Hunting of the Kola Sami based on the materials of statistical reports from the second half of the XVIII century

Murmansk Arctic University The article is devoted to the issues of hunting of the Kola Sami in the second half of the XVIII century. The author analyzes data from statistical statements that were collected in 1764 and in 1785. They preserved information about the structure of the hunting economy: hunting objects, fishing methods, as well as the further use of the game. In addition, the author pays attention to the social role of hunting in the life of the Kola Sami, because it not only generated income, but also served as a way to preserve traditions and culture. The Sami believed that hunting helped them maintain their spiritual connection with nature and protected them from evil spirits. The study revealed that hunting in the second half of the XVIII century still occupied an important place in the daily life of the Sami, but there were already certain signs of decline associated with a decrease in the main objects of hunting in forests and the emergence of reindeer husbandry. Everyone was engaged in hunting to one degree or another, but mostly they were adult, able-bodied men. Fur-bearing animals were most often hunted, since they played a large role in monetary trade relations between the Sami and the Russians.