Pomors

The Pomors (Russian: помо́ры, romanized: pomory, lit. 'seasiders', IPA: [pɐˈmorɨ]) are an ethnographic group traditionally thought to be descended from Russian settlers (primarily from Veliky Novgorod) living on the White Sea and the Barents Sea coasts and nearby regions, with their southern boundary marked by a watershed dividing the White Sea basin from river basins that drain southward. Modern ethnology distinguish the wide historical term Pomors, referring to the Russian population of the northern coasts, whose livelihood depended on traditional maritime activities, from modern self-identification, the status of which remains a subject of scholarly debate. They primarily live in the coastal areas of the Arkhangelsk Oblast. The Pomors are typically considered to be a subgroup of the Russian ethnos. They have historically played a significant role in the Russian development of Siberia. The Pomors engaged in sea mammal hunting, fishing, and trade as part of their livelihood.