Population of the Transbaikal region. Ethnic history and composition of the population of the region Population of the Trans-Baikal Territory
Before the Russians developed the Transbaikal lands, most of the population here were indigenous peoples, Buryats and Evenks (Tungus). Today, the share of these indigenous peoples in the national composition of the inhabitants of the Trans-Baikal Territory is respectively: Buryats - 6.8%, Evenks - 0.1%.
Buryats
Today, 73,941 Buryats live in the Trans-Baikal Territory, which is 6.8% of the total population. The Buryats are a typical Mongoloid people who speak their own Buryat language. Even before the mid-17th century, Mongol-speaking tribes in Transbaikalia did not separate themselves from the Mongolian ethnic group.
The unification of the tribes of Ekhirits, Bulagats, Khoris, Khongodors, Oirots, Khakhlamongols into the Buryat ethnic group began only as part of the Russian state. The border of the empire separated these tribes from the rest of the Mongol world, and they developed in isolation. Gradually, the general name of the very heterogeneous people “Buryats” spread, and ethnic identity was formed.
Scientists are considering different versions of the appearance of the word “Buryat”, but the most likely interpretation is from the ancient Turkic “buri”, which means “wolf”; accordingly, “buri-ata” can be translated as “father-wolf”, because some of the most ancient clans among this people They considered the wolf their ancestor.
The Buryats trace their ancient historical path back to the legendary Huns, but experts are inclined to believe that the ancestors of the main clans of the Buryats were the ancient Dinlins. For the first time, historical records about Dinlins appear in written sources dating back to the 4th – 3rd centuries. BC uh, it talks about the conquest of the Dinlins by the powerful Khan of the Huns, Mode. But soon, with the weakening of power in the Xiongnu state, the Dinlins regained their territories. Such disputes between the Huns and Dinlins over territories continued for centuries with varying success.
Also, for centuries, the ancient Buryats, under various names of Dinlins, Gaogyuis, Ogurs and later “Tele”, defended their ancestral territories in the fight against the Rourans and other Turkic tribes. With the fall in 555 AD. e. The Rouran Khaganate allowed some of the Tele tribes within the Turkic Khaganate to settle in lands near Lake Baikal and the Mongolian Kerulen River.
The states of the Central Asian Kaganates and powerful rulers-Kagans were replaced, but most of the ancient ancestors of the Buryats “Tele”, “Khoikhu”, “Toguz-Oguz”, “Basmals” “Karluks” did not go far from their native lands, they entered into alliances to confront to the conquerors.
After joining the Russian state, the Transbaikal Buryats behaved restlessly for a long time, attacking tribute Cossack detachments and royal embassy missions. The Cossacks also committed outrages against rebellious tribes. And only after the Transbaikal Buryats appealed personally to Peter I in 1702, the lands on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal were legally assigned to the indigenous tribes.
Later, starting in 1766, the Buryats began to participate in the defense of the state borders of the empire; from the indigenous people they formed 4 full-fledged regimental formations to conduct guard duty on the Selenga border. These regiments were reformed only in 1851 with the organization of a single Transbaikal Cossack army.
At the same time, the consolidation of individual Buryat clans, similar in linguistic characteristics and culture, began. And only in the 19th century, with the involvement of Buryat clans in economic activity, a single Buryat ethnic group began to take shape. The main beliefs of the Buryats have long been traditional shamanism, also called Tengianism, Gelugpa Buddhism or the so-called “yellow faith”, in which the main cults of pre-Buddhist times were assimilated into a single teaching.
With the official recognition of Buddhism as one of the religions in 1741, the Tamchinsky datsan was built here. The development of national science, literature and original art, and the spread of writing began. The national psychology, moral norms and lifestyle of the majority of the Buryats were formed. In the 48 datsans built before the revolution, schools of philosophy began operating, various books were translated, published and printed, and theology developed.
After the October Revolution, the ethnic state of Buryat-Mongolia was organized. Subsequently, in 1921, it was transformed into an autonomous region of the same name. The region was part of the Far Eastern Republic. In the 1930s, the local Buddhist community practically stopped working. And only in 1946 the main Aginsky and Ivolginsky datsans were reopened.
Among the single ethnic group of Transbaikal Buryats, separate ethno-economic groups of Barguzin, Selenga, Agin, Khorin and Zakamensky Buryats are distinguished. Until the mid-30s, the Buryats used the old Mongolian script, then until 1939, a script based on the Latin alphabet, and later a script based on the Cyrillic alphabet.
The highest deity in local shamanism is Huhe Munhe Tengri, personifying the masculine principle, inhabited by the gods of the Eternal Blue Sky. The earth, in the understanding of the Buryats, personifies the feminine divine principle. The celestial gods were once united during the reign of Asaranga Tengri. As a result of the struggle for power in Heaven between Ata Ulan and Khurmasta, the gods were divided into 55 good and 40 evil, respectively.
Evenks
The self-name of the people “Evenkil”, recognized as an independent ethnonym only in 1931, refers to the second of the local peoples of Transbaikalia. The ancient name of this people was “Tungus”; isolated ethnic groups of Tungus were described by researchers of the Siberian lands as Solons, Manegrs, Birars or Orochens.
Today, 1,492 Evenki residents live in Transbaikalia, which is 0.1% of the region’s population. They speak their Evenki language, which belongs to the Tungus-Manchu languages of the Altai family. The language is highly divided into large dialects and local dialects.
The Evenks have little cleanliness here; they usually live in the same villages as the Buryats, Yakuts and the Russians who predominate among the population. Scientists consider their oldest ancestors to be those who lived in Transbaikalia in the 5th-7th centuries. n. e. Uvan people. Apparently, the Uvans were also not old-timers of the Transbaikal steppes, but came here from the south.
In the 17th century, 36,135 Tungus voluntarily entered the Russian state. In 1761, to protect the border of the state, a Cossack regiment of five hundred Tungus was formed, it was commanded by a foreman. Many Evenks from it later entered the Transbaikal Cossack army.
The Evenks have long practiced the shamanistic ritual of air burial; it is often found among peoples living close to nature. Even A.N. Radishchev once wrote about the Evenki-Tungus that they are a wild people, but their appearance is slimmer and neater than other forest peoples. He wrote about the Tungus that they have a custom of treating guests to the best they have and killing anyone who does not respond well to the greetings of the host.
The Tungus are characterized by traditional natural resource management, commercial hunting of fur-bearing animals and nomadic, pack-riding reindeer breeding. The so-called “riding deer” is a distinctive feature of the Evenks. A group of so-called “horse” Tungus have long bred horses, camels and sheep. Fishing here also had commercial and commercial significance. At home, the Evenks processed hides, forged iron, and women made household products from birch bark.
Transbaikal Evenks often switched from nomadic cattle breeding in entire clans to the norms of sedentary life and arable farming, raising cattle. Today, the Tungus have preserved centuries-old traditions of reindeer breeding and commercial hunting. In the 1930s, the state created collective reindeer herding farms, built ethnic villages, developed arable farming, growing vegetables and potatoes, barley and oats.
Over many centuries, the traditional types of food among the Evenks have been the meat of wild and domestic animals, fish, deer milk, mushrooms and wild berries, wild onions, herbs and garlic. From the Russians, the Evenki took the technology of baked bread, sour dough and unleavened flatbread. The favorite drink was tea made with steppe and taiga herbs, often with milk and salt.
In the summer, the Evenks united for collective grazing of deer, and the summer camps at this time numbered up to 10 or more chums. At the same time, most national and tribal holidays were held. There was a distribution of the result of labor among community members, hospitality and mutual assistance. Property during childbirth is inherited through the male line.
According to custom, elderly parents lived with their younger sons; when marrying, a bride must be given a ransom or work the necessary time in the interests of her family. Wealthy families often had several wives. The Evenks worshiped ancestral and natural spirits, totem animals, and adhered to traditional shamanism. From time immemorial, elements of the so-called Bear Festival, certain rituals and taboos associated with cutting and preparing a bear killed during a hunt, eating its meat, and then burying the bones of the animal, have taken root among the Tungus.
Christian missionary work and Buddhism, starting from the 17th century, greatly influenced the worldview and cults of the Tungus. The rich folklore of the Evenks was dominated by short improvised songs, tales about birds and animals, myths, historical epics and legends. Each of the Tungus groups had its own mythological and epic heroes.
The Evenks love round dances, often performed to the accompaniment of improvised songs and sports competitions. The art of carving on bone and wood developed; among women, artistic embroidery with silk and beads, embossing on birch bark, and applique of household items with fabrics and furs.
As a result of complex historical processes, a unique ethnic situation has developed in Transbaikalia, which occupies the territory of various natural zones. Located in the depths of Eurasia, this region has become a kind of “home” for many peoples. Representatives of various races, language groups, ethnic groups and subethnic groups live here. These are Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Poles, Buryats, Evenks, Tatars, Jews, Germans, Koreans, Chinese, representatives of the Caucasian and Baltic peoples, etc. The landscape diversity of Transbaikalia and the opportunity to engage in various types of economic activities here have become the reason for a long, relatively conflict-free residence different peoples on its territory and ensured the ethnic diversity of the region.
In the 17th century Evenki, representatives of the Tungus-Manchu language group, lived on a large territory of Transbaikalia. They were dependent on the Mongol-speaking tribes who occupied the forest-steppe and steppe regions of the region. The south of Transbaikalia was inhabited by various Mongol-speaking tribes, which later formed the Buryat ethnic group. Currently, the Buryats have their own territorial entities.
Appeared in Transbaikalia in the middle of the 17th century. Russians, mainly immigrants from the northern regions of Russia, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and partly Poles allowed the Slavic population to develop here. These first colonists laid the foundation for the future Transbaikal old-timer population, in other words, the Siberians. During the XVII-XX centuries. As a result of the resettlement policy of the Russian state, which consisted of voluntary and forced economic colonization and sending to hard labor, there was a further process of forming an old-timer (Siberian) population in this territory. Jews, Germans, Tatars, representatives of the Baltic peoples, etc. also took part in this process. Nevertheless, the main component of the old-timer population remained the Slavs, mostly Russians.
Living on the same territory with the indigenous population - the Evenks and Buryats, the old-timers gradually acquired some anthropological characteristics, borrowed elements of the life and culture of these peoples, while, as a rule, maintaining their language, identity, and their cultural and everyday appearance. In turn, by bringing and disseminating their own economic skills and techniques among the local population, the old-timers contributed to the development of agriculture, settled life, and the construction of cities. Thus, on the territory of Transbaikalia, a certain type of local population was gradually formed, based on the Buryat, Evenki and mainly Russian ethnic groups, which is usually called “gurans”.
From the second half of the 17th century. until the middle of the 19th century. Another social group was being formed - the Cossacks. It traces its ancestry to Russian service people (Cossacks), who, by government decree in Transbaikalia, converted local peoples into Russian citizenship, collected tribute from them, and were engaged in the economic activities of the region. The Russian state entrusted the Cossacks with the responsibility of protecting the newly acquired lands and guarding their southeastern borders. Gradually, over the course of two centuries, the traditional territories of life of the Cossacks were determined - southern and southeastern, i.e. border areas of Transbaikalia. Part of the Cossack possessions were located in the depths of the territory. The social status of the Cossacks, different from the rest of the population of Transbaikalia, the specificity of military service with elements of self-government, the universality of economic activity, the uniqueness of everyday and cultural traditions - all this contributed to the creation of their special way of life. And long-term residence in a foreign ethnic environment among the Buryats, Evenks, Mongols, and intensive contacts with them introduced new features into the life and culture of the Transbaikal Cossacks and affected their anthropological type. Therefore, in the Cossack environment there was a process of formation of ethnic characteristics, which was interrupted as a result of socio-political and socio-economic changes unfavorable for the Cossacks during the years of Soviet power.
In connection with the specified resettlement policy of the Russian state among the Russian population of Transbaikalia in the second half of the 18th century. a local ethno-confessional group emerged, called the “Semeyskie”. The territory of their settlement is the western and southwestern regions of the region. During the XVIII-XIX centuries. The formation of the population of Transbaikalia was influenced by the sending to hard labor and exile of representatives of various nationalities and social groups inhabiting the Russian Empire. Among them there were many Poles, Jews, representatives of the peoples of the Baltic and Caucasus. Subsequently, they often remained in Transbaikalia for permanent residence. Now, representing a small part of the population of Transbaikalia, they live together with other ethnic groups and old-timers and are not consolidated into special ethnocultural or ethnoconfessional groups. Some of them assimilated with representatives of the old-timers, sometimes with newcomers.
At the beginning of the 19th century. in the central part of Transbaikalia, in the valley of the river. Ingod, Belarusians and Ukrainians (Little Russians) settled. Their migrations to Transbaikalia took place at the end of the 19th - first half of the 20th centuries. in connection with the construction of the railway. During the same period and for the same reason, Tatars (representatives of the Tatar subethnic group - Siberian Tatars) moved here. Their descendants settled both industrially developed areas of the region and remote rural areas, mainly along the banks of rivers and lakes and along highways. Their number in the territory of the Chita region. - 12,335 people, or 0.9% of all residents of the region.
At the end of the 19th century. In connection with military conflicts in Southeast Asia, as well as with Russia’s colonial policy towards China, migrations of Koreans and Chinese took place in Transbaikalia. Later, their outflow from the region was observed. Now representatives of these ethnic groups make up a small proportion of the Transbaikal population and do not have their own territorial entities. The current political and economic situation has once again created conditions for the expanded and largely uncontrolled residence of the Chinese in Transbaikalia, especially in cities and large populated areas.
The appearance of a new wave of ethnic migrants in Transbaikalia is associated with the socio-economic policy of the Soviet government. Currently, the descendants of those repressed in the 1930-1950s, who are representatives of various peoples of Russia, live in the territory of Transbaikalia. During the war, Germans were deported to Transbaikalia. The construction and economic development of the BAM territory contributed to the influx of representatives of the population of Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Baltic states, etc. into the northern regions of Transbaikalia.
As already mentioned, the landscape diversity of Transbaikalia is the reason for the long and relatively peaceful coexistence of various peoples on its territory, although contradictions between ethnic groups, mainly due to resources, existed. Each ethnic group maintained or sought to occupy its own ecological niche. Thus, the Evenks traditionally occupied watershed taiga spaces, the Buryats - steppe and forest-steppe territories, the Slavic population mainly developed river valleys, where they could engage in arable farming.
The Russian state's policy of minimal intervention in the affairs of local peoples prevented the emergence of acute ethnic conflicts. And legal self-government for indigenous peoples, introduced in 1822, secured for them the right to resolve many social and economic issues without the intervention of the Russian administration. All this ensured their fairly independent existence and free development.
The multinational composition of the population and the variety of forms of religions determined the diversity of religious objects. The national diversity of the population was especially noticeable in the cities of Chita, Verkhneudinsk, Nerchinsk, Sretensk. So, in Chita at the beginning of the 20th century. in the neighboring blocks there was an Orthodox church, a Muslim mosque, a Jewish synagogue, and a Catholic church. All this testifies to the tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance, which was generally characteristic of Transbaikalia.
However, until the beginning of the twentieth century. all non-Slavic peoples, according to Russian laws, were called “foreigners” and had certain restrictions on their rights, which were leveled only if they accepted Orthodoxy. Thus, the need to protect the state border led to the creation of a number of Tungus and Buryat regiments and their inclusion in the Cossack class, with the simultaneous adoption of Orthodoxy by some of them. This also led to an increase in the social status of the indigenous population.
The desire of representatives of different nations to assimilate among the Russian population was also revealed under the conditions of the Soviet state. In order not to impoverish themselves in political rights, not to limit social opportunities, and not to harm their professional and career careers, representatives of some Caucasian peoples, Jews, Germans, etc., hid their ethnicity. But in Transbaikalia this phenomenon was not as pronounced as in the European part of Russia. The region has always been and is distinguished by ethnic tolerance and the desire of representatives of different nations for mutual assistance.
Our work is devoted to field research of the Evenki ethnic group of the Kalarsky district of the Chita region. In our opinion, this topic is relevant because the Evenks are currently on the verge of extinction, especially in the north of the Chita region. If in other regions some programs are created to support small peoples, in particular the Evenks, then in our region this happens very unnoticed.
We, anthropology students, conducted ethno-anthropological field research. Our task was to study the past and modern life of the Evenks and make some linguistic observations by studying Evenki kinship terms. We used methods such as observation and survey. The survey was recorded on a voice recorder; these recordings were subsequently transcribed and recorded in field diaries.
Evenki are an indigenous people inhabiting Transbaikalia. According to some estimates, at the beginning of the 17th century. there were approximately 30 thousand people. For a long time, we only knew about them what Russian explorers of the 17th century, as well as academic expeditions of the 18th century, reported. Thanks to the research of archaeologists, it was possible to trace the origin and development of this people over a long period of time. Now we can say with certainty that the origins of Evenki culture date back to the New Stone Age. Their economy and culture took shape and developed over several millennia.
The Evenks (self-name “Orochon” - deer people) constitute the most representative ethnic community among the indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Far East. From the point of view of physical anthropology, they belong to the Baikal variant of the continental race of the large Mongoloid race. The Evenki language belongs to the northern branch of the Tungus-Manchu language family.
In historical sources of the 17th - early 20th centuries. The Evenks were called Tungus. The ethnonym “Evenki” began to be officially used during the Soviet period from the early 1930s. According to many researchers, the Evenks occupy a special place among the indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Far East due to the fact that, with a total population of about 30 thousand people, their traditional settlement area occupies a truly gigantic territory: from the left bank of the river. Yenisei in the west, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Arctic tundra in the north and up to the river basin. Amur in the east. Now I would like to take a closer look at the current situation of the Evenks.
The Evenks are a small people (a small ethnic group) with weak demographic potential, which does not allow them to grow into numerous peoples and create their own state structures. The Evenks have always lived scatteredly over a vast area and led a nomadic lifestyle, which in the last approximately 80 years has led to the fact that there are very few “purebred” Evenks left. I would like to give such an example. Conducting field research in the Kalarsky district of the Chita region in 2003, we learned that in the Evenki village of Chapo-Ologo, out of two hundred people, only 10-15 are “pure-blooded” Evenks, that is, without any admixture of non-Evenki blood. In the village of Kyust-Kemda there were no “pure” Evenks left at all. Since the Russians began to develop Siberia, the Evenks began to lose their identity and assimilated. Many Evenks have Yakuts, Russians and other nationalities in their ancestors.
Next I would like to talk about our research in the field of linguistics and folklore. To begin with, we asked the old-timers of the village (since only they were able to help us) to give us their terms of kinship. Thus, we found out the differences in the terms of kinship used by different genera. For example, two clans - Nyamagir and Yakotar:
Thus, we can assert that the terms of kinship are different in different genera. This is due to the fact that previously each clan lived separately from the other and had few contacts with its neighbors.
Our group also collected Evenki folklore. Unfortunately, the Evenks don’t remember anything. Data can only be found in documents from the 19th century, since at that time researchers paid much attention to indigenous peoples. Folklore, history of the origin of the people, customs, traditions, life and much more were collected.
Further, our work was carried out in the direction of the current situation of the Evenki ethnic group. The complexity of the current situation lies in the fact that, due to the current circumstances, they do not have the opportunity to engage in their traditional activities, such as hunting wild animals and reindeer herding. Currently, hunting equipment and food are very expensive, so few people go hunting for more than a day. And even if a person gets ready to go hunting, he will not be able to sell the skins, because the prices for fur in the Kalarsky region are quite low. To engage in reindeer breeding also requires considerable initial capital, which the indigenous population of Transbaikalia does not have, due to the fact that it is initially difficult for them to get a job, especially with an 8-10 grade education.
The Evenks are a nomadic people, so they are not accustomed to keeping livestock and tending vegetable gardens. Living in villages, they only learned to grow potatoes; they do not hold other vegetables in high esteem. Some people keep cows, but in small numbers.
Fishing can be considered the only useful activity at the moment. Children do not know their native language and do not respect their customs, because they do not remember them. In the village Chapo-Ologo has a primary school where the Evenki language is taught from 1st to 3rd grade. Then the children go to study in Chara, where education is conducted entirely in Russian, and there is no elective course in the Evenki language.
Thus, at present the situation of the Evenks leaves much to be desired. Forgotten by everyone, on the verge of extinction, drinking themselves to death. What does the future hold for them? Isn't this our fault?
Scientific supervisor S. V. Terukov.
Literature:
Ivanov V.N. Russian scientists about the peoples of North-East Asia. - Yakutsk, 1978. - 319 p.
Konstantinov A.V., Konstantinova N.N. History of Transbaikalia (from ancient times to 1917). - Chita, 2002. - 247 p.
Kuznetsov O.V. Evenki of Transbaikalia: history and modern ethnosocial problems // Social anthropology of Transbaikalia. - Chita, 2001. - pp. 53-68.
Povoroznyuk O. A., Piterskaya E. V. Material culture and way of life of the North of Transbaikalia // Soc. anthropology of Transbaikalia. - Chita, 2001. - pp. 161-189.
Have you heard about the people called "Gurans"? "Nationality? What kind of nation? - you will probably think. This word is borrowed from the Buryat language. This is what they call male roe deer. Mongols, Evenks, Kalmyks and other Altai peoples called these graceful animals with a similar word “guru”. So what kind of people are these that few people know about?
Story
Surely no one will be able to say exactly when the first Russian pioneers appeared in Transbaikalia, in the Altai Territory. But one thing is for sure: it was a very long time ago, and then there was no people called “Gurans”. appeared as a result of various incest. After the first Russians settled in these areas at the beginning of the seventeenth century and began to live among the indigenous population, that is, the Evenks and Buryats, they gradually assimilated with them, tried to follow their customs and traditions - in a word, they adopted elements of the culture and life of the Altaians. At the same time, they did not forget their language and did not lose their Slavic identity. This means that their culture and way of life over time began to bear both Russian and Even-Buryat features.
On the other hand, Russian settlers introduced into the life of the inhabitants of Transbaikalia new features inherent in Slavic life and culture, for example, agriculture, city construction, etc. Thus, in these parts a new type of people of mixed blood began to form - the Gurans, whose nationality was difficult to determine. They were a mix of two races - Mongoloid and European, and in the fourth generation.
Origin
According to chronicles, Gurans lived here already in the 18th century. Nationality (history shows this) has never been officially accepted. It is, rather, Sometimes the word “guran” was considered as a nickname for people whose ancestors belonged to different races and peoples, among them were Buryats, Mongols, Evenks, Manchus and, of course, Russians. But why did this ethnic group begin to be called this way and not otherwise?
They made winter hats for themselves from the fur of male roe deer, which were called gurans. At the same time, they left horns in order to mislead the pursued animals when hunting. As you know, winters in these parts can be long, so the Cossacks wore these hats for quite a long time. And they began to be identified with roe deer.
Who are the Gurans - nationality or ethnic group?
There is still debate about this issue. According to one theory, as a result of hybridization or interpenetration of several ethnic groups, not only the disappearance of the old one, but also the emergence of a new ethnic group can occur. Of course, this is not possible everywhere, but Transbaikalia is ideal for this process. So, as a result of the merger of such nationalities as the Buryats, Evenks and Russians, a new type of local population appeared, which is not similar to the first, nor the second, nor the third. But isn’t this proof that the Gurans are a nationality (see photo in the article)? However, the Encyclopedia of Transbaikalia contains no information about such people. Guran (nationality) is designated as a type of local population based on three ethnic groups: Buryat, Evenk and Russian. By the way, this term sometimes replaces the word Transbaikalian.
The story that happened to Khabarov
There is another legend about the origin of this nationality. One day in late winter, a Russian traveler and explorer was passing through Transbaikalia. He rode on a sleigh with a guide ahead of the convoy. And suddenly a fleet-footed roe deer cut their way, and some man in strange fur clothes was chasing after it. Khabarov asked the driver: who is this? And he, thinking that the master meant the animal running ahead, said that it was a guran.
Description
In the folklore of local residents you can find a detailed description of representatives of the Gurana ethnic group. Although their nationality is not listed in their passports, their characteristic features indicate that they belong to an ethnic group. Firstly, they can be recognized by their disposition. They are not vain, affectionate, and have a powerful Cossack spirit. As for purely external characteristics, their eyes are semi-slanted, their cheekbones were inherited from the Mongols, and their eye color can be light, even blue. Their skin is dark and their hair is mostly black. By the way, these people look like American Indians. In a word, their appearance is very exotic, with a predominance of features of the Mongoloid race. In addition, Gurans have well-developed muscles, they are flexible and have an excellent command of martial arts techniques. At one time, representatives of this ethnic group defended the borders of Siberia from attacks by neighboring peoples - the Chinese and the Mongols.
Gurans: nationality, modernity
According to the representatives of this nationality themselves, today they have practically not preserved the traditions of their distant ancestors who inhabited Transbaikalia. They consider themselves more Russian, but do not forget that Guran blood flows in them. Representatives of this nation have many traditions, legends and stories about the life of their ancestors. Studying them, you understand that it is difficult to attribute them to Russian culture. There is practically no Buryat or Evenki (Tungus) here either. Based on this, you understand that this is, of course, a separate people, with its own characteristic features. But the Russian ethnographer Nikolai Yadrintsev believed that the Gurans are not an ethnic group, but a special “regional type” with its own characteristic features.
Mixture of white and yellow blood
Of course, we are talking about mixing races. Mongoloid skin is usually called yellow, while European skin, despite different skin tones, is considered white. Some scientists believe that initially the Gurans were those people who descended from the mixture of Cossacks and Russian peasants with the Tungus. Later this name was attached to everyone who has characteristics of both the Caucasoid (white) and Mongoloid (Mongoloid) races. However, these are not ordinary mestizos, but precisely those who carry the mark of generations.
Hole verifiers are the conscience of Transbaikalia!
As already mentioned, the Gurans themselves consider themselves more Russian than Buryats or Tungus, but it is interesting to find out what faith they consider themselves to be, what or who they believe in. In Transbaikalia over the past few centuries there have been many Christian denominations. Moreover, they were not created by theologians, but arose spontaneously. However, some of them may seem wild to us. For example, many Gurans are hole-makers. They worship not icons, but holes, believing that by contemplating the cosmos through these holes, they receive energy. These believers live separately from others, marry exclusively among themselves, and lead a strict, ascetic lifestyle. They were able to preserve their blood, traditions and customs.
Peoples of Transbaikalia
The history of Transbaikalia holds many secrets. There is an opinion that initially these territories were inhabited by dinlins (literally, those who rode high carts). Mentions of them are present in Chinese chronicles.
Dinlins
From the Chinese point of view, Dinglins were tall, light skin, light eyes, light hair, straight or hooked nose.
These were warriors and nomads who did not create their own state. The Dinlings had trade relations with the Chinese - several times a year in certain places they exchanged livestock and harvested furs for agricultural products and other necessary things. The Dinlins worshiped the sun, moon, earth, mountains, forests, and waters. The Dinlin warriors had bronze weapons, only the shields were woven from twigs.
The Dinlins ruled these territories for almost 500 years, but were expelled by the Xiongnu tribe, who came from the steppes south of the Gobi Desert. From the Dinlins, so-called tiled graves remained on the land of Transbaikalia. For example, in the Aginsky district, near the village of Budulan, in the Ankhabay valley, a burial was discovered in which the number of buried people was more than 300 people. There are also single graves, for example, near Lake Kenon.
Xiongnu or Huns
These are ancient tribes of nomads, immigrants from Central Asia. The Huns created an empire that stretched from the Tien Shan in the West to the Khingan in the east, from Baikal in the north to the Gobi in the south. It was from them that the Chinese defended themselves with a wall. It was they, during the period of their decline and split, that gave rise to the “great migration of peoples” and reached Europe. The Xiongnu rule lasted about 200 years.
On the territory of Transbaikalia, numerous monuments remained from the Huns - cities, burial places, and sites. Archaeological research continues to this day.
Xianbi and Toba
After the departure of the Dinlins, the Xianbi and Toba tribes migrated from Manchuria to Transbaikalia, who settled in these places, constantly rebelled against the Xiongnu and played an important role in the destruction and fall of the Xiongnu empire.
Buryats
Buryats are considered the indigenous people of Transbaikalia. After the collapse of Genghis Khan's empire, many nomadic tribes lived in these places. Until now, scientists have not come to a consensus about the Buryat ethnic group. There is a version that the separation of the Buryat ethnic group from the Mongolian one took place somewhere in the 12th-13th centuries. There is another opinion - these tribes began to be called Buryats in the 17th century when the borders of the Russian Empire were established, which separated these tribes from Mongolia.
The Buryats were divided into nomadic and sedentary, they lived in yurts and were engaged in cattle breeding. The culture and traditions of this people have a lot in common with the Mongolian ones. After inclusion in the Russian Empire, ties with Mongolia began to be interrupted, and a separate Buryat culture began to form. By religion, Buryats are Buddhists or Orthodox Christians. Buddhism became widespread among the Buryats in the 18th century thanks to Buddhist preachers from Mongolia and Tibet.
Evenks
Evenki are also one of the indigenous peoples of Transbaikalia. Other names are Orochen and Tungus. The Evenks, like the Buryats, belong to the Mongoloid race. There are several theories about the origin of this ethnic group. In particular, there is an opinion that the ancestors of the Evenks lived in the areas of the Selenga River and the Eastern Sayan Mountains back in the Neolithic era. By the 20th century, many Evenks in Transbaikalia called themselves Buryats and spoke the Buryat language.
Also, Yakuts, Tuvans and other peoples have long lived in Transbaikalia. From the beginning of the development of the region by Russian pioneers until today, the national composition of Transbaikalia has changed greatly. Today, the majority of the population of Transbaikalia are Russians (89.9%) and Buryats (6.8%). Ukrainians, Tatars, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Kyrgyz, Belarusians, Uzbeks and Evenks also live here, but the number of each of these peoples is less than a percent of the total population.
