Tarasa (Irkutsk region)

The village is located on both sides of the Alexander tract.

According to the All-Russian Census , in 2010, 1220 people lived in the village (571 men and 649 women) ^[1] .

In the village uninterrupted cellular communication, there is Internet access. The school is functioning ^[2] .

According to the first version, the name comes from the name of the person who lived here earlier Taras.

Some associate this toponym with the word tarasun - national milk vodka. There is evidence that earlier in Taras this drink was produced in large quantities.

The most likely third version, according to which the name comes from the Buryat tarah - "distributed", "diverge." Previously, the valley in which the village is located was a transit point for nomads - Buryats who were looking for fertile land. According to this version, when the Buryats, walking along the river, approached this valley, they made a choice where to move on: towards Sharaldai or towards Osa. In the valley, they stopped to rest ^[2] .

The village of Taras is conditionally divided into three parts: upper, middle and lower. Previously, these were separate settlements (Buryat uluses), later merged into one village.

The development and increase in the population in a settlement is facilitated by its favorable geographical position.

In the 1980s, several microdistricts of comfortable residential buildings equipped with central heating and cold water were erected in the village. However, later the boiler room was closed, at the moment electric boilers are installed in the houses, in others the heating is stove.

There is evidence that in 1903 a school was opened in the village. One of the main features of the Tarasi school is the preservation of three national cultures. There are three educational centers at the school: Russian, Buryat and Tatar. Children learn traditions, learn national dances, engage in folklore, arts and crafts, and conduct research.

All possible help is provided by philanthropists - former students of the school. Traditionally, at the last call, they establish several awards that are awarded to the best athlete, the best graduate of the school, the best student and teacher of the year (I, II, III degree), the winner class. The latter, as a rule, are awarded with a trip to the Bratsk reservoir, in the place of Golden Sands. Everyone receives personalized ribbons, gifts and cash bonuses. The school has a museum of local lore, which presents the history of Tarasa, the local collective farm, and also tells about outstanding people - immigrants from the village ^[2] .

In the vicinity of the village is located the tract Eregsche Unete, whose name is translated from Buryat as “motley cow”. According to legend

once the descendants of the Buryat family Sharaldai stayed here with their cattle. And when they left, one cow remained. She grazed here for a very long time. And when someone was asked at that time where he was, he waved his hand in that direction and said: "Where the motley cow grazes." Since then, the name has been assigned to the place.

In fact, the origin of the name is most likely related to the physical and geographical characteristics of the area.

Also not far from Tarasa, in the taiga is the tract Togo Nereshe, "a place for the distillation of tarasun." Not knowing people find this place difficult enough. In this tract is located a cold key. Presumably, its water has healing properties, in particular it cures eye diseases. Local residents used this place to distill the tarasun, since in the presence of cold water this process is more active. Especially often this happened during Prohibition. Local residents were distributed in order of priority, who would be the next to go to the tract to drive a drink. None of them could be prosecuted. Since that time, the name Togo Nereshé has been assigned to this tract.

Another noteworthy place is the tract Azarga (translated from the Buryat "stallion"). There is evidence that, before the October Revolution, a Konokrad criminal lived in the village, who stole stallions in many areas of the Irkutsk region and kept them in a pen, which was located in a taiga in a secluded place (now this is Azarga tract). However, it was accidentally discovered by local residents. According to rumors, a whole herd of strong, strong, selected stallions was found there ^[2] .