
The New Siberians - hhs
https://daily.jstor.org/the-new-siberians/
======
RomanPushkin
The photo doesn't picture the typical Siberian I'd say. Looks like these are
natives or Buryatia (which is actually a part of Siberia next to Mongolian
border)

Pics of a typical Siberian:
[https://www.google.com/search?q=%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%...](https://www.google.com/search?q=%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%80%D1%8F%D0%BA%D0%B8&tbm=isch)

> Siberian-ism, a regional patriotism distinct from (European) Russia, is
> growing.

It was always present, I was raised ~60 miles from Moscow. Regional patriotism
was present at all times, "The Moscow Person" was always someone from another
planet. They had everything, and everyone outside Moscow knew that Moscow
lives because of draining resources from the other regions.

Also, translation of "How Siberians are different from Russians":
[https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&u=https%3...](https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Frussian7.ru%2Fpost%2Fchem-
sibiryaki-otlichayutsya-ot-russkikh%2F)

~~~
CGamesPlay
It's weird to me that the google search for "сибиряки" shows these old photos.
I guess the term has fallen out of use? Here's a more modern search:
[https://www.google.com/search?q=%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%...](https://www.google.com/search?q=%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%80%D1%8C+%D0%BB%D1%8E%D0%B4%D0%B8&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiIwr6m1NrqAhWFsjEKHTfcDI0Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%80%D1%8C+%D0%BB%D1%8E%D0%B4%D0%B8&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1AAWABgv4QCaABwAHgAgAEAiAEAkgEAmAEAqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=ovAUX4jpLoXlxgG3uLPoCA)

~~~
shitgoose
Right, it is something like "people of America" vs "Americans". Interesting
observation.

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atemerev
I am from Siberia (Omsk, Russia). While some of the things in this article are
true (distrust for Moscow, openness and straightforwardness, feeling separated
from the rest of Russia), I want to note that there always were hot summers in
Siberia. While the current heatwave is beating records, when you see +38C in
Verkhoyansk, you should keep in mind that there weren’t Arctic temperatures in
summer, +35C happened quite routinely there). The changes are not enough to
form “a new identity”... I think.

Also, one thing that Russian powers-that-be absolutely cannot stand is
separatism. We always joked that “it’s time to ditch Moscow” and the like, but
any real attempt will be met by crushing force, nobody has any illusions about
that.

~~~
the_gipsy
Yea, I remember watching an older (80s?) documentary about siberia, and
distinctly remember mentioning hot, but short, summers with mosquito plagues.

~~~
mlinksva
Mosquitoes also feature strongly in
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_People:_A_Year_in_the_Ta...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_People:_A_Year_in_the_Taiga)
(2010)

~~~
virgulino
I highly recommend the original 4-part film, not the old hippie moralist fairy
tail that is the Herzog version - speaking as an Herzog fan!
[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcHbZZPce_ZMUuYr5u6sx...](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcHbZZPce_ZMUuYr5u6sxy3gsxLYLKiPv)

~~~
shitgoose
Great series! Thanks!

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fuoqi
This article as superficial as it gets.

Siberian separatists are as real as Texas ones. Yes, both regions have their
unique cultural identity and certain amount of distrust towards federal
government, but both will not gain independence without some cataclysmic event
destroying the respective countries as we know them.

Also compared to Tatarstan, "Siberian separatism" is a complete joke. During
the "parade of sovereignties" Tatarstan has declared its independence and it
got supported in 92s referendum [0]. For various reasons it was not true
independence in the end, but even today Tatar elites are quite strong and have
a certain degree of independence from the Moscow government.

[0]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Tatarstani_sovereignty_re...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Tatarstani_sovereignty_referendum)

~~~
wGeF7H8Z59y985y
> Siberian separatists are as real as Texas ones.

Having grown up in Moscow, I’ve never heard of those Siberian separatists.
However, in my almost two decades in the US I haven’t gone a year without
Texan separatism becoming a topic in my social circle.

This observation is made without controlling for my age or current political
climate, so a hunk of rock salt is in order.

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aurelianito
This is the kind of narrative I expect when the powers that be want to
separate a part of a country. This is clearly an attempt to separate Russia
from its Siberian wealth. For a textbook example of getting a part of a
country via generating an independence movement see the history of Panama
(former Colombia province).

~~~
notfromhere
The irony of Russia complaining about separatism when that’s their favorite
tactic to keep the near abroad in check.

~~~
owl57
"Near abroad". Do you recognize the origins of this strange term?

~~~
notfromhere
If you don’t recognize the term your commentary on the ex-USSR may not be
meaningful

~~~
owl57
I do. For readers who don't: it's newspeak invented after Soviet
administrative borders became international, to make us slightly less
uncomfortable with the idea that we are suddenly "abroad" from each other.

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thepangolino
I can’t take seriously any writing that considers “public intellectuals”.

~~~
082349872349872
I recently saw the twitter profile of a russian public intellectual that
claimed he's learning Lakota.

Trolling or serious? My wife's been interested in Lakota ever since _Dances
With Wolves_ ; I guess I could get her to write an email for me and see if he
responds...

