Page 159 - Russian History Viewed through Distorted Mirrors, Vol. 1

Nicolai Levashov. Russian History Viewed through Distorted Mirrors. Vol. 1

sheep. In the course of time they learned to use the horse not only as food but also as
a pack animal, while sheep and cows were used only as a source of meat, leather and
milk. Riding astraddle and loading the horses up with their possessions, the inhabit-
ants of steppes migrated with their herds following the wild animals. Thus, the ap-
pearance of live-stock is a higher stage of adaptation in comparison to a simple pas-
sive type when man uses only what nature gives him. Though the nomadic life dif-
fered from the simple consumption of natural resources, it nevertheless, could not be
considered the active type of adaptation in full measure. Moreover, the developing of
the steppes did not allow man to turn to a really active type of adaptation. Here are
the reasons.

It is very cold in winter on the vast steppes of the Temperate Zone; most steppe
herbage dries out during this period of time and life is preserved only in their roots
and seeds; they come to life and thrive in the spring. Thus, when the domesticated
herbivores eat up all dry grass, they have nothing to do but wait for the young sprouts
in spring. The only way out of this situation is to create enormous fodder supplies for
them and to protect it from spoiling because of rain and snow till the next spring
when young green shoots appear. For this purpose it is necessary to build spacious
dry repositories for fodder and stables, calf-houses, etc. for the live-stock, and, cer-
tainly, houses for people. For this purpose trees and skills in wood-working are need-
ed which the steppe cattle-breeders just do not have. That is why man, as often hap-
pens, chose a much easier way — he began to migrate with his live-stock to the south
following wild animals for the period of cold times, thus greatly limiting the possibil-
ity for his active adaptation to the environmental conditions of the south part of the
Temperate Zone.

The clans of the white race which developed the coniferous, mixed and decidu-
ous forests and forest-steppes were often unable to move southward after the migrato-
ry animals and birds, because in the areas with sufficient and surplus moisture in the
Temperate Zone there are a lot of deep and full-flowing rivers, brooks, lakes and
swampy bogs, not to mention wind-fallen forest trees which seriously complicate mi-
gration – one cannot go far with all his possessions, even if he wants to do it very
much. Moreover, there is no sense in going there — cold weather makes the inhabit-
ants of steppes quickly go south, both wild species and the nomads’ domesticated
herds. Living conditions in the winter steppe are even worse than in the winter forest:
winds, chilling to the marrow, damp and cold weather, when it is almost impossible
to find anything to make a fire, and numerous wolf hordes from which there is no-
where to hide in the steppe give an almost zero chance of surviving to anyone who
will risk going south. The inhabitants of the forests and forest-steppes of the Tem-
perate Zone had no choice: in order to survive they must adapt themselves to live
permanently in one place.

In other words, they had to adapt or die of hunger and cold. In these kinds of liv-
ing conditions people were forcedly turned from the passive to the active type of
adaptation. Let us analyze in what ways this is manifested...

It is quite clear that just hunting, fishing and gathering is unable to provide
enough food for the winter period. In order to survive in the conditions of the forests

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