Ethnohistoric Research Across Siberia
Since the first MCRI project in 2000, the team members of the ethnoarchaeological model have been working in archives and libraries across Russia to provide evocative examples of Siberian hunter-gatherer adaptation. This page presents some of our published and published findings.
1) THE POLAR CENSUS
The Soviet Polar Census of 1926/27 was an ambitious exercise to document every rural household in the Russian and Siberian north over the course of a year. The BAP has been digitising the primary records of the several polar census expeditions. This work is presented in several interconnected websites accessible through the link below. The websites document the photographic collections of the polar census as well as offer an online database for conducting basic analysis of subsistence and demography at the household level. Links to our publications are placed in the introduction.
The Soviet Polar Census of 1926/27
2) ETHNOHISTORICAL RESEARCH
Through our work in Siberian archives, the ethnohistorical team has uncovered many unpublished manuscript collections which are of general interest to historians and scholars of the region, as to Siberian peoples themselves.
Anderson, D.G. 2007. Ethnohistory and Ethnic History: A comparative analysis of English and Russian language traditions of writing the history of indigenous people. In A.V. Kharinskii (ed.) Conference Proceedings, The Ethnohistory and Archaeology ofNorthern Eurasia: Theory, Methods and Practice 581-583. Irkutsk–Edmonton: Izd-vo IrGTU. Download
Glavatskaia, E. 2007. Ethnic history of Siberia through the mirror of Euro American “ethnic history”. In A.V. Kharinskii (ed.) Conference Proceedings, The Ethnohistory and Archaeology of Northern Eurasia: Theory, Methods and Practice 480-485. Irkutsk–Edmonton: Izd-vo IrGTU. Download
The Potanin Archive
With support from the BAP, Dr. Kovalaschina has analysed the manuscript archive of Gregorii Potanin. "The historical and cultural ideals of the Siberian Oblastnichestvo" by E.P. Kovalschina. In Sibirica (2007), Volume 2, No. 2, pp. 87-119. Download Article Here
"G.N. Potanin: the world view of Pribaikal peoples" Potanin Working Paper 1 by E.P. Kovalaschina. Download Article Here
"Aboriginal culture in Siberia" Potanin Working Paper 2 by E.P. Kovalaschina. Download Article Here
Vernacular Architecture
In collaboration with the ESF-BOREAS programme, Dr. Anderson has been conducting comparative research on vernacular architecture of Evenki peoples
"Mobile architecture and social life: the case of the conical skin lodge in the Putoran Plateau region" by D.G. Anderson (2007). Download Article Here
Katanga Evenkis
The BAP has commissioned a translation and the publication of Anna Sirina’s classic ethnography of Katanga Evenkis "Katanga Evenkis in the 20th century and the ordering of their life-world". Order Book Here (On page 13 of 17 in pdf file.) Link to Cover Link to Table of Contents
3) HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS
In collaboration with the Endangered Archives Programme of the British Library, the BAP has been digitising glass plate photographs documenting the lives of indigenous peoples.
The Polar Census Photographic Collection
Endangered Archives: Siberian Photo Collection Version 1.0
Endangered Archives Russian Website
Picturing Central Siberia [giving methods and protocols for digitisation]
Anderson & Campbell 2007 Download EAP Attributions Document 2007 Here
4) MISSIONARY ENCOUNTERS
The diaries of Russian Orthodox missionaries provide some of the richest material on the lives of Siberian hunters in the Imperial period. The ethnohistorical team has been discovering and transcribing these diaries for publication.
"The Suslov legacy: the story of one family's struggle with Shamanism" by Anderson, D.G. and N.A. Orekhova. In Sibirica (2002), Volume 2, No. 1, pp. 88-112. Download Article Here
"Faith, identity, and ethnogenesis: memory and belonging among Lake Yessei Yakuts" by D.G. Anderson. In Press. Download Article Here
Glavatskaya, E.M. 2007. Ethnohistorical mapping Indigenous Peoples of Western Siberia. Website
