Household ecology and fuel gathering traditions of Russian rural population of the south of Western Siberia during 167 the war years, 1941-45: On the basis of field research

The aim of the research was to reveal the means of providing Russian rural population with fuel. The objectives of the research include studying the traditions of gathering. According to the hypothesis, gathering was based on the interaction of a peasant family and the natural environment, as well as on the non-waste nature of agricultural production. The author analyses the types of fuel, ways of gathering and transportation, distribution of chores in the family, manufacturing of transportation means, kinds of draught animals in different natural and ethno-climatic zones. The sources were materials of historical ethnographic expeditions; the methods were technologies of ethnography and oral history on the basis of historical memory of tradition bearers. The author considers that in the Russian Siberians' culture household heating during long winters was the most important element of the life sustaining culture. Two types of fuel were identified - natural materials and homesteading wastes. During the war years, they were the predominant types. The methods of their stocking up was gathering. The specific character of fuel types was determined by the natural-geographic conditions of the regions. The most advantageous zones were forest territories, with forest by-products as the main objects of gathering - branch timber, cones, brushwood. In steppe territories, resources for heating were limited - dead-grass, sagebrush, clay balls, waste products of farming and cattle breeding (straw, hay leftovers, dry dung). In lakeside territories, reed and sedge were gathered; in mountainous territories, dead-grass was gathered. The universal types of fuel were waste products of vegetable gardening - waste products of sunflowers, cabbage and potatoes. The author asserts that fuel gathering became an important life sustaining strategy. Traditions of gathering, transportation and stocking up were determined by types of fuel, its volume, its weight, the distance and family composition. Gathering in immediate surroundings were children's duty with fixed norms. Old men were involved in gathering connected with danger; women and teenagers were involved in long-distance gathering. There existed two ways of transportation - manual transportation and transportation with the help of draught animals. Draught animals for adults were cows, for children dogs. In case of manual transportation, people used bags and baskets, or carried bound fuel - bunches, bundles. Transportation means adapted for different seasons were made: wheel carts or sledge coaches. A universal transportation means was a travois. Male adults with disabilities and teenagers made them. Houses and farms had special spaces for storing the gathered fuel.

Keywords

Authors

References