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Author : Yu. Bulatov
Dean, School of International Relations, Moscow State Institute (University) of International Relations, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Professor, Department of World and Russian History, Doctor
of Science (History)
UNTIL THE LATE FOURTEENTH CENTURY,
the "Siberian File" of the rulers of the Muscovite
State contained few facts obtained mostly from Nov-
gorod sources.
The Moscow boyars (nobility) knew that the land
"beyond the Stone" (the Urals) was populated by
Tatars and also by Voguls (Mansi), Ostyaks (Khanty)
and Samoeds (Nentsy). The chronicles of the latter
half of the fifteenth century contain a lot of infor-
mation about the relations with the Voguls, their strife with Muscovites, the invasion by Vogul
Prince Asyk of Russian lands in 1454 and a successful march of Fyodor Kurbsky's troops against
the Voguls in 1483. A year later, Prince of Voguls Yumshan arrived to Moscow to conclude
peace, vow obedience and promise to pay tribute in furs to the Grand Duke, who treated him
with benevolence and let him go back home.
The Moscow princes were very much interested in the Ostyaks (Khanty) also known as Yugra.
Since the twelfth century, their land had been a vassal of Novgorod and paid tribute in furs to
the Novgorod boyars.
From the very beginning, "Russian-style colonization" was not a deliberate state policy but spon-
taneous colonization by free people.
At the turn of the sixteenth century, the "Tale of Unknown People in an Eastern Country", the
first attempt to describe the nine Samoyedic tribes, became very popular at the princely court in
Moscow.
Seen from Moscow, Siberia was still terra incognita, an "unknown land" or a "country without
limits," a natural and very logical definition. The Siberian territory included a great variety of
natural and climatic zones and was a kingdom of cold and darkness in which the average annual
temperature never rose above zero. At the time, the Russian state covered the territory of 5.5
million sq. km, while Greater Siberia was nearly twice as big. In favorable conditions, the distance
of 8.5 thousand km between the Urals and the Pacific could be covered in 2.5 years. On the ter-
ritory with population density of 2 people by 100 km there was no chance to be rescued in ex-
treme situations.
The Moscow rulers preferred to keep away from domestic affairs of their Siberian vassals and
remain outside the conflicts between groups of Siberian elites for real power. The vassal rela-
tionships looked firm under all rulers. In 1563, Ediger was killed in a fight; Kuchum, direct de-
Autocratic Russia: "Movement Toward Sunrise" and Peoples of
Siberia