Ethnocartography of Medieval Yugra

Abstract

The uncertainty of the location of the chronicle Yugra is attributable by several circumstances, including its localization both to the west and to the east of the Urals, with the division in written sources of the people(s) called Yugra / Ugra into steppe nomads (Ugrians, Ungry, Magyars, Hungarians), who went west to the Carpathians, and taiga dwellers (Yugra), who remained «in the midnight countries». For ethnographers and historians, this topic is relevant not only from the perspective of the historical geography of the 11th – 17th centuries, but also as a key to understanding many plots of Russian history related to the colonization and development of the resources of the Urals and Siberia. Is it possible today to add something to this old discussion? The author believes that visual sources (maps) can open new perspectives and place new accents, since cartography has particular reliability and credibility as a direct projection of reality. On early maps and in accompanying descriptions, Yugra is located mainly in the Urals, although, apparently, the Yugrichs also lived east of the Urals. Moscow, while moved northward and eastward in the 14th century, especially after the baptism of Permians by Stefan, provided the Yugra spreading beyond the Urals. While in the 11th – 16th centuries Yugra was in the orbit of influence (or part of the domain) of Novgorod the Great, then from the end of the 15th century, it became the possession of the Moscow Grand Prince, who in 1488 supplemented his title with the name «Yugorsky». Since that time, Yugra has been increasingly mentioned beyond the Urals, and after the defeat of Novgorod from Moscow, the very name «Yugra» becomes a thing of the past and is replaced by new, Moscow names –«Vogul» and «Ostyak».