Features of reindeer breeding among the peoples of Sayan mountain country: past and present

Purpose. In the scientific literature on the ethnicities of the Sayan Uplands there are no particular works which cover the specificity of their economic types, especially in comparison and contrast. It is possible to find only separate descriptions. The author provides contrastive-comparative analysis and describes peculiar features of the economy of the ethnicities studied, paying special attention to their original way of leading household activities. The following ethnic groups are known to belong to the indigenous Turk-Mongolian peoples of the Sayan Uplands: the Tuvans, Khalkha-Mongols, Buryats, Soyots, Tofalars, Dukhans (Tsaatan), Tuvans-Todzhins and others. For many of them, the reindeer was the main domestic animal, being their food, clothes and transport. Reindeer breeding remains relevant for the peoples in the region at present, as well, despite the use of different types of transport. Results. The article gives extensive characteristics of some economic types of the Turkic-Mongolian people inhabiting the Sayan Uplands. We drew some conclusions about the causes and development of various economic and cultural types based on the analysis of source study and field work data. We see that the cultures of the identical economic type were formed in different geographical zones during the period when ethnic unions and early states consisting of various ethnic groups arose and broke up. The Sayan region is one of striking examples where such processes took place. Its feature is that the domestic reindeer of the Karagas breed helped its peoples settle in the vast territories of the highland tundra and mountainous taiga. This is how reindeer breeding originated and became a specific branch of livestock production in the area. The author shows an exceptional role of reindeer breeding in everyday life of indigenous peoples not only in the Sayan region, but also in Mongolia. Special attention is given to the peculiarities of using reindeer as pack-andriding animals by the Turkic small-numbered peoples. Also, the author describes deer grazing features and provides the analysis of food supply. The article is significant in that it draws our attention to fragility, uniqueness and originality of the nomadic culture, its close interrelation and dependence on climatic conditions. Conclusion. Reindeer breeding of the Turkic-Mongolian Sayan peoples can be defined as a special Sayan pack-and-riding type which has been traditionally and harmoniously combined with nomadic hunting and reindeer breeding in the conditions of the mountainous taiga.