Veps

Subject / Ethnic culture/Ethnic communities
Subject / Ethnic culture/Ethnic communities/
Subject / Ethnic culture//
Veps (IN FORMER TIMES - Chud (Chudes), Chukhars, Kaivans; Veps' native names in the Leningrad Oblast are Vepsya/Bepsya/Veps, Vepslyayzhet/Vepslaazhed/Bepslaazhed, Lyudinikad, Chukharid) are an ethnic community. The Veps language is related to the Baltic-Finnic subgroup of the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic language family. Veps were formed on the area between Ladoga, Onega and Beloye (White) Lakes (in Mezhozerye) as the result of the interaction of newly come Baltic-Finnish groups and local people related to ancestors of the contemporary Sami. Since the end of the 1000s AD the ethnocultural interaction of Veps' ancestors with the Slavs (annalistic nation Ves) has been beginning. The ethnic territory of Veps has been decreasing steadily since c. 2000 AD because of assimilation. These days Veps live on the adjoining areas of the Leningrad Oblast, the Vologda Oblast and Karelian Republic. They are divided into north, middle and south ethnographic groups. In the Leningrad Oblast Veps inhabit the northern and northeastern part of Boksitogorsk District (the south group), the northeastern part of Tikhvin District, the southeastern part of Lodeynoye Pole District and the southern part of Podporozhye District (the middle group). The total number of Veps in Russia is 8240 people including those who live in the Leningrad Oblast - 2019 people (according to the data of population census in 2002). Farming and cattle-raising were the main occupations of Veps in the 20th century. Hunting, fishing, gathering, furriery, shoe-making, cooperage were the secondary occupations. Veps' settlements had free layout, small sizes and they were situated near the reservoirs. The type of their homes is similar the North Central Russian one. Village community was the foundation of their social organization. Kinship ties were very important. Their main food was flour products. Their rich folklore has been preserved. Veps have their own written language based on the Roman alphabet. The Veps language is taught at schools as an optional subject and some literary works and the newspaper "Kodima" ("Rodnaya zemlya" ("Native Land") are published in the Veps language. Veps' folk art is presented with wood carving, plaiting things from birchbark, small clay sculptures (the area near the Oyat river), embroidery, weaving. Veps' traditional world outlook has kept some heathen elements such as worshipping trees and animals, belief in spiripts-masters. Religious Veps are members of the orthodox church. At present some missionary work is being carried out among Veps by representatives of Protestant confessions. Yegorov, Sergey Borisovich
Topographical landmarks/Beloye Lake (White Lake). (Mezhozerye)
Leningrad Oblast, the/Boksitogorsk District
Neighbouring Territories/Karelian Republic
Topographical landmarks/Ladoga Lake
Leningrad Oblast, the/Lodeynoye Pole District
Topographical landmarks/Mezhozerye
Topographical landmarks/Onega Lake
Topographical landmarks/Oyat River, the
Leningrad Oblast, the/Podporozhye District
Leningrad Oblast, the/Tikhvin District
Neighbouring Territories/Vologda Oblast, the
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"Kodima" ("Rodnata Zemlya" ("Native Land")), a newspaper