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Filin P. Koch, a Ship of Polar Sailors of the 17th Century. Design Features

Pavel Filin
Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
Arctic Museum and Exhibition Center
Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0002-3965-6694
E-mail: pfilin1975@gmail.com

 

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АBSTRACT. The article analyzes the latest data on the 17th century Russian polar ship Koch. Based on the identified archival sources in Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (collection of the Yakutskaya Prikaznaya Izba) and new data obtained during archaeological work at the Mangazeya settlement, an attempt is made to present the most important facts about what the koch was at a new level of comprehension. The most important technological feature of the koch, which distinguishes it from Western European types of vessels, is the large–scale stitching (sewing) of planks with the help of vitsa (wood fibers). The standard sizes of the koches were identified, which depended on their purpose and place of operation. Despite the obvious archaic nature of ships, their unpretentiousness and ability to overcome portages became the decisive reasons why in the 17th century the entire territory of the Arctic was gradually traversed along rivers and the Arctic Ocean with access to the Pacific Ocean.

 

KEYWORDS: Koch, polar ship, Mangazeya, Arctic, Siberia, Far East, traditional shipbuilding, traditional technologies, historical experiment

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8619-2022-2(16)-209-224
УДК 629.12:930

 

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