Who are Zyrians: Features, Origin, Ethnographic Groups and Interesting Facts

Russia is a multinational power that united the common destiny and history of hundreds of multilingual nationalities. The reason for this was the almost uninterrupted process of joining new territories during the formation and development of the Russian state. And the entry of new territories, which is characteristic, in most cases occurred voluntarily.

Who are the Zyrians (Komi)? Almost 300 thousand people living in Western Siberia, Northern and Eastern Europe. Ethnic education differs linguistic and cultural identity, its own traditions and special culture. It is not without reason that they were called "Russian Americans" or "Jews of the North".

On the ethnic diversity of Russia

Ethnic and cultural diversity in Russia is achieved by a combination of the so-called indigenous peoples (the population that inhabited certain territories before the arrival of migrants there), natives of the neighboring union republics (Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Armenians, Lithuanians, etc.) and small groups of ethnic groups, In the majority of those living outside of Russia (Hungarians, Czechs, Vietnamese, Serbs, Assyrians and others). Of course, indigenous peoples are the most colorful and numerous group.

Briefly about Zyryans: who are they?

What are Zyrians? More precisely, who are they? Zyrians call ethnic education, which today still retains a relatively small number in the national composition of the Russian Federation. Until 1917, it was precisely this ethnic group that stood first among the indigenous inhabitants of the Russian state, their education was inferior only to Jews, and enterprise and culture favorably distinguished Zyryans from other Slavic peoples. At the same time, the population was also considered to be Russian, that is, the indigenous people of Russia. Along with that, as already indicated, Zyryans were called "Jews of the North" or "Russian Americans".

Resettlement and population

Who are Zyryans can not be defined holistically without considering their numbers and territory of settlement. These factors in many respects influence the development of ethnic education in general: a few ethnic groups are gradually dying out, remaining only a page in history, and the life of the population depends on the territory of residence. He, in the words of Karl Marx, in turn, determines the consciousness, the general culture of the people.

Today, the total number of Zyryans, together with closely related small nationalities around the world, reaches about 400 thousand people. The predominant number of them and now lives in the territories where the first Zyrians appeared, ie, in Russia. A small group of people (just over 1500 people) is recorded in Ukraine.

If we talk about the first representatives of ethnic education, the number of Zyryans at different periods of historical development is not known reliably. To believe the written sources of ancient times, of course, you can, but it is also known that in them often unreliable information is found. The Zyryans were not mentioned at all in the chronicles and other documents until 1865, when the "Alphabetical List of Peoples Living in the Russian Empire" was published.

Who are the Zyrians (when the population was already singled out as a separate ethnic group), what is their number and in what regions did the people live in Russia in the second half of the nineteenth century, is indicated precisely in this source.

According to the "Alphabet List of Peoples ...", Zyrians were 120 thousand people. They lived mainly in small counties of Arkhangelsk, Perm and Vologda provinces. ). The region of settlement of Zyryans in ancient times was called Arimaspea (a book with the same name was written by one of the writers of Ancient Hellas, but this historical source, unfortunately, did not survive to our days - otherwise the document is likely to open a significant part of the history of ancient Zyryans ).

The vast population of Zyryans today is dying out, even in the minds of the representatives of the ethnos, there are practically no clear legends left to which to fill the lack of historical information.

Anthropology and genetics of the people

Approximately at the same time, when the "Alphabetical List of Peoples ..." was published in the "Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron", a description of the appearance of the representatives of the ethnic group is given: the zyrians of our days (meaning the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century) are characterized by a strong physique. They are of medium height, most have black hair and dark brown or gray eyes. High blond-haired people with blue eyes are rare among the Zyrians.

Their appearance suggests that Zyryans (as well as modern representatives of the ethnos) were distinguished by strong health and endurance.

At the same time, the average brain of Zyryans is larger than the brains of the Slavs for 20-30 grams. It was known even in the pre-revolutionary period, the source of information - "Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron," published in 1890-1907. In the area of settling Zyryans, there have always been many schools and libraries than in other regions of the Russian North. They also engaged in reindeer herding, hunting and fishing, and farming. "On conscience" Zyryans mastering Siberia and the Far East. They carried out most of the trade between Siberia and Moscow.

Ethnic History of Zyryans

As already mentioned, to our time there were few sources that could give a detailed answer to a number of questions. Who are the Zyrians in fact, how they appeared, which distinguished ethnic education at different stages of history - can now only be guessed by referring to brief scraps in various written historical sources.

It is known that the first Zyrians inhabited the banks of the Volga (at the confluence of the river in the Oka and Kama) in the second century BC. Somewhat later, the people began to settle to the north, and already in the IV-VIII centuries. N. E. They inhabited the territories where their modern descendants live. Later, the Zyrians first moved from under the rule of Veliky Novgorod to the power of Moscow.

By the XVIII century the stage of formation of ethnic education was completed. The beginning of the statehood of the people was laid during the formation of the USSR: in 1926 an autonomous region of Komi (Zyryan) was formed. At that time in the USSR lived just over 200 thousand representatives of the people of Zyryans. The Republic of Zyryans underwent several more formal transformations in the period from 1926 to 1992. At present, the region is part of the Russian Federation under the name of the Republic of Komi.

Culture of the Komi people

Mass distribution among zyryans since ancient times had woodworking trades. With this are associated with painting and artistic carving, which are one of the distinguishing features of Zyryans culture (Komi). Traditionally weaving and embroidering were common types of needlework. Ethnos devotes considerable attention to folk healing. Folklore is in many respects similar to traditional Russian culture.

Komi-Zyryan language

The native language of the Zyrians - Komi-Zyryansky - belongs to the Finno-Ugric language family and splits into many dialects. In modern Russia, the Komi-Zyryan language was named by only 1,560,000 people of the nationality, which is about half of the total number of Komi-Zyryans.

A small number of representatives of ethnic education determines the Komi-Zyryan language native to Ukraine (4 thousand people) and in Kazakhstan (1,5 thousand).

Origin of the names of the people

The origin of the name "zyryans" is still not clearly understood. There are several versions of the origin of the ethnonym:

• From the Russian verbs "zyryt" or "zyrya", which meant "excessive drinking";
• The most plausible version - from the verb "zyrny" - "displace", i.e. zyryane literally "displaced from somewhere people";
• ), т. е. “народ, опивающийся национальным напитком”; From the ancient name of beer ("sur " ), i.e. "a people sprinkled with a national drink";
• From the general Permian "sara" - a man (historical sources allow us to assert that once the Zyrians called themselves "Surians," "raw men," etc.).

As for the most plausible assumption about the origin of the ethnonym, it is also confirmed by the fact that the Komi and the Finns were named Zyrians. In their language, the name meant "resident of the outskirts", and "Perm" - "distant land." This is how the Komi, who live in the Perm region, began to be called Zyrians. Today, scientists share Komi-Zyryans and Komi-Permyaks.

With the name "Komi" everything is clearer. In scientific circles, it is considered that the name originated either from the Kama River (ie literally "a person living on the banks of the Kama River"), or from the Praperma "com" - "man, man."

Komi or zyryane: how right?

It is widespread that Zyrians and Komi are one and the same people. In fact, so it is, but even here you can find some contradictions. Zyrians are only one kind of Komi people, there are also similar peoples (Perm, for example).

In one of the chronicles in the times of Ancient Rus, the name of one small ethnic group was transferred to the entire population living in Siberia. The ethnonym was fixed for many centuries and there was confusion. Today, historical justice has been restored and the original name has been replaced by the common name "Komi", but before they were called zyryans.

Where do people live today?

Today, the number of Komi-Zyryans in Russia barely reaches 200,000. Modern Zyrians traditionally live in the territory of the Republic of Komi. In the national composition of the republic, they make up 23.7% of the population (65% are Russians), the majority live in rural areas.

Small ethnic groups also live in the Murmansk, Kirov, Omsk, Arkhangelsk and other regions of Russia. The ethnic education close to the Zyrians (Komi-Permyaks) is concentrated in the Perm Region.

The number of people in modern conditions is rapidly declining. If in the nationality graph in 2002, "Komi-Zyryans" indicated 293 thousand of the population of the Russian Federation, in 2010 the corresponding figure was 228 thousand people. Zyrians (Komi) belong to the endangered peoples of Russia.