ANCIENT RUSSIAN ARCHERY

The AK-47 needs no introduction. Everyone knows it as a distinctly Russian modern weapon. But what of the more ancient weapons? Was there ever a typically Russian traditional bow? The answer to this question is as big and complex as Russia herself. On one hand, the research into Russia’s rich, vast territories is hampered by the scarcity and diffuseness of archaeological evidence, and by the almost complete lack of written histories. However, not all has been lost to time and the elements. Systematic study of Russia’s many peoples and geographies, reconstruction works, secondary accounts, and so on, can help build a picture. This article is a brief introduction to history, classification, development and construction materials of the ancient russian bow, focussing on the more prevalent nomadic composite bow type and the distinguishing features of the Russian archer’s equipment.

HISTORICAL NOTE

Both self-bows (longbow type and war bow), and composite recurves, were widely used across the Russian lands, for warfare, hunting and games. Asiatic laminated bow making technology was borrowed and used early on, and most likely came from the Eurasian nomads, known as the ‘Invaders of Europe’. But putting definite attributions and dates is problematic, because Eurasian nomads consisted of many ethnic groups and inhabited the entire region from modern day Bulgaria to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. These steppe nomads had domesticated