Paper short abstract:

The main idea of my presentation is to show how animal mobility was understood and used by people in the context of forced breeding of animals. To do this, I turn to materials describing the practice of artificial reindeer breeding on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago from 1928 to 1937.

Paper long abstract:

Ideas for forced breeding of reindeer and their spread beyond common areas of their habitat, appeared in the mid-19th century both in Russia and in Europe, and were later supported by successful experience on Römö Island and in Alaska. In biology, this process was called deliberate introduction, i.e. the deliberate import of animals with the purpose of their resettlement outside their natural range. This presentation encourages readers to take a look at the experience of domestic reindeer breeding on the islands of Novaia Zemlia, undertaken in the first third of the 20 century. Through this example is drew attention to the idea of artificial reindeer breeding, which is designed to emphasize an initiation of a food base for population, and in particular to compensate the loss of a significant reduction of the wild deer hunting. Domestic reindeer herding of Novaia Zemlia was existed less than 10 years – from 1928 to 1937, but it left an imprint on the development of hunting and fishing island economy. This was reflected, on the one hand, on genetic mixing of reindeer brought from Kolguev island with wild individuals of Novaia Zemlia which is of recognized as ʻʻgeographical isolatesʼʼ. On the other hand, there is the statement that domestic reindeer on the Novaia Zemlia is Nenets traditional economy. The presentation draws on in-depth archival work.