CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Siberian Federal University Digital Repository Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 7 (2011 4) 964-972 ~ ~ ~ УДК 930 Floods in Siberia: a Historical Overview Vladimir S. Myglan* and Evgeny A. Vaganov Siberian Federal University 79 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk, 660041 Russia 1 Received 4.07.2011, received in revised form 11.07.2011, accepted 18.07.2011 In the given work we present the information about floods on the territory of Siberia, which have taken place for the last 300 years. We consider their reasons, frequency of their distributions, territorial coverage and social consequences of these floods. For the time being, we compare the floods frequency data with the variation of the northern hemisphere’s annual temperatures. Keywords: Siberia, history, floods. Introduction instability, is concentrated precisely on this Flood is one of the most widespread and very zone. Though at the present time there are dangerous natural phenomena for people’s life no research works being dedicated to a detailed and economical activity. Floods take the first analysis of the history of floods on the regional place according to their average annual inflicted and local levels, in spite of the fact that there is a damage among all other kinds of natural disasters significant and solid block of historical documents, in the world, including Russia (Avakyan, which describes in detail social consequences of Istomina, 2000), thereat, during the last decades, the natural hazards and the damage, which has we have been observing the tendency of their been inflicted to human health and economical frequency increase (Dobroumov, Tumanovskaya, activity. It is mainly connected with that fact 2002; Mandych, 2002; Naydyonov, Shveykina, that soviet scientists, in comparison with the Vikhrova, 2003). pre-revolutionary researchers (Lyubavsky, 2000) The main economical activity of the and with a rare exception (Borisenko, Pasetsky, Siberian population has been connected with 1988) did not consider the impact of the natural the development and usage of its territories, phenomena (for example, droughts, floods and neighbouring to the large water arteries, which etc.) on the social processes. In the given direction, have been the main transport waterways on the the main success has been achieved by the foreign territory of Siberia for a long time, starting from scientists who have visually demonstrated that the moment of its annexation. The main number the works dedicated to the questions of climatic of inhabited localities and objects of agricultural history, floods, fires and so on are in demand and significance, which have been flooded and have an applied character (Le Roy Ladurie, 1971; undergone the threat of economical and social Braudel, 1986 and many others.). * Corresponding author E-mail address: [email protected] 1 © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved – 964 – Vladimir S. Myglan and Evgeny A. Vaganov. Floods in Siberia: a Historical Overview At the present time addressing to the history fact that “the flood washed away the winter rye” of floods seems to be most topical when the (Kopylov, 1965, p. 78), and that is why we are occurring climatic changes dictate the necessity getting a false impression that this refers to quite to monitor the existing natural risks and it is an ordinary event; but the second report reveals impossible to realize without their frequency data the real immensity of the natural disaster – “…this and the intensity of their manifestations in the year, the Yenisei river and the rivers flowing into past. Possibility of forecasting of this dangerous it have extremely inundated... Yeniseisk Voivode natural phenomenon is one of the most important Rzhevsky reported to the Tsar that on April 17, questions of social and economical stability of 1660, the Yenisei fortress and all the villages of Russia. the Yenisei province were damaged by the rivers flood, and all the fields, had been sewn in 1659, Materials and methods were inundated” (the Tobolsk Branch of the State In the course of our work (Myglan, 2010) Archive of the Tyumen Region – TBSATR, f. historical information concerning the floods in I.691, list. 1). Siberia has been collected in one data base and has been divided according to the territorial Discussion and results: and chronological principals. Thereat, we have In the course of consideration of the question combined the data, taken form various sources, of floods impacts on the human economical which concern one and the same event. In the activity, we shall, first of all, linger on the aspect result of this work we have got as a working basis of city planning. In the process of reclamation of the information which has been taken from 107 Siberian key territories, which allowed controlling reports about floods, which have been spread the significant large areas, they built fortified following way – 17 out of them were registered localities (small fortresses, winter quarters and so in the 17th century, 35 – in the 18th century and on.). They strived to find elevated and naturally 55 – in the first half of the 19th century. This way, defended places for constructions; at least it was we observe the tendency of growth of the reports a requirement, which was not once mentioned number since the 17th to the 19th centuries. It nicely in the orders of the voivodes (Miller, 1999). At agrees with the fact of the general increase of the the same time, they did not always manage to paperwork volume in the course of achievement find right and flood-defended places, and it later of the present time. resulted in removal of some of the inhabited The collected material is rather localities. It firstly referred to the Irtysh and Ob heterogeneous; we meet most often only short rivers basins, where vast territories were flooded messages, fixing just the fact of flooding, for because of a minor drop of true altitudes in the example, E.P. Zipper (1968) mentions in his work course of spring high waters. Thus, according that in 1732 Tobolsk city was flooded. As a rule, to the petition of fur tax payers to Moscow, “in such reports do not let us characterize the scale of various volosts many fur tax payers were starving the occurred damages. The best variant is when and dying of hunger”, as far as in the course of the information about one and the same flood can the 1667 spring flood “various hunting areas were be found in various sources (in this case it is added inundated …” (Apollova, 1976, p. 92). and verified). For example, the 1660 flood in the Let us address the historical materials: in Yenisei province is presented by two reports: 1613, the Narymsk and Ketsk fortresses were the first one contains the information about the removed after they had “suffered” from the flood – 965 – Vladimir S. Myglan and Evgeny A. Vaganov. Floods in Siberia: a Historical Overview (Shcheglov, 1993, p. 58). Though, the place which p. 134). In the 19th century the number of such was selected for the Narymsk fortress was again messages increased significantly, as far as in 1800 a failure, and in 1630 it was almost completely in Yeniseisk “the water overflowed all the town” washed away in the course of the next high because of “an awful” flood (Krivoshapkin, waters – “…the citizens turned out to be in an 1865, p. 207), and the same year “on April, 27, extremely tight situation because they had lost the Lena River overflowed its banks because their houses and property”, and the situation of extreme and immoderate high waters and became even worse because of “…the epidemy of floating ice... and washed away the common smallpox which up to then had been unknown on cottage (courthouse) ... the streets, fields, and the the territory of Siberia, and almost all the diseased hay meadows along the Lena River were injured dyed of it. The citizens could not bury their dead by ice, in the result of all this the fields will not near the church inside the fortress, as far as there be able to give crops this year, but it is not yet was lack of spare space…” (Miller, 2000, p. 76), known for sure”; moreover, the common cottage and all mentioned above again resulted in the gave a short list of peasants’ damages and losses: fortress’s removal. Let us note that the removals one peasant’s “house was pushed away from its of the inhabited localities occurred later as well: place”, the other peasant “lost his cattle”, the rest in 1669 in the result of the flood Tara town was “lost their barns, wood, plows, harrows, forges, removed to “a higher place which was situated 30 hemp, pigs, bread crops, thrashing-floors… the versts from the old one”, in 1812 Nerchinsk town bell tower of the Znamenskaya Chapel was also was removed due to frequent floods (Shcheglov, moved away” (Sherstoboev, 1957, p. 272 – 273). 1993, p. 121, 235). Such reports are first of all In both cases the population evidently suffered typical for the initial stage of reclamation of new from the spring waters. territories, when the arrived people could not In 1820 the cities Tomsk, Yeniseisk (more foresee all the possible risks. than half of the town was inundated) and Kirensk If we consider the reasons of the occurred were most severely damaged because of ice jams floods, then we should mark that the analysis of in the course of the spring high waters. Irkutsk the historical data has let us disclose only two city, the Nizhneudinsk, Verkhneudinsk and of them: spring high waters and summer rain Olekminsk regions were flooded and severely showers. Quantitatively they have dispensed damaged as well because of the rain showers – almost equally, in 26 cases it is mentioned the water washed away the cattle, yurts, and about spring floods, and in 30 cases – about rain houses (Shcheglov, 1993, p.