Pomors gathering in Karelia

Interregional congresses for the Russian subethnic group Pomors have already become a tradition, Karelinform.ru writes. Pomors form Arkhangelsk and Murmansk Oblast, Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Republic of Karelia will meet with representatives from local and regional authorities in the regions surrounding the White Sea to discuss the Pomors’ ethnocultural potential in development of the region.

Pomors are Russian settlers and their descendants on the White Sea coast. The traditional livelihoods of the Pomors based on the sea included animal hunting, whaling and fishing. Sea trading in corn and fish with Northern Norway was important, and this trade was so intensive that a kind of Russian-Norwegian pidgin language, Russenorsk, was created and used on the North Norwegian coast in 1750–1920.

Although some people now identify themselves as Pomor or of Pomor origin, this is a new phenomenon. According to the 2002 population cencus, only 6571 persons celled themselves Pomors. Of these 127 lived on the Ter coast in Murmansk Oblast, the rest in Arkhangelsk Oblast, B-port.com writes.

Pomors are not recognized as an ethnic group and are therefore not included in the list over indigenous peoples of Russia. Some Pomors are fighting for the right to be included on this list and to have the right to carry out their traditional livelihoods and obtain support to the Pomors’ traditional culture.