The
Russian Statnije By
K.D. Spurling (extract
from "The Kazan Trjasun")
The
very girth of the number of Russian pigeon races is great. At this writing,
the SouthEast European and Russian Breeds Club Of America acknowledges the
existence of 150 seperate races of Russian flying pigeons and is not meant
to include an additional assortment of peculiar voice and table breeds. As
so little is known in the West, or even within the larger cities in Russia
itself, about the pigeons kept in the remote areas of the great Russian
expanse, it is likely that what we know about the numbers of the Russian
breeds may be only a small minority. Flying
based breeds in Russia are subdivided down into a number of major groups
based according to their type, as well as based upon their style of flight
or their manner of performance. The four major groups are as follows: The
Turmani
races,
which include the Rzhevski Startail, the Smolensk Gratsch, the Orlov
Whites and others. The Turmani are easily identified by their delicate
structure, long wings carried beneath a long sweeping tail and squarish
heads with semi short blunt beaks. The
Tutcheresi races, which include the Nikolajevski, Charkovski,
Militopliski and
others. The Tutcheresi are identified by their Swift like structure,
but more easily and importantly
by their strange flying abilities which typically involve flying
straight up as if they were climbing a ladder, opposed to circling or
zig-zagging to gain
altitude. The
Boinije, or Bij, which
includes the Baku, Uzbekistanian, Tashkentian, Agaranski and other
assorted "Crack" type tumblers. The Boinije come in assorted
types with different ornamentations, but are easily identified by their
performance which involves heavy wing clapping that makes quite a
commotion (hence the term "Crack" or "Shooter") and
opposed to tumbling or rolling downwards like the Birmingham Roller, the
Boinije roll upwards and often executing column style performance (which
is called
Astanoifka), during which the birds gradually rise hundreds of feet
into the sky. Finally,
come the Statnije, which are the
subject of this particular chapter. A
literal translation of the term Statnije into English is "Stately
Pigeon", but terms such as "Carriage", "Stationing",
"Proud Standing" and "Posturing" (taken from the
German term, Positure) have been used to define the term. Any are correct, though
"Stately Pigeon" is an exact translation. The
Statnije, while primarily a product of Southern Russia, are cultured
throughout the Russian expanse and exceed fifty related, but distinct
races in number. The
characteristic features of the Statnije breeds include a proud and upright
carriage with a broad tail which is carried upright at varying angles.
Otherwise, these breeds differ in their sizes, lengths, colors, markings
and ornamentation. The
Statnije are subdivided down into three basic sub-varieties, as follows: Firstly,
the Vislokrilije (meaning hanging
wings) with a long back, the wings carried below the tail which is
broad and elevated at an angle of 20 to 30 degrees, with the head placed
well forward of the
feet. The Vislokrilije lack a shaking neck. Secondly,
the Trjasuni (meaning shakers) with a short back, the wings carried below the tail which
is broad
and elevated at an angle of 45 to 70 degrees, with the back of the head
carried in a direct line over the feet. The Trjasuni shake their neck
while they are standing in a solid stance. Thirdly,
the Katschuni (meaning swingers) with a very short back, the wings carried below the tail
which is broad and elevated at an angle of 75 degrees or more, with the
juncture of the beak and head carried in a direct line over the feet. The
Katschuni shake their necks violently, especially while walking. Despite the extremeness of type and the fact that the Statnije have been heavily idealized as exhibition pigeons outside of Russia, technically, and from a historical standpoint, all but a few of the Statnije breeds are performing tumblers and still retain this ability.
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