О МЕХАНИЗМЕ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ЭТНИЧНОСТИ И ЭТНИЧЕСКОЙ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ СРЕДСТВАМИ ПЕСЕННОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ (В ДИАЛОГЕ С ПОВЕСТЬЮ «СЛЕПОЙ МУЗЫКАНТ» В. Г. КОРОЛЕНКО)

Abstract

The article analyzes the role of song culture in the mechanism of formation of ethnicity and ethnic identity using the example of three peoples – Besermyans, Latvians and Estonians. In the culture of the Besermyans, one of the key roles in the expression of ethnicity is played by krez’. They are presented by the bearers of this culture as original, exclusively Besermyan songs and melodies, distinguishing the Besermyans from the Udmurts. Among Latvians and Estonians, this position is occupied by Singing Festivals, or Song and Dance Festivals, which became a symbol of the national movement and a means of strengthening national identity from the second half of the XIX century. It is concluded that a song can indeed be a symbol of national identity and a clear expression of ethnicity. In this process, firstly, the genesis of a song, musical genre or event does not play any fundamental role. Secondly, it is important what social function songs and music festivals perform in the minds of the people: if they are a truly effective symbol and means of unity, then they become a stronghold of ethnic unity. These aspirations are especially intensified in years of social cataclysms. Thirdly, the role of song is especially great in expressing the national identity of small peoples who have the desire to survive surrounded by the ethnic majority.