Chuvash Religion As A Key Component Of Ethnic Mentality

Abstract

Chuvash are Turkic people living in the Mid-Volga Region and having its own ethnic religion. The Chuvash religion called Sardash is preserved in everyday life as the “teaching of ancestors” and in praying and mythology. Sardash forms the basis for the centuries-old mentality of Chuvash by expressing moral values, principles of behaviour and endeavours of the nation. The ethnic religion of Chuvash has experienced several historic impacts, connected with Islamization/Tartarization and Christianization/russification.However, neither the Orthodox religion nor Islam has become central in the mentality of Chuvash. In everyday and ritual practices Chuvash are faithful to their ancient religion, based on the key principles of Zoroastrianism. The neo-paganism proclaimed as Chuvash ethnic religion by the “Турăç” group at the beginning of the 1990s is just an improvisation of a real traditional religion of Chuvash. In XXI Sardash still exists on a par with other religious traditions. The function of “spiritual support” of the nation is still played by yamakhats of unchristened Chuvash in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Samara, Ulyanovsk, etc. The Chuvash adherence to the teaching of ancestors is explained by a necessity to survive in harsh climatic and demographic conditions, to keep centuries-old lifestyle and social arrangement, to strive for family and economic well-being. Today Sardash is a set of unwritten rules and norms, important for the self-identification of the nation.In modern conditions, the ethnic religion of Chuvash with its many rituals can become a mighty factor for the development of ethnic tourism in the Chuvash republic.