Ethnic situation in the basin of the Sylva and the Iren in the XVII-XVIII centuries in the context of the Ural ethnic pattern’s formation

Abstract

Russian peasants settled down in the basin of the Sylva and Iren rivers in the XVII century and landlords willingly received them as they needed work force. Local voivodes encouraged this migration as well to solve an important task of strengthening the eastern border on the way from Europe to Asia. In 1719 the Russian population in the area reached 20 354 people of both sexes. Peasants came from the basin of the Northern Dvina therefore ethnic and cultural development of the population represents the traditions of the Northern Russian ethnic and cultural zone. The Russians still dominate among the population of the basin of the Sylva and Iren rivers. As well as the Russians the Tatars, the Chuvash people, the Mari people and the Udmurts settled down in the basinof the Sylva and the Iren. Their population amounted almost 2 000 people of male sex in the early XVIII century. The Tatars did not leave that area and they still live there in disperse settlements. The Mari people settled down along the Sylva River and they now live in the Suksun district of the Perm Region. The Chuvash people and the Udmurts were assimilated by the Russians, the Mari and the Tatars. In the XIX century there were no Chuvash and Udmurt people in the composition of the population though they had left their mark in ethnic and cultural history.The analysis of sources is based on contemporary approaches to the problems of ethnic history and cultural interactionof the peoples of the Urals and the Middle Volga River Basin.