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Peoples of Russia
Evens
The Evens are a Siberian Tungus-Manchu people. In 2000, by a decree of the Government of the Russian Federation they were given the status of native small-numbered people.
Language
The Even language belongs to the Tungus-Manchu branch of the Altai language family and is close to the Evenki language.
Dispersion
Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Magadan region, Kamchatka territory, Chukotka Autonomous District, Khabarovsk territory.
Traditional occupations
Nomadic reindeer breeding, hunting for meat and fur, fishing.
Dwellings
The summer conical dwelling of the Evens, ilum, looked like the Evenki chum, but the main portable dwelling of the Evens was the chorama dyu dwelling, which had a cylinder-conic form and looked like a Chukotka-Koryak yaranga.
Clothes
By composition and cut, the clothes of this people were similar to the Evenki clothes. Embroidery was placed along the seams and edges of the clothes to stop the penetration of evil spirits into the clothes. The ornament in the clothes (for people speaking Tungus languages, the prevalence of geometric patterns is observed in the ornament) had a particular sacral power which inspired in the owner of the garment a feeling of assuredness and inviolability, strength and courage.
Food
The meat food prevailed; moreover, despite the significant ratio of domestic reindeer breeding in the economy, the preference was for using game meat for food; the technology of cooking meat by roasting was also unique. The particular trait of the Even diet is the increased share of fish dishes and their diversity as well as the regional spread of dairy food. Together with imported tea, the infusions of flowers, leaves and fruit of rosehips and dried firetop leaves with boiling water were used.
