Representatives of this people are not eager to save a drowning person or someone caught in an avalanche: one cannot leave the spirits of water or mountains without food and thereby anger them. According to them, even the supreme deity, Raven Kutha, the progenitor of the people, is afraid of drowning. According to one legend, he deceived the pink salmon dogs harnessed to his cart, and they almost drowned him for this. The Itelmens, the indigenous population of Kamchatka, know very well: you cannot joke with the almighty forces of nature. You can only learn to live with them according to their rules.

It is believed that the name “Itelmen” is translated into Russian as “living here,” “existing,” “local resident.” Scientists point to the family ties of the Itelmens with the Koryaks, Chukchi and Eskimos, but still distinguish them into a special group. By the second half of the 17th century, these people were divided into seven local groups. However, assimilation led to a decrease in both the number of this people and internal differences. Of the three groups of the Itelmen language, the Western one has been preserved, but most Itelmen still consider Russian to be their native language.

The Itelmen alphabet was created only in 1988.

According to the 2010 census, just under 3,200 people called themselves Itelmen. Most of them, in accordance with the name, remain “local residents” of Kamchatka.

Under the Raven's Wing

The customs and traditions of the Itelmens surprised ethnographers of the 18th century, who compiled the “Description of all the living peoples in the Russian state” in 1772-1776. The lifestyle of these people, their culinary preferences, and even their appearance seemed unusual. In their own way, the Itelmens also represented the world in which they live.

They considered the earth to be flat and to have a “wrong side” - an underground sky: winter comes there when we have summer, and vice versa. They also believed in the Flood and the salvation of the elect. The Itelmens counted time by the Moon, and not by the Sun, and in this researchers see an undoubted Turkic influence.

Like most of their neighbors, the Itelmen converted to Orthodoxy (in the 1740s) and subsequently simply combined Christian traditions with the ancient rituals of shamanism and animism. Christianity could not undermine their belief that every object or phenomenon is endowed with a spirit and its own life, and people are related to animals. The Itelmens considered Crow Kutha to be the ancestor of their people. Some researchers believe that it represents cold. When man, by the will of the same Kuthi, learned to build dwellings, he was able to tame frost to some extent. After this, Kutha himself acquired in the legends the features of a rogue, a cunning man trying to deceive the forces of nature. However, he does this poorly, and the deity continually finds himself in absurd situations. Probably no other deity in the world can tolerate so many jokes and ridicule directed at him!

Fish unites

One thing the Itelmens did not try to joke about was the especially revered spirit of the sea, Mitga. After all, it is he who provides what one cannot survive without – fish. Fishing was the basis of the way of life of this people. Fish were caught most of the year - from April to November. For successful fishing, the Itelmen had a whole arsenal: nets, seines, constipation (a special structure made of branches for blocking the river and setting traps). On the seashore, pinnipeds, primarily seals, became prey. It is known that the southern Itelmen even hunted whales. Everything caught is still used in waste-free production. Each fish is divided into parts. The sides and tail are dried, the back and meat are cooked separately. The heads are fermented in special pits. The resulting dish smells terrible, but is considered a delicacy. Everything that is still left on the bones is removed, dried, pounded and added to the brew; the bones are given to the dogs. Caviar is dried with bark
trees and used as camp food. Seals and walruses eat the same way - without leftovers.

However, the Itelmens were engaged in both hunting and gathering. They also approached this prey very rationally: even the intestines of animals were used, which were used as containers for storing food.

The Itelmens united and lived on the principle of not only kinship, but also common fishing grounds.

In winter, relatives (and their number could reach up to a hundred people) lived in one common half-dugout, and in the summer each family received its own hut on a piled platform. The Russian hut appeared among them at the end of the 18th century.

Sweet, fluffy

The head of the family was considered the elder. The man's authority in society was unquestionable. However, a woman was not considered a second-class citizen. Researchers find traits of the so-called maternal family among the Itelmens. For example, the groom settled with the bride’s family for a while and worked in it, showing off his skills. Instead of a dowry, labor was expected for the wife. And despite a fairly clear division of responsibilities (the man hunted, the woman gathered), the owner of the family could also do “women’s” work, in particular, cooking. The Itelmen shamans were women. In marriage, polygamy was allowed, and fairly closely related (with cousins) unions were allowed.

The Itelmens' ideas about female beauty were unique.

A fashionable lady's attire should be as fluffy and shaggy as possible.

To do this, women put herbal wigs and hairpieces on their heads. The collars, sleeves and hem of kukhlyankas (clothes with a hood) were lined with dog hair. And tassels made of seal hair were sewn onto the caftan, which swayed at the slightest movement.

Fire and birch for cleansing

The most important ritual holiday of the Itelmens is “Alhalalalai”. It completes the economic cycle of the year and is intended to thank nature. This is a holiday of purification, the end of one period of life and the beginning of a second. It lasts for several days. The pinnacle of “Alhalalalaya” is the rite of purification, when each of those present must walk under the tied birch branches and throw a bunch of grass into the fire.

Back in the 18th century, researchers noted the special culture of holidays among the Itelmens. Representatives of this people approach fun in a big way. For example, at feasts and holidays they drank an infusion of fly agaric or swallowed the dried mushroom itself. The ensuing intoxication helped both melancholic people to become more cheerful and shy people to loosen up.

But the guests were especially impressed by the folk dances, which require not only special dexterity and plasticity, but also the ability to imitate birds and animals with their voices.

Today, the Itelmen still celebrate Alhalalalai, which attracts guests from all over Kamchatka. Modern Itelmens compete in catching and processing fish and preparing national dishes. Dancing is considered a special competition: you must dance on bent legs without a break (only three minutes of rest per hour are allowed). The most persistent ones manage to dance for several days in a row. Even bad weather cannot stop the dancing. And, of course, a cleansing ritual is carried out: all with the help of the same birch branches woven together and fire. The traditions of their ancestors are still taken seriously here.

Maria Andreeva

Faces of Russia. “Living together while remaining different”

The multimedia project “Faces of Russia” has existed since 2006, telling about Russian civilization, the most important feature of which is the ability to live together while remaining different - this motto is especially relevant for countries throughout the post-Soviet space. From 2006 to 2012, as part of the project, we created 60 documentaries about representatives of different 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 were published to support the first series of films. Now we are halfway to creating a unique multimedia encyclopedia of the peoples of our country, a snapshot that will allow the residents of Russia to recognize themselves and leave a legacy for posterity with a picture of what they were like.

~~~~~~~~~~~

General information

ITELMENS, Itelmen, Itenmy (self-name, literally “one who exists”, “local resident”, “resident living here”), people in Russia (2.5 thousand people), live compactly in the east of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Tigilsky district of the Koryak Autonomous district; 1179 people) and in the Magadan region (509 people).

At the end of the 17th century, there were about 13 thousand Itelmens. For more than two hundred years, the number of Itelmens has sharply decreased. The abrupt process of Russification led to the fact that at the end of the 18th century, the Itelmen-Kamchadals (as the Russians called them) numbered about 3 thousand people, representing a subethnic group of the Russian people. In the 20th century, especially in recent years, the ethnic self-awareness of the Itelmens (interest in language, culture, traditional way of life) is growing, and their numbers are increasing - in 1959-89 from 1.1 to 2.5 thousand people. According to the 2010 census, there are only 3,193 of them in Russia. According to the 2002 Population Census, the number of Itelmen living in Russia is 3 thousand people.

Previously they were called Kamchadals, now Itelmens. They speak the Itelmen language (the outdated name is the Kamchadal language) of the Chukotka-Kamchatka family. In 1989, Itelmen was considered the native language by about 20% of Itelmen. Only people over 50 years of age speak the language. In recent years, attempts have been made to revive it. Based on Russian graphics, the Itelmen alphabet was developed, primers, textbooks, Russian-Itelmen and Itelmen-Russian dictionaries were published. Dialects: Napansky, Sedankinsky, Sopochnovsky, Khairyuzovsky. The Russian language is also widespread, which most Itelmen consider to be their native language.

The traditional occupation is fishing (mainly salmon). Fishing gear included hooks and nets. Fish was prepared for future use in the form of yukola or fermented in pits. Hunting for fur-bearing (mainly sable) and sea (seal, fur seal, whales) animals and gathering were of significant importance. The Itelmen used tools made of stone, bone, horn and wood. The Itelmen knew pottery.

The means of transportation were dugout boats, dog sleds, and sliding skis; for hunting, racket skis were more often used.

In recent decades, the Itelmen economic complex has changed significantly. Marine hunting disappeared as a branch of the economy, and land hunting and gathering lost their former importance. The main occupation of the Itelmens - fishing - has become a highly commercial, technically equipped branch of production. However, the majority of those employed in this industry prefer traditional net fishing. In the modern employment structure of the Itelmens, new occupations predominate: livestock farming, construction, industrial fish processing, a significant part works in the public education system, in healthcare, etc. About 40% of the Itelmens are urban residents.

They lived sedentary lives in large villages. The dwelling in winter was a half-dugout (the number of inhabitants reached 100 people) with an entrance through a smoke hole in the roof, in summer it was a pyramid-shaped pile hut (for a separate family). Fire was made using a wooden drill. Food was cooked in wooden troughs into which hot stones were thrown. The Itelmen knew pottery.

The Itelmens wore thick fur clothing made from the skins of deer, dogs, sea animals and birds: women - overalls - shirts combined with spacious trousers, men - kukhlyankas and fur pants tucked into high boots. Women were engaged in processing materials, making clothes and shoes.

Believers are Orthodox. Converted to Orthodoxy in the mid-18th century. Traditional beliefs are associated with the worship of master spirits. The traditional beliefs of the Itelmens (animism, totemism, fetishism) are associated with the worship of spirits - the masters of the earth, sky, and water. According to the Itelmens, all objects and natural phenomena are endowed with spirits that live their own lives. The degree of veneration of certain spirits is directly dependent on the degree of their supposed influence on a person’s material well-being.

The Itelmen especially revered the owner of the sea, Mitg, who provided the main food product - fish. The idea of a single god was alien to the Itelmens. The Itelmens consider the crow Kutkha to be the creator of the Kamchatka land and their first ancestor.
Shamanism was also practiced, but Itelmen shamans did not have ritual clothing or tambourines. Women usually acted as shamans. From the middle of the 17th century, the Itelmens adopted Christianity.

Already in the first quarter of the 19th century, travelers noted Orthodox cemeteries in Kamchadal (Itelmen) villages. At the same time, a tradition was established to give Russian names to children at baptism. The Itelmens were listed as parishioners of Kamchatka churches, and the first Russian surnames were derived from the surnames of the clergy and servicemen.

In Itelmen folklore, the tales of the raven Kutkha stand out. Most of these mythological stories were recorded at the beginning of the 20th century by the Russian ethnographer Vladimir Ilyich Yokhelson (1855 - 1937).

The most developed types of applied art are embroidery, weaving of grass and leather straps, fur appliqué, bone and wood carving, and birch bark embossing. Developed dance art.

V.A. Turaev

Essays

Itelmens live here - in Kamchatka

What do we know about wandering hunter-fishermen? Probably nothing. Of course, we know something about traveling circus performers. But we haven’t heard anything about wandering hunter-fishermen. We don’t even know if they exist in this world.

Actually there is. These are the Itelmens. By the way, a whole people. Indigenous population of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Itelmen speak the Itelmen language, which is usually classified as belonging to the Chukchi-Kamchatka family of languages. Previously they were called Kamchadals, now Itelmens.

At the end of the 17th century, the Itelmen occupied the central part of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The northern border of their settlement on the west coast was the Tigil River, on the east - the Uka River. In the south, Itelmen settlements stretched to the very tip of the peninsula. Their total number at the end of the 17th century was 12-13 thousand people. For more than two hundred years, the number of Itelmens has sharply decreased. According to the 2002 census, there are only 3,180 of them in Russia.

The Itelmen live mainly in the Tigil region of the Koryak Autonomous Okrug. Almost half of all Itelmens are here. They are concentrated in four villages of the district, as well as in the administrative center of the Koryak Autonomous Okrug - the village of Palana. However, they are the predominant part of the population only in the village of Kovran. Small groups of Itelmen also live in other settlements of Kamchatka, including Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Their progenitor is Kutha

The main character of a large body of Itelmen myths and legends is the raven Kutkh, or Kutkha. He is the creator of Kamchatka land and the progenitor of the entire Itelmen people. The adventures of Kutha are incredibly diverse and are perceived by Itelmens as the very flow of life, which has special significance precisely because of its infinity and cyclicity. The adventures of Kuthi are non-stop fairy tales and legends.

Let's read one of the Itelmen fairy tales and legends. It features the ubiquitous raven hero named Kutha, who is also a hunter-fisherman.

Once upon a time there lived Kutha and his wife. One day Kutha took fishing rods and went to the sea for fish. He came to the sea and began to fish.

I caught a lot. He threw away the small fish and chose the big ones for himself. I harnessed the largest fish and immediately went home.

Dear promised to the fish:

Well, fish, take me well, then I will feed you to your fill: at each stop I will give you a plate of yukola (dried fish).

At home, Kutha's wife Miti prepared a masher to feed the dog fish. Kutha put the masher in the sledge and set off again.

I was driving very fast. We arrived at the birch forest; The fish dogs stopped and immediately asked:

Well, Kutha, feed us!

And Kutha said:

Have some more luck!

The fish-dogs rushed quickly again. Kutha even laughed with pleasure.

We went down to the bottom. The fish dogs stopped again and said:

Come on, Kutha, feed us!

Kutha answered again:

Just give me a little more luck and then I'll feed you!

The fish dogs got angry, rushed and rushed straight to the sea.

Kutha got scared and started shouting:

Pink salmon, pink salmon, pink salmon! Stop! Now, really, I’ll give you a masher!

The fish dogs pulled the sled forward.

Kutha, sensing trouble, wanted to jump off, but caught his foot on the sled. The fish rushed to the sea and jumped into the water with a running start.

Kutha almost drowned. I barely made it out.

This is such an instructive tale. There is no point in testing the patience of fish dogs.

Honoring the masters of the sea and forest inhabitants

From a fairy tale with a lot of humor, we move on to more serious issues. How many pictures of the world do the Itelmens have? At least two. Traditional - based on animism: on belief in the underground afterlife, good and evil spirits. And on totemism - the belief in kinship with one or another animal, the veneration of the owners of the sea and forest inhabitants.

The spirit of the sea Mitg, which provides the main food product - fish, was especially revered; A cleansing festival was held in his honor in November. The Itelmens considered the world eternal, souls - immortal.

All kinds of beliefs and signs played a huge role in the life of the Itelmens: for example, in the spring you cannot dismantle old houses and booths, in which there are a lot of yukol moths, the fish are afraid of the latter and can leave the river. It was strictly forbidden to save a person who was drowning or buried in an avalanche, since it was believed that this would deprive the spirits of water and mountains of the desired food.

The Itelmen also had shamanism, although the shamans did not have ritual clothing and attributes. Women usually acted as shamans.

The Itelmens also have a different picture of the world. After the Itelmens converted to Christianity in 1740-1747, Orthodox rituals began to spread among them - baptism, weddings, funeral services. Already in the first quarter of the 19th century, travelers noted Orthodox cemeteries in Kamchadal villages. At the same time, a tradition was established to give Russian names to children at baptism. The Itelmens were listed as parishioners of Kamchatka churches, and the first Russian surnames were derived from the surnames of the clergy and servicemen.

Koryak radio teaches native language

A very painful issue for the Itelmens is the extinction of their native language. In 1989, Itelmen was considered the native language by about 20% of Itelmen. Only people over 50 years of age speak the language. In recent years, attempts have been made to revive it. Based on Russian graphics, the Itelmen alphabet was developed, primers, textbooks, Russian-Itelmen and Itelmen-Russian dictionaries were published. In schools in the villages of Khairyuzovo, Kovran, Sedanka and Tigil, teaching is conducted in the Itelmen language, taking into account the dialect features of these villages. Teachers of the Itelmen language are trained at the Palana Pedagogical School, at the Russian State Pedagogical University named after. Herzen in St. Petersburg. The Koryak regional radio broadcasts in the Itelmen language.

Modern Itelmens are a stable, distinctive community with a high level of ethnic self-awareness. They show great interest in their history, in the creative understanding of the cultural experience of previous generations. The center of the revival is the village of Kovran. The folklore choreographic ensemble "Elvel", known far beyond the borders of the district and Russia, operates here.

In September, the cleansing festival “Alhalalalai” is held annually, which brings together Itelmen from all over Kamchatka, numerous guests from various cities of Russia and even from abroad.

Paying tribute to their ancestors, Itelmens and guests of the holiday climb the legendary Mount Elvel.

According to custom, during the ceremonies sacrificial figures of Khantai, Nustakhchakh, Azhushak, made by local artisans, are installed. Consisting of numerous rituals and family competitions, the ancient festival, as in the past, serves as a forum for uniting indigenous people.

The Alhalalalai holiday lasts several days. It starts in the second week of September. And certainly during the full moon. Its program includes various types of competitions.

The female half of the village loves the “Mimsh” (“Best Housewife”) competition, in which they can demonstrate their knowledge of cooking, local history, and perform a tribal melody in their native language.

Men compete on the river: who can install better locks, chiruchi, who can process sea animals and caught fish faster and better. The “Gifts of the Country of Kutha” competition for the best Itelmen dish is always colorful. This is where the eyes really run wild. Hundreds of pickles, pastries, liqueurs, skillfully decorated and made according to traditional recipes, appear on huge tables.

Children are not left out either. They, along with adult Itelmens, participate in applied art exhibitions and prepare their drawings in advance.

Hot fire in the square

But the key moment of the celebration is, of course, the ritual of purification. This is a whole magical performance in which everyone present is involved. A hot fire in the center of Balagan Square becomes like a central point around which an endless chain of people holding hands moves.

And then some musician hits the tambourine. Dozens of other tambourines answer him. The artists of the Elvel ensemble begin the action. Ritual plots are replaced by modern folklore performances. The strength and emotional energy of the dancers works better than any team. The pace increases, the flame burns hotter. There are almost no spectators around. Everyone is dancing, rejoicing, making noise.

Suddenly the dancing stops. People make way for the silent procession. A new wooden idol, personifying another “Alhalalalai” flashed in the abyss of time, is solemnly delivered to the square and placed on a par with its predecessors. There are now at least a dozen of them.

Then the most important thing begins. A huge ring woven from birch branches floats above the clearing. And everyone, worried, passes through it. Everyone raises their hands to the sky and joyfully, relievedly exclaims: “Alhalalalai!”

And at nine in the evening a dance marathon starts right next to the fire. Volunteer couples start dancing, hoping to win and, of course, break previous records. The conditions of this competition are not simple: the dancers’ legs are bent, the rest is three minutes of slow movements every hour. Allowed to drink water and -
kiss. This is such an incredible marathon. If it rains, it doesn’t stop the competitors.

And again the ubiquitous raven

How is our ubiquitous raven Kutha doing? Has he gotten himself into some kind of trouble again? Perhaps it's time to read another tale from his endless life. This time Kutha the raven plays the role of a positive hero. And in the fairy tale he does not appear immediately, but somewhere in the middle...

There were a lot of geese. In the summer they all hatched chicks. Their children began to grow up very quickly. It takes a long time for a caterpillar alone to grow up. His friends have already grown big and started flying. He cannot fly, he has no feathers on his body, no wings.

His mother and father are very worried, because the time is approaching to fly to warmer places. His comrades are already getting food themselves, and his father and mother are still feeding him.

All the geese began to prepare to fly, but he still had no wings. One morning all the geese gathered and began to think about how best to fly. The oldest goose said:

You'll all fly tomorrow.

And so they did. The next day, all the geese began to get ready for the journey. Fathers and mothers gathered their children and began to teach them how to fly so as not to lag behind on the way.

All the geese are cheerful, only the father and mother of the wingless gosling are crying bitterly. Their child remains, it has no wings.

“You are flying,” says the gosling, “why will you freeze here because of me?” All the geese got up and flew away, only the parents of the wingless goose remained.

Well, fly, don’t feel sorry for me.

The geese got up. Their little gosling swims in the lake and sings:

I don't have wings, I don't have a dad, I don't have a mom.

The parents heard this song of their gosling and returned.

Why did you come back? Fly, otherwise you will fall behind your comrades because of me.

Again they flew, and again the gosling began to sing the same song.

The parents are back again. With difficulty they left their gosling.

So the gosling was left alone on the lake. He swims around the lake and sings:

I don't have wings, I don't have a mom, I don't have a dad.

The gosling sang so loudly that the fox heard him.

She came up to the lake and said:

Come to me, little gosling, I will raise you.

No, I won’t go to you even if I’m cold. You'll eat me anyway.

I won't do anything to you, you're my nephew.

No matter how much the fox tried to persuade the gosling, he did not listen to her. The fox got very angry and said:

The lake will freeze anyway, and I will catch you and eat you.

And the fox began to wait for the lake to freeze. Now the lake has become quite small. The fox is happy.

One day I heard the song of the gosling crow Kutha. He came to the lake and asked:

Why are you swimming here, why didn’t you fly away with your comrades?

The gosling told him everything: that he had no wings, that the fox wanted to eat him. Kutkha felt sorry for the gosling, and he took it home.

And the gosling began to live with Kutha. He began to grow very quickly. In winter his wings grew. In the spring, when it got warmer, he began to play near the house.

One morning the gosling woke up and heard his parents flying. The gosling was happy and said to Kutha:

I'll fly to meet my parents.

And he flew.

He met his parents and began to live with them.

But they never forgot Kuthu.

It remains only to add that the raven Kutha is a unique mythological hero. It is found in the mythology of many peoples of Alaska and Kamchatka. Along with the traits of a rogue who loves to cheat, cheat, and deceive, he combines the respectable traits of a demiurge, a culture hero and an ancestor. As they say, there is enough in his character and behavior: both pros and cons.

The etymology of the word “Itelmen” is also interesting - this is a resident living here.

Itelmens

(itemen, distorted in early records-itelmen, obsolete: Kamchadaly)

A look from the past

“Description of all the living peoples in the Russian state” 1772-1776:

Unlike the Koryaks, who are increasingly engaged in reindeer breeding, the Kamchadals continue to seek their livelihood in hunting and fishing. Kamchatka forests are very rich, and the living creatures in them are diverse. Hunting for fur-bearing animals is especially productive in winter. This is the main means of subsistence of the Kamchadals and almost their only product.

The Kamchadals lovingly breed and raise dogs, which live incomparably better with them than other domestic animals - horses and bulls.

Kamchatka dogs are seasoned for long journeys and, despite bad roads and uneven ground, they run tirelessly over long distances. They differ little from peasant yard dogs; but the Kamchadals completely remade these animals in their own way: they accustomed them to different food, and to different treatment, and to a unique method of training. Of all the Siberian dogs, Kamchatka dogs are the best in terms of running speed. They are so hot that they often injure their limbs while running, and from excessive effort their fur is often covered with sweat and blood.

They are very strong: four dogs can carry three people along with their luggage and travel from 30 to 40 miles a day on bad roads and up to 80 miles on a good road.

Even if education ever penetrates Kamchatka, and its inhabitants become more developed than now, still the local and climatic conditions will not change and will always force them to prefer riding dogs to any other riding.

V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, “Country of Cold”, 1877:

- The Kamchadals are far from attractive. Imagine a clumsy, short, dark and high-cheeked savage with suspiciously shifting eyes, tenacious and thin hands, as if with a sneaking gait, in whose every movement one can see servility and slyness. To this it must be added that they almost never wash themselves and have a special, unique smell of rotten fish. Women are especially disgusting to them. Here uncleanliness reaches its apogee. These are just walking menageries - and the horror of one American who had to spend several days between these graceful representatives of the fair sex is understandable.

The occupations of the Kamchadals are determined by the seasons. In the summer they catch and dry fish, collect various roots, berries and fly agarics; in the fall they continue fishing, kill birds, geese, swans, ducks, and harvest timber; in winter they hunt for sable and fox, weave nets for fish, make sleds, and transport supplies from summer fishing huts to their yurts. In the spring, sea animal trades and beaver fishing begin. All these jobs are strictly divided between men and women: the former beat and catch the beast, the latter prepare it. The former build yurts and booths, the latter sew dresses.

The food of the Kamchadals consists mainly of yukola, prepared from all fish of the salmon genus. They divide each fish into six parts. The sides and tail are air-dried, the backs and tails are specially prepared. The heads are fermented in pits until all the cartilage turns red - and despite the terrible stench, they are eaten as a delicacy. The meat remaining on the bones is removed, dried and pounded to add to the brew, and the bones are prepared for dogs. This is followed by fish roe, which is dried along with willow and birch bark and eaten during fishing and hunting. They also eat the meat and fat of seal, walrus and other sea animals, preparing it with various roots and herbs. Berries and roots complement their unpretentious menu.

During holidays and feasts, Kamchadals drink an infusion of fly agaric, or after drying this mushroom, swallow it whole. Following this, intoxication sets in almost immediately: this is the same hashish. Russian Cossacks who used this drug tell the most amazing things about it. So, the fly agaric ordered them to hang themselves, to kill themselves, and this order would certainly have been carried out by them if not for their comrades who stopped the drunkards leaving in time. Another Cossack imagined hell and fiery Gehenna, and the same fly agaric ordered him to confess, which he began out loud to the amusement of his laughing interlocutors, revealing to them all his secrets. Koryaks and Chukchi eat fly agaric when they are about to kill someone or decide on a dangerous undertaking.

The Kamchadals also sing at their feasts. Their songs are monotonous, although their rhythm and motives are not without their pleasantness. Songs, mostly of love content, are composed by their girls and women.

There are a lot of strange things in the customs of the Kamchadals. This is how, for example, they recently became acquainted. If one Kamchadal wanted to get along with another, then he, having previously prepared all kinds of supplies for ten, invited his future friend to visit him. For this occasion, the yurt was heated to the point of impossibility. The owner and the guest sat in it undressed. Then the latter was offered food - and while he ate, the owner poured water onto the hot stones of the hearth. The guest, according to an eyewitness, tries to eat everything that the owner has prepared and endure the heat, and the owner tries to make the guest pray and ask for freedom from food and the heat. The guest has no right to leave the yurt, but the owner is allowed to leave it whenever he pleases. The guest is bribed with dogs or a dress.

Modern sources

The Itelmens are a people, the indigenous population of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Ethnonym

The name Itelmen is a Russian adaptation of the self-name “itenmen” (“existing”, “living here”).

Number and settlement

At the end of the 17th century. The Itelmen occupied the central part of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

The northern border of settlement on the west coast was the Tigil river, on the east - the river. Uka. In the south, Itelmen settlements stretched to the very tip of the peninsula.

Their total number at the end of the 17th century. was more than 15 thousand people.

With the entry of Kamchatka into the Russian state, most territorial groups of Itelmen found themselves in the zone of intensive contacts with the Russians.

As a result of military clashes with the Cossacks and epidemics, their numbers quickly declined.

From the second half of the 19th century. the process of cultural-ethnic disappearance accelerated.

It was especially intense in the river valley. Kamchatka.

It passed more slowly on the western coast of the peninsula.

By the middle of the 19th century. The Itelmens there preserved their native language and many elements of traditional culture.

They were recorded as Itelmens in the 1926/27 census.

To date, according to the 2010 census, only 3,093 Itelmen people have been recorded.

They live on the Kamchatka Peninsula, mainly in the Tigilsky and Milkovsky districts of the Kamchatka Territory and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (2,361 people), as well as in the Magadan region (600 people).

Number of Itelmens in populated areas (according to the 2002 census)

(municipalities where the share of Kamchadals in the population exceeds 5%) are indicated.

Kamchatka Territory (2296 people, 2002):

Tigil village 355 people.

Village of Kovran 265 people.

City of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 265 people.

Milkovo village 233 people.

Ust-Khairyuzovo village 156 people.

Urban settlement Palana 130 people.

Sedanka village 130 people.

Sobolevo village 119 people.

Magadan region (643 people, 2002):

City of Magadan 231

Village Tauisk 114

Town Ola 109

Anthropological features of the Itelmens

Anthropologically, the Itelmens are included in the mainland group of populations of the Arctic small race of northern Mongoloids.

The uniqueness of the racial characteristics of the peoples included in this group (Chukchi, Eskimos, Koryaks, Itelmens), in comparison with other Siberian Mongoloids, lies in a slight weakening of the Mongoloid complex: a higher nose bridge, a less flat face, darker pigmentation, protruding lips.

Based on these characteristics, anthropologists establish a connection between the Arctic race and the Pacific Mongoloids rather than the inland Mongoloids.

Ethnogenesis

The formation of the Itelmens is associated with the Mesolithic culture of wandering hunters and fishermen, which was characteristic of a very vast territory.

The origins of this culture go back to the regions of eastern Mongolia, from where it later spread to a large part of eastern Siberia and northeast Asia.

In the early Neolithic in northeast Asia, local regional cultures begin to form.

One of them, Tarya, covered the central and southern part of Kamchatka.

Most researchers are inclined to believe that the ancient Itelmens were its bearers.

But in addition to local, Kamchatka roots, the Itelmens also have other genetic origins.

Many cultural features of the Itelmen bear the imprints of a different natural-geographical environment and make them related to the peoples of the Amur region, Primorye, and North America.

Language

The Itelmen language is usually classified as belonging to the Chukchi-Kamchatka family.

There is an unconventional point of view, according to which the Itelmen language is included in this family only on areal grounds; it has no genetic connection with the Chukchi and Koryak languages.

Linguistically, the Itelmens once comprised three large groups: eastern, southern and western.

Only the western Itelmen language, which has experienced significant influence from Koryak, has been relatively preserved.

There are 4 dialects: Napansky, Sedankinsky, Sopochnovsky, Khairyuzovsky.

Only 18.8% of Itelmens, mainly representatives of the older generation, consider Itelmen as their native language.

Traditional home

Winter dwellings were rectangular or oval half-dugouts (yurts) with a wooden vault supported by pillars.

The smoke from the hearth came out through a side hole.

They went down into the yurt along a log with crossbars through the top hole. Typically, from 5 to 12 families spent the winter in a dugout.

For summer fishing, each family moved into a pile structure made of poles with a conical top; nearby they built structures made of poles and grass, in which they cleaned and cooked fish.

It has been confirmed that at least in the 18th century. The Itelmens had four-walled log huts.

And from outbuildings - barns and premises for livestock

Religion

The religious beliefs and rituals of the Itelmen are based on Pantheism and Animism.

The demiurge of the visible world - Kutka or Kutga, perhaps comes from the Mongolian “kut” = “frost”.

It was the cold that must have seemed to the first settlers in Kamchatka the main factor determining their lives.

The constant ridicule that the Itelmen made towards Kutka, telling obscene stories about him, almost in a Dionysian spirit, can be explained by the victory over the frost after Kutka taught how to build underground dwellings.

Having taught, Kutka went to the country of the Koryaks, where it is much colder than in Kamchatka.

Kutka’s wife is Khakhi, perhaps from the Old Turkic “khat” = “beauty, order, harmony”; the myth says that she was very beautiful and smart.

His son Dezelkut, perhaps, from “tes” = “likeness, image” + “kut” = “Likeness of Kutka.”

Of the “Master Spirits”, the “master of the sea” Mitg, who provides the main food product - fish, was especially revered.

The goblin, just like among the Slavs and Turks, luring into the thicket - Ushakhchu, may have a correspondence in “uh” (Proto-Bulgarian) = “owl”.

Vilyukai lives in the clouds, “vilem” = “death”, since, according to legend, after death a person moves to heaven.

Lord of the Underworld - Hatch.

There were shamanic rituals.

Women usually acted as shamans.

The cosmological knowledge of the Itelmens is amazing.

Although they consider the earth to be flat, they think that the underside of our flat earth is the underground sky, and when it is summer there, it is winter here, and vice versa.

Rain penetrates the earth and irrigates the underground earth, which has full correspondence in Slavic-Turkish mythologies about the Underground Ocean.

They also have legends about the Great Flood, and about the salvation of some of those warned on rafts, like the peoples of Western Asia.

They are familiar with the constellation Ursa Major, which they call Hana, which means “moving constellation.”

In September, the Itelmens held “Alhalalalai,” the most important ritual calendar holiday of purification, marking the completion of the economic cycle.

In the holiday, elements of myths about the creation of the world and rituals associated with thanksgiving to nature were reproduced in ritual form.

Paying tribute to their ancestors, Kovran residents and guests of the holiday climbed the legendary Mount Elvel.

According to custom, during the ceremonies sacrificial figures of Khantai, Nustakhchakh, Azhushak, made by local artisans, are installed.

After the conversion of the Itelmens in 1740 - 1747. Orthodox rituals began to spread into Christianity - baptism, weddings, funeral services.

Already in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. travelers noted Orthodox cemeteries in Kamchadal villages.

A tradition has been established of giving Russian names to children at baptism.

The Itelmens were listed as parishioners of Kamchatka churches, and the first Russian surnames were derived from the surnames of the clergy and servicemen.

Calendar

The culture and mythology of the Itelmens show a clear influence of ancient Turkic peoples.

An extremely stable feature of the culture of a people is the calendar.

The very designation of time among the Itelmens is “utkuakh”, “asich” (among the inhabitants of the west coast) and “letkul”, “elchich” (among the inhabitants of the eastern coast), and the antiquity of these words is indicated by the fact that the Itelmens no longer understood their meaning.

In Old Turkic “ut” = “walk”, “as” = “memory”, “lata” = “order”, “elker” = “Pleiades”, by which Homer’s heroes determined time.

Thus, we get a whole set of definitions concerning the properties of time.

Another clearly Turkic trace is the counting of time not by the sun, but by the moon; Namely, the Itelmens define a year as a certain number of lunations.

But, since the lunar year is shorter than the solar year, they adjusted the lunations to the seasons so that, unlike the Muslims, the beginning of the year did not move throughout the calendar.

A month is directly defined as the interval between new moons.

The names of the months have a clear etymology from Itelmen, so they are probably late.

The word “month” itself, as in Russian and other Indo-Europeans, is a synonym for “Moon”, “coach”.

In Old Turkic “kukal” = “pie”.

There is an analogy here - both objects, the pie and the Moon, are round.

Summer" is called "adamas" in Itelmen, which has a direct analogy with the Turkic "azamat", "dawn, light".

Translation month Tahuacoach, May month of shorebird arrival Coacoach, June cuckoo time Ehtemstacoach, July summer month Kihsuacoach, August moonlight (night fishing season begins in August) Coasuchacoach, September leaf fall month Pikiscoach, October month of the small bird "peak" Coacoach, November nettle month - drying nettles nokkooos nabil, December “I froze” syusacoach, January “don’t touch me” kichakoach, February month of the ladder (by which they climbed into their homes) adukoach, March month of the chimney hole (it begins to thaw first, indicating the arrival of spring ) masgalcoach, April is the month of the wagtail

Traditional farming

The basis of the Itelmens’ livelihood was river fishing, whichsalmon fish.

In the sea they hunted navaga (on ice), smelt, and capelin.

The fishing grounds were owned by the neighboring community.

Fish, mainly salmon, were caught from April to November.

Fishing methods and gear were traditional - nets, seines, locks - structures in the form of a fence or wattle fence made of willow grass, blocking a river or part of it, with “gates” in which wicker traps in the form of a funnel (top, muzzle) or bag-like nets were placed.

Women were engaged in gathering.

Residents of the sea coast hunted for pinnipeds, the skins and fat of which served as items of trade both among the local population and with the reindeer Koryaks.

The latter exchanged reindeer skins, meat, and tendons.

The hunt was of an auxiliary nature.

They hunted mainly bighorn sheep, wild reindeer, and waterfowl during the molting period.

Special rituals were associated with bear hunting and eating its meat.

Furs served as an exchange item.

Traps and snares were set for sable and fox, and they were also driven with dogs.

In the summer they traveled on boats, hollowed out of poplar.

In winter - on dog sleds with sleds that have two pairs of arched spears and a saddle-shaped seat.

We went on skis - long, sliding ones and “paws” - short stepping ones.

Utensils were made from birch bark, axes were made from deer and whale bone or stone (jasper), knives, arrows, spearheads were made from volcanic glass - obsidian.

The Itelmens also used products woven from sedge: baskets, boxes, which were carried behind their backs using a leather or fabric belt.

Women fastened the belt on their foreheads, men on their chests.

These baskets were used to carry berries, plant tubers, cedar cones, and cargo during the transition to fishing or field camps.

This type of utensil was used by almost all nationalities living on the territory of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Knives, arrowheads and spearheads were made from metal using cold forging.

Fire was produced by friction.

There is evidence of cattle ranching and vegetable gardening long before the Russians arrived in the region.

Artistic bone carving was developed.

Traditional clothing

Winter clothing, both men's and women's, were thick fur coats with a hood - kukhlyankas (below the knees) and kamleys (to the toes), which were sewn from double deer fur - with the fur in and out.

In winter, men and women wore pants with fur inside, in summer they wore suede ones.

Summer clothing often served as worn-out winter clothing, which in the fisheries was supplemented with raincoats and shoes made of tanned fish skins.

Women's home clothes were overalls, men's - a leather loincloth.

Winter shoes were made from reindeer skins, complemented with fur stockings, and summer shoes were made from pinniped skins.

Winter fur hats looked like bonnets, while summer fur hats, similar to Aleut ones, were made from birch bark or feathers and sticks.

Steller wrote: “The most elegant kukhlyankas are trimmed at the collar and sleeves, as well as at the hem, with dog hair, and hundreds of tassels made of seal hair, dyed red, are hung on the caftan, which dangle from side to side with every movement.”

Such clothing of the Itelmens created the impression of fluffiness and shaggyness.

Itelmen women had a custom: to wear wigs.

The one with the larger and more luxurious wig was revered most of all.

These fashionistas always walked with their heads uncovered.

The girls braided their heavy, raven-black hair into many small braids and, for greater chic, covered them with hair extensions woven in the form of caps.

Maybe that’s why the Chukchi and Koryaks could call the Itelmen Kamchadals, because in both languages “Kamcha” means “curly”, “shaggy”, and “levyt”, “lyavyt” (Chukot.) and “lev’it”, “lav” 'yt" (Koryak) - "head".

music and dancing

Music is characterized by several local variants, studied differently.

By the beginning of the 1990s. three of them were known: two western - Kovran and Tigil and one eastern - Kamchadal.

Music, instruments and genres are interconnected with the folklore traditions of the Koryaks, Kuril Ainu and Evens.

Itelmen music is divided into song, dance, instrumental and narrative.

A song melody accompanies an improvised text.

Songs with lyrical text among the Kovran people are called chaka'les (from chak'al - “throat”, “mouth”), among the Tigil people - repnun (from repkuyo - “to hum”, “to sing”).

Lullabies, although they are distinguished terminologically (among the Kovrans - corvelho, among the Tigils - carvelho), do not have their own melodies, but are sung to various standard melodies.

The texts of the spells, found only among the Kovran people, are sung to ritual melodies (kmali chineh).

The Itelmen know 16 musical and sound-producing instruments under the general name ma'lyanon - “playing object”. The Itelmen tambourine (yayar) is related to the Koryak one.

There was also a wooden plate-shaped jew's harp (varyga).

A flute made of angelica with an external whistle slot without holes for the fingers is called a kov among the Kovran people, and a koun among the Tigil people.

“The Itelmens themselves, in turn, have their own ancient, special dances, which they call “khayuteli” near the Penzhina Sea, and “kuzelkingga” on the Kamchatka River.

The main dance consists of all the women and girls sitting in a circle, then one of them jumps up, sings a song and raises her hands, on the middle fingers of which hangs a long strand of soft grass ehei. The women wave these strands of grass in every possible way, while spinning and spinning so quickly that it seems as if their whole body is shaking from a feverish chill, with individual parts of the body each making their own special movement in different directions.

Their dexterity is difficult to describe in words and cannot be sufficiently marveled at.

While singing, they imitate the cries of various animals and birds, performing absolutely inimitable throat tricks: it seems as if you hear two or three voices at the same time.

This skill is especially distinguished by women in Nizhny Ostrog and along the Kamchatka River.”

(Georg Steller about the musical abilities of the Itelmens “On the festivities and entertainments of the Itelmens” from G.-W. Steller’s work “Description of the Land of Kamchatka”)

National cuisine

Fish served as the main food and food for dogs.

It was prepared for future use: dried and fermented in pits, less often baked and smoked, and frozen in winter. Salmon caviar was dried and fermented.

They ate meat from animals and birds less often.

The meat and fat of sea animals floated in the pits, and the intestines and stomachs were used as containers for storing food.

With fish and meat they ate many different herbs, roots, saran tubers, and berries.

They collected pine nuts and waterfowl eggs.

In the household, the Itelmens used wooden and birch bark utensils and utensils made from grass.

Food was cooked in wooden troughs using hot stones.

Boiled meat or fish was placed on large wooden board dishes with slightly raised edges and eaten with hands, washed down with some kind of seasoning from a small wooden cup.

To the question Who are the Itelmens? given by the author A-stra the best answer is Itelmens are one of the most ancient peoples of Siberia. An analysis of archaeological excavations in Kamchatka showed that the earliest monuments of the Itelmen culture are 5,200 years old. Today, about 2.5 thousand people live in Russia. Their habitat is the western coast of Kamchatka, Magadan region (about 500 people), Koryak (Tigilsky district) and Chukotka autonomous districts. In the Tigil region, where the Itelmen now live compactly, there are 22 clan communities that are engaged in reindeer husbandry, hunting sea animals and fish, hunting, and collecting wild plants.
Self-name - Itelmen, Itenman (local resident), old name - Kamchadals. They belong to the Arctic race of the large Mongoloid race, but differ significantly from their neighbors in the racial area in physical appearance. Anthropologists distinguish them into a special type, which is in good agreement with linguistic and cultural-genetic data. They speak the Itelmen language, which is usually attributed to the Chukchi-Kamchatka family. Linguistically, the Itelmens once comprised three large groups: eastern, southern and western. To date, only the Western Itelmen language, which has experienced significant influence from Koryak, is relatively preserved. The eastern and southern Itelmen languages are completely lost; information about them is limited to only a small lexical material. In the Western Itelmen language there are 4 dialects: Napan, Sedankin, Sopochnovsky, Khairyuzovsky. Russian is a widely spoken language, which the majority (76.6%) of Itelmens consider as their native language.
The traditional beliefs of the Itelmens are animism (worship of master spirits). According to the Itelmens, all objects and natural phenomena are endowed with spirits that live their own lives. The degree of veneration of certain spirits was directly dependent on the degree of their supposed influence on a person’s material well-being. The spirit of the sea Mitg, which provides the main food product - fish, was especially revered; In his honor, a holiday of “purification” was held in November. The cult of fire acted as a shrine. Gathering was reflected in the beliefs of the Itelmens in the form of installing pillars - idols in fishing places. The Itelmens considered the world eternal, souls - immortal. They considered Raven (Kutkha) to be the creator of the people, the first ancestor.
One of the types of religious views was fetishism. Men and women wore amulets in the form of idols.
All sorts of beliefs and signs played a huge role: for example, in the spring you cannot dismantle old houses and booths, in which there are a lot of moths, the fish are afraid of the latter and can leave the river. It was strictly forbidden to save a person who was drowning or buried in an avalanche, since it was believed that this would deprive the spirits of water and mountains of the desired food.
The Itelmen also had shamanism, although the shamans did not have ritual clothing and attributes. Women usually acted as shamans. From the middle of the 17th century. The Itelmens adopted Christianity, the ritual side of which quickly took quite deep roots. A characteristic feature of spiritual culture is the developed art of dance
Dancing was an integral part of everyday life, folk holidays and was of a mass nature. The most developed types of folk applied art are embroidery, artistic weaving of grass and leather straps, birch bark embossing, fur appliqué, bone and wood carvings.
Folklore is represented mainly by the fairy tale genre; there once was a rich mythology, which is now lost. The main character of fairy tales and myths is Kutkh.. In recent decades, Itelmen writers G. Porotov, T. Gutorova, N. Suzdalova have created vivid works of art based on folklore. Based on Russian graphics, the Itelmen alphabet was developed, primers, textbooks, and popular literature were published. Many elements of traditional material culture are being revived
Source: link
Madeleine
Higher intelligence
(131735)
Researchers believe that these actions imitate ancient times, when people did not know dog breeding and hunting.
The action with a stuffed whale indicates later ideas about the world. Around midnight, a woman entered the yurt with a stuffed whale tied to her back, previously made from sweet grass, fish and seal meat. The woman must crawl with him around the hearth. She is followed by two men who hit the “whale” and shout at the crow. One of the important details of the ritual was the making of a new figurine of the Khantai god, which was carved from wood by one of the old men. The ritual ended with a general dance accompanied by cries of “alhalalalai.” This is the name of the ritual holiday, revived in 1987 and further developed.

Answer from Irina[guru]
national settlements in Kamchatka
small peoples of the North of Kamchatka and the Koryak Autonomous Okrug - Intelmen

Answer from Eurovision[guru]
Itenmen: Self-name i t e n m e n, i t a n m s h n, i t e n m e ln “living”, “residents”.
Main area of settlement
Currently they are mainly concentrated in the village. Kovran, Tigil, Palana, Khairyuzovo, Tigil district. Kamchatka region , and most of the younger generation are descendants of mixed marriages.
Number
Number according to censuses: 1897 - 2805, 1926 - 4217 "Kamchadals" were recorded, including 859 Itelmens who indicated Itelmen as their native language, 1959 - 1109, 1970 - 1301, 1979 - 1370, 1989 - 2481.
Ethnic and ethnographic groups
In the XVIII - early XIX centuries. The Itelmens were divided into a number of large local divisions with their own self-names and cultural characteristics: Kamchatka, Avacha, Bslsheretsk, Western, Khairyuz. At this time, the northern border of the Itelmen settlement territory on the western coast of Kamchatka reached the river basin. Tigil, on the east - r. Uka, southern, reached almost to the borough of Lopatka. In the first half of the nineteenth century. , while maintaining the territory, the number of Itelmen settlements decreases, and in the second half of the 19th century. , the Itelmens lived only on the western coast of Kamchatka.
Anthropological characteristics
Anthropologically, the Itelmens are included in the mainland group of populations of the Arctic small race of the northern Mongoloids. The uniqueness of the racial characteristics of the peoples included in this group (Chukchi, Eskimos, Koryaks, Itelmens), in comparison with other Siberian Mongoloids, lies in a slight weakening of the Mongoloid complex: a higher nose bridge, a less flat face, darker pigmentation, protruding lips. Based on these characteristics, anthropologists establish a connection between the Arctic race and the Pacific Mongoloids rather than the inland Mongoloids.
Language
Itelmen: There are discrepancies in determining the classification of the Itelmen language. A more traditional assessment of its inclusion in the Chukchi-Koryak group of Paleo-Asian languages (Itelmen, Chukchi, Koryak, Kerek) is currently being consistently revised by linguists. Special studies of the vocabulary, phonetic system, sound structure of the Itelmen language in comparison with Chukchi and Koryak allow us to assert that with them it reveals areal correspondences (a consequence of ethnocultural contacts), and not genetic connections (common origin). Nevertheless, the relationship of the Itelmen language to the Paleo-Asian languages, even at the level of its classificational isolation, is beyond doubt.
Writing
The literacy level of the Itelmens by the beginning of the twentieth century. , compared with other peoples of the North, was higher, which was facilitated by the long-term influence of Russian settlers. After 1917, a number of parochial schools declared themselves Soviet. In 1932, based on the Latin script, the Itelmen primer “Let's Learn” (E. P. Orlova) was developed. Then a reading book was created in the Itelmen language. Since the beginning of the 30s, teaching in grades 1 and 2 was conducted in the Itelmen language, and from grade 3 the Itelmen language was taught as a subject. In 1936, due to the translation of the writings of the peoples of the North onto a Russian graphic basis, the Itelmen language was not translated into Cyrillic and teaching in the Itelmen language was stopped. This led to the gradual loss of the native language of the Itelmens and their gradual transition to the Russian language.
Religion
Orthodoxy: Orthodox. Christianization, through missionary activity, begins in the 2nd quarter of the 18th century. By the middle of the century it was widespread throughout the peninsula and on the northern islands of the Kuril ridge. Christianization was accompanied by the introduction of tax benefits for converts. In most of the forts, schools were opened in which Russian and Kamchadal children studied together.
Ethnogenesis and ethnic history
The historical fate of the Itelmen ethnic culture has several genetic plans. Firstly, it includes a number of common elements characteristic of most Paleo-Asian peoples

Introduction For multinational Russia, it is relevant and very important to properly organize a single multicultural space, to ensure the interconnection of cultures on the principle of state national policy, ensuring the protection and development of national cultures, regional and national traditions in a multinational state.

“Many of our problems, many difficulties of socio-economic and territorial development, corruption, and shortcomings in the work of state institutions, and, of course, failures in educational and cultural policies are focused on interethnic relations, which often leads to a distorted understanding of the true causes of interethnic tension ", states the President of the Russian Federation.

According to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, society must solve this problem together: “Together we must cope with this challenge, we must protect interethnic peace, which means the unity of our society, the unity and integrity of the Russian state.” Knowledge of the culture of the indigenous peoples of the northern Far East and respect for their traditions will ensure harmony and friendly relations in the region.

History of the Itelmen people

Itelmen, Itelmen, Itenmy (self-name, literally “one who exists”, “local resident”), people in Russia (2.5 thousand people), live compactly in the east of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Tigilsky district of the Koryak Autonomous Okrug; 1179 people) and in the Magadan region (509 people). They speak the Itelmen language (the outdated name is the Kamchadal language) of the Chukotka-Kamchatka family. Dialects: Napansky, Sedankinsky, Sopochnovsky, Khairyuzovsky. The Russian language is also widespread, which most Itelmen consider to be their native language. Believers are Orthodox.

By the time the Russians arrived in Kamchatka at the end of the 17th century, the Itelmens constituted its main population, the indigenous inhabitants of the peninsula, numbering about 13 thousand people. The abrupt process of Russification led to the fact that at the end of the 18th century, the Itelmen-Kamchadals (as the Russians called them) numbered about 3 thousand people, representing a subethnic group of the Russian people. In the 20th century, especially in recent years, the ethnic self-awareness of the Itelmens (interest in language, culture, traditional way of life) is growing, and their numbers are increasing - in 1959–89 from 1.1 to 2.5 thousand people.

The means of transportation were dugout boats, dog sleds, and sliding skis; for hunting, racket skis were more often used.

In recent decades, the economic complex of the Itelmens has changed significantly. Marine hunting disappeared as a branch of the economy, and land hunting and gathering lost their former importance. The main occupation of the Itelmens, fishing, has become a highly commercial, technically equipped branch of production. However, the majority of those employed in this industry prefer traditional net fishing. In the modern structure of employment of Itelmens, new occupations predominate: livestock farming, construction, industrial fish processing, a significant part works in the public education system, in healthcare, etc. About 40% of Itelmens are urban residents.

Converted to Orthodoxy in the middle of the 18th century. Traditional beliefs are associated with the worship of master spirits.

The most developed types of applied art are embroidery, weaving of grass and leather straps, fur appliqué, bone and wood carving, and birch bark embossing. Developed dance art.

Places of residence of the Itelmens

Traditional settlements and dwellings

Itelmen settlements, often fortified in the past, were located along the banks of reservoirs and consisted of several winter and summer dwellings.

The winter dwelling is a frame half-dugout with log walls and a flat roof. The outside walls are covered with grass and covered with earth. The source is located on the side. This is a home for a large family group. It is this dwelling that is subsequently replaced by a log house.

The summer home of the Itelmens is a pile booth. A pyramidal frame of poles was placed on a platform raised above the ground, which was covered with tree bark and grass. The booth had two entrances. Later, the booth began to be used as an outbuilding.

Main area of settlement

Currently they are mainly concentrated in the village. Kovran, Tigil, Palana, Khairyuzovo, Tigil district. Kamchatka region, and most of the younger generation are descendants of mixed marriages.

Itelmen, Itelmen, Itenmy (self-name, literally “one who exists”, “local resident”), people in Russia (2.5 thousand people), live compactly in the east of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Tigilsky district of the Koryak Autonomous Okrug; 1179 people) and in the Magadan region (509 people). The Itelmens, along with the Koryaks, Chukchis and Eskimos, are included in the mainland group of populations of the Arctic small race, in which the Itelmens are distinguished as a special type, which is consistent with linguistic and cultural-genetic data. Based on some characteristics (higher bridge of the nose, less flat face, protruding lips, etc.), anthropologists establish a connection between the Arctic race and the Pacific Mongoloids

The religious beliefs and rituals of the Itelmen are based on animism - belief in the underground afterlife, good and evil spirits; totemism - belief in kinship with one or another animal, veneration of the owners of the sea and forest animals. After the Itelmens converted to Christianity in 1740–1747, Orthodox rituals began to spread - baptism, weddings, funeral services. Already in the first quarter of the 19th century, travelers noted Orthodox cemeteries in Kamchadal villages. A tradition has been established of giving Russian names to children at baptism. The Itelmens were listed as parishioners of Kamchatka churches, and the first Russian surnames were derived from the surnames of the clergy and servicemen.

According to the Itelmens, all objects and natural phenomena are endowed with spirits that live their own lives. The degree of veneration of certain spirits was directly dependent on the degree of their supposed influence on a person’s material well-being. The spirit of the sea, which provides the main food product - fish, was especially revered; a holiday was held in his honor "cleansing" in November. The cult of fire acted as a shrine. Gathering was reflected in the beliefs of the Itelmens in the form of installing pillars - idols in fishing places. The Itelmens considered the world eternal, souls – immortal. They considered the Crow (Kutkha) to be the creator of the people, the first ancestor.

One of the types of religious views was fetishism. Men and women wore amulets in the form of idols.

The Itelmen also had shamanism, although the shamans did not have ritual clothing and attributes.

All sorts of beliefs and signs played a huge role: for example, in the spring you cannot dismantle old houses and booths, in which there are a lot of moths, the fish are afraid of the latter and can leave the river. It was strictly forbidden to save a drowning person or someone buried in an avalanche, since it was believed that this would deprive the spirits of water and mountains of the desired food. Traditional beliefs of the Itelmens were determined by their way of life, social organization and ecological environment.

Ethnic and ethnographic groups

In the XVIII - early XIX centuries. The Itelmens were divided into a number of large local divisions with their own self-names and cultural characteristics: Kamchatka, Avacha, Bslsheretsk, Western, Khairyuz. At this time, the northern border of the Itelmen settlement territory on the western coast of Kamchatka reached the Tigil River basin, on the eastern - the Uka River, the southern border reached almost Lopatka Cape. In the first half of the 19th century, while maintaining the territory, the number of Itelmen settlements decreased, and in the second half of the 19th century, the Itelmen lived only on the western coast of Kamchatka.

Anthropological characteristics

Anthropologically, the Itelmens are included in the mainland group of populations of the Arctic small race of the northern Mongoloids. The uniqueness of the racial characteristics of the peoples included in this group (Chukchi, Eskimos, Koryaks, Itelmens), in comparison with other Siberian Mongoloids, lies in a slight weakening of the Mongoloid complex: a higher nose bridge, a less flat face, darker pigmentation, protruding lips. Based on these characteristics, anthropologists establish a connection between the Arctic race and the Pacific Mongoloids rather than the inland Mongoloids. The Itelmens have much in common with Indians of different tribes in the USA and Canada in appearance, tribal legends, totems, rituals, and dances. Wherever our Itelmens go with their fiery dances and fiery songs, everywhere their brothers greet them as their own, as relatives.

Scientists have proven that the Itelmens of Kamchatka have the closest family roots with the Tlingit Indians. The latter live very close