Chain armour in the armature complex of Western Siberian warriors at the end of XVI – XVII centuries

The article is dedicated to the role of chain armour made of rings in the armature complex of Turkic and Finno-Ugric population of the Western Siberia at the end of XVI – XVII centuries. The analysis of archaeological, graphic, written and folklore records showed that such armour (coats of mail («kolchugi»), «pantsiri», «baidani») was the main type of metal armature of Siberian Tatars and service class Khanty of the considered period. High popularity of chain armour among the warriors of the Western Siberia is stipulated by the peculiarities of arms manufacture, logistics and military tactics. Chain armour made of iron rings was imported to the region from Central Asia and Muscovy. Besides, the Khanate of Sibir had its own chain armour manufacture during the reign of Kuchum. Such combination of imported armour and own manufacture resulted in favourable conditions for promoting chain armour at the Western Siberian arms market. Chain armour fit well into the military tactics of the Western Siberian nations that was based on the mass usage of bows and arrows with iron and bone tips (Tatars, Khanty, Selkups) and cavalry battles with long-bladed weapons (Tatars). High prestige of such armature also influenced on the popularization of chain armour among the native population. The second most popular type of body armour among the nations of the region was armour with sewed metal plates, so-called «kuyaki». The combination of chain and plated armours in the Western Siberian armature complex allows us to call it symbiotic, i.e. combining the elements of military and cultural traditions of the Western and Central Asia.