Formation and Features of the Image of a Pskovite: the Experience of Historical and Imagological Research

Abstract

The article is devoted to the characterization of the image of a resident of the Pskov borderland, which was formed over the centuries under the influence of internal and external factors. “Image” is interpreted as a combination of rational judgments and irrational reflection of ideas, feelings, assessments, associations, etc., related to the perception of the population of the Pskov borderland. Traditionally, the specificity of the image of a Pskovite is revealed through the prism of the interdisciplinary concept of “the Pskov character”. The factors that determine the image of a Pskovite are analyzed: the geographical and geopolitical position of the Pskov region, the ethnic characteristics of the population and its economic activities, the organization of power during the Veche Republic, the history of the region, and the peculiarities of its spiritual culture. On the basis of a wide range of sources (birch bark manuscripts, chronicles, notes of foreigners, phrasebooks, materials of folklore and ethnographic expeditions, historical literature), a stable core of the stereotypical image of a Pskovite is revealed. The main characteristics of the image of a resident of the Pskov borderland are religiosity, love of freedom, modesty, humility, conservatism, collectivism, self-esteem, courage, patriotism, determination in defending their interests. The authors conclude that the formation and development of “the Pskov character” is largely determined by the border position of the region in political and ethno-cultural terms.