Reindeer herding among Sami population of Kolsky Uyezd in the late XVIII century (based on the statistical reports)

Abstract

Reindeer herding is inextricably associated with the economic practice of Sami people. The subject of this research is the reindeer herding among Sami population of Kolsky Uyezd in the late XVIII century. The object of this research is the statistical reports of 1764, 1784, and 1785. The statistical sources of various periods are introduced into the scientific discourse, which allows analyzing such topics as demography, physical-geographical peculiarities of the territory, economic activity, and everyday life of the population, as well as reconstructing the state of reindeer herding among Sami people of Kolsky Uyezd during the period under study, and comparing the acquired results with the data for the XIX century. The sources also provide information on reindeer herding among Russian population; therefore, the article aims to determine the importance of this economic sector outside the Sami society. The scientific novelty is defined by the absence of works dedicated to reindeer herding among Sami people of Kolsky Uyezd for the period under review. The main conclusions are as follows: Sami population of Kolsky Uyezd of the late XVII century cannot be considered as traditional reindeer herders, as it was rather a small-scale cattle farm, fulfilling mostly food and transportation functions; the number of reindeer in the Sami pogosts was uneven; increase in the number of reindeer was noticed in the second half of the XVIII century, which testifies to the growing role of this economic sector (however, in the eastern part of the Kola Peninsula alone); in the economy of the Russian population, reindeer herding performed a support function.