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An approximative map of the cultures in European Russia, in the 9th century

The Meshchera (Russian: Мещёра, Meshchyora) were a Finno-Ugric tribe which lived in the territory between the Oka River and the Klyazma river. It was a land of forests, bogs and lakes. The area is still called the Meshchera Lowlands.

The name may be related to mesh (meaning "bee" in the Mordvinian Moksha language), erzya (the self-designation of the Mordvinians speaking the Erzya language) and Eritsia (meaning "inhabitant" or "local" in the same language). Consequently, the name may mean "beekeepers", a fitting name considering the traditional importance of beekeeping in the area.

Records

The first Russian written source which mentions them is the Tolkovaya Paleya, from the 13th century. They are also mentioned in several later Russian chronicles from the period before the 16th century. This is in stark contrast to the related tribes Merya and Murom, which appear to have been assimilated by the East Slavs by the 10th and the 11th centuries.

Ivan II, prince of Moscow, wrote in his will, 1358, about the village Meshcherka, which he had bought from the native Meshcherian chieftain Alexander Ukovich. The village appears to have been converted to the Christian Orthodox faith and to have been a vassal of Muscovy.

Several documents mention the Meshchera concerning the Kazan campaign by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. These accounts concern a state of Meshchera (known under a tentative name of Temnikov Meshchera, after its central town of Temnikov) which had been assimilated by the Mordvins and the Tatars.

Prince A. M. Kurbsky wrote that the Mordvin language was spoken in the lands of the Meshchera. (See also: Meshcherian language.)

Archaeology

In the village of Zhabki (Egorievsk district, Moscow Oblast), Meshchera burial sites were found in 1870. Women's bronze decorations identified as Finno-Ugric were found and dated to the 5th-8th centuries. Very similar finds soon appeared in the Ryazan Oblast and the Vladimir Oblast, enabling archaeologists to establish what characterized the material culture of the Meshchera. 12 such sites were found from the Moskva River, along the Oka River to the town Kasimov. The general opinion is nowadays, that the Oka-Ryazan culture is identical to that of the Meshchera.

The graves of women have yielded objects typical of the Volga Finns, of the 4th-7th centuries, consisting of rings, jingling pendants, buckles and torcs. A specific feature was round breast plates with a characteristic ornamentation.

Some of the graves contained well-preserved copper oxides of the decorations with long black hair locked into small bells into which were woven pendants.

It appears from the remains that Slavic tribes arrived into Meshcheran territories in the period 10th-12th centuries.

Disappearance

In the Oka river valley, the Meshchera culture appears to have disappeared by the 11th century. There are no indications of genocide, but the fast changes appear to show that the Meshchera were partially pushed away by the Slavs.

In the marshy north, they appear to have stayed and to have been converted into the Orthodox faith. The Slavs were not as interested in the wetlands and allowed the Meshchera to stay for some time. The Meshchera nobility appears to have been converted and assimilated by the 13th century, but the common Meshchera huntsman and fisherman may have kept elements of their language and beliefs for a longer period. In the 16th century, the St Nicholas monastery was founded in Radovitsky in order to convert the remaining Meshchera pagans. It is possible that they still spoke their old language.

The princely family Meschersky in Russia derives its nobility from having originally been native rulers of some of these Finnic tribes.

Remaining ethnic influence

Ethnographers treat the modern Meshchera as a local group within the Russian ethnos. These Russian-speakers live in the massive forests on the frontier between the Moscow, Ryazan and Vladimir Oblasts. Some Meshchera also appear in the regions of Tambov, Penza and Saratov Oblasts. They are generally dark and of medium height and they continue to live as fishermen, bee-keepers and huntsmen.

External source

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+[[Image:Muromian-map.png|thumb|300px|right|An approximative map of the cultures in European Russia, in the 9th century]]
-{{coord|51|16|43|N|0|47|33|W|display=title}}
+The '''Meshchera''' ({{lang-ru|Мещёра}}, '''Meshchyora''') were a [[Finno-Ugric]] tribe which lived in the territory between the [[Oka River]] and the [[Klyazma]] river. It was a land of forests, [[bog]]s and lakes. The area is still called the [[Meshchera Lowlands]].
-{{Infobox_Company |
-  company_name   = QinetiQ |
-  company_logo   = [[Image:QinetiQ.svg|200px]] |
-  company_type   = Public ({{lse|QQ.}})|
-  slogan = "The Global Defence and Security Experts"|
-  foundation     = 2001|
-  location       = [[United Kingdom|UK]] and [[North America]].
-Head Office - [[Farnborough, Hampshire]] and [[Malvern]], [[Worcestershire]].|
-  key_people     = Sir [[John Chisholm]], Chairman <br> [[Graham Love]], CEO|
-  num_employees  = 14,065 (2008)|
-  revenue        = [[Pound sterling|£]]1,366.0 million (2008)|
-  operating_income=[[Pound sterling|£]]76.4 million (2008)|
-  net_income     = [[Pound sterling|£]]47.4 million (2008)|
-  industry       = [[Security]] and [[Arms industry|Defence industry]]|
-  products       = Security and Defence |
-  homepage       = [http://www.QinetiQ.com/ www.QinetiQ.com]
-}}
-'''QinetiQ''' ({{lse|QQ.}}) (pronounced [{{IPA|kɪ.ˈnɛ.tɪk}}], as in [[kinetic energy]]) is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Defense contractor|defence technology company]], formed from the greater part of the former government agency [[Defence Evaluation and Research Agency|DERA]] when it was split up in June 2001 (with the smaller part becoming [[Dstl]]). The [[Chief Executive]] at inception was the present day Chairman [[John Chisholm|Sir John Chisholm]].  The current CEO is [[Graham Love]]. It is listed on the [[London Stock Exchange]] and is a constituent of the [[FTSE 250 Index]].
+The name may be related to ''mesh'' (meaning "bee" in the Mordvinian [[Moksha language]]), ''erzya'' (the self-designation of the Mordvinians speaking the [[Erzya language]]) and ''Eritsia'' (meaning "inhabitant" or "local" in the same language). Consequently, the name may mean "beekeepers", a fitting name considering the traditional importance of beekeeping in the area.
-==History==
-===Early years===
-In 2001, when Defence Minister [[Lewis Moonie]] announced the creation of QinetiQ in 2001, he said that it would remain a British company based in the UK. The MoD would keep a 'Special Share' in the company, and safeguards would be in place to prevent conflicts of interest. In February 2003, the U.S. [[private equity]] firm The [[Carlyle Group]] acquired a 33.8% share in the company for £42m. Prior to stock market flotation, ownership was split between the MoD (56%), Carlyle Group (31%) and staff (13%). The Carlyle Group was expected to invest for three to five years, after which a stock exchange float would take place.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2002/sep/15/businessofresearch.arms For sale to the highest bidder - Britain's secret weapons labs]</ref>
+==Records==
-===Early expansion===
+The first Russian written source which mentions them is the ''[[Tolkovaya Paleya]]'', from the 13th century. They are also mentioned in several later Russian chronicles from the period before the 16th century. This is in stark contrast to the related tribes [[Merya]] and [[Murom]], which appear to have been assimilated by the [[East Slavs]] by the 10th and the 11th centuries.
-In September 2004 QinetiQ acquired the U.S. defence companies ''Westar Corporation''<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_/ai_n12808248 Qinetic seals £72m bid for Westar]</ref> and [[Foster-Miller]] (maker of the [[Foster-Miller TALON|Talon]] robot).<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2004/11/08/daily21.html Qinetic caps $163m buy of Foster-Miller]</ref> Also in 2004, it acquired  ''HVR Consulting Services Ltd.'' a leading UK based engineering consultancy.<ref>[http://archive.dailyecho.co.uk/2004/8/11/24214.html Defence specialists HVR snapped up]</ref> In early August 2005, the company announced it would acquire ''Apogen Technologies, Inc.'', pending regulatory approval.<ref>[http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/196151/britains_qinetiq_to_buy_apogen/index.html Britain's Qinetiq to buy Apogen]</ref> The QinetiQ website lists this merger as costing $288.0m (£162.7m). In September 2005, it acquired a 90% share of ''Verhaert Design and Development NV'' (VDD), the [[Belgium|Belgian]] space systems integrator.<ref>[http://www.space.com/spacenews/archive05/Briefs_090605.html Qinetiq agrees to buy Belgian space company]</ref> In October that year, it acquired Broadreach Networks Limited, a supplier of [[Wi-Fi]] internet to the European rail industry,<ref>[http://www.eetimes.eu/uk/172300114;jsessionid=TNBJKGMVT3JEWQSNDLRSKHSCJUNN2JVN Qinetiq expands internet rail business]</ref> and in February 2006, it bought ''Graphics Research Corporation Ltd'', developer of the Paramarine software suite of ship and submarine design tools.<ref>[http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/293667/QinetiQ+buys+software+company.htm Qinetiq buys software company]</ref>
+[[Ivan II of Russia|Ivan II]], prince of Moscow, wrote in his will, 1358, about the village Meshcherka, which he had bought from the native Meshcherian chieftain [[Alexander Ukovich]]. The village appears to have been converted to the [[Christian Orthodox]] faith and to have been a vassal of [[Muscovy]].
-===Stock Exchange listing===
-The flotation of the company has been dogged with controversy<ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article338291.ece £1bn flotation 'will sell taxpayers short']</ref><ref>
-[http://www.iii.co.uk/articles/articledisplay.jsp?article_id=4385908&section=ShareDealing Investors cry foul over flotation]</ref><ref>[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1686487,00.html Arrogance has sunk this flotation to new depths]</ref><ref>
-[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4653722.stm Reid defends QinetiQ's sale price]</ref>. Ennobled in 2005, [[Lewis Moonie|Lord Moonie]] who handled the initial sale, said in 2006 that the government's 31 per cent stake in Qinetiq should not have been sold when equity markets were languishing in 2002. He said that he had argued for the sale to be delayed but was overruled by the Treasury who had convinced the [[Ministry of Defence (UK)|Ministry of Defence]] to go ahead.<ref>[http://search.ft.com/ftArticle?sortBy=gadatearticle&queryText=qinetiq+controversy&page=2&y=0&aje=false&x=0&id=060113000988&ct=0 Former minister slams handling of the deal]</ref>
+Several documents mention the Meshchera concerning the [[Kazan]] campaign by [[Ivan the Terrible]] in the 16th century. These accounts concern a state of Meshchera (known under a tentative name of [[Temnikov Meshchera]], after its central town of [[Temnikov]]) which had been assimilated by the [[Mordvins]] and the [[Tatars]].
-QinetiQ was floated on the [[London Stock Exchange]] in February 2006. The company had been valued at between £1.1bn and £1.3bn, with the MoD holding estimated to be worth £616m - £728m, the Carlyle Group's holding £341m - £403m, and staff/management's holding worth £143m - £169m. Controversy was generated by the very large returns for the [[Carlyle Group]] and senior managers, with figures of over £20m suggested in the media for [[Sir John Chisholm]]. Financial press speculation concerning a stock exchange float increased in January 2006. On [[January 12]] an announcement was made in parliament by [[John Reid (UK politician)|Dr John Reid]], Secretary of State for Defence. He said that the Carlyle Group, 'will continue to retain a significant stake in the company', and that the British government would continue to hold a '[[Golden Share]]' in QinetiQ to protect the United Kingdom's security and defence interests.
+Prince [[A. M. Kurbsky]] wrote that the [[Mordvin language]] was spoken in the lands of the Meshchera.
-Controversy also arose around the fact that retail investors were to be excluded from the [[Initial Public Offering]] (IPO) due to QinetiQ's complexity and the fact that institutional investors would require less complicated marketing and financing. This led to contrasts with the 'Sid' campaign for [[British Gas plc]] in [[1986]], where retail investors were encouraged to buy shares, both with discounts and a large advertising campaign. The issue was partially resolved by allowing some [[stock broker|brokerage]] firms to place orders in the IPO as part of a combined order, allowing the firm to purchase as though an [[institutional investor]], but on behalf of clients. While this did not result in a public campaign or retail investor discounts, it did allow many investors to purchase shares directly in the IPO.
+(See also: [[Meshcherian language]].)
+==Archaeology==
-The company floated on [[10 February]] [[2006]], with an IPO of 200p per share, which gave QinetiQ an initial market value of £1.3bn. On [[13 February]] [[2006]] (the Monday after the Friday IPO) QinetiQ shares closed at 219.5p per share, valuing the company at over £1.4bn. However, by late March [[2006]] QinetiQ shares dropped 15% from that peak (7% from the IPO price) to 186p each.
+In the village of [[Zhabki]] ([[Egorievsk]] district, [[Moscow Oblast]]), Meshchera burial sites were found in 1870. Women's bronze decorations identified as [[Finno-Ugric]] were found and dated to the 5th-8th centuries. Very similar finds soon appeared in the [[Ryazan Oblast]] and the [[Vladimir Oblast]], enabling archaeologists to establish what characterized the material culture of the Meshchera. 12 such sites were found from the [[Moskva River]], along the [[Oka River]] to the town [[Kasimov]]. The general opinion is nowadays, that the Oka-Ryazan culture is identical to that of the Meshchera.
+The graves of women have yielded objects typical of the Volga Finns, of the 4th-7th centuries, consisting of [[finger ring|ring]]s, jingling [[pendant]]s, [[buckle]]s and [[torc]]s. A specific feature was round breast plates with a characteristic ornamentation.
-Speculation that a consortium including QinetiQ may be about to win a £10bn MoD training contract helped push their share price back above 190p in early Nov 2006. It was announced on [[17 January]] [[2007]] that the QinetiQ-led [[Metrix UK|Metrix consortium]] was the preferred bidder for package two of the MoD's Defence Training Rationalisation programme, worth approx £16bn.
+Some of the graves contained well-preserved [[copper oxide]]s of the decorations with long black hair locked into small bells into which were woven pendants.
-===Recent expansion===
-In January 2007, the Company bought ''Analex'', a [[United States|US]] corporation providing high technology professional services and solutions, principally to the [[United States|US]] Government and its agencies.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_/ai_n17148174 Qinetiq buys US defence firm Analex]</ref>
+It appears from the remains that [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] tribes arrived into Meshcheran territories in the period 10th-12th centuries.
-In February 2007 the acquisition of ''ITS Corporation'', a provider of [[Information Technology|IT]] services to the [[United States|US]] government and its agencies, was announced.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSWLB575320070301 Qinetic to buy ITS Corporation for $90m]</ref> The disposal of Aerospace Filtration Systems (formerly part of Westar) was announced at the same time. In June, QinetiQ Group plc announced that its U.S. subsidiary Apogen Technologies Inc. had completed the acquisition of 3H Technology LLC, a specialist IT company with US government and commercial clients.<ref>[http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/30942-1.html Apogen buys 3H Technology]</ref> In October, the company completed the acquisition of [[Boldon James|Boldon James Holdings Limited]], a [[United Kingdom|UK]]-based provider of software solutions for high end secure messaging, primarily for military, government and security customers worldwide.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/25/qinetiq_buys_boldon_james_mi5_secure_messaging/ Qinetiq buys spooks' secure messaging provider]</ref>
-==Operations==
+==Disappearance==
+In the [[Oka river]] valley, the Meshchera culture appears to have disappeared by the 11th century. There are no indications of genocide, but the fast changes appear to show that the Meshchera were partially pushed away by the Slavs.
-[[Image:dornier.alpha.zj648.arp.jpg|thumb|right|[[Dassault-Breguet/Dornier Alpha Jet]] of the UK defence technology organisation QinetiQ]]
+In the [[marsh]]y north, they appear to have stayed and to have been converted into the [[Orthodox]] faith. The Slavs were not as interested in the wetlands and allowed the Meshchera to stay for some time. The Meshchera nobility appears to have been converted and assimilated by the 13th century, but the common Meshchera huntsman and fisherman may have kept elements of their language and beliefs for a longer period. In the 16th century, the St Nicholas monastery was founded in [[Radovitsky]] in order to convert the remaining Meshchera pagans. It is possible that they still spoke their old language.
-QinetiQ is a science and technology company, with a number of commercial and military products. One example is the semi-intelligent [[ultrasound]] [[scuba diver]] detector called [[Cerberus (sonar)|Cerberus]]. The defence research sites that now form QinetiQ were previously involved in the invention of [[liquid crystal display]]s, the technology for [[Loudspeaker#Flat_Panel_Loudspeakers| one type of flat panel speakers]], [[radar|microwave radar]], [[Chobham armour]], and [[thermal imager]]s. In recent years QinetiQ has also developed [[software]] products, especially those for the defence and [[security]] industries. Examples include the "SURVIVE" vulnerability and recoverability assessment tool, which was originally developed to assess the vulnerability of ships to weapon attack, but has been expanded to cover: naval recoverability (damage control, firefighting, capability restoration); escape and evacuation; explosive safety; and, in recent years, tri-service vulnerability (aircraft, vehicles) and infrastructure (buildings, fortifications, etc.). In so doing, it has become Europe's leading tri-service vulnerability assessment tool.<ref>[http://www.qinetiq.com/home/defence/defence_solutions/sea/survive.html Qinetiq: Survive]</ref>
+The princely family [[Meschersky]] in Russia derives its nobility from having originally been native rulers of some of these Finnic tribes.
-QinetiQ has a long term agreement (25 years) with the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|UK Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) to manage military ranges. This agreement is the Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA). It is a major stakeholder in the UK [[Defence Technology Centre]] which places military research contracts on behalf of the MoD.
+==Remaining ethnic influence==
-QinetiQ also has a 15 year agreement with the MoD under the MAritime Strategic Facilities Agreement (MSCA) to provide strategic maritime facilities and capabilities, including hydromechanic facilities at Haslar, biomedical facilities on the UK's South Coast, and submarine structures, survivabiltiy and shock testing facilities at Rosyth.
+Ethnographers treat the modern Meshchera as a local group within the Russian ethnos. These Russian-speakers live in the massive forests on the frontier between the [[Moscow Oblast|Moscow]], [[Ryazan Oblast|Ryazan]] and [[Vladimir Oblast]]s. Some Meshchera also appear in the regions of [[Tambov Oblast|Tambov]], [[Penza Oblast|Penza]] and [[Saratov Oblast]]s. They are generally dark and of medium height and they continue to live as fishermen, bee-keepers and huntsmen.
-==Organisation==
+==External source==
+*[http://www.hunmagyar.org/mordvin/meshchera.html Online presentation by Alexei Markov]
-Since April 2005, the QinetiQ group has been split into three divisions: Defence and Technology, Security and Dual Use, and North America (see North American acquisitions below).
+*[http://www.egorievsk.ru/eng/history/lwmecshera.html The Gateway to the Meshchera]
+*[http://www.hunmagyar.org/turan/mordvin/meshchera.html  Meshchera, by Alexei Markov, senior lecturer at the University for Modern humanities]
+[[Category:Ancient peoples]]
-The major UK sites are at [[Farnborough, Hampshire|Farnborough]], [[Hampshire]] (the historical [[Royal Aircraft Establishment]]) and [[Malvern, Worcestershire]] (the historical [[Royal Signals and Radar Establishment|RSRE]]/[[Royal Radar Establishment|RRE]]/[[Telecommunications Research Establishment|TRE]]), each having more than 2,000 employees. Trials aircraft are flown out of [[Boscombe Down]], [[Wiltshire]]  (the historical [[A&AEE]]). The number of UK employees is believed to be around 9,000 as of April 2005.
+[[Category:Volga_Finns]]
+[[Category:Archaeological cultures]]
+[[Category:European archaeology]]
+[[Category:Traditional subdivisions of Russia]]
+[[Category:Ethnic groups in Russia]]
+[[Category:Indigenous peoples of Europe]]
+[[ru:Мещера (племя)]]
-==Employment==
+[[uk:Мещера]]
-QinetiQ is one of the top 10 largest UK employers of science and engineering graduates<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/top_100_graduate_employers/article796657.ece QinetiQ - Times Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, recruiting around 150 a year<ref>[http://graduates.qinetiq.com/content/about/people.html People - QinetiQ<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.  Between 2002-2006, it has appeared in the [[Times Top 100 Graduate Employers]] list. However QinetiQ has since been criticised for exhibiting higher than average levels of stress related depression among employees, although this is strongly denied by the company.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/4463342.stm High stress claim at defence base] BBC News</ref>
-In September 2005, [[Graham Love]] replaced [[John Chisholm|Sir John Chisholm]] as Chief Executive. John Chisholm became Executive Chairman; the previous chairman Dame [[Pauline Neville-Jones]] having resigned earlier in the year. In October 2006, ex-[[CIA]] Director [[George Tenet]] joined QinetiQ as an independent non-executive director.<ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article1927199.ece Former CIA chief joins the board of QinetiQ]</ref>
-==NAO Inquiry==
-In 2007, the [[National Audit Office (United Kingdom)|National Audit Office]] conducted an inquiry into the privatisation of QinetiQ to determine whether UK taxpayers got good value for money from the sale. The NAO inquiry looked at the following issues:
-* choice of privatisation strategy;
-* management of the process (the split of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency into two, the sale to Carlyle and the flotation);
-* costs incurred and the proceeds achieved; and,
-* whether the deal met its objectives.<ref>[http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/workinprogress/QinetiQ.htm Inquiry by the National Audit Office]</ref>
-In November 2007, the NAO reported that taxpayers could have gained "tens of millions" more and was critical of the incentive scheme given to QinetiQ managers, the 10 most senior of whom gained £107.5m on a total investment of £540,000 in the company's shares. The return of 19,990% on their investment was described as "excessive" by the NAO. The role of QinetiQ's management in negotiating terms with the [[Carlyle Group]], while the private equity company was bidding for the business, was also criticised by the NAO. Carlyle bought a third of the business for £42m which grew in value to £372m in less than four years.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7108444.stm QinetiQ deal 'cost UK taxpayers']</ref> However, the [[Ministry of Defence (UK)|Ministry of Defence]] defended the sale:
-:"It has delivered excellent value for money, generating more than £800m for the taxpayer, while protecting UK defence and security interests," said [[Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton|Baroness Taylor]], Minister for Defence Equipment and Support.
-There was a hearing by the [[Public Accounts Committee]] in December 2007.
-==References==
-{{reflist}}
-==See also==
-[[Image:RV Triton bow.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[QinetiQ|QinetiQ's]] experimental [[RV Triton]]]]
-* [[Mercator (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)]]
-* [[QinetiQ 1]] (balloon)
-* [[RV Triton]] (trimaran vessel formerly owned by QinetiQ)
-* [[Railgun]]
-* [[Scramjet]]
-* [[Topsat]]
-* [[QinetiQ Zephyr]]
-==External links==
-*[http://www.qinetiq.com Official site]
-*[http://www.advfn.com/quote_QinetiQ_LSE_QQ..html Share price chart]
-{{FTSE 250 Index constituents}}
-[[Category:Companies established in 2001]]
-[[Category:Carlyle Group]]
-[[Category:Defence companies of the United Kingdom]]
-[[Category:Science and technology in the United Kingdom]]
-[[Category:Technology companies]]
-[[Category:QinetiQ]]
-[[Category:Companies based in Hampshire]]
-[[Category:Privatised executive agencies of the United Kingdom government]]
-[[Category:Animal testing]]
-[[Category:Privatization controversies]]
-[[de:QinetiQ]]
-[[no:QinetiQ]]