The Yenisey as the base of the indigenous people’s life

The Yenisey as the base of the indigenous people’s life

Since ancient times people, who lived on the territory of Yenisey Siberia, used to settle  not far from water reservoirs – the archeologists found a lot of sites along the banks of the Yenisey, the Angara, the Podkamennaya and Nizhnyaya Tunguska and other water arteries. Rivers have had an important meaning in different archeological periods. Of course, with the human’ development his activity has changed as well, but his living near water has always been an essential condition for the indigenous people’s normal life. The magnificent and mighty Yenisey has indeed played a very big role in this.

Archeological excavations state, that even in the age of the late Paleolith, and that is approximately 40 (30) -10.3 thousand years ago, people settled near psent district of Strelka in Krasnoyarsk, Ust’-Kova (Northern Priangarie), Ust-Mana and Bolshoye Sliznevo. The number of archeological sites of epoch  is great – only in the district of Krasnoyarsk there are over 20 known sites! As time passed, special fishing tools, which have been improved with each span of time, appeared. So, the Yenisey and its riches have become an important part of life of the ancient people, who settled these places.

Interesting fact:

In the area of Piskunovaya village on the Yenisey the archeologists found stone figures of fish, made approximately in the 7-8 millennium – 4 millennium BC. It was concluded that such specific pictures of fauna could be used by ancient people as amulets for successful fishing.

Fishing is the base of the household exactly of the northern indigenous people of Yenisey Siberia – the Nganasans, Evenkis, Enets, Selkups, Kets, Dolgans, Yakuts and many others. Such orientation is connected with the peculiarities of their indigenous places. But southern peoples also used fishing in different measures.

In the north, fish was procured not only for the locals, but for export to other parts of Yenisey Siberia as well. Sterlet and sturgeon were mainly fished. About 6000 poods (1 pood = 16.38 kg) of red fish were procured on the Yenisey during a year, about 5000 poods of this amount were sold to the Yenisey merchants. In the Turukhansk territory sturgeon (without caviar, giblets and glue) was sold at the price of 2-3 roubles for a pood. In the Yenisey lower reaches fish was cheaper, and merchants purchased sturgeon with cut tails and pectoral fins. And in the Yenisey bay, near the mouth of the Golchikha river, beluga wales were fished – each animal gave from 30 to 60 poods of fat and to 12 stripes of thick leather, used for reindeer harness.

Interesting fact:

The reindeer breeders of Tozhu ppared fish flour for winter. Fish was regarded as a gift of nature, it wasn’t killed during winter sleeping, rivers with fish were not blocked. It was procured, according to the needs.

Some information about how the social activists of those days regarded the fisheries.

► The gold producer and social activist Nikolay Vasilievich Latkin noted: “In summer, during fishing the Evenki move by birchbark boats with a flat bottom, comfortable for carrying them on their heads and quite unsteady for ones who are not experienced, but the Tungus is not afraid of swimming by it through straits and rapids, vividly rowing with a shot paddle. They move so quickly up the stream, that overtake slow-speed Yenisey ships”.

► The first Yenisey governor Alexander Petrovich Stepanov wrote the following about the Kets’ fish diet: “The most favourite activity for the Ostyaks is fishing, which doesn’t bring them any profit, by the way, besides their foodstuff during fishing and reserves for a year’s supply of food. Hardly the snow starts melting under the spring sunrays, skies do not slide and feet plunge into snow, the  Ostyaks stop their animals hunting, but do not go back to their dugouts. The head of the family, depending on the number of its members, sets several chums wrapped into burchbark, on the river’s bank, where he is going to fish.  The pparation of boats and tackle begins, and if the work is done, they do not wait till the river melts: they break ice with icepicks and set their nets. They eagerly rush to the fish and wildly eat it raw. Not only passion to this food arises such a strong desire in them, but its greatest use for health as well. Being susceptible to scurvy, they suffer from it in their small wet dugouts during autumn. In winter, during animals hunting, at the endless frost, the illness gets stronger, but hardly they start eating raw fish, they immediately get relief and revive until autumn.  Doctors can consider this statement to be a fable, but the reality of this will prove the truth to those who would like to examine themselves this healing power of nature”.  

The history of fishing development in Yenisey Siberia is still continuing at psent days, since this industry has always been and still remains one of the most essential food products for the local population.   

Photo:Kristina Oskolkova.