Nomads

Abstract

This issue is devoted to wandering people – nomads. Perhaps everybody has once been in a wandering mood. However, big groups of people living in movement attract special attention.

For thousands of years a human being had leaded a nomadic life before he invented agriculture and town building. In terms of humankind’s life, urban civilization and culture appeared not even yesterday, but several hours ago. And nobody knows whether this way will finally prove false or not. For a town produces too many problems, and the interest towards nomads is too vivid.

As our discriminating reader may have noticed, the last issue of PROJECT BAIKAL acquired a new design (thanks to PROJECT RUSSIA). These changes neither coincide with a jubilee (six years is not a jubilee) nor a round number or any other formal reasons. The magazine has just grown. And spring has come…

On April 8 the Irkutsk organization of the Union of Architects of Russia was 75 (12). The organization’s anniversary always coincides with the anniversary of a charismatic and talented architect of firm principles, V. Bukh, the first editor-in-chief of PB. How great it would be if the organization could be like its contemporary!

There is good reason why BUKH’S “CONFERYUSHKAS” (freehand portraits sketched at conferences) are in the main section of the issue: a romantic, creative and courageous nomadism is inherent to this man.

SHEREGESH has always been on the main tracks of nomads. Nomadic troops of skiing architects came there to bow to a petrified train of camels and a sacred mountain Mustag. The Vth Forum of the revived movement triumphs over the crisis and the frosty winter (5). Nomadic way of life is genetically comprehended by Siberian people. Who is not a nomad here? The native Buryats, Altaians and Tunguses are inherently nomadic.

The Russians and other Slavs of the Russian Empire came here conquering or being punished for their disobedience. Migrations of people of the Soviet Union because of repressions or komsomol constructions turn into post-Soviet return to megapolises of the European part of the empire. And the vacancies are only partially occupied by natives of new states of Middle Asia and the eternal Heavenly Empire.

The collection of materials for the main topic is about old and new historical examples of interaction between nomadism and sedentism. The universe of nomads (34) is reflected in the issue by shining of two bright stars of the Russian culture – DASHI NAMDAKOV and TOTAN KUZEMBAEV. In addition and comparison to them there is an article on the works of an American Indian NUMKENA.