From the 16th century to the era of steam engines, the movement of river vessels up the river was carried out with the help of barge haulers. The Volga was the main transport artery of Russia. Tens of thousands of barge haulers pulled thousands of ships up the river.
In the North, barge haulers were also called yarygs. Or jagged. This word is formed from two: "yarilo" - "sun", and "ga" - "movement", "road".
Every spring, immediately after the ice drift through the villages on the banks of large rivers, to their lower reaches, wave after wave, artels of barge haulers passed, going to be hired to work.
The barge haulers had their own traditions. In certain places on the Volga, barge haulers initiated newcomers into the profession. These places - high steep banks - were called "Fried hillocks". There were about a dozen Fried Hillocks all over the Volga from Yaroslavl to Astrakhan.
“The barge haulers were often desperate people who had lost their economy, interest in life, lovers of travel and free air …”
When the ship passed the "Fried Bug" at Yuryevets-Povolzhsky, the burlak crew set up a berth. The newcomers lined up at the foot of the hillock. A pilot stood behind them with a strap in his hand. On command and under the shouts of seasoned barge haulers: "Fry him!" - the beginner ran along the slope to the top, and the pilot beat him on the back with a strap. Whoever runs up to the top faster will receive fewer hits. Having reached the top, the novice barge haule could consider himself baptized and entered the artel on equal terms.
Hierarchy
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The barge haulers were led by a senior, authoritative barge haule, who is also a water-carrier, responsible for contracts and contracts, and also taking responsibility for the safety of goods. He also had to monitor the technical condition of the vessel, eliminate leaks in time so as not to flood the barge and spoil the goods.
The next in the artel hierarchy behind the water-carrier was the pilot, he is "uncle", he is "bulatnik". His task was not to run the barge aground, to carry the goods through all dangerous places without incident.
The advanced barge haulers pulling the strap was called "bump", he was responsible for the well-coordinated work of the draft barge haulers. The procession was closed by two barge haulers, called "inert". If necessary, they climbed onto the masts of the vessel, controlled its sailing equipment, surveyed the road from a height.
There were indigenous barge haulers who were hired for the whole season, there were additional ones, taken to help when it was required. Often the straps were pulled by horses.
"Deadly" labor
The barge haulers' work was extremely hard and monotonous. Only a favorable wind facilitated the work (the sail was raised) and increased the speed of movement. Songs helped the barge haulers maintain the pace of movement. Perhaps the most famous of them is "Eh, club, hoot". Usually it was sung to coordinate the forces of the artel in the most difficult moments.
At short stops, the barge haulers darned worn-out shirts and changed into new bast shoes.
"The artel went further, on the shore there were smoldering embers of a fire, broken bast shoes and rotten onuchi, and sometimes roughly hewn grave crosses …"
Having hired an artel of barge haulers, the owner of the ship took away their residence permit. Burlak became bonded until the end of the route. Under the contract, he is obliged:
“To be with the owner in all obedience … It must go day and night with all kinds of haste, without the slightest delay … It's hardly light to work. No smoking on board. Do not know the thieves. From robbers, if such will attack, fight back, not sparing life."
Not only men went to barge haulers. "Need drove to the Volga-wet nurse and women, broken by the hopeless female share."
With the spread of steamships, the burlak labor disappeared completely.