The traditional dwelling of the Chukchi yaranga. House as an architectural model of the world of traditional cultures. Igloo - an Eskimo dwelling made of snow and ice

Chukchi reindeer herders do not live in tents, but in more complex mobile dwellings called yarangas. Further, we offer to get acquainted with the basics of construction and the arrangement of this traditional dwelling, which the Chukchi reindeer herders continue to build today.

Without a deer, there will be no yaranga - this axiom is true in the literal and figurative sense. Firstly, because we need material for "construction" - reindeer skins. Secondly, without deer, such a house is not needed. Yaranga is a mobile portable dwelling for reindeer herders, necessary for the territory where there is no timber, but there is a need for constant migration behind the reindeer herd. Poles are needed to build a yaranga. Birch is the best. Birches in Chukotka, strange as it may seem to some, are growing. In the continental part along the banks of the rivers. The limited area of ​​their distribution was the reason for the emergence of such a thing as "deficit". The poles were taken care of, they were passed on and are still being inherited. Some yaranga poles in the Chukotka tundra are over a hundred years old.

camp

Yaranga frame prepared for the filming of the film "Territory"

The difference between the yaranga and the plague is the complexity of its design. It's like an airbus and a corncob. Chum is a hut, vertically standing poles, which are covered with waterproof material (birch bark, skins, etc.). The yaranga device is much more complicated.

Stretching a tire (retem) on a yaranga frame

The construction of the yaranga begins with the determination of the cardinal points. This is important because the entrance must always be in the east. First, they put three long poles (as in the construction of the plague). Then, around these poles, small wooden tripods are installed, which are fastened together with horizontal poles. From the tripods to the top of the yaranga there are poles of the second tier. All poles are fastened to each other with ropes or deerskin straps. After installing the frame, a tire (retem) is pulled from the skins. Several ropes are thrown through the upper poles, which are tied to the awning tire and with the help of elementary laws of physics and the command "iii, once", only in the Chukchi version, the tire is put on the frame. So that the tire is not blown away during a snowstorm, its edges are covered with stones. Stones are also hung on ropes to tripod stands. As an anti-sail, poles and boards are also used, which are tied to the outside of the yaranga.

"Strengthening" the yaranga so that the tire does not blow off

Winter tires are definitely sewn from skins. One ratham takes 40 to 50 deer skins. With summer tires options are possible. Previously, old retems, sewn and re-sewn, with shabby wool, went on a summer tire. The Chukchi summer, although harsh, forgives a lot. Including an imperfect yaranga tire. In winter, the tire must be perfect, otherwise a huge snowdrift will blow into the small hole during a snowstorm inside the chottagin. In Soviet times, the lower part of the tire, the most exposed to moisture, began to be replaced with tarpaulin strips. Then other materials appeared, so today's summer yarangas are more like a colorful grandmother's blanket.

Yaranga in the Amguem tundra

The third brigade of the MUSHP "Chaunskoe"

Yaranga in the Yanrakynnot tundra

Outwardly, the yaranga is ready. Inside, a large 5-8 meters in diameter sub-hip space appeared - chottagin. Chottagin is the economic part of the yaranga. In the chottagin, the cold room of the yaranga, in winter the temperature is the same as outside, except that there is no wind.

Now you need to make a room for housing. On the wall opposite from the entrance, with the help of poles, a rectangular frame is attached, which is covered with skins, wool inside. This canopy is a dwelling in a yaranga. They sleep in the canopy, dry their clothes (through the natural evaporation of moisture), and eat in winter. The canopy is heated with a grease gun or a kerosene stove. Due to the fact that the skins are tucked inward, the canopy becomes almost airtight. This is good in terms of keeping warm, but bad in terms of ventilation. However, frost is the most effective fighter against natures with a refined perception of smells. Since it is impossible to open the canopy at night, the need, in a special container, is celebrated right there, in the canopy. Believe me, this will not bother you either if you find yourself in the tundra without transport for more than two days. Because one of the main human needs is the need for warmth. And it's warm in the tundra, only in the canopy. Currently, there is usually one canopy in a yaranga, earlier there could be two or even three. One family lives in the canopy. If adult children have appeared in the family who already have their own families, for the first time a second canopy is placed in the yaranga. But over time, young people will need to collect their yaranga.

canopy outside

Canopy inside. Illuminated and heated by a grease gun or kerosene stove

The hearth is organized in the center of the chottagin. The smoke from the fire escapes through a hole in the dome. But despite such ventilation, the chottagin is almost always smoky. Therefore, standing in a yaranga is not recommended.

Campfire

Where to get firewood for a fire if trees do not grow in the tundra? There really are no trees (with the exception of floodplain groves) in the tundra, but you can almost always find shrubs. Actually, the yaranga is mainly placed by the river with bushes. The hearth in the yaranga is bred exclusively for cooking. Heating chottagin is pointless and wasteful. Small twigs are used for the fire. If the branches of the shrub are thick and long, they are cut into small poles 10-15 cm long. As much firewood as a taiga man burns in a night will be enough for a reindeer herder for a week, or even more. What can we say about the young pioneers with their fires. Economy and rationality are the main criterion for the life of a reindeer herder. The same criterion is put in the device of the yaranga, which is primitive at first glance, but very effective upon closer examination.

The teapot is hung over the hearth on chains, the vats and pots are set on bricks or stones. Firewood is no longer added to the fire as soon as the container begins to boil.

Firewood

Utensil. Small tables and small stools are used as furniture in the yaranga. Yaranga is the world of minimalism. Of the furniture in yaranga, you can also see cabinets and shelves for storing food and utensils. With the advent of European civilization in Chukotka, especially in the Soviet period, such concepts as kerogas, primus, abeshka (generator) appeared in the life of reindeer herders, which somewhat simplified some aspects of life. Cooking, especially baking, is no longer done on a fire, but on stoves or kerosene stoves. In some reindeer farms, in winter, stoves are installed in the yarangas, which are heated with coal. Without all this, of course, you can live, but if it is, why not use it?

Afternoon

Evening leisure

In each yaranga, meat or fish is sure to hang on the upper and side poles. Rationalism, as I said above, is a key aspect of human life in a traditional society. Why is the smoke disappearing in vain? Especially if he, smoke, is an excellent preservative.

"Bin" yaranga

Schoolchildren can easily answer the question "Where do the Chukchi live?". In the Far East there is Chukotka or the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. But if we complicate the question a little: "Where do the Chukchi and Eskimos live?", difficulties arise. There is no area of ​​the same name, you need to find a more serious approach and understand the national subtleties.

Are there any differences between the Chukchi, Eskimos and Koryaks

Certainly there is. All these are different nationalities, once tribes that have common roots and inhabit similar territories.

The regions in Russia where the Chukchi or Luoravetlans live are concentrated in the north. These are the Republic of Sakha, the Koryak Autonomous Okrug, and since ancient times, their tribes have inhabited the extreme regions of Eastern Siberia. At first they roamed, but after taming the deer, they began to adapt a little to them. They speak the Chukchi language, which has several dialects. Luoravetlans or Chukchi (self-name) divided themselves into sea hunters living on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, and deer, tundra.

Some anthropologists classify the Eskimos as a Mongoloid race of Arctic origin. This nationality lives in the state of Alaska (USA), in the northern regions of Canada, on the island of Greenland (Denmark) and quite a bit (1500 people) in Chukotka. In each country, the Eskimos speak their own language: Greenlandic, Alaskan Inuit, Canadian Eskimo. All of them are divided into different dialects.

Who are the Chukchi and Koryaks? The Luoravetlans first pushed back the Eskimo tribes, and then territorially separated from the Koryaks. Today, the Koryaks (a common ethnic group with the Chukchi) make up the indigenous population of the autonomous district of the same name in the Kamchatka region in Russia. In total there are about 7000 people. The Koryak language belongs to the Chukchi-Kamchatka group. The first mentions of the Koryaks are found in the documents of the 16th century. People are described, some of whom were engaged in reindeer herding, and the other - in sea fishing.

Appearance

Where do the Chukchi live and what do they look like? The first part of the question has been answered above. More recently, scientists have proven the genetic relationship of the Chukchi and Indians. Indeed, their appearance has a lot in common. The Chukchi belong to the mixed Mongoloid race. They are similar to the inhabitants of Mongolia, China, Korea, but are somewhat different.

The section of the eyes of Luoravetlan males is more horizontal than oblique. The cheekbones are not as wide as those of the Yakuts, and the skin color is with a bronze tint. Women of this nationality in appearance have more similarities with the Mongoloids: wide cheekbones, swollen noses with large nostrils. The hair color of the representatives of both Men cut their hair short, women braid two braids and decorate them with beads. Married - wear bangs.

The winter clothes of Luoravetlans are two-layer, most often sewn from fawn fur. Summer clothes are capes or jackets made of deer suede.

Traits

Drawing a psychological portrait of this nation, they note the main feature - excessive nervous excitability. Luoravetlan is easy to bring out of a state of spiritual balance, they are very quick-tempered. Against this background, they have a tendency to murder or suicide. For example, a relative can easily respond to the request of a seriously ill family member and kill him so that he does not suffer in agony. extremely independent, independent. In any dispute or struggle, they show unprecedented perseverance.

At the same time, these people are very hospitable and good-natured, naive. They selflessly come to the aid of their neighbors and everyone who needs it. Very easy to relate to the concept of marital fidelity. Wives are rarely jealous of their husbands.

living conditions

Where the Chukchi live (pictured below), there is a short polar summer, and the rest of the time is winter. To indicate the weather, residents use only two expressions: "weather is" or "weather is not." This designation is an indicator of the hunt, that is, whether it will be successful or not. From time immemorial, the Chukchi have continued their fishing traditions. They love seal meat very much. A happy hunter gets three in one outing, then his family with children (usually 5-6 of them) will be fed for several days.

Places for yarang families are most often chosen surrounded by hills, so that there is more calmness. It is very cold inside, although the dwelling is lined up and down with skins. Usually in the middle there is a small fire surrounded by rounded boulders. On it is a suspended cauldron with food. The wife is engaged in housekeeping, butchering carcasses, cooking, salting meat. Beside her are the children. Together they gather plants in season. Husband is a provider. This way of life has been preserved for many centuries.

Sometimes such indigenous families do not go to villages for months. Some children don't even have a birth certificate. Parents then have to prove that this is their child.

Why is the Chukchi a hero of jokes?

There is an opinion that humorous stories about them were composed by Russians out of fear and respect, a sense of superiority over themselves. Since the 18th century, when Cossack detachments moved across boundless Siberia and met the Luoravetlan tribes, there was talk of a warlike people, which is very difficult to beat in battle.

From childhood, the Chukchi taught their sons fearlessness and dexterity, raising them in Spartan conditions. In the harsh area where the Chukchi live, the future hunter must be sensitive, be able to endure any discomfort, sleep standing up, and not be afraid of pain. The beloved national wrestling takes place on a spread slippery sealskin, along the perimeter of which sharp claws stick out.

Militant reindeer herders

The Koryak population, which had become part of the Russian Empire before the Chukchi, fled the battlefield if they saw at least a few dozen luoravetlans. Even in other countries there were stories about militant reindeer herders who are not afraid of arrows, evade them, catch and launch them at the enemy with their hands. Captured women with children killed themselves so as not to fall into slavery.

In battle, the Chukchi were merciless, accurately hit the enemy with arrows, the tips of which were smeared with poison.

The government began to warn the Cossacks not to fight the Chukchi. At the next stage, the population decided to bribe, persuade, then solder (more in Soviet times). And at the end of the XVIII century. a fortress was built near the Angarka River. Fairs were periodically held near it in order to trade with reindeer herders in exchange. Luoravetlans were not allowed into their territory. Russian Cossacks have always been interested in where the Chukchi live and what they do.

Trade affairs

Reindeer herders paid tribute to the Russian Empire in the amount they could afford. Often they weren't paid at all. With the beginning of peace negotiations and cooperation, the Russians brought syphilis to the Chukchi. They were now afraid of all representatives of the Caucasian race. For example, they did not have trade relations with the French and the British just because they were "white".

Settled with Japan, a neighboring country. The Chukchi live where it is impossible to mine metal ores in the bowels of the earth. Therefore, they actively bought protective armor, armor, other military uniforms and equipment, metal products from the Japanese.

With the Americans, the Luoravetlans exchanged furs and other mined goods for tobacco. The skins of blue fox, marten, and whalebone were highly valued.

Chukchi today

Most of the Luoravetlans mixed with other nationalities. There are almost no purebred Chukchi now. The "ineradicable nationality," as they are often called, assimilated. At the same time, they retain their occupation, culture, and way of life.

Many scientists are sure that the small indigenous ethnos is threatened to a greater extent not by extinction, but by the social abyss in which they find themselves. Many children cannot read and write and do not go to school. The standard of living of the luoravetlans is far from civilization, and they do not aspire to it. The Chukchi live in harsh natural conditions and do not like it when their orders are imposed on them. But when they find frozen Russians in the snow, they bring them to the yaranga. They say that they then put the guest under the skin along with his naked wife so that she warms him.

Residential buildings of the peoples of Siberia were distinguished by a variety of architectural forms and structures. The features of the dwelling were due to the huge scale of the territory of settlement, the variety of natural and climatic conditions, geographical habitat and the difference in economic and cultural types, which included the peoples of Siberia.

Yaranga

The main type of dwelling of the northeastern Paleo-Asian peoples (Chukchi, Koryaks and Eskimos) was the yaranga - portable among the reindeer Koryaks and Chukchi and stationary among the Asian Eskimos and coastal Chukchi. A characteristic feature of the Chukchi-Eskimo yarangas, which distinguished them from the dwellings of other peoples of Siberia, was a two-chamber structure: the presence of canopies inside. Yaranga with a canopy is an amazing invention of the Koryaks and Chukchi, who literally called their dwelling "real house".

The yaranga of the reindeer Koryak and Chukchi was a winter and summer dwelling. It was based on three poles from 3.5 to 5 meters high, tied at the top with a belt. Around them, tripods of two poles with a crossbar were installed, forming the skeleton of the walls. The basis of the roof was long poles tied to the beams. From above, the skeleton of the yaranga was covered with reindeer skin tires. Outside, the tires were pressed down with vertically placed sleds so that they would remain in place in strong winds. The entrance to the yaranga was located on the northeastern or eastern side - the life side, as the Chukchi and Koryaks believed. Inside the yaranga there was a canopy - a rectangular structure made of winter deer skins, suspended with the bottom up and the open part down. It was not only sleeping, but also living quarters in cold weather. The temperature in the canopy, due to the heat of the human body, was high enough that even in cold weather it was possible to sleep here without clothes.

Since the beginning of the 18th century, the frame-type yaranga, borrowed from the Chukchi, has become widespread among the Asian Eskimos and coastal Chukchi - hunters of marine animals. The Eskimo yaranga differed from the yaranga of reindeer herders: it was larger, practically did not understand, its walls were often lined with turf. Tires made of walrus skins were fastened in strong winds with large stones hung on ropes. Inside the dwelling there was a fur canopy made of deer skins, which was a bedroom, and in cold weather, a living quarters. It was heated and illuminated with the help of a zhirnik - a lamp made of stone or clay with seal oil and a moss wick. Food was prepared on it. The Evens of all habitats have long had two main types of dwelling: the Evenk conical tent and the so-called "Even yurt", similar to the Chukchi-Koryak yaranga. In winter, reindeer skins were used as tires, in summer - rovduga or birch bark. The Evens, who lived on the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, also used fish skin as a material for tires.

The ancient traditional dwelling of the Asian Eskimos was a semi-dugout with a frame made of bones, ribs and jaws of whales.

A large patriarchal family of up to 40 people lived in such a semi-dugout. Large semi-dugouts were communal houses in which several families lived, meetings and holidays were held here. The same type of semi-dugout, but with a wooden frame, was the main dwelling of the settled Koryaks - the inhabitants of the eastern and western coasts of Kamchatka. A feature of the Koryak semi-dugout was a funnel-shaped bell made of densely folded thin boards, which served as additional protection against snow drifts from the upper entrance to the dwelling.

chum

Among the hunters and reindeer herders of the taiga (Evenks, Tofalars), tundra and forest-tundra (Nentsy, Enets, Dolgans, Nganasans), the most common dwelling was a conical tent, the frame of which consisted of obliquely mounted poles that crossed at the top and formed a cone shape.

The taiga peoples usually made poles for the skeleton at the parking lot, and during migrations they transported only tires. In the tundra and forest-tundra, where there is little forest, reindeer herders transported their dwelling completely, along with poles (drag in summer, on sleds in winter) and could put it in a new place in a few minutes. Tire material depended on the season and the availability of natural materials. Taiga peoples used birch bark and rovduga tires in summer, and in winter they used deer skins. Less prosperous families lived in bark or iron tents. In the harsh conditions of the tundra, reindeer herders used reindeer fur tires in summer, but in winter they were double - fur inside and out.

The interior of the chum was distinguished by the simplicity and sparseness of decorative decoration, typical of the life of hunters and reindeer herders. A hearth was set up in the center of the dwelling. To the left of him was the female half, and to the right - the male. The place of honor for male guests was behind the hearth opposite the entrance.

From the middle of the 19th century, the so-called sled chum (beams), borrowed from Russian peasants, became widespread among the Nganasans, Dolgans and Enets from the middle of the 19th century. It was used as a winter dwelling and was a mobile light frame structure placed on skids. Deer skins were used as tires, which were covered from above with a cover made of canvas or tarpaulin. Such a dwelling was transported from one camp to another by a team of 5-7 deer.

Such a dwelling can be built anywhere.

The chum was built from six-meter poles (from 15 to 50 pieces), sewn reindeer skins (50-60 pieces), mats from grasses and twigs.
Women installed the plague among the Nenets. A hearth was built in the center of the dwelling. Floor boards were laid around it. Then two main poles were installed. The lower ends were stuck into the ground, and the upper ends were tied with a flexible loop. The remaining poles were placed in a circle.
Two horizontal poles were attached to the inner pole (simza). An iron rod with a hook for the boiler was laid on them. Then tires were pulled - nukes. The main element of the plague is a pole. It was processed so that it thickened from both ends to the middle. The deer hair on the tires was trimmed so that in winter the snow would not pack into the long fur.

Outside, the chum has a conical shape. It is well adapted to the open spaces of the tundra. Snow easily slides off the steep surface of the plague. In the plague, the air is always clean and transparent. Smoke hangs only at the very hole in the upper part of the plague - makodashi.
After kindling the hearth, smoke fills the entire space of the plague, and after a few minutes it rises up the walls. It also rises and heat. It does not allow cold air from the street to get into the chum. And in summer, mosquitoes and midges cannot fly into the chum.

Winter chum is called raw me. This is a traditional chum;
- summer chum - tany me. It is distinguished by a covering - muiko - old winter coverings with fur inside. Previously, birch bark coverings were used for the summer plague.

The Nenets tent is never locked. If there is no one in the tent, a pole is attached to the entrance.

Of the furniture in the chum, there is only a low table (about 20 cm), at which the family dine.

In the plague, the hearth is of great importance - the stove, which is located in the center of the plague and serves as a source of heat and is adapted for cooking.

After installing the plague, the women make their beds inside. Reindeer skins are placed on top of the mats. Soft things are folded at the very base of the poles. Reindeer herders often carry feather beds, pillows and special warm sleeping bags made of sheepskin. During the day, all this is rolled up, and at night the hostess lays out the bed.

The tent is illuminated by fat lamps. These are cups filled with reindeer fat. They put a piece of rope in them. Nenets national household items include bags made of reindeer skins. They serve to store fur clothes, pieces of fur, skins. The front side of the bag was always richly ornamented, sewing patterns from kamus with inserts from strips of cloth. The back side had no decorations and was often made of rovduga.

In tents, bags sometimes served as pillows. Wooden beaters, male and female, are a necessary accessory of the life of the Nenets. Men's are used to knock snow off the seat of the sled. They dig up the snow when inspecting the place. Women's mallets serve to knock snow off shoes and fur things and have a saber shape.

Wooden house

Among the fishermen-hunters of the West Siberian taiga - Khanty and Mansi - the main type of winter dwelling was a log house with a gable roof covered with boards, birch bark or turf.

Among the Amur peoples - fishermen and hunters leading a sedentary lifestyle (Nanai, Ulchi, Orochi, Negidals, Nivkhs) - square-shaped single-chamber houses with a pillar frame and a gable roof were used as winter dwellings. Two or three families usually lived in a winter house, so there were several hearths in it. Summer dwellings were varied: square bark houses with gable roofs; conical, semi-cylindrical, gable huts covered with hay, bark, birch bark.

Yurt

The main dwelling of the cattle-breeding peoples of Southern Siberia (Eastern Buryats, Western Tuvans, Altaians, Khakasses) was a portable cylindrical frame-type yurt covered with felt.

It was maximally adapted to nomadic life: it was easily disassembled and transported, and its installation took a little more than an hour. The skeleton of the yurt was made up of walls made of sliding wooden lattices and a dome formed of poles, the upper ends of which were inserted into the circle of the chimney. It took 8-9 felt cavities to cover the yurt. Like all Mongolian-speaking peoples, the dwelling of the Buryats was oriented to the south.

The internal structure of the yurt was strictly regulated. There was a hearth in the center. The place opposite the entrance was considered the most honorable and was intended for receiving guests; here was the home altar. The yurt was divided into male (left) and female (right) halves (if you stand facing its northern part). In the men's part there were harnesses, tools, weapons, in the women's part - utensils and food. The furniture was limited to low tables, benches, chests, bedding, and a shrine.

Among pastoralists who have switched to a semi-settled way of life (Khakas, western Tuvans, western Buryats), a stationary log polygonal yurt with a gable or polyhedral roof has become widespread.

Balagan and urasa

The dwelling of the Yakuts was seasonal. Winter - "booth" - a log yurt of a trapezoidal shape with a flat roof and earthen floor. The walls of the booth were coated with clay, and the roof was covered with bark and covered with earth. Until the end of the 19th century, the traditional summer dwelling of the Yakuts was urasa - a conical building made of poles covered with birch bark. Pieces of glass or mica were inserted into birch bark window frames, and in poor families in winter - pieces of ice. The entrance to the dwelling was on the east side. Along the walls there were plank bunks - "oron". The dwelling was divided into right (male) and left (female) halves. In the northeast corner there was a fireplace - a primitive hearth made of poles and logs coated with a thick layer of clay, diagonally - an honorary (southwest) corner.

The living and utility rooms of the Yakut estate were always surrounded by a continuous low fence of horizontal poles. Carved wooden poles were placed inside the estate - hitching posts, to which horses were tied.

They did not seem to be of great importance for the development of the whole world in many senses of the word, since they can not only visually show us the whole depth and essence of the evolutionary process, but also come to the rescue in some unforeseen situations. It is these people who for many centuries are able, by all means, to preserve their language, traditions and customs. And this applies not only to traditional dishes and clothes, but also. Therefore, today we decided to tell you about national houses of the peoples of the North - chums, yarangas and igloos , which are still used by local residents during hunting, roaming and even in everyday life.

Chum - the home of reindeer herders

Chum is a universal nomadic peoples of the North, engaged in reindeer herding - Nenets, Khanty, Komi and Enets. It is curious, but contrary to the often encountered opinion and the words of the notorious song “The Chukchi in the plague is waiting for the dawn”, the Chukchi in the plagues have never lived and do not live - in fact, their dwellings are called yarangas. Perhaps the confusion arose due to the consonance of the words "chum" and "Chukcha". And it is possible that these two somewhat similar buildings are simply confused and not called by their proper names.

As for the plague, in fact it is, which has a conical shape and is perfectly adapted to the conditions of the tundra. Snow easily rolls off the steep surface of the tent, so when moving to a new place, the tent can be dismantled without any extra effort to clear the building of snow. In addition, the shape of the cone makes the chum resistant to strong winds and blizzards.

In summer, the tent is covered with bark, birch bark or burlap, and the entrance is hung with a coarse cloth (for example, the same burlap). In winter, the skins of elk, deer, red deer, sewn into one cloth, are used for arranging the plague, and the entrance is hung with a separate skin. In the center of the plague is located, serving as a source of heat and adapted for cooking. The heat from the furnace rises and does not allow precipitation to get inside the plague - they simply evaporate under the influence of high temperature. And in order to prevent the wind from penetrating the chum, snow is raked up to its base from the outside.

As a rule, the tent of reindeer herders consists of several coverings and 20-40 poles, which are laid on special sleds when moving. The dimensions of the plague directly depend on the length of the poles and their number: the more poles there are and the longer they are, the more spacious it will be.

Since ancient times, the installation of the plague was considered a matter of the whole family, in which even children took part. After the chum is completely installed, women cover it inside with mats and soft deer skins. At the very base of the poles, it is customary to put malitsa (outer clothing of the peoples of the North made of deer skins with fur inside) and other soft things. Also, reindeer breeders carry with them feather beds and warm sheepskin sleeping bags. At night, the hostess spreads the bed, and during the day she hides the bedding away from prying eyes.

Yaranga - the national dwelling of the peoples of Chukotka

As we have already said, the yaranga bears some resemblance to the plague and is a figurative nomadic Koryaks, Chukchis, Yukaghirs and Evenks. The yaranga has a round plan and a vertical wooden frame, which is built of poles and topped with a conical dome. Outside, the poles are covered with walrus, deer or whale skins.

Yaranga consists of 2 halves: canopy and chottagin. The canopy looks like a warm tent, sewn from skins, heated and illuminated with a fat lamp (for example, a strip of fur dipped in fat and soaked in it). The canopy is a sleeping area. Chottagin is a separate room, the appearance of which is somewhat reminiscent of a canopy. This is the coldest part. Usually boxes with clothes, dressed skins, barrels of fermentation and other things are stored in chottagin.

Nowadays, the yaranga is a centuries-old symbol of the peoples of Chukotka, which is used during many winter and summer holidays. Moreover, yarangas are installed not only in the squares, but also in the club foyers. In such yarangas, women cook traditional dishes of the peoples of the North - tea, venison and treat guests to them. Moreover, in the form of a yaranga, some other structures are being built today in Chukotka. For example, in the center of Anadyr, you can see a yaranga - a vegetable tent made of transparent plastic. Also, the yaranga is present in many Chukchi paintings, engravings, badges, emblems and even coats of arms.

Igloo - an Eskimo dwelling made of snow and ice

Light enters the igloo directly through the ice, although in some cases ice windows are made in snow houses. The interior, as a rule, is covered with skins, and sometimes the walls are also covered with them - in whole or in part. Grease bowls are used for heating and additional lighting. An interesting fact is that when the air is heated, the internal surfaces of the walls of the igloo melt, but do not melt due to the fact that the snow quickly removes excess heat outside the house, and due to this, a comfortable temperature for a person is maintained in the room. Moreover, snow walls are able to absorb excess moisture, so the igloo is always dry.

The camps of the Chukchi reindeer herders numbered from 2 to 10 tents (yaran`s). They were usually located one after the other in a line according to the degree of prosperity of the owners from east to west. The first from the east was the yaranga of the owner of the camp, the last - the poor.

The villages of the coastal Chukchi usually consisted of 2-20 (sometimes more) yarangas scattered at some distance from each other. The size of the village was determined by the fishing opportunities of a particular region.

The Chukchi yaranga was a large tent, cylindrical at the base and conical at the top. The skeleton of the tent consisted of poles placed vertically in a circle, on the upper ends of which horizontal crossbars were placed; other poles were tied obliquely to them, connected at the top and forming a cone-shaped upper part. Three poles were placed in the center in the form of a tripod, on which the upper poles of the skeleton rested. The skeleton was covered with special tires. Reindeer Chukchi sewed a tire from old deer skins with cut wool; seaside covered the yaranga with tarpaulin or walrus skins. To prevent the winds raging in Chukotka from destroying and overturning the yaranga, they tied it on the outside with straps with large stones attached to them, and reindeer herders attached cargo sleds to it. The yarangas of the reindeer Chukchi, due to the need for migrations, were smaller and lighter than those of the coastal ones. Inside the yaranga, a fur canopy was tied to one of the horizontal bars (usually near its back wall) with the help of additional poles. The canopy was a specific feature of the dwellings of the Chukchi, Koryaks and Asian Eskimos. It was shaped like a box turned upside down. Usually in a yaranga there were 1-3, rarely 4 canopies. Several people could fit in the canopy. They crawled into it, lifting the front wall. It used to be so hot here that they sat undressed to the waist, and sometimes naked. For heating and illuminating the canopy, a zhirnik was used - a stone, clay or wooden cup with a moss wick floating in seal fat. On this fire, the Primorsky Chukchi cooked food, hanging the cauldron on a peg or on a hook. In the presence of wood fuel in the cold part of the yaranga, a small fire was laid out for cooking food.

In the yaranga, they sat on spread skins. They also used low chairs or tree roots. For the same purpose, horns were cut along with the parietal bone.

Until the middle of the XIX century. the coastal Chukchi had an ancient type of dwelling - a semi-dugout. Their ruins have survived to this day. The round frame of the semi-dugout was made from the jaws and ribs of a whale (hence its Chukchi name valkaran - “house of whale jaws”), then it was covered with turf and covered with earth from above. Sometimes a bone frame was arranged in a recess, then a semi-underground dwelling with a roof protruding to the surface was obtained. The semi-dugout had two exits: a long corridor, which was used only in winter, since it was flooded with water in summer, and a round hole on top, closed by a whale's scapula, which served only in summer. The floor of the semi-dugout, or at least its middle, was covered with large bones; in the center there was a large fat pan, which burned all day and night. On all four sides, semi-dugouts arranged elevations in the form of bunks, and 2-4 (according to the number of families) canopies of the usual type were built on them. As a result of the replacement of the semi-dugout with the yaranga, the living conditions of the coastal Chukchi improved significantly. But the absence of windows, the exceptional crowding in the canopy, the constant soot from the oiler, the presence of dogs in the yarangas, etc., did not allow maintaining the necessary cleanliness. In the canopies of the Chukchi reindeer herders, as a rule, it was cleaner than that of the coastal ones: due to frequent migrations, the canopies were dismantled and knocked out, while the Primorye Chukchi did this only twice a year - in spring and autumn. Knocking out the tires of the yaranga and the canopy is one of the hardest jobs of the Chukchi women. For this, there were special upholstery. The upholstery was made of deer antler or wood; it was a stick slightly curved at one end, 50 to 70 cm long.

In the summer, part of the coastal Chukchi during the period of traveling along the seashore and some reindeer herders lived in tents during migrations in the tundra. In the absence of a tent, the coastal Chukchi built a dwelling like a tent from three oars and a sail, or spent the night under an inverted canoe.

The Chukchi reindeer herders “did not have any outbuildings. They kept all unnecessary things and a supply of food inside the yaranga, and in the summer they put unnecessary things on cargo sleds installed not far from the dwelling, and covered them with a rovduga on top to protect them from rain.

The Primorsky Chukchi near the yarangas usually installed 4 whale ribs with crossbars at a height of about 2 m from the ground. In the summer, sleds were put on them, and in winter, canoes, so that the dogs would not eat the belts fastening the sleds, and the leather tires of the canoes. The rest of the property was kept by the Primorsky Chukchi inside the yaranga.