Draft:Siberian Culture

= Siberian Culture =

Cuisine
Because of its location and historical, political, and cultural history, Siberia is home to many different culinary traditions. Influences come from indigenous Siberian peoples, the “silk routes” after the thirteenth century, medieval merchants from Central Asia and Byzantium, the European voyages in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the food of Europe and Eastern Europe, Asian preferences and traditions, and the Russian Orthodox Church. Furthermore, Siberia’s climate and geography have influenced its cuisine.

During times of hardship, such as during World War II, many Siberians relied on potatoes, wild greens, garlic, pine nuts, and lingonberries for survival. Many types of berries other than lingonberries (raspberries, blueberries, salmonberries, and cloudberries) have sustained those in Northern Siberia, and Southern Siberians eat limonnik berries, gooseberries, and wild grapes and apples; cheremukha, or bird cherries are also popular. Across Siberia, these fruits and berries are used in jams, preserved, frozen, made in flour, and fermented. Other popular wild foods include sarana roots, cheremsha (wild garlic), wild sorrel, fiddlehead ferns, seaweed, mushrooms, and horseradish.

In terms of wildlife, Siberians draw their food from a variety of animals. Within rivers and lakes, there are many different kinds of fish, including omul (a fish from Baikal), Kaluga sturgeon, trout, char, catfish, salmon, and perch. In areas by the sea, halibut, flounder, squid, shrimp, and crabs are harvested, and people dive for sea urchins, scallops, clams and sea cucumbers. All of these fish and seafood are eaten fresh, frozen, dried, lightly salted, smoked, or canned. Other animals that are hunted for food include sea birds, whales, seals, walruses, deer, elk, moose, bears, ducks, geese, sheep, goats, poultry, pigs, and reindeer. All parts of these animals are used in some fashion; nothing goes to waste.

Siberia is also known for specific dishes. One of them is the pelmeni dumplings, which in the winter are traditionally frozen and stored outdoors before being boiled to eat. Another is kislaia kapusta, a fermented cabbage that is typically eaten as a winter salad.

Language
Many of Russia’s 190 ethnic groups live within the bounds of Siberia. The languages of these groups can be split into several different families:


 * Turkic. This language family can be found all over Siberia. Yakut is the most common within this family.
 * Uralic. These languages are found in Northern/Western Siberia (by the Ural mountains), and examples include Nganasan, Mansi, Nenets, and Khanty.
 * Tungusic. These languages are found in Eastern Siberia, with some speakers even being found in China and Mongolia. Ethnic groups who use languages in this family include Even, Evenk, and Nanai.
 * Paleo-Siberian and Isolates. These are the smaller families scattered throughout Siberia, and they cannot be found outside of Siberia. Examples of these languages include Yupik/Aleut, Chukchi, Itelmen, Yukaghir, and Ket.

The total number of speakers vary across languages, with some having thousands of speakers and others having under a hundred. However, many of those within these ethnic groups show an 80-99% knowledge of Russian as a language.

Public Perception
There are a variety of public perceptions surrounding Siberia, some of which are true. It was described as the following: "For centuries, Siberia has been represented as Russia's alter ego, as the heavenly or infernal antithesis to the perceived complexity or shallowness of Russian life. It has been both the frightening heart of darkness and a fabulous land of plenty; the 'House of the Dead' and the realm of utter freedom; a frozen wasteland and a colourful frontier; a dumping ground for Russia's rejects and the last refuge of its lost innocence."There are a couple of incorrect assumptions relating to Siberia. The first is that it is always a cold, snowy place. While Siberia has one of the coldest permanently inhabited settlements in the world, and while it also does snow a lot in the winter, summer temperatures are quite warm, and there is a lot of fertile land. Another popular perception is that there are many threatening bears, wolves, and tigers in Siberia. However, despite their existence, scientists are instead concerned about there being a low number of Siberian tigers, not their threat level.

There are also some perceptions that tend to be more correct. One is that Siberia is a large, empty land, and this tends to be true; natural resources are difficult to access, and there is a low population density. Additionally, the public also believes that Siberia is a land full of exile. This is true, as Siberia’s history is rooted in violence from the beginning. The Soviet Gulag system also greatly added to this preconceived notion, but it broke apart after the 1960s.

Literature
Home to many different native groups, Siberia’s native literature is vast. Prior to Soviet power taking control, Siberian natives had close relationships with the Russian monarchy. Their literature was also mainly oral, and many natives did not have written language. However, when the twentieth century hit, the Soviet regime instituted a standard to Siberian natives’ ways of life, encompassing social and cultural norms, despite their differences. Free educational, universal Russian literacy, and Russian culture were pushed for, and native cultural practices, like shamanism were often outlawed. As a result, many native Siberians faced struggles with their past and the new Soviet future.

In the twentieth century, Siberian literature came in stages. The first half of the century saw writers such as Nikolai Mordinov (Yakut) and Tyko Vylko (Nanets) producing documentaries and autobiographies about the conflicts and struggles they faced within the region and with the conflicts of the time. This time period also saw writers struggling with the new Russian standard for writing, but programs and centers for Native creative writing also emerged.

Following this, the 1960s marked the next stage of native literature, as Siberian natives began facing Russian industry advances as well as a general disregard of their rights. Chingiz Aitmatov (Khirgiz) led a new wave of ethnic writers, writing “The White Steamship,” and “The Mangy Dog Running along the Shore.” Northern Siberian writers such as Yuri Rytkkeu (Chukchee) and Yuvan Shestalov (Mansi) introduced a more two-dimensional, more alarming view of Siberian ethnicity and culture, writing individual perspectives and commentaries on current times. These writers are why Siberian ethnic literature is more prominent, and their growth fell alongside the end of the Soviet regime.

Literature from Exile
During Stalin’s rule from the 1920s to the 1950s, Siberia saw the emergence of the Gulag, or a series of prisons and labor camps in Siberia. Many political prisoners and criminals were sent to the Gulag as punishment by the Soviet Union. As a result, specific literature exists that describes exile peoples’ experiences.

Several authors stand out. The first of which is Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. After writing a letter critical of Joseph Stalin, he was arrested, sent to the Gulag for eight years, and then exiled for another three. His most famous work is Arkhipelag Gulag, or The Gulag Archipelago, published in several volumes from 1973-1975. These volumes served as a historical record of the Gulag system, detailing how people sentenced to the Gulag were arrested, interrogated, and imprisoned by the official authorities. The volumes also included autobiographical entries of Solzhenitsyn’s. Another famous author is Varlam Shalamov. Shalamov spent 19 years within the Gulag system with two separate sentences. In 1978, he published Kolymskiye Rasskazy, or Kolyma Stories, in England, which is a collection of over 100 short stories from his time in the Gulag; these stories were written very straightforwardly and contained limited philosophical or political opinions. One final, famous author who was imprisoned was Fyodor Dostoyevsky, whose The House of the Dead describes his horrific experiences in a labor camp. In his book, Dostoyevsky argues that humanity exists when individuals have their own freedom.

Traditional Music
Traditional Siberian music is mostly heterophonic, which allows the main singer to improvise and embellish. The pronunciation and singing of words and phrases can also change via vocalisms and changed/additional syllables. Overall, songs describe ethnic history, landscape, and peoples’ character as well as ethics and rules of life. Songs can be sung as non-ritualistic or ritualistic.

Non-Ritual songs include folk epics or ballads, which tend to be historical, political, or work-related songs, as well as songs about love, life, or lullabies. Ritual songs include:


 * Incantations: These songs are sung as means to influence weather and heal individuals.
 * Laments
 * Songs relating to folk calendars: These songs relate to the winter cycle (such as Christmas), the spring cycle (vesnyanky, hayivky), pre-harvest and harvest, and the Festival of Threshing the Grain. Other types of songs involve singing and dancing as well as relate to other holidays and religious occasions.
 * Wedding songs: Some of these songs are festive or comic and are similar to incantations; other types are more lyrical. Parties at weddings usually have a fiddle, bayan, and tambourin.
 * Folk songs: These songs can be classified as work songs sung by women, songs for working together, and songs for when work is done.

Traditional Siberian music can also be instrumental. Instruments include: zhaleika, Vladimir horn, svirel, kugikly, okarina, lute, gùsli, balalaika, lyra, rebec, violin, bayan, tambourine, and spoons.

Visual Art
The visual art of Siberia can be thought of as a reflection of its own identity.

Evidence of ancient Siberian settlements exist in the form of petroglyphs. Artist Vladimir Feofanovich Kapelko developed a technique that allowed for the transfer and preservation of these petroglyphs via copying on mikalent paper. By doing so, Siberians have gained a better understanding of their regional identity as well as their view on their territory and history. Kapelko also created personal paintings using the art of the petroglyphs during the 1980s-1990s. There also exist more contemporary pieces of art that utilize the same ancient designs. For example, Sergey Anufriev incorporates the ancient art into rock sculptures, installations, and decorations. Other contemporary art include ancient cave paintings and emphasize abstraction. In the last 25 years of the twentieth century, a trend called “ethno-archaic” became popular in Siberian visual art. This technique asks audiences to rethink how they view ancient signs within modern ideas.

Inspired by his travels in Khakassia, V. I. Surikov produced the first images of Siberian natives within Siberian art using watercolors and sketches. Since then, the “ethnographic motif” has become a large part of Siberian visual art, and many Krasnoyarsk artists use it within their works. Artists also use other means to recognize the Siberian indigenous peoples; they incorporate elements of clothing as well as life, patterns, deer, and myths. For example, S. F. Turov utilizes an inverted deer to represent the Upper World in “The Youth of Taimyr.” Some artists also use computer graphics as a means to artfully modernize the ancient techniques of natives borrowing from shamanism, myths, folklore, and fairy tales.

Beyond physical artwork, national patterns are used in clothes, footwear, and hats. These crafts have transcended from indigenous culture to social life. Local festivals highlight these ethnic items; a popular one is “World of Siberia,” an international festival that is considered the most famous display of native music and crafts.

Technology
Akademgorodok, or “academic town,” is located in Novosibirsk. Since the beginning, this area has been home to thousands of scientists, encompassing a variety of studies from hydrodynamics to nuclear physics. It is now referred to as Academpark and home to technological innovations after President Vladimir Putin visited in 2005, vowing to develop a technology park in Russia. Since then, it has contained more than 200 companies and 5000 employees. The most successful of these businesses are OCSiAI (nanotechnology), Tekhnoscan (precision laser manufacturer), and CFT (banking software).

Tourism
In Russia, and by extension, Siberia, tourism became prevalent as a way to increase the economy after the fall of the USSR. Specifically to Siberia, tourism is sometimes called a “savior,” or a means to diversifying the economy.

One of the largest forms of tourism in Siberia is the Trans-Siberian Railway. It is one of the largest companies within global transportation, and the railway alone contributes around 1.6% of GDP to the Russian economy. In 2016, it transported over 1031 billion passengers, many of whom were Russian, and despite there being an increase in preferences to air travel, the number of tourists who ride the railway remains constant. The Trans-Siberian Railway is also one of the ways in which tourists travel through Siberia; because many cities are located along it, the Railway provides an easy form of transportation for travel.

Most major attractions are natural. One such large destination is Lake Baikal, which has very clear, deep water, high mountains, and many wildflowers and forests. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and called the “Pearl of Siberia.” Other popular attractions include:


 * The Altai Mountains. Many tourists can climb these mountains and visit the rivers, and it is a great place for hiking, rafting, and climbing. The starting point of the region is accessible via plane, train, and bus from Novosibirsk.
 * Irkutsk. This city is considered a starting point for visits to Lake Baikal and thus very popular with tourists. In the city, there is a large, four-story indoor bazaar as well as several local history museums.
 * Vladivostok. This city is at the base of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains and offers many views around the city and to the ocean.
 * Kurile Islands. These are a chain of volcanic islands from Kamchatka to Hokkaido.
 * The Siberian Traps. This is a large volcanic rock region around Siberia.

Finally, more general activities that tourists can indulge throughout Siberia are snowsports, skiing, dog sledding, cycling, and whitewater sports.

Mythology
Siberian mythology is not well-known outside of Siberia; it is believed that this is because of Siberia’s more isolated geographical location. There are also variations within this mythology due to Siberia’s small, scattered native groups.

In Siberian mythology, their realm is believed to be the middle world within a series of three, five, or seven. The worlds were overall connected by a tree, similar to the Yggdrasill tree in Norse mythology. The sun and moon sit on top of the tree, and the unborn live on the branches; overall, life is sustained by the sun, and the moon is responsible for uniting the unborn and mothers. Worlds below the natives’ realm are home to evil spirits and gods, and worlds above are home to good spirits and gods. There are a variety of beliefs in how the world was created. One states that the gods Chagan-Shukuty and Otshirvani created the Earth: Chagan-Shukuty repeatedly dove to the bottom of a world of only water, stacking mud on top of a frog or turtle, and then having the animal sink until there is just the surface of the world. Another story details Otshirvani fighting a large serpent named Losy, taking the form of a bird.

Shamans and Important Deities
The Siberian devil is named Erlik. He is the ruler of the dead, thought to have initially been human before betraying the creator god Ulgan. On the other hand, native populations viewed the idea of an “Earth Mother” differently. Some called her Atugan, and she sat at the roots of the tree. Others saw her related to the sky god, sometimes assisting in the world creation process. Finally, some cultures believed there were many different gods instead of a singular “mother,” each one being responsible for different parts of life, such as health, cattle, and childbirth. The supreme being was the sky god; he created the world and chose not interfere, instead having shamans be his messengers. He went by many different names, including Buga, Es, Turum, or Num.

Animals make frequent appearances in myths; they tend to be ancestors or partners of humans. One of the most important characters in Siberian mythology, however, are shamans. They act as “mediators” between the human and spirit worlds. It is said that they climb the World Tree to travel between worlds; this “traveling” is done via ceremonies of dances, trances, and communication with spirits and gods, and through these practices, shamans are able to heal by finding lost souls. Shamans also perform rites for entire communities. Overall, shamans are not appointed by those in the community. Instead, they are “called” to their role by their ancestors.

Symbols and Themes
A large theme in Siberian mythology is the fight between good and evil. Gods Ulgan and Erlik are a prime example of this: Erlik symbolizes death, sickness, overconfidence, and lust, while Ulgan symbolizes food, warmth, and water. Another large theme is that of rebirth. An example of this is in the story of a man whose body is remade into that of a shaman in order to destroy an extra moon and sun.

Religious and Ethnic Celebrations
The collapse of the Soviet Union also marked its loss of control relating to cultural politics in Siberia. There was a large cultural revival, and as such, Siberia saw a rebirth of diversity in public events, with many of these events being celebrations that stem from orthodox Christian, pre-Christian, Soviet, and secular ethnocultural elements. They also vary between Provinces.

Most ethnic festivals in Siberia stem from local traditions that originated in shamanism. Overall events are linked with seasonal cycles of reindeer herding, hunting, fishing, and gathering. Larger events tend to occur during the spring, when snow begins to melt and gathering is easier, or during the fall, when resources are plentiful. v Other celebrations revolve around reindeer migration from winter to the summer. These ceremonies are large social events, where people shared food and information as well as gave gifts; the ceremonies also utilize communication with spirits and deities via trances, divination, sacrifices, and prayers.

Siberia has several well-known celebrations and rituals, some that still exist now. The last bear ritual was performed in the 1950s, and there were unsuccessful attempts to revive the ceremonies in the 1990s. Bear hunts are followed by bear feasts, but because there are limited skilled performers, the overall celebration is rare and difficult to complete today. The “Day of the Reindeer Herder” occurs in March or April, where celebrations may include having a market, sports competitions, cultural programs, drinking sprees, and religious offerings.