204 POLAR PROBLEMS 



Fused with the native fishing tribes, the Arctic Russians east of 

 the Yenisei have gone backward culturally and economically and even 

 become dependent on neighboring opulent nomad reindeer breeders. 



The native cut of the fur clothes, highly practical and well adapted 

 to northern conditions, was also somewhat improved by the Rus- 

 sians. They sewed the belt part to the Chukchi trousers and fitted 

 a tightening ochkur to the fur hood of the kukhlyanka, so as to permit 

 narrowing or widening at will. They joined the Ostyak slit to the 

 Chukchi fur glove, which permits working in the cold without expos- 

 ing the hands. 



Through the Russians rye flour, salt (for fish salting), tea (mainly 

 brick), and tobacco (mainly leaf) came into use in the eastern region. 

 The trade with the natives is carried on almost solely with tea and 

 tobacco for money. Tobacco or tea famine is considered as more 

 terrible than food famine. 



However, together with these, the Russians brought alcohol, 

 which has greatly contributed to the degeneration of the natives as 

 well as the Russians themselves. 



Russian Trade 



Besides hunting and fishing the most important occupation of 

 the Russians in the polar region is trade; indeed, trade was the first 

 incentive to the Russian movement into these regions, preceding 

 their conquest by many years. The Novgorodians as early as the 

 eleventh century had carried on a silent trade with the half mythical 

 Ugrians and with Siberia through the "little window" cut in the wall 

 of the Urals. 



In later times, despite the celerity of the Cossack movement, 

 traders always overtook the most advanced companies, and the 

 search for commercial prey has always preceded the search for mili- 

 tary prey and the collectiorr of "state tribute." In still later times, 

 when the conquest of the region was completed and the Russian 

 population had become settled, the collection of tribute passed from 

 the Cossack to the government officials and the Cossacks them- 

 selves became dependent. 



Trade was centered, however, in the hands of a few merchants, 

 and the general Russian population were, like the natives, reduced 

 to a position of dependent buyers. Such a state of things prevailed 

 everywhere from the Pechora to the Kolyma and Anadyr. How- 

 ever, the commercial instincts of the Russian population could not 

 be completely smothered, and many changed from being traders 

 to being small middlemen, thus as a group becoming the willing 

 and unpaid agents for the several merchants and making as it were 

 a commercial compact directed against the natives. 



