Liv people accommodation.  Livs: definition of Livs and synonyms of Livs (Russian). Famous representatives of the Livonian people

Vanished People

Their self-name is Liibi, and also lībieši in Latvian, Liven in German, the Latin name is Livones, the Old Russian name is lib. And the former name of Latvia “Livonia” came directly from the name of this people - the Livonians. Now there is almost nothing left of this ethnic group, well, perhaps cultural heritage, yes, a language studied by a group of enthusiastic linguists. And once they were the second largest people in Latvia, the original inhabitants who settled on the Baltic shores 5,000 years ago. Many Latvians consider the Livs to be their ancestors, but this is not entirely correct. Or rather, they are ancestors, but the Livs’ ethnic roots do not go back to the land of Latvia.

Together with related peoples: Estonians, Finns, Karelians, Komi, Mari and many others, they are representatives of the Finno-Ugric group of peoples. The ancestors of the Livs, then five thousand years ago, came to the Latvian coast from the northeast, moving to the sea all the way from the Ural Mountains. The Livonian language testifies to this. It is not at all similar to Latvian, but it can be easily understood in Finland and Estonia, even by residents of some regions in the Russian Federation, for example, the indigenous population of Karelia, Khanty-Mansiysk, Komi. Unfortunately, the Livonians have now completely assimilated with the Latvians, leaving in their memory only a characteristic dialect and a few words introduced into the Latvian language. As of 2007, there were about two hundred people living in Latvia who considered themselves Livs, but these were all children of mixed families and only about a dozen of them knew Livonian perfectly.

True, in Latvia there is a group of young enthusiasts who not only study this language, but also communicate in it in everyday life, correspond with each other exclusively in Livonian. To the credit of Latvians, it must be said that they respect the culture and traditions of their ancient ancestors, and being a descendant of the Liibi people is considered honorable. Every year at the beginning of August in Mazirbe, a city in Latvia that has the status of the capital of the Livonians, people from all over the country who belong to the Lībieši people or who consider themselves to be such, just amateurs gather ancient culture. Festivals, folk festivals and celebrations are organized. The Livs have their own alphabet, which was published already in the 20th century by local historian Zoja Sīle. There is also a national flag: three stripes green, white and blue.

A little history

According to historians, Finno-Ugric tribes moved to the Baltic territories from the Urals. The Livs settled along the Gauja and Daugava, on the northern territory of the Kursk Peninsula, along the seashore along Gulf of Riga, bordering on Estonian land. In total, they occupied land 100 km from the coast, which is approximately a third of the territory of present-day Latvia. The first written mentions of the Livs date back to the 13th century. They are spoken of in the Scandinavian written runes, in the German chronicles of Henry and the chronicles of Indrikis of Livonia, and the time chronicle of Nestor. Then, at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries, the Livs were the first of the Baltic pagan tribes to clash with the German knights of the cross. The Liibi were generally a warlike tribe, although this did not help them much.

Before the arrival of the German crusaders, the leader of the Livs was Kaupo. If you follow the generally accepted terminology, he can be called “prince.” Kaupo was the ruler of those lands, possessing the proper powers. Even the Pope himself received him as a representative of the highest nobility. It was under the influence of the Pope and the pressure of the Order that Lord Kaupo accepted the Christian religion, which was then alien to the Livonians. In the minds and hearts of the Libieši people themselves, their ruler was branded as a “Livonian traitor.” Traitor or not, he was not the only prince in history who adopted an alien faith. How correct is this? Probably, from the point of view of diplomacy and politics, such a move is reasonable. But from the point of view of the preservation of culture and national identity, still, no. However, we will not go deeper into this issue, one way or another, but Catholic religion was accepted, and the Livonian Order of the Crusaders is known to everyone today.

The fate of the Eastern Livonians, who lived on the border with present-day Estonia, turned out to be much more tragic. When did it start North War between Sweden and Russia, this is 1700-1721, then the Livonians who lived on the Baltic coast were captured by it. The well-known Sheremetev, who later became a count, marched with his army through the territory of the Livs and several other Latvian regions, practically slaughtering the local population. Everyone knows about the “mercy and philanthropy” of Russian autocrats and their associates. Following the war came devastation, hunger, and disease. The remaining people died, and peasants from the Courland province soon moved to the liberated lands, at the whim of the nobility.

The Western Livonians were luckier. But since they lived among the Latvian majority, a natural process of mixing of peoples took place. Despite the fact that the Liv ethnic group once occupied a third of the territory of modern Latvia and even Riga stands on the site of an ancient Liv settlement, over time the Liibi people assimilated with the Latvians, leaving their descendants only a bizarre dialect of Latvian, with some words characteristic of purely Finno-Ugric languages. Only in isolated, remote villages could the Livonian language be preserved in its pure form. In 1846, a scientific expedition from St. Petersburg arrived in such a settlement. Russian scientists were surprised to discover that the village was inhabited not by Latvians at all, but by a completely different people, speaking their own language and having an ancient history. Then many records and sketches appeared, including preserved examples of folklore and costume sketches.

Afterwards, in the short period of Latvian independence, the growth of national consciousness and self-determination of the Liibi people began. Books were published in Livonian, amateur choirs appeared singing folk music, and children at school began to be taught their native language. In 1939, on August 6, the opening of the Liibi People's House took place in Mazirbe. It all ended with the advent of Soviet power. Nowadays, having regained its freedom and independence, Latvia is trying to preserve the culture of the Livonian people. Of course, it is no longer possible to return what was lost, but not to lose what you have, to protect the cultural traditions of your ancestors from extinction, this, probably, is true love for your Motherland.

Life and customs of the Livs

As already mentioned, Liibi lived on the coast. The main trade for them was fishing, they caught it right in the sea. It was not possible to plant a vegetable garden, much less cultivate arable land, on the poor coastal soil. However, livestock was raised - cows, horses, sheep. They knew crafts: pottery, blacksmithing, carpentry. They made their own clothes. They also traded with merchants sailing past their shores. They built their houses from logs and covered the roof with shingles. The architecture of their house was interesting: when the son got married, he did not build a new home, but made an extension to his parents’ house, so the houses turned out to be very long, for several families. In addition to the hut, there were other buildings in the yard: a cattle pen, a barn, a stable, a barn, a bathhouse, etc. The Livs loved beauty and were careful in housekeeping. The cattle pens were lined with bushes, and along the house there were long beds with flowers that could grow in the poor soil.

The outfit of the Livonian woman was interesting, they said “when the Livonian music is going on, you can hear it a mile away.” Why? Judge for yourself, the Livonian beauties wore not just a lot of jewelry, but an incredible amount, up to 16 kg of bronze. But this, of course, is a festive, ceremonial outfit. The national Liv belt with embroidery is unusual and notable. Traditionally, such a belt was divided into 14 plot blocks, each of which depicted scenes using symbolic patterns. It is interesting that it is impossible to find two identical belts. In Latvia, the museum houses about seven hundred such belts and the design is not repeated on any of them. What was depicted on them? The appearance of a person in this world, his arrival in society, the acquisition of wisdom, the knowledge of spirituality, his departure to the next world. The soul, symbolically, was designated as a fish, and life is the river in which that fish swam.

Min rov um min ov!

My people are my honor! Says the motto on the Liibi People's House. Someday the day will come when not one of the Livs will remain, only vague memories and a language studied by enthusiasts. But the Latvian shores, as silent witnesses of past years, will always preserve the memory of the ancient people who once owned and ruled this land. And as if ghosts were suddenly resurrected in the genetic memory of ancient pagan rituals, when people believed in witches and spirits of the forest, when they sang their songs to the cliffs and worshiped the lord of the waters, when the soul of the deceased in the form of a sacred fish swam into the river of eternity, and ancient castles were inhabited by people when warriors fought for their people, and in Peaceful time Fishermen caught schools of fish with nets in the coastal Baltic waters.

(ethnography; German Liewen; Latvian. libeshi, from libetis, liv, old Russian. either, Latin Livones, Livii, Livenses) are a small branch of the Finnish tribe living on the northern coast of Courland and in Nei-Salis in Livonia. Separated from the Latvians by a wide forested and swampy strip of land, Latvians occupy a narrow and sandy coast for 68 miles, on both sides of Cape Domesnes, at the western end they are sharply separated from the Latvians, on the east and southeast they live interspersed with them. There are 14 Liv villages, 136 peasant households. In 1852 there were 2324 Livonians, in 1881 - 3562 (1188 men, 2374 women). In 1858, the Livonian group of L. in Nei-Salis consisted of 5 men. and 3 women; it still exists today. According to E. Setele, in 1858 there were 2939 L. of Courland. The Courland Latvians call themselves coastal dwellers, randalist, in contrast to the Latvians inside the region, who are called fishermen, kalamed. Near Wenden, the memory of the name L. has been preserved in the names of some tracts. The names of purely Livonian villages are clearly Finnish in nature. Henry Latvian found Livones Lenevardenses and Veinalenses. In the 17th century, Eingorn in his “Historia Lettica” mentions L. as a non-Estonian people, speaking a special language and known for their magic and superstitions. The language, previous destinies and current state of L. attracted the attention of many researchers. Scientific research of Liv. language Academicians Sjögren and Wiedemann were engaged in this work. The first traveled among L. in 1846 and 1852, the second spent the summer of 1855 with them. Wiedemann in 1861 published, after Sjögren’s death, the results of his sketches, in volume II “Ges. Werke Johann Andreas Sjögrens: Liv . Grammatik, nebst Sprachproben" and in Russian in 18 volumes. "Zap. Imp. Akd. Sciences" under the title: "Review of the previous fate and current state of L." (SPb., 1870). Sjögren reported the preliminary results of his excursions to the Geographical Society and Akd. sciences in "Rapport sur son voyage en Livonie et en Courlande" (1852). In modern times, Liv. language Prof. was interested. Emil Setele from Helsingfors, who traveled around Liv. area in 1888 together with Vaiko Wollin and V. Thomsen. Although the L. language is close in sounds and forms to Ethic, but, according to Wiedemann, in other features it is more similar to Finno-Lapland, Estonian and Karelian. Its outstanding feature is considered to be the different lengths of its vowels and the richness of the sounds (Umlaut) in the forms of declination and conjugation. In 1867, the Finnish scientist Koskinen (“Sur l”antiquité des Lives en Livonie,” in “Acta Soc. Scient. Fennicae,” vol. VIII) proved in more detail the close relationship of L. with the Karelians and expressed the opinion of L.’s invasion of the land Latvians and Vends by sea, no earlier than the 8th or 9th centuries. In 1892, Bilenshteim managed to develop Koskinen’s thought on the basis of historical, ethnological and geographical research. Anthropological studies Ferd. Waldhauer(“Zur Anthropologie der Liven”, Dorpat. 1879) confirm Koskinen’s theory. According to his findings, both L. and Karelians are tall, without any tendency towards obesity. Both tribes have brown hair; The color of the eyes of both is gray (in Karelians, with a tint of blue, in L. - in brown), the face is oblong-narrow, the skull is brachycephalic, the cheekbones and forehead are relatively narrow. L.'s beard grows better than that of the Karelians; Brown hair is rare in L. and is found only in children. The beard is chestnut or dark chestnut in color. The hair growth on the body is relatively highly developed. Gilner, who published in 1846 in the "Bulletin hist.-phil." acd. Sciences works. "Die Liven der Nordküste von Kurland", likens their character to Estonian. Accustomed to the sea and its dangers from an early age, Latvians are brave and energetic sailors, distinguished by a greater spirit of enterprise and greater solidarity than Latvians. Since L. live on the coastal strip, mostly covered with quicksand, farming is both unprofitable and much more difficult for them than in the interior of the region. The fields are arranged between sandy hills, are very small, fertilized with sea grass, sown with spring grain and protected by hedges. Fish constitutes the main article of food and an important article of trade; Dondangen is especially famous for its smoked and dried flounder. Everything that is needed in addition to what is obtained by one’s own labors is obtained from the island of Ezel. Beekeeping, once highly developed, is insignificant. Latvian dwellings, in contrast to the single-family homesteads of Latvians, are partly quite large, partly small villages the houses now differ little from the Latvian ones; Between the outbuildings there are original coastal huts for storing nets. Men's clothing is a short caftan or sailor jacket with shiny buttons. Women wear a white scarf or white cap on their heads, in the app. in areas - with a wide, red ribbon. Calendar and everyday holidays are celebrated like Latvians. In wedding, birth, and funeral rites, features identical to Latvian ones are also noticeable. The economic life of Latvia, which in 1860 was significantly constrained by difficult rental conditions, has now changed for the better. V. Vollin wrote about modern L. in Finnish: “Luven kansa. L. people, its past and present” (1891); his article in "Suomi" (III series, vol. 7, 1893) about buildings. Setele reported on the Livs, their folklore and language to the Hungarian Akd. Sciences: "A liv nép és nyeloe" (see the magazine "Szemle-Budapest", 1889). In addition to language samples, he collected up to 100 fairy tales, 250 proverbs and riddles, descriptions of rituals and up to 30 songs. ABOUT ancient history L. interprets A. Snellman in his history of the East Sea Finns during the period of independence.

E. Voltaire.

Story. The oldest mention of L. belongs to our initial chronicler, who calls them both “Libi” and “Liv”, and attributes them to the Lithuanian tribe. More detailed data is reported by Henryk Latvish. According to him, L. paid tribute to the Polotsk people in the 12th century, but from the end of this century they began to fall under the influence of the Germans, and in 1205 a significant part of them were forced to be baptized. The struggle over religion continues for several more years; L. managed to attract both the Latvians and the Polotsk princes to his side; after defeat they usually promised to pay tribute, but after the Germans left they took up arms again. In the 20s XIII Art. The Latvians already form an auxiliary army for the Germans and go with them against the Estonians, Latvians and Russians. After 1226, when information from Henry Latvian ceased, there are several mentions of L. in the Rhymed Chronicle. Starting from the end of the 13th century, there are only very scanty and random indications about L. The following information is available about the extent of L.'s spread: the Germans found them on the Dvina; under 1264, the Rhymed Chronicle mentions L. in Mitau; the letters speak of L. living in 1289 in Dolen, 1322 in Segewold, 1349 in Kirchholm, 1359 again in Dolen; according to Guilbert de Lannoy, they lived on the road from Libau to Riga; between 1670-1676, according to Giern, - on the Salis coast to Lemsal; according to Schlozer and Dietmar - in Neu-Salis and Alt-Salis. Then in these areas the Livonian language. disappears with remarkable speed. There is even less information about other, Courland, L.. According to the charters of 1264, they lived near Lake Durben, in 1296 - on both sides of the Iruva (Irbe); around 1650 Eingorn mentions them only “on the Angern shore”; according to Schletser (XVIII century) they lived from the river. Roe to the Vindava border. ABOUT everyday life Little is known about ancient L.; according to researchers, based on an analogy with the structure of the Estonians and Kurs, L. lived under the authority of several elders; Each foreman was in charge of his district, was a leader in war and a judge. This position passed from father to son. The aristocracy played a major role, from whose families hostages were usually taken. The tribute to the Germans consisted first of a certain amount of grain from each plow, and then of tithes, which, however, changed due to uprisings; There were also emergency taxes. From the half of the 13th century. the Germans gave L. their judges and forced him to work corvée; The right of personal freedom and ownership of the lands of L.'s ancestors was retained, however, for quite a long time. The character of ancient L., according to general legends, he was cruel and treacherous. Their weapons consisted of sword, spear, javelin and shield; They fought on foot and on horseback. In peacetime they were engaged in agriculture, fishing, hunting, cattle breeding and beekeeping, and after the arrival of the Germans - in trade. For a very long time the coin was ozerings (two per mark), and then marks.

• - a small branch of the Finnish tribe living on the northern coast of Courland and in Nei-Salis in Livonia...

  Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron

• - 1) a tribe of Finno-Ugric origin, which in ancient times lived in the northern and western parts territory of modern Latvia...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - Finnish-speaking people who lived in ancient times in the northern and western parts of modern Latvia. The Curonians and Latgalians gradually assimilated. In the 9th-12th centuries. occupied the coast of Riga Hall. and part of the Kurzeme seaside...

Based on archaeological data, it can be considered established that in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. Some modern Baltic-Finnish groups of Finno-Ugric peoples have already formed in the Baltic states. According to linguistic data, one of the oldest groups of Baltic Finns were the Livs. In the main vocabulary of the Livonian language we find many words that have no correspondence in other Baltic-Finnish languages ​​or have a different meaning or phonetic form in them. The grammatical structure of the Livonian language also has features specific to it, for example, forms of the dative case ( lapson - child, in a child). The ancient phonetic features of the Livonian language sharply distinguish it from other Baltic-Finnish languages. The alternation of consonant grades has developed relatively little in it. In the Livonian language, of course, various phonetic phenomena of later origin developed. The final formation of the Livonian language was strongly influenced by the languages ​​of the Baltic tribes, and later by the Latvian language. The Livonian language, in turn, left traces in the Latvian language, especially in vocabulary and, to a lesser extent, in phonetics and grammar. However, the advantage was on the side of the Latvian language, since the territory of the Livonian language was increasingly narrowing and continues to narrow. Nevertheless, the Livonian language remained typically Finno-Ugric. Written sources speak of the Livs as an independent ethnic group. The oldest Russian chronicle, The Tale of Bygone Years, mentions the Livs (Liby) among the neighbors of the Eastern Slavs. More information about the Livs was preserved in the chronicles of the period of aggressive wars of German knights at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th centuries.

The ancient Liv tribe settled south of the Estonians. Later, the main place of Liv settlements was the area around the Gulf of Riga, in the basins Western Dvina and Gauja, as well as on the Kurzeme Peninsula.

The Livs have never been numerous. At the beginning of the 13th century, when Henry of Latvia wrote his chronicle, they occupied a relatively small territory on the coast of the Gulf of Riga, from the Estonian linguistic border to the middle of the Kurzeme Peninsula. In some places, Livs and Latvians or Livs and Curonians lived in stripes.

The Livs of the former Livonia were enslaved by the Germans at the beginning of the 13th century, the Livs of the former Kuronia (Courland, Kurzeme) showed them more stubborn resistance, but during the 13th century. and they lost their independence.

The Liv lands north of the Western Dvina suffered especially. Due to prolonged wars already in the 13th century. the number of Livs was greatly reduced; Mainly Latvians began to move to the empty lands. The mixed Livonian-Latvian territory expanded more and more, step by step the Latvian language replaced Livonian. In the XIV and XV centuries. The Livs still lived near Riga and in Sigulda. At the end of the 17th century. The areas between the cities of Limbazi and Cesis were Liv. In the XVIII - early XIX centuries. along the river There was a fairly significant Liv population living in Salaca. The Salak Livs finally merged with the Latvians in the second half of the last century.

Currently, the population who knows the Livonian language and has preserved their ethnic identity lives in 12 villages located on a narrow coastal strip on the cape of the Kurzeme Peninsula in the Ventspils region of the Latvian SSR. Two villages—Melnsils (in Livonian Mustanum) and Kolka (Kuolka)—are located on the shores of the Gulf of Riga, the remaining 10 are on the Baltic Sea coast, west of Cape Kolka. These are the villages: Vaida (Vaid), Saunaga (Syanig), Pitraga (Piitryg), Koshraga (Koshtryg), Mazirbe (Ire), Sikraga (Sijkryg), Jaunciems (Uzhkila), Lielirbe (Iira), Mikeltornik (Pisa) and Luzhnya ( Luzh). Latvians and sometimes Russians live in Livonian villages. In most of these villages, the Latvian language is much more widespread than Livonian: only 300 - 350 people speak Livonian. The Livs also live in Dundaga, Ventspils, Taley, Riga and other places. According to the census, about 3 thousand people considered themselves Livs, but there were no more than 500 people who spoke the Livonian language well or to some extent. Currently, only the old and middle generations of the population use the Livonian language. Livonians suffered greatly during the Nazi occupation. They were driven away from their native coast and forced to go inland, where a significant part of the older generation quickly died out due to difficult material conditions. The liberation of the Livonian territory by the Soviet Army in 1945 allowed to the local population return to their previous place of residence.

The Salak Livs called themselves Liib ( lib ). Currently, the remaining Livs call themselves Liivli ( livli , plural: livlist ) or randali ( randali , plural: randalist ), i.e. coastal, and kalamiez, plural kalamied ( kalamiez , plural: kalamed ), i.e. fishermen. Latvians call them Livs U - viesi And jurmaliesi , i.e. coastal. In the Estonian literary language these people are called liivlased . Estonians from the island of Saaremaa, who have direct connections with the Livs across the sea, call the latter kurala - sed , i.e. Curonians, or Gappakis- ralased - coastal Curonians.

Liv settlements are located on dunes where the soil is infertile. Only rye and potatoes grow more or less well here. Previously, fields were small, fenced-in patches of land. The meadows were a little better, which made it possible to keep cows and sheep. During the period of feudalism and capitalism, the Livonians were forced to buy bread from the Latvians who lived in the interior. The main means of subsistence of the Livs was fishing for flounder, sprat and herring in the sea, and lampreys in the rivers. Other varieties of fish were of no economic importance. They catch and catch fish mainly with nets and seines. In the old days, each boat constituted a separate society (village- sel ’ c ), guided by the boat owner or any experienced member of the community. The society had its own seines and networks. The catch was divided equally between the members (the owner of the boat received two parts) or each received that part of the catch that fell into the net that belonged to him. Fish was exported for sale or in exchange for grain to the interior, to Latvian peasant households, to manors and to small towns. With the development of capitalism in the Baltic states, stratification also occurred among the Livs. Large fish merchants appeared in Liv villages, using hired force and buying fish for resale. At the beginning of the 20th century. the owners of Riga and Tallinn canning factories began to send their representatives to Livonian villages, who entered into contracts with fishermen, received all the fish and salted and canned it right on the shore in special temporary buildings. The more prosperous Livs purchased sailing or motor boats, on which they sailed themselves and hired sailors. The development of navigation was facilitated by a maritime school founded in the village of Mazirbe, in the center of the Livonian territory. During the First World War, the Liv fishing fleet was almost completely destroyed.

The Livs were also engaged in trade: they bought fish, cattle, leather, etc. from the Saaremaas people and resold them to Riga entrepreneurs. Poor.

Saaremaa could not find work on their island at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. moved in large numbers across the strait and were hired as farm laborers and shepherds by the Latvian rich. The role of intermediaries between workers and employers was performed by Liv kulaks who spoke Estonian and Latvian.

Currently, Livonian fishermen have united into large fishing artels and collective farms together with Latvians. Many Livs work in fish canning factories in Kolka and Ventspils and other enterprises.

The Livs have long lived not on farmsteads, like Latvians, but in villages. The Livonian courtyard also differs from the Latvian one, since the Livonian lifestyle and economy did not require a large number of outbuildings. Old Liv residential houses are wooden, mostly covered with planks and painted white, yellow, green or blue. The plank roofs on the hens are very characteristic. Opposite the house, across the yard, there are outbuildings: a stable, a barn, a barn, a small fish barn on high corner stones or pillars, which was later replaced by a cellar. In the past, summer kitchens made from logs or sawn old boats were common. Fish barns used to be located on the shore, away from the house. There was also a shed for nets on the shore near the pier. The house and outbuildings were usually separated by a turf-covered courtyard, which was kept especially clean. All buildings were surrounded by a low fence. At some distance from the buildings there was a barn, usually surrounded by a fence. In residential buildings, some courtyards had small orchards, but for the most part there were only flower beds.

The oldest houses had only one room. In more prosperous households, a residential building consisted of two, three or more rooms. New houses always have several rooms with wallpapered walls and painted floors. In some old houses you can see the old furniture painted green or red and decorated with floral patterns, but usually the furnishings are in the old bourgeois style characteristic of the 19th century Baltics. The Livs, like the Latvians, have low stoves lined with tiles, heated from the kitchen, where they come out through the mouth. In addition, the kitchen has a stove. In poorer houses the kitchen usually doubles as the front room. IN major centers, as, for example, in Kolka, the Livs lead an urban lifestyle. New wooden or brick houses are built according to the same plans as those of the Latvians in Kurzeme.

Men's national clothing of the Livs disappeared a long time ago, three or four generations ago. It consisted of long or short knee-length naval-cut pants, i.e., with fastenings on the sides, and a jacket, usually with a stand-up collar. The preferred color for the suit was blue. The turn-down collar of the white shirt was embroidered in red, blue or yellow. A purchased colorful scarf was worn around the neck. The men's shoes were boots and footwear made from seal flippers. In summer they also wore bast shoes.

Women kept their national clothes much longer. Some older women still keep it in their chests. Young women even now sew national costumes for themselves and wear them to demonstrations, amateur performances evenings, singing festivals, etc. The Livonian women's national costume consists of a skirt with narrow multi-colored longitudinal stripes, a one-color - red or blue - bodice, which is worn on a white shirt . The collar and cuffs of the shirt are embroidered with a geometric pattern. A very colorful scarf is worn around the neck. The chest is decorated with the same fasteners and buckles as the Latvians, sometimes with copper chains. On his head is a low cap embroidered with a colorful floral pattern, and a kirtan is thrown over his shoulders. ( koortari ), the same large woolen shoulder blanket as the Latvian villaine.

Every year the differences between Livonians and Latvians are becoming more and more blurred.

Currently, the Livs are separated from the Latvians mainly by the difference in languages. The uniqueness of the Livs is reflected most clearly in their modern folklore. Most Liv folk tales are related to the sea. There is a whole series of stories about the “sea people” living in the sea: about how sea people graze their cows on the blue shore, invite fishermen to their wedding, help diligent fishermen and punish the lazy and careless, etc. Beliefs and stories about wolves, about special sorcerer spirits called “cold shoes,” and about the hero “Great Body” (Suyaur Tel). Of course, Livonian beliefs and fairy tales have a lot in common with Latvian folklore, and there are features common to Estonians. Livonian folk songs are generally close to Latvian ones, but there are also some that are unknown to Latvians.

Livonian folk music differs sharply from Latvian.

The Livs have a small literature in their native language, which was started by academician F.I. Videman. The first Liv books were published in 1863. The few literary works of the last century were exclusively religious in nature. In the 20th century Readers, books for children, songbooks, calendars and various small books were published, as well as the newspaper “Livli”.

From the second half of the 18th century. Many researchers became seriously interested in the Livs. The first major scientist to begin scientific research into the life of the Livonians and the Livonian language was academician A. Sjögren. Sjögren was accompanied by the artist Petzold; his watercolor drawings are of great ethnographic value. Along with data on the language, Sjögren collected a lot of material on folklore and everyday life. Sjögren’s information about the Salak Livs is irreplaceable, since after him researchers did not appear in this territory. In Kurzeme, Sjögren’s work was continued by academician F.I. Videman. The common work of Sjögren and Wiedemann was a two-volume study (1861), which remains an important source for the study of the Liv language and a rich collection of descriptions of the Liv lifestyle, their home life, social organization, folklore, etc. in the first half of the 19th century. V.

Later, the Livs were studied mainly by Estonian and Finnish scientists. When in 1940 the Livs, together with other Baltic peoples, became part of the Soviet Union, Estonian and Latvian scientists included a comprehensive study of the Livs in their work plan, but only after the surrender of the German fascists in 1945, when the remnants of the Livonian people were able to return to their native lands , the opportunity presented itself to continue the work begun.

The Livs are one of the smallest peoples. They no longer have their own state, and therefore their numbers are gradually decreasing. So, for example, today they are forced to live among Latvians. Most often they can be found in villages that are located on the coast of Courland, or rather in its northern part. Very few people live in traditional Liv villages. There are some left, but there are very few of them. There is the village of Ire, there is Uzhkila, there is Mustanumm, there is Pisa.

Specialists from scientific and church organizations in Estonia and Finland came up with an initiative at one time. They set about printing books written in the Livonian literary language. It is based on the eastern dialect. A little later, thanks to them, school textbooks, calendars, collections of songs and poems saw the light of day. Despite the fact that many do not know K. Stalte and L. Rudzit, they are famous Livonian poets. Years later, printed publications appeared, the texts of which were of a religious nature.

Until a few years ago, the Livs lived between the Western Dvina and Southern Estonia. In addition, they could be found on the Courland Peninsula. It seemed that nothing could force them to leave their homes, but in reality everything is completely different. In accordance with today's data, the Livs have become one of the smallest peoples, and they can be found in some run-down village, which will be located on the northern coast of Courland, and, occasionally, on the territory of modern Latvia.

Livs (in Latvian lībieši, singular lībietis; in Livonian liibi; Old Russian lib, Latin Livones, German Liven) are a Finno-Ugric people who lived in the territory of present-day Latvia and gave their name to Livonia and Livonia. If the Livs had found themselves in the same administrative entity with the more northern Finno-Ugric tribes (later forming the Estonian people), then they, of course, would have merged with the Estonians.

But the Western Livonians found themselves isolated in the north of the Kursk Peninsula (see the map in the Latvian article), after the Livonian War they ended up in the Duchy of Courland and subsequently lived all the time together with the Baltic (Latvian) majority, as a result of which they were almost completely assimilated by the 20th century , leaving a special Livonian dialect of the Latvian language in their habitats.

The Eastern Livonians, who lived on the opposite shore of the Gulf of Riga, could more easily merge with the Estonians, because had a direct border with them. But the Northern War had a decisive influence on their ethnic fate. The Livs, like the inhabitants of the neighboring Latvian regions, were almost completely exterminated by the troops of the future Count Sheremetev and the famine and epidemics that followed them. And then the Liv lands, by the will of the nobles, were filled with settlers from the Courland province (see. Semigallians ). The remnants of the Eastern Livonians were assimilated by the Latvians in the mid-19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, among the older generation there were still people who remembered the “living Livs” and knew individual words of their language (but not the language itself).

The situation with the Western Livonians was somewhat better. The 1881 census recorded 2,400 Livs there, and the 1897 census recorded 1,312 Livs (but this number is considered underestimated due to an error by the data processors, who classified part of the Livs as Lithuanians). In 1920, 831 Livs were recorded in Latvia, and in 1926 – 1238 (in the interim, some of the Courland refugees returned from Russia). The 1959 census registered 185 Livonians in Latvia, in 1970 – 48. Currently (2007) there is not a single person under 65 years of age known whose native language is Livonian. Several people of the oldest generation know Livonian, and several dozen have studied it as a foreign language.

The Republic of Latvia officially recognizes itself as the homeland of Latvians and Livs. There are programs to restore the Livonian language and culture (while collaborating with the Estonians and Finns related to the Livonians). Recognizing oneself as a descendant of the Livs in Latvia is considered quite prestigious, and sometimes people who actually do not have Liv ancestors declare themselves as such.

The origin (etymology) of the root “liv/lib” is unknown.

Valdis Egle

Territorial distribution of five ethnic elements:

Settlement of tribes and state entities on the territory of present-day Latvia approx. 1200 (at the beginning of the Crusader invasion).

Zemgallians

Map from the Latvian Soviet Encyclopedia (1984).

Read further:

Latvians, this word refers to the indigenous people of present-day Latvia.

Latgale- ancient Latvian people in the eastern part of modern Latvia.

Latvieshi (latvieši; singular – latvietis) – self-name of the Latvian people.

Latgalians (in literary Latvian “latgalieši”; in their own dialect “latgalīši”) - the indigenous population of the eastern part of Latvia (Latgale).

Curonians (in Latvian kurši, the more ancient form kursi, singular kursis; in ancient Russian chronicles kors, kђrs; German-Latin Curones) - Baltic people.

Zemgallians- (Zemigola), an ancient Latvian tribe in the middle part of Latvia, in the river basin. Lielupe.

Villages- An ancient Latvian tribal union, which occupied by the 13th century. territory in the south of modern Latvia and a neighboring area in the northeast of modern Lithuania.