Kira Stoletova
Nowadays, pigeons are associated with beauty and are valued for their appearance. But not so long ago, people used them to convey information to each other. Can you imagine anything more romantic than receiving a letter sent with a winged one? The article just talks about what pigeon mail is and how it works.
History
The Old Testament testifies that pigeon mail existed even then. It was the dove that was released by Noah, and he was confident of his return. Later, this method of transmitting information spread to countries such as China and Greece. And in 1167, the first state pigeon post appeared in Egypt, for which it was ordered to build many special towers. Information was transmitted only in this way. The first breeds of carrier pigeons were Bagdets, Skanderuns and Quarries.
If we talk about the appearance of such a means of communication in Russia, then the beginning was laid by wars. Princess Olga, wishing to avenge her husband's death, took tribute from the Drevlyans with doves and sparrows. The opponents happily agreed, and she ordered to tie dry branches to the paws of birds and set them on fire. Knowing that every pigeon would return home, she was able to destroy an entire settlement of enemies.
More romantic information about the first love letters from the monasteries to their beloved still inspires refined natures to such actions.
Later, with the help of pigeon mail, they established communication between states. There was no other means of communication over long distances.
Operating principle
So how does pigeon mail work?
The pigeon has an instinct to return home, in addition, the birds are very hardy and can fly hundreds of kilometers. The maximum flight speed is 70 km / h. The birds are also perfectly oriented on the terrain and easily find their way back to the nest.
Facts indicate that birds have:
- acute vision;
- phenomenal memory, with the help of which the bird memorizes a route based on visual perception.
Only certain breeds are used to convey information. It is easy to distinguish them from others by their size (they are larger than their counterparts) and a massive beak. The peculiarities of the appearance of the post office are clearly visible in the photo. A carrier pigeon must be trainable, tough and able to fly quickly.
Postal birds are capable of flying about 1100 km. Among many breeds, the German, Russian, Belgian and Hungarian are distinguished. Any of them is capable of working in a pigeon mail until 20 years old.
How is it going? The note is sealed in a capsule and attached to the bird's leg. Watching for predators such as the hawk, two pigeons are often sent at once with similar messages.
This form of communication existed even before the advent of the telephone and the Internet, but pigeon mail continues to be used today.
Training
It is important to understand that not every pigeon is capable of this. Yes, birds are also all different: there are capable and not very, fast and lazy.
As soon as the chick learns to fly by the third week of life, its training begins immediately. The first days of the winged are allowed to fly only under the supervision of an experienced adult male, who returns home without problems. At first, training takes place at a close distance from the habitat.
Feeding immediately after the flight can stimulate the subsequent return home. You also need to solve the problem with the selection of a partner, otherwise there is a risk that the bird will choose itself and fly away to him.
The British distinguished themselves with an original idea: to transmit notes with the help of birds during traffic jams.
In general, no matter how much progress the modern world has reached, every woman in her soul will desire beautiful romantic actions and exquisite gestures of attention. Delivering a love message in such an ancient and original way is one of the most effective ways to win the heart of your beloved.
The history of pigeons is inextricably linked with the history of pigeon mail. The inherent ability of pigeons to return home to their favorite nest began to be used in the era of antiquity. Ancient people began to use them for military and commercial purposes. With the help of them, the names of the winners of the Olympic Games were announced. Later they were of great help in the siege of Haarlem and Leiden.
In the 19th century, pigeon mail became popular with brokers and financiers. The carrier pigeon is credited with enriching the Rothschilds. Thanks to him, Nathan Rothschild learned in advance about the outcome of the Battle of Waterloo and conducted a securities campaign. Also, with the help of pigeons, a military communications system was organized in Java and Sumatra.
During the siege of Paris, carrier pigeons delivered over a million micro letters and thumbnails. A special hall was even equipped in Paris. It decoded these letters, carried by pigeons in waterproof capsules. The Germans sent hawks to fight pigeon mail. After that, a monument to the pigeon was built. Further, this type of mail became even more widespread in the military sphere.
In 1895, experiments were carried out in the Atlantic Ocean. They showed that trained individuals can cover a distance of 800 versts. Later, the experiments were repeated by Captain Renault. His pigeon flew 3000 versts. And the issue of arranging pigeon mails for ocean-going ships was resolved.
At long distances before release, the pigeons are thrown grains and water into the basket. The release site must be elevated and open. After opening the basket, you must leave so as not to scare the bird. For the development of orientation and muscle mass, pigeons are kept free. Flying around, they gaze at the house at different times of the year.
The Great Barrier Island Blueprint Service in New Zealand has played an important role in history. It connected the largest city, Auckland, with the islands and smaller cities. Each pigeon carried up to five messages. The record holder was a pigeon that flew the distance from Great Barrier Island to Auckland in 50 minutes. Its speed averaged 125 km / h. Due to this, he received the nickname Velocity, which means speed.
Then, in 1898, golubegram postage stamps began to be issued. They are considered the world's first airmail signs. The very first stamp for the Great Barrier - Auckland line was issued in 1800 copies. The following year, triangular stamps were issued in the same direction: blue - in denominations of 6 pence and red - in denominations of 1 shilling. An individual postage stamp was created to communicate with the Marotiri archipelago. However, in 1908, after the cable was laid, the pigeon post office was closed.
Pigeons were also widely used during the First World War, and then the second. In the twentieth century, it was used by reporters for the Reuters newspaper. The birds brought letters even faster than the car, which could get stuck in traffic. It was also used by "Kurortnaya Gazeta" in Yalta.
Pigeon mail is considered by many to be an outdated fashion. In vain. The unique instinct of pigeons, known in science as "homing", made these birds indispensable for humans in ancient times, and lightweight memory cards turned them into the most effective postmen.
Origins
Domestic pigeons evolved from the wild rock (rock) pigeon that still lives in southern Europe, North Africa and South Asia, nests on rocks and high steep banks. One of the earliest messages about pigeon mail can be found in the Old Testament. Noah releases a dove from the ark and awaits its return. And the dove does indeed return with an olive branch in its beak - a sign that the earth has become habitable again.
Pigeon mail was known in Ancient China, Greece, Egypt. The Roman historian and naturalist Pliny the Elder described how the commandant of the besieged Mutina Decius Brutus in 43 BC managed to notify the consul Girtius of the attack on the city, and he arrived in time with troops to rescue. During the Gallic War, Caesar exchanged messages with his supporters in Rome using carrier pigeons.
Price information
As we can see, a special impetus to the development of pigeon mail was given by military operations, which, without stopping, have been going on on earth since ancient times. War is a time when the fate of cities, armies, and even entire nations depends on accurate and timely information. The Egyptian Sultan Nur ad-Din paid 1000 denarii for a pair of good carrier pigeons. He is also considered the creator of the first official postal service - a network of "pigeon towers" throughout Syria and Egypt. The sultan's efforts bore fruit: the news of the sudden seizure of the port of Damietta by the army of the French king Louis Saint in 1249 was conveyed to the Egyptian sultan Najm ad-Din also with the help of pigeons. This allowed the Muslims to quickly counterattack and defeat the Crusader King.
But pigeons helped not only to win wars. The famous merchant Nathan Rothschild owes his huge fortune to pigeons. During the Napoleonic Wars, he sent his agents after the French army, whom he supplied with trained carrier pigeons. While Napoleon was gaining victories, English securities fell sharply in value. But after the defeat of Napoleon's army at Waterloo, the value of these securities rose sharply. Thanks to pigeon mail, Rothschild learned about this earlier than other merchants and bought the paper at a low price.
Pigeon postal lines
No post can be official without its main attribute - a postage stamp. The birthplace of the first stamp for pigeon mail is considered to be Great Barrier Island off the coast of New Zealand. Communication with the islands was difficult, it was still impossible to carry a telegraph there, radio communication did not exist at that time. Only the birds remained, and in 1890 the idea arose of using pigeons for communication. The birds coped with the task so efficiently that in 1896 official and regular postal lines opened between Auckland - New Zealand's largest city - and the Barrier Reef Islands.
"Haming"
What makes the pigeons fly home, despite all the obstacles? In the scientific literature, this ability is called "homing" - the instinct to return home. Even today, scientists cannot fully explain the mechanism that allows pigeons to accurately determine the direction of flight, from many cities to find the right one, from thousands of similar houses to determine one and from hundreds of windows to find their own. The pigeon's brain is developed to such an extent that it can be called a natural computer.
This computer is capable of processing and storing huge amounts of information. Pigeons collect it, using all their senses. Most of the volume of his skull is occupied by the eyes. They are designed in such a way that they remember only the necessary information, cutting off all unnecessary ones. Pigeons have very keen eyesight combined with excellent memory. This allows them to form a route based on visual impressions.
In addition, nature has endowed pigeons with a special "internal magnet". It is located at the base of the beak and is called the "magnetic receptor system". With its help, the newly hatched chick determines and remembers the level of magnetic tension near its nest. And he will never forget this information.
In addition to the magnetic “navigator”, the pigeon also has an infrasonic “sensor” that allows it to detect vibrations below 10 hertz! In this way, pigeons learn about impending storms, changes in weather and the direction of the wind. Modern researchers also suggest that pigeons are capable of smelling (although most birds have a rather weak sense of smell).
And finally, over the long years of life side by side with man, birds have learned to use his roads. Since ancient Roman times, carrier pigeons in Italy have flown from Rome to the north and back along the Via Aurelia, an old coastal route that connected the Eternal City with Gaul (present-day France) in 241 BC. Italian scientists have found that modern birds also follow this route. The ancient road has become a landmark for thousands of generations of carrier pigeons. How they pass this information to their descendants is still a mystery.
Training
But don't expect the pigeon to obediently deliver your messages from the moment it gets on the wing. Sometimes learning is quite time consuming. And of course, among the pigeons there are more responsible and capable of postal work, and there are also lazy people - everything is like people!
As soon as the chicks begin to fly confidently enough, that is, approximately in the third week of their life, they are released into free flight, accompanied by an experienced leader. This will ensure they get home. From the many chicks flying around the nest, an experienced pigeon breeder must choose a few of the most quick-witted, best navigating the terrain. He will train them further, individually.
The selected pigeons are gradually taken away from the house and released. In the first year, pigeons are not trained over a distance of 320 kilometers. The first flights also need good weather. In order not to discourage the birds from returning, the pigeon house must catch them very carefully. And finally, it is always more pleasant to return to where they are waiting for you. Therefore, it is important for carrier pigeons to choose a spouse. Otherwise, they can find themselves a mate in another place and leave their native nest. But the pigeons "steamed", as the pigeons say, that is, they find themselves a partner, once and for life! Indeed, marriages that are made in heaven.
Pigeon mail today
There are many reliable and fast means of communication these days: the Internet, mobile networks, telephone lines, airmail, after all. Is there a place for the carrier pigeon left in our lives now?
For many people, pigeon mail is a tradition that they want and do not see the need to part with. One of these traditions has existed since antiquity. The ancient Greeks announced the victories of the Olympians by sending carrier pigeons to large cities. In 1996, following the ancient example of the Greeks, Slovakia sent out its “dovegrams” in honor of the Atlanta Olympics. They were provided with commemorative stamps. In the homeland of pigeon mail, New Zealand, pigeons fly annually along the well-trodden route between Auckland and the Barrier Reef Islands.
In addition, there are sports competitions, the so-called "olympiads" of pigeons. A sports carrier pigeon is a bundle of muscles enclosed in a perfect, streamlined body. He differs from his usual gray-haired fellow, as a professional athlete from an ordinary fan. Every year the International Union of Pigeon Mail organizes special bird competitions.
Faster, cheaper, more efficient
But all this does not mean at all that pigeon mail has lost its practical purpose. In some conditions, pigeons can be much more reliable than a telephone cable, which can be cut. For example, in the 20th century, during the First and Second World Wars, they were successfully used by both the military and journalists. Pigeons were especially effective at short distances, to transmit urgent news or dispatches.
In a peaceful life, pigeons will also give odds even to airmail. At the end of the 20th century, an experiment was conducted in the Baltics: who will deliver the letter to the addressee faster - an airplane, ground mail or a dove? To the surprise of the researchers, the pigeon was the first to cope with this task, ahead of all modern means of communication. At present, pigeon mail has been preserved in Switzerland and Cuba, but pigeons are used for practical purposes in other countries. In Holland, pigeons still save lives - they deliver test tubes with donated blood to hospitals. It turned out to be faster and cheaper than delivery by car. In Belgium, pigeons carry classified information on special chips - tiny in size, but capable of containing the entire text of the Bible!
The emergence of modern storage media will not shorten, but, on the contrary, prolong the life of pigeon mail. Chips and memory cards weigh much less than the old notes, and they hold much more information. It is not always safe to transmit it via the Internet, and the pigeon can quickly deliver it to the addressee. Unlike a courier, you can always rely on him: he is not subject to the so-called "human factors", he will not be bribed by competitors. The main thing is to feed it properly, and you will have your own small supercomputer, created by nature and polished by man.
Pigeon breeding has a long history. It is believed that the first pigeon tamed by man was a wild dove. This happened over 5000 years ago. The wild pigeon at that time lived in South Asia, the Caucasus, the South Urals, North Africa, the Crimea, Altai and along the Mediterranean coast.
Ancient sources indicate that pigeons were bred in ancient Egypt.
At first, people used pigeons as food. Often they were also sacrificed during religious rites. There are even references to this in the Bible. But during witchcraft, as evidenced by various historical sources, pigeons were also used.
Later, people noticed the ability of pigeons to return to their native places, to their nest. Even in the chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years", the ability of pigeons to return to their homes was described. As a result, pigeons began to be used as postmen.
Since ancient times, pigeon mail has been used by the Chinese, Scythians, Armenians, Persians, Slavic tribes and many others. To preserve the secrecy of writing, many of these peoples used text coding. At that time, pigeons were used to transmit messages mainly over long distances. With the help of pigeons, communication was also carried out between the caravans - sending and receiving information. Such caravan routes passed through the territory of Ancient Egypt and Asia Minor.
In ancient Greece, pigeons were used to transmit messages from places of hostilities. Pigeons also brought news of victories at the Olympic Games.
It is known that the businessman Rothschild learned about the defeat of Napoleon's army at Waterloo through pigeon mail. He decided to spread misinformation, thus provoking panic on the stock exchange. Subsequently, he bought the shares, which, thanks to this message, fell in value. After some time, Rothschild became the richest man in Great Britain.
In the XIX century. pigeons were used as postmen in many countries, including France, Belgium and England. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), these birds provided invaluable assistance - thanks to them, people received more than 150,000 blue grams.
Carrier pigeons at that time were highly valued, their cost rivaled that of a racehorse.
Russian pigeon breeding also has a long history. For the first time, the Russian trumpet-drummer was mentioned in 1555 in the works of the zoologist Konrad Gessner. In many literary works of the XVI century. contains information about the Yaroslavl summer pure breeds.
In Kievan Rus, pigeons were used to communicate with troops located at great distances from each other during the war, and in peacetime, pigeons transmitted messages between posts on the border.
In Russia, much attention was paid to pigeon hunting, which was carried out mainly by landowners and nobles. All Russian nobility contained dovecotes. This was considered one of the signs of wealth and well-being.
Pigeon breeding was actively developed during the reign of Catherine the Great. There is a known case when she was presented with a pair of pigeons of the breed of gray turmans. Gifts like these were very much appreciated at the time.
Count A.G. Orlov from the village of Ostrov near Moscow made a great contribution to the development of Russian pigeon breeding. Oryol short-billed turmans occupy an honorable place in the history of pigeon breeding. Also known at that time were pigeons from the Nizovaya estate, located near Kazan. The serf pigeon breeders of Count A.G. Orlov bred several new breeds of pigeons, including the Count Turmans, Bearduns, Circumstances, and Motley Pigs.
The city of Rzhev also had its famous pigeon breeders, one of them is Sidorov. In his collection of pigeons were Rzhev ribbon.
A.P. Batalin's collection contained Moscow gray turmans, which were bred in the second half of the 19th century. Around the same time, Russian pigeon breeds became known in many countries of the world.
The first book in Russia, which provided information about pigeons, was "Instruction on the breeding and keeping of pigeons" by V. Zimmerman, published in 1854. In the same year, Prince N. S. Golitsyn created a postal pigeon connection from Moscow him the village of Sima, located in the Moscow province. The length of this line was 90 versts.
In the second half of the XIX century. a special commission for pigeon breeding was formed at Moscow University. Thanks to her activities, competitions and exhibitions of carrier pigeons were held in the capital.
In 1874, on the initiative of the Russian General Staff, a society was created to breed and maintain carrier pigeons. Subsequently, a network of pigeon-post stations was organized.
The next book about pigeons in Russian was published in 1877 and was published in Warsaw. Its author was A.I. Westenrik, it was called "Carrier Pigeon". In his book, A.I. Westenrik considered in detail all the points related to breeding, maintenance and organization of postal pigeon communication. He also issued the Decree of the Columbia Pigeon Society. At this time, in many cities of Russia, including Moscow, interest in pigeons, both ordinary and postal, began to grow.
In the middle of the XIX century. the first state pigeon nursery was created at Moscow University. N. A. Severtsev and K. F. Rulier were involved in its development. Since 1878, lectures on carrier pigeons began to be delivered at Moscow State University. Information about them was published in the journal "Nature and Hunting".
In 1890, the first Russian pigeon sport society was created.
A year later, at the initiative of the military department, the post-pigeon communication between Moscow and St. Petersburg began to be used at the Petersburg station of carrier pigeons. Russian Emperor Alexander III took part in the opening of the first pigeon station in Moscow, which was located on the Khodynskoye field.
After this project, which proved to be successful, pigeon communication began to be applied between the various military districts located on the western and southern borders. Thanks to this, the breeding of pigeons has become more widespread.
On May 17, 1897, an exhibition of pigeons was held in the Moscow Zoological Garden. This exhibition was hosted by the renowned ornithological department of the Society for Animal Acclimatization.
In the XVIII and XIX centuries. in Russian pigeon breeding, birds with good racing properties were most valued. In the first place were such qualities as duration, altitude and beauty of flight. Later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the development of modern communications, the decorative qualities of pigeons came to the fore. All this led to an increase in the role of exhibitions and competitions of pigeons, which began to be held regularly. The first pigeon competition was held on October 30, 1877. Moscow gray turmans also took part in it.
At this time, Russian pigeon breeders were engaged in breeding their own domestic breeds and acquired the most famous and valuable foreign breeds, which were also used for breeding.
In 1890, the first pigeon sports society was created in Kiev. The pigeon breeders of this society did a great job related to the organization, preparation and holding of competitions between carrier pigeons. In the first year of its existence, the pigeon sports society organized 2 pigeon competitions:
›277 pigeons took part in the 1st competition (200 miles);
›109 pigeons took part in the 2nd competition (400 miles).
Later, the Russian Society of Pigeon Sports was formed, which was engaged in organizing breeding work, special training pigeons for long-distance flights and evaluating the results of competitions between pigeons.
In 1893, the charter of the Russian Society of Pigeon Sports was developed, as well as the rules for holding competitions between pigeons. Various information about pigeons could be obtained from the journal "Bulletin of pigeon sport", which was published most actively in the same 1893.
Three years later, two books dedicated to these birds were published at once: a collection of articles about pigeons "Pigeon hunter" by VM Paltsev and the manual "Pigeon-pigeon sport" by I. Bungartz.
During this period, due to increased attention to decorative pigeons, interest in circus pigeons slightly decreased. Despite this, new flying breeds appeared. Among them are Odessa, Bessarabian two-chuba, Staroufimskaya, Nikolaevskaya.
Much attention was paid to improving the already existing breeds of pigeons, including short-billed turmans.
In general, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. a lot of methodological literature was published on pigeons, their maintenance and breeding. From that moment on, there was another powerful impetus in the cultural development of pigeon breeding: breeders began to write articles in magazines, in which they shared their experiences. Articles about pigeon breeding were published in many popular magazines, for example, in “Bulletin of poultry farming”, “Rational poultry farming and animal husbandry”, “Nature and hunting”, “Poultry farming”, “International poultry magazine”, “Russian pigeon breeding”, “Our poultry life” ...
Many books have been written about pigeons, among which the following can be noted:
›“ Pigeon breeding as a branch of agriculture ”, author V. P. Goncharov;
In the first decade of the XX century. the Russian Agricultural Poultry Society was actively developing, its branches were located in many cities and provinces of Russia. By 1910 there were about 43 of them. Work in these departments was aimed at sharing experience between pigeon breeders, holding exhibitions, organizing competitions, improving existing breeds and creating new breeds of pigeons.
Subsequently, legislative acts related to pigeon breeding were developed. At the All-Russian Congress of the Agricultural Poultry Society, it was decided to consider pigeon breeding as one of the (equal) poultry industries, to use the rights and obligations assigned by law along with other branches of poultry farming. It was also decided to support the popularity of pigeon breeding in Russian cities. In addition, it was decided to toughen the punishment for the appropriation of other people's pigeons.
Despite the development of the telegraph, post office, telephone lines, at the beginning of the XX century. continued to use pigeon mail. As a rule, secret messages were transmitted in this way. In this regard, after the revolution, the Soviet government began active persecution of all pigeon breeders, suspecting them of espionage. Breeders had to keep a record of birds and hand over pigeons to the state. In order to prevent the transmission of important information, a huge number of pigeons were destroyed. Many people who refused to hand over the birds and tried to save them were arrested.
The First World War suspended the development of Russian pigeon breeding, which at that time suffered heavy losses. Despite this, during the war years, pigeons were often the only means of communication between troops. In 1920, a commission was created to develop a strategic communications plan in Russia. A report was read out on "the need to develop a strategic plan for the republic's military communications." This report included a section proposing "to clarify the locations of pigeon communication stations."
Despite unexpected government support, the number of pigeons was dwindling. The enemy, destroying people, also killed birds. As a result, many breeds of pigeons were destroyed, for example, the Karachevskiy black-piebald pigeon.
A pigeon of this breed was bred in the city of Karachev, which was located between Bryansk and Orel. Karachev's pigeon breeders were known in many cities of Russia. Whole dynasties of pigeon breeders lived in Karachev. The most popular pigeons in this city were the black-and-piebald hairless, red-piebald ribbon and white Orlov.
During the war, the Nazis ordered to destroy all the pigeons of the city of Karachev, and they failed to save the Karachev breed.
The pigeons of the city of Oryol, fortunately, managed to avoid a similar fate. During the war, the Germans selected the best representatives of various breeds of pigeons in order to take them to Germany. To care for the birds during transportation, they recruited local pigeon breeders. The famous pigeon breeder Mysnikov managed to get to the pigeons and free some of them by handing them over to his colleagues.
People hid pigeons in vegetable gardens, where special holes were dug, lined with boards. From above, these pits were covered with snow and sod so that the birds would not be heard. Thanks to this, it was possible to save some breeds of pigeons.
But since 1925, pigeon breeding has revived again. This was due to the organization of the postal pigeon breeding subsection at the Central Council of Osoaviakhim. New branches of this subsection were created in 1928–1930. in Leningrad, Rostov-on-Don, Kiev. Homing pigeons began to be used in the interests of defense and the national economy.
When breeding pigeons in the post-war period, pigeon breeders used the same breeding, care and training methods that were used in the pre-war period.
In 1925, a unified pigeon sports center and a pigeon sports section of the USSR were created. Similar sections were also founded in Moscow, Yaroslavl, Rostov-on-Don, Leningrad, Kharkov, Nikolaev, Kiev, Smolensk, Saratov, etc. In the same year, the magazine "Golubevodstvo" began to be published again.
In 1929, uniform rules for the competition of carrier pigeons were approved. The prize in these competitions was awarded for record speed and range. In the competitions arranged for sports pigeons, the following standards were adopted:
›The minimum distance of the competition was 300 km, the maximum time to cover this distance was 6 hours;
›For a distance of 500 km, the time was determined at 11:30;
›For a distance of 700 km - 20 hours;
›For a distance of 1000 km - 35 hours.
Around the same time, competitions began, where pigeon breeders presented the best representatives of carrier pigeons. During the competition, speed records of pigeons were recorded. The pigeon of the Moscow pigeon breeder V.V. Domashnev took part in competitions at a distance of 537 km and showed a record speed for that time - 86 km / h. The pigeon flew the indicated distance in 6 hours 8 minutes.
Now pigeons used for communication between cities are capable of speeds of over 100 km / h.
In the late 1920s - early 1930s. books on pigeon breeding began to be actively published. Among them are the following:
›" A short guide for fans of post pigeon breeding "by K. Kupreev, 1927;
›" How to work with the YUDO circle on post pigeon breeding ", by A. Andreev, 1934
During the Great Patriotic War, due to hunger, most of the pigeons were destroyed. Only carrier pigeons remained, with the help of which various messages were transmitted. During the war, more than 15,000 bluegrams were received.
Carrier pigeons were especially actively used in the defense of Moscow. Special pigeon stations were created. With the help of pigeons on them, messages were transmitted to reconnaissance groups in the rear of the enemy.
Pigeon breeders tried to preserve pigeons, and in some cases, even in single specimens, many pigeon breeds were saved. However, for this, people at that difficult time had to literally share the last crumbs of bread with their pets.
A great contribution to the development of pigeon breeding in Russia was made by the Ostankino nursery of Moscow State University and, in particular, by Professor V.F. Larionov. Thanks to their work, a large number of breeding birds have survived.
After the end of the war, Russian pigeon breeding regained its strength. Domestic pigeons throughout the country searched for the remaining pigeons, which they began to re-breed.
Pigeon mail was now used much less frequently, as new technical means began to be widely used. Competitions were held between carrier pigeons and they began to be called not carrier pigeons, but sports ones.
Subsequently, pigeon breeders began to be divided into groups that were created taking into account the various breeds of pigeons. Each group was engaged in breeding a certain breed.
Pigeons began to be shown on the ground (exhibitions, olympiads, competitions), in the air (rut for the duration of the flight and its height, competitions for the time of returning from the point of release to their dovecote).
In 1930 there was a large flood of the Amur River. Pigeons of the Khabarovsk post station transmitted messages from nearby villages and villages and for some time were the only means of communication for this area.
In 1935, in the Ryazan region, pigeon communication was used with field brigades of serviced collective farms.
In the 50s. XX century in many cities of Russia, clubs and sections for breeding pigeons began to be created again. By the decision of the MGK Komsomol in 1956, 17 pigeon breeders' clubs were registered in Moscow. They did a great job and a year later, on July 28, 1957, during the opening of the Moscow World Festival of Youth and Students, about 34,000 pigeons (according to the number of participants) were released into the sky. Doves have become the personification of the symbol of peace and friendship of the peoples of the world.
Since then, not a single festival, not a single Olympiad has been held without the participation of pigeons.
Pigeon breeding clubs of Ukraine have made a great contribution to the development of pigeon breeding. They bred such breeds of pigeons as:
›Kiev light;
›Melitopol;
›Vinnytsia colored;
›Khmelnytsky brown;
›Crimean colored;
›Luhansk;
›Odessa turmans;
›Kryukovskie;
›Donetsk;
›Nikolaev cloud cutters;
›Kremenchug;
›Poltava;
›Kerch;
›Kharkov;
›Nezhinsky;
›Ochakovskie.
Since 1951, the journal "Ptitsevodstvo" began to appear in Russia, in which many articles were devoted to pigeon breeding.
On November 17, 1962, the Pigeon Breeders Club was founded. He was at the Moscow City Society for Nature Conservation. It consisted of 13 regional offices. Now there are about 27 of them, and the club itself has more than 3000 members.
Also, the club maintains intercity relations, and at present, contacts have been established with more than 60 clubs of pigeon breeders in various cities.
Since 1960, pigeon breeders' clubs have been actively working to create new breeds of pigeons and improve existing ones. Communication between cities with the help of carrier pigeons is already carried out throughout Russia.
In 1966 the International Congress of Poultry Breeders was held in Kiev, which had a great influence on the development of pigeon breeding. The demonstration included valuable collections of pigeons. The leading pigeon breeders from Moscow and Ukraine took part in the congress. The congress was attended by foreign pigeon lovers who were impressed by the variety of breeds of Russian pigeons.
In the 70s. in many cities of Russia, including Moscow, regular exhibitions of pigeons were held.
In 1971 the book "Golubevodstvo" was published, the authors of which were N. A. Vasiliev and N. S. Derkach.
In 1974, a section of sports and postal pigeon breeding was created, which was located at the Ukrainian Society for the Conservation of Nature.
A year later, an exhibition of pigeons was held in the fourth pavilion of the Sokolniki Park (Moscow). Pigeon breeders from 36 cities of Russia took part in this exhibition.
In December 1975, the International Exhibition "Intergolub-75" was held in Budapest. This was the first international exhibition in which pigeons from Russia took part. Russian pigeons received 3 international prizes, 20 exhibition prizes and 47 diplomas.
In 1977, a book by S. Krylov was published, which was called "The Pigeons of the Kuban".
The Krasnodar Regional Club of Pigeon Breeders took part in many international and national exhibitions of pigeons. In 1980 in Brno (Czechoslovakia) the exhibition "Intergolub-80" was held. To participate in it, the Krasnodar club presented an excellent collection of pigeons of various breeds. This collection was a huge success. The highest award of this exhibition - “International Winner” - was given to the dove V. A. Romanov of the Volga Ribbon breed.
In 1981, the Krasnodar Regional Pigeon Breeders Club in Sochi held an exhibition of pigeons, in which birds of pigeon breeding clubs from 21 cities of the Soviet Union, as well as pigeon breeders from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Poland and Romania participated.
In 1982, the exhibition "Intergolub-82" was held in Budapest. Russian clubs of pigeon breeders also took part in it. The exhibition featured 2 collections of pigeons, each of which consisted of 200 birds.
In the USSR, a lot of people were engaged in pigeon breeding. At the republican, regional and city organizations of the society of poultry farmers, a large number of pigeon breeding clubs were created.
In order to unite the work of pigeon breeding sections and clubs in 1984, the All-Union Association of Pigeon Sports was organized, which was engaged in organizing competitions and exhibitions of various breeds of pigeons. In addition, it was they who supervised the preparation of the mass release of pigeons into the sky at the Olympiads and festivals, including the XXII Olympic Games. As already mentioned, pigeons were first released into the sky at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Subsequently, pigeons were also released at the XII World Festival of Youth and Students in 1985, at the Goodwill Games (1986) and at the First World Youth Games (1988).
In 1984, the All-Union Association of Pigeon Sports (VOGS) was created. The decision to establish it was made at the All-Union Conference of representatives of Russian pigeon breeders, with the assistance of the Ornithological Society of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
In 1989, the All-Union Association of Pigeon Sports (VOGS) and the Federation Colombophile Internationale - FCI, existing in Belgium, merged. Now FCI includes organizations of pigeon breeders from Australia and 42 countries of Europe, America, Africa, Asia. In the same 1989, the participation of Russian pigeon clubs in the XXI International Olympiad of sports pigeons, held in Poland (Katowice), took place.
In 1990, domestic pigeon-breeding clubs took part in the XIV Spartakiad of the socialist countries, held in the city of Subbotitsa in Yugoslavia, where they received the 6th place cup in Europe. In the same year, Russia's sports pigeon breeding celebrated its 100th anniversary.
1991 - XXII International Olympiad for sports pigeons was held in Italy (Verona), Russia took 5th place in the "Sport" class and 5th, 6th and 10th places in the "Standard" class.
1993 - XXIII International Olympiad of sports pigeons was held in Spain (Las Palmas, Canary Islands). Russian pigeons took 10th place in the Sport class. In the same year, the 1st International Marine Championship of Young Pigeons was held there.
In 1993, the All-Union Association of Pigeon Sports (VOGS) was expelled from the Federation Colombophile Internationale - FCI. This happened due to the collapse of the USSR. VOGS became the Union of Sports Pigeon Lovers (SLSG). A year later, SLSG was admitted to the membership of the International Five Continent Homing Pigeon Federation (IFCHPF, Taiwan). In addition, in the same year, domestic pigeon clubs took part in the VI Bavarian forest races of young pigeons, in which they took:
›In preliminary flights - 1st, 5th, 21st, 35th, 43rd, 50th places, etc .;
›In the Grand Prix (420 km) - 24th and 51st places.
1997 - Russia took part in the IFCHPF Congress (Dallas, Texas).
1999 - admission of SLSG to FCI membership.
2003 - Russian pigeon breeding clubs take part in the FCI Congress, which was held in the framework of the XXVIII International Olympiad for sports pigeons.
Now one of the main participants in the programs carried out by the SLSG is the Moscow Sports Pigeon Federation. On her initiative and with the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, in 1995 the tradition was revived again (78 years later) on the day of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (April 7) to release pigeons from the Kremlin.
Every year since 1996 the International Race of Young Pigeons "Podmoskovye" has been held.
Also, the Moscow Sports Pigeon Breeding Federation releases pigeons:
›In honor of the Victory Day;
›On the City Day;
›At the opening of monuments;
›During sporting events;
›During cultural events.
According to some reports, there are now more than 800 breeds and breed groups of racing, decorative and sport-postal pigeons.
In the course of the development of Russian pigeon breeding, many traditions and signs associated with pigeons have arisen.
It is also customary to release pigeons during the wedding ceremony. This usually happens 2 times. The first time pigeons are released before entering the registry office. This symbolizes the farewell to bachelorhood. Then the pigeons are released after leaving the registry office. This is believed to bring the newlyweds a happy life full of love. Young people will have a particularly happy and long life together if the pigeons do not fly away, but circle together.
Whoever owns pigeons owns the world. Not so long ago, the famous aphorism could be paraphrased in this way. Now carrier pigeons cannot compete with digital technologies, but pigeon breeding has also transformed.
At all times, carrier pigeons were active participants in hostilities. The first mention of them occurs before the beginning of our era - in 45, then they delivered correspondence from the besieged city of Modena.
Pigeon mail reached the state scale already in the XII century, in Egypt. Among the first postmen were Quarries, Bagdets, and Skanderuns.
The Belgians, French and British made a great contribution to the improvement of postal characteristics. Antwerp and Lyutikh pigeons are at the origin of almost all modern sporting breeds.
The first European competitions were held at the beginning of the 19th century. In Russia, the pigeon sport took shape at the end of the 19th century, survived the years of decline and revived with renewed vigor in the 30s of the 20th century.
Feathered postmen were of great importance during the Great Patriotic War. Then the time of oblivion came for them. Only in the 70s of the XX century. the population of carrier pigeons began to grow. Enthusiasts have appeared. Successful breeding work began on the basis of old breeds and imported from abroad.
The sporting achievements of domestic selection pigeons, prizes in international competitions, allow us to speak about the serious successes of our enthusiasts. They have largely bypassed their foreign colleagues.
Abilities of postar pigeons
Homing pigeons are capable of covering up to 80 km / h. The initial speed is up to 100 km / h. They have excellent terrain orientation. The best of them are able to find a home from a distance of 1000 km. Regular training allows you to achieve great endurance, which affects the time in flight. It often reaches 12 hours.
The standard flight altitude is up to 400 m. Postmen do not fly at night. At this time, they are hard to find: they stop in deserted places at high altitude with a good view.
The feeling of home works not only for stationary dovecotes, but also for mobile ones. This is the basis for their selection. The pigeons do not find the addressee - they fly home.
Main breeds
Among the breeds of carrier pigeons, there are no significant, striking differences. For further breeding, individuals are left that have shown the most desirable flying qualities.
Homing pigeons can be described as sturdy, harmoniously built birds with a well-developed chest and strong bones. Strong shoulder girdle, good musculature. Smooth back and close tight plumage, providing aerodynamic properties to the body. Long wings, narrow tail, bare legs. Can be of any color, there are variegated. In addition, they have excellent vision, stamina, high speed of summer and, most importantly, an instinct at home.
English
The English carrier pigeon is characterized by straightforward, swift summers. They have been used as carrier pigeons for several centuries. Worldwide known as English Quarries.
Reach 46 cm. The body is powerful. Posture is proud. The wax is warty, under the beak there are also growths. The eyelids are wrinkled, wide, grayish. The plumage color is different, the legs are unfeathered.
Belgian
The Belgian carrier pigeon is as famous as the English quarries. In contrast, it has a rounded body. A characteristic feature is dark eyes, framed by whitish eyelids. Otherwise, the physique is typical of post breeds.
German
German pochtari pigeons are direct heirs of the English quarries and the Dutch pigeons. They are compact birds, with a long neck and legs, a small beak, large eyes and a short tail. They are characterized by a high speed of summer.
Russian postage
Russian carrier pigeons are currently considered the benchmark among sports breeds. They consistently take prizes. They are distinguished by long legs, a sharp beak and a graceful head. The tips of the feathers are rounded up. The colors are varied.
Czech
Not all pochtari breeds perform well over long distances. Czechs are used for short distances. This carrier dove is, among other things, a frequent participant in exhibitions.
They are graceful harmonious birds with a long neck and a small tail. A characteristic feature is large eyes and a growth on the beak.
Training
Homing pigeons are of great interest to enthusiasts. Various competitions with strict evaluation criteria are held regularly. At the moment, post breeds are considered sporting, and success in sport depends on training. Of course, one cannot do without good heredity in the breed, but those pigeons that are able to cover the maximum distance in the shortest time and know where to fly become champions. The distances are serious: from 300 to 1000 km.
Only conditioned purebred carrier pigeons are allowed to train. There are two schools of study:
- In the first case, birds begin to actively drive from 2 months, as a rule, in a temperate climatic zone. Training in the first year is designed to form the skill of orientation on the ground. Young pigeons should fly no more than 75 km in total.
- In the second - from about 6 months. As a rule, in the southern regions. Then the pigeons are faced with the task of flying up to 300 km. Trainings are being conducted forcefully. Such distances cover literally after 7-8 flights.
To begin with, the young must get used to the owner, learn to independently go out into the aviary and return to the dovecote. It is recommended to release the carrier pigeons on the roof for several days after this.
Then the training program moves from local orientation to physical endurance. Homing pigeons are chased in a circle for several days, gradually increasing the flight time to 1.5 hours. This should be done before morning feeding.
The carrier pigeons are then taught to keep the direction. To begin with, they are released 2-3 km from home. It is possible from different directions. The distance is gradually increased. In this case, they already choose one direction. A two-month-old pigeon calmly overcomes 5 km, while it should easily determine where to fly. Subsequently, the distance is increased to 100 km.
Two-year-old pigeons are lifted into the air from short distances from the house. They start at 10 km. Then it is gradually increased to 300 km.
3 and 4-year-old pigeons perform their first flight after winter for 20 and 25 km, respectively. Then the distance is increased to 500 km. Only those who demonstrate stable results and good time are allowed to compete.
Feeding and maintenance
The feeding regime for carrier pigeons differs depending on the season. In summer three times a day: until 5.00; at 13.00; at 18.00–20.00. The winter mode involves the distribution of feed twice a day: until 9.00 and 17.00.
It is recommended not to overfeed carrier pigeons during training and competition, this acts as a summer stimulus. Saturation can be determined by the goiter (it should be full but soft). In addition, when it is full, the pigeon immediately goes to the water. After that, the feeders are removed.
When feeding homing pigeons, you can use ready-made feeds, but much more often pigeon breeders make up a diet for their pets on their own. It is important that it is balanced and complete.
The basis for food is cereals. These are oats, wheat, corn, barley, millet, buckwheat, rice. Beans are mandatory in the diet. For a change, exotic flax, rapeseed, hemp. You can't do without sunflower seeds. Flying out of the dovecote, they find and eat weed seeds.
In addition to concentrated feed, carrier pigeons need sources of vitamins: fresh herbs and grass. It is recommended to add premixes to grain mixtures. Salt, pebbles are poured into separate feeders and clean water is placed. They are regularly washed and disinfected.
The postal dove is picky about feeding and unpretentious in content. It is important that the dovecote is dry and clean. Overheating of the room in the summer, as well as drafts and cold in the winter must not be allowed. The presence of windows, including flight windows, an aviary, trampolines, nests, and perches for pigeons inside the premises is required. Feed must be given in troughs. Spreading it on the floor is dangerous due to the increased risk of infection.
Depending on the breed, the stocking density is calculated as follows:
- for a pair of large breed pigeons, at least 1 m 3 is required;
- for a pair of small and medium breeds - 0.5 m 3.
The dovecote is divided into several sections, each of which contains no more than 15 pairs of one breed. In winter, pigeons are divided by breed, sex, as well as age, and distributed to different sections.
Success in military or trade operations no longer depends on these pigeons. Gone is the romance of paper letters. But the enthusiasts have adapted to the requirements of the time. Now the birds have a different mission, the breeds have become athletic, showing the best qualities in competitions.
