The world of childhood

Doctor of Historical Sciences, the largest specialist in the ethnography of the peoples of the Far North, Ilya Samuilovich Gurvich always tried to capture the delicate, bright, interesting world of northern children in his expeditions: how they live, upbringing, introduction to the culture of their people, schools and kindergartens.

Ilya Samuilovich worked as a teacher in the Olenek incomplete secondary school of the Yakut ASSR, and later as a director. And from his first studies, he joined this environment, fell in love with the northern people and watched growing of the future of the northern family, the hope of the people.

Northern peoples believe that it is important for children to know everything: how to fish, hunt, take care of deer, chase the animal on skis, make many kilometers of hikes, crossing the rocky-swampy tundra, navigate the terrain, predict the weather, dress for fishing.

Labor activity and upbringing were in close unity: the upbringing of the people was regulated by the main branches of the economy - reindeer husbandry, gathering, fish, hunting and marine animal hunting and was conditioned by the division of labor, as well as by some traditions.

The basis of survival in northern conditions was the hardening of the child's body. The nomadic and semi-nomadic way of life, the long stay of children in the open air from the first birthday contributed to the hardening and adaptation of the child's body to the conditions of the North, the great mobility of children in play and work developed them physically.

Children were brought up by directly including them in traditional activities: in reindeer husbandry, hunting, fishing - boys, processing skins, sewing clothes and shoes, cooking - girls.

The girls looked after their little brothers and sisters, crumpled and dyed leather, cut, scraped, sang, strung, sewed, sewed pendants on a belt. From childhood, mother and grandmother taught the girl to lay out ornaments from pieces of leather, fur or beads, glass, leaves, grass stalks.

The researchers note that it's in women's art that the most ancient ethnic traditions are clearly visible, passed from mother to daughter for many generations.

Knowledge of the nature of their land, folk customs and traditions was instilled from childhood. Closeness to nature made it possible to get acquainted with the diversity of flora and fauna, to study the appearance and habits of birds and animals, to realize their beauty and benefits.

Nomadic kindergartens allowed children not to be separated from their parents-reindeer herders and at the same time ensured the full development of the younger generation, familiarize them with the culture of their people.

The social atmosphere and stories of old people greatly influenced the socialization of the child's personality. The spiritual treasures of the ancestors were preserved and passed on in instructive stories, retellings, and legends.

The lack of writing made it difficult to accurately convey customs, details of events, individual thoughts, so the older generation tried with all its might to preserve its age-old history through the art of storytelling, organizing "listening lessons".

In the family, even small children were often consulted. Everyone in the family had their own responsibilities and had to strictly fulfill them, thanks to which good, conflict-free relationships were established.

There were few verbal prohibitions and restrictions. Parents of small children did not punish, children did not know and no regime. Every word of the father or mother was carried out unquestioningly, everything was done without shouting or punishment.

Interesting observations of E.P. Orlova following the Evens: “On the way, I managed to observe the relationship between children and adults. The latter are exemplary educators, strict, demanding, caring. The children knew their duties for sure - they made a fire, collected water, brought in harness, tied and untied the horses, and brought them for the saddle. There was not a single case of disobedience, although the parents never raised their voices. This art needs to be learned from the Evens".

And here is how describes the attitude towards children A. N. Frolova: “The Chukchi take care of their children more than their eyes. They did their best to create a safe emotional environment for the child. Each family has developed a practice of caring for a baby, ways and techniques of communicating with him, traditions of decorating his cradle, clothes, shoes, a system of rewards and punishments. For example, in families, they tried not to deny children anything, satisfied their every desire, tenderly took care of them so that trouble would not happen to them. The Chukchi's love for children is especially pronounced in relation to orphans".

Until the age of three, children were in the yaranga under the supervision of adults, sleeping in fur sacks. At the age of four or five, they were sewn clothes like adults: a kuchlyanka, a hat and a torbasa; along with clothes, they received the first toys - smaller models of the characteristic tools of men and women.

For the first time, school education came to the Nenets, Yakuts, Evenks and other peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East in the twenties - in the form of boarding schools. At first, families sent their children to study only at will, voluntarily. Then education became compulsory, and those who did not want to let their child go to school simply hid them - at that time it was not difficult. But in the postwar period, even with the most remote nomadic camps, communication was established, and helicopters, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles appeared.

In general, the tribal settlements of the indigenous inhabitants of the northern territories are a type of extended family - a significant group of people of different ages, which, according to the researchers, determined the multidirectionality of the child's social contacts, forms of communication, coexistence and contributed to the formation of ethnospecific personality traits in children. The child in the family communicated not only with adults, but also with groups of children of different ages. Such communication retained its uniqueness with its inherent methods of education, providing a process of systematic social learning and sex-role behavior. Extended families were more resistant to unexpected difficulties and could contribute to a more prosperous survival of the ethnic group.