Historians learn how literate the first Russian inhabitants of Siberia werein Russia15:51 | 13 May 2023

17.-18. For centuries, only 3.4% of the service population of the Siberian city of Tara was literate, historians from the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences were established. They published the results of their work in the journal Archeology, Ethnography and Anthropology of Eurasia.

Tara is the first Russian settlement on the territory of the Omsk region. In the 17th century, about 80% of Tara’s soldiers (main population) participated in “remote plots” – they delivered to Moscow documents of the work of tribute or local office. Also, Tara was located on the trade routes from Central Asia to the north.

Among the 2,580 soldiers and other officers who lived in Tara in the 17th – early 18th centuries, 87 people were literate, that is, 3.4%, showed the analysis of written sources conducted by researchers. Among them were especially governors, scribes, Cossacks, archery captains, gunners, priests and icon painters.

Stationery in Tara included paper, ink and raw materials for their manufacture brought from Tobolsk. Perhaps scientists believe that birch bark was also used, but so far no evidence of this has been found. Seal rings were found during excavations in inkwells made of clay and metal at Tara. In addition, knives have been found for scraping goose feathers. The main method of lighting remained svelets – devices for powering a burning splinter. Candles were only available to the governors and their entourage.

Siberia was no exception in the Moscow kingdom – throughout the 17th century the literacy level of its inhabitants was low. At the same time, scientists admit that it is very difficult to assess the true literacy level of the Siberian population. The situation with regard to literacy began to improve only from the middle of the 18th century.