| BeschreibungМезенские-коновалы 1890.jpg |
English: Mezen konovals (Russian: Коновалы, konovaly). Group portrait of professional horsemen (horse healers, trainers, stablemen, farriers) from the Mezen district of the Arkhangelsk region, Russia. Photo 1890 by Jakob Leizinger ( Лейцингер, Yakov Leuzinger, 1855–1914).
- (...) peasants of the 19th century! Mezen horsemen were a vanished profession of peasants in the Russian North. They worked as veterinarians and were all self-taught.
- In the northern villages, peasants always sought their help in treating animals, especially horses. This type of folk medicine was most prevalent in theMezen district of the Arkhangelsk region. It was from here that horsemen would set out on their annual journeys to the northern regions of Russia as soon as the field work was finished.
- Mezen horsemen had their distinctive guild sign in the form of a beautiful copper plate. This sign was attached to a bag containing their tools. Most often, the plate depicted a horse and several people pushing or leading the horse. According to data from 1907, approximately 270 individuals were engaged in this trade in the Mezen district. Horse treatment was carried out using herbs, remedies, and even spells. Most of the knowledge was passed down within families from father to son.
- The labor of Mezen horse healers was highly valued in villages, where the survival of domestic animals was a constant struggle. Horsemen always enjoyed respect and prestige among the peasants. This unique trade gradually disappeared in the 1920s with the establishment of veterinary services.
- (...) "Konovaly" is one of the oldest Russian professions that almost no one in the modern world remembers. However, mentions of them can often be found even in classic literature. Sholokhov describes them as follows: "He slept in the stable, in an empty stall, both winter and summer; no one handled horses better than him. He was both a stableman and a 'konoval': in spring, during May's blossoming, he would pick herbs, dig up healing roots in the steppe, dry ravines, and wet gullies."
- (...) In terms of their work, they were most similar to veterinary doctors. However, "konovaly" did not have specialized education; they were, so to speak, self-taught. They were mainly peasants who wandered through villages and individual nomadic gypsies. Their work was itinerant, which is why they moved around the country. Due to these characteristics, many considered "konovaly" more like fraudsters. V. Dahl even gave them a quite telling description: "Konoval, m. a simple, uneducated equine healer; gypsies and other idlers practice this trade."
- Many "konovaly" actively maintained the image of their profession. A typical set of tools in their bag included a knife, a sharpening stone, medicinal herbs, remedies, and the most astonishing item — a "magical" book with special incantations and spells.
- Moreover, the bag itself, which stored all the "konovaly" equipment, could impress unsuspecting peasants. The bag always had a well-crafted buckle, with even the finest details meticulously worked on. This, of course, added a certain charm to the workers. As for those "magical" books, in reality, they were collections containing prayers, folk spells, and the methods of cunning wise old women. Although some "konovaly" simply carried books in French to deceive illiterate peasants.
- Over time, many professions disappear due to their lack of utility. Some of these occupations remain in memory, like blacksmiths, while others vanish without a trace.
- However, not all "konovaly" were mere charlatans. Many of them still performed various duties, such as horseshoeing, and could substitute for builders, taking on almost any work. Nevertheless, their main task was transformation. It was the "konovaly" who turned colts into stallions, bulls into oxen, and so on. On average, they charged from 15 to 40 kopecks for a bull, 5 to 25 for a piglet, and 2 to 5 for a ram for such work.
Русский: Мезенские коновалы. 1890 г.Фото Я.И. Лейцингера. |
_from_Mezen_district_of_Arkhangelsk_region_Russia_Photo_Jakob_Leizinger_(Yakov_Leuzinger,_%D0%AF%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2_%D0%9B.jpg)
