Russian Germans in Altai

Lomakin KV

Novosibirsk 2010

Introduction

The Russian Germans are an ethnic group formed with their own history and culture.

Catherine II published her Historical Manifesto on July 22, 1763. The manifesto was published in several European languages ​​and widely disseminated by Russian representatives in Germany, Holland, Sweden and other European countries. In addition to the above, other important provisions of this Manifesto, in particular, read:

"Those who have arrived from foreign countries to settle in Russia should not pay taxes to Our treasury and should not provide ordinary services."

Who settled in uninhabited lands, was exempt from taxes for up to 30 years, in other areas, for a period of 5 to 10 years.

"Foreigners who have settled in Russia, during the entire time of their stay or in the army, will not be defined next in the civil service against their will."

In the recruitment points were, mostly Germans. Basically, they became the ancestors of the current Russian Germans.

The Russian Germans played an important role in the development of the uninhabited lands of our country.

The history of the appearance of the Germans in the territory of Altai.

The German relocation in Siberia was a continuation and a final stage of the movement of the German groups to the east. The constant influx of foreigners to Russia, especially the one that intensified during the Petrine era, received a new direction in the reign of Catherine II . For the development of the lands of the Volga region and areas in southern Russia, the agricultural population was necessary.

In 1762 and 1763, Catherine II published two manifestos inviting foreigners and guaranteeing them significant benefits for resettlement: they received state land and money for moving and domestic chores, they were exempt from all taxes and duties, including military service, during 30 years The settlers maintained their self-government and freedom of religion.

In Russia, large colonies, called "maternal" ones, were founded in the Volga region, New Russia, in Bessarabia, in the Caucasus, near St. Petersburg, in Volyn. The number of colonies grew rapidly due to high birth rates. There is a mass of settlers who do not have plots or who have small plots. This pushed the settlers to look for free land, to move eastward. In addition, with the development of capitalism, a stratum of German businessmen appears who want to acquire new lands to expand production.

The first German settlements in Altai appeared in the 1890s. The main reason for the resettlement of the Germans in Altai was the lack of land and the high cost of land in the Volga region and in Ukraine.Massive resettlement in Siberia began at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. On September 19, 1906, a law was passed on the transfer of cabinet lands in the Altai district to the General Directorate of Land Administration and Agriculture for the establishment of resettlement areas, on November 9, 1906 a decree on land reform in Russia.After the adoption of these documents, the resettlement process takes an organized nature. In the Kulunda Steppe, the government allocated some 60,000 land deserts to house the settlers. Immigrants received a cash allowance and a loan, were exempt from fulfilling state duties for three years and from taxes for five years. The availability of free and low-cost land, the benefits have attracted a large number of people willing to move to Altai. In the Slavgorod district, in 1907, 14 German settlements were founded, in 1908-16, in 1909-16. In 1914, the German population in the district of Slavgorod was more than 17 thousand people.

The next impulse for resettlement was the reform of Stolypin with its policy of favorable resettlement. German settlers established vast areas in the counties of Slavgorod and Omsk. In total, 323 settlements were formed. The Omsk district remained the most attractive area for immigrants, where in 1914 20198 the Germans lived. Before the First World War, more Germans were concentrated here than anywhere else in the Asian part of the Russian Empire. These large German villages appear as Neudachino, Novo-Nikolaevka (Blumenfeld), Romanovka (Prishib), Trubetskoye, Rebrovka, Gofnungstal, Litkovka and others. The peculiarity of the German settlements was that the large villages were surrounded by many villages.

It should be noted that the Germans were established in compact groups, isolated from the surrounding population. The German villages were separated from each other, more often confessionally.

The revolutionary events of 1917, the civil war, the collectivization did not pass through the German colonies. In October 1918 the decree on the formation of the German Volga Labor Union was signed.In 1924 it received the status of an autonomous republic (ASSR NP) and became the center of the Russian German diaspora.

In 1920, 32,330 men and 32,409 women lived in the countryside of Omsk province. According to the All Union Census of 1926, German villages had a predominant number in relation to the rest.

In 1923, the idea of ​​creating the German National District in the territory of Altai was presented for the first time, and on July 4, 1927, that area was created in the district of Slavgorod, with the center in the town of Halbstadt. It was originally called October, because that year was the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution. But this name did not stay with the population, and after a while, the area began to be called simply German. It includes 57 towns and cities. The population is 13,155 people, of which the Germans are 96%.

In 1938, the German district was eliminated.

The aggravation of international relations in Europe in the thirties. it caused a new restriction of the rights of the Germans in the Soviet Union. In 1938, instruction in national schools was translated into Russian.

A sharp turn in the fate of the Russian Germans occurred in 1941. The Germans were the first people in the country accused of treason and condemned to the position of an internal enemy. On August 28, 1941, the Presidium of the Armed Forces of the USSR adopted a decree "On the resettlement of Germans living in the Volga region." The resolutions of the Council of People's Commissaries of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) determined the settlement areas in Kazakhstan and Siberia, as well as the number of immigrants. So in the territory of Krasnoyarsk was prescribed to resettle 21,450 families, in Altai - 27,150, in the Novosibirsk region - 28,600, in the Omsk region - 24,300 families.Some 450,000 Germans were evicted from the Volga region. The republic was eliminated. Then the Germans were expelled from Crimea, Ukraine and Transcaucasia.

In September 1941, many soldiers of German nationality were sent back and forth.

Since the beginning of 1942, men between 15 and 55 years old and women between 16 and 45 years old, in which children older than 3 years old, were mobilized in the so-called work columns, later called Trudarmia. The workers' army dissolved only in 1947.

In 1945, a new resettlement of Germans began in Siberia, which affected those who remained in the occupied territory. The Germans were deported mainly from the Baltic SSR, Belarusian, Ukraine and Moldova.

A series of legislative acts ensured the real deprivation of the rights of the special settlers. The special settlers did not have the right to leave the territory of the settlement area without the permission of the office of the special commander of the NKVD. Unauthorized absenteeism was considered an escape and entailed the punishment of a criminal offense. Only in December 1955 was the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the lifting of restrictions on the legal status of Germans and their families in special settlements" adopted. However, the Germans did not receive complete freedom.This document still maintained a prohibition on the return of people to their homes and did not withdraw charges against a whole people. Only in 1964, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, were the Germans withdrawn out of complicity with the fascists.

But the humiliating restrictions were not immediately removed from the special settlers. This process has been delayed for decades. The Germans again suffered more. After all, the question of restoring German autonomy has not yet been resolved, although with respect to other peoples, justice seemed to triumph. If the Chechen athletes, Crimean Tatars, Ingushs, Kalmyks in the 50s could freely return to their native places, the Germans obtained this right much later, only in 1974.

After the approval of the Rehabilitation of the Repressed Peoples Act of 1991, the idea of ​​restoring the German National District was revived. July 1, 1991 The decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR "On the formation of the German National District in the Territory of Altai" was reinstated. Sixteen villages in the districts of Khabar and Slavgorod with a total population of 20,700 people merged into a new regional entity covering an area of ​​1,400 square kilometers.

The religion

The confessional structure of German settlements in Altai territory is traditional for Russian Germans in general. Catholics and Protestants live here: Lutherans, Mennonites, Baptists, Adventists. The vast majority of the communities are Protestants.

Lutheranism is one of the Protestant dogmas founded by Martin Luther (1483-1546). The first religious communities and church schools of the Germans in Siberia were Lutherans.

The Mennonites are followers of the Dutch reformer Menno Simons, the founder of one of the most radical areas of western European Protestantism. The main principle of this creed is dissociation and renunciation. This includes the rejection of the baptism of minors, violence, claims of secular power in any form, etc. Mennonites are sometimes called the "golden branch" of German immigration to Russia. They considered themselves to be the chosen people of God, united in the "community of saints". The experience for them is a manifestation of God's will. Diligence - as the fulfillment of God's commandment "in the sweat of your forehead, cultivate your bread."Cohesion and solidarity: as the observance of the commandment "love your neighbor as yourself". All the life of the Mennonite community, when approaching the apostolic opinion, "faith without cause is dead". The Mennonites made strict demands on the purity of the faith and the observance of religious rites and rituals. The exclusion of the Mennonite church meant the deprivation of all Mennonite rights and expulsion from the colony. At the same time, any member of the Mennonite community could become one of their ethnic origins who were baptized by faith.

The Baptists in Russia had the right to free religion. They were a community in which for the twentieth century. infused by a significant number of Germans from other denominations: Lutherans, Mennonites and others. The Baptists rejected several rites: adoration of the cross and icons, signs of the cross, baptism of newborns, etc. The use of alcohol and tobacco and abortions are prohibited.Baptists baptize as adults from 16 years old. Even a sinful person can be baptized, it is enough for him to repent before baptism. The greatest sin (except suicide) is considered an abortion, but this sin can also be repaired by repentance.Baptists believe that although a person's destiny is predetermined by God, you can change it with your behavior, the true faith.

Seventh-day Adventists are one of the religions of Protestantism that emerged in the nineteenth century. The most distinctive features of dogma are the conviction of the need to keep all the Ten Commandments and faith in the coming Coming of Jesus Christ. The Sabbath for Adventists is a holy day. On this day, they do not work, but rather they dedicate themselves to reflect in order to approach the wisdom of God. Adventists do not believe in the immortality of the soul, and also that the soul after death goes immediately to heaven. They strictly comply with the use of alcohol and pork. Before communion, they wash their feet: a woman washes the feet of a woman, a man, a man.Adventists do not take communion with wine, like all other Christians, but with grape juice and unleavened bread (dough for it is made in olive oil).

For the Altai Germans, a high degree of religiosity is characteristic in comparison with the surrounding population. Religion traditionally plays an important role in the spiritual life of the German village of Siberia. After the resettlement, the German peasants first built the church building or the house of prayer. During the years of Soviet power, despite persecution by the authorities, it was not possible to eradicate adherence to religious faith and traditions among the Germans of Altai.

Since the late twenties. The slogan of the Union of Militant Atheists, a kind of punitive body towards religious organizations, which read "Religion, a brake on socialist construction and a relic of capitalism", became a defining slogan in state politics towards church. At this time, believers could not openly visit the house of prayer and meet in their homes. In 1928, the Mennonite magazines "Unsere Blatt" and Lutheran "Unsere Kirche" were banned. Many religious leaders were arrested.1930-1950s Informants are characterized as the "underground" period. The Soviet activities were persecuted by the Soviet authorities.Only from the late fifties - early sixties. The slow process of the rebirth of religious communities begins. For the seventies.

Since the late eighties. The attitude of the authorities towards the religious communities has changed. Believers were given the opportunity to have a house of prayer or a church and visit them openly. Most of the time, the premises for the house of prayer were bought at the expense of the members of the community or with the financial support of the religious centers of Germany.Currently, in every German village there is a religious community, most of the time not one. And not necessarily this community of different tendencies. A common option is to coexist in the same village, for example, two Baptist communities.

Therefore, the current situation in the religious sphere of the Altai Germans can not be unequivocally characterized. On the one hand, interest in religious life has increased, communities are more active, their material base has improved (assistance from Germany and other countries affects). But, on the other hand, most communities are few in number. In general, women from older age groups participate in the activities of religious communities. Although in recent years there have been active attempts to attract young people to religion. In general, belonging to a religious community is perceived by most Germans in Altai as an integral feature of ethnic identity.

ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AT THE END OF XIX - FIRST THIRD OF THE XX.

The Agriculture

The main reason for the resettlement of the Germans to Altai was the lack of land in the colonies of the European part of Russia. The immigrants received in the new lands of 15 acres for the male soul.We cultivated as much land as we could.

When the father, the owner, had children, they could be separated from the father's house, then the father's land was assigned to the son. When their children were born, they assigned a new parcel of a special state free land fund elsewhere. But the excess of land was not in all the villages, especially in Mennonites. Part of the land was left for common pastures. Many were forced to leave the village.

The main crop of cereals grown by the Germans was wheat ("Weitz"). In the village of Boronsk, wheat is mainly grown, less rye ("corn"), only winter.

The corn was cultivated before, which was smaller than the modern one, the stem is lower and the ear smaller. Corn ("welshkorn") brought immigrants from Ukraine. We grew it a lot, mainly to feed horses and pigs. Also the German immigrants grew millet ("of her", "hij"), barley ("kersht"), oatmeal ("hafer"). Barley and oats were used mainly for cattle feed.

The potatoes were planted both in the field and in the garden near the mansion. Carrots, onions, pumpkins, garlic and onions were planted in the garden. Usually in the garden it was melon.Watermelons and melons grew in bahche. Bakhchu never watered - "bahchi does not like a lot of rain". In general, there was a good harvest of melons and pumpkins: watermelons, melons, were driven by whole wagons for sale, for example, in Slavgorod. A sunflower (sunrouse) was planted in the field, from which the sunflower oil was made. Cultivated beetroot ("Ribe"), from which beet honey was elaborated ("Ribhoni"). They also cultivated tobacco, usually half a decade.The tobacco was of three varieties: Turkish, Russian and German. The last grade used for tubes. In the maternal colonies, much more varied crops were cultivated, and in Altai this was not possible due to the more severe climatic conditions.

The crops were uprooted, including wheat. Desherbar, usually children of 7-8 years old, with them they sent an adult. When sunflower or potatoes were grown on the site, the soil was cleaned well, since they were easier to cut than the grains, in addition, the potatoes were still scattered and the soil was loosening even more. When weeding uses "hag" picks. In addition to the hoe he used "strugalki", in German "shuva". "Shuva" was a wide metal knife, which is connected with a handle at an obtuse angle, as if it were advancing. Previously, the Germans polished only "shovoy". Irrigation only of horticultural crops: cabbages, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.

Lobogreykami mowed with bread - "melmachin". A man was sitting in a lobogreyke and was pulling his ears obliquely. The mowed bread was collected in piles and then carted to the patio. According to Unru A.Ya., after the lobogreyka, there were girls with a rake who picked up the bread cut into rolls.One day later, the next morning, the strips were collected and the cars were taken to the farm.Weaving and sheaves were also possible. When harvesting the bread, as soon as the rain clouds appeared, the work stopped, so that the cut bread did not get wet, since it was difficult to dry it later.They struck the currents in the courtyard with a large special crossstone that weighed one and a half or two cents, which the horse, or two, dragged in a circle along the outstretched ears. The place for the stream was prepared in advance: they cleaned, cut the potholes, sprayed with water, trampled on it and crushed it. The wheat was arranged in a circle, in the center there was a man. who was leading a horse by the bridle. The threshed straw ("shtro") was harvested with a rake, and the grain was swept in a pile, then in the bogies - the "fuchtel", which was a drum with blades inside, was cleaned. The machine was also used for threshing - "warf". Trite wheat could blow with the help of a special shovel "For the destruction of millet prostorushka used. Prosorushka was a wooden barrel, dug into the ground, a piston was inserted in which the work surface was studded with iron supports.A lever was attached to the piston, and when pressed, the piston would lower or rise. Which was a drum with blades inside, cleaned. The machine was also used for threshing - "warf". Trite wheat could blow with the help of a special shovel "vorfshaufel". For the destruction of millet prostorushka used.Prosorushka was a wooden barrel, dug into the ground, a piston was inserted in which the work surface was studded with iron supports.A lever was attached to the piston, and when pressed, the piston would lower or rise. Which was a drum with blades inside, cleaned. The machine was also used for threshing - "warf". Trite wheat could blow with the help of a special shovel "vorfshaufel". For the destruction of millet prostorushka used. Prosorushka was a wooden barrel, dug into the ground, a piston was inserted in which the work surface was studded with iron supports. A lever was attached to the piston, and when pressed, the piston would lower or rise. The work surface of which was studded with iron supports. A lever was attached to the piston, and when pressed, the piston would lower or rise.The work surface of which was studded with iron supports. A lever was attached to the piston, with which the piston was lowered or raised when pressed.

Bread and other products were put on sale in the nearest major markets, where merchants bought it.Then, from the villages in the Telmano area, they drove to Slavgorod, Kamen-na-Obi, Biysk, from Nikolaevka they drove to Kulunda and Kamen-na-Obi. In these cities, the German peasants could borrow agricultural machinery and then pay with the grain of the new crop. If the farmer did not have enough horses on the farm to work, or if there was no car, he could rent them to a rich villager. For this the "poor man" had to work the rich: cut the hay, take something, etc. Family members or neighbors who had one or two horses could join and do some work in turns, helping each other.The rich peasants (especially in the Mennonite villages) also used workers workers extensively: "arbeiter", "obeda".

Animal husbandry

The settlers were allowed to take cattle with them, but after a long journey many horses fell. In the steppes of Kulunda, the Kazakhs with herds roamed horses, from where the Germans could buy or "hire" horses to plow the virgin land. In the summer, a common corral for horses was built on the edge of the village, where the villagers kept the horses together during field work. The cows were kept for meat, milk, butter. Basically, these products were produced for their own consumption, but they could also be sold. The Volga Germans often used bulls as strength.

On average, the farm used to have one or two sows and a boar. One sow could bring 9-13 pigs at a time. The pigs were kept throughout the year, so that at any time there would be fresh meat. The sow was cut after it was cultured two or three times, as the number of offspring decreased. Pig pigs once a year, walked a year later. The pig went for three months, three weeks and three days, by this time she was ready for a place. The boar remained for two or three years.

The piglets were kept for meat for a year: they would take it in the autumn, they would fatten the year and they would sacrifice it for the next autumn. Now, they are usually held for half a year, taken from fall to spring or spring to fall and killed twice a year. Then, in the Becker DF farm, two pigs and a bull are kept in the face. Now the piglets are fed "shit", ground, steamed with wheat, which used to cook potatoes and squash for the most part. The meat of the slaughtered cattle was sold or consumed themselves: they were frozen, smoked or made khvasht sausages.

On average, the sheep had 15-20 heads of sheep and two rams, "sideways". The uterus was maintained for two or three years, if a young sheep brought 2-3 lambs, it was left for next year, otherwise, it was slaughtered more often. In winter, the sheep kept separate from the sheep, mated for the offspring to fall in the spring. In the village of Telmano, Siberian sheep were raised, which they acquired from the Kazakhs. Cut them once in the autumn before killing them. The sheep were usually slaughtered after the frost established. If the sheep was left in a fur coat, it was cut earlier so that the skin was not too long and did not roll up. Skins to make fur coats.

Sometimes they kept rabbits, the stalkhaze, both for the meat and for the skins, made hats with rabbit skins. For the feeding of pigs, they prepared "dert", "short" from residues of grinding grain in the mill. Other animals were also fed dert, especially in winter, but especially with oats, especially horses.

The pastures around the village were common, and each owner had his own pasture. Under the hay fields there was a common land, unsuitable for arable land, near the lake, salt is licked. Most of the pastures were also in solonetz. Cattle grazing began in early May, and grazed until the snow, in early November. When it was already cold, and there was snow in the fields, the cattle went into winter posts. The pastors were hired by the poorest immigrants or Kazakhs.The villagers agreed with the pastor about the payment: the pastor had to graze the cattle for a certain price with this or that number, and if the weather allowed them to feed longer, the pastor was paid an extra. Usually the grass was 2-3 km from the town. The hay was cut once in the summer, in early July, the farmers did not have time to cut the second time: the collection area interfered. Mowed grass with mower. In ravines and okolkam, where it was impossible to pass with a lawnmower, mowed with a scythe. The mown hay was collected in mounds, then in piles, and only after the hay was dry, was it carried home in carts.The peasants made sure that the hay did not dry in the field, at the same time they tried that the mowed hay did not fall in the rain, as soon as the rain clouds appeared, they stopped cutting the grass. The hay was stored in the haystack on the farm. The barn used to be a big, tall barn.

CRAFTS AND NON-AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Virtually every Mennonite town had its own mill. Grind the grain in them expelled from all the villages where there were no mills.

In the village of Good there was a steam mill, which was owned by the wealthy local peasant Herzen.According to the informants, the factory had a diesel engine. Grinding to this mill brought grain from all the surrounding villages. To grind the grain, the guest took the Harz, a fraction of 10 to 15 kilograms of a centimeter of flour. In the town of Telmano there was a windmill owned by a rich peasant. The grain of all the surrounding villages was also brought here, with the owner paying with the grain. As Vogel told PE, the windmill in Khokh-Kheime was in a valley, there were almost no strong winds, and the mill was grinding slowly, so the grain was taken to Slavgorod, where the steam mill was.

In addition to windmills and steam mills, hand mills were distributed, "rushalki" ("handmil"), which were used when it was necessary to grind some flour or grated meat to cook the soup, to bake the bread , when the big mill did not make sense to go. Hand mills were often used during World War II.Said rushilka consisted of two large and thick birch trunks, a rod stuck into one, a hole was made in the other, these parts were connected. The friction surfaces of the wheels were covered with metal supports.

For the production of sunflower oil, the sunflower seeds were pressed in the oil mills - "eilimil". These dairies were mostly rich. Pay for the compression of oil with the owners of oil and butter to earn money or money. The beet was made from ribhony beetroot honey. As O. Kucher said, the beets were peeled, boiled and then pressed in a special press. The press was a 60 x 60 cm table in the form of a channel with a hole to drain the syrup, the boards above and below were tied with bolts: the top board was a support for the screws that rested on the shield under the which were placed the beets.By tightening the screws, the shield pressed the beets, squeezing the syrup, which ran down the drain into the bucket. Sliced ​​beets used for animal feed. The juice obtained after the pressing was evaporated, boiled in special "kesel" boilers, incorporated in the oven. The syrup was evaporated for several days to thicken. According to one informant, of the 10 liters of syrup, after evaporation, 3 liters of honey were obtained. For the winter, 5-6 buckets of beetroot honey were evaporated for the family, it was used for own consumption.

The products of milk and meat were produced mainly for their own consumption, but the surplus could also be sold. For example, they drove from Boronsk to sell butter in the bazaar to Sütka. As Becker MA said, in Boronsk, the meat mills brought from the Volga region were used to make ground beef. Salt and pepper were added to the chopped sausage to taste. The meat was filled with animal guts, for this purpose a "syringe" was used, which was a hollow tube made of tin, which was narrowed towards one end and a piston was inserted in the other. A casing was placed in the narrow neck and the filling was removed with a piston. The casings stuffed with minced meat were boiled or smoked.

Leather products: harnesses, necklaces, etc., the Germans were sold for the first time to the Kazakhs, who were able to manufacture leather. The Kazakhs could buy a thin horse in the German village, massacre it and skin it. In addition, the Kazakhs could come to the village, stop somewhere, and the Germans accompanied them to place orders with their material. Sometimes the Germans, who were learning how to make leather, went to the Kazakhs as assistants. Over time, his tan masters appeared in the village. In the village of Boronsk, 2-3 people could make leather. The haut was covered with a special yeast. This fermented dough, which was called "brew", was made of crushed grain, flour and yeast in special "stener" pillars.Kvasili skin 6-7 days, until the wool from the outside does not recede.After that, the skin was stretched and wiped with a blunt knife: they picked up the meat from the inner surface and the wool from the outside, washed, dried and crushed in the Hautpreacher drum. This drum had two thick excavated posts, whose distance was approximately 20 cm. a stick was rolled in the skin, a stick was inserted between the posts, and two people, holding the ends of the stick, lowered and lifted the stick, "crushed" the skin. After that, the skin became smooth, the bridles, the reins, the clamps, the shoes became of her. For these purposes, the skins of cattle, horses are used.The sheep and lamb skin was thicker and, therefore, the skins of these animals were used only for the manufacture of sheepskin coats. The skin of rams and sheep in the sheepskin coat was treated almost as well: it was smeared with beer, but it was not soured in a tub, and it was folded into a roll so that the wool would not get wet.

The manufacture of traditional footwear, which was called "Schloers", was widespread. Shlory consisted of a sole, which was made of birch, poplar and a piece of leather, stuck in the toe. A certain person used to make the adaptation of the tails: "shost", a shoemaker. The client took his skin to the shoemaker and paid for his work, usually with products: cereals, butter, milk, sometimes money. The shoemaker was engaged in this work in his free time.

In the German villages near the lakes, where there was a special clay, there were often their own tepmakher and topmok potters. In some villages there were teachers who could shoot valenki - Borstevollit pimokaty. The Germans learned this trade from the Kazakhs. The wool of the felt boots was cut from the thick-haired sheep in the fall, when the wool was still fine. Before rolling, the wool was torn off - "it broke into pieces". In Nikolayevka there was no "terebakhi", they pulled the wool to a neighboring Russian village. "Terebaha" consisted of two (or more) drum, covered with a grid with metal teeth. The wool passed through rotating drums, and the teeth, clinging to the wool, tore it.Then the wool is rolled in hot water. First, a layer was made of wool, which was rolled into a tube. In the place where the heel was supposed to be, it left more space. A block was inserted into the tube that was formed and cleaned with hands, sealed and formed. After that, the boots were put to dry.

To make the houses warm, manure was made - "Niebla". The manure was mixed with straw and mixed with horses. This mass was allowed to dry, then cut into bricks. The tree was very expensive for burning, the nearest forest was often two hundred kilometers away, so the wood was used only for construction, mostly dung, in addition to straw or wormwood.

Thus, the leading processes in the economic sphere were the adaptation processes of immigrants to the natural and climatic conditions of Altai.

CALENDAR RELIABILITY

In the calendar, the rites of the Germans of the territory of Altai, as well as of the Germans of Siberia as a whole, are constantly combining ancient pagan elements and, later, Christian strata. The basis of the calendar are, of course, the holy days. All the religious holidays were celebrated with the religious community. Festive meetings of prayer and religious services were organized. On holidays that have no connection with the Christian calendar, it is possible to celebrate only one holiday on the occasion of the cattle slaughter - Schlachfest. It was believed that winter comes after these holidays.Shlachfest did not have an exact date.This festival, the last ritual cycle of autumn, can be considered the limit between autumn and winter.

The main holiday of the winter period and the calendar year in general, the Germans of Altai had Christmas (Weihnachten), which was celebrated on December 25. Christmas was preceded by a period of preparation: Advent, which included four Sundays, that is, three full weeks and one to six days, according to Christmas Day. The time of Advent was considered by the Germans mainly as a period of spiritual preparation for the celebration of Christmas: fasting and repentance should lead to the purification of the soul and ward off evil from the coming new year. During the pre-Christmas fast, the Catholic Germans refused to eat meat and other animal products.With the same purpose of purification, the Germans cleaned and thoroughly washed their houses, they were sure to whitewash them and put the patio and the rooms in order. All homework had to be completed before Christmas.During Christmas and the next week of Christmas (from December 24 to January 1), the Germans strictly observed the basic ritual prohibition: do not desecrate the festive time with work. According to the beliefs that violated the prohibition, several misfortunes were expected.

The Germans in Altai also observed the prohibition of the old church: getting married during Advent.In Advent, the number of prayer meetings increased. On Christmas Eve, a Christmas tree (Christbaum, Weihnachtsbaum) was installed and decorated in German houses. In addition, the Germans in the Altai preserved the archaic custom of decorating houses with branches of deciduous trees. Christmas was mainly a family party. The whole family gathered for the so-called "Holy Supper".

After the Christmas dinner, the whole family gathered around the Christmas tree and sang "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht" ("Silent Night, Holy Night"), a song that the Germans sing at Christmas in all the countries of the world. In addition, other Christmas songs were sung, for example, "Der Christbaum ist der schonste Baum" ("The Tree of Christ is the most beautiful tree"). At Christmas, the custom of exchanging gifts was widespread. The main donor of the children of the Germans in Altai is the Christ Child - Christkind (Christkind), in the role played by the girl dressed in white. In his hands he carried a twig with which he punished disobedient children.Most of the time, Christkind was accompanied by Pelznikel or Ruprecht, an incredible character whose main means of dress was a fur coat produced by the skin. He was girded with a chain.

In the Mennonites, a Christmas man, Weihnachsman, gave gifts to the children, whose clothes repeat Pelznickel's attire. The New Year (Neujahr), according to the ideas of the Altai Germans, was a less significant celebration compared to Christmas. The meeting of the new year had a social character, it was decided to visit and receive guests. The New Year's Eve dinner, like Christmas, was rich and satisfying. On New Year's Eve, the mimes roamed the streets of the German villages: often Pelznikel, accompanied by satellites, whose faces covered their masks. The most common were the masks of bears and bulls. In the New Year the wishes were written - New Year Notes "Neujetzetl".They wrote some wishes, which they did for next year, and put papers with wishes under the pillow. In the morning, the first sheet of paper was taken out and read aloud, the wish should come true. Also, in the New Year, they wrote notes of love content, which were thrown into the yard of a girlfriend or boyfriend. The guests in the New Year came with congratulations: the wind lovers who had the character of good wishes.

In addition, on New Year's Eve, the campaigns of young people and girls went to their homes, who also told the windweers and received food for them. On the morning of January 1, the children went home with wishes. The guests sprinkled grain on the hosts. At the time of the New Year's meeting in the village there was a great noise. They fired rifles, beat with sticks and shouted loudly. It was also decided to shoot and hit with a stick before entering the house.

The cycle of Christmas and New Year ended with the Feast of the Magi or the Great New Year (January 6), the Christian holiday of the Epiphany or the Epiphany. On this day, the children went to visit their relatives, where they were offered sweets, cookies and small coins. To this day, Catholics and Lutherans consecrated chalk and wrote them from inside the entrance door in the upper left corner (to be seen when the door was opened) the initials of the names of the three kings (C + B + M ) and the date of next year. Sretenie (Maria Lichtmess) on February 2 can be considered an omen of spring. On this day, it was decided to measure the food reserves: there will be enough until spring.The celebration of Maslenitsa (Fastnacht) was not widely distributed among the Germans of Altai. The separate carnival rites were kept only between the German Catholics and the Lutherans. However, from the 1950s - 1960s. The German population of Altai actively participates in the celebration of Russian winter cables. The fact that the Provodov holiday of the Russian winter fit successfully into the life of the German population of Siberia was a consequence of the similarity of pancake rituals of Russians and Germans. The celebration activities included the burning of straw and winter, riding from the mountains and riding on horseback, many goodies.And along with the pancakes, traditional sweets in Russian winter cables for all nations, the Germans in Altai prepared fortified, kitchens and other German cakes. The fast prior to Easter, whose traditions repeat the Advent traditions, began 40 days before Easter. Catholics ate only lean foods: fish, radish rubbed in kvass. Meat, eggs and other foods of animal origin were not eaten. The beginning of spring, and with it the heat of the Germans in Altai tied with March 25 - the Annunciation (Maria Verkundigung). To this day, lovers bake gingerbread in the form of birds. The Annunciation was considered a significant day in the life of the peasant.First, it was believed that on this day the weather could be predicted. The good weather of March 25 announced a good harvest. Second, after this day, it was possible to begin preparations for the spring field work.

The most important spring break for the Germans was Easter (Ostern), which was preceded by a passionate week. From Thursday in Holy Week, the bells stopped ringing in Catholic and Lutheran villages, and groups of teenagers who walked through the streets with noise announced the time in the village. For this, they received a reward on Holy Saturday. Good Thursday was called green. On this day, it must have been nettle soup. Friday was marked by a strict fast. On Saturday, they baked cakes and pastries for Easter, they painted eggs. On Holy Saturday before the church a bonfire was lit, in which an effigy of Judah was burned.At night, a chorus of young men went to their homes, playing religious songs under the windows. Catholics and Lutherans saw the sun rise in the morning.Especially for three weeks, the Germans planted wheat or oats. The eggs were put on green leaves sprouted early on Easter morning. At Easter, they gave gifts to children. It was believed that the gifts that bring the Easter bunny.

On Sunday morning, after breakfast, all the villagers walked to the cemetery. The Easter songs were sung in the cemetery, the elder brother of the community or the pastor recited prayers. After that, they went to the graves of their relatives and prayed in a low voice. From the cemetery, everyone dispersed to their homes, where they were preparing for a religious meeting. In the church or house of prayer the whole town met. Here we agreed with the relatives in the visits of Monday. Easter Monday was the day of the visits. It was obligatory to visit the married daughters of their parents.

The Easter lunch, as well as on any holiday, differed in abundance of dishes. First the chicken soup with noodles is served. The noodles for the festive dinner began to be prepared in advance. Also at the Easter table there were necessarily eggs, cheese, butter.

40 days after Easter, the holy day of the Ascension of Christ (Himmelfahrt Christi) was celebrated. It was believed that on the morning of the Ascension, water and plants acquire healing properties.Therefore, those who had sore feet before dawn walked barefoot in the dew. Also early in the morning, young women with boys and girls gathered grass for tea.

The Trinity was a festival that ended the spring cycle of the rites of the Germans of the territory of Altai. On the eve of the Trinity, the German women cleaned the house and the yard. Make sure you decorate the house and the yard with birch branches in bloom and wildflowers. In general, girls and women would rip them off early in the morning. Branches hung over the doors and windows in the corners of the house. On the sills of the windows and tables they place bouquets of wild flowers, usually of daisies. Birch branches and chamomile flowers were used to decorate the fence and the barn.

The Trinity was connected with the clarification of the relationship between lovers. For this, the custom of establishing the May tree was used. In this regard, it should be noted that in Altai, as in Siberia as a whole, May's tree was not installed in a May tree for the entire village as in Germany, but in May's trees in front of her daughters' houses favorites The May tree was considered a symbolic form of prayer. Usually, it was a real tree, felled in the forest. Very often for this purpose he uses birch.The branches were cut, only the top was green. The trunk of the tree was decorated with ribbons, flags, scarves, usually red and white.

Very often the installation of the Mayan tree was not an easy task. It was caused by the fact that several guys can like a girl. Therefore, the right to plant a tree in front of his house was tested with the help of his fists. In addition, an already established tree could be stolen by rivals or simply children of the village without malicious intent, just for fun. Therefore, the lover buried a tree deep in the ground, often fortifying it with heavy chains. The guy sat all night until the morning in an ambush, protecting his tree from attacks. Often there were real fights.

However, a basket that hit the boy in response to his tree was a much bigger blow. Using an empty basket, the girl made it clear that she was not matching. In this case, the offended lover could take revenge. And then, at the door of the house where the girl lived, a pile of garbage or manure appeared, and in the morning you could find that the door was tarred. This was considered a terrible shame.Therefore, the girl who rejected the love of a boy had to protect its doors all night long.

In Trinidad, the youth arranged several leprosy. For fun, the banks were turned or taken to a neighboring house, thrown into a ditch and water was poured from the barrels. As on the night of the feast of the Magi, the doors were removed from their hinges and the chimneys were covered in garbage. As a general rule, these actions were perceived as a joke. However, if the walls of the house were dirty with eggs, this was considered an insult. Usually, the eggs were thrown into the homes of unloved people in the village of an evil character or in the case where the pitcher had some personal resentment towards the host.

Early in the morning in Trinity before sunrise, a round of fields was held with prayers for fertility. All the residents of the town participated in the solemn procession. They prayed in the fields, read excerpts from the Gospel. The pastor or the elder brother of the community sprinkled water on the crops and the participants of the detour.

The ritual of the summer-autumn cycle is poorer than winter and spring. This is due in large part to the fact that summer and autumn are the most intense period of the agricultural year of work, associated with providing the farmer and his family for a long time, until next year's harvest. The main summer holiday for the Germans was St. John's Day, on June 24. On this day, the Germans burned fires. The campfire was traditionally chosen on a hill. It was common to light a wheel mounted on poles. Fire and smoke had special healing properties. Boys and girls in pairs jumped over the fire.The girls were guessing about the marriage that day with the help of wreaths of wild flowers: Gekhanekranz. A crown of this type was hung on the door of the house, between the window frames that faced the street. According to the legend, On June 24, the herbs and flowers collected on this night had a special miraculous and healing power. The special healing properties were attributed to water on June 24.

The summer customs, directly related to the care of the harvest, the Germans in Siberia are not many.The most common actions were aimed at "providing" a good climate, necessary for the maturation of a rich harvest. To induce the rain, the Germans went to the tombs of relatives who sprayed them with water. The autumnal cycle of rituals is shortened due to climatic conditions and corresponds only to the harvest period. The main autumn festival is the Harvest Festival (Erntdankfest). This party had a moving character. Attended by guests from neighboring villages. It was generally observed at the end of October - beginning of November.The church or house of prayer was decorated with the best fruits of the new harvest, crowns of wheat wheat. These harvest or harvest crowns were made in advance from the peaks of the last sheaf. They were kept in the attic. It was believed that they protect from the forces of evil and misfortunes. Such crowns in many Altai villages are weaving so far. It organized a collective lunch, to which great importance was attributed. It was considered the climax of the holidays.

In the Soviet era, the public ways of carrying out the rituals of the calendar were lost to a large extent.This is due to religious persecution by the authorities. However, the complete disappearance of the traditional ritual did not happen, since the rites and customs began to take place in the family circle.

During the years of Soviet government, the New Year was actively celebrated. As a general rule, the celebration of the New Year took place in the school, since it was the school that was traditionally the cultural center of the German village. In addition to the calendar held in German villages and international holidays, one of the favorite holidays was the Workers' International Solidarity Day on May 1st. In addition, the date of the holidays coincided with the traditional German festival of spring, whose traditions were lost in Siberia, but still exist in Germany.

With a very large scale, the Germans in Altai began in the 1950s. It celebrates the feast of Russian winter wires. 

Conclusion

The Russian Germans in Altai managed to preserve their national culture, originality, memory of the historical past, despite all the difficulties. The German National District continues to evolve: new farms, houses, schools are being built and the destroyed farms are being restored. Many families who went to Germany in the 1990s are returning. All this suggests that Russian Germans continue to develop as ethnic groups.

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