#itelmen

Thank you so much for the interest in Zimov! He is honestly my most favorite character in the story (I mean, obviously, I made him the main character after all).

Zimov does have Asian roots. While researching the USSR, I got really invested in the indigenous people of the Siberian region. The Itelmen and the Chukchi people were especially interesting to me, because of their ties to nature, their spirituality and mythologies.

I took the images from Google.

As I said it in my main profile - my favorite animals are crows and ravens. Well, it turns out that in the mythology of the Itelmens there is a Raven spirit named Kutkh. Kutkh is a very intriguing character with appearances in many contradictory myths. He is often portrait as the creator of the world and yet also a laughing-stock and a trickster. He immediately became one of my favorite mythology figures and a new hyper focus.

The images are from Google. The first is the cover of the book "Raven Kutkh" by Publishing house "Malysh" ("Ворон Кутх" Издательства "Малыш"). The middle one is an illustration from the book "Fairy tales of the peoples of the North" compiled by V. Vinokurova, Yu. Sem ("Сказки народов Севера" Составители: В. Винокурова, Ю. Сем). The last one is an illustration from the book by Georgy Menovshchikov - "Travels of the Raven Kutkh in the Northern Countries" (Георгий Меновщиков - "Путешествия ворона Кутха по северным странам").

Because of that, I wanted Zimov to have roots that tie him to this Raven spirit. For the purposes of my story, I made up a Siberian tribe that is inspired by the Itelmen and the Chukchi people. Zimov’s mother comes from that tribe and has passed down the ties to the mystical world and her more spiritual nature to her son.

I hope that answers your question.

Ethnonyms: Itelmen (historical endonym), Kamchadal/Kamchadals (later exonym)

Total population: 1,564

Homeland: Kamchatka Peninsula, the northeastern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk

Regions with significant populations: Yelizovsky District, Ust-Bolsheretsky District, Milkovsky District, Ust-Kamchatsky District, Sobolevsky District, Tigilsky District, Penzhinsky District, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Olsky District, Evenkiysky District, Magadan

Languages and dialects: Russian, Itelmen, Eastern Kamchadal, Southern Kamchadal

Religion: Russian Orthodox Church

The Itelmen, sometimes known as Kamchadal, are an ethnic group who are the original inhabitants living on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. The Itelmen language (ethnonym: Itelmen) is distantly related to Chukchi and Koryak, forming the Chukotko-Kamchatkan language family, but it is now virtually extinct, the vast majority of ethnic Itelmens being native speakers of Russian. 

The Itelmen had a substantial hunter-gatherer and fishing society with up to fifty thousand natives inhabiting the peninsula before they were decimated by the Cossack conquest in the 18th century.

As you all know I ADORE Corvids, especially ravens. 🐦‍⬛🖤 That is why the main character of my project - Zimov, is based on one.

Let me tell you a very interesting fact, about this drawing. That white raven on Zimov's shoulder isn't part of the cannon story, but I put it there, because it is a very important symbol for me in a personal sense. These months I have been dealing with a big health issue. It still hasn't been resolved, but I had this beautiful dream once during it, that left me waking up in awe and feeling so much better. I dreamed that I was at school in gym class and there was a big, fluffy white raven on one of the trees. I stared at it in awe. Suddenly, it landed on my shoulder and I offered it walnuts. It ate them from my hand. That made me feel so happy and proud! I woke up feeling very happy. That dream now means a lot to me and I wanted to capture it in this piece.

Since today is the day to geek out about these magnificent birds, let me share with you fun facts about Zimov's ravens!

Zimov feeds his ravens on his balcony every morning before work and in the evenings after work. He makes a specific clicking sound that they have learned to recognize as their "food bell". Fun fact - Corvids can actually begin to assosiate sounds with food if you make them when serving them a meal. 🍴

If Zimov is late, they begin to pace on his balcony with that "we are waiting" faces. Sometimes, they even knock his items down or mess with his plants. Yes, ZImov has plants. He loves gardening. 🌱

Zimov treats his ravens more as a family than just birds. He deeply respects and loves them. 🖤

Zimov has trained his ravens to land on his shoulders and take items from him to carry somewhere else or to someone (just ask Serhiy and Danylo 👀) or to bring him specific items if he gives them a lead. They are like his personal police dogs in some cases. He calls them by a clicking sound, when he needs aid. Fun fact - you can actually train Corvids! They are suprisingly cooparative if they like you! 🔎🕵️‍♂️

As you all know, Zimov comes from a made up Siberian tribe that is based on the Itelmen and the Chukchi people. In their mythology there is a Raven spirit named Kutkh - a God of creation and trickstery. Zimov is tied to that raven spirit in a much more mystical way than he realizes. ♠

Zimov feeds his ravens peanuts in the shell, walnuts (when he can find those items) and hard boiled eggs. He cooks them meat as well, unseasoned and unsalted! If you want to treat any local Corvids, they would appreciate that cuisine! 🥜🥚🥩

In Alaska and Siberia there is a native belief that the present world owes much of its form and features to an immortal being called Raven or “Shagoon”. Who’s combined attributes are of spirit, human, bird, genius, and fool. He is a god often known as Heaven and has a diffuse and distant interest in the world. Among Tlingit, this being is called Shagoon, with a complex meaning that includes ancestors, heritage, origin, destiny, and supreme deity.

Kutkh’s Boats

The raven Kutkh is the main god of the Itelmen, an indigenous people of Kamchatka, and «bat» meant long boat. Literally translated, this site’s name is «Boats of the god Kutkh». Indeed, the pumice looks very much like boats that are ready to return to water at the first signal from their master. Kutkh’s Boats (Bats) are a natural monument created from bizarrely exposed pumice located four kilometers from the source of the Ozernaya River (Kuril Lake). According to legend, the cliffs are boats (similar to Native American canoes) that the wise raven Kutkh once set to dry and then forgot ashore.

Tlingit dancer

Itelmen dancer

Raven Dancers

This is just one of the many similarities between the two different Indian ethnic groups. One being Russian and the other natives of Alaska. It seems that these two tribes may have a common ancestor that might have crossed the Bering Straits over 11,000 years ago. The cultural similarities at a minimum suggest a long history of indirect cultural contact between Asian and North American Peoples.

The Kamchatka Peninsula

One of the most authentic ethnic groups in Russia are the Itelmens, they are an indigenous people who live on Kamchatka peninsula. Even though their lives are still some what primitive they are very well educated as far as indigenous communities go. Today there’s a community of about 1,500 people living on the peninsula. If you wanted to reach them it would entail a long and difficult journey. The first part is a  nine hour flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Then another ten hours by car to the village of Esso. Once in Esso it’s another half an hour flight to reach the village of Ust-Khairyuzovo by helicopter.  Finally, forty minutes shaken in a car along the Sea of Okhotsk to ebb, and in winter by snowmobile or snow crust on dog sledding. The ultimate goal — a national Kovran village where live Itelmen. But once there you are in some of the most beautiful country of all of Russia.

Here’s a short video about the Kamchatka Folk Ensembles.

Sources:

http://www.eki.ee/books/redbook/itelmens.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itelmens

http://russia.rin.ru/guides_e/4681.html

http://englishrussia.com/2010/02/15/russian-indians/

https://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/miller1.html