Russia is |
Peoples of Russia
Komi-Permyaks
Their self-designations are Komi-mort, Komi-yoz, Komi-otir.
Ethnic groups
The Komi-Permyaks include Zyuzdino Komi-Permyaks (Kirov region, Afanasiev district) and Komi-Yazva (Perm region, Krasnovishersk district).
Language
They speak the Komi-Permyak language of the Finno-Permic subgroup of the Finno-Ugric group of the Ural language family. The language consists of four dialects: Northern (Kosa-Kama), Southern (Inva), Upper Kama (Zyuzdino) and Komi-Yazva. Some researchers tend to consider the latter an independent language.
Holidays
The folk holidays of the Komi-Permyaks are closely connected to Orthodox rituals; in general they are the same as for the neighboring Russian population.
Food
The traditional Komi-Permiak food was based on baked goods: bread from barley or rye, crepes, flapjacks, shanga scones, pies with various fillings. An important part in the diet was played by dried and salted mushrooms and dishes with them, as well as dried and soused berries. For the first course, the Komi-Permyaks ate sauerkraut soup, meat soup, barley grits soup, pea soup, for the second – gruels, mostly from barley and oatmeal, various fish dishes and potatoes. They often made dumplings with meat, mushrooms, radish. They drank kvass, sour pea or berry starch drink, oat and raspberry home brew as well as beer. Tea was rarely drunk; mostly the herbal tea was used.
Traditional occupations
The Komi-Permyaks had a complex economy with the leading role played by hunting and fishing in the north and agriculture, which was switching from cutting farming to ploughing, in the south. Out of the grains cultures, barley, rye and oats were most often grown, wheat was more rare. Metal production and metal processing were developed based on local mineral reserves. They smelted metal in clay bloomery furnaces. Salt making, bone carving and pottery are developed, as well as home spinning, weaving and knitting.
