The life of people in bolivia. Russians in Bolivia: Three Stories Back to Russia

For several centuries, Russian Old Believers could not find peace in their native land, and in the 20th century, many of them finally moved abroad. It was far from always possible to settle somewhere close to the Motherland, and therefore today Old Believers can be found in a distant foreign land, for example, in Latin America. In this article, you will learn about the life of Russian farmers from the village of Toborochi, Bolivia.

Old Believers, or Old Believers - a common name for religious movements in Russia,
resulting from the rejection of church reforms in 1605-1681. It all started after the Moscow Patriarch
Nikon undertook a number of innovations (correction of service books, change of rituals).
Those who were dissatisfied with the "anti-Christ" reforms were united by the archpriest Avvakum. Old Believers were severely persecuted
on the part of both ecclesiastical and secular authorities. Already in the 18th century, many fled outside Russia, fleeing persecution.
Nicholas II and, subsequently, the Bolsheviks did not like the stubborn ones. In Bolivia, three hours from the city of Santa Cruz,
the first Russian Old Believers settled in Toborochi 40 years ago. Even now you will not find this settlement on the maps,
and in the 1970s there were completely uninhabited lands surrounded by dense jungle.

Fedor and Tatiana Anufrievs were born in China, and went to Bolivia among the first immigrants from Brazil.
In addition to the Anufrievs, the Revtovs, Murachevs, Kaluginovs, Kulikovs, Anfilofievs, Zaitsevs live in Toborochi.

The village of Toborochi consists of two dozen courtyards located at a decent distance from each other.
Most of the houses are brick.

Santa Cruz has a very hot and humid climate, and mosquitoes pester all year round.
Mosquito nets, so familiar and familiar in Russia, are placed on windows and in the Bolivian wilderness.

Old Believers cherish their traditions. Men wear shirts with belts. They sew them themselves, but they buy trousers in the city.

Women prefer sundresses and floor-length dresses. Hair is grown from birth and is braided.

Most Old Believers do not allow strangers to photograph themselves, but family albums are in every home.

Young people keep up with the times and master smartphones with might and main. Many electronic devices in the village are formally banned.
but progress cannot be hidden even in such a wilderness. Almost all houses have air conditioners, washing machines,
microwaves and TVs, adults communicate with distant relatives via the mobile Internet.

The main occupation in Toborochi is agriculture, as well as breeding of Amazonian pacu fish in artificial reservoirs.
Fish are fed twice a day - at dawn and in the evening. The feed is produced right there in the mini-factory.

On vast fields, the Old Believers grow beans, corn, wheat, and eucalyptus in the forests.
It was in Toborochi that the only Bolivian bean variety that is now popular throughout the country was bred.
The rest of the legumes are imported from Brazil.

In a village factory, the crop is processed, bagged and sold to wholesalers.
Bolivian soil bears fruit up to three times a year, and fertilization began only a couple of years ago.

Women are engaged in handicrafts and housekeeping, raising children and grandchildren. Most of the Old Believer families have many children.
The names of the children are chosen according to the Psalter, according to the birthday. The newborn is named on the eighth day of his life.
The names of Toborochins are unusual not only for the Bolivian ear: Lukiyan, Cyprian, Zasim, Fedosya, Kuzma, Agripena,
Pinarita, Abraham, Agapit, Palageya, Mamelfa, Stephen, Anin, Vasilisa, Marimia, Elizar, Inafa, Salamania, Selivester.

Villagers often encounter wildlife: monkeys, ostriches,
poisonous snakes and even small crocodiles that love to feast on fish in the lagoons.
For such cases, the Old Believers always have a gun at the ready.

Once a week, women go to the nearest city fair, where they sell cheese, milk, and pastries.
Cottage cheese and sour cream never caught on in Bolivia.

To work in the fields, the Russians employ Bolivian peasants called Kolya.

There is no language barrier, since the Old Believers, in addition to Russian, also speak Spanish,
and the older generation has not yet forgotten Portuguese and Chinese.

By the age of 16, boys have acquired the necessary field experience and can get married.
The Old Believers strictly forbid marriages between relatives up to the seventh generation, so they are looking for brides in other villages.
South and North America. They rarely get to Russia.

Girls can get married at the age of 13.

The first "adult" gift for a girl - a collection of Russian songs, from which the mother removes
another copy and gives her daughter for her birthday.

Ten years ago, the Bolivian authorities financed the construction of the school. It consists of two buildings and is divided into three classes:
children 5-8 years old, 8-11 and 12-14 years old. Boys and girls study together.

The school is taught by two Bolivian teachers. The main subjects are Spanish, reading, mathematics, biology, drawing.
Russian is taught at home. In oral speech, Toborochins are used to mixing two languages, and some Spanish words and
completely ousted by the Russians. So, gasoline in the village is called nothing else than "gasoline", the fair - "feria", the market - "mercado",
garbage - "basura". Spanish words have long been Russified and are inclined according to the rules of the native language. There are also neologisms: for example,
instead of the expression "download from the Internet" the word "descargarit" is used from the Spanish descargar. Some Russian words
widely used in Toborochi, have long gone out of use in modern Russia. Instead of "very", Old Believers say "awfully"
the tree is called "forest". The older generation mixes with all this variety the Portuguese words of the Brazilian style.
In general, there is a whole book of material for dialectologists in Toborochi.

Primary education is not compulsory, but the Bolivian government encourages all students
public schools: the military comes once a year, paying each student 200 boliviano (about $ 30).

Old Believers attend church twice a week, not counting Orthodox holidays:
services are held on Saturday from 17 to 19 hours and on Sunday from 4 to 7 in the morning.

Men and women come to church in everything clean, wearing dark clothes over the top.
The black cape symbolizes the equality of all before God.

Most of the South American Old Believers have never been to Russia, but they remember their history,
reflecting its main moments in artistic creation.

Sunday is the only day off. Everyone goes to visit each other, men go fishing.

It gets dark early in the village, go to bed by 10 pm.

Many travelers often call Bolivia one of the most attractive and interesting countries: here you can find unusually beautiful places, strange species of plants and animals. Everyone who comes to Bolivia will certainly become a hostage of their own unforgettable impressions. But what actually awaits the one who decided not only to drive through the impressive environs of Bolivia, but also to stay in the country that is often called the "Tibet" of South America.

To begin with, I would like to note that about 50% of the total population are Indians, who have preserved most of their folk traditions until the 21st century. They do not care about high technologies and many signs of civilization - they feel quite well without hot water and a comfortable toilet. That is why one can often come across statements that Bolivia is a country where a high percentage of the population lives below the poverty line, does not have a stable income and does not have access to the basic benefits of a developed state. But for many Bolivians, it is enough that they have a roof over their heads, arms and legs for work and food for food.

Bolivia is a country with a developed industry, but a low standard of living - any foreigner with an amount of several tens of thousands of dollars can freely plunge into a rich life by local standards.

Bolivia is also known to many thanks to coca that grows freely throughout the country. It is grown on whole plantations and is freely sold and bought literally on every corner. It is believed that chewing coca leaves has a tonic effect on the entire body, although all tourists are strongly advised to treat their coca consumption as carefully as possible, especially in the highlands. Besides the fact that coca is grown under absolutely legal conditions, the production of drugs in this country is one of the most profitable activities, although still a shadow industry in Bolivian industry.

About adaptation in Bolivia

It is interesting that those few who, having visited Bolivia as a tourist-traveler, having seen enough of its beauty and decided to settle here for permanent residence, subsequently regret their choice. Although this does not mean that it is really difficult to exist normally in this country, it is not for nothing that there is a proverb “everywhere it’s good, where we are not,” and tourism and emigration should not be confused.

The Bolivians themselves, despite the very significant number of emigrants who have settled here since time immemorial, do not really like visitors. Among such striking examples are the Old Believers who preserved the traditions and customs of their Russian ancestors, creating their own tiny states on the territory of Bolivia, which Bolivians sometimes even perceive as foreign, often without even looking into their places of settlement.

For the indigenous inhabitants of this country, that the Mennonites, that the Old Believers, that the Japanese are strangers, for a strange reason living in Bolivia. By the way, for example, Old Believers, having a Bolivian passport, and therefore citizenship, speaking in Spanish, often giving work to the people around them and participating in the economy, do not consider themselves Bolivians, so this attitude towards them is quite natural.

A real Bolivian, in fact, can be considered one who, among other things, was born in Bolivia and loves the country in which he lives, rightfully calling it his homeland. Moreover, it does not matter what color his skin is - there are a lot of "white" indigenous people in this country.

Today's immigrants often say that even after several years of legal residence in Bolivia, they feel more like tourists than residents. The negative factors and difficulties of adaptation in the new country include the fact that many Russians complain of bouts of disgust and discontent. It is possible that the reasons for such an attitude will seem insignificant to someone, but this is only until the time when you plunge into such a thing yourself.

Living in La Paz, many emigrants recall bread sold in vacuum packaging in their home cities and countries - in Bolivia, you can often find an unpleasant picture when splashes of mud from puddles, exhaust gases from rudimentary buses, and dirty the hands of a loader, literally tossing loaves on the pitiful counters.

Discourse on Poverty in Bolivia

As mentioned above, Bolivia and Bolivians in particular cannot be called poor. In this context, this word is somewhat inappropriate, if only because there are practically no hungry people among them.

Travelers unfamiliar with the local way of life may be amazed by the fact that a completely beggar-looking bomb with a kettle in his hands can afford to go to a restaurant to taste a hot soup. By the way, it should be noted that there are practically no beggars here, or they look quite well-off - with gold teeth and a lot of tasteless jewelry.

In Bolivia, even the poorest Indian family allows themselves the first, second and third course at the table. Of course, this does not mean that they live well, but if a person is not hungry, then his existence, perhaps, can be considered acceptable.

A feature of the "common people" (that is, the majority, since in Bolivia most of the population is a category of people belonging to the middle class - they are neither rich nor poor) is that in ordinary everyday life they look bad because of their shapeless, patched and dirty national clothes. It is not customary here to dress up when going to the bazaar. All the best clothes and decorations are taken care of for the carnival - then brocade skirts and other attributes are fished out "for the light".

The same applies to basic living conditions - electricity, hot water, a toilet in the house, etc. Not every peasant capable of improving his living conditions will do this. For a Bolivian, this is not familiar, and therefore not necessary.

Bolivia is also supported by the fact that most of the buildings are fundamental brick structures with a good roof and windows. Here you will not find huts built from scrap materials (cardboard, plywood) and more resembling doghouses than normal housing for a civilized person. True, along with this, you will not find supermarkets and mega-centers.

As one Russian emigrant who has lived in Bolivia for more than three years said: “I returned to Russia with a light heart and soul. I enjoyed this event like a child. I thought that after living in Bolivia, my former life would seem like paradise to me. But I was bitterly disappointed and suddenly I was drawn back ... To the country of color, vivid impressions and too simple-minded inhabitants. "

Russians in Bolivia deserve close interest for at least two reasons. First, the Russian community appeared there not in the turbulent 1990s, but back in the 19th century. Secondly, unlike other Latin American countries, Russians practically did not assimilate in Bolivia. Moreover, being citizens of this country, they consider Russia as their homeland, which they have not seen even on TV screens: after all, they do not favor TV sets.

"Oh, frost, frost" under the palm trees

These women wear long sundresses, men wear shirts with belts. Down the aisle they go early: the girls are already at 13, the guys at 16; give birth to a lot, so ten children in a family are not uncommon. All of them have Russian names, but old ones, which you won't even hear now: Mamelfa, Agapit, Cyprian, Inafa, Elizar.

All are peasants. They live by selling the fruits of their labor; they rest on Sunday, go to church. It seems like an ordinary Russian village of the late 19th century, but around there are not fields with birches, but Bolivian selva, and the peasants grow not turnips with cabbage, but bananas with pineapples (however, wheat is also held in high esteem).

Everyone speaks Russian purely, without a hint of accent, but with rare splashes of Spanish words. The Bolivian authorities have no merit in this: public schools in the country are only Hispanic. The Russian language is kept and instilled by the family, and children are taught to read not only in Russian, but also in Old Church Slavonic, because the main book in every family - the Bible - is written in this language. There are about 2 thousand such peasants-Old Believers in Bolivia. Their villages are located in the tropical departments of the country - Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Las Paz, Beni.

Despite the persistent adherence to traditions that sharply differ from the local culture, and external dissimilarity, the Russian Old Believers never had any conflicts with the Bolivians. They live amicably with their neighbors, understand each other perfectly (all Old Believers know Spanish well), but they do not want to get closer and they conclude marriages only with their own, and not within the village (this is prohibited), but by registering brides from afar. Fortunately, there are enough Old Believers in Latin America.

Keeping the faith

The community was formed gradually, the Old Believers arrived in "waves". The first of them refers to the second half of the century before last, when part of the Siberian Old Believers, tired of persecution, began to look for a place on the map where they could calmly practice their faith. Latin America in general and Bolivia in particular has become such a point (or rather, a continent). The first settlers were attracted by the fertile lands and the liberal policies of the local authorities.

If the first wave of immigrants came to Bolivia directly, then the path of the second was very difficult. At first, in the turbulent years of the civilian Old Believers, they fled to Manchuria. They seem to have taken root, a new generation was born - and then a revolution broke out in China. I had to flee again, this time to British Hong Kong. From there, some of the Old Believers moved to Australia, and some to Brazil. Not everyone liked Brazil - they decided to move to Bolivia. But it is possible that a new resettlement awaits the Russians in Bolivia.

Back home

For the first time in many years, problems with the authorities among Russian Old Believers appeared in the early 2010s. It’s not their fault: it’s just that the leftist government of Evo Morales came to power, which was concerned about the fate of the Indian lands where the Old Believers live and work. Some of them thought about returning to their homeland, especially since these plans were actively supported by the Russian authorities.

In 2011, about 30 people came to Russia from Bolivia, followed by others. Contrary to forecasts, no one returned, although it was not easy: so, in the areas allocated to them, almost no one stayed, dispersed in all directions. Will the rest of the Russians in Bolivia follow suit? Only time can answer this question.

Today, many are interested in what they were. Really interesting story.

Many Russians are now interested in the question of how to obtain Bolivian citizenship. Acquisition of a second citizenship is a question that currently worries many residents of our country. And this is not just about moving or the possibility of an indefinite vacation outside of Russia, we are talking about business immigration.

View of the capital of Bolivia - La Paz

Latin America is a promising direction. It is clear that the best countries for immigration are considered here, Panama. But it is quite difficult to obtain citizenship of these countries, and in a short period this cannot be done in any way (except in this country it is carried out on an expedited basis).

Location of South American countries on the map

Due to the fact that in these promising countries, obtaining citizenship is a complicated procedure, you should pay attention to a country like Bolivia.

Bolivian citizenship actually provides a lot of advantages that a few people in the know do not even know about.

Bolivia and Spain have an agreement providing for dual citizenship for residents of these countries(if desired, a citizen of Bolivia in an accelerated mode, in about 2 years, may, therefore, with all the ensuing consequences).

There is a real opportunity to live in this country. Bolivia is not an expensive country by Russian standards, and a person, even with a small capital, will be able to get a job here with comfort.

Average price of staple foods in Bolivia

If we talk about the cons, then the Bolivian passport does not belong to the so-called good travel documents. Bolivians visit almost all countries of the world on a visa.

Citizenship can be obtained on the basis of origin, on the basis of residence in the country for 2 years. For some categories of citizens, this period is reduced to one year. Those who have:

• spouse (spouse) - a citizen of Bolivia;
• children - citizens of Bolivia;
• special education and work in Bolivia in education, science, technology, industry or agriculture;
• the right to military service (or one who carries out military service in the ranks of the Bolivian army);
• thanks for the services to the Republic.

What documents must be provided to obtain Bolivian citizenship

To obtain citizenship, you must provide the following documents:

• a foreign passport of the Russian Federation (or a birth certificate of the Russian Federation);
• on the territory of the Russian Federation;
• photographs (here you will need not only standard, but also photographs of the right and left profile, they are taken in La Paz, the capital of the state);
• fingerprints of both hands.

At the time of obtaining citizenship, a person (or a whole family) must be on the territory of Bolivia. The registration procedure as a whole can take from 6 to 9 months. The cost of the procedure is 50-90 thousand dollars. All documents of the Russian Federation must be translated into Spanish and notarized.

Pay attention to the video: preparation of documents for residence in Bolivia for permanent residence.

Living standards in Bolivia

All interested are concerned with the following questions:

• real estate in Bolivia: prices, opportunities for buying, renting;
• what language do the Bolivians speak and who they are;
• transport in Bolivia: how best to move around the country, how much does it cost to buy a private car, how much does gasoline cost;
• work in Bolivia for Russian immigrants;
• prices for food, clothing, personal belongings, treatment, utilities.

It is clear that life in Bolivia bears little resemblance to a fairy tale, because Latin America is not North America after all. On the other hand, knowledgeable people have long called this country Latin American Tibet, since it is highly isolated from the rest of Latin America, and this, oddly enough, is a big plus. Neighboring greater Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina is really little good.

The population of Bolivia is Indians and mestizos. Moreover, in terms of the number of Indians, Bolivia is the leader among Latin American countries. They speak a mixture of local dialects and Spanish. The state language is Spanish.

Typical Indians of the country

Public transport in Bolivia is poorly developed, and not everyone has private cars.

Although you can buy any model, prices in Bolivia are low by European and Russian standards. Petrol is cheap, but the roads are not very good. The best choice is an SUV, especially if you live in a rural area.

Bolivia is a small country, landlocked, surrounded by the Andes, so the situation with real estate in Bolivia, especially in large cities, is not easy. But a house in the countryside is quite possible to buy. It will not cost much (by Russian standards).

Rental prices in Bolivia

Article in "AiF"
(Unique in that it grows from year to year without external influx)

Sundresses under coconuts

The columnist for "Arguments and Facts" ended up in Russia, where jaguars are found in the forests, pineapples are planted in the gardens, and the indigenous Siberians do not know what snow looks like. And he didn't dream about it!
-Oh, why are you going to our village, good sir? But in vain. It’s still hot, and so dusty, such dusty is on the path - you will swallow enough! - a woman in a blue sarafan spoke quickly with a clear Siberian accent, and I barely had time to understand her melodious words. Having shown how best to get to the village, Stepanida turned and walked on, towards the coconut grove rustling with leaves. A boy standing next to her, wearing an oversized shirt and cap, plucked a mango from a nearby tree and followed his mother, brushing off the mosquitoes.
“Chrysanthus! - I heard a stern voice. - How many times have I told you, you fool, - do not eat manga, they are too green, then raid at night! "

"You won't go to the forest for mushrooms - and there are no mushrooms, and they will eat themselves."

… THE FIRST Russian villages in the small South American state of Bolivia appeared a long time ago. When exactly - the locals do not even remember. It seems that the very first settlers arrived already in 1865 (the authorities then distributed arable land to the colonists for free), and seventy years later, a whole crowd of Siberian and Ural peasant families arrived from China, who after the Bolshevik revolution had to flee Russia. Now, two hundred kilometers from the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, there are three large villages of Russian settlers, where about two thousand people live. In one of these villages - Taboroche - we drove along a dusty road along the endless Bolivian fields overgrown with Russian sunflowers.

... The door of the village headman Martyan Onufriev's house was opened by his daughter, a gray-eyed shy beauty in a sundress. “Tyatya are not present. They went to the city on business. Don't stand on the doorstep, go into the hut. " "Izboy" is the name of a sturdy stone house with a tiled roof, in the manner of those that are being built in Germany. At first, Russian peasants in Bolivia sawed elephant palms and made houses from logs, but they quickly abandoned this venture: in conditions of tropical humidity and ubiquitous termites, the dwelling immediately began to rot and soon turned into dust. It is impossible to describe a Russian village in Bolivia in words - it is simply a must see. Dogs in the booths (which shocks the Bolivians - why does a dog need a separate house ?!) and mooing cows grazing in the shade of banana trees. People in the gardens with the song "Oh frost, frost!" weeds pineapples. Bearded men in embroidered shirts, belted with sashes, dashingly drive Japanese jeeps, talking on cell phones, and girls in sundresses and kokoshniks rush to the field and back on Honda motorcycles. The impressions in the first five minutes were enough for my mouth to close with difficulty.

Now they have begun to live well, thank God, ”notes the 37-year-old peasant Natalya, who also invited me to the“ hut ”. - And the first time people arrived, they didn’t have tractors, they didn’t have horses - they plowed the land on the broads. Someone got rich, and some didn’t, but we all live together. Mamma said that in Russia the poor are envious of the rich. Why so? After all, God created people unequal. It is useless to envy someone else's wealth, especially if people are at work. Who's stopping you? Take it yourself and make money!

Natalia was born in one of the Russian Old Believer villages, deep in the jungle of Brazil. She moved here when she got married - at the age of 17: she got used to living, but she doesn't speak Spanish: “I can't even count in their own way. Why should I? So, a little, if I go to the market. " Her father was taken out of the Khabarovsk province at the age of five, now he is more than eighty. Natalya has never been to her father's homeland, although she really wants to go. “Tyatya very nicely tells about Russia - my heart aches with agio. Already, he says, nature is so beautiful. And you will go to the forest, tama mushrooms, they say, so many - you will collect full baskets. And then don't go - nooo, yes, God forbid, and the jaguar narvessi - accustomed, accursed, to go to the watering place ”.
Cats in homes are bred specifically to catch lizards

I will tell you honestly - I simply did not expect to hear Russian speech in Taboroche. At work, I had to communicate a lot with the children of the White Guards who had grown old in France and the USA - they all spoke Russian well, but noticeably distorted the words. But here a surprise awaited me. These people, who have never been to Russia, and many have fathers and grandfathers were born on the land of South America, communicate in Russian in the same way as their ancestors a hundred years ago. This is the language of a Siberian village, without the slightest accent, melodious and affectionate, replete with words that have long been out of use in Russia itself. In Taboroche they say “want” instead of “want”, “wonderful” instead of “amazing”, “helluva lot” instead of “very,” they don’t know the words “five-year plan” and “industrialization”, they don’t understand Russian slang in the form of “well, damn it” and "Not a fig for myself." Here, near a tropical forest entwined with lianas, pre-revolutionary Russia, which we no longer remember, has somehow been incredibly preserved. And the thought arises: maybe this is exactly what now (of course, with the exception of pineapples in the garden) and the Russian village would have been if October had not happened?

Six-year-old Evdokia, sitting on the doorstep, plays with a grown-up kitten. - Unlike Russia, a cat, for lack of mice, catches lizards in the house. A red parrot flies by, but the girl accustomed to them does not pay attention to the bird. Evdokia speaks only Russian: until the age of seven, children are brought up in the village, in their home world, so that they memorize the language, and then they are allowed to go to school to learn Spanish. Mothers tell their children fairy tales that they pass from generation to generation: about Ivanushka the Fool, Emelya and the pike, the Little Humpbacked Horse. The settlers have practically no books, and where in the Bolivian wilderness you can get a collection of Russian fairy tales. Men speak Spanish without exception, but women do not. “Does the girl know how to speak Spaniard? - says Natalia's neighbor, burly Feodosia. "She will get married, the children will go there - you have to manage the housework and bake pies, and let the peasant plow himself in the field."
"You say it wrong, you wear a kokoshnik crookedly, you cook bad cabbage soup!"

AFTERNOON residents of Taboroche can be easily found in the field. They grow everything they can: corn, wheat, sunflowers. "Only that which you cannot plant does not grow in this land!" - jokes one of the bearded men, sitting astride a tractor. One of the Old Believers even last year was honored with an article in a local newspaper - he gathered the largest harvest of soybeans and ... pineapples. “There were those who saved up some money and went to see Russia,” Terenty says. They returned so wonderful - all with their eyes clap-clap. They say: in the villages of Siberia, people are starving and drinking vodka, but for some reason they cannot plow the land. I say: how can it be - how much earth is there, take it and grow bread, or is it INTO! Yes, they are too lazy, they say. What a misfortune, Lord - what did the Bolsheviks do with poor Russia! And it was also wonderful to him that everyone around him spoke Russian - he just couldn't believe it. We are accustomed here that if you ask a person what is on the street, he will answer in Spanish. I listened to him and I am also saving money for the trip - if God willing, I will definitely come in a couple of years ”.

Russian peasants go to Santa Cruz to sell what they have grown. Arriving, they settle in such hotels, so that there is no TV and radio (this is a sin), they take dishes with them - "their shtob does not become defiled." But no one leaves the countryside to live in the city. “I myself have six children,” says 40-year-old Terenty. - And in Santa Cruz there are many demonic temptations: nothing good will come of life there. Sons marry Bolivians, girls will marry Bolivians, but ethno in vain - they don't even know how to cross their foreheads like we do. ”

Bolivians, as well as other men and women, in principle, can marry residents of Russian villages, but on one condition - they should be baptized in the "Russian faith", dress, read and speak Russian. There were two such marriages in total, and both fell apart. The Bolivian girl who "went" for a Russian guy could not stand the constant clashes with her mother-in-law: you wear a kokoshnik crookedly, and you speak Russian incorrectly, you cook bad cabbage soup, and you pray to God without zeal. As a result, the young wife fled, and the husband, to the delight of his mother, went to Uruguay for the Russian bride. Another citizen of Bolivia (by the way, an Indian of the Aymara tribe), who married a Russian girl, was received in Taboroche with caution - “all black, like a Negro, as if the girl couldn't find a lighter one,” but later the whole village condemned his divorce from his wife: “ Avon, they already have five children - they are sitting on the benches, wiping snot. If you've made a drain, be patient, don't leave the woman with them. " But such "international" weddings are rare, which is why almost all the villagers of Taboroche have blue eyes, noses - potatoes, freckles all over their faces, and their hairs are brown or wheat-colored. Alcohol (even harmless beer) is strictly prohibited, and smoking is also prohibited: but for all the time in the village, not a single person drank or died of lung cancer. But the craving for civilization takes its toll - some peasants secretly keep small portable TVs under their beds, which, muffling the sound, watch at night. However, no one openly admits this. On Sunday, everyone must go to church and read the Bible with the children at home.

“Why be afraid of a black cobra? He kicked him in the head with a heel - and a skiff for her. "

ABOUT twenty families have recently moved to Bolivia from the USA. “It’s difficult for the Americans for the Russians,” explains former Alaska resident Eleutheriy, stroking his beard. - They have all the tacos built so that all the Americans are, they wash away us. Many of our children no longer speak Russian, although all baptized people wear embroidered shirts - it's just grief. So the syuds came so that the children would not start speaking American and would not forget God. "

None of the residents of Taboroche, who were born in Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay and hold national passports, consider these countries as their homeland. For them, their homeland is Russia, which they have never seen. “Well, I was born in Bolivia, well, I've been living here all my life, so what am I from this Bolivian? - Ivan is surprised. “I am a Russian person, a believer in Christ, and I will remain with him.” The settlers were not used to the stunning heat (in January in the Santa Cruz area plus 40 degrees): “What a horror! Standing in church for Christmas, you pray - the floor is so wet, sweat from everyone is still flowing. " But they ask with interest about the snow: what does it look like? How does it feel? You cannot convey what you feel when you explain to hereditary Siberians about snow and frost, and they look at you with round eyes and repeat: "Yes, it can't be!" Russian muzhiks no longer take any tropical diseases - among the very first settlers who drained the swamps in the jungles of Bolivia and Brazil, there were many deaths from yellow fever, and now, as residents phlegmatically say, “we don’t see the fever”. Only mosquitoes irritate, but they are fought with in the old fashioned way - they drive them away, fumigating them with smoke. Dangerous snakes, including the black cobra spitting venom, also crawl from the jungle to the village rubble. But Old Believers are easy to manage with them. “What about a snake? - Chrysanth, chewing mango, is bragging again secretly from his mother. - He kicked in the head with a heel - and a skiff for her. Ivan's wife, 18-year-old freckled beauty Zoya (her native village is in the state of Goias in Brazil), also speaks of poisonous reptiles with Olympic calmness: “The window in our hut was broken, and my aunt was too lazy to plug him up with a pillow - and so they say, it's hot ... So through that hole the cobra will jump to the floor at night! I slapped her on the head with the handle of a broom and killed her.

The settlers know little about modern political life in Russia (you can't watch TV, you won't get on the Internet - it's also a sin), but they heard about Beslan and served in the church a prayer service for the repose of the souls of "children killed by the murderers." They feel their homeland with their souls. The owner of the optical salon in the center of Santa Cruz, a former resident of the Kuban, Lyuba, told me how the settler Ignat came to her and she showed him a photo album about Russian nature published in Moscow. Not at all surprised, Ignat shrugged his shoulders and said: “Strange, but I've already seen it all. I dream of churches and fields all the time at night. And I also see my grandfather's village in my dreams ”.

... Recently, Russian colonists began to leave Taboroche - the rent of land has risen in price. “We are like gypsies,” laughs Theodosia. - Just a little, we are filming and going. " New land is rented to the south, across the river - it is cheaper there, and the grown corn is transported to Brazil. Forced to leave Russia for various reasons, these peasants built for themselves a new island of their old, familiar life in exotic Bolivia, creating here their own Rus with coconut palms and jaguars in the forest. They do not harbor any resentment or anger at their homeland, do not wish her any troubles, thereby radically differing from many modern Russian emigrants. Having preserved their identity, language and culture in the depths of the Bolivian jungle, these people remained truly Russian - both in character, and in language, and in style of thinking. And there is no doubt that these small islands of old Russia in Latin America will exist in a hundred and in two hundred years. Because people live there who are proud to be Russian.

MOST of all Russian villages in Brazil: about ten, about 7 thousand people live there. For the first time in South America, Russian settlers appeared in 1757, having founded a Cossack village in Argentina. In addition to the above countries, there are now Russian Old Believer settlements in Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay. Some of the settlers also left for Africa, creating Russian colonies in the Union of South Africa and Rhodesia. But the "white emigration" of 1917-1920 almost completely "eroded" - very few of the descendants of the 5 million (!) Noblemen who settled in Paris then bear Russian names and speak Russian: according to experts, this happened due to for the fact that the Russians in Paris lived "non-compact".

George ZOTOV, Taboroche - Santa Cruz
"Arguments and Facts" original with pictures here.