Where did Koreans come from in Russia? Population of South Korea: numbers, employment and interesting facts Where did the Koreans come from?

The population of South Korea is more than 51 million people, of which the vast majority are Koreans. Only the Chinese minority became a noticeable inclusion in the ethnic picture of Korea - according to the latest data, about 35 thousand people. This situation, unique for the modern world, in which the ethnic group is equal to the state, has developed due to the special idea of ​​the Koreans about the world: in it, the main thing for them is not citizenship, not the territory of residence, but belonging to their people.

However, there are prerequisites that the homogeneity of the population will soon be disrupted: Koreans are increasingly marrying foreigners, mainly Chinese, Vietnamese, and women from the Philippines. However, Europeans are unlikely to be able to distinguish between Koreans and Vietnamese, so for many years to come, tourists and guests of South Korea will see its residents as surprisingly similar to each other, as if the entire state is a big family.

Peoples inhabiting South Korea

Koreans

Until recently, scientists could not answer the question of how and when the Koreans appeared. Only modern genetics and DNA research have solved the mystery: the Korean people come from the eastern environs of the Sayan Mountains and Lake Baikal.

Today, Koreans speak their own language, their self-name is “hunguk saram”. A characteristic feature of Koreans is hard work: work for them is more than a way to earn a living; the work team and the company are an extension of the family, often its most important part.

Korean hospitality is very reminiscent of Russian and Chinese: for them it is important to feed the guest, so the first question you will hear in a Korean home or when meeting is: “Are you hungry?” Another feature similar to us is high alcohol consumption, more than 9 liters per year for each person.

The ethnic characteristic of Koreans was good singing ability, but poor dancing ability. Scientists have not yet figured out what the reason is. An important national trait is a penchant for learning: more than 93% of school students graduate from universities, which gives them good chances for a career and a prosperous life. In the world, South Korea ranks 2nd in terms of the number of people who read regularly.

The most important Korean tradition is politeness. They say “thank you” and “hello” to everyone - the seller, the courier, the janitor, the cleaning lady, etc. Koreans are very respectful towards their elders, even if the difference is 1 year. Therefore, at the first meeting, they immediately find out how old you are and whether you are married. Marital status for a Korean is also a sign of maturity: an unmarried man until a very old age will be considered a youth and... a little “out of his mind.”

Chinese

“Huaqiao” is the name given to the Korean Chinese. Most of them are citizens of Taiwan, but they live permanently, for many generations, in South Korea. They even came up with a special term for them - “permanent foreigners.” The Chinese appeared in South Korea in the 40s of the twentieth century, during the Chinese Civil War. Many years have passed, but they do not become South Korean citizens due to government policies. They are not allowed to serve in the army or hold government positions; they experience great difficulty in finding employment in large companies. The primary activity of the Korean Chinese is trade.

Life of Koreans

90% of Koreans are middle class. The country ranks 13th in terms of living standards in the world ranking: there is no clear division between rich and poor, the vast majority of people live prosperously.

More than 80% of city residents live in “apatas” - houses of the same type - comfortable high-rise buildings with 20 - 30 floors. There is a free parking lot under the house, and nearby there are playgrounds and sports grounds, where the most common games are chokku (Korean football) and badminton. Each microdistrict has a tennis court and often a swimming pool.

Inside the houses there are always working elevators, in which a small bench is installed under the panel: for children. Children, even in large cities, often walk alone, because the level of danger in the country is extremely low: something like this was the case in the best years of the USSR.

Houses often don’t have number “4”—no fourth floor, no fourth apartments—because “4” is an unlucky number for Koreans. But there are video cameras everywhere and in large numbers. There are so many of them that you can safely leave bags, exercise equipment and anything else in the courtyard of the house, in the entrance: it is unlikely that anyone will encroach on someone else’s property. And the reason for this is not only cameras, but traditions and upbringing.

In each apartment, a special device is installed in the kitchen ceiling to notify residents about important events and activities. It is impossible to turn it off. Next to the “sounder” is a fire safety device, which is mandatory for all premises in Korea.

The apartment begins with a tiny hallway, where it is customary to leave shoes and hats. The floor level in the hallway is 7 - 10 cm lower than the floor level in other rooms, so that less dirt and dust enters the rooms.

The kitchen is usually not separated from the main apartment in any way and is a standard kitchen set with cabinets, a sink, an extractor hood, a stove, a washing machine, etc. All this is a normal component of an apartment that is rented out by a developer, and therefore is the same for everyone. The most commonly purchased refrigerators are a standard one and a refrigerator for kimchi - Korean “bread” made from vegetables (Chinese cabbage, radish, onions, cucumbers, etc. Kimchi is called “bread” because Koreans eat it at every meal.

A typical Korean apartment has a bedroom - a small room where there is often not even room for a bed: most Koreans sleep on the floor. When they wake up, they carefully fold the blanket and bedding into a corner. All this is possible thanks to the “ondol” system - a heated floor.

“Ondol” is a modernized thousand-year-old tradition of heating a house through the floor, an analogue of the Russian stove with a stove bench, in which the floor is the “bed”. In ancient times, for its construction, chimneys were diverted from the stove under the floor, but today the smoke is replaced with ordinary water or electricity. There are 5 heating levels, the owners themselves choose what temperature they require.

Warm floors have largely determined the life of Koreans. They sleep on the floor, sit on the floor - have lunch, work, relax. The same thing happens in Korean restaurants, where diners take off their shoes in the “hallway” and sit on the floor at low tables.

Korean family

Traditionally, in a Korean family, the man is the breadwinner (earns money), the woman is the housewife and teacher of the children. Before marriage, young people do not live together - this is not encouraged, and they get married on average at 27 - 30 years old.

Korean families are very active. There you don’t have to cook, wash, or clean the house yourself: catering, dry cleaning, and cleaning companies are very accessible. That’s why families often spend weekends and hours after work going to parks, going to the movies, theaters, and going on short trips.

Traditions and customs

One of the most ancient traditions of South Korea is the celebration of the Lunar New Year - Seolyal. The weekend lasts three days and people dress up in hanbok, a traditional costume. For women, it consists of a jegori blouse, a chhima skirt, and a jacket. For men - from jeogori and paji pants. On holidays, Koreans go to their relatives, to the seashore, and congratulate each other.

Chuseok is another ancient holiday that also requires 3 days of rest. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month and is called the festival of the harvest and remembrance of ancestors. On this day, Koreans go to cemeteries, decorate their homes and yards with cereals, fly kites, and organize festivals of the national dance Kankansulle. Koreans bring fruits of the new harvest, traditional and simply delicious dishes to the cemetery. If the cemetery was nearby, it was customary for the table to be set at home, and the woman to carry it on her head to the grave.

A special date in the life of a Korean is considered to be the celebration of the first birthday - tol-chanchi. Many guests gather with gifts, a special ritual is performed, which should determine the fate of the one-year-old baby. For girls, the holiday begins in the morning so that they get married quickly, for boys - from about 12 o'clock, so that they do not get married early.

This holiday is part of the “four tables” tradition. The first two parents arrange for the child are the first birthday and the wedding. The second two children give their parents a 60th birthday and a funeral, a wake. In ancient times, the absence of one table canceled all subsequent ones.

There are few public holidays in South Korea, these are:

• Independence Day (March 1st),
• Constitution Day (July 17),
• Liberation Day (August 15),
• Founding Day of the country (October 3),
• Hangeul National Alphabet Day (October 9).

A little over 150 years ago, peasant families from Korea voluntarily left the borders of their state and rushed to the Far East. HLEB is trying to figure out what made them flee their home country

They fled for various reasons. At first, forays beyond the new borders of the Russian Empire, according to the Aigun Treaty of 1858 and the Beijing Treaty of 1860, were due to the search for wild ginseng and the extraction of hunting trophies. Rumors about the riches of the northern lands spread quite quickly among the poor. Unfortunately, the Korean government's policies only aggravated the situation in the country by tightening tax payments. Under pain of death, Korean peasants left their lands in search of salvation. By the way, among the settlers there were also exiled revolutionaries who, at the expense of the Russian treasury, settled in the most remote places of that time.

In January 1864, 65 people arrived in the South Ussuri region. Unbeknownst to the Korean authorities, the first 14 families founded the Korean village of Tizinghe in Russia near the Chinese border. Now all that remains of this village (now the village of Vinogradnoye) is the building of the St. Innocent Church, rebuilt as a barracks for the border outpost.

Only the bravest and most resilient reached Russian lands. Some people, on the way to the north, went to Manchuria and did not return. It is difficult to determine how many people did not reach the Russian border, but the mortality rate among those resettled was also extremely high.

The Korean and Chinese governments did their best to prevent the wholesale resettlement of Koreans. But later the Russian rulers also joined them, since the spontaneous increase in immigration caused some concerns. On the one hand, the Russians tried to avoid conflict with their foreign neighbors, but they did not want to lose cheap labor.

In total, in 1878, the total number of Koreans was 6,766 people, of which 624 people, through the efforts of Russian managers, lived in the Amur region (now the Jewish Autonomous Region, the village of Blagoslovennoye)

Each family in Blessed had a large vegetable garden at the estate, and the house and outbuildings were located in the center of the entire plot, which ensured the safety of neighbors in the event of a possible fire. The streets were divided into neat, regular blocks. (The location of the houses and streets has been preserved - this can be verified thanks to satellite imagery.) The possibility of an attack by Chinese bandits was not excluded, since the village is located in close proximity to China. Therefore, for the safety of the residents, the village was surrounded by an adobe wall a little more than two meters high, in which dugouts and loopholes with guards were built.

Also, three schools were opened in the village: a parish school for boys, a ministerial school for girls, which was maintained at the expense of the Ministry of Public Education, and a Korean one. The latter was attended by only 8 people, who had to study in their parents' fanzes, but here children could study Korean and Chinese writing, basic information on Eastern geography and arithmetic.

Despite attempts to contain the mass Korean resettlement in the Amur region, after seven years there were 8,500 registered settled Koreans, and 12,500 foreigners. In addition, up to 3 thousand people came to work every year.

Russian settlement of the Far East remained a priority, so in 1886 the decision of the congress on the Korean issue was a petition to ban Korean and Chinese settlements in border areas; those who had previously resettled should be evicted deeper into the territory of the region, and the developed lands should be transferred to the use of migrant peasants. In this way, many villages were formed in the Khabarovsk and Primorye Territories, to which the journey even now requires special physical effort.

The “Regulations on Chinese and Korean subjects in the Amur region” solved the problem of the Russian authorities with the development of the Far Eastern territories. All Koreans who were on the territory of the Russian Empire were conditionally divided into three categories. The first group included those who settled before 1884 - they were allowed to remain in the Ussuri region, but take Russian citizenship. The second includes those who moved after 1884, but wish to accept Russian citizenship. The third category included temporary residents who came to work. They had no right to settle on state lands. It was possible to stay only if you received residence tickets.

The Korean population made a significant contribution to the development of the Far East. In the South Ussuri region, arable farming began to develop, which was the main occupation of Korean peasants. In the 70s, there was even a surplus of bread, which led to lower prices. In addition, the Koreans built bridges, built dirt roads and railways, and laid communication routes. In general, the Korean people took their work responsibly, as Governor-General A. N. Korf himself admitted:

"Since 1887," he wrote , - the Koreans living with us were involved in serving zemstvo duties not only on an equal basis with the Russian population, but even on a much larger scale.<…>They built new roads free of charge, from the Novokievsky tract to the Razdolny settlement and from the Podgornaya station to the village of Iskakova, a total of more than 300 versts. In general, I must speak with great praise about the conscientious performance by the Koreans of all the duties assigned to them».

Thus, Koreans became a politically important part of the Russian population. However, in order for the Korean population to be maximally involved in the affairs of the empire, it was necessary to carry out educational reforms. The simplest way to Russify Koreans was propaganda through the Orthodox Church. This was especially important for those remote villages where there were no schools, since the clergy were the only literate people among the entire population.

As a result, in 1883-1902, the total Russian population in the Primorsky region increased from 8,385 to 66,320 people. The number of the Korean population of the region over the years has increased from 10,137 to 32,380 people. After the establishment of the Japanese colonial regime in Korea, the emigration of Koreans became more widespread. In addition to the sharp deterioration in material conditions, some people fled purely for political reasons. Among these were participants in the anti-Japanese national liberation struggle. But it was actually difficult to take into account the number of Koreans constantly arriving, since many arrived illegally, bypassing customs posts with Russia. The Japanese authorities did not issue passports and prohibited emigration, which made it difficult to resettle in Russia, and it was also not easy to purchase Russian residence cards. So the influx from Korea in 1910 increased by another 10 thousand. The population increased by about 600-700 people every month. In 1917, the rural Korean population in Primorsky Krai alone was 81,825 people, accounting for 30% of the region's population.

And, probably, everything would have been different if not for the war, then the revolution, and then the Japanese occupation of the Far East. Since the beginning of the civil war, Koreans have ardently supported the Red Army, which expressed an active anti-Japanese position.

However, despite helping to support the Bolshevik movement in the Far East, the Soviet government was seriously alarmed by the presence of two huge foreign diasporas - Chinese and Korean.

Meanwhile, the population of Vladivostok and Primorsky Krai was growing. The majority still remained to live in rural areas, especially the Posyetsky district, where immigrants from Korea lived - 90%. And by the mid-30s, the number of Koreans approached the 200 thousand mark. All of them have already gone through the Soviet school, where the Korean population truly became “one of their own”, with sufficient knowledge in the field of Russian culture.

Already in 1923, proposals arose to evict the Korean population from the Far East. At this time, Korea was a colony of Japan. Therefore, the first pretext for such a political “purge” was acts of recruitment by the Japanese authorities of the Korean population in the Far East. “In order to suppress the penetration of Japanese espionage,” mass resettlement measures were taken from all areas without exception to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. After collectivization, millions of people died in Central Asia, and hundreds of thousands migrated beyond the borders of their republics. Famine and epidemics deprived this territory of the availability of labor resources, so deportation here made up for the shortage with Korean able-bodied personnel. It is impossible not to take into account the fact that the policy of the 30s left its mark on the fate of resettlement, since in general it boiled down to the struggle against peoples hostile to socialism. It was the Korean people who were the first to experience the difficulties of deportation to the USSR.

By the way, about the Koreans living on Sakhalin, and why they were not deported like the others. In the 70-80s of the 19th century, the first settlements appeared on Sakhalin, which increased noticeably after the Russian-Japanese War. Japan captured the southern part of the island (Karafuto) and until 1945 actively pursued a resettlement policy for Koreans. At first these were seemingly peaceful actions to recruit young Korean workers into the coal mines of Sakhalin. In 1944, special police units were created that forcibly expelled all men from their homes for removal from Korea. Thus, after the surrender of Japan, the Korean population of Sakhalin was approximately 50,000 people.

After the return of South Sakhalin, a problem arose with Korean settlers. Some of them had Japanese citizenship, some were stateless. To make a decision, the Soviet government was waiting for a solution to the issue of Korean reunification, but the war began. Of course, most of the Koreans were from the south and wanted to return home, but the USSR was not going to supply the enemy with manpower, and the issue was postponed for another 10 years.

In the mid-50s, it was decided to conduct a survey: do they want to stay in the Soviet Union or leave, and if they leave, then to the southern or northern part? In turn, the local authorities on Sakhalin campaigned for continued life in the USSR or, at worst, to move to the DPRK. The only option for returning to Korea was by ships going to the DPRK. To avoid provocations, the Soviet escorts were equipped with weapons, and the steamship with the settlers was followed by a Soviet warship.

The return of Koreans from Central Asia never took place. In 1993, the Supreme Council of Russia declared the deportation of the Korean population from the Far East illegal. But the Soviet Union was gone, and the question of a new resettlement no longer arose.

By the way, on March 30, the participants of the international friendship club of Tomsk State University will take place. The event will bring together Korean students from all Khabarovsk universities, a concert dedicated to South Korea will take place, and the exhibition will end with a delicious tea party.

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On May 11, Professor Kim Wook from Seoul's Tanguk University reported to the public the results of his genetic research, which could revolutionize ideas about where the ancestors of modern Koreans came from.

According to him, the closest relatives of Koreans, at least on the maternal side, are Han Chinese and Japanese. According to the prevailing hypotheses, based on linguistic and archaeological research, the ancestors of modern Koreans migrated to the Korean Peninsula from the Altai-Mongolian region several thousand years ago. In other words, Koreans are seen as historical relatives of the Mongols.

Professor Kim Wook examined the DNA of 185 Koreans and compared them with the DNA of neighboring peoples. At the same time, he used DNA contained in mitochondria - cellular structures that supply our body with energy. Mitochondria are actively studied in modern genetics in order to find out the origin of various ethnic groups and the routes of their migration around the planet over long periods - hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands of years. Other DNA molecules - those contained in cell nuclei, are "mixed" when the sperm and egg merge, as a result of which the child receives hereditary information from both the father and the mother. However, the DNA contained in the mitochondria of the egg is not affected during the process of fertilization, which means that for a long time it is transmitted along the maternal line from generation to generation practically unchanged. It is this (as well as the mutations that occur in them from time to time) that makes it possible to use mitochondrial DNA to trace the origins and routes of movement around the planet of entire peoples. Probably, many have seen the popular articles that have appeared recently about a certain prehistoric African Eve, from whom all people now living on Earth descended. And although these publications are sometimes somewhat yellowish and sensational in nature, they are related to quite serious research precisely in the field of mitochondrial DNA.

The results of many years of work by Professor Kim Wook indicate that on the maternal side, Koreans, firstly, are closest to the Han Chinese (the main ethnic group of China) and the Japanese - but not to the Mongols. Secondly, if you believe the data of Professor Kim, the popular talk in these parts about the “purity of Korean blood” has no basis - the Korean mitochondrial gene pool is very diverse. In other words, the modern Korean nation was formed as a result of the mixing of a number of ethnic groups.

Professor Kim Wook especially noted that the results of genetic research may well contradict the hypotheses of linguists and archaeologists. This really shouldn't be surprising. For example, one of the arguments of archaeologists in favor of the fact that the Koreans are not related to the Han people is as follows: in ancient times, the ancestors of the Koreans used bronze swords, the shape of which differs from the contemporary Chinese swords. The instability of this argument, in the opinion of the editor of SV, is quite obvious. One can imagine many reasons why the ancient inhabitants of the peninsula preferred swords of a different shape. However, Korean scientists often proceed not from the facts themselves, but from a certain line of the party and government, to which the necessary facts are then adjusted. Currently, the mentioned line is, in particular, to certainly prove the uniqueness of Korean culture in comparison with Chinese and Japanese. The hypothesis about the “Altai” origin of Koreans fits very well into this current. Probably, it would be even better to prove the extraterrestrial origin of the Korean nation, but this would be somehow too much, although in North Korea everything seems to be moving in exactly this direction. In such a situation, the works of Professor Kim Wook may well help someone return from the transcendental spheres to the sinful earth. To pistils, stamens and other dull materiel.

We will wait for the reaction of the Korean scientific world to Professor Kim’s research and new lively discussions.

"Seoul Herald"

TOMSK, June 12 – RIA Novosti. Russian Koreans studying in schools and universities in Moscow, Togliatti, Stavropol, Tomsk and Tashkent wrote essays about their lives in Russia. They told us what language they dream in and what, from their point of view, spoils the image of a cultural country.

In April, Tomsk State Pedagogical University (TSPU) announced the start of an all-Russian competition for the best essay in Russian, “Why is my future connected with Russia.” The competition is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the voluntary resettlement of Koreans to Russia, and its participants were Koreans studying in the Russian Federation.

The competition was timed to coincide with the interethnic forum of youth of Siberia and the Far East “Together we are strong”, which is taking place these days in Tomsk.

Talented Sisters

“I, a girl with a Korean surname and a Russian soul, am proud to live in multinational Russia!” — Moscow ninth-grader Di-Yong Dong writes in her essay. She, like many other participants in the competition, was born not in Russia - in Uzbekistan, and dreams of visiting Korea.

As the girl told a RIA Novosti correspondent, her dream will come true this summer - the schoolgirl plans to go to visit her brother, who is studying in the capital of South Korea - Seoul.

The girl’s parents, teachers by training, brought their daughter to Russia in 1998. Di-young was only eight years old at the time. She says that there are many teachers in her family on her mother’s side: her grandfathers and great-grandfathers worked as teachers. The schoolgirl herself does not yet know who she will become.

“I am in the ninth grade of secondary school No. 1086 with a Korean component of education in Moscow. Not only Koreans study at the school, but also Russians, Tatars, Armenians and others. The atmosphere at the school is friendly,” she writes in her essay.

“I love listening to Russian folk songs and romances. My grandmother, Frida Vasilievna, knew a lot of Russian romances and really loved performing them.<…>Now, living in Moscow, I often go to the movies, theaters, museums, and concerts. Our grandfather is given discounted tickets and free invitations as someone rehabilitated from illegal political repression. So he invites us one by one to various concerts and performances,” adds the schoolgirl.

Di-Yeon took third place in her age category (14-18 years old). She came to Tomsk for the award ceremony with her cousin Maria Lee, who participated in the competition in a different age category - 19-25 years old.

“150 years together. Is it a lot or a little? Of course, on a historical scale, very little, but for the life of an individual this is a big date. The arithmetic calculation of one generation is equal to 25 years. This means that the sixth generation of ethnic Koreans lives in Russia.<…>In our family, I am a Russian in the fifth generation,” writes Maria Lee.

Her great-grandfather and grandfather lived for a significant time in Uzbekistan, where they were resettled from the Far East in 1937. “My grandfather now lives in Moscow. I consider myself Korean, although my native language is Russian. I was given a Russian name. My patronymic is also Russian,” shares a student at the Russian State University of Tourism and Service.

"A simple Russian Korean"

In their essays, schoolchildren and students spoke about their dreams and hopes - they connect their lives with Russia and hope that in the future they will not hear phrases like “Russia is for Russians.”

“I went to school in Moscow, where I first encountered a problem: sometimes people passing by looked at me strangely. Even though I was a child, I already realized that it was because of my dark skin and narrow eyes. Then it was just a child’s school. "I'm offended, I didn't yet know the importance and global nature of this problem. I urge everyone to be tolerant of each other," writes Yulia Kim, a student at the capital's school.

Korean Muscovite Di-Yong Don told a RIA Novosti correspondent that unpleasant events happened in her life because of her nationality. “At school, no, everything is calm there. It was in the subway, my dad was once attacked there because of his nationality. But, thank God, the police showed up, everything turned out okay,” she recalls.

“Having lived in Moscow for several years, I feel some discomfort, especially when I am in crowded places. Sometimes you hear: “We’ve come in large numbers here!” writes Maria Lee.

The girl is sure that the troubles that migrants get into in Russia “spoil the image of a great and cultural Russia.”

“How I, a simple Russian Korean, will feel in society will depend on the intelligentsia, public and government figures. But the future of a huge country depends on the moral well-being of every citizen,” the student believes.

However, young Koreans note, all this does not prevent them from loving Russian cities, for example Moscow.

“This is a city in which, of course, you can find what you are looking for. Both education and work. There is an unusually large selection of universities, institutes, academies, and colleges,” says Anna Tigai, a student at Moscow school No. 1086.

Found homeland

The chairman of the competition jury, a teacher at TSPU with 20 years of experience, Anna Kuryanovich, told RIA Novosti that all participants wrote about the Russian language as a means of unifying the nation.

“The guys, 18 in total, wrote, starting with their small homeland, where they were born, they wrote that they had lived in the Russian Federation for a long time, how they saw their situation from the inside - a Korean child living in Russia. Someone wrote about books, grandparents. Everyone considers Russia their homeland, historical, genetic or acquired,” she said.

“They write that they lived in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, in foreign countries, but want to live in Russia. The general ideological tone is light, these are texts with good faith in the future.<…>You can’t write well about your homeland, about the language “by order”, if you haven’t passed it through not only your brain, but also through your feelings,” emphasized the chairman of the jury.

Polyglots are in fashion

Many competition participants say that knowledge of Russian and other languages ​​at the same time will definitely be useful to them. This is not just fashionable and prestigious, but allows you to establish interethnic ties even at the school-university level.

"I dream of mastering the Chinese and Spanish languages. Knowledge of languages ​​allows a person to know the diversity of cultures and makes him highly educated in society. I feel very comfortable at home, at work, at the institute. I am friends not only with Koreans, but also with Russians, Jews, Armenians, Uzbeks and others. They all treat me well and respectfully. It’s easy for me to communicate with them,” Maria Lee said in her essay.

As one of the contestants, a fifth-grader from Moscow Zhu Suzhin, writes, “in order to convey the colorfulness of the Russian language, one has to work hard to revive all the eloquence of the Russian language in the Korean language.”

Grandfather dreams of going to Crimea

Young Russian Koreans especially noted in their writings the “miracles” of the country - natural monuments and reserves. They said that they use every opportunity to travel around the country - they go to competitions, competitions, and travel with their family.

“My grandfather promised to take me to Zvenigorod to listen to the trills of a nightingale. Once he served in the army in those parts and heard this wonderful singing, which he remembered forever.<…>Grandfather dreams of going to Crimea, which has become part of the Russian Federation this year, as it was 23 years ago. He promises to take me with him to this peninsula,” writes Dong Di-young.

Admiring the Russian open spaces, the contestants recall Russian classics of literature, quote poems about nature, confess their love for birch trees and summer in the countryside. Everything is in the tradition of the “mysterious Russian soul”.

They also remember famous Koreans who lived in Russia, for example, Viktor Tsoi. “He is listened to, sung and re-sung as often as the “encyclopedia of Russian life of the 19th century” “Eugene Onegin” is re-read. The work of Viktor Tsoi can confidently be considered the “encyclopedia of Russian life” of the 80s of the 20th century,” says Anna Tigai.

I see dreams in Russian

"So who am I? Korean or Russian, who is more in me? What should I call myself? On the one hand, I speak and think in Russian, I see dreams in Russian. And on the other hand, I have a Korean surname, oriental eye shape, customs and the traditions in the family are Korean, partly Russian. I think it would be correct to say that I am a Russian Korean,” writes contestant Maria Lee.

She notes that the phrase “Russian Koreans” was firmly established in the Russian Federation after the collapse of the USSR. “My ancestors up to the third generation, who lived in Russia, were simply called “Koreans,” and starting from my great-grandfather, they were called “Soviet Koreans.” And now those who live in the Russian Federation are called “Russian Koreans,” she writes.

Maria Lee became the winner of the competition in her age group - from 19 to 25 years old. Among schoolchildren, the work of Veronica Kim from the Tomsk Humanitarian Lyceum was recognized as the best. A schoolgirl imagined that she was interviewing her favorite writer, Mikhail Bulgakov.

And this is what a tenth-grader of the capital’s school, Zhong Min Jong, wrote about Russia: “At the age of 17, I imagine my own life as a separate chapter in history - everything begins with something and ends with something. I am a child of two cultures, but my beginning gave me Homeland - Russia."

The people who are the main population of two states of the Korean Peninsula: the Republic of Korea and the DPRK. They also live in many Asian countries. The total number in all countries of the world exceeds 81 million people. Of these, the Republic of Korea accounts for the majority - about 50 million. North Korea has a population of 24 million.

There are large diasporas of Koreans in other countries. More than a million Koreans live in China and the United States. You can also find them in Central Asia, Japan, Russia, Canada, Australia, and the Philippines. Language - Korean. They can also use the languages ​​of their countries of residence for communication. Most Koreans are adherents of atheism, not leaning towards any religion. However, there are supporters of Confucianism, Christianity, Buddhism, and traditional animist beliefs. Before the 14th century, the importance of Buddhism was greater than it is now.

Koreans are an ancient people. They go back to the proto-Altai peoples; ethnogenesis was also influenced by Paleo-Asians and inhabitants of Austronesia. In the 1st millennium BC, Joseon, a near-state formation, arose. From him came the self-name of the Koreans, Choson Saram. Later, at the beginning of our era, the Koreans were influenced by the Han tribes.

Representatives of the people traditionally engaged in arable farming. They grew rice (the basis of the entire Korean diet), corn, millet, beans, vegetables, and melons. Cattle breeding was less developed and was limited to the use of animals for subsidiary agricultural work. Sericulture became widespread, as did fishing and other marine industries in coastal areas. Korean artisans became famous for their ceramic and lacquer products. At present, the transition from traditional farming to developed industry has been completed. Both the Republic of Korea and the DPRK managed to achieve a high level of development, only the first state was on a capitalist basis, and the second was on a communist basis.

Rural residents retain elements of their national pre-industrial culture. The homes they build for themselves are still quite traditional. The houses are coated with clay and rise on peculiar earthen foundations fifty centimeters high. Such housing is heated by a chimney laid under the floor. This heating method is called ondol. Surprisingly, the Koreans have preserved it even in modern cities, only partially modernizing it. Just for fun, let’s say that more often than any other technology, in Korean homes you can see a very old version of the radio. Buying a radio is not difficult - at any market. They differ only in design and manner of execution.

Among rural people, men traditionally wore white trousers and a wrap-around jacket. Women wore short jegori blouses, loose-fitting pants and the same skirt called chhima. In winter, women wore cotton robes. Shoes - straw sandals; in bad weather they wore high shoes made of wood. At home they took off their shoes and walked barefoot. Now Koreans have massively switched to European-style clothing.

The basis of the Korean diet is seasoned rice. The most popular meat is pork; dog meat is less commonly consumed. In general, Korean cuisine is characterized by an abundance of seasonings (garlic and pepper). The alcoholic drink is warm vodka made from rice.

For a long time, Koreans maintained the rudiments of tribal relations. It got to the point that everyone with the same last name began to be considered relatives. This perception was influenced, among other things, by Confucianism and the cult of ancestors.