelians is about 40-50 thousand people.

Many ethnic formations take part in the ethnogenesis of the Karelian people. The remains of the first settlements in the territories of the subsequent settlement of the Karelians date back to the 7th millennium BC. e. Starting from the IV millennium BC. e. settlers come to these lands from the east and south, making changes in the anthropological type of the local population. The archaeological monument of this population is the so-called Pit-Comb Ware culture, the appearance of which in these territories is usually associated with the arrival of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Finnish and Estonian researchers of ancient history, archaeologists are of the opinion that the ancestors of the Baltic-Finnish peoples already starting from the 4th-3rd millennium BC. e. most of them lived in the territory of their present habitat. According to the traditionally accepted view, the proto-Finns in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. reached the shores of the Baltic, from where, starting from the first centuries of the 1st millennium AD. e., gradually migrated to the northern coast of the Gulf of Finland and to Karelia. The Karelians, who subsequently moved away from other tribes in their language and customs, are usually also reckoned among the Finnish tribes who came to their new homeland.

At the beginning of our era, the ancestors of the Karelians lived in the vicinity of the Onega and Ladoga lakes, from where, at the latest in the 12th century, descending the Northern Dvina, they went to White Sea, and in the north-west penetrated into the territory of modern Finnish

Karelia, to the region of Savolaks and to the north-east coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. The proto-Karelians, who lived in the area between lakes Ladoga and Onega, were forced out to the west and north, but over time, part of the Karelians assimilated with the Veps. Karelians were first mentioned in the Scandinavian sagas in the 8th century. Eastern Slavs in the second half of the 1st millennium AD e. reached the lands adjacent to the Karelians. From the 9th to the 12th centuries South part Karelia belonged to Kievan Rus, then, starting from the XII century. gradually became dependent on Novgorod. In Russian chronicles, Karelia (Korela) and the Karelians are mentioned for the first time in the middle of the 12th century. Previously, in all likelihood, used in relation to the entire set of the Baltic-Finnish peoples, the term "Chud" could also be called Karelians. In the ninth century under the country Bjarmia or Biarmia mentioned in the Scandinavian sagas, famous for its furs and riches, and its inhabitants Bjarms or Biarms, presumably, they could also understand the northern Karelians.

Approximately one millennium earlier from the present time, the appearance of the Karelian people can be dated. Starting from the 11th century, for three centuries, Karelin has experienced an era of noteworthy development, which is associated with the fact that, like other Baltic-Finnish peoples, the Karelians inherited from the increasingly losing their activity the Varangians an important role in laying new trade routes . It was not uncommon for the Karelians to penetrate the territories lying to the west of them. During such a military-fishing expedition, they set fire to the Swedish fortress of Sigtuna. In this era, the territory inhabited by Karelians grew.

From the XI-XII centuries. activities of the Novgorod Orthodox Church on these lands. This activity reached its climax in 1227 under Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, when, according to chroniclers, forced Christianization local residents. Starting from the XIII century. and in Sweden there is a growing interest in the Karelian lands. The Swedes, announcing the crusades, occupied more and more Finnish territories, and their rivalry with Novgorod for the lands of the Karelians gradually began. Since then, the Russian-Swedish confrontation began to mean for the Karelians constant unceasing military clashes and destruction. Novgorod responded to the advance of the Swedes east of the coast of the Gulf of Finland by the fact that after the unsuccessful Karelian revolt of 1278, he annexed Karelia legally. Magic spells in the Karelian language written on birch bark and found in Novgorod date back to this time, which are at the same time the oldest written monument of the Baltic-Finnish languages.

Sweden organized three crusade to conquer Karelian lands. By 1239, the fortress of Viipuri (Vyborg) was founded as a stronghold and springboard for Swedish conquests. This was followed by 30 years of continuous military clashes, during which both sides constantly devastated and ravaged Karelia. The long war was put to an end by the Orekhovsky, or Orekhovetsky, 7 peace, which was concluded in 1323. On the basis of an agreement in force for almost two and a half centuries, the border ran along the Karelian Isthmus, dividing it in half, stretched to the north and northwest to the very end northeast coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. Thus, the border split the lands inhabited by Karelians in two and became an important border that separated the two cultures. The city of Vinpuri (Vyborg) became the center of Western Karelia. Most of Karelia still belonged to Novgorod the Great. Its center was the fortress city of Kakisalmi on the shores of Lake Ladoga. The Karelian language was used practically only to the east of Lake Ladoga, in the border areas they spoke various dialects of the Finnish language.

Once under the rule of Sweden, Western Karelia began to develop faster than Russian Karelia. The Swedes began to settle more northerly lands, where the peace treaty of 1233 did not define the exact boundaries. Thus, in these places the border began to shift to the east. In the XV century. in border skirmishes, the Finns of Savolax fought against their Karelian brothers. These events escalated into the Russian-Swedish war on the Karelian Isthmus in 1555-1557. However, the conclusion of a peace treaty did not change the borders, and the respite, unfortunately, was short-lived. A new Swedish-Russian (Livonian) war broke out for the Baltic territories, including the new Karelian lands. After the Treaty of Taisin (1595), Sweden received all the territories inhabited by Finns. The short peace was again broken by a new war. According to the Stolbovsky peace treaty (1617), the Ladoga lands, the entire Karelian territory and Ingria (Inkeri) were transferred to Sweden. In these territories, the Swedes created the province of Kexholm (Kakisalmi), where they began an intensive campaign to convert the population to the Protestant (Evangelical) faith. Starting in the 1620s, as a result of disproportionately high taxes and forced baptism into Protestantism, more and more residents of the mentioned territories fled to Russia. Half of the population - about 30 to 50 thousand people. - moved to the area between the Onega and Ladoga lakes, as well as to the previously devastated and depopulated lands of the Tver province. And thus arose the so-called Tver Karelia, which has survived to this day.

From the beginning of the XVIII century. Sweden is gradually losing its former role as a great empire. In the Northern War (1700-1721), Russia received back most of the Finnish Karelia that belonged to it in the Middle Ages together in Viipuri (Vyborg), as well as the Karelian Isthmus and lands in the vicinity of Lake Ladoga. These last territories were later called Old Finland. In the next war (1741-1743), all of Karelia, minus a narrow strip of land, was ceded to the Russian Empire.

Second half of the 18th century brought with it the flourishing of the economy and culture. Vyborg became an important commercial and cultural center. The population belonging to the evangelical church was also free to practice their faith. On the lands of Old Finland, the system of distributing land as a gift to royal favorites soon turned the local peasants into almost serfs, but in the more northern territories the economy developed successfully. In 1808-1809. Russia conquered all of Finland and annexed it to her possessions as an independent Grand Duchy of Finland. In 1812, Old Finland again became part of Finland, so that the borders of the Peace of Stolbovsky of 1617 again became valid for the Grand Duchy. Vyborg again became the center of Western Karelia, which, thanks to the opening of the Saimovsky Canal in Saimaa and railway St. Petersburg-Helsingfors (Helsinki) has become one of the busiest seaports.

At the beginning of the XIX century. the first books printed in Cyrillic in the Karelian language appeared. The awakening of the national self-consciousness of the Finnish people had a favorable effect on the Karelians. Published in the middle of the 19th century. the national epic "Kalevala" for the most part was recreated on the basis of the texts collected in Karelin. This prompted the Finnish intelligentsia to go to Karelia in search of their national roots. This is how Karelian romanticism appeared, which received the name "Karelianism".

The obtaining of national independence by Finland and the formation of Soviet Russia drew a clear interstate political and ideological demarcation line between Finnish Karelia and Russian Karelia. The events of the civil war in Finland in 1918 also partially affected Karelia and Karelians. Since 1917 until 1922, several people's assemblies and congresses of delegates were convened in Russian Karelia, at which the autonomy of Karelia was proclaimed, later attempts were made to enter into a free interstate community with Finland, moreover, some villages announced their accession to Finland. However, the unfolding Karelian armed uprising, despite the help of Finnish volunteers, did not achieve its goals due to the superiority of the Bolshevik forces.

The Treaty of Tartu concluded between the Republic of Finland and the RSFSR restored the borders of the Stolbovsky peace. In the memorandum, the Russian side promised to give East Karelia the right to self-determination (autonomy). Because of the failure to fulfill these promises, Finland in 1923 turned to the League of Nations.

In June 1920, the Karelian Workers' Commune was proclaimed, so that the eastern half of Karelia became autonomous region Soviet Russia, and in 1923 it was renamed the Karelian ASSR. In the 1920s many Finns who had previously emigrated to America, being under the influence of propaganda, also returned to Soviet Karelia; they hoped to find their spiritual home there. Many of these idealists, who often returned to their fatherland with all the machines, equipment and working tools, found their death in labor camps.

In 1921, at the 1st All-Karelian Congress of People's Deputies, under pressure from the Bolshevik authorities, a decision was made to teach Finnish in Karelian schools along with Russian. Soviet leadership in anticipation of the coming world revolution, felt the need to get at their disposal the necessary number of party workers who knew the Finnish language. In the so-called Tver Karelia, where in the early 30s. the number of the Karelian population (approx. 155 thousand people) exceeded the number of Karelians living in the Karelian ASSR, in 1931 their own literary language was created on the Latin graphic basis, on which books, newspapers could be published and which could be taught in schools. Then, in 1937, the ability to use the national language was suddenly cut off. By the end of the 30s. the idea of creating a Karelian literary language based on Cyrillic graphics, which would be understandable to all Karelians. In a hurry for a year and a half, the norms of this literary language were developed, in 1938-1939. textbooks, translations, periodicals were published on it, then in 1939 these experiments were put to an end, and then everything went on in Russian.

The terms of the Moscow peace treaty, which crowned the Finnish winter campaign of 1939-1940 unleashed on the Soviet initiative, again imposed on Finland the borders that were in force during the time of Peter the Great, under the pretext of the security of Leningrad and its region. The entire population of the so-called Returned Karelia is more than 400 thousand people. - fled to Finland, where, thanks to the measures and orders taken, they were quickly resettled on the land allocated for them. In the so-called permanent war, which Finland started because of the territories unjustly taken from her, in the period from 1941 to 1944. she regained the territories mentioned, but did not stop at the old borders, but - mainly for strategic reasons, but also under the pretext of close Finno-Karelian kinship - she also occupied most of Russian Karelia, where the non-Karelian population was interned, military orders were introduced and Finnish occupation regime, but despite German pressure, no attacks were made either on Leningrad or on the Leningrad-Murmansk railway. The Soviet counter-offensive began in 1944. The armistice concluded in 1944 restored the borders of 1940. The second World War brought great destruction to the Karelian land.

During the 20th century, the Karelians gradually became a national minority in their national territories. The percentage of Karelians living in the Republic of Karelia in relation to the total population changed as follows:

1897 - 42,3%
1926 - 38.2%
1939 - 23.2%
1959 - 13,1%
1979 - 11,1%
1989 - 10,0%

The level of knowledge of the native language among the younger generation is extremely low. In total, about 50% of the Karelian population of the Republic of Karelia named Karelian as their mother tongue, and, according to some estimates, 90% of children under the age of 10 consider Russian as their mother tongue. The number of Tver Karelians, according to official data, has decreased to almost one-fifth of the previous number, knowledge of the native language is characteristic only of the middle generation. In addition to instilling the assimilation of the Soviet national policy, as well as the influx of the Russian-speaking population that accompanied the process of industrial development, the destruction of Karelian villages in connection with the policy of enlargement of collective farms also played an extremely negative role in the formation of negative trends. Having moved from the villages, having lost contact with the Karelian language environment, many Karelians became completely Russified.

Since the second half of the 80s. under the influence of glasnost, the national self-consciousness of the Karelians intensified, which manifested itself in the political and cultural life in places. After the Karelian Conference in 1989, the Karelian cultural society, in 1991 the Karelian Congress and its Executive Committee of 50 members were elected. In some kindergartens and schools it is possible to study the Karelian language, and the department of Karelian philology has been created at the Petrozavodsk University, the Karelian faculty is also available at the Pedagogical Institute of Petrozavodsk. Regular radio and TV programs have begun, books and textbooks are being published in Karelian. However, in order to stop the assimilation processes, appropriate laws and a material base are needed so that the Karelian people have not only a past, but also a future.

Faces of Russia. "Living Together, Being Different"

The Faces of Russia multimedia project has existed since 2006, telling about Russian civilization, the most important feature of which is the ability to live together, remaining different - this motto is especially relevant for the countries of the entire post-Soviet space. From 2006 to 2012, as part of the project, we created 60 documentaries about representatives of various Russian ethnic groups. Also, 2 cycles of radio programs "Music and songs of the peoples of Russia" were created - more than 40 programs. Illustrated almanacs have been released to support the first series of films. Now we are halfway to creating a unique multimedia encyclopedia of the peoples of our country, a picture that will allow the inhabitants of Russia to recognize themselves and leave a picture of what they were like for posterity.

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"Faces of Russia". Karely. "In the land of Kalevala", 2009

General information

CAR'ELS(the common self-name of the Karelians is Karjalaizet, the Karelians themselves are Karialani, the Ladoga Karelians are Livgilayne, Livviköy, the Onega Karelians are Luyudilaine, Luyudiköy), a people in Russia. The number of 124.9 thousand people. The indigenous population of Karelia (78.9 thousand), also settled in the Tver region (Tver or Upper Volga Karelia - 23.2 thousand people), Leningrad, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Moscow, Kemerovo and other regions of Russia. They also live in Ukraine (2 thousand people), Belarus (1 thousand) and Estonia (1 thousand). The total number is 130.9 thousand people. They speak the Karelian language of the Finno-Ugric group of the Ural family. The main dialects are Karelian proper (middle and northern parts of Karelia), Livvik (Ladoga region), Ludikov (Onezhe region). Also common Finnish language. Believers are Orthodox.

According to the 2002 population census, the number of Karelians living in Russia is 93 thousand people, according to the 2010 census. - 60 thousand 815 people.

The Karelians were formed on the basis of the aboriginal tribes of South Karelia and Southeast Finland. At the turn of the 1st-2nd millennium AD, the ancestors of the Karelians inhabited the northern and northwestern shores of Lake Ladoga. Karelian migration to the north began in the 11th century, to the area between the Ladoga and Onega lakes (the territory of the Novgorod land). Part of the Vesi mixed with them (see Vepsians), in the north of Karelia, part of the Saami entered the Karelians. The territory of the Karelians (korels in Russian chronicles) was part of the Novgorod Republic, from 1478 - the Russian centralized state. In 1920, the Karelian Labor Commune was formed on the territory of the Karelians, which was transformed in 1923 into the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and since 1991 the Republic of Karelia.

Ancient Karelians (korelas) are mentioned in Russian chronicles (for the first time in 1143), Scandinavian sagas, chronicles, bulls of the Pope. With the decomposition of the tribal organization, the development of the ethnic consolidation of the tribal groups of the Korela began, the formation of the Karelian cultural community (12-14 centuries). The Russian population had a significant influence on the culture of the Karelians.

The spread of arable farming (beginning of the 2nd millennium AD) laid the foundation for the emergence of an integrated economy among the Karelians. Traditional occupations are three-field and slash-and-burn agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting, fishing, forestry, handicrafts, in the north - reindeer breeding. The main agricultural crops are rye, barley, oats, peas, turnips, radishes, from the beginning of the 20th century - swede, onions, carrots, beets, from the 40s of the 19th century - potatoes. They kept cows, undersized horses, coarse-haired sheep, in the south of Karelia - pigs. Fishing played an important role. The Karelians were engaged in beekeeping, smoking tar and tar. Since the Middle Ages, iron production has been developed. Iron was produced from local swamp ores in forges and domestic stoves-smokers. Welding technology, forging, artistic and forge soldering, copper plating, inlay with non-ferrous metal, copper foundry, and the manufacture of jewelry from copper, bronze, and silver are known.

Traditional crafts: blacksmithing, weaponry, cooperage, weaving, embroidery, knitting, gold and pearl embroidery, weaving from straw, birch bark, wood carving and painting, ceramics, wood and metal processing, jewelry making. The main income was provided by forestry - felling and rafting of wood, logging, work at sawmills. Since the 18th century, otkhodnichestvo has developed, in the north of Karelia - peddling trade with Finland. The modern socio-economic development of the Karelovs is determined by diversified production (logging, woodworking, pulp and paper industry, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, etc.). For a significant part of the Karelians, agriculture remains an essential branch of production.

Until the end of the 19th century, a large 3-4-generation family (up to 25 and even 40 people) survived. It was characterized by joint ownership of property, collective participation in household affairs. Today, the Karels have a small family, its average size is 3 people.

Coastal settlements (river or lake) with two main types of settlement: predominantly nesting, which apparently arose at the turn of the 1st-2nd millennium AD, and scattered farms. The forms of settlements (by planning, orientation of the facades of houses) are mainly of three options: random, coastal-row (from the 16-17th century) and street (from the 19th century). The dwelling of the Karelians is close to the North Russian one with a significant height of the log house (14-21 crowns) and a combination of housing for the family and buildings for livestock under one roof. The houses were decorated with carved porches, platbands, openwork anemones, decorative balconies.

Northern Russian forms prevailed in traditional clothes. The basis of the complex of women's clothing: various shirts, a sundress (from the 16th century), a jacket with a skirt, a scarf, a magpie. Men's clothing consisted of a shirt with a slanting collar, trousers with a narrow step. In the Ladoga region, there was an ancient type of unsewn skirt (khurstut), among the Olonets Karelians - a skirt complex. The northern Karelians are characterized by a women's shirt with a slit on the back, shoes with a bent toe, for all groups of Karelians - men's neckerchiefs, knitted and woven belts, greaves. Shoes made of birch bark, leather, fur, felted.

The traditional food of the Karelians was dominated by lake fish (salted, dried, dried), plant and animal products, forest gifts. Favorite food - fresh fish soup, in the north of Karelia - with flour podbolka, in the south - with potatoes, pearl barley. Gates with cereal and potato fillings are widespread everywhere. Kolobs, skants, kosoviki, ryadoviki, lenten pies - traditional dishes Sunday and holiday tables. An ancient dish - oatmeal pancakes. They baked sour loaf bread, in the north and in central Karelia - a special flat-shaped unleavened "bread with a hole." Drinks - tea, in the north coffee, sometimes salted, in the past - turnip kvass.

Patterned weaving is widespread, including complex species artistic weaving techniques, knitting, straw weaving, carving and painting. Embroidery is distinguished by a rich set of geometric, anthropomorphic, and plant motifs.

In folklore - the most ancient epic songs (runes), accompanied by playing the kantele, a plucked instrument. The Karelian-Finnish epic "Kalevala" was recorded mainly in the Ukhta (now Kalevala) region, it has 22,795 verses. Lyrical, ritual (wedding, etc.) songs, lamentations, spells, fairy tales (magic, about animals, etc.), proverbs, sayings, and riddles were widely used. In the 19th century, rhyming songs appeared, short songs like Russian ditties. In northern Karelia, Finnish lyrical, round dance, comic songs, "cruel" love romances have long been sung.

E.I. Klementiev

Essays

What is lived is white, what is not lived is dark

"Kalevala" - a cult thing

Karelian folklore is very diverse. And the most important place in it is occupied by the most ancient epic songs (runes). They are accompanied by playing the kantele plucked instrument. The Karelian-Finnish epic Kalevala was recorded mainly in the Ukhta (now Kalevala) region, this book contains 22,795 verses.

"Kalevala", as they say now, is a cult thing. From the songs of this epic, one can feel, one can see that with the help of the power of words, sound and magic spells, a person organizes the world, defeats enemies, conquers nature.

Not only the “eternal soothsayer” Väinämöinen possessed the gift of spells and magical knowledge, but also the blacksmith Ilmarinen.

“He decorated the sky with words, with his conversations,” says the rune about forging the sky, as well as Lemminkäinen. In the contest at the feast in Päivälä, the rivals use the power of words to create animals.

But if “Kalevala” is a heroic epic, then there are Karelians and household epic, a family epic called “Kanteletar”. The best guide for family life Karelians have not yet come up with, have not composed. “Kanteletar” is a story about how Karelians live, how they fall in love, quarrel, and make peace. This thing is full of humor. Events in it occur with incredible speed. And if we judge the Karelian character precisely by the texts collected in Kanteletar, then no Karelians are slow. On the contrary, active and impetuous. Rhymed verses from the everyday epic "Kanteletar" are simply sung on stage. In the early 80s of the last century, a play based on this work was staged in Petrozavodsk on the stage of the Finnish Drama Theater. She enjoyed extraordinary popularity for many years.

Archaic wedding songs of the Karelians are not numerous. They have been preserved in the White Sea and Segozero Karelia. Usually these are admonition songs - to the bride, young people, songs of the meeting of two families. Wedding songs can be sung with runic and lamented tunes. The most famous songs are "An eagle flew from the east" and "The world was waiting for a new moon."

In the wedding tradition of Lyudik Karelians, Segozero Karelians (to a lesser extent) by the 20th century, Russian (Pudozh, Zaonezh, Svir) wedding songs were entrenched, which are performed in Russian, and since the 30s have been translated into Karelian.

In the system of genres of the Karelian musical tradition, "huhuhja" - the calls of pets - is unique. In the middle of the 20th century, the Finnish researcher E. Ala-Könni was engaged in collecting this material, recording the cries of the Ladoga Karelians and the Karelians of Finland. This genre has analogues in the Estonian women's shepherd's musical tradition. Invocations are performed only by women or shepherd girls. The text is improvisational, functional, the rhythm is free, the scale of the cries is unstable, the tessitura of the sound is constantly increasing both in the structure as a whole and in its individual sections.

The tradition of ditties became widespread in the 20th century. It was formed on the basis of Karelian luhutpajot (short songs) with a slow, drawn-out tune; Russian ditties, runic songs and songs of urban tradition.

Karelian riddles have absorbed centuries-old folk wisdom, peasant cunning, northern solidity. Surprises, original and unusual analogies, erotic humor lurk in riddles. Many ancient mysteries are so obscure that they cannot be solved by logical reasoning. You just need to learn them by heart and not forget. Interestingly, the Karelians themselves know a lot about riddles and know how to crack them like nuts.

People who know hundreds of riddles, proverbs and tales still live in Karelian villages.

Riddles are usually guessed by women, men themselves do not agree to guess, but they suggest “Think about the mitten ...”, clearly hinting at the ambiguity of the riddle. From time immemorial, morning was considered a convenient time for guessing; in the evening, riddles were forbidden - they were afraid of the arrival of the “mistress of riddles”. If a person could not guess a certain number of riddles (three, six, nine), he was expelled from those present.

Many Karelian riddles were composed on the verge of what is permitted. A little more, a little more, and they would be perceived as obscenities. But that is precisely the skill of the one who guesses, that he does not cross this line. Lightly tickle the guesser's imagination with a light erotic tickle, this is possible, this is permissible. And to cultivate obvious vulgarities is unacceptable. But sometimes, having gone into a rage or played too much, they still crossed this fine line of the “master of riddles”. And you shouldn't blame them for that. This is now sexual literature is quite accessible. She's just a lot. If you want, read Freud. If you want - simpler reference books, and even with illustrations. And in those distant times, it was through riddles that Karelians got a real idea of \u200b\u200b"male and female", about the relationship between different sexes.

Here are some examples of relatively innocent, as if erotic, riddles, but in fact absolutely not erotic. The one who makes a riddle simply directs our attention on the wrong track ...

The girl is dressed in a thousand dresses, and her butt is open. (Chicken).

Swinging, shaking, holding on to meat. earring in the ears).

A man climbs on the stove, a stick hanging from behind. (Cat tailed)

A thief enters a closet, leaving knapsacks on the threshold. (copulation).

It would not be superfluous to add that these riddles were brought from the Olonets province at the end of the century by the famous writer Nikolai Leskov.

Day and night in Karelia

Recently, disputes have been actualized about two types of culture - about larks and about owls. Indeed, there are people who are focused on daily life, on technical progress, on rational ways of mastering the world. And there are those who are drawn to the "nightlife", which is dominated by intuition and irrational forms of knowledge.

So, the night component in the Karelian culture is great, significant. According to some researchers, witchcraft and magic occupy an exceptional place in the culture of the Karelians. Many objects among the Karelians are considered magical. For example, mercury, teeth and claws of totem animals, the color of rye, a piece of skin with a five-pointed star carved on it (a pentagram is a sign-amulet among many peoples of the world). To protect the newborn from the evil eye, a piece of his umbilical cord was sewn into a leather amulet. The child was wearing it. It was thought to help.

We would not so unambiguously attribute the craving for magic and symbolism to nightlife. But facts are stubborn things. The Karelians had prohibitions against telling fairy tales in the summer and during the day. The storyteller needs darkness so that he can see in his imagination what is being said and cause similar impressions in his listeners.

It is at dusk and at night that the most important events take place in the fairy tale. The fairy tale performed a protective function, because, according to the ideas of the Karelians, the told fairy tale forms a protective “iron” hoop around the house, protecting it from the harmful effects of evil spirits. Fairy tales are more common in the north of Karelia. In the northern tales, there is a palpable kinship with the epic song tradition. The "night" is more pronounced in the culture of the northern Karelians, which is probably due to the harsh climate.

In the south, satirical and everyday tales were more popular. With clear and light content. We will tell one of these tales.

How one guy taught the king a lesson

Once upon a time there lived a king. He loved to listen to stories. Throughout the state, the royal servants were looking for storytellers for the king, - the king demanded every day a new fairy tale. And if he was told one that he had already heard once, he ordered the storyteller to be executed. And how was it to know whether he had heard this tale or not?
It used to happen that as soon as they began to tell him a familiar story for the second time, the tsar immediately ordered that the narrator's head be cut off.

And then the day came when there were no storytellers left in this kingdom who would dare to speak before the king. And the king loses his temper, shouting at the servants:
- Get me a storyteller, wherever you want! Otherwise, it's all over for you!

Servants rush about, do not remember themselves. And suddenly a stranger comes to the palace.

He came, greeted the king and said:

Would you like to listen to my story?

And the tsar is happy and happy. In a hurry, looking into the guy's mouth.

Come on, come on, tell me soon! And he sits him beside him in an easy chair.

The guy says to the king: - Well, listen. You've probably never heard of such a fairy tale. It was a long time ago when my grandfather and your grandfather built a barn together. It was such a long barn that if a log were to be stretched in it, a squirrel would not be able to jump from end to end in a whole day. That was the shed! Haven't you heard of this?

No, I have not heard, - the king says, - what happened next?

Morning comes again. The king again seats him next to him, hurries:

So, - says the guy, - your grandfather and my grandfather raised a bull in this barn. Such was the bull that the swallow had to fly all day in order to move from one horn to another. Have you heard of this bull?

No, - says the king, - it was not necessary.

But I haven’t heard, that’s enough for today, - the guy says. And left again.
“You are a cunning fellow,” the king thinks, “only I will outwit you anyway. To be you, like others, without a head!

He summoned all his courtiers and said:

When tomorrow this guy starts talking again, you all come to listen and, whatever he says, shout: “We heard it, we heard it! So I'll catch him."

The guy came and again. He sat down and started talking.

When your father and my father reigned next door, your father borrowed thirty barrels of gold from my father. He took me away on thirty horses. Have you heard about it?

Heard, heard! shouted the courtiers in unison.

Well, since everyone has heard, so repay, king, the debt! - says the guy.

And the king had to pay the guy with gold. After all, you can’t argue if everyone shouts in unison that they have heard about this duty. The king ordered his treasurers to prepare gold for the guy.

They collected, collected, but only ten barrels were collected, the king had no more in the treasury.

Our guy got rich, on a troika of horses he left the king. An instructive tale, like many Karelian proverbs.

Alone, only fight with porridge.

Homeland - strawberries, foreign land - blueberries.

To live life is to make a callus, either on the hand or on the tongue.

Even a good fight is not worth a bad bast shoe.

Or here's another - just the pinnacle of bright folk wisdom:

What is lived is white, what is not lived is dark.

Karelians belong to the Ural-Yukaghir family of peoples, to its Finno-Ugric group and the Baltic-Finnish subgroup, which also includes Finns, Veps, Sami, Izhorians and Vod. All of the listed ethnic groups, except for the Finnish, are small or even disappearing, like the Izhora and Vod living in the neighboring Leningrad region.There are various versions of the origin of the Karelians and their settlement on the territory of modern Karelia and the European part of Russia. By the 9th-10th centuries, the main ethnic formations (tribes) north of the Slavic lands were the Chud and the whole (the progenitor of the Veps). The most stable early medieval ties between the lands adjacent to the Svir River and the lands of Karelia were recorded on the Olonets Plain and along the eastern coast of Lake Ladoga: from the Obzha region in the south to the Vidlitsa and Tuloksa rivers in the north. The Olonets lands directly adjoined the ancient Svir habitat along the rivers Syas, Pasha, Oyat.Since the 12th century, the Korela people have been known, which arose on the lands of the Karelian isthmus and the northwestern Ladoga region. Mentions of the ancient Karelians are quite frequent both in Western European and Old Russian written sources, including Old Norse geographical works, Icelandic sagas, Swedish chronicles (the oldest of which dates back to the 13th-14th centuries) and even bulls of the Pope. And everywhere the Karelians act as competitors in the development of the northern regions, bordering on Norway. The formation of the legendary state of Korela in the northwestern Ladoga region for a long time completely deprived the western neighbors of the possibility of capturing the Ladoga lands.The areas of the eastern coast of Ladoga turned out to be one of the meeting zones of the Vepsian and Karelian colonization. There was a gradual rapprochement of cultures weigh, Korela and indigenous people local places.The Karelians, like other Baltic-Finnish peoples, were very early drawn into the circle of influence of Slavic-Russian culture and history, at the stage when they had not yet formed political system. Having become part of the Novgorod, and then the Russian state, they somehow became involved in the course of the political and economic life of Russia. The endless wars of Veliky Novgorod, and then the Russian sovereigns over trade routes going to the East through the coast of the Gulf of Finland, devastated our land and led to mass death of the population. The border was also constantly changing, which caused mass migrations and complicated ethnic composition population.The Swedes attacked the Karelian land until the beginning of the 19th century. The period of the Time of Troubles in the second half of the 16th - early 17th centuries, when both the Swedes and the Polish-Lithuanian troops attacked us, was especially difficult. According to the Stolbovsky peace treaty of 1617, the coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Korelsky district went to Sweden. A mass migration of people from there began. Karelian settlements that have survived to this day appeared near Tver, near Tikhvin, in Valdai. Most of the migrants from Korela settled in the territories of the Zaonezhsky churchyards, including in our places, mixing with the population already living here. It was at this time that independent ethnic groups arose on a wide strip between the Onega and Ladoga lakes. Karelians-Livviks and Karelians-Ludiks. Since the border between Russia and Sweden came close to Olonets, its status also changed. Olonetsky district became an outpost of Russia. We will not dwell on the construction of the Olonets fortress in 1649 - Olonets know a lot about this. Let us only note that it led to the gathering of the Karelian population into our region, which, along with migration from the Korelsky district, led to the unification of ethno-local, disparate groups of Karelians. This is how a group of Karelians was formed, who inhabit our region to this day.Over the course of many centuries, the Karelian language also took shape, in which the three dialects: Proper Karelian, Ludikovsky and Livvikovsky, which is spoken by the Olonets Karelians, excluding the area of the village of Mikhailovskoye, where the Karelians-lyudiki live. That is why it is so difficult for an Olon resident to understand the speech of the Mikhailovites. Both the Lyudik and Livvik dialects of the Karelian language have a Vepsian basis, although in the Livvik dialect the influence of Vepsian speech is less noticeable.Why are we
we don't speak our native language It is well known that a people is alive as long as its language is alive. And today we, Karelians, often hear reproach that we do not speak our native language. But before you blame, you need to understand why this happened. This, rather, is not our fault, but a misfortune. Judge for yourself. The Russian linguistic influence on the Olonets Karelians increased sharply in the 17th century, during the construction of the fortress. However, back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the native language was the main means of communication for Karelians. There were relatively few Karelians who knew two languages, at the beginning of the 20th century - about 10%. Bilingualism did not supplant the native language in any way. But everything changed after October revolution. In 1918, a legislative decree on teaching in schools in the Karelian language was still issued. However, in the 1920s and 1930s, the leadership of the republic was dominated by emigrant Finns, some of whom voluntarily left their homeland, and some were forcibly expelled from Finland after the defeat of the revolutionary movement of 1918 there. These were the so-called Red Finns, who considered the Karelians and Finns to be a single people, and the Karelian language as one of the eastern dialects of the Finnish language. Therefore, they considered it expedient to introduce the Finnish language into the official sphere and the education system, and not to promote the development of writing in the Karelian language. Most researchers believe that the exclusion of the native language from these areas caused irreparable harm to the development of the Karelian people. A confrontation began between the so-called "cultural" languages (Russian and Finnish), which had their own written language, and the "uncivilized" ones (Karelian and Vepsian), which did not have a written language.Here are the main milestones of this confrontation: July 1920- The First All-Karelian Congress of Working People declared Russian and Finnish languages to be the "native folk languages" of the inhabitants of Karelia (in our region - Russian).March 1922- The First Karelian Regional Party Conference described the idea of creating Karelian writing as "chauvinistic, politically incorrect and harmful, used to fool the dark masses."July 1923- Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, where the terms "Karelian-Finnish people" and "Karelian-Finnish language" appear.Second half of the 30s - a campaign to spread the Russian language and expand the social functions of Karelian. In 1938 teaching in schools with Karelian students was transferred from Finnish to Karelian.1938- creation of Karelian written language, as close as possible to Russian and freed from the norms of Finnish as bourgeois. Based on the Livvik dialect.September 1, 1940 - The first congress of the Central Committee of the republic decided to abolish teaching in schools in the Karelian language. A tacit ban on the use of the Karelian language in institutions has been introduced.1939-1940- The Karelian ASSR was transformed into the Karelian-Finnish SSR. Russian and Finnish are again becoming official languages. In schools with Karelian staff, teaching once again begins to take place in Finnish.Is it necessary to say that in period of Finnish occupation Finnish was, of course, the main language in all areas of life? After the war children are again taught in Russian. From the stories of my father and other older indigenous people in the area, I can easily imagine what it was like for children to constantly switch from one language to another. Of course, the study of a number of subjects, as a result, caused great difficulties, while closing the doors of higher educational institutions for the majority of the indigenous population.As a result of this confrontation between languages, the issue of creating Karelian writing was removed from the agenda for almost half a century. Such a language policy brought up among the Karelians an attitude towards their native language as unpromising and not prestigious. There was a gradual loss of native speech skills. In the late 1960s, 94% of the population could speak Karelian fluently. However, young people began to give preference to Russian or two languages at once. Fundamental changes in the bilingualism of the Karelians began to occur at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. The younger the parents were, the less often they addressed their children in Karelian. This happened in my family as well. Parents and grandmother spoke to each other in their native language, and with me and my brother exclusively in Russian. I have always been interested to know what adults are talking about. Therefore, I quickly learned to understand Karelian, but not to speak. My brother did not learn anything from the Karelian language at all.The worst thing is that the mass transition of the Karelians from their native language to Russian led to a change in ethnic identity. We began to associate ourselves with Russian culture, knowing almost nothing about Karelian. And yet, at the age of 16, upon receiving a passport, I confidently called myself a Karelian, sincerely believing that since everyone in the family is Karelian, it means that I belong to this people. However, an employee passport office I politely but insistently explained that since I did not speak Karelian, I should be recorded as Russian. That's how I became Russian, having only Karelians in my pedigree. Then, however, she periodically tried to change her passport in order to change her nationality, but the “national” reason was not a valid reason for changing the document.It is good that recently the situation related to the attitude towards national languages has changed dramatically. Now I already speak my native language a little, thanks to my colleagues at the House of Children's Creativity, where it is prestigious to speak Karelian. But is it too late for us to realize? No teaching of the Karelian language in kindergartens, schools and even universities will help its revival if the native language is not spoken in the family.

Since in our time much has changed in the way of life of the Karelians, my reasoning will be mostly based on travel essays by A. Sobornov, N. Leskov, M. Krukovsky, who visited the Olonets region in the late 19th - early 20th century. Each of them, of course, saw the Karelians in his own way, but there is much in common in their descriptions. Let's start with the features of appearance. Purebred Karelians are usually people with blond soft hair, light blue or gray eyes. The complexion is pinkish. In men, the mustache is always lighter than the beard. As Krukovsky writes, “the Karelian is of good average height, the whole figure is dense, stocky, and the face always makes a good impression. I almost never met ugly korels or repulsive faces, and children in general are even beautiful ... the Finnish type of korel was smoothed out to some extent by the Slavic roundness of the face and greater mobility. In our area, even now we will find many local residents who are fully this description. I remember how at one ethnographic conference held in Petrozavodsk, the presenter asked representatives of one or another region of the republic to get up from their seats. And only she guessed us herself, saying that it is easy to distinguish Olon residents from others in appearance.Now let's talk about the features of our mentality. All the ethnographers mentioned above noticed the following features in the Karelians. Firstly, the fact that the nature of the Karelians is quiet, even, soft, peaceful. They love peace and tranquility. Is this not the reason for our endless patience, about which so much has been said lately? Secondly, Karelians are trusting and hospitable. Even now you can be convinced of this in any of our villages by visiting some Karelian grandmother. You will immediately be seated at the table and will be treated to tea with pies or whatever is in store. That's how it was in my family. As a child, my grandmother and mother always scolded my brother and me if we ate everything tasty at once. “What if someone comes in, and we have nothing to put on the table,” they said. Not giving tea to a guest was considered a disgrace. “For all the beggarly conditions of the home life of the Korels, you are involuntarily struck by the passion of the latter for tea and coffee,” says A. Sobornov. Good tea will still be the best present for an elderly village Karelian.“Korel is honest to the smallest detail, he will never deceive or rob,” writes Krukovsky, telling that things he had forgotten in Karelian villages invariably returned to him, sometimes even hundreds of miles away. It is well known that the Karelians have never locked their houses before. Stealing something from your neighbor was a terrible sin. Now, of course, we cannot leave our apartment unlocked, but the broom or stick that is still attached to the door just touches me. Previously, this was done so that people knew that the owners were not at home. In our time, the castle will tell about it. And yet we have a centuries-old habit!Another feature inherent in Karelians is diligence. In Karelian fairy tales, you can hardly find a character like the Russian Emela, who lives “at the behest of a pike”. Karel is used to relying only on himself. As I work, so I will live. And the life of the Karelians was not very easy. I remember how, when I was a student, Russian classmates sometimes jokingly threw to us, Olonchanka, “Karel ate bark”, not knowing that this was not a simple teaser, but the true truth. Here is what A. Sobornov writes about this in 1875: “The Korelak is starving. Its usual food is fish, radish, turnips and bread. For the most part, the Korelak eats bread consisting of rye mixed with straw or pine bark.” It may have been easier on the Olonets Plain: after all, a lot can be grown here, but all the same, the whole life of the Karelian was spent in labor for the sake of daily bread in the harsh conditions of the north.All researchers noticed such a character trait of the Karelians as disgust, especially in food. For example, we read from Krukovsky: “Korel does not eat anything that is new to him, unprecedented, for example, a simple sausage, which already makes a repulsive impression on him ... He does not eat a hare, considering it unclean, does not eat crayfish, chickens, even He only eats chicken eggs at Easter. Now, of course, this feature of our mentality has somehow smoothed out. But here's what's amazing. One of the youngest members of our family, almost from birth, was distinguished by extreme disgust, although no one brought up this trait in him. He ate only from dishes polished to a shine, constantly asked if we washed our hands before eating, etc., never ate either the liver or other internal organs of animals. We all wondered where it came from, until my grandmother told me that she had a sibling who behaved in exactly the same way. Apparently, excessive disgust manifested itself at the gene level.People of other nationalities who live next to the Karelians sometimes quite rightly reproach the latter for being extremely superstitious. This reproach is justified, although superstition in Karelians coexists with faith. “Karel is very religious, religious to the point of superstition, although he rarely knows any prayer. His entire prayer consists of the words: “Lord, have mercy!”, and in these words he puts everything that he asks from God. Almost every village has, if not a church, then a chapel, and crosses are erected everywhere: at crossroads, near the road, on the banks of a lake or river, in a dense forest, even in a field. However, “having adopted Christianity without understanding it, the Korel remained faithful to many superstitions that have been with him since the time of paganism ... and his silence and isolation can most likely be explained by the unwillingness to anger this or that spirit with an extra word spoken at an unkind hour” (M. Krukovsky ). That is why the Karelians tried not to use swear words (especially obscene ones), being afraid to bring trouble on themselves.And superstitions really live in us until now. Most of them are connected with the main stages of human life: birth, marriage, death. You yourself, while attending a funeral, probably watched some older woman perform some mysterious rites, the meaning of which she herself cannot explain - it just happened. When my brother and I were small and sick, my grandmother treated us with conspiracies, whispering something without fail in Karelian. When my son was born, my good mother-in-law, enlightened modern woman, performed a whole ceremony, washing her grandson in the bath for the first time. Later, when the doctors could not cope with the baby's allergy, a woman from Meghreg helped us, who also performed some kind of medicine on the child. mysterious activities. I think you can give many such examples yourself. From a religious point of view, superstition is a sin. But I am sorry that the people of my generation have lost the centuries-old knowledge that has always helped the Karelian to survive.Another reproach, often heard in our address, is that the Karelian can be very cunning. But what about his innocence, which was discussed above? Here is what A. Sobornov writes about this: “An uncultivated korelak is the most ingenuous creature; Korelak is cultivated (cultivated - approx. auth.) constantly, when dealing with Russians, cunning. Russian peasants, when dealing with the Korelians, very often treat the latter with disdain, persecute them with ridicule, and quite often, taking advantage of the innocence of the Korelians, deceive the latter. How can you not be smart? In general, a lot can be said about the influence of Russians on Karelians, which we will deal with in an article devoted to Russians living in our region. Once they brought here all the benefits of civilization, giving the Karelians the opportunity to develop. But there was another side. All ethnographers at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century note the absolute sobriety of the Karelians. Alcoholic drinks if they were used, then very moderately, usually at a wedding. One bottle was bought, and the most important guests were treated from it in the crate. The bottle was not placed on the table. Then only those Karelians began to drink, who left the villages for small factories, of which there were several in our area. Everything changed completely under the Soviet regime. How many Karelian teetotalers will we find now? My people drink too much even faster than others, because they did not have an alcoholic tradition for many centuries, and they did not have time to develop immunity to alcohol. You can try to restore cultural traditions, language. But how to save the Karelian gene pool? Agree, it is painful and insulting to feel like a representative of a dying people. On this sad note, dear readers, let me say goodbye to you for now until the next article.

We bake gates in the Karelian village of Kinerma, the most beautiful in Russia. Photo: IA "Republic" / Igor Georgievsky

Immediately dot the ā. Several peoples lived together on the territory of Karelia for many centuries - each of them contributed something of its own to the historical appearance of the republic. The greatest influence (besides Russians) was exerted by Karelians, Vepsians and Finns.

For the last thousand years they lived side by side, exchanged cultural achievements, mixed - and as a result, modern Baltic-Finnish peoples living in our republic appeared. However, within each of them there are separate groups. Sometimes they differ in the dialect of their language, sometimes in their place of residence, and sometimes in both.

We will talk about Veps and Finns in our project a little later, today we are talking about the titular ethnic group: it was the Karelians who gave the name to our republic.

Karely

A few numbers. Today, the compact places of residence of Karelians are Olonetsky (53%), Pryazhinsky (32%) and Kalevalsky (36%) national regions. The share of Karelians in the republic is 7.1% (according to the 2010 census - 45,530 people).

In the Karelian people, scientists traditionally distinguish three groups, which differ primarily in the features of the language and place of residence. Statistics unite them, but on the territory of the present republic live Livviks, Ludiks and Karelians proper.

Proper Karelians

In the north of the republic, for several centuries now, there have been people who call themselves simply “Karels”. Scientists also refer to them as "Karelians proper" or "Northern Karelians". Their language is closest to Finnish, most often it is considered the reference dialect of Karelian.

The Karelians themselves live on the territory of the Kalevalsky, Loukhsky, Belomorsky, Segezhsky, Muezersky, Medvezhyegorsky (formerly Padansky) regions.

Livvik Karelians

Karelians who call themselves Livviks have historically settled in the Olonetsky District and part of the Pryazhinsky District. Living in the Ladoga region, the Livviks had long contact with the Veps and more western tribes of Finno-Ugric origin, so their language is rich in borrowings from Veps and some Western Baltic languages.

Karelian people

In the Pryazhinsky and Kondopozhsky districts live Karelians-lyudiki. Their language was most influenced by the Veps language, and its development was also influenced by the Karelian dialect proper.

Karelians, of course, live not only on the territory of the republic. A significant group settled in the Tver region in the Middle Ages. Their self-name Tver Karelians, and their language is closest to Karelian proper. Karelians live in St. Petersburg, Murmansk and Leningrad regions, in Moscow.

A separate issue is the Karelians in Finland. In the 20th century, most of them were finally assimilated by the Finns, but still in neighboring country, according to some estimates, up to 25 thousand Karelians live.

Today there are almost 90 thousand Karelians in the world. More than 60 thousand live in Russia, about 25 thousand live in Finland. 45 thousand Karelians live in Karelia, more than 7 thousand live in the Tver region, the rest live in St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Leningrad and Novgorod regions, as well as in Moscow.

Karelian

Natalya Nikolaeva, director of the Olonets Museum of Livvik Karelians, is a Karelian. She speaks the Livvik dialect, although not as fluently as her family used to speak. It's a pity, she thinks, but the living everyday Karelian is leaving the life of the inhabitants of Olonets.

Almost until the end of the twentieth century, people spoke Karelian only at home. In 1940, the language was deprived of official status and forcibly ousted from all areas of application, except for everyday use.

The question was returned only after perestroika. In 1989, the authorities of Karelia officially approved the alphabet of the Karelian (Livvik dialect).

The unified alphabet of the Karelian language was approved by a decree of the government of the republic only in 2007. Seven years later, a change was made to it: the letter Cc was added.

What language do the natives of the republic speak and write today?

In the Kalevalsky and Loukhsky districts - in the proper Karelian, close to Finnish. In the south and in the central part - in the Livvik and Ludik dialects of the Karelian language.

The alphabet is common, the vocabulary is often similar, but southern and northern Karelians speak different dialects.

House of the Karelian language

“My mother was born in neighboring Kinerma,” says Olga Gokkoeva. “Now my sister Nadezhda lives in Kinerma with her family. But we grew up in Petrozavodsk, we came here only for the summer.

I remember, as a child, you ride a bus and hear only Karelian speech. And laughter, constant laughter! It feels like everyone is talking at the same time, no one is listening to each other - everyone is talking and everyone is laughing!

Sisters. Nadezhda Kalmykova and Olga Gokkoeva. Photo: Igor Georgievsky

Olga already learned Karelian (as well as Finnish) at the university. He has been living in Finland for a long time, but he comes to Karelia all the time, and not only to see his sister. Olga built a house in Vedlozero. Not for myself, but for the villagers. House of the Karelian language.

Money for the House of the Karelian Language is collected by the whole world. They help in any way they can: one writes applications for grants, the other bakes gates for tourists.

None binding rule speak only in their native language here. But the House of the Karelian Language in Vedlozero is in last years real national center of the republic.

“We have a Karelian (not Livvik!) Language House,” says Olga Gokkoeva. - We do not divide our people into Livviks, Ludiks and Karelians proper. And we work with everyone, we want people to hear each other.

I believe that without a native language and without understanding where you are coming from, it is very difficult to grow up as a harmonious person. For example, I feel good in any country, even if I don't know the language. Because I know who I am, I know where I'm from.

And I always proudly declare my origin. That's why I don't wear national costumes: after five minutes of talking with me, everyone knows that I'm a Karelian!

Olga Gokkoeva. Photo: IA "Respublika" / Igor Georgievsky

Natalya Sparrow. Photo: IA "Respublika" / Nikolai Smirnov

Karelov in the project "100 Symbols of Karelia" is represented by Natalya Vorobey, the chairman of the Union of the Karelian people:

— Today, the Karelian language is moving from the village to the city along with its native speakers. From a simple, everyday language, it turns into a language of communication for the creative intelligentsia, and not only the national one.

Both those who have national roots and those who want to learn more about the history and traditions of our republic are enrolled in the courses of Livvik and Karelian proper every year. This is not possible without language.

Karelian is adapting to new, modern realities: VKontakte has an interface in Karelian proper, Wikipedia is actively developing in Livvik. We speak Karelian at work and at home. As long as the language is alive, the people also live.

Natalya Vorobey is not a Karelian. Father is Belarusian, mother is Russian, although from the Vepsian village of Revselga. Language ( proper Karelian dialect) Natalia began to study at the Pedagogical College, then continued at the Faculty of Baltic-Finnish Philology and Culture of Petrozavodsk University.

- But I really spoke only when I came to work on television, in the national editorial office. And she went on business trips to the north of Karelia: to Kalevala, to Yushkozero. On business trips, I even see my dreams in Karelian.

And Natalia also speaks her native (already native!) Language with her daughter Tarja.

Until the age of three, while I was in maternity leave, spoke with the child only in Karelian. And the first language my daughter spoke was Karelian.

I understand that it can just stay in the family, at the level of "let's have tea / get dressed / let's go." Of course, this is not enough. And I drag her to all national events so that she can hear the speech, so that she has someone to talk to. The child was nine months old when I took her to Lahti, Finland, to the Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples. Now I look at these photos - well, is a normal mother ?!

Now in kindergarten already Tarja teaches teachers the Karelian language. I put the cubes together and explained to everyone what KOTI had built.

Because koti is home.

The project was made by:
Maria Lukyanova, project editor
Elena Fomina, the author of the text
Igor Georgievsky, photographer
Nikolay Smirnov, photographer
Boris Kasyanov, photographer
Vladimir Volotovsky, operator
Ilya Dedyushko, producer
Pavel Stepura, layout
Elena Kuznetsova, project consultant

The idea of the project is to write a book together for the centenary of our republic. During the year, 100 reports about 100 symbols of our region will be published on Respublika, in the newspaper Karelia and on the TV channel Sampo TV 360°. The result of this work will be a beautiful gift album "100 symbols of Karelia". What kind of symbols these will be, we decide together - we have already received hundreds of applications. go on

The northern people - the Karelians - are a small ethnic group. The territory of settlement of Karelians is concentrated in Karelia, Arkhangelsk, Tverskoy, Leningrad regions. A small part of the Karelians live in Finland. The number of a unique people, unfortunately, decreases annually and amounts to about 89 thousand people.

Historical digression

In ancient times, the Karelian tribes were pagan, and in 1227 the symbolic baptism of the Karelian people was held by the Grand Duke Yaroslav. Russian Karelians adhere to orthodoxy, and the Finnish confess Lutheranism. The national language of the Karelians belongs to Finno-Ugric language group. Local dialects and dialects are the heritage of ancient tribes. Features of dialects are clearly visible in White Sea Karelians, inhabitants of the northern Ladoga region And ludikov(inhabitants of the coast of Lake Onega). On the territory of Karelia, three main zones of settlement of residents can be distinguished:

The Karelian Isthmus and the Ladoga Region,
White Sea,
territory near Lake Onega.

Agriculture here was extremely poorly developed, since the cultivation of swampy and stony soils did not bring results. For this reason, the Karelians hunted and fished. The inhabitants of the coastal lands hunted the sea animal. Berries, roots, mushrooms were collected in local forests. Furs were in demand among other peoples, so the trade in sea and fur animals was actively going through Novgorod.

Many trials fell to this lot: harsh natural conditions and famine, attacks by Finnish and Swedish neighbors, oppression by Moscow sovereigns. Both Sweden and the Muscovite state claimed northern Karelia. Fleeing from the captures, part of the Karelians left their inhabited territories. The fate of the nation was not easy even during the period of the Bolsheviks. Due to the onslaught and economic lack of rights, an uprising broke out. The Karelians left their native lands and fled to Suomi.

Karelian culture

Unique weave Christian traditions and ancient pagan beliefs formed the basis of the original Karelian culture. During the winter season, people prepared for the celebration of Christmas. From Christian ideas in this holiday, the Karelians honored the birth of Jesus Christ, and from pagan beliefs - the expectation of a mythical creature, a messenger from the world of the dead. The tradition of holding Christmas time has much in common with Russian festivities. Young people sing carols, glorify Christ, for which they receive monetary rewards or sweets. Unmarried girls master the mystery of divination. The mummers walk around the yards and have fun. Young people dress up a bull: they put a fur coat inside out on a man, and a large pot on his head. Such a "bull" is driven around the village. The custom of "feeding the goat" is interesting. Fresh bread is brought to the stuffed animal and it is as if they are feeding a goat. The bread itself is put into a bag, and after the ritual, the collected bread is distributed to pets. All customs and magical rituals are aimed at praying for the wealth of livestock, successful earnings, and the health of loved ones.

calendar holidays ( Maslenitsa, Palm Sunday, Easter, Egoriev's Day and others) have Slavic roots and are celebrated similarly to Russian traditions. Wedding preparations are accompanied by old songs and spells. The bride's family is preparing for the ritual of taking the young maiden away from her father's house.

Karelian shamans used magic spells to communicate with the spirits and asked them to protect the people from harm. Amulets were kept in the houses, protecting from evil spirits. In modern Karelia, shamans are perceived by tourists and guests as an exotic curiosity. Meanwhile, Karelian shamanism is a rich spiritual layer of the nation. Pagan roots formed the basis of fairy tales and epics, folk songs and customs.

Karelian way of life

The dishes of the northerners are easy-to-prepare food from the gifts of the cold land. Many dishes are prepared from fish, which are in abundance in these parts. Hot fish stew - ear - is prepared quickly and satisfies hunger for a long time. Potatoes, onions and cereals are added to the rich oily fish broth. Other dishes are also prepared from fish. In large quantities, it goes to salting and drying. Mushrooms and berries are harvested for the winter to feast on during the cold months. Baking is popular.

The houses are built of wood. In such houses it is always especially comfortable. Local craftsmen decorate houses with exquisite carvings, so these dwellings look like fairy-tale houses.

Ancient traditions are honored in the house: respect for elders, all possible help of children with housework, discussion of important matters by the whole family.