The publication of material about the authentic Russian wedding ceremony, examples of which can be seen in some eastern regions of the Vologda Oblast, as we see, created a discussion about why it was in this region that the traditional, folk culture of the pre-revolutionary period could begin to revive in our era. Let's try to formulate some answers to this question.
This is a truly unique region in the sense that much of what constitutes the cultural heritage of our country has not been lost here. There are a number of reasons that ensured the functioning of a kind of "reservation" of cultural formats that have long sunk into oblivion across the country. These are reasons of both geographical and historical-political nature.
Of course, after the Great Patriotic War, in the heyday of the Soviet era, "grandmother's rites" went underground, and were gradually forgotten. But unlike most other regions of the central part of Russia, the processes of urbanization in other areas, which started in the last decades of the 19th century, lingered here for at least half a century. And by and large, urbanization, on the scale in which it took place in the country as a whole, did not work out here. Until very recently, there was, and in many ways still is now, a living village that has not always changed much since ancient times.
Now the depopulation trends of rural areas in the eastern regions of the Vologda Oblast are alarming. But, there has not been such a significant time gap between those eras when the traditional folk culture was alive and the present time. For example, in areas directly bordering the metropolitan region, depopulation of the countryside began to occur in the last decades of the century before last, and this process gained momentum throughout the 20th century - three wars, collectivization, industrialization at the expense of rural personnel, plus the enlargement of collective farms.
All these processes, dramatic for the village, erased even from the historical memory of the people living there, everything connected with traditional culture. The generations that could remember "how everything was in reality" left as early as the 30s and 40s of the last century, which, by the way, is noted in literature and cinema.
Here, in the “bear corner” cut off from the big world, as we saw in the example of the traditional wedding ceremony, the bearers of an authentic culture, at least brought up in a traditional village, sometimes live today. And when enthusiasts became interested in folk culture in the 1990s, they found sources of knowledge and skills next to them. The chain of succession has not been broken, and this makes it possible today for everyone to feel the taste and spirit of the life that our distant ancestors lived.
Remoteness has played an important role in preserving the authentic cultural environment. There are no large cities nearby, until the 80s of the last century there were not even highways that would connect the region with the "mainland". At the same time, it cannot be said that these regions were isolated from the outside world. In Soviet times, aviation worked, navigation was carried out along the Sukhona River, there was passenger traffic. But the lack of migration flows, the very small number of visitors from other regions, the dense human ties of local residents - all these factors have had a beneficial effect on the social environment.
The demographic crisis, which radically affected life in these places, happened already in the era of the Great Patriotic War and immediately after it. As reported in one of the books on local history of the Nyuksensky district, about two and a half thousand residents of this area did not return from the front. How much this is can be understood if you know that even now the entire population of this region barely reaches ten thousand people. But not only the losses of the war caused the demographic crisis. As local historians write, the lion's share of those participants in the Second World War, people from the region who survived, did not return home to their villages, remaining to raise the cities lying in ruins. And third: the mass exodus of rural youth, up to the beginning of the 60s, to work in cities, at enterprises and in the industries of the North. All this caused, as we now see, irreparable damage to the demographic potential of the region. But, nevertheless, all this happened much later than the national average.
The special atmosphere of life in the region also has a beneficial effect on the preservation of an authentic social environment. Sociology is now actively studying the life of remote territories. The conclusions of the researchers, many of whom collected field material in the Vologda Oblast, are largely applicable to generalizing the situation in the areas we are talking about now.
Sociologists have found that there is a direct relationship between the age of a particular settlement, the format of economic activity and the relationship between the people living in it. For example, the settlements that arose in Soviet times, in which there were significant migrations, today are not even a community, but a collection of “atomized households” located next to each other only for the reason that there is a common infrastructure necessary for life in this specific point. There is no deep contact between people, there are no communities as such.
And, on the contrary, in many historically established settlements, with a rich history, the presence of dense human relations, including family relations, an atmosphere of mutual support, closeness, and unity is preserved at all possible costs. The farther the area is from the regions actively absorbing human capital, the more pronounced this trend is.
In this sense, the regions of the east of the Vologda Oblast are a bright and unusual example of living collectivism for our country. In the more southern areas of the central part of the country, rural collectivism is most often about the life of local marginals. Here, the integrity of local communities is an important factor that creates the atmosphere of a living hinterland, a place where people sometimes look quite happy, despite the fact that you can’t run away from any problems here.
And the last. The remoteness of the region has historically formed in it the structure of social relations in society, somewhat different from the "standard" of the times of the Russian Empire. In principle, there is nothing unusual in this - the farther from the center, the less the spread of serfdom, the more actual freedoms the population had, although this may be a bit of a rough generalization, but in general it is.
In the forest expanses of the Sukhona basin, the peasants had the opportunity to independently manage their household, their position was incommensurably better than that of the peasants in the central provinces. Many lived prosperously, this undoubtedly contributed to the development of culture.
The combination of the factors described above is the basis of today's originality and "non-standard" region of the east of the Vologda Oblast. Either way, it is a culturally and socially interesting space to explore and worth visiting.
- Using the maps of the textbook or atlas, determine which large natural regions Western Siberia borders on, what surface forms prevail here.
West Siberian Plain- the third largest after the Russian plain of the world. Its area is about 2.6 million km2. From the harsh coast of the Kara Sea, it stretches to the foothills of the mountains of Southern Siberia and the semi-deserts of Kazakhstan for 2500 km, and from the Urals to the Yenisei - up to 1900 km.
The boundaries of the plain are clearly defined natural boundaries: in the north - the coastline of the Kara Sea, in the south - the foothills of the Kazakh hills, Altai, Salair Ridge and Kuznetsk Alatau, in the west - the eastern foothills of the Urals, in the east - the valley of the river. Yenisei.
Based on the map of the textbook, determine which geometric figure the outlines of the West Siberian valley resemble. In what part of the plain is the extent from west to east the smallest, in which - the greatest?
Nowhere else in the world can one find such a huge space with such a flat relief, as if descending towards its center. Crossing the plain in a train from Tyumen to Novosibirsk, you see boundless planes - no hillock, no ridge. Such a relief was formed by loose deposits of rivers and ancient glacial sediments, which covered the Paleozoic plate with a thick sedimentary cover (3-4 thousand m). The horizontal layering of sedimentary layers is the main reason for the flat topography of the plain.
But tell Figure 111 about the main stages in the development of the territory of the West Siberian Plain.
It affected the relief of the West Siberian Plain and glaciation. But the glacier here did not cross 60°N. sh.
In the south of the plain, during the floods of rivers, dammed in the north by ice, lacustrine and river sediments - sands and loams - were deposited in colossal spaces.
Rice. 111. Structure of the West Siberian plate
Glaciation affected not only the relief, but also the flora and fauna of the West Siberian Plain. When the glacier receded, the north of the plain was conquered by tundra and taiga, although before there were broad-leaved forests inhabited by mammoths, woolly rhinos, and giant deer. According to the remains of trunks in the swamps, it can be judged that the forest boundary was located several hundred kilometers to the north than at present.
Reasons for the severity of the climate. The climate of the West Siberian Plain is continental and rather severe. Four main reasons shaped it.
First- the position mainly in temperate latitudes determined the small amount of solar radiation received by the territory.
Using the maps of the textbook and the atlas, determine how much solar radiation the northern, middle, and southern parts of the West Siberian Plain receive, what are the average January and July temperatures typical for these territories.
Second- remoteness from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans determined the continentality of the climate.
Third- the flatness of the territory, which allows cold masses of Arctic air to freely penetrate far to the south from the "ice bag" - the Kara Sea, and warm air masses from Kazakhstan and Central Asia - far to the north.
Fourth- Mountains along the periphery, fenced off the West Siberian Plain from the Atlantic air masses from the west and Central Asian from the southeast.
The continentality of the climate in the expanses of the West Siberian Plain increases when moving from north to south. This is expressed in an increase in the annual temperature amplitude, a decrease in the amount of precipitation, and a reduction in the duration of spring and autumn - the transitional seasons of the year.
How is precipitation distributed in the West Siberian Plain? Explain why.
At the junction of the air masses of the temperate zone with tropical cyclones arise, bringing rain. At the beginning of summer, this front acts in the south - the steppe zone receives moisture (about 300 mm per year). In July, hot air dominates the entire south of the plain, and cyclones move north, bringing precipitation to the taiga zone (up to 500 mm per year). In August, the front reaches the tundra, where up to 250 mm falls annually.
In winter, cyclones of the Arctic front act at the junction of moderate and arctic air masses. This softens the frosts in the north, but due to high humidity and strong winds, the harshness of the climate here is also manifested at lower frosts.
Abundance of surface waters. The West Siberian Plain is rich in rivers, lakes, swamps, the distribution of which throughout the territory clearly shows dependence on the relief and on the zonal ratio of heat and moisture.
Read the table carefully and explain it.
The largest river in the West Siberian Plain is the Ob with its tributary the Irtysh. This is one of the greatest rivers in the world. In Russia, it ranks first in length and basin area.
In addition to the Ob and Irtysh, the Nadym, Pur, Taz, and Tobol can be named among the major rivers of the region.
Among the numerous lakes, filling glacial lake basins and located on the site of former oxbow lakes predominate. In terms of the number of swamps, the West Siberian Plain is also a world record holder: nowhere in the world is there such a swampy area of 800 thousand km2 as here. Vasyuganye, a geographical area lying between the Ob and Irtysh rivers, can serve as a classic example of swampiness. There are several reasons for the formation of such vast swampy areas: the presence of excessive moisture, flat relief, permafrost, low air temperatures, the ability of peat, which prevails here, to retain water in quantities many times greater than the weight of the peat mass.
Natural zones of the West Siberian Plain. The climate of Western Siberia is more continental and harsher than in the east of the European part of Russia, but milder than in the rest of Siberia. The large length of the plain from north to south allows several latitudinal zones to fit here - from the tundra in the north to the steppes in the south.
On the map, determine which of the natural zones occupies the largest area in the West Siberian Ravpipe. What changes in the composition of natural zones occur here compared to the Russian Plain?
Rice. 112. Ob River
The vast size of the West Siberian Plain and the flat relief make it especially good to trace the latitudinal changes in natural landscapes. The main distinguishing feature of the tundra is the severity of the climate. Adapting to harsh conditions, tundra plants prepare wintering buds from autumn. Thanks to this, in the spring they are rapidly covered with leaves and flowers, and then bear fruit. In the tundra there are many different plant foods, so many herbivorous birds nest here.
forest tundra- the first zone when moving south, where at least 20 days a year there is a summer thermal regime, when the average daily temperatures exceed 15 ° C. Here the tundra alternates with crooked forests and low forests.
Rice. 113. Swamp in the taiga
Taiga forest swamp zone- the most extensive of the natural zones of the plain (its area is 1.5 million km 2). In the taiga - the kingdom of spruce-fir, larch-cedar-pine forests with lichens and shrubs. The northern part is dominated by larch-cedar and pine forests. In the middle part of the zone dominated by taiga of pine, cedar, spruce and fir. Aspen and birch forests are widespread at the site of forest fires.
The southern part of the taiga is birch-aspen small-leaved forests. The animal world of the taigig is rich in it, and there are "Europeans", such as mink and pine marten, and "East Siberians", such as sable. The chipmunk, the squirrel, the badger and the owner of the taiga, the bear, live in the taiga. Birds feed on the seeds of forest trees and shrubs - capercaillie, hazel grouse, woodpeckers, turtle doves. The fauna of the taiga river valleys is the most diverse. Here you can meet a white hare, a mole, a wolf and a fox. The oxbows and lakes of the taiga abound with various species of ducks and waders. Common cranes, snipe and great snipe nest in swamps. The most typical swampy areas of the taiga on the flat interfluves of the Ob and Irtysh are called urmans. After fires in the taiga, aspen and birch forests appear in place of dark coniferous species.
Rice. 114. Change of plant communities in the taiga after the fire
The taiga of Western Siberia is formed by spruce and cedar, larch and fir, pine and aspen-birch forests.
The fauna of the West Siberian taiga has many common species with the European taiga. Everywhere in the taiga live: brown bear, lynx, wolverine, squirrel, ermine.
In the secondary osiyaovo-birch forests, typical inhabitants are elk, white hare, ermine, Siberian weasel. American mink has been released in many places in the West Siberian taiga. There are few songbirds in the taiga, so they often talk about the silence of the taiga. Only along the banks of the rivers you can meet the finch, long-tailed bullfinch, waxwing, red-throated nightingale. Geese, ducks, waders nest in water bodies, and ptarmigans nest in moss swamps.
Deciduous forest subzone in Western Siberia it stretches in a narrow strip from the Ural Mountains to the Yenisei River.
The West Siberian forest-steppe stretches in a narrow strip from the Urals to the foothills of the Salair Ridge. The abundance of lake basins is a feature of this zone. The shores of the lakes are low, partly swampy or overgrown with pine forests. In the Kulunda pine forests live along with steppe species - oatmeal, field pipit, jerboa - taiga species: flying squirrel, capercaillie.
In the forest-steppe and steppe zones on fertile soils, good crops of grain and vegetables can be grown.
The picturesque landscapes of the south of the plain - birch groves, elevated areas - manes and lakes - are potential recreational resources of the territory.
manes- these are sandy ridges from 3 to 10 m high, less often up to 30 m, covered with pine forests. They bring great diversity to the treeless flat landscapes of the south of Western Siberia. In some places, the ridged terrain is full of lakes, which makes the area even more attractive.
Rice. 115. The structure of the crests of Western Siberia
kolki- these are groves of birches and aspens, turning green, like oases, among the lack of water of the surrounding steppe plains. These are quiet, poetic corners, full of shade and freshness, bright colors and birdsong.
The landscape appearance of the forest steppe is created by various combinations of birch, aspen-birch, less often birch-aspen groves with meadows in the north of the zone and with grassy steppe in the south. Fertile southern chernozems and dark chestnut soils predominate. There are many solonchaks and solonetzes formed in conditions of insufficient moisture.
Questions and tasks
- On the contour map, write the names of all large natural geographical objects of the West Siberian Plain, determine the geographical latitude of the extreme northern and southern points of the region.
- Compare the geographical position of the West Siberian and Russian plains and determine the features of their similarities and differences.
- What is the reason for the peculiarity of the relief of the West Siberian Plain?
- What is the reason for the strong swampiness of the plain?
1) Using the maps of the textbook or atlas, determine which large natural regions Western Siberia borders on, what surface forms prevail here.
Western Siberia borders on the Urals, Central Siberia, Southern Siberia
2) What subjects of the federation are part of this natural region.
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Tyumen Region, Omsk Region, Tomsk Region, Novosibirsk Region.
Questions in a paragraph
* Using the map of the textbook, determine which geometric figure the outlines of the West Siberian Plain resemble. In what part of the plain is the extent from west to east the smallest, in which - the greatest?
The plain has the shape of a trapezoid.
*From the figure, tell us about the main stages in the development of the territory of the West Siberian Plain.
The basis of the plain is the ancient Paleozoic platform. The basement is overlain by a thick cover of Mesozoic and Cenozoic marine and continental predominantly sandy-argillaceous deposits.
* Using the maps of the textbook and the atlas, determine how much solar radiation the northern, middle, and southern parts of the West Siberian Plain receive, what average January and July temperatures are typical for these territories.
Average annual temperatures from -10.5°C in the north to 1-2°C in the south, average January temperatures from -28 to -16°C, July from 4 to 22°C.
Solar radiation is distributed as follows: north - 800 MJ / m2, the middle lane - 1600, south - about 2000 MJ / m2.
*How is precipitation distributed in the West Siberian Plain? Explain why.
The distribution of precipitation over the territory has a zonal character. The greatest number of them (550 - 650 mm) falls in the strip stretching from the Urals to the Yenisei through the middle reaches of the Ob (forest zone). Within this band, there is a slight increase in precipitation to the east, due to the barrier role of the Central Siberian Plateau and an increase in air humidity when passing over the marshy surface of the plain.
To the north and south of the zone of greatest precipitation, their amount gradually decreases to 350 mm. To the north, this is due to an increase in the frequency of arctic air with low moisture content, and to the south, due to a weakening of cyclonic activity and an increase in temperatures.
Questions at the end of the paragraph
2. Compare the geographical location of the West Siberian and Russian plains and determine the features of their similarities and differences.
The West Siberian and Russian Plains are located on the Eurasian continent, are located in high latitudes, and have large areas. The Russian Plain occupies the European part. Among all the plains of our Motherland, only it goes to two oceans. Russia is located in the central and eastern parts of the plain. It stretches from the coast of the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains, from the Barents and White Seas to the Azov and Caspian. The West Siberian Plain is a plain in northern Asia that occupies the entire western part of Siberia from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Central Siberian Plateau in the east. In the north it is bounded by the coast of the Kara Sea, in the south it extends to the Kazakh uplands, in the southeast it is the West Siberian Plain.
3. What is the reason for the peculiarity of the relief of the West Siberian Plain?
Nowhere else in the world can one find such a huge space with such a flat relief, as if descending towards its center. Such a relief was formed by loose deposits of rivers and ancient glacial sediments, which covered the Paleozoic plate with a thick sedimentary cover (3-4 thousand m). The horizontal layering of sedimentary layers is the main reason for the flat topography of the plain.
4. Explain the reason for the severe swampiness of the plain?
There are several reasons for the formation of such vast swampy areas: the presence of excessive moisture, flat relief, permafrost, low air temperatures, the ability of peat, which prevails here, to retain water in quantities many times greater than the weight of the peat mass.
When I was young, I visited the Urals for the first time. The main purpose of my visit there was a group trip to the Dyatlov Pass, as well as visiting other interesting places in the Sverdlovsk region. In the Urals, I was immediately struck by a certain hilly relief, which is not typical for the plains of the European part of Russia. I quickly found out the reason for this phenomenon from my Ural mountain guide.
Relief-Forming Factors of the West Siberian Plain
For this or that form of the surface on the globe, internal and external factors are responsible.
The group of the first includes those processes that continuously proceed inside the Earth itself and are manifested on its surface by changes in the relief. Often such changes take on a convex shape.
Internal processes were reflected in the relief of Western Siberia in such a way that the Ural Mountains grew near its western edge as a result of contact with the East European platform. From the same event, the entire territory of the plain acquired a characteristic hilliness with a height difference of up to 200 meters.
The most common external factors are:
- solar exposure;
- the power of wind and water;
- space influence.
Together, external factors are destroying the bulging features on the globe by weathering. For this reason, the Ural Mountains are far from the highest in the world, since the ancient mountain system has been mercilessly cut by winds for thousands of years.
Traces of a glacier on the relief of the West Siberian Plain
Water wears away stone - this saying can be taken literally when it comes to studying the relief.
The last ice age ended 12,000 years ago on Earth. At that time, the relief form of Western Siberia acquired features that have survived to this day: multiple valleys and lakes.
Why is the relief of Western Siberia wavy
The reason for this lies in the age of the tectonic plates. Western Siberia is located on a young plate, the foundation of which consists of sedimentary-volcanic rocks.
On both sides, the West Siberian platform is clamped by ancient, much harder platforms, the basement of which consists of gneisses, shales and granites.
